Boise's Best

Just a reminder that the Boise's Best fundraiser is due next Tuesday, October 6th. Please have your child return their order form and the payments for the orders at that time.

Thank you for you continued support of NCA,

Christine Plummer
PFA Vice President

Dental Awareness

Tuesday - September 29th, 1-4pm

Local Dentist Sponsors “Dental Awareness”

Dr. Hartley is setting aside an afternoon for local children!

We’ll have…..

25 appointments are available to children who qualify

Get your little one familiar with the dentist with this non-profit effort to assist our community. Call today to reserve a spot!

Free: Exam - Cleanings - Fluoride - Sealants (if needed) - X-rays - Treatment Plan

Please call Lynn or Bethany at 466-6600 with your questions and to make an appointment.

There are only a few spots left!! Call soon.

Dr. Hartley's office is across from the Rec Center on 12th Ave in Nampa.

I am passing this information along to the PFA Board. Dr. Hartley is a superb customer of mine. They are looking for children who could benefit with this program and I thought the PFA could pass this along. There are only a few spots left, first come...

Thanks!

Sabrina Orihuela

September Meeting Agenda

NCA Parent Faculty Association

Meeting Agenda

September 24, 2009 7:00pm

Location: United Methodist Church 5420 Southside Blvd. Nampa, ID

(Directions: From 12^th Ave heading toward Melba turn left on Greenhurst Rd then turn right on Southside Blvd the church will be on the left side of the street.)

* Please note daycare will be available and donations will be accepted. We want to provide this service at all PFA meetings and if we offer an incentive (money) to students, they will continue to come.

Welcome & Thank You’s-Amber Gunnell

Presidency Reports:

President-Amber Gunnell

Secretary-JoLynn Morriss

Treasurer- Julie Gilster

Fundraisers-Christine Plummer

PFA Council Reports:

Social Committee-Pam Kruck (staff appreciation)

Box Tops/Campbell’s Soup Labels- Michelle Rollins (you may bring them to the meeting if you have been storing them)

Capri Suns- Piper Skoglund

Uniform Swap- ideas and possible swapping/selling (bring your items)

Old Business:

Meet & Greet-Amber Gunnell

New Business:

* Vote on Bylaws, Standing Rules, and 2009-10 Budget -Amber Gunnell

- discussion of voting procedures

Update on States Action-Isaac Moffett

* Items requiring votes, in order to vote on items one must be a member of the PFA.

August Meeting Minutes

NCA Parent Faculty Association

Meeting Minutes

August 31, 2009 7p.m.

Location: United Methodist Church 5420 Southside Blvd. Nampa, ID

Called to order 7:16pm

Welcome & Thank You’s-Amber Gunnell Thank You’s too Jean Andrews and the Music Theater of Idaho for sports equipment donation, Andrea Egan and Mishawn Merrill for their hard work as founders.

Presidency Reports:

VP/Treasurer-Holle McRae

Bank Deposit- Deadline for opening a checking account is October 2^nd, NCA will be getting $50 per account that is opened since we do not have our 501-c-3 status yet.

Bank of the West checking account is as follows: deposit of $175 for dues + $10 from dues collected BOD meeting, Idaho Press check for $105 balance $280.22

Secretary-Andrea Egan read minutes from July

PFA Council Reports:

Fundraisers-Christine Plummer- Kick off fundraiser, Boise Best, Sept 22^nd, forms need turned in Oct 6^th, Oct 9^th will give forms to company, Oct 30^th pick up product 3:30 to 6pm. Prizes- every child who participates (sells or donation) will get to choose a prize, 5 items sold- student gets a pizza party during lunch, 10 items sold -student get a gift card to Dairy Queen for $10, 25 items sold- student gets $25 gift card to Target, 50 items sold- student gets $50 Target Card, 75 items sold-student gets $75 gift card to Target, 100 items sold-student gets $100 gift card to Best Buy,

Coupon/Business Directory Book -Addy Cagle- Not enough responses to put together a book. Advertising will be on the website and newsletter, or flyers, cost will be less to businesses. More details to follow.

