NOVA NEWS - November 2023

Highlights from the October 30, 2023 Board of Directors Meeting

1. Emily Cranberg presented on counseling services at Nova Classical. She shared the many things our school counselors do and answered several questions from board members.

2. Dr. Missy Johnson presented on “World’s Best Workforce” from 2022-2023, including goals that we developed with our authorizer, Friends of Education. She also presented on the Academic Excellence Committee’s role in approving yearly goals that align with our contract with Friends of Education.

3. The Board approved engaging Piper Sandler to do an analysis of our financial options should we decide to do any building as a result of the facilities needs analysis (the facilities needs analysis will most likely be completed in the spring).

4. Ginger Gabor presented current enrollment and wait list numbers.

5. The Board will have its December retreat on Monday, December 18, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. During this meeting, they will review the progress on the strategic plan.

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

Nova Classical is excited to announce the following Spirit Wear day(s).

11/7: Virtue Assembly (Grades K-5)

11/10: Upper School (Grades 6-12) Spirit Wear Day

12/5: Virtue Assembly (Grades K-5)

Need spirit wear? Nova Classical works with the following vendors:

• Game One (password: novaknights)
• BSN
• Or, stop by the NPTO's store at an upcoming event

Watch for the Grammar Gazette (LS) and The Herald (US) for more dates when students can wear Spirit Wear!

• Thursday, November 16, 2023, 4:30-8 PM, in person only. Stop by the NPTO-Sponsored Parent Lounge in the Great Room between conferences for refreshments!

• Monday, November 20, 2023, 8 AM-4 PM, virtual only (Google Meet)

• Please note that all Special Education conferences will be virtual.

• All conference slots are 12 minutes long and are booked through PickATime.

Please see directions here.

What is Give to the Max? Give to the Max is a statewide outpouring of support for thousands of nonprofits and schools across Minnesota! On Give to the Max Day, we’ll have extra fun with incentives, donation matches, community prizes, and more! So, stay tuned to our social media channels for details. If you would like to make a larger contribution, we love matching funds! Please contact Ms. Gabor at vgabor@novaclassical.org with any questions.

Early giving started on November 1 and continues through midnight on November 16. This year, we are raising funds to support our inclusive environment that provides each student the resources, support, and academic challenge needed to reach the highest levels of academic excellence. Learn more about our goals on our Give to the Max page and help our community by making a donation and helping us spread the word.

Thank you for all you do to support our scholars and our school!

Enrollment application for the 2024-2025 school year is open. Please visit our website for information. All applications submitted through January 31, 2024, at 4:00 PM, will be entered into the enrollment lottery in February 2024.

Current students do not need to reapply.

Thank you for sending your scholars to school with the necessary items (sweaters/jackets, cold weather gear, and water bottles/food containers) to stay warm, fed, and hydrated! Unfortunately, some of these things don't make it back home to you. We’re here to help!

Lost an item?

1. Encourage your scholars to look in the lost & found by the recess door. There is a purple bin with recently lost items as well as organized, categorized shelves with older lost items. Upper School scholars may also find lost items on a table outside of the district office on the second floor. Valuable and/or little items (such as AirPods, jewelry, and glasses) are kept in the front office. Please have your scholars see Ms. Anna for these items.
2. Please contact Ms. Ann Anderson at aanderson@novaclassical.org if your scholar is having difficulty finding an item.
3. Please help us by labeling all of your students items. If it is a pair (e.g. shoes or gloves), label both. Please label items with a permanent marker and use both a first name (or initial) & full last name. Personalized clothing labels through namebubbles.com or www.mabelslabels.com work great! The cost for a set of labels is usually less than replacing one lost item.

We 💛 your labeled items! When items are labeled, we will try our very best to get them back to your scholar at school. Unlabeled uniform items, because they look and are often the same brand & size as one’s classmates, are difficult for scholars to find. Thank you!

Libraries open doors for reading, research, and resources! 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. The account number is:

Nova Classical’s school number (2209190300) + (your child’s 4-digit lunch PIN number)

Password: Your child’s birthday written MMDDYY, for example, January 26, 2012 would be 01262012

If you have questions about this program, contact Ms. Gabor at vgabor@novaclassical.org.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Volunteer to help in the classroom, as a room parent, or at school and NPTO events such as Fall Conference meals for teachers or winter treats! Please click here to browse and sign up for opportunities.

All volunteers must have an up-to-date background check on file. Apply to volunteer with us, today!

Thank you to our many staff who presented at the Minnesota Classical Education Conference on October 19.

Thank you to our community for coming together on Unity day to show their support and wearing orange!

Thank you for all the Grandparents & Special Persons who joined us in the rain and the volunteers who helped us welcome these special guests!

November 4: Great Gatherings Kickoff Party from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

Get your Kickoff Party tickets here!

Great Gatherings are a set of parties and gatherings that our community buy tickets to attend. The party is hosted by families or teachers and the ticket proceeds to to our NPTO. This is the NPTO’s biggest fundraiser and it is so much fun! The Kickoff Party on 11/4 is the first opportunity to buy tickets for the gatherings and is an awesome adult-only party at the school with excellent food trucks and treats included.

Learn more about our Great Gatherings, host a gathering, and join us to the Kickoff Party!

Sign up for the Nova Family Directory at novapto.membershiptoolkit.com/

Check out all of NPTO's dates and information here!

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

Have you ever wondered if it is an A, B, or C Day? Can't remember when picture day is? Subscribe to our calendar to always be in the know!

Click the link below for instructions to add our calendar to your personal calendar.

November:

1: Enrollment Application Window for 2024-25 Opens (for new students only)

2: End of Quarter 1 (LS)/Midterms (US)

3: No School (Staff Work Day)

4: Great Gatherings Kickoff Party (NPTO)

9: Enrollment Open House @ 5:30 PM (for prospective new families)

10: Latino Student Group hosts MN Representative Maria Isa Perez-Vega @5pm in Ex Hall

10 & 11: Fall Musical: Once Upon a Mattress (ticket info below)

14: NPTO @ 4:15 PM

14: SoR Concert @ 7:00 PM

16: GIVE TO THE MAX DAY!

16: K-12 Evening Conferences @ 4:30-8:00 PM (In-Person Only)

20: No School (Conferences K-12) (Online Only)

21: No School (Staff Professional Development Day)

22-24: No School (Building Closed)

27: Board of Directors Meeting @ 6:00 PM

December:

3: K-12 Ice Skating Party (NPTO) (3:10-5:10)

5: NPTO @ 4:15 PM

14: SoL Concert @ 7:00 PM

20-29: No School (Building Closed)

January:

1-2: No School (Building Closed)

3: No School (Staff Work Day)

15: No School (Building Closed)

22: No School (Staff Work Day)

25: SoL Information Night

29: Board of Directors Meeting @ 6:00 PM

See Full Calendar

Get your tickets here for:

Once Upon a Mattress

Online sales ONLY. No cash sales at the door. General admission seating.

Performance dates and times:

Friday, November 10, 2023 @ 6:30 PM

Saturday, November 11, 2023 @ 11:30 AM & 3:30 PM

Winter basketball is fast approaching. Please check out the opportunities we have for students in grades K-12 here at Nova Classical.

Registration is open for Winter Session after school clubs. Check out the Extracurriculars page of our website for what is offered!