School Information

If you’re looking for a quality K-8 school that . . .

• goes beyond the basics;
• believes in daily “hands-on, minds-on” learning;
• focuses on the individual learning strengths and needs of each student;
• follows a standards-based curriculum;
• ensures in-depth studies in history, science, social studies, language, technology, art and music for all students;
• encourages daily parent involvement and ideas; and
• builds strong community ties and partnerships

. . . then you’re looking for Normal Park Museum Magnet!  Make sure you watch the videos at the bottom of this page to elaborate on what makes NPMM so special.

We were named the top magnet school in the country in 2005!

Established in 2002, Normal Park Museum Magnet School is a public school in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Housed in two historic facilities in North Chattanooga, is unlike any other K-8 school in the United States.

On the grounds:

• Metal sculptures, woodworking and other artistic displays by local artists
• “Edible garden” planting areas, used in the school science curriculum
• A growing adventure playground
• Multiple outdoor classrooms
• Hiking trail
• Meditation garden
• Native rain garden
• Full size football field and gymnasium

In the school:

• Colorful murals and 3-D sculptural arches
• An aquarium and waterfall garden in the main school hallway
• Museum-quality exhibit galleries
• Additional student artwork in hallway displays
• Quarterly exhibit nights highlighting curriculum work, hosted by student docents

In the classroom:

• Individual and small group activities
• Creative, motivated and dedicated teachers
• Apple TVs
• 1:1 Chromebooks

In the community:

• Strong parental involvement and volunteerism
• Daily environment of energy, excitement, inclusion and new ideas

Normal Park partners with six area museums to enhance each student’s learning experience:

• Creative Discovery Museum
• Hunter Museum of American Art
• Bessie Smith Cultural Center
• Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center
• Tennessee Aquarium
• Chattanooga Zoo

OUR VISION

To cultivate empowered thinkers who are self-motivated, innovative, compassionate citizens of the world.

OUR MISSION

To foster curiosity, creativity and deep understanding through engaging exploration, authentic problem-based learning and collaborative partnerships with museums, families and the community.

OUR CORE VALUES

Appreciation
At Normal Park, every student is valued and recognized as having great potential. We value every student’s diverse background and personality – socioeconomic, cultural, learning style and interest level. Individual nurturing and differentiated instruction helps us guide students in developing responsibility for themselves and others.

Collaboration
When working as a whole, we build off one another, become stronger, and make magic. This belief extends from students to teachers to parents to our community.

Creativity
Our creativity fosters dynamic learning environments, innovation, authentic learning, motivation, and enjoyment. It leads us to experiment and stay curious, to demonstrate and exhibit, and to do the most with what we have.

Exploration
It’s the foundation of our curriculum. By creating environments that promote meaningful exploration and discovery, we facilitate engaging instruction which fosters a joy of learning and deep understanding of subjects.

Scholarship
Genuine enthusiasm for academic study, understanding and achievement is cherished at Normal Park. We strive to instill this passion in our students by paving a concrete academic foundation, setting high educational goals and celebrating their intellectual journey.

Hopefulness
Through diligent effort, Normal Park has achieved great success. Still, we believe the best is yet to come. This outlook drives our confidence in our students and staff. It energizes us to lead, be progressive, work hard, and enjoy our efforts. Our hopeful nature is infectious and inspirational and makes our entire community stronger.

If you are zoned for Normal Park and have a rising Kindergarten student for the upcoming school year, please contact Amy Chapin at the Lower School at chapin_amy@hcde.org or 423.498.6880 to add your child to our list.

There are two ways to gain admissions into Normal Park:

1. Live in the school zone. (Note: Your primary residence must be in the school zone. You must physically live in the school zone.)

• Two current proofs of residence (electric bill, phone bill, lease, etc.) are required, plus a lease or proof of home ownership.
• If moving from one Hamilton County School to Normal Park, cut offs from the previous address must be shown as well.
• If you move out of the school zone, your child must attend the new zoned school.
• In cases of two households, residency is determined by the primary custodial parent. Custody papers must be provided.

2. Apply through the School Choice lottery

• Applications are available through your PowerSchool parent portal between mid-November and January 31st.
• Applications are due by January 31.
• Contact the magnet office at (423) 498-6736 for more information
• Siblings of current students are given priority in the lottery, but the parent must fill out an application. If an application is not completed on time, the sibling has no chance of being accepted.

