News From Nighthawk Nation
Elevating Excellence in Academics, Character & Community
Week of December 7, 2020
Leadership Corner
K-3 Campus
Note from the Principal
Nighthawk Nation -
Wow! What an incredible 1st week of hybrid. First and foremost, thank you so much to each of you and our incredible teachers for a great 1st week of hybrid. With any shift comes new challenges and because of our dedication to working together as a team, we were incredibly successful in our 1st week. As I met with teachers this week, the resounding message was how awesome the parents and students are doing with getting online, engaging in the live lessons, and completing their school work. Thank you for your dedication and support. I also want to acknowledge our teachers. They were once again tasked with an impossible task, and they have not only risen to the occasion but have exceeded any expectation that was in place. In the words of the great Walt Disney, "it is kind of fun to do the impossible." I can't say that this has been fun, but it has been fun to see what we all can do when we work together for a common goal and that is giving our students the best possible education that we can. There is no better place than New Vision Charter School.
One of the greatest parts of my job is getting to spend time hearing the learning of our students. Usually, this happens walking through classrooms, but this week I had the opportunity to assist in some benchmark assessments. I am blown away by how our students are doing academically this year. Our assessment data shows excellent growth for a normal year and exceptional growth in the year that we have had. Once again, a huge testament to teachers, parents, and students. Together, we are making great things happen.
Finally, I want to share a couple of kindness moments that were spotted this week around campus. Our kids have such beautiful and kind hearts and seek out ways to help others. This week, we had students clean up our campus without being asked, including picking up something left behind by a dog on our field, one kindergarten student help another kindergarten student zip up their coat, and 6 2nd graders help a kindergartner who did not get her coat on for Driveline and they helped holder her things, took off her backpack, put the coat on and zipped it up...and dried the tears. What a wonderful group of students we have at our school. Thank you for sharing your children with us.
I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend.
With much love and extreme gratitude,
Mary Baker
K-3 Principal.
Google Meet - 12/4/2020
4-8 Campus
Note from the Principal
I hope your family had a great break and got a chance to gear up for the final weeks of our first semester. Coming back off of a break is usually a difficult transition for students, this year we added in the challenge of a new schedule and new groupings for students in 4th and 5th grade. I have been overwhelmed with the amount of success we have seen with student engagment this week. Our 4th and 5th grade students and teachers are seeing great success with out hybrid model and we have gotten positive feedback regarding the live streaming model we have implemented. Our 6-8 graders are wrapping up their second semester following our original hybrid model, but will join the live stream model after break. Thank you to all of our students and parents for your continued support through the many changes and challenges this year has brought. Through our partnerships we are refining our practices to provide the best education possible for our students. Please remember to reach out to your student's teachers with questions you have, or support you might need. We are here to partner with you. A big thank you to staff and parents for making this schedule shift successful. Another big thank you to Chartered Technology for supporting us through our tech needs during this shift, and the many that have come before it.
This week we had the unique opportunity to have a guest speaker from the Mizel Museum speak with our 7th grade students about Holocost survivor stories through the Eyewitness to History Program. Our 7th grade students learned about Holocost survivors, learned their stories, and are in line to have a Holocost survivor speak with them later this year. It was a privilage to be chosen for this opportunity from a myriad of schools who applied for the opportunity. Our students were commended on their great questions and high level of engagement. A special thank you to Lisa Easton for applying to be a part of this program!
Our iReady window is open and the 4-8 Campus is working their way through this mid year assessment. So far we have seen solid growth in both the areas of reading and math on our mid year assessments. This year, similar to every year, we are working hard to ensure our students are making progress towards graduate level expectations in every grade level. We are using the Lexia Reading Program K-8 this year and students are expected, and encouraged, to utilize this individualized reading support tool at home!
As always, if there is anything your family needs, please do not hesitate to reach out. It is our goal for every student and family to feel supported at NVCS.
