September dates

9/14 - Casino Night & Auction Planning Committee Meeting - 6:00pm Senior High      Library

9/14 - Athletic Booster Meeting - 6:30pm Senior High Professional Learning Center

9/15 - Board of Directors Meeting - 7:00pm Senior High Professional Learning Center

9/19 - Family Fun Day 10:00am Senior High Athletic Complex

9/24 - Outreach & Equity Meeting - 6:00pm Senior High Professional Learning Center

9/25 - Spirit Day

9/29 - Back-to-School Night 6:00pm Senior High School 

         - College Financial Aid Strategy Session (parents of 9th-12th graders) 5:00pm Cafeteria (right before Back-to-School Night begins) RSVP HERE

casino night & auction planning committee 

The annual Casino Night & Auction is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th.

We would love your help in making this event a huge success! The next planning meeting is on Monday, September 14th at 6:00 p.m. in the Senior High School Library. 

If you cannot attend the September meeting and want to join the planning committee, please email Sharon.Dorr@ncs.k12.de.us

family fun day 

Family Fun Day celebrating NCS's 25th Birthday! 

Saturday, September 19 

10:00 - 12:30 Senior High Athletic Complex:

          Boys' Soccer Games - JV at 11:00, Varsity at 12:30

 Activities include inflatables, games, petting zoo, temporary tattoos, concessions, spirit wear and BrewHaHa Coffee Truck

Admission to activities and soccer games is $5 for adults, $1 for students Tickets are purchased at the gate.

book bundles

Students in grades 9-12 are required to purchase the novels that will be studied in their English classes.  

Please use the Online Ordering page for Newark Charter School to purchase your student's book bundle if you have not done so already.  The book bundle price is determined by the novels used in each course, so please be sure to select the cost of the correct course before paying.  

The books are delivered to your student's teacher and handed out during the school year.  Thank you for your cooperation!

Senior Picture retakes

Barksdale Photography will return to the Senior High School on Tuesday, September 22 during the academic day. 

If you are interested in a portrait session, please email Sharon.Dorr@ncs.k12.de.us  A senior portrait time will be assigned to you that is least disruptive to your academic schedule ~ you will be notified of that time a few days prior.

If you prefer, you may schedule a retake session at the Barksdale School Portrait studio in Aston Township, PA ( approx. 45-minute drive) by calling 1-800-220-7667.

psat on october 8 (11th grade) 

Please look below for some important reminders about the upcoming PSAT for juniors to be held at NCS on Thursday, October 8, 2026.

No official sign-up is necessary since all juniors are automatically registered, and the exams are paid for by Newark Charter. This is a national testing date and Newark Charter does not have a choice over date selection.

REMINDER: What You Need to Know about the October 8th PSAT at Newark Charter

These items will be addressed during the students digital readiness check that will take place this week in their ELA classes.

All juniors will receive a digital copy of the PSAT Student Guide prior to the test date, which includes an introduction to the digital test as well as information on the National Merit Scholarship Program. Also this week, all students completed a digital readiness check on their Chromebooks using the BlueBook testing app with their assigned log-in information. The BlueBook app contains full-length practice tests. We encourage all students to take a full-length practice test this weekend.

ATTIRE

Normal NCS uniform attire. Layers are encouraged in case your testing room is not your preferred climate.

ARRIVAL TIME

Juniors can use their usual modes of transportation.* The preferred arrival time for juniors on October 11th is by 7:20 am, and juniors must be in the building and at the doors of their testing location by 7:25 am at the very latest. 

*Please note, if your bus is often late by a significant amount of time (20-minutes or more), we encourage you to plan for being a car rider that day (if possible) to limit any likelihood of arrival after the exam has started. If buses are significantly delayed, testing coordinators will make adjustments.

TESTING LOCATION

Students will be broken into two large groups for testing. Students testing location was given to them during the digital readiness check last week. Students with College Board-approved accommodations should report to their assigned testing rooms. 

POST-EXAM PROCEDURES

When the exam room has completed testing, students will go to activity period before eating lunch. Students will also attend the last block of the day (A4). The large group testing should conclude by no later than 10:30 p.m. Students are not permitted to leave school at the end of testing. 

Students testing College Board-approved extra-time accommodations should end no later than Noon. These students will eat second lunch.

REQUIREMENTS

Students will need to bring the following to the testing room:

• Fully charged school-issued Chromebook

• Chromebook charger

• Writing utensils: students will need writing utensils for their scratch paper.

PREPARATION

It’s essential to follow some basic advice about preparation for the PSAT. Please refer to the PSAT Student Guide and Presentation (+ BlueBook Practice Tests).

Rest and Nutrition

• Get at least eight hours of sleep before the exam.

• Eat breakfast before arriving at school on test day. See some nutrition suggestions here.

• You will likely spend nearly 3 hours in the testing room (or 6 hours if testing with extra time), so the energy from breakfast will not last the entire time.

Bring a substantial snack and drink for break time.

• The snack/drink can only be eaten during scheduled/announced breaks away from testing surfaces.

• No food or drink (including water bottles, travel containers, etc.) are allowed on a student’s table during the exam sections.

