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
