The Herald
UPPER SCHOOL NEWS
February 19, 2026
Dear Nova Classical Families,
The second half of the school year is well underway. I am grateful for the focus and momentum our students and staff continue to demonstrate. Report cards for semester on have been mailed home, and we hope they provide a helpful snapshot of your child’s progress and growth. If you have not yet received your child’s report card, please contact Mrs. Ruppert in the Upper School Office and she will be glad to assist you. Should you have questions about grades, coursework, or next steps, we encourage you to reach out directly to your child’s teacher.
Thank you for your continued partnership and the steady support you provide. Our students’ hard work and perseverance this year have been evident, and I look forward to building on that progress in the months ahead. Please review this month's Herald for information on upcoming events and school updates.
Warmest regards,
Mrs. Paschall
Important Dates:
- SoR Snow Daze Dance, February 21, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
- Tuesday, March 3: SoR Choir Concert, 7:00 PM
- Friday, March 6: No School - Conferences
- Friday, March 13 - Saturday, March 14: Senior Retreat
- Friday, March 20: No School - Staff Workday
- Monday, March 23 - Friday, March 27: Building Closed - Spring Break
- Monday, March 30: Classes resume
- Monday, March 30: Start of Quarter 4
We are honored to celebrate our students for their achievements!
December/January Students of the Month
Congratulations to these scholars, nominated by their teachers for demonstration of excellence in prudence. Owen Lair (6), Sam Naylor (7), Leah Mann (8), Enya Wu (9), Yulia Yang (9), Isabella Dawit (10), Alex Wlaschin (10), Andreas Grover (11), and Lila McNellis (12). We celebrate your displays of virtue!
National Merit Scholar Finalists
Congratulations to our students who have been named National Merit Scholar Finalists! This prestigious recognition is awarded to less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, honoring their exceptional academic achievements and dedication to excellence.
- Eli Andre
- Chloe Brown
- James Garske
- Alexander Hungs
Science Olympiad
Shout-out to the Educated Guesses, our SoL Science Olympiad team! They did an amazing job at the Regional tournament, earning medals in Code Busters and Meteorology and placing strongly in 12 other events to bring home the 3rd place trophy. We’re so proud of their teamwork and can’t wait to see them come out again for the State Tournament on the 28th. Good luck, team!
Nordic Ski Team
Congratulations to Senior Eli Andre on an outstanding performance at the MSHSL State Nordic Ski Tournament. Eli placed 7th in the Classic Pursuit after moving up from 11th in the Freestyle Individual Start, contributing 76 points to the team. This marks his second appearance at the state tournament. We also congratulate our co-op Mounds Park Academy Nordic Ski team on an impressive 5th place overall finish at the state tournament.
Mock Trial Team
Congratulations to our Mock Trial Team for qualifying to compete in the MSBA Mock Trial State Tournament on Thursday and Friday, March 5 and 6 in St. Paul. Team members competing at the State Tournament are James Garske, Christine Ma, Violet Blood, Nina Aamodt, Alexander Hungs, Grace Bayne, Nicolas Odegard, and Molly Faulken. Best wishes!
K-8 Spelling Bee Winners
Well done to all participating scholars and congratulations to our winners!
First Place: Tyler Peters, Grade 5
Second Place: Neel Vijay, Grade 7
Third Place: Jonah Varghese, Grade 4
Science Olympiad Team
Eli Andre
State Nordic Ski
Mock Trial heads to State!
Spirit Wear Days
Please mark your calendar for the 2025-26 Upper School Spirit Wear Days!
- 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.
Upper School Fun Sock Fridays
It has been fun to see our scholars embracing a new Nova 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 celebrate this colorful tradition!
ACT Testing for Juniors, April 7
Linked below is important information regarding the 2025 District testing for the ACT. Juniors will be taking the ACT on Tuesday, April 7, from 8:40 AM until approximately 12:30 PM. All students MUST make their MyACT account prior to taking the exam.
Nova Classical District Testing ACT Information
If students are planning on taking the ACT more than once, it is recommended that they are aware of national testing dates and sites and schedule that before we take the ACT on April 7 at Nova Classical as summer national testing sites fill up quickly. There is information on how to sign up for ACT testing at other sites here.
Homework Club
Homework Club is 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.
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Students should arrive by 4:00 PM, and be picked up promptly at 5:00 PM.
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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.
Family Multicultural Night - April 16: Get Involved!