Get Acquainted Night (September 3, 2009 6:30-8pm) -Pam Kruck/Jody Luke- fans to advertise our name and get the organizations name out. Ice cream will be sold for $1. 4 different varieties of ice cream will be available that night. Schwan’s will provide everything for the booth. Water bottles will also be available for sale at $1 each.

Window Decals -Addy Cagle/Jody Luke/Sabrina Orihuela- NCA window decals, will put on web store, white, blue, burgundy colors, some will be the crest and bumper sticker prices, $5 and $8, sports ones will be available as sports are added.

Grant Committee-Milk Cooler- JoLynn Morriss- got the grant from United Dairyman’s. This will allow the school to provide milk to students at a very cheap rate.

Lunches-Holle McRae- There is a local deli that makes everything from scratch. They have agreed to have a catered lunch available, delivered to school each day, more details to come, might be several weeks.

Old Business:

T-shirt by JoLynn Morriss- Sample shirts will be available Sept 3^rd to view. Orders will be taken at events, or on website through paypal, prices will be $10 and $11.50.

*Election of New Presidency-Amber Gunnell/Christine Plummer

President-Amber Gunnell- nominate last month, wait until after presidency has been voted in on Wednesday, (President voted in on 9/2/09 unanimous)

Vice President-Christine Plummer- nominated last month, unanimous voting

Treasurer-Julie Gilster- Andrea Egan nominated, Holle 2^nd, unanimous voting (Julie will be added to checking account as approved signer).

Secretary-JoLynn Morriss- nominated last month, unanimous voting

Parent Representative- Holle McRae- Holle nominated self, Andrea Egan 2^nd, unanimous voting

Ad in Press Tribune for Music Volunteers/Instruments-Addy Cagle- Per Mr. Marvosh, Ad had some response, but not a lot. Most calls were for volunteering, not to many on instruments. Still need help with instruction and instruments, ran the ad for free for 1 week due to Addy’s contact at Idaho Press. Thank you letter will be sent out.

New Business:

* Vote on Bylaws and Standing Rules-Amber Gunnell-- wait until Sept Meeting,

PFA Book-JoLynn Morriss- book was shown to parents and will be present at all PFA functions.

Curriculum/Board of Directors- Isaac Moffett- unable to attend due to legal actions being taken, letter from Chairman asking Mr. Moffett not to attend tonight.

Capital Educators Grants/Walmart grants for teachers/music department- Amber Gunnell and Erin Taylor (Kaleidoscope Art Program) reported that these grants are available for teachers to apply for. She has been working to get the music department a grant to help with instruments.

Box tops/ Campbell’s Labels- Michelle Rollins, Piper Skogland- Capri suns, Piper will have boxes placed in each room to collect Capri suns. Teachers can collect box tops and Campbell’s soup labels in the classroom. Boxes/Coffee cans will be placed in rooms once available.

Adjourned- 8:18pm

Library Needs Help

Mrs Hayes (our librarian) is in need of help. Please contact her directly. Thank you!

Amber,

I would like to solicit the help of the PFA to help move the surplus items from the library to storage. And there are 2 items in the computer lab that need to go into the library. How about Friday, this week, at 4:30pm. We will need at least 2 trucks and two dollies (one will do if we have to). Maybe 4 men to help.

Thank you,

Marilyn Hayes

mhayes@ncacharter.org

Chairman Update

3 more days and counting!

I think one thing I am learning as the Chairman is that everyone has an opinion, everyone thinks something should be different, and that the press has a tendancy to use whatever they can to sell papers.

Facilities

Ground covering is still going in. The play ground is still being completed. The fence is being finished.

The property won't be perfect. It is a temporary facility that we are trying to make sure is as complete as possible, but it won't have everything.

Are we disorganized?

It probably seems that way to the person who hasn't been involved with getting everything ready. I would probably think that. One of the things I have been doing lately is trying to discover what we could have improved on or done better. I began to realize a few things.

When a new school is started in a town there is a lot of work for that school. They hire new teachers and they have to fill the new building with furniture and all new curriculum. But one thing that is different is that the board for that school and the district structure was already in place.

