The Heart of Early Education

Holistic Learning at Ohana Day School

By Katie Ogletree | Photography by Hunter Burgtorf

Ohana Day School, South Walton’s premier day school, celebrated the grand opening of its second location in the summer of 2023. Situated in the Town Center of Grand Boulevard at Sandestin in Miramar Beach, this custom-designed facility, built by Santa-Rosa-Beach-based Grand Bay Construction, offers a central and convenient location for families in both Destin and South Walton, Florida.

Founded in 2011, the Ohana Institute developed a learning model centered on the principle of placing students first. The Institute focuses on K-12 students, with the mission to educate children in innovative ways, thereby encouraging them to discover their true passions. The name “Ohana,” meaning family, permeates every aspect of the Institute—interactions, lessons, and physical spaces. This reflects a simple philosophy: a genuine love for learning naturally emerges when children feel loved, supported, and safe.

Building on the success of Ohana Institute, the natural progression was to establish Ohana Day School. This new initiative provides a nurturing environment for Pre-K students aged three to five, focusing on laying essential foundations for cognitive, social, and emotional growth. At this critical age, flexible thinking and rapid neural growth are at their peak, making early learning vital for a child’s future success, which aligns with the thriving learning model of the Ohana Institute.

The Ohana Day School’s experience is guided by three key pillars: Encourage, Nurture, and Educate. Ohana Institute’s signature framework, the SHELL model, created by founder Lettye Burgtorf, brings this experience to life. It is broken down into five categories.

S – Safety and Security: Create spaces that feel like home—where children know they are safe, loved, and supported. Whether they’re learning, playing, or resting, they are surrounded by calm routines, warm teachers, and places that encourage confidence and exploration. “I feel safe. I feel happy. I can be me.”

H – Holistic: Care for the whole child—heart, body, and mind. Every child learns differently, and Ohana helps them discover how they learn best. Through music, art, movement, play, and personalized attention, their natural talents are nurtured andteachers  help them love the way they learn. “I learn in my own way. I have special gifts.”

E – Experiential: Children learn by doing. That means hands-on, real-life experiences every day—digging in the garden, cooking, exploring nature, and discovering through play. These experiences help children grow curious, creative, and connected to the world around them. “I try things. I explore. I discover!”

L – Loving Yourself: Ohana teaches children to pause and listen to their own hearts. Every day includes quiet time to rest, draw, daydream, or just breathe. This helps children feel calm, grow emotionally strong, and begin to understand who they are on the inside. “I can be quiet. I can feel calm. I can listen to me.”

L – Loving Others: Children learn to treat others with kindness and respect every single day. Through play, story time, and modeling, they practice sharing, helping, and showing compassion. They learn to appreciate what makes each person special and to celebrate our differences. The spirit of service is alive in the way they care for their friends, teachers, and community each day. “I care about you. We take care of each other.”

This adapted SHELL Model is a simple, powerful way to help the youngest students feel loved, known, and ready to grow. It’s a way of life at Ohana Day School.

The new Ohana Day School space was carefully designed with intention–every color, shape, and space aimed at supporting meaningful play and joyful discovery. The school features a building block area, a dramatic play space, a science area, a library, a play kitchen, an art space, and a quiet resting area. The facility also features a secure outdoor playground.

A cornerstone of the Ohana experience is Ohana Records, our popular band program. Designed for five to six students per band, it encourages the exploration of instruments and sounds while fostering collaboration and connection—much like a real-life School of Rock! Students take the lead in every aspect, from instrument selection to song choice.

While Ohana Day School operates as a for-profit entity, it is part of the broader Ohana Institute, a nonprofit organization that fuels long-term educational innovation. In addition to being fully licensed and accredited, Ohana Institute recently joined Kaplan Education Company, one of the most prestigious national academic organizations. Kaplan’s learning approach aligns with Ohana’s mission: to establish a company that offers developmentally appropriate resources to nurture every child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

On its website, Ohana Day School provides its Daily Schedule to take parents through a school version of a day in the life.

Arrival & Morning Routine

7:45–8:00 a.m.

Arrival & morning routine with puzzles and books.

Circle Time

8:00–8:30 a.m.

A whole-class welcome and shared learning with songs and a weekly lesson overview.

Morning Snack

8:30–8:45 a.m.

Outdoor Play

8:45–9:45 a.m.

Outdoor play to build gross motor and interpersonal skills.

Learning Stations

9:45–10:45 a.m.

Students rotate through various learning stations, participating in small-group, teacher-led lessons, STEAM projects, math and literacy activities, and kinesthetic learning programs. 

Music & Movement

10:45–11:00 a.m.

Music and movement time to engage students in the learning process and help develop motor skills, language, and coordination.

Lunch

11:00–11:30 a.m.

Character Development

11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Developing the building blocks for strong interpersonal skills.

Story Time

12:00–12:30 p.m.

Interactive story time following the weekly lessons and theme.

Nap & Quiet Time

12:30–2:00 p.m.

Afternoon Snack

2:00–2:30 p.m.

Creative Expression

2:30–3:00 p.m.

Self-selective play time for students to build their interests and follow their passions.

Dismissal

3:00–3:15 p.m.

After School Enrichment

3:15–4:15 p.m.

Although the Ohana Institute is a nonprofit organization, it does charge tuition that covers teachers’ salaries, building renovations, and supplies. However, the primary source of income comes from fundraising. This allocation supports additional projects, curriculum enhancements, and further research in the field.

In addition to offering regular school-year care, Ohana Day School is open for summer camp and is currently enrolling. Each week focuses on a theme while still adhering to their set curriculum.

• Week 1: June 9–13 – Going on a Safari
• Week 2: June 16–20 – Running into the Olympics
• Week 3: July 7–11 – Setting off to Sea
• Week 4: July 14–18 – Dreaming of Superheroes

To be eligible for summer camp, the child must be three to five years old during the camp dates and must be fully potty trained. Camp days are from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Grand Boulevard’s new location is offering a local-only discount of $50 per week as well as a single-day option of $125 per day for the camp season.

Enrollment is still open for the 2025–2026 school year, which starts on August 11. Don’t miss out on this opportunity, as spaces are limited!

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For more information or to start the enrollment process, visit OhanaDaySchool.org.