From the Winter 2007 Norwood Magazine The Washington Metropolitan Area is blessed with an abundance of fine public and independent schools. Many parents have a range of options for their children, and those who select Norwood do so for a variety of reasons. Some come to Norwood for the small class size and curricular freedom given to teachers that is common to many independent schools. Others seek the special environment created by K-8 configurations. But for many families it is the unique features of Norwood and its community that are most compelling. These “pride points” include our superior faculty, special focus on art and music, commitment to teaching each child to be an exceptional communicator, use of experiential learning, extraordinary technology program, strong community of students and adults, and emphasis on spiritual and ethical development. Our students receive an outstanding education and also learn that how they lead their lives matters. Norwood is blessed with a talented, professional, and supportive community of educators. Forty-fi ve teachers hold master’s or doctorates in education or a specific field. Many more have taken classes toward advanced degrees or have earned grants in their fi elds of study. Our faculty members bring signifi cant experience to their craft. Eighteen current teachers have taught at Norwood for 10 years or more, and almost all, other than assistant teachers, came to Norwood with extensive experience at other schools. Together they form a diverse, talented, creative, and energetic group of educators who are committed to the mission of our school.
Challenging Program  The Shool has an advanced curriculum with projects and activities designed to stretch and fully engage students. The curriculum and students’ abilities are approached with flexibility, and adjustments are made to ensure that each and every student is challenged. In math and reading, small sections are formed to offer appropriate instruction for students at several levels within each grade. In certain cases, Norwood will make adjustments to provide an extra-accelerated curriculum, and the School has created single-sex groupings when deemed appropriate to enhance student learning. While the program is demanding, great care is taken through academic and social support services to address the needs of students of various levels of ability. Norwood strives to challenge but not frustrate its students thus ensuring that a love for learning is fostered and preserved.
Art and Music Norwood’s founder Frances Marsh described the School as “a happy place of learning for children… filled with art and music.” Art and music classes are as integral to each child’s education as the “three Rs,” and we provide expert instruction and beautiful studios to encourage artistic expression. Student art is always prominently displayed in classrooms, hallway bulletin boards, and offices. We are also especially fortunate to have community art projects facilitated by an extraordinary artist-in-residence. The performing arts are also highly prized. Music is a part of daily life on campus from singing in chapel to music classes, lower school class programs, and middle school concerts. In most schools, music is an option if it is offered at all in Middle School. At Norwood, every student is required to participate in chorus, band, strings, or hand bells. Every student also graduates with extensive experience on stage, having performed in dramatic productions from the earliest grades and taken required drama classes in Middle School. At Norwood, every student is an artist, musician, and actor.
Communications SkillsNorwood produces talented writers and public speakers with confidence to share their messages with the world verbally, in print, and via electronic means. Special emphasis is given to mastering and appreciating many forms of writing throughout the curriculum. Norwood students write everything from structured essays and research papers to creative compositions and poetry, all while developing their own voices. Beginning in Kindergarten, Norwood students are also given opportunities for public speaking and performance. As they grow, these opportunities increase to include leading a class discussion, making a chapel presentation, and debating controversial issues.
Experiential Learning Creative hands-on activities are common in Norwood classrooms. Children remember for years Stamp Day, the States Project, cave paintings, the Roman City Project, the Contraption Challenge, and the Science Fair. Peek into Norwood’s classrooms and you could see activities as varied as recitation of poems in world languages, building instruments to measure weather phenomena, student dramatizations of novels, and student-led presentations. Learning also extends beyond the classroom through experiential trips. Students look forward to important milestones like the third grade Williamsburg trip and the eighth grade New York adventure and overnight trips for all grades in between. Even the youngest children benefit from off-campus field trips every year. Guided discovery is a cornerstone of the curriculum.
TechnologyPowerfully augmenting the classroom experience is Norwood’s unique technology program. Norwood students use computers on a daily basis to write, revise, research, communicate, and collaborate. They explore making presentations, analyzing data, and even graphic design. They learn technology skills that will serve them in their future academic careers and in their lives. Every fi fth grade student has a laptop, and starting next year every sixth, seventh and eighth grade student will have a tablet computer. Teachers integrate technology into all aspects of the curriculum. Educational software allows students to learn interactively new concepts. Tablet computers and wireless projectors enable teachers and students to share visually and learn from their thinking processes and solutions. The School’s extensive investment in technology infrastructure enables effective communication between home and school. Parents and students can readily access school schedules, homework assignments, network fi les, encyclopedias, and other online resources. Email is ubiquitous and ensures open lines of communication, and parents can access photographs taken around school on a regular basis.
Community
 It is, however, more than academics and specialty programs that make Norwood such a distinctive place; it is our community. A central tenet of our philosophy is that Norwood is a family school. Our strong sibling policy and reliance on active parental involvement is a large part of what makes the Norwood community so nurturing and supportive. Norwood is committed to increasing the diversity of its student body and faculty and strives to be an inclusive and welcoming home for all. Even our youngest students learn though the morning handshake, buddy visits, and individual attention that they are known, supported and valued at Norwood School. One of the greatest strengths of our school is the quality of the relationships between student and teacher, a relationship that emphasizes teamwork, cooperative learning, respect, and the sharing of ideas.
Spiritual Development
Norwood also has a unique approach to the spiritual development of its students. Neither a religious school nor a secular institution, Norwood has taken the unusual path of seeking to teach children about religion and the importance of spirituality without teaching a particular faith. It starts every day with a nonsectarian chapel service which has carried over elements of the Episcopalian order of service from the days when Norwood was a parish school but also features instruction about a variety of important religious holidays and traditions as well as values common to many faith traditions.
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Norwood is a truly special place, and we have many “pride points.” We are most proud of our current and former students and the teachers who have inspired them. Norwood alumni achieve great success in high school, college, and beyond as accomplished scholars, poised and confi dent speakers, gifted writers, musicians and artists, talented athletes, and all-around good people. Many of them credit Norwood for nourishing their love of learning and commitment to enhancing the lives of others. Mrs. Marsh’s vision of an exemplary school has been realized in the Norwood of today. 
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