On Thursday, April 16, 2025, from 5:30-7:30pm, Nova Classical’s NHS and Equity Team will be hosting the fourth annual Family Multicultural Night. As we plan for this night of celebration, there are several ways to get involved early:
Sign up to host a cultural boothSign up to share a performance
Make a monetary donation
Information about RSVPing, volunteering, and contributing to the potluck will be coming soon!
Questions or concerns? Please reach out to equitycoordinator@novaclassical.org.
Summer Scholar Zone Registration
Ivy Camps is BACK!
We’re excited to announce that Summer Scholar Zone registration is now open — and even more excited to share that we’ve secured Ivy Camps once again, bringing back our favorite programs from last summer along with brand-new offerings your students will love!
- Summer Scholar Zone is available to current Rising 1st–7th grade students. Please note that we are unable to accept incoming kindergarten students or students who did not attend Nova Classical Academy during the 2025–26 school year.
- Families can register and manage payments online at novaclassical.revtrak.net. We encourage you to select your desired days of care as soon as possible, as spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and some days may fill quickly. All registrations must be completed by May 26, 2026.
- A $50 non-refundable registration fee per student is required and does not apply toward session fees. Day fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Enrollment in the regular before- and/or after-school Scholar Zone program is not required to participate in Summer Scholar Zone.
Enrollment Options:
Daily Rate (1–3 sessions per week): $70/day
4 sessions per week: $65/day
5 sessions per week: $60/day
We can’t wait to welcome your students for another fun-filled, enriching summer with Scholar Zone and Ivy Camps!
Spring Sport Registration
Spring is coming and sports are open for registration. Don't miss the deadlines!
All registrations close at 4:00 PM on the respective dates. Students participating in a Varsity/JV level sport need a MSHSL Physical on file with the Activities department before the first day of practice in order to participate. The form is available here.
Summer Athletic Programming Information Coming Soon!
Baseball - CLOSED
Track and Field - February 27, 2026
Boys Lacrosse - March 6, 2026 (Co-op with Minnehaha Academy)
Girls Lacrosse - March 6, 2026 (Co-op with St Paul Academy)
Boys Tennis - March 6, 2026 (Co-op with Mounds Park Academy)
Boys Volleyball - March 6, 2026 (Co-op with International School of Minnesota)
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.
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.
Nova PTO has established the Community Support Fund to raise separate funds to support members of our community in need. Click here to donate.
Upcoming Events
Volunteers - We Need You!
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 with our All-Night Senior Retreat in March. 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 (Voelker), School Counselor, Grades 8-12, with questions or ideas.
Community Resources for Families
If your family could use extra support, there are caring local organizations ready to help.
Hennepin County Emergency General Assistance: Offers support for rent, utilities, and temporary shelter. Dakota County Employment and Economic Assistance Ramsey County - Keystone Community Food Center You can visit Keystone’s Community Food Center located at 1800 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104. The center is between the Wendy’s and Arby’s on the corner of Fairview and University. No appointment or advanced registration is required. Food shelf participants are served on a first come, first served basis during the hours listed below. Please call (651) 917-3792 if you have any questions.
**Please note, there is no morning service on the following 2026 dates:
Supernova 2026 Film & Music Festival
WHAT: Live film screenings and musical performances from Nova’s creative community. Open to anyone with a relative connection to Nova Classical Academy. Nova Alumni are encouraged to participate!
WHEN: Friday, May 1, 2026
WHERE: Nova Great Hall 4:00-9:00 PM
SUBMISSIONS: Accepted here
TICKETS: Available on the NPTO store
Upcoming Events
February:
17-20: SoR Snow Daze Week
21: SoR Snow Daze Dance 7:00 - 10:00 PM
23: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM
March:
3: SoR Choir Concert at 7:00 PM
6: K-12 Conferences (No School for students)
13-14: Senior Over(k)night Retreat
18: SoL Spirit Wear Day and SoL Assembly (during House)
19: SoR Spirit Wear Day and SoR Assembly (during House)
19: End of Quarter 3 for LS, Midterm for Semester 2 for US
20: No School (Staff Work Day)
23-27: No School (Building Closed)
30: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM
April:
3: No School (Staff Work Day)
10: SoL Spring Fling Dance 6:30 - 8:30 PM
16: Multicultural Night from 5:30 - 7:30 PM
17: No School (Staff Work Day)
27: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM