Fern & Feather Preschool at Felix Neck
Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary offers a nature preschool in Edgartown for children ages 3 to 5. Felix Neck's Fern & Feather Preschool supports children's individual growth and innate curiosity through nature-based learning and discovery.
Philosophy
Our pre-school draws on the inspiration of play-based, place- based, child -centered, anti-bias, and nature-based philosophies, to create our own unique emergent program. Fern & Feather provides a safe, supportive, natural learning environment that nurtures children’s innate curiosity, the need to explore, and the joy of discovery. Fern and Feather will support children to challenge their physical abilities, express themselves, build healthy bodies, discover, practice, and develop a relationship with the natural world.
Our Classroom
Fern and Feather’s indoor classroom is a beautiful barn with a playground. Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary provides us with an additional 200-acres of landscape with woodlands, meadows, ponds, salt marshes, and beaches. This outdoor classroom offers limitless opportunities for exciting daily investigations, observations, and discoveries through the changing seasons.
Curriculum
Fern and Feather Preschool provides children with opportunities to explore the natural world through music, art, science, math, and literacy, while nurturing social emotional development. Children’s interests and investigations guide our curriculum over the course of the day, week, month, and seasons.
Teachers work as researchers alongside students, carefully listening to their interests, assisting in defining their questions as a place to begin investigations and express their knowledge. Teachers provoke, co-construct, stimulate new thinking, and foster collaboration.
While nature and outdoor exploration comprise the majority of our curriculum, we will be introducing students to early learning and pre-academic skills. Our curriculum is guided by best practices in early childhood education and is rooted in the Massachusetts Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (NAEYC) and Massachusetts Early Childhood Education Standards
Our Staff
Fern & Feather Preschool staff is certified by the Department of Early Education and Care and have years of experience teaching young children. They are certified in first aid and CPR and attend professional development classes annually as members of Mass Audubon's education team.
Weekly Program Options
| 2-day Program | 3-day Program | 5-day Program |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 am-3:00 pm | Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00 am-3:00 pm | Monday through Friday 9:00 am-3:00 pm |
Please note: Families provide lunch and snacks for their children each day.
We offer an early drop off (8:30 AM) and late pick up (4:00 PM) at an additional cost.
- Age: Children must be 3 to 5 years old.
- Class Size: The class size is 18 students per day; the staff to child ratio is 1:7.
- Academic Year: The academic year runs from early September to early June. Vacations and holidays coincide with the Martha's Vineyard Public Schools calendar.
More Information
Spaces are available for the 2023-2024 school year. Interested in more information? Want to be added to our preschool waitlist? Email us or call us at 508-627-4850 with any questions you may have.