The Herald

Dear Nova Classical Academy Upper School Families,

Approaching the winter break, I want to acknowledge and applaud the hard work of our students and staff, as well as the continuous support of our families during the first part of this school year. Your dedication and efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for the commitment you've shown. A special thank you to our NPTO for their support and the delightful winter treats provided today, contributing to a warm and festive atmosphere as we all take a well-deserved break.

A few reminders as we head into Winter Break:

~Homework Club will not be in session today, Tuesday, December 19.

~Winter Break (no school) begins on Wednesday, December 20. School resumes on Thursday, January 4, 2024.

Wishing you a wonderful Winter Break filled with warmth, happiness, and wishes for all the best in the New Year ahead.

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Paschall

November Students of the Month: Congratulations to our Upper School scholars for demonstrating excellence in temperance.

• 6th Grade: Victoria Hang, Willa Congiu, and Sam Wind

• 7th Grade: Nora Rieke, Oceana Lee, Andrew Owens, Claire Kumoro, and Hugo Crain
• 8th Grade: Sully Hansen, Owen Lohse, Gus Nelson, and Sophie Fearing
• 9th Grade: Hannah Sheridan, Leo Yang, Anika Singh, and Katie Her
• 10th Grade: Tai Zumbalen, Taylor Miller, Maddie Brazelton, and Flannery Page
  
• 11th Grade: Sean Borrell
• 12th Grade: Emma McNellis and Lucy Biro

The November and December/January (combined) award winners will honored at the Upper School Assembly on Friday, January 26 at 3:20 PM.

Congratulations to the Nova FIRST Tech Challenge/Robotics Team. The Varsity team competed on November 18, winning 4 awards, including the Inspire Award for Best Overall Team. The Robotics Team has qualified for the State Championship in February. The team members are: Johnny Brown, Nick Hafner, Thomas Huelskamp, Rejat Krishnan, Peter Lagerquist, Michi Liang, and Kenji Wang.

The Nova Classical JV Robotics team, ARGONAUTS #13076, recently competed, winning 3 awards, inlcuding the Inspire Award for the Best Overall Team. Team members include: Cora Vestrum, Anne Tsai, Corwin Connell, Leo Thao, Anneka Olson, Logan Olson, Isaac Smith, Winston Yang, Liam Stennes, and Adam Redden.

Both the ARGONAUTS and TEMPEST have now qualified for the MN state robotics tournament on February 16 and 17. Congratulations to both teams!!

Athletics

All-Conference Award Winners for Fall Sports:

~Volleyball: Fern Fisher, Sophia Barbie, Ava Van Gorp, and Ava Ball

~Boys Soccer: Marcos Odegard and Joseph West

~Girls Soccer: Deme Williamson and Maria Odegard

~Girls Cross Country: Isabel Pass, Alexa Kleingarn, Lucia Luepker, Cece Roberts, Lily Penniman, and Talia Tomhave

~Boys Cross Country: Thomas O'Keefe, Silas Cole, Eli Andre, Benaiah Mathews, and Patrick O’Keefe

College Inside Track will be hosting a virtual event to share information about the college planning process. If you are the parent of a HS student in grades 9-11, this is incredibly important info you will not want to miss. Register today!

Join us to learn how these changes may impact your family, and new strategies to consider to give your student the best opportunity to be admitted and maximize scholarships and financial aid.

WHEN: Monday, January 22, at 7:00 PM

WHERE: Zoom webinar

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! Use this link to register in ADVANCE.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Letters of Love Movie Night, Sunday, January 14, 6:00-9:00 PM

This special event is for SoR students and promises an evening filled with a movie and snacks. And the best part? The entry fee is only three dollars! So mark your calendars and gather your friends for a memorable movie experience with all proceeds going to the Children's Hospital. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to have fun and support a great cause.

SoL Information Night, Thursday, January 25, 5:00-7:00 PM

Attention 5th Grade Nova Classical Families!

Please join us to learn more about 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.

For planning purposes, please RSVP here.

SoR Information Night, Thursday, February 1, 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!

Senior Retreat, Saturday, March 16 - Sunday, March 17

The Class of 2024 will be going to Camp St. Croix from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM and returning to Nova Classical at approximately 8:30 pm and will be spending the night at Nova Classical. It will last until 8 AM on Sunday. Please stay tuned for more information regarding donations and parent volunteers.

ACT District Testing for Juniors, Tuesday, March 26

ACT testing will take place during the school day.

Junior/Senior Prom, Saturday, May 4

Nova Classical will be hosting the Junior/Senior Prom at 413 on Wacouta. Times, TBD.

Upper School students in the 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grades considering PSEO (either part-time or full-time) are required to attend the PSEO information meeting on Thursday, February 1, from 7:30-8:30 PM (in-person only, Great Room) in order to gain state-mandated information about the program and to be school eligible to participate in a PSEO program while at Nova; one parent/guardian is required to attend the meeting. If students and at least one parent/guardian do not attend the meeting, they and one parent/guardian are required to set up a meeting with the school counselor prior to May 15 to discuss PSEO program eligibility and expectations.

Families of 8th grade scholars are welcome to attend to learn more about the program, but only students who are planning on enrolling in PSEO the following Fall Semester are required to attend (Current 9th-11th grade scholars, as this opportunity is only available for 10th-12th grade Minnesota High School students). Please RSVP.

