A link for Back-to-School resources (including supply lists and summer reading), HCDE Registration, and PowerSchool is in the “Menu” Section of this page. Please click on “Registration” below for all the steps needed to complete registration for Normal Park.
Our Pre-K is full for the 2025-2026 school year.
The waiting list for the 2026-2027 school year is now open. Students must be 4 on or before August 15, 2026 to be eligible for the 2026-2027 school year.
Click here to add your child to the 2026-2027 waiting list. Pre-K 2026-2027
Students are accepted into the Normal Park Pre-K Program according to the following priority list:
If you’re looking for a quality K-8 school that . . .
. . . 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:
In the school:
In the classroom:
In the community:
Normal Park partners with six area museums to enhance each student’s learning experience:
To cultivate empowered thinkers who are self-motivated, innovative, compassionate citizens of the world.
To foster curiosity, creativity and deep understanding through engaging exploration, authentic problem-based learning and collaborative partnerships with museums, families and the community.
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.)
2. Apply through the School Choice lottery
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
