If you walked into our school at different points in the year, you might think you’d stepped into completely different worlds.
One month we’re hiking mountain trails, the next we’re wrapped in blankets reading quietly, and later we’re pitching businesses at festivals.
That’s because our year flows through seasons — each one with its own texture, pace, and joy.
Here’s how our year turns.
Back-to-School Season
Bright, fizzy, full of momentum.
August arrives with new faces, new energy, and new possibilities.
We welcome our students back and help their families adjust to a different way of doing school — one rooted in curiosity, flexibility, and trust.
Students practice self-direction with lots of scaffolding and support.
We add subjects gradually, building routines that feel doable, joyful, and sustainable.
Everything feels like a beginning.
Nature Study Season
Blue skies. Less fear. Deeper wonder.
Many students arrive believing nature is scary or “not for them.”
So as soon as Georgia cools, we take learning outdoors.
We help students unlearn the fear of bugs, dirt, and the wild — showing them that nature is a place to belong.
We explore the forest, climb trees, track insects, plant gardens and use binoculars and microscopes during Genius Studios.
By observing instead of avoiding, students build curiosity, courage, and the early STEM habits they’ll use all year.
Hiking Season
Long trails. Big breaths. Muddy shoes.
Glenlake, Stone Mountain, Arabia Mountain, Oakland Cemetery, and other favorite local parks.
If it has a trail, we’ll take it.
This season is about stamina, exploration, and seeing our city as one giant learning laboratory.
Science Fair Season
Experiments everywhere. Ideas bubbling over.
Tables covered in projects. Students measuring, building, revising.
You can feel the focus — and the pride.
This season is one of our busiest, and one of our best.
Ideas spark from the most Lighthouse places: a field sketch from a hike, a question born in Genius Studios, or a Pinterest concept they’re eager to bring to life.
Hibernation Season
Dim lights. Blankets. Slow mornings.
Right as the world speeds up for the holidays, we slow down.
Students bring blankets, sip warm drinks, and ease into the day.
We warm up on the inside and the outside.
This season protects our energy when we need it most.
Black History Season
Depth. Joy. Legacy. Power.
January and February are for diving deep:
research projects, performances, field trips, concerts, museum visits, community storytellers.
Students discover history, identity, and possibility — and they add their own voices to the conversation.
Festival Season
Community, celebration, creativity everywhere.
Spring in Atlanta means festivals, and we’re there for all of it.
From the Atlanta Science Festival to our Youth Business Fair, we dive into hands-on events.
We reunite with microschool and homeschool friends across the city.
This season lets students share their work with the world.
Camping & Outdoor Adventure Season
Firelight. Stars. Courage.
We head into the woods for environmental science and team challenges.
Students build skills, solve problems, and push past their comfort zones.
Evenings around the campfire become core memories.
Research shows that students who enjoy nature grow into adults who protect it.
This season inspires confidence that lasts long after tents are packed.
Awards Season
Reflection. Celebration.
Students gather their projects, journals, experiments, essays, artwork, and memories.
We celebrate growth, effort, curiosity, and character at our annual LightFest.
The whole year comes together in one joyful moment.
Closing
Our year isn’t a straight line.
It’s a turning circle—bright, quiet, joyful, curious, brave.
And no matter the season we’re in, there’s always something growing here.
Sometimes it’s skill. Sometimes it’s confidence. Sometimes it’s wonder.
Always, it’s community.