Director Update
Director Update: August 2023
NCA Families,
New Century Academy will celebrate its 22nd school year. The first day of school will be Tuesday, August 22nd. Our school day will run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. New Century Academy continues to be a school of choice, serving students who enjoy a smaller environment and more personal attention. We seek to help students become better people, learning from each other and embracing differences. We see each student as a unique opportunity and work hard to make sure that students feel accepted, regardless of their situation in life. At NCA, be here – be you – belong!
Students will continue to refine their project based learning (PBL) skills by working closely with teachers and peers in a mixed grade level PBL classroom. A chromebook is available for every student. PBL is a real-time collaborative platform that meets students where they learn today. This is done through student-directed projects. Students work on projects alone or together, anytime and anywhere with teacher oversight. PBL Advisors help students connect their interests with state standards and core content. PBL also allows students who may be behind in credits to work at their own pace to catch up. Solving problems that students can relate to generates inspired learning that students feel can make a difference.
Our mission is to help students learn to communicate and work together to achieve. Whether working in the project spaces, entertaining student center, coffee shop, or humanities center the students have opportunity to collaborate. Students participate in cooperative discussion that stimulates critical thinking. Inside these environments, you will often find educators learning along with students. We encourage students to practice skills that businesses need to make their business stronger. This collaboration and creative, critical thought can also lead to new business ideas and the next generation of entrepreneurs.
There is much to look forward to at New Century Academy! NCA continues to be a place where parents and students feel safe and satisfied. Our parent satisfaction surveys typically yield results of 90% or higher and our mobility rate continues to be under 5% over the past 5 years. We want students to go home happy and healthy with lots to share about what they’ve learned from their teachers!
Staff and students will continue to grow and develop the leadership program started several years ago. Staff from school and several community members have been working hard to develop exciting leadership experiences. A big shout out to Andrea Moore of District 423 and Mary Hodson of the Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce for their partnership with Kelsey Dolge of New Century Academy.
Drama club is returning to NCA! This is a student directed drama group that will plan performances and even an effort to build stage extension units to increase our ability to provide a meaningful and spacious performance for all.
Lastly there is a lot going on in the shop! If you drive by the school you’ll notice the new greenhouse constructed by staff and students. The plan is to grow produce that will be used in the school kitchen along with many other plants to be used to bring nature inside the building. We all feel better when we grow together! Staff and students also have plans to continue the work started last year on an aquaponics program. Students last year enjoyed new laser engraving equipment and we are excited to see how this program develops. Learning how to fix and build are important parts of all project based learning. Students will develop real world skills that they can use in everyday life. There is even discussion about bringing back Robotics!
We believe that every child needs at least one caring adult to be successful. The home district may not meet the needs of students who are less traditional. What if you don’t fit into that traditional mold? Maybe you are looking for a school that meets your needs as an individual. This is the advantage of a small PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School. Our smaller class sizes are by design. We believe we can help students reconnect to learning by giving them more control over their education. If you are a student who needs a place that you belong, feel safe and can find empowerment, then NCA is the school for you! If you are a parent who wants their child to find excitement again in their education, then NCA is the school for you!
Jason Becker, Director
Update: August 10, 2022
NCA Families,
New Century Academy will celebrate its 21st school year. The first day of school will be Monday, August 22nd. Our school day will run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. New Century Academy continues to be a school of choice, serving students who enjoy a smaller environment and more personal attention. We seek to help students become better people, learning from each other and embracing differences. We see each student as a unique opportunity and work hard to make sure that students feel accepted, regardless of their situation in life. At NCA, be here – be you – belong!
Students will continue to refine their project based learning (PBL) skills by working closely with teachers and peers in a mixed grade level PBL classroom. A chromebook is available for every student. PBL is a real-time collaborative platform that meets students where they learn today. This is done through student-built and constructed projects or digital projects as well. Students work on projects alone or together, anytime and anywhere with teacher oversight. PBL Advisors help students connect their interests with state standards and core content. PBL also allows students who may be behind in credits to work at their own pace to catch up. Solving problems that students can relate to generates inspired learning that students feel can make a difference.
