NOVA NEWS - February 2024

As you know, last January, our Board approved a 5-year strategic plan that included 5 focus areas:

• Classical Education
• Academic and Student Support
• Inclusive Community
• Facilities
• Staff Support

Last spring, Nova Classical’s leadership team presented the Board with a Strategic Action Plan designed to operationalize the goals of the strategic plan. We've started working on various aspects of these goals this year, mainly in the early stages to gather information and understand the facts, current practices, realities, and stakeholder perceptions in each focus area.

To help us achieve the goal of evaluating the fairness of our policies, programs, and practices, we asked community members to participate in surveys and listening sessions as a part of an equity audit process last fall. We appreciate those who shared their thoughts. You can view the results HERE. This spring, we'll assemble a committee made up of different stakeholder groups within the Nova Classical Community. This committee will spend the next year working on the task of prioritizing the recommendations and helping us decide what steps to take next.

This evaluation of fairness is just one of the things we're reviewing this year. Later this spring, we'll share the needs identified in the Facilities Needs Analysis, which our community gave feedback on a few months ago. We're also planning to seek your input on extracurricular programs and offerings later this spring. Thank you for your valuable input; it's truly helping us as we work towards achieving all the goals in our strategic plan.

It's a Great Day to Be a Knight!

Dr. Brett Wedlund

Highlights from the January 29 Board Meeting:

1. The Board approved the 2024-2025 school calendar.

2. The Board heard from Nick Hagen, from the investment bank Piper Sandler, regarding a big-picture view of funds available should Nova Classical choose to do a building project. Although there are many variables that affect this number, Nova Classical could currently plan to spend approximately $6 million without needing to do fundraising or another bond issue.

3. The Board also heard from Nova Classical's Pedagogical Leads, Brandon Foat, Becky Lund, and Sara Seal, as they presented a definition of classical education at Nova Classical and what that definition means and does not mean. The Board approved this definition in conjunction with Goal 1 of the strategic plan.

4. The Board received a report from the Equity Literacy Institute highlighting strengths and areas for growth at Nova Classical. The next step is the creation of an administrative Equity Committee to make further recommendations to the Board to continue working on Goal 6 of the strategic plan. A committee is expected to be formed in the next few months.

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 Special Dress Days.

• 2/6: Virtue Assembly, with spirit wear or uniform required (Grades K-5)
• 2/20-23: Snow Daze, daily special dress themes will be announced in the February Herald (Grades 9-12)
• 3/5: Virtue Assembly, with spirit wear or uniform required (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!

The Nova 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.

For planning purposes, please complete this brief form if you plan to attend. As always, feel free to email equitycoordinator@novaclassical.org with any questions that you have!

Registration for Spring Clubs opens Monday, January 29, 2024, and closes February 16, 2024.

Spring Clubs run Tuesday, February 20, 2024 - Tuesday, April 30, 2024.

Check out the Extracurriculars page of our website for more information!

Has your child lost an item? 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. 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.

Please contact Ms. Ann Anderson at aanderson@novaclassical.org if your scholar is having difficulty finding an item. You may also check in at the front office and then head to the Lost & Found to search for your child’s lost item(s).

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

School Day

Please remember to bring your State or Federal Photo ID when checking your students in and out. We ask that you wait in the Main Office for your student, rather than in the Great Room.

Traffic

Please remember to follow all road and parking signs around the school including no parking areas, as well as any instructions from Nova Classical staff. Please also be sure to follow the one-way traffic areas during drop off and pick up each day.

Please do not U-turn in front of out building's entrance. This is a safety hazard for pedestrians and other drivers.

Parents/guardians and community members are invited to volunteer to help in the classroom, as a room parent, or at school and NPTO such as February's Lower School Family Game Night! 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!

SoR Students are required to log 80 hours of community service to graduate. Visit our Community Service site for ideas and for the form to complete to log hours. Contact Ms. Voelker, Grade 8-12 Counselor, with questions.

Nova Classical is proud to send four students to this year's 9th and 10th grade state honor choir, hosted by the MN American Choral Directors Association. Our students were chosen from thousands of auditions submitted from across the state for this honor. We are so proud of them!

The concert is open to the public on February 17, at 6:00 PM, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Click here for more information. Please consider coming to support our students!

Sign in to Nova Classical's Family Directory to connect directly to Nova Classical Families by Monday, February 23, 2024, and you will be automatically entered to win from a variety of prizes!

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

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.

February:

1: SoR Information Night

6: NPTO Meeting @ 4:15 PM

8: Equity Team: Family Education Night

9-10: One Act Play

16: No School (Staff Professional Development Day)

19: No School (Building Closed)

20-23: Snow Daze Week

23: Lower School Family Game Night

24: SoR Snow Daze Dance

26: Board of Directors Meeting @ 6:00 PM

March:

5: NPTO Meeting @ 4:15 PM

8: K-12 Conferences (No School)

11: Staff Work Day (No School)

25: Board of Directors Meeting @ 6:00 PM

28: End of Quarter 3 (LS)/Semester 2 Midterm (US)

29: Staff Work Day (No School)

April:

1-5: Spring Break (No School, Building Closed)

8: Start of Quarter 4

10: Staff Work Day (No School)

11: MultiCultural Night @ 5:30 - 7:30 PM

26: Staff Work Day (No School)

29: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

See Full Calendar

Come see 3 One-Act Plays on stage performed by our 6th-12th graders at the Wellstone Center including:

• The Little Prince directed by Iris Hernandez '24
• Sorry, Wrong Number directed by Amber Hayton '24
• The Nose directed by Mr. Chase Adelsman

Location: The Wellstone Center, 179 Robie St. E., St. Paul
Purchase online tickets at the links below. Students ($5), Adults ($10), Seniors ($8)

February 9 @ 6:00 PM
February 10 @ 3:00 PM

Breakfast is available to all Nova Classical students free of charge. Breakfast is served 8:15 - 8:45 AM each day that school is in session. Start your day out right and have breakfast with us!