NOVA NEWS - August 2025

We are excited to welcome our staff, students, and families back together as we begin a new school year. A special welcome goes out to those who are new to Nova Classical. We are so glad you are here and look forward to having you join our supportive community. For our returning families, we are thrilled to have you back and to continue building on the strong academic foundation your scholars have already established. This year, as always, we remain committed to fostering growth through our five core virtues: justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude, and wisdom.

Our top priority is ensuring that your children experience a smooth and successful start to the year. In this newsletter, in upcoming principal newsletters, and on the Back to School Portal, you will find helpful back to school information. While our focus is on students settling into their academic spaces, momentum is also building with our potential expansion project. We remain committed to transparency, and updates will be shared on our website and in the months ahead.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if there is anything we can do to support you as the school year approaches.

It's a Great Day to Be a Knight!

Dr. Brett Wedlund

We invite our community members and students to share their stories, achievements, and upcoming events for a chance to be featured in Nova News! Whether it's highlighting a student group, activity, or special event, we welcome your submissions.

To ensure a smooth process, we've developed some guidelines for coaches, advisors, teachers, staff, students, and parent volunteers. These guidelines are designed to help streamline submissions and ensure we capture the best of what Nova Classical has to offer.

Please see the attached guidelines for more details on how to submit your items. Remember, you can also have your events or activities considered for our social media channels by emailing them to socialmedia@novaclassical.org and contact@novaclassical.org.

We look forward to showcasing the amazing things happening in our community!

Welcome to our 2025-2026 school year! All the information you need is updated on our website. We can't wait to see you soon.

Personalized labels through namebubbles.com or www.mabelslabels.com work great! The cost for a set of labels is usually less than replacing one lost item. If not using personalized labels, please write your scholar’s first name (or initial) & complete last name clearly on all items. There is often a designated “This Item Belongs To:” spot inside items for this purpose. When items are clearly labeled, we can get them back to your scholar quickly. If not, your scholar will need to look through the many items that end up in the Lost & Found. Unlabeled uniform items, because they look alike and are often the same brand & size as one’s classmates, may be difficult to find. Thank you for helping us keep unlabeled, unclaimed Lost & Found items out of landfills!

Links for Infinite Campus are new this year. Please use the app or the new links for parent and student portal access.

• Parent Portal: novamn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/nova
• Student Portal: novamn.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/students/nova

Check out our updated Uniform Policy for the 2025-2026 school year.

After School Clubs:

Registration opens August 11, 2025. Check out the Extracurriculars page of the Nova Classical website to see descriptions of offered clubs.

Fall Baseball Clinic, Grades 3-12:

Registration opens August 25, 2025. More information here.

Middle School Fall Sports:

Registration is open now on the Nova Classical website. Registration closes August 29, 2025.

Varsity/JV/C Sports:

Practices begin August 11, 2025. Your student must have an eligible sports physical on file with the school before participating. Physicals are good for three (3) years. Please refer to the form here. You may check your students physical expiration date on the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Physicals tab of Infinite Campus by scrolling down the left menu to the tab. If you do not see the tab after scrolling, your student does not have a physical on file with the school.

If your middle school student is trying out for a Varsity/JV/C team, they must to be registered for or on the waitlist of the appropriate middle school team in order to try out. Check out the team page on the Extracurriculars page of Nova Classical's website for specifics about tryouts.

SOR Lunch Clubs:

Club leaders--look for changes in procedures regarding club registration and attendance. More information will be available the first week of school.

Still have a question? You can email athletics@novaclassical.org or activities@novaclassical.org

Our talented student artists created a stunning AP/Creative House Art Mural! This collaborative piece celebrates the rich literary journey our students take during their time at Nova Classical Academy. From ancient epics to classics, each section of the mural brings to life the texts that have shaped their understanding, inspired deep thinking, and sparked timeless conversations.

Congratulations to the Nova Classical Academy Class of 2025! Our incredible graduates tossed their caps high in front of our school as they marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.

Many of our 8th grade scholars explored our nation's history in Washington, D.C. Day one included visiting the Gettysburg Memorial and Battlefield. Day two was an unforgettable experience as our 8th grade scholars dove deep into honoring our nation's past and celebrating our shared history. From standing in awe at the iconic memorials to exploring the African American History & Culture Museum and the American History Museum, we witnessed the rich tapestry of our nation's journey. They also went behind the scenes with a fascinating Pentagon tour, where they learned about the heart of American defense. To top it all off, they cheered on the Washington Nationals--a perfect way to enjoy America’s favorite pastime! The final day in Washington, D.C. was spent exploring some of the most iconic and meaningful landmarks in American history, the White House, Arlington National Cemetery, and George Washington's Mount Vernon. From honoring heroes to walking in the footsteps of the first president, it was a powerful conclusion to an unforgettable journey.

Thank you to all of our summer facilities staff for making our building beautiful--from fresh paint to reorganized rooms and newly waxed floors, the maintenance of our building helps to set the stage for a great start to the new school year!

Thank you to our teachers who have hosted enriching academic programming this summer including our Summer Boost, Extended School Year, and KinderCamp!

