“At Nora, I can BREATHE.”

-Nora Graduate

We believe teachers and students can lead good lives inspired by curiosity, steered by compassion, and guided by knowledge.

Our goal is to help students discover their unique identity and their place in this world within a safe and kind community. There’s a patience and an understanding at Nora that gives teens back control of our lives.

Here are some of the ways Nora does things differently:

WHY NORA?

THE DAY-TO-DAY

PERSONAL CLASSES

School is SO MUCH BETTER when it’s interesting. And when classes have less than 12 students, everything gets better.

You get more confidence, more support, more empathy, and (usually) more patience when teachers know what makes you tick. Discussions are easier without all those extra eyes, and when every voice can be heard, no matter how quiet.

In other schools, you’re known by your grades. At Nora, you’re known for whatever you want to be known for.

PASSIONATE MENTORS

Our teachers are really what bring us back to school every day. It’s not just that we’re on a first-name basis, but even more that they bring their passions to school and it shows! They lead us in subjects that actually captivate them, so usually it captivates us too.

Since we have all kinds of teachers, we have all kinds of classes available. If you’re sick of Chemistry, maybe try Anatomy or Zoology. Some kids love their English Literature, but maybe you’ll be way more into Dystopian Fiction or Science Fiction & Horror?

There’s almost always an option that piques our curiosity, so there’s almost always a reason to dive in.

MORE THAN ACADEMIC

Nora will give you an impressive academic transcript when you graduate, but that’s not the only thing that matters to us. There’s a lot that goes into being human, and that’s why Nora brings passion into Art classes, the Music class band, the Lab periods, and social gatherings.

Join a rock band. Paint a mural. Dominate in D&D. Chill with your knitting. Enjoy a dance (or two). Try new things, or get better at what you already know.

From the big-screen projector video games at our Thanksgiving reunions to the epic field trips that take us far outside the classroom, Nora helps us focus on our interests - and meet other teens that share them!

We will always be grateful that such a school exists for students who really have lost hope and are able to regain it in a no-nonsense, trusting, intelligent, respectful environment.
— Parents from Maryland

TRAVEL & NON-CLASS EXPERIENCES

INTERSESSION

Sometimes the best way to learn is to take a break from classes. We take a week off in the long days of Spring to take a deeper dive into our collective passions, from biking to filmmaking, from Chinese brush painting to to urban studies, from quilting to agricultural studies.

SOCIAL JUSTICE TRAVEL

The centerpiece to our Social Justice Program happens during this time too. We travel to follow the history (and present) of Civil Rights in the Deep South or of Native American Relations in the Great Plains (depending on the year).

ANNUAL CLASS RETREATS

Each grade group has its own retreat, to shake up your routine and try new things in a kind, supportive environment that cheers for you no matter what. Ninth graders keep it simple, but the upperclasspeople take the time to get out of town, learning to try harder than ever before.

THE REAL SOCIAL STUDIES

Our most urgent need?
A social life that feels real, comfortable, and empowering.

LAB - Hobbies, Social Games & More

Our mid-afternoon “Lab” periods are for everything that’s not covered in school. We have lab groups for College Prep, Fitness, Music, Art, D&D, Knitting, TED Talks, Board games and more - the list is ever-changing depending on what we show interest in.

SPORTS & ATHLETICS

Everyone who practices gets to play in our Coed sports & athletics: Soccer, Basketball, Ultimate, Softball, Rock Climbing, Hiking and more options on the table every year.

We’ve had All-State players on the same team as first-timers, and everyone just makes it work. If you come to practice, you get to play.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Nora makes it easy to get our SSL hours! Grades 9-11 take a Wednesday off each month to travel in groups with a teacher to locations around the city to assist in food banks, shelters and distribution centers. Seniors get a little more freedom - but also a little more responsibility. It’s good practice for “real life,” they say... but we learn quickly that it just feels good to help.

NO ONE IS ALONE

SUPPORT FOR EVERYONE

This Pride has got your back in all sorts of ways.

Need Academic Support? The teachers stay late every single day after school to help out, and learning plans are always an option.

Need Emotional Support? We can share our dilemmas with our social worker, through peer mediation, or in our daily advisory groups - and there’s a meditation program to help us keep our minds straight in the first place.

But most of all, the thing that makes Nora stand out is our relationships with teachers - calling them by their first names becomes an invitation to bond and relate in ways most teachers never get to. They’ll cheer for your silliest success, and understand when things get rough.

We’re all on the same team at Nora, and that’s what makes the difference.

If you’re curious, our alumni have gone a lot of different places - and Nora helps us all close the deal.

