GRAMMAR GAZETTE
Month of September 2026
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Dear Lower School Nova Classical Families,
What a strong start to the school year! With students returning to school last Monday, and Kindergarteners starting last Wednesday, it has been wonderful to see our halls filled with energy, excitement, and students demonstrating their virtues. I want to thank all of our families for your patience with our updated drop off and pick up process. It is so helpful when you post your placard number in the car window for those of you in the carpool lane. And thanks for being kind, we know this has been challenging.
As we begin a new school year together, we are encouraging our students to put our virtues into action each day, showing kindness, fortitude, and justice for others. I am already seeing so many examples of students making positive choices and being exemplar role models for one another.
We are excited to continue our Silent Hallway Challenge. This challenge is designed to help students practice their temperance and help keep our hallways quiet so that scholars in our classrooms can continue to learn. Here is how it works:
- When a class travels through the hallway with their voices 100% off, they can earn a ticket.
- Any educator in the building can recognize a class for successfully walking through the hallway silently and award them a ticket.
- At the end of each month, before our monthly Virtue Assembly, all class tickets will be counted.
- The top four classes with the most tickets will earn a Non-Uniform Day!
We are excited to see which classes will rise to the challenge. Remember, every silent hallway is an opportunity to demonstrate our virtues and show respect for the learning taking place throughout our school.
Clubs Are Starting!
We are also excited to offer several new opportunities for students to explore their interests outside of the classroom. Italian Club will be available for students in Grades 3, 4, and 5. This is an opportunity for students to learn about the Italian language and culture while having fun with their classmates. Our Nature Club will also give students an opportunity to explore and learn about plants and critters.
Please mark your calendars! Picture Day is tomorrow, Friday, September 11. We look forward to capturing those special smiles and creating memories from the beginning of another exciting school year.
Please read ahead for the latest news and views.
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Farrell
Ms. Juedes' Little Art Room Website
Visit the LS Art website for updates on our creative learning each month, plus information on grading in art, curriculum, and wishlist!
NPTO Book Fair Saturday, October 10, 2026
The Nova's Parent Teacher Organization (NPTO) invites you to join us for the BookFair held at Barnes and Noble in the Har Mar Mall. We are also in need of volunteers to support this event.
VOLUNTEERS: Click here to sign up!
Grandparent and Special Person Day, Wednesday, October 14
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 on October 14.
Register using the Grandparent and Special Person Visit Reservation Form. (This link will be active at 4pm on September 10, 2026)
Highlights to Prepare for a Successful School Year
Attendance Expectations
Arrival and Dismissal Hours, and School Office Hours: Monday - Friday: 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM
Students are expected to arrive at school and be seated, ready to learn, by 8:40 AM. Arriving after 8:40 AM is considered a tardy. Three unexcused tardies count as one unexcused absence. For more information, see page 26 of our Student and Family Handbook.
Toys and Fidgets
Toys from home including Pokémon cards and stuffed animals ("stuffies") are not allowed during the school day, without special permission. Also, students are not allowed to bring fidgets from home. Fidgets may be used if your child has a preapproved specified documented school plan.
Items Perceived as Weapons
No person shall possess, use, or distribute any object, device, or instrument having the appearance of a weapon; and, such objects, devices, or instruments shall be treated as weapons including, but not limited to, weapons listed above which are broken or non-functional, look-alike guns, toy guns, and any object that is a facsimile of a real weapon. See 501 School Weapons Policy.
Important Links:
- School Uniform Guidelines
- Bus Information
- Silent Dismissal Process (end of day dismissal for ALL students)
School Uniform Guidelines
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.
Lockdown Drills
The state of Minnesota requires that schools share the dates of their active shooter drills with parents and guardians. An active shooter drill is an emergency preparedness drill designed to teach students, teachers, school personnel, and staff how to respond in the event of an armed intruder on campus or an armed assailant in the immediate vicinity of the school. At Nova Classical Academy, we call these drills "Lockdown Drills."
Active shooter drills with PreK-12 students must be:
- Accessible, developmentally appropriate, and age appropriate, including using appropriate safety language and vocabulary
- Culturally aware
- Trauma-informed
- Inclusive of accommodations for students with mobility restrictions, sensory needs, developmental or physical disabilities, mental health needs, and auditory or visual limitations
Parents and guardians of students opting out of these drills will need to email their school Principal in advance of the drills. During the drills, your student will be kept safe and in an area of the school where they are not affected by the drill. The State of Minnesota will be providing an alternative safety education for students opting out.
Dates of Lockdown Drills:
Lock Down #1: September 29
Lock Down #2: October 22
Lock Down #3: November 10
Click the photo below to select and register for S.O.S. Days. Each day is hyperlinked to RevTrack, for easy signup. You can also view the activities planned for each day. Questions? Email scholarzone@novaclassical.org.
Click the links below to navigate directly to registration for each specific day or click here for the main registration page. For a list of all dates and activities, click here.
2026 S.O.S. Dates:
MEA Weekend
2027 S.O.S. Dates:
Spring Break
Free Breakfast and Lunch
Nova Classical continues to participate in Minnesota's Free School Meals program. This means that all students can receive one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day. There is no application or income requirements. There is no preordering of food necessary. We work with CKC Good Food to cook and deliver our meals.
Please see daily menus linked here, on our Food Service Website.
Educational Benefits Application
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!
Fall After School Activities
School is starting soon and with that comes volleyball games, soccer games, and a host of exciting sports events to attend throughout the year! Passes 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.
Want to know what's happening after the school day ends? Check out the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website to find out about clubs and sports. Contact activities@novaclassical.org or athletics@novaclassical.org.
Families who qualify for Educational Benefits will be required to enter a code when registering in Bound to receive the discount on the registration fees. The code will be included in your benefits confirmation notice. It will be needed each time you register in our new system, so hang on to it!
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 being a Lower School Room Rep, helping out at the upcoming NPTO B&N Bookfair, Grandparent & Special Person Day Reception Hosts and Guides, or putting on the big NPTO Great Gathering Kickoff Party!
Click here to view the always-current list of opportunities and links to sign up.
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:
- Tuesday, 10/6: In-person NPTO meeting 7:00 PM in the Great Room
Saturday, 10/10: Book Fair at Barnes & Noble at HarMar Mall Roseville
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 Tuesday, October 6 at 7:00 PM in the Great Room. 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! Join Our Team--Become a Room Representative!
We are looking for parent volunteers to serve as Room Representatives for each classroom this school year! As a Room Rep, you will play a vital role in building a vibrant school community by supporting our teachers with appreciation efforts, helping class families connect through social activities, and streamlining communication between the teachers, NPTO, and parents. This is a flexible yet high-impact role that can easily be shared between a few people to fit any schedule. Ideally we would love to see a couple of people per grade! Interested in learning more or signing up? Please reach out to Holly Walker Kim at hollywalkerkim@gmail.com
September:
11: Student Picture Day
17: Parent Education Night: Reading Grades, K-2 (Virtual) at 5:30 PM
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