Parents and Community Members:

Apply to become an active volunteer to help support our staff and scholars! Consider being a Lower School Room Rep or handing out the NPTO's Welcome Back Frozen Treats at our Open Houses. Click here to view the always-current list of opportunities and links to sign up.

SoR Volunteering Network:

Nova Classical Families, do you know of a non-profit that needs help in our community? Do you need help in your research lab or hospital this summer? Do you have a connection with an animal shelter, museum, or park cleanup group? SoR Students are required to log 80 hours of community service to graduate. Please help us connect our students with opportunities in the community. Please contact Ms. Voelker, School Counselor, Grades 8-12, with questions or ideas.

Highlights from the July 28 Board Meeting:

1. The Board had a review Board Communication Best Practices training including reviewing the Open Meeting Law and the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

2. Mr. Prins, Nova Classical’s Facility Manager, gave an update on the work done in the Design and Development phase of our expansion project. This includes reports submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education and the site plan report which has been submitted to the city of Saint Paul. Dr. Wedlund then spoke about a major due diligence report that he expects to be presented to the Board in August. This is information for our bonding and will be shared with potential investors.

3. The Board approved a girls volleyball co-op with Unity Christian.

4. The Board had an enrollment report from Ms. Gabor who noted that the number of applications we receive continues to grow each year.

5. The Board reviewed and approved five goals for our Executive Director for the 2025-2026 school year. They include ending the next school year within 2% of the final revised budget, maintaining enrollment within 1% of our projected enrollment, and monitoring relevant changes in state and federal education policies. They also include goals connected to our facilities expansion project like completing all components necessary to close on facilities bonding, coordinating with all our partners in this project, and maintaining alignment with our strategic plan. There was also one goal relating to the successful on-boarding of our new Lower School principal.

The next regular Board meeting will be on Monday, August 18, 2025, which is a week earlier than usual to avoid meeting on the first day of school.

For meeting minutes and agendas for upcoming meetings, visit the Board section of Nova Classical's website.

Please complete the 2025-2026 Educational Benefits application which is now available in Infinite Campus. If you prefer, you may also download the application on Nova Classical's website. While you're there, please pay any outstanding balances in your student's food service account.

Did you know? Breakfast and lunch are free for all students, K-12 (milk is included with meals served at school. Milk is .45¢ with meals sent from home).

Why is completing an application still important?

Educational Benefits provide a variety of benefits to your student(s) and to our school, including important funds that provide programs and services to all of the students in our school community. Our school benefits only when applications are completed by the families of enrolled students, regardless of benefit status. So, complete your application today!

August and September breakfast and lunch menus will be posted on the Nova Classical website mid-August.

Nova PTO’s sole purpose is to provide resources to Nova Classical’s staff, students and their families in ways that the school cannot.

For example, NPTO runs the Nova Family Directory, which is powered by MembershipToolkit. Click here to set up your family’s information. Want to carpool? Having a birthday party? Get connected with our community.

Visit www.novapto.org for more about what Nova PTO does and SAVE THE DATE(s) for the fun we have planned!

Upcoming Events:

• Wednesday, 8/27, 8:15 AM - 9:30 AM: First Day of Kindergarten Coffee/Donuts -- ALL PARENTS ARE WELCOME.

• Wednesday, 9/10, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Dine to Donate at A-Side Public House. Reservations recommended.

• Saturday, 9/27, 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM: Great Gatherings Kickoff Party at Summit Brewing (Adults-Only).

• Saturday, 10/11: Book Fair at Barnes & Noble at HarMar Mall Roseville

• Saturday, 11/8: Nova Family Carnival at Nova Classical

Share your time and talents with Nova PTO, we are always looking for helpers. Single event, short term and long term roles, click here for a current list of volunteer opportunities.

Follow NPTO on Facebook, Instagram, or visit their website for more information!

August:

18: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

20: Upper School Open House at 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

21: Lower School Open House at 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

25: 1st day of school for Grades 1-12

27: 1st day of school for Kindergarten

September:

1: No School (Building Closed)

10: Student Picture Day

29: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

October:

2: No School (Staff Work Day)

3: No School (Staff Professional Development Day)

7: Classical Parent Education Night

11: K-12 Barnes & Noble Book Fair

15: Grandparents/Special Persons Day

16: No School (Staff Work Day)

17: No School (Building Closed)

20: No School (Building Closed)

22: Unity Day

21: Picture Retakes

27: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

31: End of Q1 (LS) / Midterms (US)

Did you know that you can follow Nova Classical Academy on social media? Stay in the loop by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

FERPA NOTICE to Parents

In compliance with the US Department of Education, Nova Classical will post FERPA Privacy of Student Records each year. This information will also be available on the Nova Classical's website under Resources > Important Information > School Policies > Other policies.

If you do not want Nova Classical to disclose, you must notify the Lower School or Upper School principal (per child first/last name) in writing by September 12, 2025.

Lower School Principal, Mrs. Farrell

Upper School Principal, Mrs. Paschall

Thanks! For more information on FERPA, please click here.

Student Photo Opt-Out Form (Optional)