Parents and Families of NCA students,
Happy Spring! I hope this email finds all of you enjoying the occasional sunshine and warmer weather. As we approach the end of the school year and testing time, it is important to make you aware of several items. First, I would like to take this chance to thank you all for your trust in our school. Each day, you send your children to us trusting that we will work hard to provide them a quality education. We will continue to work to serve you and your family to the best of our abilities. Please read the following updates and contact the school with any questions you may have.
2 Hour Late Start
This Wednesday, April 6th we have a 2 hour late start. Students should report to school no later than 10 am for their first period class. As a staff we have blocked out the morning from 8-10 am for conferences. Please feel free to schedule a conference time with your child’s advisor.
Conferences
We recently completed 3rd Quarter on March 18th. Spring Break immediately followed and we are currently in our second week of 4th Quarter. Conferences have been scheduled, according to the school calendar, for this Tuesday evening, April 5th from 3:30-7:30 pm and this Wednesday, April 6th from 8-10 am and 3-5 pm. Please note that the morning conference time from 8-10 am is a new change. This is an attempt to accommodate any parents who may not be able to attend an evening conference. Please contact your child’s advisor to schedule a conference.
Testing
Staff and students have been working hard to prepare for the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. Although there are mixed feelings and philosophies on the use of standardized testing to measure student achievement, it is the measurement by which the Minnesota Department of Education evaluates our progress as a school. This is a very important test that we want students to be prepared for and take seriously. There are several ways to look at it. One, student performance on the test is critical to our school’s ability to continue operating as the results are reported to our authorizer. Every charter school in the state has an authorizer who provides direct oversight and who determines whether or not the school is performing at a satisfactory level to continue operating. Two, an underperforming school may reflect poorly and therefore keep families from choosing New Century Academy as an option. Enrollment is the primary driver of funding, therefore we need our enrollment to continue to grow. Third, and I believe the most important reason, is that this is our chance as a school to show our community, neighboring communities, and the state that we can be successful! Those of us who work here and those of you who send your children here know how important our school is and how hard we all work to succeed. This is our time to shine! Please consider the following as we approach the testing season.
- Sleep is probably the most important factor in a student’s performance. Please do your best to help your children keep a consistent sleep schedule, especially leading up to testing.
- Nutrition is a close second. We will provide snacks and juice for each testing session. However, providing your child with a healthy breakfast the morning of testing is a big help.
- Attendance is very important. We are also evaluated on the percentage of students who are present for testing. Please make sure your child is present at school for each testing session.
- Lastly, a positive attitude is so critical. Students should take their time on the test. A great strategy is to answer the questions you are confident you know and save the questions you’re unsure of for later. Students will have the ability on the test to go back and complete all questions. We will be reviewing this strategy and many more with the students in days to come.
Please note the following testing dates:
April 13th: 8th grade Science AM/10th grade Science PM
April 14th: 8th grade Science AM/10th grade Science PM
April 19th: 11th and 12th grade ACT @ Ridgewater Building on Michigan/2nd Ave.
April 19th: 7th grade Reading AM/8th grade Reading PM
April 20th: 7th grade Reading AM/8th grade Reading PM
April 21st: 10th grade Reading AM/11th grade Math PM
April 22nd: 10th grade Reading AM/11th grade Math PM
April 26th: 8th grade math AM/7th grade math PM
April 27th: 8th grade math AM/7th grade math PM
Thank you for taking the time to read this update and happy Spring!
Jason Becker, Director
New Century Academy
