NOVA NEWS - September 2026

Dear Nova Community,

This is always an exciting time of year at Nova Classical. We welcomed students back into the building on Monday, and the building felt complete on Wednesday when our kindergarten students joined us and brought the full community together. The smiles on faces as students enter the school and move through the hallways this week are a great reminder of why Nova does what it does.

As we prepare for a school year, it is easy to get absorbed in the logistics: drop off and pick up, school supplies, making sure there are enough uniforms for growing children, and everything else that occupies the mind at the start of the year. Now that we have a couple of days of school under our belts, I want to call your attention to something else: engagement with Nova Classical.

The start of the school year brings a number of opportunities to get involved, meet other members of the community, and experience Nova in a different way. A virtual Parent Education Night will be held September 17, and families are welcome to attend the homecoming parade outside the school on September 18. Fall athletic seasons are also in full swing, and I encourage you to come support our scholar-athletes as they compete in cross-country, girls tennis, girls volleyball, and soccer.

As we move through the 2026-2027 school year, I will continue to use my writing in Nova News to highlight opportunities to engage with Nova's supportive community.

It's a Great Day to be a Knight!

Brett Wedlund

Welcome to our 2026-2027 school year! All the information you need is updated on our website.

As we launch the new school year, we have openings in Grades 10, 11, and 12. If you have friends, neighbors, coworkers, or family members with high school students who may be interested, we encourage you to share this opportunity. Interested families are welcome to submit an application here.

The strongest endorsement of an education at Nova Classical Academy comes from our own families. Word of mouth is our most effective form of advertising, and personal recommendations from our community help other families discover what makes Nova such a special place to learn and grow.

Kemmetmueller Photography will be conducting our student picture day on Friday, September 11. Click here for information on picture day preparation and ordering school photos!

Feel free to contact Kemmetmueller Photography by email at info@k-photography.com or by phone at (952) 473-2142 if you have any questions about your student's picture day, need help with ordering photos, or have any other concerns.

Please see our Nova Classical Academy Calendar to add our Parent Education Nights to your family’s schedule. These virtual Parent Education Nights are entirely optional and a great way to deepen your understanding of classical education and our commitment to habits of learning and mastery. These are adults only event on Zoom from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. We are looking forward to learning together with our Nova Classical Community!

Thursday, September 17: Reading, Grades K-2 | Passcode: 322769

This virtual Parent Education session will focus on Reading in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade, so is intended for parents of scholars in those grades.

Tuesday October 6: Singapore Math, Grades 1-5 | Passcode: 987102

This virtual Parent Education session will focus on Singapore Math in 1st through 5th grade, so is intended for parents of scholars in those grades.

Thursday, October 22: Reading, Grades 3-5 | Passcode: 755742

This virtual Parent Education session will focus on Reading in grades 3rd through 5th grade, so is intended for parents of scholars in those grades.

Thursday, November 17: Latin and Study Skills, Grades 5-12 | Passcode: 223001

This virtual Parent Education session will focus on Latin and Study Skills in grades 5th through 12th grade, so is intended for parents of scholars in those grades.

Thursday, December 10: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Habits of Learning | Passcode: 328066

This virtual Parent Education session will focus on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Habits of Learning in grades 5th through 12th grade, so is intended for parents of scholars in those grades.

Check out our updated Uniform Policy for the 2026-2027 school year.

Personalized labels from namebubbles.com or mabelslabels.com are a great way to keep track of your scholar's belongings. A set of labels typically costs less than replacing one lost item. If you do not use personalized labels, clearly write your scholar's first name (or first initial) and full last name on all items. Many items include a "This Item Belongs To:" label for this purpose.

Clearly labeled items can usually be returned quickly. Unlabeled items are placed in the Lost & Found, where scholars must search for them. Uniform items are especially difficult to identify because they often look the same and may be the same brand and size as other scholars' items.

Please save the date! Nova Classical Academy is pleased to invite the special people in our students' lives so that they can experience the unique nature of our learning community. Grandparents and special persons will be greeted in the Great Room at a welcome table for check-in and refreshments and then escorted to classrooms.

All guests must request classroom visits through the Registration Links that will be available in the upcoming Grammar Gazette and Upper School Herald.