Adelphi University, NY Albright College, PA Albion College, MI Alfred University, NY Allegheny College, PA American University, DC American Academy of Dramatic Arts, CA Appalachian State University, NC University of Arizona Art Institute of Washington University of the Arts, PA Atlanta College of Art, GA Averett University, VA Bard College, NY Barry University, FL Bay State College, MA Beloit College, WI Bennett College, NC Bishop’s University, Quebec Brandeis University, MA Brock University, Ontario Bryant College, RI Bryn Mawr College, PA Bucknell University, PA University of California–Santa Cruz Catholic University, DC Central Pennsylvania College, PA Centre College, KY Centenary College, LA Champlain College, VT Chowan University, NC Clark University, MA Clark Atlanta University, GA Christopher Newport University, VA College of Charleston, SC University of Cincinnati, OH Clarkson University, NY University of Colorado, Boulder Columbia College, IL Concordia University, Quebec Corcoran College of the Arts and Design, DC Columbia University, NY Curry College, MA University of Dayton, OH Davis and Elkins College, WV Dean College, MA Denison University, OH Dickinson College, PA Digipen Institute of Technology, WA University of Delaware Drew University, NJ Drexel University, PA Earlham College, IN Eckerd College, FL Elon College, NC Emerson College, MA Emory University, GA Emory and Henry College, VA Eugene Lang College, NY Evergreen State College, WA Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Los Angeles Fairham College, VA Fayetteville State, NC Ferrum College, VA Fisher College of Art, MA University of Findlay, OH Florida A&M Florida International University Florida Institute of Technology Florida Polytechnic University Fordham University, NY Franklin and Marshall College, PA Franklin Pierce College, NH Frostburg University, MD Furman University, SC Garrett College, MD George Mason University, VA The George Washington University, DC Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College, PA Grinnell College, IA Goucher College, MD Guilford College, NC Hampton-Sydney College, VA Hartt School of Music, CT University of Hartford, CT University of Hawaii High Point University, NC Hofstra University, NY Hood College, MD Howard University, DC Iona College, NY Ithaca College, NY Johnson & Wales University, RI Johnson C. Smith University, NC Johnson State College, VT Juniata College, PA Kenyon College, OH Landmark College, VT Lasell College, MA Lesley University, MA Long Island University, NY Lewis and Clark, OR Loyola University Chicago and MD Lynchburg College, VA Lynn University, FL Maine Maritime University Mansfield Hall, VT Marist College, NY Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Maryland, College Park Marymount University, VA Marymount Manhattan, NY Massachusetts College of Art McDaniel College, MD McMaster University, Quebec Memphis College of Art, TN Meredith College, NC Miami University, OH Missouri University of Science and Technology University of Montana Morgan State University, MD Moravian College, PA Morehouse College, GA Mount Holyoke College, MA Muhlenberg College, PA The New School, NY Newbury College, MA New England College, NH New England Institute of Technology, RI University of New Hampshire, NH University of New Haven, CT College of New Jersey New Jersey Institute of Technology Northeastern University, MA University of North Carolina, Asheville Oberlin College, OH Occidental College, LA Ohio State University Ohio Wesleyan University Otis College of Art and Design, CA Parsons School of Design, NY Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh, PA Pratt Institute, NY University of Puget Sound, WA Purchase College, NY Queens College, NY Quests University, Canada Quinnipiac University, CT Randolph Macon College, VA University of the Redlands, CA Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY Rhode Island College University of Richmond, VA Rider University, NJ Roanoke College, VA Rochester Institute of Technology, NY University of Rochester, NY Roger Williams University, RI Rutgers University, NJ Sacred Heart University, CT St. Andrews College, NC St. Bonaventure University, NY St. John’s College, MD St. Mary’s College of Maryland Salisbury University, MD Sarah Lawrence College, NY San Francisco State University, CA Savannah College of Art and Design, GA School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL School of the Museum of Fine Arts, MA Seattle University, WA Seton Hall University, NJ Shepherd University, WV Shenandoah University, VA Skidmore College, NY University of Southern Maine Southern Vermont College Spelman College, GA Springfield College, MA Stevenson University, MD Susquehanna University, PA Syracuse University, NY University of Tampa, FL Temple University, PA Towson University, MD Tulane University, LA Ursinus College, PA Vassar College, NY University of Vermont Villanova University, PA Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Union University Warren Wilson College, NC Washington College, MD Washington & Jefferson College, PA Webster University, MO Wesley College, DE Western Maryland College Western New England College, MA Westminster Choir College, NJ West Virginia University West Virginia Wesleyan Wilkes University, PA Wilson College, PA Wittenberg University, OH Widener University, PA Willamette University, OR College of Wooster, OH Worcester Polytech Institute Xavier University, LA York University, PA

A Day in the Life…

Nora knows sleep is important, so we start later than other schools - 8:45am. Most days are split into three sets of two classes - one in the AM, one after the all-school Morning Meeting, and another after lunch.

The first two classes go by so quickly in the morning, it’s always surprising when it’s time for Morning Meeting, when we all get to say Hi to each other, check in with the community, and take a few minutes for a break from life.

After Morning Meeting, it’s two more classes, then lunchtime. For lunch, students split about 50-50 - half stay on campus and eat in the halls, classrooms or outside in the courtyard, while the other half leave campus to visit one of many nearby options.  A lot of Nora students like grabbing food from places like Sweetgreen or Chipotle, stopping by 7-Eleven for a snack - or just taking a walk to get their mind right.

Once lunch is over, the afternoon schedule is even smoother: these two classes are split up by Lab, most of our favorite time of the day. The school day wraps up at 2:45pm, unless you’re staying for Overtime.  Every day goes by so quickly that a lot of us stay after just to chill - and there are always sports and after-school extracurriculars to join with zero pressure.