The Herald

Dear Nova Classical Families,

October has brought meaningful moments of connection, school spirit, and achievement across Nova Classical. From recognizing students’ scholarship and service at our National Honor Society Induction to welcoming grandparents and special persons into our school, we’ve enjoyed opportunities to celebrate the people and accomplishments that make our community special. Homecoming Spirit Week, SoL Movie Night, and the NPTO Book Fair added to the excitement, bringing students together for fun and shared memories.

As we look ahead, Unity Day offers another opportunity to put our virtues into action by celebrating kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Thank you for being an important part of the Nova Classical community and for all the ways you help your children learn, grow, and thrive.

Important Dates:

• Thursday, 10/15: No School (Staff Workday)

• Friday, 10/16: No School (Building Closed)

• Monday, 10/19: No School (Building Closed)

Wishing you a relaxing and rejuvenating long weekend ahead!

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Paschall

We are honored to celebrate these students for their achievements:

National Merit Commended Scholars

• Gain Choi
• Quinn DeMaster
• Tamarin Solomon
• Mira West

✨Commended Students are recognized for their exceptional performance on the PSAT/NMSQT, placing them among approximately 34,000 students nationwide who earned this distinction.

National Honor Society Inductees

Katherine Cole, Isabella Dawit, Serena Duggan, Willis Heim, Cara Helin, Katie Her, Owen Lohse, Livia Lukito, Ansel Nestingen, Henry Page, Maren Prestegaard, Sylvia Ralston, Griffin Webb, Mira West, and Alexander Wlaschin

September Students of the Month

Congratulations to our Upper School students for demonstrating excellence in fortitude. We are proud of you!

Iris Ronning (6), Sasha Warden (6), Simone Wolvin (7), Alexander Burrows (8), Victoria Her (8), Glory Sengendo (9), Tyler Roskowitz (10), Kimberly Asiago (12), and Abe Brady (12)

Congratulations Cross-Country Runners

The boys cross country team finished 3rd out of 34 teams at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational Sept. 19 at Fort Snelling Golf Course. Paddy O'Keefe and Benaiah Mathews led the team, finishing 4th and 6th in the 310 runner race, which included large schools from several states.

In this section, Sophomore Frieda Brady reflects on Justice inside and outside of the classroom.

"This month’s virtue is justice. By this point in the school year, it is understood that the virtues are a way to teach important aspects of behavior. Although the reinforcement of virtue through our time at Nova may seem repetitive, it gives us an opportunity to practice how to treat others and act with reason and care in all areas of our life. Virtues are not only applicable in regard to merits and demerits or school assignments, but have bounds that grow as we do. The expectations that go along with each virtue continue to be added onto as we mature and gain more understanding about the world. Learning that justice means treating others with respect can turn into fostering strong connections in the business world or making lifelong friends. Focusing on justice during this month builds a foundation on which our future relationships and careers can be built on."

~Frieda Brady, Nova Classical Academy Class of 2029

We will celebrate Unity Day on Wednesday, October 21. Students and staff may wear orange on top and Nova uniform on the bottom. Unity Day is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a day we can come together to send a visible message of building through justice, temperance, and prudence. The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange.

Started by PACER in 2011, this statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention.

Kemmetmueller Photography will host student photo retakes on October 23. Click here for information on picture retake day preparation and ordering school photos!

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

Please complete this form to request retakes on Friday, October 23, 2026.

A quick reminder that all students are expected to be in uniform each day unless it is a designated non-uniform day.

👖As students grow, please check that uniforms still fit appropriately. Shirts should be long enough to tuck in (unless they have a banded bottom), and bottoms must continue to meet the school’s length guidelines.👖

On non-uniform days, students must follow the Out of Uniform Guidelines. Fun Sock Friday: Upper School students and staff may wear fun or colorful socks each Friday!

If your child needs assistance meeting uniform requirements, please reach out to the Upper School office. We are happy to help.

Spirit Wear Days

On Spirit Wear Days, students may wear Nova Classical Spirit Wear with jeans or uniform bottoms. Students who choose not to participate are expected to be in uniform.

Upcoming Dates:

• Wednesday, November 4: SoR Spirit Wear Day

• Thursday, November 5: SoL Spirit Wear Day

Below is information regarding free virtual college and financial aid events for Minnesota students and families!

The series will cover the college application process and general financial aid information, details on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the Minnesota Alternative State Financial Aid Application undocumented students, and other ways to pay for college.

