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About Us

Nelson

Nelson serves more than 445 K-5th grade students living in portions of Morton Grove and Niles. One of East Maine School District 63's five elementary schools, it offers a full range of services for academic, social, emotional, and physical growth. Nelson students attend the District's Gemini Middle School -- and then Maine East High School.   At Nelson, we celebrate diversity and the individual gifts that each child brings to our school community. Forty languages are spoken in the school -- including Spanish, Assyrian, Romanian, Pilipino, Gujarati, and more. Eighty percent of our students live in homes in which a language other than English is spoken.   Nelson's teaching team is made up of dedicated professionals who care deeply about helping students succeed in and out of the classroom. We focus on providing rigorous instruction based on the Common Core State Standards in a differentiated manner that allows every child to learn. Our school also features:

  • Technology-enhanced classrooms.
  • Band and orchestra programs.
  • An active PTO that sponsors annual events throughout the school year including a Fall Fest, funfairs, holiday boutiques, book fairs, and more.
  • Strong community partnerships with area businesses, social service agencies, and local government.
  • Special needs services. While many students are successful in general education classes, the District offers programming for multi-needs and ASD students, primary and intermediate life skills classrooms, and an extended school year (ESY) summer school. 
  • Kindergarten readiness summer school for at-risk students.
  • Multilingual services, including Dual Language classrooms for grades K-4, English learner-supported classrooms for grades K-5. access to bilingual preschool and Multilingual summer school, and native language support for students.

Nelson families also have access to a rich array of District-wide programs, including:

  • First Steps Preschool , which serves more than 300 preschoolers at our Early Learning Center through programs for at-risk and special needs children, and a general tuition-based community program. 
  • Free ELL classes for parents and the Dual Language Parent Advisory Council.
  • The award-winning Expanded Learning Program, serving more than 275 students annually in its afterschool program. Expanded Learning also offers school break programs for Thanksgiving, winter, spring, and summer; basketball and volleyball leagues; open gym nights; and teen programs.
  • Our D63 Family Resource Center, which - in addition to housing our Expanded Learning Program - offers a wide array of free and low-cost programming to parents, students, and the whole family.

At Nelson, we know parents play a key role in their children's education -- and we welcome parent participation. Don't hesitate to contact us with questions or concerns!