SUPERINTENDENT
September 1, 2024
Welcome Back NCSD Families,
The first week of school just flew by and I hope your students had a great first week! While we had some challenges and bumps in the road, I think we are all poised for a tremendous 24-25 school year. I think many of us were unsure about starting school a week earlier, but I think the way things are shaping up, it will be wonderful to have a fall break in October to split up that tremendously long stretch of the school year.
As the weather starts to turn a little cooler and crisper this month, we can start to envision the leaves changing colors and with it, our fall routines. At my house, the fall routine brings predictability and also a sense of order that we all know is good for us. I hope your family is settling into your new routines and that you are able to get into the rhythm of the school year. Each of these newsletters has some tremendous highlights of our staff and students. Please take the time to stay up to date with things going on in the district, and you can look at the side bar on the left to see the table of contents.
Here are some additional updates for this second week of school:
- Tastefest and NHS Home Game (Community Event) - Our first home football game and the Novi Tastefest event is this coming Friday, September 6th. This will be our first event this fall to showcase and highlight our new gateway on the south side of Novi High School. Additionally, some join the fun with inflatable games for kids, awesome food truck vendors, and a fun evening out with the family to celebrate our kids and community!
- NEF Pancake Breakfast - This Saturday, September 7, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM, is the NEF Pancake Breakfast. This event will be held in the Novi High School Atrium, and is a great way to gather on a Saturday morning and celebrate our educational foundation!
- Novi Meadows Open House - I would like to invite all of you to the Novi Meadows Community Open House on Monday, September 16 from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. We will have the building open and some of our staff and students will be eager to show off this beautiful facility that the community has supported for our 5-6th grade students. I hope to see you there!
Go Wildcats!
Ben Mainka, Superintendent
Novi Community School District
Students and parents have been impressed with the new cafeteria and playground spaces, as they returned to school in the new Novi Meadows.
Meadows students have a variety of lunch options – three-option pizza station, made-to-order sandwich station, pasta station, burger station, fruit and salad bar – and a variety of seating options to choose from once they have their lunch.
Fifth grader Lily Hovermale tried the spicy chicken sandwich and pepperoni pizza, among other items, this week.
Meadows Principal, Lisa Fenchel, said the best part of opening this week was “the kids coming in and just being in awe of the space, even the kids that were in here last year are finding new things. It’s different. It’s a whole new half of the building."
“They love the playground. They love the cafeteria. They like going up to the second floor. It’s all new and exciting for them.”
And the new playground has a wide range of options, from swings, basketball and soccer courts, playscapes and even a zip line.
“I’m a Novi alum,” said Rob Chubb, who has students in fifth and sixth grade at Meadows, as well as a seventh grader at Novi Middle School. “I graduated in ‘98. This whole concept is cool. I’ve lived in Novi since 1988. (New Meadows) is better than I expected. …. It has really exceeded a lot of the expectations.”
Eboni Pearce came to the open house at Meadows on Tuesday night and was smiling as she walked through the main corridor on the first floor.
“My oldest came here before it was all completed,” Eboni said. “And my middle (child) is here now for fifth grade."
“It reminds me of a college campus. It’s high tech. It’s cozy. It’s great. I feel like it will facilitate a positive environment for the kids.”
We are thrilled to announce that Novi High School Principal, Nicole Carter, has been accepted into the prestigious Gerstacker Fellowship Program.
Principal Carter’s commitment to excellence in education through 25 years of courageous, intentional dedication and leadership to the students and families of the Novi Community School District have earned her the distinguished opportunity.
The Gerstacker Fellowship program is a renowned leadership development initiative for exceptional teachers and administrators. The program aims to cultivate a new generation of educational leaders who will elevate the quality of K-12 education across the State of Michigan.
Principal Carter received the Nate Hampton Champion of Progress in Athletics Award in March 2024 by the Michigan High School Athletics Association; and was recognized as the Michigan Secondary Principal of the Year in March 2022 by the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and the Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honor Societies.
She has also been named a Diversity Champion, earned the Michigan Lottery African American educator of the year award, and has been recognized for excellence from the Oakland County Coordinating Council Against Domestic Violence. She has also served as President of the KLAA and was appointed to the MHSAA’s Representative Council.
Principal Carter attributes her leadership success to her ability to advocate, effectively communicate, and maintain a laser-like focus on student achievement and the professional development of her staff.
She wholeheartedly believes that her ability to blaze the leadership trail in Novi stems from the unwavering support of her family. Her greatest passion is to ignite curiosity in students and empower her faculty to take risks, ask questions, and go above the status quo.
“The Gerstacker Fellowship is an uncanny opportunity for me to grow professionally, network, and glean innovative ideas and strategies from other like-minded individuals who have a passion for learning and leading,” said Principal Carter. “Each day, in every way, I strive to be better and I am confident that the Gerstacker Fellowship experience will enhance my abilities to be the best leader that I can be.
“I believe I have the humility, will and skill to be a positive contributor to this fellowship family of educators.”
Blocksi Parent Dashboard
Blocksi is a classroom management tool used in the Novi Community School District to aid in keeping students (grades 2-12*) engaged and on-task, while learning on an NCSD Chromebook*.
Blocksi also has a Parent Portal that gives parents and guardians control/insights about their child(ren)’s use of NCSD Chromebooks and NCSD Google accounts while at home. Follow the NCSD Blocksi Parent Dashboard Instructions to register for a Blocksi Parent Account.
* Blocksi is not compatible with iPads; Blocksi Parent Dashboard cannot be utilized in grades K-1 and other students using iPads