• 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 here.
• 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 be available during each meeting to answer live Q and 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.

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 Education 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.

Registration for current 8th graders for the June 2027 trip to Washington D.C. remains open through October 23, 2026. You may register via this link.

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 2026-27 Nova Classical US Yearbook. We are also looking for Spring Prom photos and the 8th grade trip to Washington DC.

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.

Nova Classical Student ID's double as Library Cards again this year! Through our LibraryGo partnership with the St. Paul Public Library (SPPL), all students have active library cards that can be used to check out up to 5 books and materials, and to access their online databases.

Help your student use their account online or at checkout at one of the 14 SPPL branches.

• Account number: Nova Classical’s school number (2209190300) + (the scholar's 4-digit lunch PIN number)
• Password: Your child’s birthday written MMDDYY, for example, January 26, 2012 would be 01262012

Contact Ms. Gabor at vgabor@novaclassical.org with any questions about the program.

The 2027-2028 Enrollment Lottery Window will be open from November 1, 2026-January 31, 2027. Current students do not need to reapply.

Our Enrollment Open House will be held on November 12, 2026 from 6:00-7:30 PM for prospective families. Join us for a presentation of our programs and tour of the school. Register here.

It's time to get out and support our Nova Knights 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.

Save the dates!

Upper School Drama Club's performance of Love's Labour's Lost takes the stage at Neighborhood House November 12, 13 & 14, 2026. Tickets on sale soon!

Winter Sports

Winter sports are open for registration on the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website. Make sure to have your students' Infinite Campus ID number when you begin registering.

After School Clubs

Registration for winter session After School clubs opens October 26. View club offerings on the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website.

Clubs end at 5:00 PM. Please pick up students in the Great Room; doors will open at 4:50 PM. Students in grades K–6 who are not picked up by 5:10 PM will be taken to Scholar Zone, where a fee applies.

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.

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

2026 S.O.S. Dates:

• (C) Friday. October 16
• (D) Monday. October 19

(E) Friday. November 6

(F) Friday, December 18

2027 S.O.S. Dates:

(G) Monday. January 25

(H) Friday. March 5

(I) Wednesday. March 10

Spring Break

• (J) Friday. March 26
• (K) Monday. March 29
• (L) Tuesday. March 30
• (M) Wednesday, March 31
• (N) Thursday, April 1
• (O) Friday. April 2

(P) Friday. April 23

(Q) Friday. May 28

Nova PTO’s sole purpose is to provide resources to Nova Classical’s staff, students and their families in ways that the school cannot. Each family is encouraged to volunteer 20 hours per school year-what a fun way to help support our Nova Community!

Help needed!

NPTO is looking for a few awesome people to help:

• Spirit Wear Coordinator, to order, design, and manage spirit wear throughout the year
• Great Gatherings Event Planner (plan the event on 11/7)
• Vice-Chair, leadership role

Upcoming Events:

• Saturday, 11/7: Great Gatherings Fundraiser Event

• Saturday, 5/8: Nova Family Carnival at Nova Classical 10:00 AM-4:00 PM

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.

Meetings:

The next PTO meeting is on Zoom 7:30-8:30 PM, on 11/10. Everyone is invited!

Visit novapto.org for more about what Nova PTO does and Save the Date(s) for the fun we have planned!

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

Scholar Zone Volunteer Opportunity:
Scholar Zone is looking for after-school SoR student volunteers to provide Homework Help. If you are interested in this opportunity, ​please fill out this Google form. Please email scholarzone@novaclassical.org with any questions.

October:

16: No School (Office Closed)

19: No School (Office Closed)

20: 9th Grade Field Trip to Camp Friendship/Eden Wood

20: PSAT Testing Day

21: Unity Day

23: Picture Retakes

26: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

November:

1: Enrollment Lottery Window Opens (for prospective students only)

4: SoR Spirit Wear Day and House Assembly

5: SoL Spirit Wear Day and House Assembly

5: Semester 1 Midterm (US)

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

6: No School (K-12 Conferences)

12: Enrollment Open House

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

December:

1: NPTO Meeting at 7:30 PM

10: Parent Education Night: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Habits of Learning, Grades 5-12 (Virtual)

17: Festive Sweater, K-12 (uniform bottoms required)

18: No School (Staff Work Day)

21-31: No School (Office Closed)

*Please note there is no Board Meeting in December

See Full Calendar

Athletics Calendar