Our mission is to help students learn to communicate and work together to achieve. Whether working in the project spaces, entertaining student center, coffee shop, or humanities center the students have opportunity to collaborate. Students participate in cooperative discussion that stimulates critical thinking. Inside these environments, you will often find educators learning along with students. We encourage students to practice skills that businesses need to make their business stronger. This collaboration and creative, critical thought can also lead to new business ideas and the next generation of entrepreneurs.
We believe that every child needs at least one caring adult to be successful. The home district may not meet the needs of students who are less traditional. What if you don’t fit into that traditional mold? Maybe you are looking for a school that meets your needs as an individual. This is the advantage of a small PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School. Our smaller class sizes are by design. We believe we can help students reconnect to learning by giving them more control over their education. If you are a student who needs a place that you belong, feel safe and can find empowerment, then NCA is the school for you! If you are a parent who wants their child to find excitement again in their education, then NCA is the school for you!
New Century Academy will host an open house for enrolled students on Tuesday, August 16th from 6 – 8 pm. Please visit www.newcenturyacademy.com for more details. Please call 320-234-3660 for a tour.
Teacher Perspectives
When I think about my philosophy of teaching, I reflect on the quote from the amazing Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel.” Being a Social Studies Teacher, I have found this to be true. I could lecture into oblivion about all of the awesome historical things to teach our young scholars. However, the best learning comes in connection; not only with material, but within the classroom community and the community outside of it. Last year, I was blessed to attend the Hutchinson Leadership Institute and work alongside community leaders. I also advised the Youth Leadership Institute. This is where we connect NCA youth and the Hutchinson community. This opened doors to opportunities for NCA students. They got to work with organizations they wouldn’t have, and got to see what makes Hutchinson such an amazing place. This next year, my hope is that NCA students connect even more. Connection is key to developing empathy and compassion. This will prevent making the mistakes of the past and make thoughtful, critical thinkers for the future. NCA Students will make our community and our world a better place. We have countless examples of them doing just that. ~ Kelsey Dolge, Social Studies Educator
Lisa Friedman once stated that “inclusion is a philosophy that embraces the idea that everyone has something of value to contribute and that everyone has a right to belong.” New Century Academy’s Special Education Department is driven by this statement. With this philosophy in mind, building student-teacher relationships is the heart of the special education department at New Century Academy. The compassion for all students drives our team of teachers toward student success. The special education staff strives to meet every student where they are, build trust through supportive relationships, and monitor students while discovering interests, strengths, and areas of need. This information is used to find the most appropriate teaching method to bring about student success. One of the unique aspects of New Century Academy is that we help students realize their individual strengths and encourage them to use these strengths as they obtain employment or continue onto higher education. We have been highly successful in creating an environment where students feel accepted, valued, and able to push themselves knowing that no matter the outcome we will be there to support them and ensure they succeed. ~ Elisabeth Mumford, Special Education Educator
Update: August 17, 2021
NCA Families,
New Century Academy will celebrate its 20th school year. The first day of school will be Monday, August 23rd. Our school day will run from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. All students are expected to return to in-person learning. Face coverings of any kind will be optional for students and staff. Asynchronous distance learning will be an option for students who can provide a medical reason for not attending in-person. Students who are high risk or live with an individual who is high risk may qualify for distance learning. Please contact the school office or the Director to discuss distance learning.
New Century Academy continues to be a school of choice, serving students who enjoy a smaller environment and more personal attention. We seek to help students become better people, learning from each other and embracing differences. We see each student as a unique opportunity and work hard to make sure that students feel accepted, regardless of their situation in life. At NCA, be here – be you – belong!
Students will continue to refine their project based learning (PBL) skills by working closely with teachers and peers in a mixed grade level PBL classroom. A chromebook is available for every student. PBL is a real-time collaborative platform that meets students where they learn today. Either this can be through student-built and constructed projects or digital projects as well. Students work on projects alone or together, anytime and anywhere with teacher oversight. PBL Advisors help students connect their interests with state standards and core content. PBL also allows students who may be behind in credits to work at their own pace to catch up. Solving problems that students can relate to generates inspired learning that students feel can make a difference.
Our mission is to help students learn to communicate and work together to achieve. Whether working in the project spaces, entertaining student center, coffee shop, or humanities center the students have opportunity to collaborate. Students participate in cooperative discussion that stimulates critical thinking. Inside these environments, you will often find educators learning along with students. We encourage students to practice skills that businesses need to make their business stronger. This collaboration and creative, critical thought can also lead to new business ideas and the next generation of entrepreneurs.
