The Herald

Dear Nova Classical Families,

As we settle into a new school year, I’m delighted to share a few updates from the Upper School. Our students have returned with energy, curiosity, and a strong commitment to their learning. It has been wonderful to watch them dive into their classes and reengage with the routines of school life so quickly.

Beyond the classroom, extracurricular opportunities are already underway, giving students the chance to pursue their passions, develop new skills, and form lasting connections with one another. We warmly invite you to join us at upcoming games, performances, and community events. Your support not only encourages our students but also strengthens the sense of partnership that makes Nova such a special place.

Please take a moment to read through this newsletter for details about what’s ahead and how you can be involved. We are grateful for your ongoing support and look forward to celebrating the growth and accomplishments of our students throughout the year.

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Paschall

We are honored to celebrate these students for their achievements:

National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists

• Eli Andre
• Chloe Brown
• Omeed Church
• James Garske
• Alexander Hungs

~These Nova Classical Seniors scored in the top 1% of the state on their 2024 PSAT/NMSQT and are eligible to apply to become a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

As we settle into the school year, it's a good time to gently remind everyone of our uniform expectations. We appreciate your support in helping students follow the guidelines, particularly with ensuring shirts are tucked in, a polo or oxford are worn under sweaters/sweatshirts, etc. Uniform bottoms must meet the required length and material. Your partnership helps maintain the high standards we all value at Nova Classical.

Nova Classical Academy’s uniform policy supports student success by helping them focus on learning, rather than attire. It promotes a unified, neat appearance that reflects the importance of being prepared to learn. Additionally, the policy encourages character development, fostering values like simplicity, dignity, and respect, while also helping students understand the connection between principles and rules. It is the responsibility of the students and their parents to ensure that the student adheres to the uniform expectations. Uniform guidelines for each school can be found on our school website.

Nova Classical Upper School is excited to launch a new tradition--Fun Sock Fridays! Upper School students and staff are invited to wear socks with patterns or fun colors every Friday. Show off your style and join in the fun as we kick off this colorful tradition!

A friendly reminder: Administration reserves the final approval to ensure that socks remain appropriate for the school environment.

Please mark your calendar for the 2025-26 Upper School Spirit Wear Days!

• Friday, September 26: SoG/SoL/SoR Spirit Wear Day
• Thursday, October 30, 202: SoL Spirit Wear Day
• Friday, October 31, 2025: SoR Spirit Wear Day
• Wednesday, January 14, 2026: SoL Spirit Wear Day
• Thursday, January 15, 2026: SoR Spirit Wear Day
• Wednesday, March 18, 2026: SoL Spirit Wear Day
• Thursday, March 19, 2026: SoR Spirit Wear Day
• Wednesday, May 27, 2025: ALL Upper School Spirit Wear Day

To show their school pride, Upper School students are invited to wear Nova Classical Spirit Wear with uniform bottoms or jeans. Please note, ripped/torn clothing is not allowed. Out of uniform guidelines can be found on our school website. Students who choose not participate are to be in uniform.

Monday-Friday, September 22-26

• Homecoming House Activities, (SoR)
• SoR Spirit Week Dress Days, Monday-Thursday -- SoR Only Out of Uniform day guidelines apply
• Dress Days to be announced by SoR Senate
• Friday, September 26: SoG/SoL/SoR Spirit Wear Day
  
• Students wearing Nova Classical Spirit Wear may wear jeans or uniform bottoms
• Students who choose not participate are to be in uniform

Friday, September 26: Parade at 2:00 PM. Parents/Guardians and Alumni are welcome to attend!

Saturday, September 27: SoR Homecoming Dance 7:00 to 10:00 PM (Grades 9-12)

• Guest Permission Slips (Link HERE) are due Wednesday, September 24.
• Late guest forms are unable to be accepted.

Current 8th students and their families who are interested in learning more about the June 2026 to Washington D.C. are invited to attend an information session at Nova Classical on Tuesday, September 23, at 6:00 PM.

Scholars in Grades 6-8, save the date! SoL Senate is hosting a Movie Night for SoL students on Friday, October 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Additional details will be shared with scholars through announcements and posters displayed at school. We hope to see our SoL students join in the fun!

Free virtual college and financial aid events for Minnesota students and families!

• The series, starting September 30, will cover the college application process and general financial aid information, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Dream Act for undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college. A fact sheet for families can be found here.
• Formerly called “Ready Set FAFSA”, this series has been renamed “College Planning Series” to include college planning topics beyond the FAFSA. All sessions will have simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Somali and Hmong. Information for families about registering for the series is available below.
• Students who attend a session or watch one of the recordings will be eligible to win a $1,000 scholarship (2 available)!
• Higher education professionals will available during each meeting to answer live Q&A.
• These sessions are a collaborative effort between the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Minnesota Department of Education, ECMC The College Place and Minnesota Goes to College.

Starting on Tuesday, September 2, Homework Club will be offered for Upper School students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4:00–5:00 PM, led by an Upper School Teacher and Educational Assistant. There is no fee for this academic support program and students are encouraged to register using this link.

• Students should arrive by 4:00 PM, and be picked up promptly at 5:00 PM.

• Supervision is not available for SoG siblings; please consider registering for Scholar Zone if needed.

