Dear Nantucket Lighthouse School Families,
I am so grateful for everyone’s support preparing, staffing, and breaking down the Yuletide Fair. While greeting guests at the door, I so enjoyed the opportunity to visit with Lighthouse families, friends from years past, alumni, and long-time Yuletide-goers. Although the Fair itself is a huge undertaking for our small school, and an important fundraiser, what I love most about the event is the gathering of community and its family and child-friendly spirit.
To say that we could not have done it without you is stating the obvious. We appreciate your help staffing different shifts, but I also hope you were able to enjoy the Fair with your family. This time of year can be such a whirlwind of activity, and it takes great intention to find small moments to be fully present and enjoy with your family and friends. Too often, I find myself in January wishing that I had taken more time to sit still and just be.
I would like to thank Cayla for leading the charge with this year’s Yuletide Fair, Jess for all her prep work and volunteer hours, and Alicia for her expert set-up and staging. Her thrills and fills concept led to a beautifully curated Marketplace. I also want to offer a HUGE and heartfelt thank you to our Yuletide Committee (Meghan Bernazzani, Laura Davison, Miya Hagberg, Jen Karberg, Viktoriya Keltz, Deborah Landreth, Sandrine Legrand, Amari McCarthy, Tharon McEvoy, Cayla Prichard, Jess Torres and Aber Webb) for the countless hours they devoted to preparing for the Fair, before, during, and after the event. Their time and commitment went above and beyond, and we are forever grateful for their efforts.
Tonight, we host another one of my favorite Lighthouse events, and that is our Winter Celebration. It is such an iffy time of year in terms of the health of our cast members. I am always heartened by the unexpected and brave ways that the children step up and fill roles they had not anticipated. Everyone’s ability, including our teachers, to be nimble is such a gift! Having once been a teacher at Nantucket Lighthouse School, I can honestly say that preparing a play for Winter Celebration was a first in my career, and it was an awesomely creative and challenging endeavor. Many thanks to our performers and our teachers for their careful work.
We look forward to seeing you tonight.
Warm regards,
Emily
Happy, Thoughtful Kids Grown Here
While the winter season is a magical time of year filled with excitement, the bustle and business of the holidays can feel frenetic. With so many extra events, I have had less time to be fully present with my children.
There are three times a day, however, that I slow down and intentionally connect with my kids. Child psychologist Dr. Bruce Perry believes that there are 9 minutes in a day that hold the most influence on children’s social, emotional, and cogitative development:
- The first three minutes after they wake up.
- The three minutes after returning home from school.
- The three minutes before they go to bed.
While we would like to give all of ourselves to our children all the time, it simply isn’t possible. Finding these brief but impactful times of day to bond helps my family feel happier and more connected.
Warm best,
Julia Maury
Nantucket Lighthouse School Community,
After a beautiful weekend at Yuletide Fair, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the brilliant success of our event. The recent Yuletide Fair was a tremendous success, thanks to the unwavering support and enthusiasm of our incredible school community. Your presence, engagement, and generosity played a crucial role in making the event a memorable and uplifting experience.
Not only did we come together to celebrate our shared commitment to Nantucket Lighthouse School and welcome the broader community to enter the holiday season, we also successfully raised funds to support Nantucket Lighthouse School students and teachers. This year’s Yuletide Fair surpassed income from prior years, and for the first time, sponsorships covered the entire cost of the event. This means all profits from sales remained within Nantucket Lighthouse School.
This accomplishment is a testament to the strength of our community and the shared belief in Nantucket Lighthouse School. Your dedication is truly inspiring, and we are grateful for the positive impact your support will have on the school’s continued growth and success.
As we reflect on the success of Yuletide Fair, we want to express our deepest appreciation for your commitment to Nantucket Lighthouse School. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our students, fostering an environment where they can thrive academically, socially, and creatively. To our committee members, you all were instrumental in the planning and success of the Yuletide Fair. To our parent volunteers, every single one of you made the event operate and function at its highest level. To members of the Board of Trustees who gave in time or treasure, we appreciate your continued commitment to NLS.
Thank you once again for being an integral part of our Nantucket Lighthouse School family and for contributing to the success of Yuletide Fair. We look forward to building on this momentum and continuing to create enriching experiences for our students.
Warm regards,
Cayla Prichard
Director of Development
Faculty Spotlight
Amanda Torchia
Amanda TorchiaDirector & Early Childhood Education certifications, ECC
American Montessori Society certification, Northeast Montessori Institute
Amanda relocated to Nantucket 16 years ago from Annapolis, Maryland where she worked as a music teacher and a sailing instructor. Since then she has obtained a Certificate in Early Childhood Education, Director Certification from the EEC and American Montessori Society Certification from the Northeast Montessori Institute. While on Nantucket, she has worked as a lead teacher at the Montessori Children’s House and Small Friends and held positions as a nanny for several island families.
“The Lighthouse School is the only school on Nantucket I have felt meets the needs of myself as a teacher and my daughter as a learner. I am able to share so many of my passions with my students through our integrated curriculum – like handwork, pottery, and music – while simultaneously watching their academic skills flourish. I wish I had been able to attend a school like this as a child, and I am so grateful to have my daughter be nurtured in this type of learning environment.”
