Parents and Families of NCA Students,
Happy Spring New Century Academy families! As we move away from another winter and into a beautiful spring season I hope this letter finds you all well rested and healthy. Students and staff have been working very hard to prepare for our upcoming spring assessments and the end to another successful year at NCA. All of us at New Century Academy thank you for your choice to attend our school and the privilege we have to help your students achieve their goals. It is hard to believe that Graduation is only a few short months away!
Conferences
Conferences for Quarter 3 will occur on Thursday, March 9th from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Friday, March 10th from 7:45 am to 3:45 pm. Teachers are allowed a one hour lunch between 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm and will be unavailable at this time on Friday. Your child’s advisor should be scheduling a conference with you. This may be done through an email, phone call or through your child. Our goal is to have 100% attendance at conferences. Staying connected to your child’s education is critical to their success. Your child’s advisor is the point person and your first contact for conferences. All teachers are available during conferences, however you may have to wait to speak to a specific classroom teacher. For this reason, please check our website and reach out to your child’s classroom teachers if you have questions before or after conferences. Your child’s advisor will work to answer questions you may have.
Parent Portal
Please remember that you can set up access to the parent portal for updates on academic progress. Once set up, you can receive these updates through email, phone or other device. You can also adjust the settings to receive notifications about attendance, grades, missing assignments and other important information. This is a great way to stay connected to your child’s education and can be critical in helping us hold your child accountable.
Art Exhibit
New Century Academy students have submitted their art work to the Hutchinson Center for the Arts exhibit. The exhibition is open for viewing until March 9th. The Hutchinson Center for the Arts building is located next to the police station and is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and Saturday from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm. There will be a reception on March 9th from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm. Please attend the exhibit and support New Century Academy Art students!
Choir Concert
Tonight, Thursday March 2nd at 6:00 pm the New Century Academy MS and HS Choir groups will be performing songs in our second concert of the year. Everyone is invited. Please show up to support Mr. Sood and his students in their efforts. They have been working very hard.
All School Field Trip
This Friday, March 3rd all of the students and staff will be at the Minnesota Science Museum for a day of learning. This field trip is not optional and will count as our day of school. Any student who chooses to stay home will be considered absent unexcused. All students were given a permission form to bring home for you to sign. Please return this form before Friday if you have not already done so. The cost of the trip is $10.
MCA Testing
March 6th through March 9th the 7th, 8th and 10th grade students will be taking the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment along with all other students in the state. This is an opportunity for our students to show what they can do! We are confident that if the students put the best effort into this test, the results will reflect how awesome we already know they are! Please help improve your child’s chances by getting them plenty of rest and good nutrition. A healthy brain is a successful one. It is very important that your child takes the assessment seriously and performs at the best of their ability. Please have a conversation with your child about their approach to this assessment.
Future MCA tests will occur in Math and Science during the months of April and May.
Spring Break
There will be no school from March 10th through March 17th. Hopefully this will be a time of rest and relaxation for our students and staff.
Eterm
Our third Eterm will occur immediately following Spring Break. This is a great time where we get to know our students outside the typical classroom, learning things that may seem non-traditional but have enormous value in the development of the complete student.
Your child should bring home a packet March 3rd with all the details. Please review this document with your child and help them pick a seminar for both the morning and afternoon sessions. Students also have a chance to sign up for an all-day seminar as well. Your signature is required on the document so that we know that you approve of their choices. Some of the seminars cost money. Please know that we do work with payment plans that work for you.
We will also be offering a Driver’s Education course for the second time this school year. We need a minimum of six students to sign up for this seminar. The cost is broken up into three payments: $50 down at sign-up, $99 by the end of class, and $149 when the behind the wheel portion is completed. This has been a great seminar to offer our families. You get all the course work done in one week.
Family Nights
We had our second Family Night on December 12th at the school. Students, staff and their family members enjoyed an evening of free food and entertainment. Those who attended participated in a free game of bingo with prizes. We are so thankful to all of the businesses in Hutchinson and surrounding communities who helped supply the prizes. Thank you to all that attended.
Our next Family Night is scheduled for April 3rd from 6:00-7:30 pm. The free supper begins at 6:00 pm with activities to follow. Please join us for the festivities!
Annual Meeting
The 2017 Annual Meeting for New Century Academy will be held on Wednesday, April 19th from 6:30 – 7:30 pm at the school. This is an opportunity for us to celebrate our school year and to elect new school board members. Please let the school know if you are interested in a school board position. Everyone is invited to learn about the successes of our students and staff and to see what lies ahead for NCA.
Graduation
Graduation will be held on May 19th at 7:00 pm. The event will take place at the Hutchinson Event Center. A senior student picnic is also scheduled that day at 12:00 noon at Northwoods Park in Hutchinson. If you have questions about cap and gown or anything else related to this event please contact the school office.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message.
Jason Becker, Director
New Century Academy