When a new charter school starts it has to start with a new board which often has more parents than educational experts. It has to start its own district and has to manage all of the reports and responsibilites that other local schools don't. It has to secure property without the benefit of bond levies and without having any past financial history or capital to support it. It has to develop curriculum and its educational philosphy. It has to advertise and promote itself because the student's don't come automatically because they are within the attendance boundaries.

Friday I watched our administration and teachers work. I watched them move desks and chairs. I watched them sort and unload boxes upon boxes of books. I watched the teachers decorating their classrooms and I saw the excitement in their eyes as they thought about the potential of the new school year. I watched as the administrators and office staff turned to answer question after question after question without a break.

Over the last 2 months our teachers and academy personnel have been working often times on their own time, early in the morning until late into the evening. The teachers have been training non-stop. Our administration has been diligently working to try and account for every scenario that might happen. (If you can, take the opportunity to send a treat or note of thanks to your teacher and the office staff the first day of school to show them how much we all love and appreciate them.)

Needless to say there are a few things that haven't been caught.

A parent asked me if their child could bring a water bottle for water. At that moment it was like a science fiction movie where you are hurtling through space toward a black hole as the realization siezed me that there were no water fountains. The idea of drinking water hadn't even entered my mind.

Headmaster does suggest that you provide a water bottle and that you might freeze it or make sure it is chilled. We are working on refill solutions, but it may take a few weeks to have the solution.

There have been many good questions by parents and we haven't always had the answers. It isn't because we were unprepared. It is because it didn't reach the same importance level as the items we were dealing with and had never been a point of conversation.

Things will smooth out in the next few weeks and months. Be patient. This is a brand new district, with a brand new board, an administration and group of teachers who have never worked together, and a new student body of over 500 students who are all at different levels of instruction or knowledge.

President Obama Speech

The conversations on the PFA site bring forth some foundational issues.

How are you as parents going to respond when there is something in the classroom that you don't like? How am I as a parent and the board chairman going to respond when there is something in the classroom I don't like?

My first step is to behave as a parent. I will communicate with the teacher and find out why it is being taught and if they have suggestions for my concerns.

If I am dissatisfied I will talk to the administration and find out what my options are and voice my opinion as a parent.

If I find that the issue is not resolved and it is important I will then take it to the board to discuss.

I have been reading legal briefs that last few days and I must say that I think our legal team has referenced every single case in the US that has any connection to our situation. In reading discriptions of those cases, one thing I have learned is that an academy or school board doesn't have the right to censor material simply because it doesn't like it. Just like the state doesn't have the right to censor material because it doesn't like it. Materials that are removed must be examined in terms of educational impact or importance. Is the removal or addition of material due to a reasonable educational motive?

Materials can't be removed just because we don't like them and they can't be added because they support our belief. Every curriculum item has to have educational merit. In our case as a public school it must have a secular educational merit.

As a charter school we don't have to go through the state curriculum review process for approval prior to adding materials. Our materials simply have to be legally based on constitutional rights. The academy board when considering appeals from parents or teachers to either add or delete material will first weigh it against our vision, mission, and our core values. Then we will weigh it against our reference guides and how it fits our overall educational goals. Finally we will have to weigh the educational impact and the educational merit of the decision.

I briefly looked up information about President's Obama speech and I honestly don't know what he is going to say. As a board member I can't say that we should not show the speech because we don't like him as President. We have to have a valid reason. We would need to know the content of the speech and show how the content of the speech lacked educational merit or was in contrast or was disruptive to the educational process that day. NCA is attempting to teach patriotism and respect for our country. The office of President deserves to be treated with respect. As a citizen I have the freedom to disagree with his decisions. I have the freedom to say what I want about the President. I have the freedom to publish my views and fight against what he is trying to accomplish.

But as a member of the NCA family I must remember our core values: Character, Charity, Civility, Discipline, Excellence, Industry and Thrift, Integrity, Service, Loyalty, Originality and Creativity, and Patriotism.

