​Curriculum

​Bell School uses the standards-driven curriculum of the Chicago Public Schools and Common Core. Departments modify the curriculum to address the needs of the children they serve. The curriculum will be discussed in depth at curriculum night held during the first weeks of school.

Fine Arts

​Students receive arts instruction two times per week throughout the school year. Bell Arts include Art, Music, and STEAM. Bell Students attend various fine arts in-school assemblies during the year. Previous assemblies include story telling, motivational speakers, plays, workshops, visiting artists, and musicians. Students can look forward to the annual Family Fine Arts night, which takes place near the end of 4th quarter, celebrating artists and student art of all kinds. ​

Computer Lab

Students receive instruction on the use of computers with class project work designed by their teacher and the computer instructor once a week in grades 5th-8th. Students must have a signed Student Code of Conduct (sent home at the beginning of the school year) on file before they are allowed to use the Internet. Students in grades K-4th work on computer projects with their homeroom teachers primarily via the mobile labs with some computer lab instruction time.

Language

​Students in the 3rd-5th Grade Neighborhood and 3rd-5th Grade Options programs receive instruction in Mandarin each week.  Students in grades 6-8 have the option to continue Mandarin instruction once a week. All students receive instruction in sign language (ASL), as long as instructors are available.

Physical Education

​Students have gym class twice a week. On gym days they are expected to wear gym shoes or sneakers, and the gym "uniform" of a white or red shirt. Bell School "spirit wear" (with the Bell logo) is acceptable for gym days.

​Library

​Bell School students are encouraged to check out books weekly. Students in grades K-4th are provided regular library time with instruction/assistance from the librarians. Students in grades 5th-8th use the library on a flexible schedule. School library books circulate for one week.
 
All students are expected to have and use a Chicago Public Library card. Recreational reading is encouraged through incentive programs.

Field Trips

Classes take field trips throughout the school year. A field trip permission slip for each bus trip must be on file for child to participate. Parents are often asked to volunteer to chaperone field trips. Most field trips have associated fees; financial assistance is available to families for whom these fees are a hardship. Students in 6th and 7th grades across all departments participate in overnight trips in the spring. The school wide 8th grade trip is outlined below.

Washington, DC. Eighth graders in all three departments attend a three-day trip to our nation's seat of government. The trip includes sight-seeing as well as meetings with our senators and representatives. The students also visit the Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian Institution, war memorials, and the Holocaust Museum. Students stay at a hotel in the Washington area. Students raise funds throughout the year to help cover the costs of the trip.

Fees

A few school-related activities have fees associated with them:

• There are fees associated with field trips; these fees vary with the trip. 
• Individual classes may request a small fee for items related to that grade level. 
• The 6th and 7th grade overnight trips and the 8th grade trip to Washington, DC have significant fees, and information is provided at the beginning of the school year.
• The Local School Council allocates funds each year to provide financial assistance to families for whom these fees are a hardship. Parents should contact their child's teacher if any difficulties arise.

High School

​Students from Bell attend a wide variety of high schools across the Chicagoland area. High school projections from last year's graduating class and previous years are below.