• Upper School Student Support Coach – Sarah Andrews
• Upper School Counselor – Casey Jacobs
• Lower School Student Support Coach – Jennifer Knowles
• Lower School Counselor – Hailey Morgan
• Social Worker – coming

Normal Park Awarded STEM Designation – 2020

NP recognized as 2018 TN Level 5 reward school

Reward status is the top distinction a school can earn in Tennessee. Reward schools are improving overall student academic achievement and student growth for the categories of all students and students groups.

Magnet School of Excellence- 2009, 2011, 2012

Magnet School of Excellence Awards are given to only a select group of magnet schools that have demonstrated the highest level of excellence in all facets of the merit award application.

Edutopia’s Schools that Work

https://www.edutopia.org/school/normal-park-museum-magnet-school

Education Consumers Foundation’s Value-Added Achievement Award – 2012, 2013, 2014

The Education Consumers Foundation launched the Value-­Added Achievement Awards in Tennessee in 2006. This annual awards initiative was created to recognize the most effective principals and schools in the state, while at the same time building awareness and understanding of the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System. These are the leaders whose schools have excelled at raising the academic performance of their students.

Normal Park Museum Magnet Celebrates Straight A’s In TCAP Student Achievement And Value Added

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Normal Park received straight A’s in both student achievement and value added in every subject area (math, science, language arts/reading and social studies). Normal Park Museum Magnet is the only school in Hamilton County to receive straight A’s on the state report card in both student achievement and value added.

Normal Park is honored to have been recognized on the local and national level for its innovative curriculum and success in building an exemplary magnet school program.

• Ronald P. Simpson Award, Magnet Schools of America (2005) “America’s Number One Magnet School”
• Magnet School of Excellence Award, Magnet Schools of America (2005-2012)
• Magnet Schools of America’s National Principal of the Year – Jill Levine (2012)
• 1st Place in East Tennessee for Highest Value Added Scores, Educational Resource Foundation (2012)
• Featured on the Edutopia website, a George Lucas Educational Foundation, as a “School that works” (2014) http://www.edutopia.org/schools-that-work
• National Council of PTA’s Hearst Award for outstanding parent involvement (2009)
• J.F. Kennedy School of Distinction in Arts Education (2008)
• Featured in Creating and Sustaining Successful Magnet School Programs, U.S. Department of Education (2008)
• Creative Ticket Award, Tennessee Arts Commission (2006)
• Featured on the Doing What Works website, United States Department of Education.
• Featured in Mind in the Making, Ellen Galinski.
• Featured in Why Are School Buses Always Yellow, John Barell
• A national model for visitors across the country: Massachusetts, New York, California, Maryland, Connecticut, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Tennessee and Canada

The Normal Park Way is our unique instructional approach which focuses on each student’s individual needs, encouraging them to become lifelong learners. It includes a variety of instructionalstrategies

Understanding by Design
Engaging modules are written using a backward design approach in order to provide the students with a clear goal and purpose for their learning. A different module is planned for each quarter with hands-on activities and real world experiences through area museums and community resources.

Travel Journals
Travel Journals are student-created “text books” documenting their learning throughout each module. These allow students to creatively represent their understanding of the curriculum and become part of their quarterly exhibit.

Volkswagen eLabs (Lower and Upper)
Volkswagen eLabs are digital fabrication laboratories where students participate in the engineering design process to tackle real-world challenges aligned with academic standards. Each eLab is equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, coding technology, and woodworking tools. In our Volkswagen eLabs, eLab Specialists guide students in developing essential skills while emphasizing collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.

Museum Magnet Model
At Normal Park, Learning Expeditions (LEs) are an integral part of the museum magnet model. LEs are focused trips connected to the curriculum. They take place at our 6 partner museums and a variety of community locations. These trips extend and deepen students’ educational experiences making connections between the abstract and concrete. Each quarter, students build exhibits to showcase their learning and our school becomes a museum. Exhibit Night is a culmination of on and off campus experiences.

Because of the high volume of applicants, we are unable to give individual tours. However, we will be offering group tours for those families who received a School Choice lottery spot for next year. New families who have been offered a seat can call the school for tour information.  Tour space is limited. We will also hold an orientation in August for families of our newly accepted magnet students.

If you have any questions, call (423) 498-6880 and speak with Karin Hawkins at the Upper School or Amy Chapin at the Lower School.

Please CLICK HERE to check out our videos below to learn more about the school and to see how our parents and community are involved through our parent organization, SPARK.

In order to ensure the safety of all children, it is imperative that each and every parent follow the same car
rider procedures. By following all school policies, parents set a good example for their child. All vehicles must have a car rider tag provided by the school. Please visit the main office if you need a car tag.

