The Herald

Dear Nova Classical Academy Upper School Families,

We've officially kicked-off second quarter! As we reflect on gratitude this season:

• A heartfelt thank you to our students for sharing thoughtful letters of gratitude to our staff and their peers—they are meaningful!
• A huge thank-you to our amazing Nova PTO for organizing the fantastic Nova Family Carnival last weekend! From games and treats to llamas to mascots, it was a joyful day made possible by the efforts of so many—thank you to all the volunteers who helped bring the event to life!
• We are also deeply grateful for our teachers, educational assistants, paraprofessionals, support staff, and families. Your unwavering support, dedication, and partnership are essential to fostering a positive and nurturing environment for our students. Thank you for all you do to make Nova such a special community!

Important Dates:

• Thursday, November 21, & Monday, November 25: Fall Conferences
• Thursday, November 21: Give to the Max Day
• Monday, November 25-Friday, November 29: No School, Thanksgiving Break
• Thursday, December 19: Festive Sweater Day w/ uniform bottoms
• Monday, December 23-Friday, January 3: No School, Winter Break

Wishing you a Thanksgiving filled with gratitude and the warmth of the season!

Warmest regards,

Mrs. Paschall

We are honored to celebrate these students for their achievements:

~A special welcome to Mona Camara and Ivy Treitler (substitute) as the 2024-25 Student Representatives to the School Board of Directors.

October Students of the Month

Naol Asfaw (12), (Chloe Brown (11), Tyg Butts (11), Kenneth Keller (9), Nur Ibrahim (6), Anya Solodin (6), Katia Solodin (8), Addison Thao (12) and Ryuu Yang (7)

Activities

• Hats off to our talented students in the Drama Club (Little Women) and the SoR Choir for their outstanding performances. Their dedication, hard work and talents truly shone through, making these performances a huge success!
• Nova is proud to send two students to this year's 9th and 10th grade state honor choir hosted by the MN American Choral Directors Association. Congratulations to Greta Sample (9) and Zane Keealey (10) for their outstanding achievement! 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 15 at the Minneapolis Convention Center - please consider coming to support our students!

Athletics

• Kudos to Isabel Pass for earning All-State honors for finishing in 13th place at the State Cross-Country Meet. What a fantastic accomplishment!
• Congratulations to the Boys Cross-Country Teams for finishing in 7th place at the State Meet.
• Cheers to the Girls Volleyball for placing 2nd at the Section Finals.

Congratulations to three outstanding volleyball seniors on making their future plans and signing a letter of intent to play college volleyball in 2025-26. Ava Ball will attend University of South Dakota, Sophia Barbie will attend St Catherine University and Ava Van Gorp will attend University of Northwestern St Paul. The future is so exciting for these Knights!

Has your student accomplished something exceptional outside of the classroom? Have they earned a special award, been recognized with a medal, or made a significant impact in their community? We’d love to hear about their achievements!

Please share the details by filling out and submitting this form. Your child might be featured in our morning announcements, celebrated during a student assembly, highlighted in our staff newsletter, or noted in The Herald.

We look forward to meeting with you at Parent-Teacher Conferences!

• Thursday, November 21, 2024, 4:30-8:00 PM, in-person only. Stop by the NPTO-Sponsored Parent Lounge in the Great Room between conferences for refreshments!

• Monday, November 25, 2024, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM, virtual only via Google Meet

• Please note that all Special Education conferences will be virtual

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

Directions were emailed to all families on Monday, November 4. If you did not receive the emailed instructions, please reach out to contact@novaclassical.org for assistance with any contact information issues.

Families with students in grades 8-12 are welcome to make a 20 minute virtual appointment with Ms. Voelker during conferences. If you feel that an in person meeting or more time is necessary, please reach out to Ms. Voelker directly to schedule an appointment during the regular school week. Please use this link.

We are excited to announce that Nova Classical Academy will again be participating in the National History Bee. Students in Grades 4 through 8 are encouraged to compete! Students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 who are interested in participating can sign up with Ms. Anna in the Lower School office. The deadline to sign up is Monday, December 9. Students will be contacted with additional information after the deadline.