The removal of President Obama's speech without having knowledge of its content would amount to the same censorship that we are experiencing from the state. The fact that something is being said by President Obama is not enough to warrant censorship. It would have to be proven to have no educational merit and is disruptive to what is being taught that day.

Before I continue; I have not talked to the administration so I don't know what their plans are for the speech. I can tell you this.

It is the first day of school and there is a lot to be accomplished.

We have no televisions or if we do, very few.

We have no reception in the classrooms.

In order to watch the speech we would need to re-adjust our 1st day schedule which could impact our entire schedule for the year. We would need to acquire televisions very quickly. We would need to acquire antennas and digital converter boxes. Logistically, I don't see it happening, but I could be wrong because I am not making this decision for them nor am I involved in the discussion.

If it doesn't happen it should not be seen as a statement against President Obama. In this situation the academy is not making a decision based on content, but rather one based on equipment and schedule.

Now on to the big talk.

When you become a parent at NCA you take on the responsibility of helping us be successful. You must consider the bigger picture even above your own individual concerns.

I can tell you right now that my religious and political beliefs are right and if you disagree with me you are wrong. How can I say that? Because if I don't think I am right why do I believe it to be true? If you say something that is contrary to what I believe you must be wrong or my belief is based on a falsehood.

Hopefully we are all here at NCA because we all believe the vision, mission, core values, and classical education system to be correct. We must use this as our foundation of common belief.

How do we function outside that realm? We have parents or students who are LDS, Jewish, Hindu, Muslum, Atheist, Buddist, Nazarene, Baptist, Methodist, Jehovah Witness, 7th Day Adventist, Christian - Non Denominational, Republicans, Democrats, Constitutionalists, Libertarians, Independents, and more. Everyone within one of these groups thinks those that are not within their group is wrong. If they don't than why do we have different names to describe everyone?

Should we behave as some cultures and kill everyone who is not in our group? Can we allow others to exist even if we think they are wrong and focus on the common foundation the academy is built upon?

As a parent and a board member I can say there are some things I won't like that are in the classroom. There may be times I ask if my child can do something else. There may be some things that I believe are contrary to who we are as an academy and I would want to investigate those items for their educational merit. There may be some things that are so offensive to me that I will want to let others know. But I will follow the process. If it comes down to where a decision is not made in my favor and it continues to be a major issue for me then I will have to consider leaving the academy rather than trying to force everyone else to agree with me and risk causing the academy to fail by being disruptive.

I need all of the parents to consider the well-being of the academy as you voice your concerns to your teachers and if necessary as you move up the authority structure. Little things have a tendancy to grow big when emotion is involved without facts.

Drop Off and Pick Up

I just got this e-mail from Mr. Moffett. I will share it here in case you didn't get it.

There have been many questions coming into the Academy concerning drop off and pick up and the procedures in doing so.

Yes there is way to drop off and pick up students. We will have aids directing the first few days. Parents will need to enter the parking lot on the east side and turn left into the parking lot. Drive all the way around to the west side of the property (next to the 3rd & 5th grade portables. Drop off and pick up students along the curb and then exit straight ahead. NOTE: The front and east sides along the curb are for busses.

**Remember, busses have the right of way. Please stay out of their way and watch for children. The city does not want you stopping along the street and your child will not be allowed to meet you there. You will need to come in and follow the procedure. Remember to be patient and courteous to other drivers. Willow Creek Elementary, across from the street, starts later than we do, but ends at the same time.

Here is how I understand the process.

Enter the entrance that is closest to the Administration building or the sidewalk that runs down the middle of the campus. Turn left and go around the buildings. You will go off the pavement and onto a temporary road that will bring you back round to the other road. You will drop off your children next to the 3rd Grade building and then exit the parking lot at the exit in front of you.

The busses will be against the curbs. Go around them but give them priority.

Communication

This may be my last newsletter. Our administration and teachers will be doing most of the communicating from now on. The board will drift into the backround and into a supporting role. You will soon forget about the board and we will only be heard from when something major happens or we have to make a decision on a controversial subject.

