Leading Edge Weekly Update

Hello Leading Edge Families!

This week 6th Grade students have been busy with their "Create a Culture" project, worked on vocabulary in Literacy, and have been enjoying Math games to practice fluency (and for state testing practice!). In addition, 7th grade Math students have been working hard in collaborative groups and 7th graders also completed their first digital art project in Expressions, practicing Notan Design Concepts. 8th graders were building devices to capture human powered energy in Science and "Zenned" out this week working on Zentangle Designs for a printmaking project. On Friday we had a special WEB Activity with 8th Grade WEB Leaders and 6th Grade students, where WEB Leaders debunked myths about Middle School and offered advice during "What Would You Do?" scenarios.

Hope you enjoy the Labor Day Weekend! There is no School on Monday, September 7th.

Sincerely,

Caroline Hines

LE Principal

• 7th and 8th Grade Flag Football and Volleyball Teams were selected for the season
• 6th Grade Volleyball and Flag Football Teams had their first home games against H. Allen Hight and Heron
• Cross Country Running Team has their first Meet at American River College on Friday, September 11th
• LET'S GO KNIGHTS!

09/07/26 - Labor Day (No School)

09/14/26 - Panda Express Dinner Night Out

09/16/26 - LEAP Parent Meeting, 6:00pm (LMC, Blackrock Campus)

9/24/26 - NCS/BSU Family Mixer, 5:00-7:00pm (MPR, Blackrock Campus)

9/30/26 - Blackrock Math Night

10/16/26 - NCS Family Carnival, 5:30-8:00pm (Blackrock Campus)

Student who are present and arrive on time to school (not tardy) from September 8th - October 16th will be entered into a daily drawing. Student winners will get to select a prize from the PBIS ROCK Store!

To ensure success in Middle School, it is important for students be to on time each day and present at school (staying home only when running a fever or experiencing vomiting or diarrhea).

Families can help by creating predictable routines that make mornings calmer and help students arrive ready to learn. Students can take increasing ownership by packing their backpack, charging their device, choosing clothes, packing snacks/lunch and organizing school materials the night before. In the morning, students should be responsible for getting dressed, eating breakfast, completing personal-care routines, gathering their belongings, and being ready to leave at an agreed-upon time.

Parents and caregivers can provide the structure that makes independence possible. Establish a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, set alarms, create a designated location for backpacks and school materials, and determine a firm “out-the-door” time that includes a small buffer for unexpected delays. Instead of repeatedly reminding students about every task, families can use a simple morning checklist and gradually shift responsibility to the student.

Student athletes must maintain a 2.0 GPA to participate in any athletic sport or activity and must maintain this GPA throughout the season. If for any reason a student's GPA drops below a 2.1 during the season, they will not be able to practice or play with the team until their GPA is above a 2.0. Note: If a student is carrying an "F" in any class, they will not be able to practice or play with the team.

If a student athlete is absent from school or any "unexcused reason," they are not eligible to participate in athletics for that day. If a student athlete is absent from school for an "excused" reason, they are eligible to participate in athletics that day with permission from the student's academic team.

Athletes placed on behavioral watch will not be able to try out or continue playing on the team during the period of time they are on behavioral watch. Participation in athletics can resume and/or become available upon completion of behavioral watch. In addition, athletes that receive restorative assignments have an obligation to complete the assignments before returning to the team. Failure to complete a restorative assignment will result in the student becoming ineligible for the next game.

We are looking for donations of individually wrapped snacks for students to purchase with their ROCK Tickets after School. Please drop donations in the Front Office Marked/Tagged with "Leading Edge ROCK Store" or Caroline Hines" on top (to ensure they go to Leading Edge).

Suggestions:

Gatorade, Sports Drinks

Pretzels, Crackers

Potato Chips, Tortilla Chips

Meat Jerky (Beef, Chicken, Turkey)

Spicy Chips

Cookies, Granola Bars

Protein Bars

Fruit Snacks

Visit https://yearbookordercenter.com?school=21679 to order now, and check this off your list before the price goes up on October 1st.

Next monthly meeting is Wednesday, September 16th from 6:00-7:00pm in the Library (LMC). We will be discussing several upcoming events, including the NCS Carnival on October 16th!

Virtual link for monthly meetings coming soon!

The NCS/BSU is excited to invite you to our 3rd Annual NCS/BSU Family Mixer! This special event is BSU’s way of celebrating the beginning of the 2026–2027 school year while creating an opportunity for our school community to connect, build relationships, and celebrate the richness of our culture.

Thursday, September 24th, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (MPR)

Come out and enjoy an evening filled with: Food, Music, Games & Activities, Fellowship & Connection, Culture & Community, Family & Fun. ALL ARE WELCOME! Whether you’re part of PFAA, Leading Edge Academy, or ECA, we would love to see you there.

Greetings Natomas Charter School Blackrock Families!

Your student is invited to join the NCS Readers Association. This is a literacy incentive program that the Blackrock Library Media Center is launching this school year!

How does this work?

Once your student signs up they will receive an email each week with a brief Google Form to track their minutes spent reading. As their time spent reading grows they will earn various prizes, like stickers, pencils, erasers, bookmarks, keychains, and other cool rewards.

By encouraging your student to sign up you are affirming the importance of reading!

How can students sign up?

There are two ways your student can sign up. They can either stop by the Blackrock LMC and sign up in person or they can use the link posted on Schoology (they must be logged in with their NCS email to access the Google Form).

Sign ups will be accepted until September 18th but will reopen at the start of next school year.

Knight's Landing is available cost-free for students who need to wait for a PFAA sibling until 3:35pm (when PFAA dismisses). This is the safest and preferred location for students to wait after school for their rides. For more information about KLE, please contact Greisy Delgado at gdelgado@natomascharter.org.

Local business Tapioca Express, owned by an NCS family, is currently running a back-to-school promotion for all NCS families. From now to September 15th, families can receive a 10% discount off their tab. Students just need to show their ID at checkout to redeem the discount.

The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global competition for students between the ages of 13 and 18. The Challenge invites them to create a short video - no longer than two minutes - that clearly and creatively explains a concept in life sciences, physics, or mathematics.

Watch the 2025 winning video to get inspired.

The winning student earns a $250,000 college scholarship. The teacher who inspired them gets a $50,000 award, and the student’s school receives a $100,000 high-tech science lab. They will also be honored at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony.

Submissions are due by September 25, 2026.

LE Bell Schedule 26-27

Leading Edge 26-27 Calendar

LE A/B Yearlong Calendar

LE Student and Family Handbook

Historical Family Communication

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Leading Edge Parent Facebook Group (Private - Request to Join)