July 2016 Director Update

July 26th, 2016
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NCA Students and Families,

My hope is that this letter finds you all well rested and in good health. Summer time is a great time to enjoy family, friends and beautiful weather. Please take time to enjoy your family, especially the little ones as they grow up so fast!

We are excited as we look forward to the next school year at New Century Academy! Soon we will all be back in the swing of things. As we anticipate and continue to plan for the next school year there are a few items I would like to bring to your attention. Please read through each topic paragraph and let us know if you have any questions. Our summer office hours are 9 am to 2 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please stop in if you need anything. You can also reach us by phone at 320-234-3660 and my business email is [email protected].

Registration: Included in this form are registration documents that we need as soon as possible. Please fill out the forms and drop them off at school or mail to the school address. All students will be registered for courses according to their grade level and based on graduation requirement needs. Elective courses will be available for registration at the ice cream social on August 18th starting at 7 pm.

Calendar/Upcoming Events: The school calendar can be found on the school website. Listed below are a few of the upcoming events to pay attention to:

  1. Ice Cream Social on August 18th starting at 7 pm.
  2. First Day of School is August 22nd. School starts at 8:30 am this year.
  3. First 2 hour late start is September 14th. School starts at 10:30 am on late starts.
  4. September 20th is an all school Field Trip to WE Day.
  5. Our first Family Night is September 26th. Free supper starts 6 pm, games and prizes follow until 7:30 pm.

Enrollment: New Century Academy is a tuition free public school of choice. In order to offer our school as a positive choice for families we need students. A couple of years ago our enrollment dropped significantly. Our enrollment last year stabilized around 123 students. Our goal is to be at 150 students. We have plenty of openings in grades 7 through 10. Please encourage anyone you know who might be interested in New Century Academy to stop by for a tour or call with questions. We need students in order to continue to build our programming.

Attendance: As you all know, attendance is a key factor in student success. This is an area that we need your help. The impact that attendance has on student learning as well as the financial stability of the school is something we all need to be concerned about. When a student is not present, it interferes with their ability to absorb all the necessary information and skills. From a financial stand point, the Minnesota Department of Education adjusts our funding based on our daily membership. So, when your child does not attend school it not only hurts them directly but also impacts the other students indirectly. Our goal is to have a 92% attendance rate. Last school year we ended with an 89% rate. I am confident we can improve! Please do everything you can to get your child to school so that we can meet this goal together!

Programs/New Staff: We have been working hard to bring back what makes New Century Academy unique. Project Based Learning is what the school was founded on. We have taken steps to ramp up our project based learning opportunities. Students will be expected to complete projects within their advisory course. Your child’s advisor will lead them through the process, which advances in complexity and rigor at each grade level. We have also added additional E-terms to our scheduling. We have four E-terms this year, one at the end of each quarter. We are excited to add Band and Choir to our programming this year! We are also in the process of attempting to hire either an Agriculture instructor or and Art instructor. These electives will be available for registration on August 18th at the Ice Cream Social. Come and meet the new staff and register for their programs. Our extra-curricular activities will include Flag Football, Student Council, Yearbook, Basketball, and Archery. Our hope is to also conduct the following activities: School Play, Robotics, Knowledge Bowl, Bowling, Mock Trial, Speech, Trap Shooting. If you have any interest in coaching these activities, please contact the school.

School Board: We are looking for an interested parent or community member to fill an open position on the board as soon as possible. The board meets every third Wednesday of each month. Occasionally we hold additional meetings for training purposes. This is a great way to get involved in your child’s education. You can have a direct impact on the school and the children we serve. Please inquire in the school office or email our School Board Chairperson Kathy Prellwitz at [email protected].

Thank you for the opportunity to share this information with you. Please stay informed by checking your email and the school website. You can also reach us through Facebook. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and we look forward to serving you again.

Respectfully,

Jason Becker, Director

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