The Herald

Dear Nova Classical Families,

As we turn the page to the second half of the school year, we do so with renewed energy and excitement for what lies ahead. The new semester brings opportunities to learn, strengthen habits, and grow in confidence and mastery. We are grateful for our partnership with families and look forward to all that the semester ahead will bring.

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Paschall

Important Dates:

• Semester One report cards will be mailed the week of January 26
• SoL Black & White Dance, January 30
• No School, Staff Professional Development Day, February 13
• No School, February 16
• SoR Snow Daze Week, February 17-20
• SoR Snow Daze Dance, February 21

Please review this month's Herald for information on upcoming events and school updates.

We are honored to celebrate our students for their achievements!

National Honor Society

Congratulations to the National Honor Society for earning a NASSP Student Service Grant this year! Juniors Tamrin Solomon and Abe Brady applied for this grant to begin a school store. We are excited to recognize their initiative and the positive impact their project will bring to the Nova Classical community.

Mock Trial

Congratulations to the Mock Trial team on two outstanding rounds of competition! Your preparation, teamwork, and professionalism were on full display! Well done to all involved These are the results from last two rounds of competition from all four teams

Outstanding witnesses: Violet Blood, Mira West, Griffin Webb, Lucy Treitler, Molly Faulken, Archer DeHoskins, Ivy Parker

Outstanding attorneys: Christine Ma, Harper Drake, Julien Miest, Abby Seleshi, Violet Blood, Maria Duggan, Opie Peklo

Lego League Award Winners

Congratulation to Johann Winter, Nuree Wong, and James Hayton for an outstanding showing in the LEGO League Challenge! They competed at the Regionals in Woodbury and earned third place in the Lakes Division robot game and were honored with the Engineering Excellence Award. We are so proud of their hard work and achievements and the way they represented our school!

Youth in Government (YIG) Participants

The YMCA of Minnesota’s Youth in Government (YIG) program offers students hands-on experiences in civic engagement by simulating government roles like legislators, judges, and journalists. Through events, participants build leadership, public speaking, and critical thinking skills while exploring democratic processes. We commend our Nova Classical student representatives for their time and engagement at the January 2025 YIG conference!

Alia Delgado, Greta Gerber, Elwen Hage, Elliot Lynch, James Olson, Henry Page, Gavin Ralston, Sylvia Ralston, Nicole Schuester, Sam Shepard, and Sequoia Sweere.

AP Honor Roll

Nova Classical Academy, has earned a place on the AP® School Honor Roll for the 2024-25 school year. The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools that have done outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and support them on the path to college success.

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.

SoL Black and White Dance

SoL Senate is excited to host the annual Black and White Dance for grades 6-8 on Friday, January 30.

Attention 5th Grade Families! Please join us for the SoL Information Night, Thursday, February 5, 5:00-7:00 PM to learn more about the School of Logic at Nova! Parents/guardians and students will take an academic tour and learn more about School of Logic classes, student supports, and student culture. There will also be a pizza dinner and a Q & A session with our School of Logic Senators. RSVP here!

SoR Information Night, Thursday, February 19, 5:00-7:00 PM

Parents and students of this year’s 8th-grade class are invited to attend an informational event to learn more about Nova Classical’s School of Rhetoric. Teachers and current SoR students will share what our high school has to offer! A light dinner will be provided. Plan to attend this fun event! RSVP here!

SoR Snow Daze Dance--Save the Date!

The SoR Senate is looking forward to Snow Daze Week 2026!

Students in Grades 9-12 are encouraged to participate in the theme days for hte week.

• Tuesday 2/17: BBQ dad vs. Soccer mom
• Wednesday 2/18: Career Day
• Thursday 2/19: Book Character Day
• Students must be dressed like a book character. This is not a non-uniform day.
• Friday 2/20: Rhyming Squad Day

Please remember that all non-uniform guidelines apply. Students who do not participate in the theme days are expected to be in uniform.

• Saturday 2/21: Snow Days Dance
• 7:00-10:00 PM
• Please note, doors remain open for entrance until 8:00 PM
• Students who wish to bring guests from another school must submit completed forms by 2/17

Senior Retreat, Friday, March 13 - Saturday, March 14

Save the date!! The Class of 2026 will be going to Base Camp for their Senior Overnight Retreat. The retreat begins with students arriving at Base Camp at 7:00 PM and ends with breakfast and students departing at 7:00 AM. The cost is $65 per student which includes, the high ropes course, rock climbing, games, food and fun overnight events. Please click here for the registration form. Additional details will be shared with the senior families directly. Thank you to the NPTO for their support of this event!