Give to the Max is Minnesota's day of giving! It is coming up on November 21, the same day as evening Parent-Teacher conferences. We are raising funds this year for our general fund and are excited to expand our network of support for our school.

Give to the Max Day will be a day of fun with hourly challenges and exciting incentives for giving or just spreading the news! Check out the day-of schedule to follow the excitement! Please connect on our social media channels and help get the word out about our school.

For current 9th and 10th grade students interested in learning more about the Spring 2027 Capstone Trip to Greece and Italy, you are invited to attend information session on Thursday, January 16 at 6:00 PM. Representatives from Grand Tours, Inc. will be onsite to answer questions.

8th Grade Out of Uniform Day

As a reward for winning the Dimes for Disasters Grade Level competition, 8th grade students may be out of uniform on Friday, November 22. Out of uniform guidelines apply. Please click here for details

SoL Black and White Dance

Save the date! The SoL will be hosting the annual Black and White Dance on Saturday January 25, 2025 from 7pm-9pm. This event is for students in Grades 6-8.

SoL Information Night, Thursday, February 20, 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.

9th Grade Out of Uniform Day

As a reward for winning the Dimes for Disasters Grade Level competition, 9th grade students may be out of uniform on Friday, November 22. Out of uniform guidelines apply. Please click here for details.

Snow Daze

SoR students will be celebrating Snow Daze from Tuesday, February, 18 - Friday, February 21. The Snow Daze dance will take place on Saturday, February 22, from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Snow Daze is organized by the SoR Senate.

SoR Information Night, Thursday, February 27, 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!

Senior Retreat, Friday, March 14 - Saturday, March 15

Save the date!! The Class of 2025 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 estimated cost is $60 per student which includes, the high ropes course, rock climbing, games, food and fun overnight events. Details will be shared with the senior families directly. Thank you to the NPTO for their support of this event!

We have a wide variety of winter gear ready for our K-12 scholars who may need it this season!

All requests will be filled anonymously to ensure confidentiality. To request items, please complete the form here or email Ms. Stella directly at emangan@novaclassical.org. We’re committed to doing our best to fulfill all requests! Stay warm, Nova scholars!

Homework help is available for Upper School students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM. Homework support is provided by an Upper School Teacher and Educational Assistant.

Students may report to Room 326 at 4:00 PM. Students should be picked up from school at 5:00 PM.

• Photos can be uploaded using a Gmail account to the US Yearbook Photo Drop 2024-25
• Senior Photos Deadline is January 15 to the Senior Photo Drop 2025
• To purchase a "baby ad" or student recognition ad at the Josten's Custom School Yearbook Ads for Students & Businesses
• Click here to purchase a yearbook today!

Have other questions? Don't have access to a Gmail account? Contact Ms. Tetmeyer at yearbook@novaclassical.org

Enrollment application for the 2025-2026 school year is open. Please visit our website for information. All applications submitted by January 31, 2025, at 4:00 PM, will be entered into the enrollment lottery in February 2024. Current students do not need to reapply.

• Thursday, January 16
• Thursday, March 27
• Thursday, May 29

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.

Save the date! This year's Nova Classical's Family Multicultural Night is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, from 5:30-7:30 PM.

Family Multicultural Night is an event hosted by Nova Classical's National Honor Society students and Equity Team and is centered on celebrating the wide and rich cultures of each and every member of our community. We will again be inviting community members to host booths spotlighting your culture! We are also asking every family that attends the event to contribute to the community potluck, so consider what dish, snack, or treat is special to your family that you might want to share. We are looking forward to gathering with the community in April!

If your child is absent and work has been requested to be picked up, it will be placed on the shelf in the vestibule for pick-up. Families are kindly asked to not enter the building if their scholar is too sick to be at school. This approach helps maintain a healthy environment for all students and staff. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Libraries open doors for reading, research, and resources! Nova Classical Student IDs double as Library Cards again this year! 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 five (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.

