Our students benefit from support managing the social aspects of school and life. Two licensed counselors provide individual and group counseling and collaborate with teachers to deliver school-wide Social-Emotional Learning programs.

Skills For Life is our school-wide social skills program supporting healthy relationships, effective communication, and decision-making, the building blocks of Social Emotional Learning. Classroom teachers collaborate with counseling staff for explcit instruction in self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, and relationship skill-building.

Our Transition Counselor and multi-disciplinary Transition Committee are dedicated to guiding students and families through post high school planning, and successful life transitions.

Our Speech-Language program links communication skills and academic success; goals and content are developed alongside and related to the curriculum. Services are provided by the Speech-Language Pathologists in collaboration with classroom teachers, parents, and other related service providers.

Our students benefit from school-wide academic strategies- including EmPower and Thinking Maps® - for the organization of concepts and information, and for written expression.

Our onsite RN supports overall health and well-being of all students through medication administration, first aid, triage of illness and injuries, health screenings, and health promotion.

Our faculty is a group of inspired educators, motivators, confidence-builders, passionate advocates, and empathetic experts. Each staff person contributes their unique skills to a school culture that places the student success at its core. We work alongside students, parents, and involved professionals to help every student understand their learning capabilities and manage challenges which have made school difficult in the past.

Our families share that what sets us apart is the sense of belonging that they experience when they walk through our doors. For many, school had come to mean isolation, anxiety, or failure. Here, we set out to discover or reignite each child's desire to learn in the ways they are best suited.

We are a welcoming community. Students often share, "I wish I had come here sooner," because they are bright, capable, talented kids who felt left behind, misunderstood, or anxious every day in their prior schools. We are a very diverse group who accepts and supports each other to succeed. We celebrate what makes each of us unique and contribute in our own ways to a healthy, safe, and fun school culture. We "get you" here!

Friendships that start at The Norman Howard School last a lifetime. Our students come with varied interests and experiences; we offer many after school clubs, team-building activities, and unifying school traditions. Students share that the bullying and school anxiety that prevented them from liking school are not a problem here. Most look forward to coming to school every day!

Our students are engaged and responsible citizens. As part of Participation in Government and other courses and partnerships, our students participate extensively in service learning opportunities.

Our school has 36 years of expertise in student success. This comes from embracing and supporting each child’s individuality, defining students by their strengths, and believing our students deserve a safe setting to explore their abilities and engage effectively. A great deal of learning happens outside the classroom.

Our students benefit from multi-sensory and hands-on approaches to learning. Opportunities to learn and practice skills in the real world reinforce and enhance classroom learning.

Our Science program is truly exceptional. Classrooms abound with plants and creatures, and enthusiastic teachers impart their love for science upon their students by making learning exciting. Frequent field trips enrich learning, and students have opportunities to interact meaningfully with their environment as a means to understanding the world.

Our academic program is designed to allow students to experience success, to help them understand the nature of their learning challenges, to provide them with the skills and strategies for overcoming their academic difficulties and/or social challenges.

Students engage in the design process - taking projects from concept to build. Maker Place provides a hands-on experience that allows students to enjoy the art of creation using physical materials. Students use CAD and 3D printing to create items of their own design.

Our school offers a wide range of technology to engage our students and to help them acquire and demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Smart Board and projection devices are used in all academic classrooms. The latest model desktop computers, laptops, and mobile devices enrich and create multi-sensory learning experiences. All students are given a Chromebook to use in school and at home.