Morning Drop-off Policies:

1. Upper School: Please drop children off between 7:40 – 8:00 in the loop to the left front of the
building. Students dropped off before the times stated above must be enrolled in before care
through the School Age Child Care Program.
2. Upper School: Pull all the way down to the end of the car rider lane before letting your child out
of the car. You will know you’ve pulled down far enough when the grey drive meets the new
blacktop.
3. Lower School: Please drop children off between 7:55-8:10 on Garnett Street. Wait for a staff
member to open the car door for your child. Students dropped off before the times stated above
must be enrolled in before care through the School Age Child Care Program.
4. Children MAY NOT be dropped off on side streets or on Mississippi Ave. All car riders must be
dropped off in the car rider lane on campus.
5. Say your goodbyes and make arrangements for afternoon pick up prior to arriving at school so
children can exit vehicle quickly and safely. All belongings should be easily unloaded.
6. Do not attempt to converse with faculty on duty – if you need to speak to school personnel,
please call back later.
7. No cell phone use while in the car rider line.
8. Upper School: Follow rules on the signage posted: you may only turn right when exiting the
morning drop off lane. Unfortunately, citations will be issued for those who turn left between
7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
9. Do not speed when you leave the campus. The speed limit is 15 mph!
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Afternoon Pick-up Policies:

1. Upper School: Do not arrive and enter the car rider line until 2:50 p.m.
2. Please do not block Mississippi Avenue from other cars driving past. Do not turn your car off if
waiting on Mississippi Ave. for the car line to start.
3. Be courteous to our neighbors on surrounding streets. Please do not speed, turn around in
driveways, block their traffic flow, etc.
4. Lower School: All children will be loaded into cars by an adult. Please do not get out of your car
to get your child.
5. Both campuses: Children MAY NOT walk off campus to be picked up on side streets or on
Mississippi Ave. All car riders must be picked up in the car rider lane on campus or picked up
on the front stairs by a parent as a walker.
6. Upper School only: If your child is walking home from school, we must have your written
permission to allow them to leave to walk home.
7. Lower School: Please turn left at the end of the car rider lane. Upper School: Follow rules
on the signage posted: you may only turn right when exiting the morning drop off lane.
Unfortunately, citations will be issued for those who turn left between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
8. All students not picked up by 3:15 pm at the Upper School or 3:25 pm at the Lower School will
be placed in the School Aged Child Care aftercare program. Parents will be responsible for any
charges incurred for this supervision.

Transportation phone number: 423-498-5555

Bus Routes

Hamilton County provides school bus service to students who reside outside a 1.5-mile radius of the school they are zoned to attend. Each bus follows a predetermined route with designated pick-up and drop-off stops to safely and efficiently transport children to and from school. Students must ride their designated bus and get off at their designated stops. If you would like a stop added that is in our school zone, go to www.hcde.org.

There are a few stops that reach outside our zone to accommodate our magnet students. Additional stops outside of our zone can not be added.

For the bus route lists, click on the link on the right side of this page ->

NOTE: Transportation between the Upper School Campus and the Lower School Campus is provided by bus ONLY for children of Normal Park teachers. No other student may ride the bus between campuses unless that is the child’s bus stop because of the close proximity of their home to our school. This applies to both morning and afternoon arrivals and departures.

Bus Conduct
Behavior on the school bus is to be the same as in the classroom. For the safety and welfare of all students, the bus driver cannot tolerate any misconduct on the bus. The principal is responsible for applying the Hamilton County policies regarding such behavior, which can be as severe as suspending the offending student(s) from riding the bus. After an initial written warning from a bus driver, the school administrators reserve the right to suspend a student’s ability to ride the bus if behavior is not appropriate at all times. This will be strictly enforced and also applies to bus behavior during Learning Expeditions.

Lower School
Parents must wait on the front sidewalk to pick up your child. There is a QR code on a sign that must be scanned with a phone and fill out the short form.  Your child will be dismissed shortly after.

Children MAY NOT be dropped off or or picked up on side streets or on Mississippi Ave. All car riders must be dropped off or picked up in the car rider lane on campus, or parents may park and walk to pick up/drop off on the sidewalk in front of the front steps.

Upper School
Parents must wait on the front sidewalk to pick up their child. Children must sign out with the staff member out front.

Children MAY NOT be dropped off or or picked up on side streets or on Mississippi Ave. All car riders must be dropped off or picked up in the car rider lane on campus, or parents may park and walk to pick up/drop off on the sidewalk in front of the front steps.