Feel free to contact Ms. Gabor at vgabor@novaclassical.org with any questions.

It's time to get out and support our Nova sports teams!

Passes and can be purchased online in advance, with a credit card at the door, or with Apple Pay on your mobile device. The ticketing site is located under "Tickets" in the bottom toolbar of the extracurriculars page.

REMINDER: Students in Grades K-8 MUST be accompanied by a parent/guardian to attend all home athletic events. This includes middle school games. Students in Grades 9-12 may attend events without a parent/guardian present, but must purchase an annual student pass for $10. The student pass will get an individual student into any regular season contest hosted on campus. Family passes are also available to purchase.

US News & World Report rankings are in!

Many thanks to our NPTO for helping welcome students and families at our Open Houses with popsicle treats. Kindergarten drop off was made more special yesterday with coffee and donuts! Your generosity and warm welcome help make our school community feel like home.

Thank you to our parents and families for your patience and flexibility as we navigate altered traffic patterns and new routines in these first days of school. We are especially grateful to our students who are pausing to notice and help a classmate struggling with a locker, balancing books and flashcards, or simply finding their way—small acts that give us beautiful opportunities to practice justice and temperance.

Parents and Community Members:

Apply to become an active volunteer to help support our staff and scholars! Click here to view the always-current list of opportunities and links to sign up.

Consider great ways to support our community by:

• being a Lower School Room Rep
• helping set up and run our October NPTO Bookfair
• organizing or putting on our NPTO's Great Gathering Kick-off party in November.

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. Landrum, School Counselor, Grades 8-12, with questions or ideas.

Highlights from our August 2026 Board Meeting

• The Board is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to development and the Pedagogy Leads led a training reflecting on the school's mission.

• Governance reviewed and sent to the Board for approval of 10 policies.

• The Board received an update on staffing as the school year begins, including an update on welcoming new staff and training.

• New state regulations on Cardiac Emergency Response Plans were reviewed and discussed.

• The expansion continues to progress. Impacts to traffic flow were reviewed as the skyway construction has begun and street closures will be in effect for several months. Lockers are delayed in arrival so temporary plans were explained.

• The Board is seeking a community member to fill a soon to be vacant seat. If you know of any candidates that are not currently employed by Nova or have a student in attendance of Nova please send the name to the Governance Committee.

The next regular Board meeting will be on Monday, September 28, 2026, which is a week earlier than usual to avoid meeting on the first day of school. Details can be found here.

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

Please complete the 2026-2027 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. Complete your application today!

Nova Classical partners with the Saint Paul Public Library (SPPL) for access to their online and in-library collections, for all our scholars regardless of where they live, through the LibraryGo! program. Library accounts will be activated after September 18, 2026. Nova Classical provides the necessary directory information to SPPL to ensure all students have access. The information includes the student's address and the parent/guardian email(s). If you would like your student to opt-out, please complete this form by September 17, 2026. If you have questions about this program, contact Community Engagement Manager, Ms. Gabor, at vgabor@novaclassical.org.

September:

2: 1st day of school for Kindergarten

7: No School (Office Closed)

11: Student Picture Day

17: Parent Education Night: Reading Grades, K-2 (Virtual) at 5:30 PM

18: All-School Homecoming Parade at 2:00 PM -- Parents/Guardians and Alumni welcome!

21: No School (Staff Work Day)

28: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

October:

2: No School (PD, Office Closed)

6: Parent Education Night: Singapore Math, Grades K-5 (Virtual) at 5:30 PM

10: K-12 Barnes & Noble Book Fair

14: Grandparents/Special Persons Day

15: No School (Staff Work Day)

16: No School (Office Closed)

19: No School (Office Closed)

21: Unity Day

22: Parent Education Night: Reading, Grades 3-5 (Virtual) at 5:30 PM

23: Picture Retakes

26: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

November:

5: End of Quarter 1 (LS) and Semester 1 midterm (US)

5: K-12 Conferences (4:30 PM - 8:00 PM)

6: No School (K-12 Conferences)

17:Parent Education Night: Latin and Study Skills, Grades 5-12 (Virtual)

19: Give to the Max

23-27: No School (Office Closed)

30: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

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