A little bit of a breather would be nice, but somehow I suspect we will still be busy.

I will continue to post updates on my google site regarding board meetings and decisions that have been made. You are welcome to visit that page from time to time to find out what the board is up to.

It continues to be an honor to be the Chairman at what will soon be the best public school (academy) in Idaho.

Kyle Borger

Chairman

NCA Board of Directors

Drop Off & Pick Up

Amber please post this on your PFA web site/group.

There have been many questions coming into the Academy concerning drop off and pick up and the procedures in doing so.

Yes there is way to drop off and pick up students. We will have aids directing the first few days. Parents will need to enter the parking lot on the east side and turn left into the parking lot. Drive all the way around to the west side of the property (next to the 3^rd & 5^th grade portables. Drop off and pick up students along the curb and then exit straight ahead. NOTE: The front and east sides along the curb are for busses.

**Remember, busses have the right of way. Please stay out of their way and watch for children. The city does not want you stopping along the street and your child will not be allowed to meet you there. You will need to come in and follow the procedure. Remember to be patient and courteous to other drivers. Willow Creek Elementary, across from the street, starts later than we do, but ends at the same time.

See you all on Tuesday!

Serving faithfully,

Isaac Moffett

Director of Operations & Founder

Nampa Classical Academy, Inc.

www.ncacharter.org

208-466-NCA1

Petens Sapientiam, Libertatem Defendens

Meet & Greet

Come get acquainted with your teacher and the layout of the Academy campus!

Thursday 6:30pm to 8pm

Come see what other goodies you can get your hands on from the PFA!

• Minutemen Tshirt orders
• NCA & Minutemen vinyl decals
• ice cream!
• water bottles

Can't wait to meet you all!

From Mr. Harvey

Hi Amber,

Could you please send this out to the 6-9th grade parents for me?

Parents of Latin students: Salvete!

This is Mr. Harvey from NCA. I apoligize for the late notice, but I need one additional supply item for the students. Could you please get some additional 3 X 5 cards for your children. Each student will need approximately 400 3 X 5 cards for vocabulary. I saw 500 cards for 2.99 at Staples, but anywhere would be fine.

I know this is a little late, so I will supply cards for the first week of school if you aren't able to get them by the first day. Please have them by the beginning of the second week of school.

P.S. Please stop by and see me at the meet and greet on Thursday.

Gratias tibi!

Magister Harvey

Lawsuit

Today NCA filed a lawsuit in federal court to defend our right to use religious and political documents and texts in the classroom and as a part of our curriculum. It is for this reason that we have limited the communication coming from the board in recent days and weeks. The board and all involved with NCA will have to continue to be silent in this area as we allow our attorneys to defend us both in the courts and in the press. If you wish to show support for our decision you should contact theGovernor, Idaho Attorney General, and other elected officials.

This action will not impact our opening or our operations once open. This lawsuit has been filed in part so that we can operate in a legal manner, just like the rest of the Idaho schools, while this issue is being debated.

ALLIANCE DEFENSE FUND NEWS RELEASE
September 1, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT ADF MEDIA RELATIONS: (480) 444-0020 orwww.adfmedia.org/home/contact

Lawsuit filed after Idaho commission
bans all religious texts from curriculum

ADF attorneys sue on behalf of Nampa Classical Academy
after Idaho Public Charter School Commission threatens to revoke its charter

BOISE, Idaho — Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Idaho Public Charter School Commission on behalf of Nampa Classical Academy, which was threatened with the revocation of its charter if it utilizes the Bible or any other religious documents or text as part of its curriculum resources. Despite the fact that numerous public schools throughout the state and country constitutionally allow the objective study of the Bible as an educational resource, the commission will immediately proceed to revoke its charter if the school does not remove the religious text from its curriculum.

Full news release, quotes, and related media resources available at the following link:

http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/2994

Kyle Borger

Chairman

NCA Board of Directors

See pdf for NCAvG_COMPLAINT_w_signatures_and_exhibits_filestamped.pdf

1199K View Download

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=123779a487ff8294&mt=application/pdf