Although students are not required to attend every session in order to participate, this is a great way for students to receive extra support and stay on top of their school work! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Paschall.

Has your student accomplished something exceptional outside of the classroom? Have they earned a special award, been recognized with a medal, or made a significant impact in their community? We’d love to hear about their achievements! Please share the details by filling out and submitting this form. Your child might be featured in our morning announcements, celebrated during a student assembly, highlighted in our staff newsletter, or noted in The Herald.

Have any great summer adventures? Or just hanging with Nova Classical friends? Played softball, baseball or lacrosse this summer? We’d love to showcase that and more in the 25/26 Nova Classical US Yearbook.

We are also looking for Spring Prom photos and the 8th grade trip to Washington DC. Submit photos to yearbook@novaclassical.org

Student school pictures were taken last week. Pictures retakes will be held on Tuesday, October 21. 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.

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

Nova Classical continues to participate in Minnesota’s Free School Meals Program. This means that all students are eligible to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. No application, income verification, or preordering is required. We work with CKC Good Food to cook and deliver our meals. Please see below for the current month menus.

• Food Service Website (includes breakfast and lunch menus)

Scholar Zone is offering S.O.S activities for students in Grades K-6.

Click the photo below to select your days. Each day is hyperlinked to RevTrack for easy signup. You can also see what we have planned for each day. Please email scholarzone@novaclassical.org with any questions.

Fall Baseball Clinic, Grades 3-12:

• Registration opened August 25, 2025. More information here.

Mock Trial, Grades 9-12

• Registration opened September 15, 2025, on the Extracurriculars page.

Winter Sports

• Registration opens September 29, 2025 for basketball, boys hockey coop and nordic skiing coop.

Home Athletic Games

Grades 9-12 - Student passes for students in grades 9-12 are available on the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website. All students must have a pass to enter games. Passes are $10 and get you into all home volleyball, basketball and soccer games with the exception of section play off games.

Grades 6-8 - Students must be accompanied by an adult who is not a current student. Students without an adult will not be admitted to the game. Family passes are available for purchase on the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website. Passes are good for regular season games only.

All Students - Be prepared!! Get picked up on time after the end of the game. Call your ride with 15 minutes left in the soccer game and at the beginning of the 3rd game of the volleyball match.

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

Upcoming Events

• Saturday, 9/27, 6:00 PM - 9:30 PM: Great Gatherings Kickoff Party. Join Nova parents, guardians, teachers, and alumni for a casual adults-only reception at Summit Brewing Event Space. Register by Friday, 9/19, for free admission.

• Tuesday, 10/7, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM: Join us *IN-PERSON* for the Nova PTO Board Meeting at Nova

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

More ways to support the Great Gathering Kickoff: Volunteer, Donate a Gathering, and/or Donate Items.

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

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 this link, so we can be well prepared to welcome them. The last day to register to request a classroom visit is Friday, October 3, 2025. Due to space constraints, we may not be able to safely accommodate all requests for classroom visits. Visitors will receive a confirmation email and visit schedule prior to the event. Only registered and confirmed visitors will be allowed this year.

Please sign up for only one visit per scholar. Due to space issues in the classrooms and in the parking lot, we ask that only Grandparents and/or Special Persons (and not Parents) visit on this day. Parents, we also need help to run this event; please sign up here to volunteer.

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

The Nova Family Carnival is on Saturday, November 8 from 10:00am-4:00pm with festivities for the whole family. This whirlwind of fun is your chance to mingle with school families and enjoy family-friendly games. Visit our carnival highlights page to see some of the fun we had last year! The families of each grade level support this event by hosting a carnival games as shown below:

• Kindergarten.........................Fishing Game
• First Grade................................Duck Pond
• Second Grade..................................Plinko
• Third Grade..........................Bean Bag Toss
• Fourth Grade.......................Giant Dice Roll
• Fifth Grade.................................Cake Walk
• Seventh Grade........................Tetris Tumble
• Eight Grade...............................Prize Wheel

Grades 9-12 can join in the fun as well as rack up volunteer hours.

Parents and Community Members:

Apply to become an active volunteer to help support our staff and scholars! Once you're active in our volunteer system, sign up for opportunities such as helping out at the September Great Gathering Kickoff Party or October B&N Bookfair.

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.

September

• Monday-Friday, September 22-26: SoR Spirit Week

• Friday, September 26: All-School Homecoming Parade and Spirit Wear Day

• Saturday, September 27: SoR Homecoming Dance 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

• Saturday, September 27: Great Gatherings Carnival (Adults only)

• Monday, September 29: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

October

• Thursday, October 2: No School (Staff Work Day)

• Friday, October 3: No School (Professional Development)

• Tuesday, October 7: Parent/Guardian Education Night and NPTO Meeting

• Saturday, October 11: Barnes & Noble Book Fair

• Wednesday, October 15: Grandparent & Special Person Day

• Thursday, October 16: No School (Staff Work Day)

• Friday, October 17: No School (Building Closed)

• Monday, October 20: No School (Building Closed)

• Wednesday, October 22: Unity Day

• Monday, October 27: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

• Friday, October 31: End of Q1

See Full Calendar

Athletics Calendar