For everyone's safety and to ensure our carpool lines move smoothly, please remember to pull all the way forward when dropping off or picking up. We have had an increasing number of instances with folks on their cell phones not notice that the line is moving forward. This impacts the flow of the line and is a safety concern for pedestrians. Thank you for helping us keep the line moving efficiently for all families.

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.

• 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.

Mark your calendars! This year's Family Multicultural Night is scheduled for Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 5:30-7:30 PM. We hope to see everyone there as we come together for this wonderful celebration of Nova Classical's community!

The enrollment application for the 2026-2027 school year is open. Please visit our website for more information. Any applications submitted by January 31, 2026, at 4:00 PM will be included in the February 2026 lottery. After the lottery, we will email parents and guardians with any offers or waitlist updates. Current students do not need to reapply. Click here to Apply Online for 2026-2027 enrollment.

Scholar Zone registration opened on Monday, January 5, 2026, for all current Scholar Zone families an on Monday, January 13, 2026, for all new Nova Classical Academy families. Summer Scholar Zone is open to all current Rising 1st - 7th grade students. Unfortunately, we can not accept any incoming kindergarten students or students who did not attend Nova Classical Academy during the 25-26 school year.

You can access our online registration and payment management system for your convenience on our website at novaclassical.revtrak.net. Select your desired days of care as soon as possible, as they will be accepted in the order they are received; space may be limited, and some days may fill quickly. ALL registrations must be completed by May 26, 2025.

There is a $50 non-refundable registration fee per student. This fee will not apply to regular session fees. Day fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Registration in our daily Scholar Zone program for before—and/or after-school care is not required to access Summer Scholar Zone programming.

Enrollment Options:

• Daily Rate (1-3 sessions per week): $70.00
• 4 sessions per week: $65.00
• 5 sessions per week: $60.00

Check out our offerings, check event schedules, and learn more about our programs on the Extracurriculars page of Nova Classical's website.

Spring sports are open for registration on the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website. All Varsity/JV level sports require student athletes to have a MSHSL sports physical on file with the Activities department before the beginning of the season. Physicals are good for three years. Parents can check the status of their students physical exam expiration date on Infinite Campus under the MSHSL Physical Exam tab. Questions? Contact the Activities department at athletics@novaclassical.org.

Spring after school clubs open for registration on January 26, 2026. Check out what is being offered on the Extracurriculars page of the Nova website.

Home Basketball Games

Come out and support your classmates at any of the upcoming events. Events are found here.

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.

Upcoming Event:

• Nova PTO Ski Event -- February 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. See below for more details!

Ticketed Gatherings: Click here for tickets.

• Saturday 1/24: Poker Night: Learn & Play

• Friday 2/6: Family Cocoa at Crosby Farm

• Saturday, 2/7: Valentines for 2nd Graders

• Saturday, 2/7: Nowhere to Wear it Party

• Friday, 2/13: Grade 5 - Grade 12 Epic Nerf Battle

• Saturday, 2/21: Nova Ladies Cocktail Social

• Wednesday, 2/25: Intro to Irish Dance

• Saturday, 2/28: 3rd Grade Winter Bonfire & Play

• Friday, 3/13: Favorite Things Party

• Sunday, 3/22: Nova Family Open Gym

Find Gatherings Tickets, connect to the Family Directory, and get involved at notapto.org.

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.

If your family could use extra support this month, there are caring local organizations ready to help.

Open Door Pantry and 360 Communities Food Shelves

• Offers free groceries and household items
• Located in Burnsville, Apple Valley, Lakeville, Farmington, and Rosemount
• Call: (651) 686-0787

Hastings Family Service

• Assists with food, clothing, or utility needs
• Call: (651) 437-7134

Dakota County Employment and Economic Assistance

• Provides information about public aid and emergency help
• Call: (651) 554-5611

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.

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM & 2:00-4:00 PM
• Wednesday: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM & 4:00-6:00 PM

**Please note, there is no morning service on the following 2026 dates:

• Wednesdays: March 4, June 3, September 2, and December 2

January:

26: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

30: SoL Black and White Dance 7:00 - 9:00 PM

February:

13: No School (Building Closed, Staff Professional Development Day)

16: No School (Building Closed)

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:

6: K-12 Conferences (No School for students)

13-14: Senior Over(k)night Retreat

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

See Full Calendar

Athletics Calendar