Stay safe,
Mrs. Hejl
K-5 Shift to Hybrid
NVCS will be shifting the delivery of your student’s educational model to hybrid instruction starting after Thanksgiving Break. After break, students will attend in person learning on designated days of the week. Parents and guardians received information regarding what cohort (purple or orange) their student is a part of this week on Tuesday (11/17). If you did not receive this message please call (970) 593-6827 or email your building administrator. During the days that students are not in person students will participate in live streamed lessons through Google Meets. This means students will participate in live lessons Monday-Thursday. Your student schedule will be communicated by your student’s homeroom teacher, as will the Google Meet codes for students to join the live lessons. When teachers switch to independent learning and small group instruction time, live feed for that core class will stop. Students will still be able to ask questions from the teacher using the chat feature during live stream lessons. Please remember that each grade level will look different as age level expectations and abilities are different from one grade level to the next.
What to Expect During Live Streamed Lessons:
Teachers will mute students and turn off their video during direct instruction. If a student signals they have a question, the teacher will allow audio and visual components to be accessed if the student requests. During direct instruction time we ask remote students (and parents) to understand that our teachers are providing focused attention to our in person learners and that it might take a moment for teachers to get to your questions or needs. If a question is not addressed for a remote learner, please email the teacher with your questions.
Fridays:
Fridays will be used for small group support and individual support sessions for students. If you student is a part of a small group, you will be sent an email with their Friday small group session schedule. Please make sure your students are attending our Friday small group sessions. Friday is also a time for students to complete unfinished work from the week.
What if my student misses a live session?
Live sessions will not be recorded, if a student misses a live session, it will be as if they missed a day of school. Their teacher will get them the work that needs to be completed and will answer questions the student might have regarding the assignment. Fridays are a great way to get individual, or small group support for a missed session.
Attendance:
If a teacher notes a student is not logging in on their remote days and if the student is missing a significant amount of work, they will reach out to administration with their concerns. We do expect all students to participate in live sessions throughout the day. If your student is going to be absent on a remote learning day, please communicate this with our front office and the student’s teacher.
What if I am not comfortable sending my student to school on their in person days?
We understand that every family has different needs during this time. If you would like to keep your student home and do 100% remote learning during this time, please reach out to your school administrator and we will work with you to get this option set up. Please note, that remote learning will only be an option for students while we are in the hybrid model. We will not offer this when we return to full time, in person learning.
Please note that this is a new process and we are asking for grace and patience as we roll it out. We will be gracious with students in the early weeks of this transition and provide ample support. If you have a need during this transition please do not hesitate to reach out to your homeroom teacher and let us know what your needs are.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
NVCS Administrative Team
6-8 Hybrid Learning Structure Shift (AFTER WINTER BREAK)
We will be shifting the delivery of your student’s remote learning instruction starting after Winter Break. After Winter Break, students will no longer be assigned work to complete independently without live instruction. Teachers will be providing students with a Google Meets code for their classroom and students who are learning remotely on that day will need to log into every core content class (math, ELA, science, social studies) at the time that they normally have that class. This means students will participate in live lessons for the direct instruction component of in person sessions Monday-Thursday.
Live instruction will not include Extended Learning Opportunities, Encore classes, or Advisory.
What to Expect During Live Streamed Lessons:
Teachers will mute students and turn off student video during direct instruction. If a student signals they have a question, the teacher will allow audio and visual components to be accessed if the student requests. When teachers switch to independent learning and small group instruction time, live feed for that core class will stop. Students will still be able to ask questions from the teacher using the chat feature during live stream lessons. During direct instruction time we ask remote students (and parents) to understand that our teachers are providing focused attention to our in person learners and that it might take a moment for teachers to get to your questions or needs. If a question is not addressed for a remote learner, please email the teacher with your questions.
Fridays:
All students are remote, no in person learning. Fridays will be used for small group support and individual support sessions for students. If you student is a part of a small group, you will be sent an email with their Friday small group session schedule. Please make sure your students are attending our Friday small group sessions. Friday is also a time for students to complete unfinished work from the week.
What if my student misses a live session?