We believe that every child needs at least one caring adult to be successful. The home district may not meet the needs of students who are less traditional. What if you don’t fit into that traditional mold? Maybe you are looking for a school that meets your needs as an individual. This is the advantage of a small PUBLIC-TUITION FREE Charter School. Our smaller class sizes are by design. We believe we can help students reconnect to learning by giving them more control over their education. If you are a student who needs a place that you belong, feel safe and can find empowerment, then NCA is the school for you! If you are a parent who wants their child to find excitement again in their education, then NCA is the school for you!
New Century Academy will host an open house for enrolled students on Thursday, August 19th from 6 – 8 pm. Please visit www.newcenturyacademy.com for more details. Please call 320-234-3660 for a tour.
Jason Becker, Director
Update: August 21, 2020
NCA Families,
I will keep this short in an effort to limit the confusion. New Century Academy will start on Monday, August 24th in a face2face model for all students who have chosen to attend school. We will have school every day next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Those students who have chosen distance learning in any model will attend school via google classroom and google meets. Distance learning students should get an email from their period teacher with a google invite to attend each class period. Students should use their school gmail. Distance learners may pick up their lunch or lunches at the school each day between 9 am and 12 noon. We will be in the office Saturday and Sunday to help any family who needs help. Please call if you have questions.
As I stated in an email on Monday, our hybrid model has changed. We originally planned an A/B type schedule with Wednesdays off. That is no longer the plan. Because we can keep our building and classrooms to 50% or less occupancy and maintain social distancing, we can operate our hybrid model in the same way we operate our face2face. This should ease the pressure of having to switch between 3 models. The county case rate number came in at 24.84. We do anticipate that the number will rise by next Thursday. I will communicate again next Friday about the plan for the following week.
Have a blessed weekend. We look forward to learning with you on Monday, August 24th starting at 8:00 am.
Jason Becker, Director
New Century Academy
Update: August 17, 2020
NCA Families and Students,
I hope this update finds you all healthy and ready for another school year! In my previous email I stated that the school board voted to follow the guidelines released by the Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Department of Education. I indicated to you that these decisions would be based on the case rates for McLeod County and the building capacity.
Each Thursday the Department of Health releases the most current and accurate case rates by county. As of 08/13/2020 the case rate for McLeod County is 13.96 per 10,000. This would mean that NCA would move to a hybrid model to open the school year. There will be one more release of data by MDH this Thursday, August 20th. All indications from the McLeod County COVID task force indicates that the case rates will be even higher. Once this information is released, I will communicate again on the plan to open on Monday, August 24th. This will be the routine as we move through the school year. Data will be released weekly on Thursday and I will communicate the next weeks learning plan by the end of the day on Friday.
New information has become available regarding our ability to operate under a hybrid model. I detailed the hybrid plan in a previous email. Since that communication, I have been in contact with the Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal. I was informed by MDH that if we are already at 50% building occupancy with all of the students in the face2face model, then we could operate face2face even during the hybrid model. I was directed to the state fire marshal’s office to calculate our building occupancy capacity. Based on the information I received from the state fire marshal, New Century Academy is able to operate in a face2face format on every day of the week, even when a hybrid model is indicated. This means that New Century Academy will operate face2face every school day with all of the students who opt in. Families who chose the distance learning option will continue to receive their education in this format.
Our transportation company, Labrataan Bus Company, will be contacting you to indicate your pick up and drop off times. If you are not contacted by the end of the day this Thursday, please reach out to the school office to receive the needed information. We can be reached at 320-234-3660.
We will conduct an open house as scheduled for New Century Academy families this Thursday evening starting at 6 pm until 8 pm. We ask that you please wear a face covering and practice social distancing while in attendance. This will be an opportunity for students to connect with staff, receive and adjust their class schedule and ask any questions they might have about the school year.
We are excited to start the school year! We are so thankful that you continue to choose New Century Academy as your school of choice!
Jason Becker, Director
New Century Academy
2020-2021 School Year Update
Today Governor Walz and Commissioner Ricker announced that the extent to which public schools open would be a district decision but would be based on two key elements:
Jason Becker, Director
New Century Academy
