Knight News

Sports and Academic Excellence 

From CSPAN Student Cam interviews to the first basketball practice of the season, Leading Edgers are thriving in academics, leadership, and athletics.

ROCK Pizza Party 

Thank you to our amazing parents for supporting the ROCK Pizza Party! We celebrated over 40 students who earned ROCK tickets for demonstrating Responsibility, Ownership, Collaboration, and Kindness.

Academic Calendar

• December 18: Staff Appreciation Lunch - Sign Up Below 

• December 18:  Chipotle on Del Paso  Fundraiser 

• December 20: South Asia and India Cultural Day (6th Grade)

• December 21: January 5: Winter Break 

• January 6: Big Day of Reading 

• January 15 - 17: 6th Grade Marin Headlands 

• January 17: Trimester 2 Progress Reports

• January 20 - 21: No School for MLK and Staff Work Day 

• January 27 - February 1:  iReady Testing #2 

• February 14 - February 18: Presidents Day Weekend | No School

• February 28: End of Trimester 2

New Cell Phone Policy 

Last week, the NCS Board of Directors, in coordination with staff and parents, approved new cell phone policies for all five academies. Leading Edge fully supports these policies and is committed to partnering with stakeholder to encourage students to engage in free play, step away from personal devices, and embrace a childhood free from phones. I encourage you to read this article (End the Phone-Based Childhood) so we can all work from a shared understanding of the impact have on our students' mental health and social development.

• New Policy - Leading Edge and PFAA (Grades 6-8): "Students attending Leading Edge and PFAA Middle School (Grades 6-8) are not permitted to use mobile communication devices from the start of the first class period until the end of the final class period each day, including recess/break and lunch periods. Devices must be turned off and stored out of sight for the instructional day unless a teacher or administrator grants explicit permission for educational purposes. If a student needs to contact their parent or guardian, they may use a phone located in the front office. Private devices may be used after school hours for extracurricular activities or to communicate with parents/guardians after the last period of the day."

This is a shift for our campus and for our students, and it’s important that we approach its implementation with intentionality and fairness. Our goal is to ensure that students feel supported through this transition.

Steps for Implementation: 

December

• Announcement to students by Dr. Lokteff

• Parent review research and talk to their students at home  - End the Phone-Based Childhood 

January

• Policy Soft Launch: Introduction phase to familiarize students with the new guidelines.

• Homeroom Education: Updated expectation on on ROCK matrix for - Personal Technology Presentation.

• Common Language: Adoption of the phrase: "Off and in your backpack, please."

• Behavior Support: No formal documentation of student infractions during this period.

February

• Campus-Wide Policy Launch: Full implementation of the policy.

• Tech Through the Decades Theme:

  • A fun, positive way to celebrate technology evolution over time.

  • Weekly decade themes with Friday dress-up events (e.g., 80s Day).

  • Walk-through museum displays showcasing technology from each decade.

  • Weekly SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) assemblies to share data about cellphones and mental health with students. 

Ongoing Initiatives

• Lunch-Time Games Program:

  • A variety of games available for students during lunch periods (ping pong, jenga, connect four, etc.

  • Launch of a lunchtime chess program. 

  • Ongoing education about the effects of cell phones and social media to developing brains. 

December Events  

South Asia and India Cultural Day (6th Grade)

• Overview: Parents are invited to join us for this annual tradition celebrating the diverse South Asian cultures in our community. While 6th graders explore the ancient histories of the Indus and Ganges valleys, they also highlight and share modern cultural traditions.

• Days: Friday, December 20

• Location: Benvenuti Theater 

• Time: 1:20 – 2:40 p.m.

Parents, Staff, and Community Members,

The NCS Counseling Department will organize a Career Exploration Day for PFAA & ECA high school students on Wednesday, February 26th from 8:30-9:30 am. We are looking for volunteers to come in and do a 20-30 minute session discussing their career/job, what degree or education is needed for that career/job, and then answer questions from the students. We are looking for various careers/jobs from different areas. As much as we would like people to be able to come in person, we will also have opportunities for virtual interactions. 

If you are interested or know of someone who might be interested please have them fill out the Interest Form here.  (or Scan the QR below) We would like to have a confirmed list by January 31st, so students will have time to sign up for which sessions they want to attend.

Questions please reach out to Ms. Eichner meichner@natomascharter.org