Live sessions will not be recorded, if a student misses a live session, it will be as if they missed a day of school. Their teacher will get them the work that needs to be completed and will answer questions the student might have regarding the assignment. Fridays are a great way to get individual, or small group support for a missed session.
Attendance:
If a teacher notes a student is not logging in on their remote days and if the student is missing a significant amount of work, they will reach out to administration with their concerns. We do expect all students to participate in live sessions throughout the day. If your student is going to be absent on a remote learning day, please communicate this with our front office and the student’s teacher.
What if I am not comfortable sending my student to school on their in person days?
We understand that every family has different needs during this time. If you would like to keep your student home and do 100% remote learning during this time, please reach out to your school administrator and we will work with you to get this option set up. Please note, that remote learning will only be an option for students while we are in the hybrid model. We will not offer this when we return to full time, in person learning.
This shift is being done because we have noticed a significant disengagement from students during remote learning days. We have also noted that we are not getting through as much content as we would like to this year. Please note that this is a new process and we are asking for grace and patience as we roll it out. We will be gracious with students in the early weeks of this transition and provide ample support. If you have a need during this transition please do not hesitate to reach out to your homeroom teacher and let us know what your needs are.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
Marian Hejl, 4-8 Principal
Todd Bissell, K-8 Assistant Principal
Florida Virtual Update
Florida Virtual @ NVCS Updates 12/4
Florida Virtual Students are not impacted by the in-person/hybrid learning model changes. We will conduct business as usual.
I-Ready Testing: Next week December 7th-11th. Please mark your calendars and check emails from your advisors for specific information.
Quarter 2 Work: All Quarter 2 work is Thursday, December 17th. Please have everything turned in on this date.
Website: Please continue to check the Florida Virtual @NVCS Website on a daily basis for announcements and other important information that relates to the Florida Virtual Program.
Semester 2: Semester 2 begins on January 5th, 2021. Advisors will send out more information about beginning the semester before we leave for winter break.
Thank you,
Florida Virtual @NVCS Team
New Vision Charter School Giving Tree - NJHS
COVID - 19 Information
1st Street and Boise Crosswalk
If your child uses the crosswalk at First Street & Boise Avenue, please be aware that there will not be a crossing guard at that crosswalk when we return from Thanksgiving break. The crosswalk will resume with a crossing guard on January 9th. The crosswalks at First Street & Denver Avenue will continue to have crossing guards.
Driveline during Hybrid
Counselor Corner
New Vision is Hiring!
K-8 Substitute Teachers
K-3 Day Porter
Check out our website to learn more about each position and apply.
NVCS PTO
PTO Holiday Shop
OUR HOLIDAY GIFT SHOP PROGRAM IS VIRTUAL THIS YEAR!
Holiday Gift Shop is a tradition at our school. We know the students always look forward to shopping for mom, dad, and the rest of the family. We didn’t want them to miss out this year so, we’re doing the program online. Please help support our school and have your students go online to choose their own special gifts for the family!
Go to www.FunServicesColorado.com/holidaystore.html to shop
New Vision Charter School – School Code: NVCS
All orders must be placed no later than Friday, December 11th!
- Student will need to enter their school code to shop.
- Payment will be made with a credit or debit card.
- Students will receive a free self-sealing mylar gift bag for every item purchased!
Happy Shopping!
New Vision Charter School Student Service Projects
Mrs. Welton has compiled a list of receipes from staff, students, and NVCS families through her Chefs Club. All proceedes will go towards the KidsPak program in Loveland. Click on the link to order.
New Vision Charter School Board Meeting
Monday, Dec 14, 2020, 06:00 PM
Virtual Meeting
Important Dates to Remember
December 14: School Board Meeting
December 18: End of 2nd Quarter
December 21 - January 1: Winter Break
January 5: Return to school. 6-8 Hybrid shift to live streaming model for remote students.
About Us
4-8 Campus: 299 Peridot Avenue
Email: info@newvisioncharterschool.org
Website: www.newvisioncharterschool.org
Phone: 970-593-6827
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newvisioncharterschool/
Twitter: @NVCharter