Island Children's School
Island Children's School, 5 Halcyon Way, West Tisbury, MA 2575
About
Island Children's School offers a curriculum that is created and implemented within student-centered imaginative play. The program uses carefully designed environments and richly constructed activities so students can explore the world, build relationships, and make decisions that will guide them to love learning.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–3:00pm
• Price: When a child is enrolled, a $500 deposit is required; $400 is applied to the first month of tuition and $100 is kept as a one-time administrative fee for new students. Island Children's School offers a 10% discount on tuition for all additional siblings.
Island Children's School serves families of children who are at least 2.9 years of age, and parents may place a child on the waitlist even if the child is not yet old enough to attend. Joan Lester opened the school’s doors in 1969 with the help of Linda McCarthy, and in 1993 the school was given land and a permanent home was built on Halcyon Way. The school began as a program started for the founder’s own children and was nomadic in its early years, with locations that included the Chilmark community center, the Youth Hostel, and a large family farm in West Tisbury; during the years at the Chilmark community center, tuition was free and James Taylor put on benefit concerts so toys and supplies could be purchased. The current director is Quinn Savard.
The school’s mission states that it strives to connect its small community to the larger island community so that it may make a positive impact on the lives of the children and families of Martha’s Vineyard. Island Children’s School works with Bailey Boyd Associates, which administers the state’s Community Development Block Grants to give funding to parents who qualify for assistance in paying for preschool. Island Children’s School is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30am–3:00pm
• Price: When a child is enrolled, a $500 deposit is required; $400 is applied to the first month of tuition and $100 is kept as a one-time administrative fee for new students. Island Children's School offers a 10% discount on tuition for all additional siblings.
Island Children's School serves families of children who are at least 2.9 years of age, and parents may place a child on the waitlist even if the child is not yet old enough to attend. Joan Lester opened the school’s doors in 1969 with the help of Linda McCarthy, and in 1993 the school was given land and a permanent home was built on Halcyon Way. The school began as a program started for the founder’s own children and was nomadic in its early years, with locations that included the Chilmark community center, the Youth Hostel, and a large family farm in West Tisbury; during the years at the Chilmark community center, tuition was free and James Taylor put on benefit concerts so toys and supplies could be purchased. The current director is Quinn Savard.
The school’s mission states that it strives to connect its small community to the larger island community so that it may make a positive impact on the lives of the children and families of Martha’s Vineyard. Island Children’s School works with Bailey Boyd Associates, which administers the state’s Community Development Block Grants to give funding to parents who qualify for assistance in paying for preschool. Island Children’s School is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
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