If you are unable to attend the in-person event, please schedule an appointment with Ms. Voelker.

This informational meeting covers what PSEO is, how PSEO works with NCA graduation requirements, and the PSEO application and intent to enroll processes.

Nova Classical's Equity Team is hosting an equity focused family education night on Thursday, February 8, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. All families are welcome! Food and childcare will be provided. There will be a social hour followed by thoughtful study and conversation. Stay tuned for more information on the exact topic for the event. As always, feel free to email equitycoordinator@novaclassical.org with any questions that you have.

Has your student achieved something remarkable beyond the classroom? Have they been honored with a special medal or award? Have they made a positive impact in their community or achieved something else extraordinary?

Kindly provide us with the details by completing and submitting this form. Your student could be recognized in our morning announcements, student assembly, staff newsletter, or in The Herald.

With the return of cooler temperatures, we've noticed some departures from our established uniform guidelines. To reinforce these expectations and provide some clarifications, please note the following:

• Shoes are to be solid colors (i.e. white, black, brown, gray).
• Dress or athletic shoes or ankle-height boots may be worn.
• Crocs, clogs, slippers (including UGG Tasman slippers), slides, flip flops may not be worn.

• Sweatpants/joggers may not be worn under skirts or as uniform pants.
• Leggings may be worn (only when worn under skirt) and should be ankle-length and not baggy.
• Tights may be worn (only when worn under skirt) and must be plain (no patterns).

Upper School Uniform Guidelines may be found HERE.

Spelling Bee: Grades 3-8 Students

Week of December 11: Study words for each grade level (3rd - 8th)

Week of January 8: Classroom Bees

Thursday, January 25: School-wide Bee

Week of February 5: School-wide champion takes online test

Thursday, March 7: Regional Bee at Fridley High School Auditorium

National History Bee: Grades 4-8 Students

Students took preliminary exams to qualify for the online test, we will be in touch after winter break if your student moves on to the next step of the process!

Wednesday, January 10: Online Regional Qualification test for Top 25 qualifying students

Thursday, February 15: School-Wide Bee for Top 25 qualifying students

Registration for sports opens on January 15 and club registration opens on January 29.

Please visit the out the Extracurriculars page of our website for registration information.

The Nova Upper School yearbook staff is approaching its first-semester deadline.
This is the last photo call for: Washington DC trip, Prom '23, Fall sports (Soccer, XC, Volleyball) all grades 5th - 12th and Senior Photos (due Jan 5th).
The deadline is Jan 15th for non Senior photos
Photo links:

Senior photo drop 23-24

6th - 12th photo drop 23-24

Our book is so much better with your student in it! To purchase a yearbook please use this link:

NOVA CLASSICAL UPPER SCHOOL YB ORDERING

Any questions can be put to Kate Tetmeyer at ktetmeyer@novaclassical.org.

Kudos to the National Honor Society for their successful Dimes for Disasters fundraiser, raising over $1,800! The funds raised will support the Maui Humane Society's relief efforts for animals affected by Hawaii's wildfires. Congratulations to the 6th graders and the 12th graders for raising the most money in the SoL and SoR and earning recess time during House. Thank you for your support!

On December 8, the Latino Student Union welcomed María Isa Pérez-Vega, Representative of District 65B in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

January 5: Dine to Donate at Chuck E. Cheese in Woodbury (20% give back)

January 16: Upper School Parent Advisory at 4:15 PM in Ex. Hall (3rd Floor)

January 9: PTO Meeting at 4:15 PM in the Ex Hall (3rd Floor)

January 22: Ski Outing at Buck Hill ~ Contact Matt for additional details

Sign up for the Nova Classical 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.

Volunteer to help support spring school and NPTO events including Multicultural Night in April, Teacher Appreciation Week in May, 8th-Grade Promotion, and Graduation! Please click here to browse and sign up for opportunities. All adult volunteers must have an up-to-date background check on file. Apply to volunteer with us, today!

SoR Students Volunteering towards their 80-hour Graduation Requirement must complete this form and return it to Ms. Voelker. For tips on scouting out volunteering options, check out some resources linked here.

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.

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 here for instructions to add our calendar to your personal calendar.

December:

20-29: No School (Building Closed)

January:

1-2: No School (Building Closed)

3: No School (Staff Work Day)

5: NPTO Chuck E Cheese Night

9: NPTO Meeting @ 4:15 PM

15: No School (Building Closed)

16: Upper School Parent Advisory Meeting @ 4:15 PM

22: No School (Staff Work Day)

25: SoL Information Night @ 5:00 PM

26: Upper School Assembly @ 3:20 PM

29: Board of Directors Meeting @ 6:00 PM

February:

1: SoR Information Night @ 5:00 PM

1: PSEO Information Night @ 7:30 PM

6: NPTO Meeting @ 4:15 PM

8: Equity Team: Family Education Night

9-10: US One Act Play Festival

16: No School (Staff Professional Development Day)

19: No School (Building Closed)

20-23: SoR Snow Dayz Week

24: SoR Snow Dayz Dance

26: Board of Directors Meeting @ 6:00 PM

See Full Calendar