• Account number: Nova Classical’s school number (2209190300) + (the scholar'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.

Parking and traffic around Nova Classical can be tricky, particularly at morning drop off and afternoon pick up. For the safety of our students, staff, and everyone in the Nova Classical community:

• Please follow the rules of all posted street signs and any directions from staff, including if you are asked to move
• Please do not stop, park, or exit your vehicle in carpool lanes at drop-off or pick up
• Move safely an in a timley fashion through carpool lines at dismissal.

Click here for Nova Classical Transportation and Silent Dismissal Information

Upper School Volunteers at the Enrollment Information Night

A reminder as basketball season is almost here! Students in Grades K-8 must to be accompanied by a parent/guardian to attend all home athletic events. 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 contest hosted on campus for volleyball, basketball, or soccer. Family passes are also available to purchase. Events are found here.

Passes and individual game tickets 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 at the GoFan link in the toolbar of the extracurriculars calendar or by the Quick Links on the extracurricular page of Nova Classical's website.

Family Carnival

A huge thank-you to all of the teachers, staff, parents and volunteers who helped with the 2024 Family Carnival. Our goal was to raise money for Nova PTO, have fun, and build community! Over 1200 people came throughout the day-check out the photos on the Nova/PTO socials! More info to come!

Great Gatherings

Couldn't make it to the carnival? Too busy playing ring toss to browse the gatherings? Good news--many Gatherings have seats available and you can purchase them here.

Volunteer Opportunities
There are several ways you can volunteer with Nova PTO. The next opportunity is to help with dinner for the teachers during Fall Conferences on November 21. Click here to find out more!

Nova PTO Website
Check out our new website novapto.org!

Save the Dates!
Nova PTO Meeting: December 3, on Zoom, from 7:30-8:30 PM---Dr. Wedlund is the guest speaker

Meeting ID: 842 4045 9837
Passcode: 040953

Free Ice-Skating Event: Sunday, December 15, from 3:10-5:10 PM, at Schulz Area in St. Paul.

Follow NPTO on Facebook, Instagram, or visit npto.org for more information!

Parents and Community Members:

Apply to become an active volunteer to help support our staff and scholars! We still need help to run the 11/9 Carnival.

Click here to view the always-current list of opportunities and links to sign up.

• Join the FREE All-School Ice Skating party on 12/15 and help make or distribute hot cocoa and treats and sell spirit wear at the Schultz Arena on Snelling Ave in St. Paul. This event brings our community together to celebrate winter on ice! Sign up here to help.
• Winter Treats - serve Winter Treats (hot cocoa & cookies with dietary restrictions taken into account) to our scholars to celebrate the end of 2024 and their much-deserved winter break. Sign up here to join the crew!

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. Voelker, School Counselor, Grades 8-12, with questions or ideas.

We invite our community members and students to share their stories, achievements, and upcoming events for a chance to be featured in Nova News! Whether it's highlighting a student group, activity, or special event, we welcome your submissions. To ensure a smooth process, we've developed some guidelines for coaches, advisors, teachers, staff, students, and parent volunteers. These guidelines are designed to help streamline submissions and ensure we capture the best of what Nova has to offer.

Please see the attached guidelines for more details on how to submit your items. Remember, you can also have your events or activities considered for our social media channels by emailing them to socialmedia@novaclassical.org. We look forward to showcasing the amazing things happening in our community!

November:

21: Give to the Max Day

21: Evening K-12 Conferences from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM

22: Winter Gear Drive ends

25: Board of Directors Meeting at 6:00 PM

25: K-12 Conferences from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

25: No School

26: No School (Staff Professional Development Day)

27-29: No School (Building Closed)

December:

3: NPTO Meeting from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM (Zoom)

15: All School Ice Skating Party 3:10-5:10 @ Schulz Arena in St. Paul

17: SoL Choir Concert at 7:00 PM

19: Festive Sweater Day for K-12 students

20: No School (Staff Work Day)

23-Jan 3: No School (Building Closed)

See Full Calendar

Athletics Calendar