Norwood High School provides an ELL program that gives students the opportunity to enhance their English. According to the program, there are 209 students from 39 different countries who speak 35 different languages. 

In the program there are three teachers, Donna MacTavish, Nate Cameron, and Joey O’Connor. These teachers provide support for their students and make sure that the Norwood High School is a comfortable environment where they can feel welcome.

O’Connor’s students are thankful for his help.  

“This program helped me. I made some friends, and my English has gotten a lot better. O’Connor is very nice, he is also very helpful,” said senior Emilly Dias 

The ELL program provides for students and helps them not only learn the English language, but also gives these students the confidence to be themselves

NHS’s EL students come from many different places around the world, and being themselves can be difficult when they enter a US high school.

“When I arrived here [from Brazil], the first hard thing was the English. I couldn’t talk to friends and teachers, and it was very difficult,” said senior Kaua Vieira

Sophomore Ian Muchai, who came to the US from Kenya when he was just 10 years old, expressed the difficulties he faced when arriving. 

“Since I was new in the country, I was held back due to not knowing the language. The education is really good, but I was learning information I already knew,w and I didn’t know how to communicate, so I couldn’t express myself,” said sophomore Ian Muchai. 

NHS EL staff help encourage students to be their best academically so they can level up, not only in their English knowledge but as  students in general.