Celebrating Norman Binkley

At Norman Binkley Elementary, Diversity is their Strength  
Posted on 02/08/2022
Norman Binkley teachers outside holding Hello sign

South Nashville’s Norman Binkley Elementary School is committed to providing all students with a challenging curriculum that develops their academic, social and emotional life skills. Norman Binkley teachers outside

Norman Binkley students set personalized goals for academic achievement and pinpoint the extra day-to-day improvements they can make to be successful. Students and staff follow the school’s theme to go “above and beyond” and the motto “learning and growing together.” 

The staff at Norman Binkley believes in educating the whole child. Administrators, teachers and support staff work to provide every child with experiences designed to meet the needs of all learners within a safe and nurturing environment. Norman Binkley makes Every Student Known through their wraparound supports, which include a dean of students, two counselors, an advocacy coach and on-site Vanderbilt counselors. Every student receives weekly counseling services.

The Move This World curriculum helps students develop emotional intelligence skills for long-term wellbeing. The Sown to Grow platform enables students to improve social, emotional and academic health through reflection and feedback that includes emotional check-ins, consistent reflections and academic/social-emotional learning (SEL) goals. 

“At Norman Binkley, we believe that all students deserve a high-quality education. We provide students with a rigorous curriculum, social and emotional supports, and a diverse environment where they can learn and grow together,” Executive Principal James Urquhart says. “If you are looking for a great elementary school, please check us out.” 

The best way for all students to receive a high-quality education is to provide uniformly high-quality teachers. Norman Binkley uses coaches, instructional leaders and deans to support teachers on their way to becoming superstar educators. The staff plans together to ensure each student has the support they need to be successful. English Learners (EL) have supports unique to their needs, including push-in/co-teaching models. Norman Binkley teachers with Hello sign

In addition, Norman Binkley has IGNITE, a talent development opportunity, to enrich top achievers and further their academic growth. Students, along with their teachers, set goals for each subject and track those goals in a data notebook. After-school clubs are offered to extend the learning beyond the classroom as teachers lead clubs based on student interest and teacher talent.

Norman Binkley School Successes  

  • Norman Binkley was named a Tennessee 2019 Reward School based on outstanding student achievement or growth. 
  • Diversity is Norman Binkley’s strength. More than 20 languages are spoken in the school. 
  • Two recent renovations added classrooms, a beautiful cafeteria with two serving lines, and a gorgeous media center that houses over 10,000 books. 
  • The music program includes class sets of ukuleles, guitars, keyboards, rhythm instruments and Orff instruments. Each grade level focuses on at least one instrument each year in addition to learning important music skills. Every other year, the school participates in Disney in Schools, for which third- and fourth-graders audition to perform in a Disney play. 
  • The visual arts program allows students to be creative and expressive. Each grade level will explore different art mediums, styles and artists. Each year at the Multicultural Art Show, student artwork based on different countries is displayed to represent diversity at Norman Binkley. 
  • The school’s mascot is a robin named Bink. You will notice he wears different accessories based on seasons or events! 

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