NO PENALTY FOR GUESSING

Students will not be "penalized" for incorrect answers. As a result, you should always pick an answer for all multiple-choice questions that you are unable to address properly due to time constraints.  

So if you're running out of time and there are several questions remaining on a multiple-choice section, try educated guesses via the process of elimination or, if time is completely running out, pick a letter and fill in those bubbles! For more refined strategies, view this article here which addresses the SAT, but the same logic essentially applies to the PSAT.

national honor society news

Invitations to apply for Newark Charter School's Chapter of the National Honor Society were emailed today to eligible juniors and newly eligible seniors with an unweighted cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 (GPAs below 3.5 are not rounded).

Please check your inbox for an email from Mrs. Taylor and/or Mrs. Setty. Note that receiving an invitation to apply does not guarantee membership.

Application Questions: Contact Mrs. Taylor (dana.taylor@ncs.k12.de.us) or Mrs. Setty (sapna.setty@ncs.k12.de.us).

GPA Questions: Contact your grade-level counselor.

hershey smart snacks for schools 

Beginning Monday, September 14th, frozen treats by Hersheys Smart Snacks for Schools will be available for purchase by students in the cafeteria at both high school lunch periods. All frozen treats are $1.00 each. All frozen treats are free of nuts and artificial colorings, and other allergen information is available upon request.  There are non-dairy options available.

There is a limit of two treats per student daily. All frozen treats will be charged to your student's Lunchworks account, and funds should be preloaded there for purchasing. If it is your preference that your student does not purchase frozen treats, please be sure to communicate that to your student directly as nutrition staff are unable to deny purchasing at the point of sale. 

Please also note that purchases of individual items like milk or frozen treats are not included in free and reduced meal benefits. Those benefits only extend to one full breakfast or lunch meal daily and do not include additional purchases of a la carte items like milk or frozen treats. Each meal includes one milk, but milk by itself is a separate charge of $0.50 each, even if your student is receiving free or reduced meal benefits. 

ncs spirit day criteria for success 

Spirit Day - Friday, September 25

Students may wear any top that is affiliated with NCS or a club activity that is connected with NCS.  Tops must be Newark Charter School affiliated, so plain red, white, & blue tops are not acceptable.  

Students are welcome to wear any bottoms that are appropriate for school.  This includes jeans, athletic wear, shorts etc.  

The following are not included and cannot be worn: pajama pants (including NCS pajama pants), leggings/spandex shorts, or any ripped jeans/pants.

Students are permitted to wear athletic shoes and other shoe types on dress down days.  They are not permitted to wear the following: flip flops or slippers.  

don't miss stage door at newark charter high school

Newark Charter High School’s Performing Arts Department is excited to present our upcoming production of Stage Door!

This witty, big-hearted classic follows a vibrant group of aspiring young actresses chasing their Broadway dreams, tackling tough choices, and supporting one another through every triumph and setback. Packed with sharp humor, drama, and quick-witted dialogue, it’s a timeless tribute to the magic of live theater and the passion that keeps it alive.

Performance Dates & Times:

*Friday, October 9th at 7:00 PM

*Saturday, October 10th at 7:00 PM

*Sunday, October 11th at 2:00 PM

Location: Otello Meucci Performing Arts Center at Newark Charter Senior High School (200 McIntire Drive, Newark, DE 19711). 

Tickets: Available now! Secure your seats today!

Newark Charter School Theatrical Productions 

Bring your family, friends, and fellow theater lovers to support our talented cast and crew. Please research the show prior to purchasing your tickets to ensure that it is appropriate for your child. We can't wait to see you there!

health Screenings

Our school nurses will be doing state required hearing and posture screenings beginning next week and continuing as needed through December for 9th graders. 

Vision screening will take place in the spring for 9th graders in preparation for Drivers Ed their next school year. 

If you have any questions or wish to withdraw your child from these screenings, please contact the school nurse as soon as possible at  ncshighschoolnurses@ncs.k12.de.us 

attention 9th grade parents/guardians

If you haven't sent in a recent health physical (done within the past two years) or updated immunizations (that includes a tetanus booster and one dose of meningococcal vaccine), now is the time to do so. 

This is still a requirement for 9th grade.  Thank you to all the parents/guardians and students who have already submitted their information.

asthma, allergy or any medical action plans

If your student has asthma or a life-threatening allergy or a medical concern that requires an action plan, please don't forget to get an action plan completed for this school year. You can find the forms for asthma or a life-threatening allergy on our NCS website under the parent section. 

Medical plans for diagnoses such as seizures or diabetes or recurrent/ongoing migraine headaches (just to name a few possible diagnoses), please contact us and we will provide a form for you. If you want your child to be able to carry their inhaler or epinephrine pen please make sure we have written permission from you to allow them to do so. Thank you for all who have done this already.

Students may not carry any medication in their book bags or keep in their lockers except for rescue inhalers or epinephrine pens or insulin and only if there is a medical plan in place with the school nurse. 

nemours link

Nemours Children's Health is collaborating with school nurses to help provide medical information for your school nurse. Please go to the link below to find out more regarding this program. It is a great way to share health physicals, action plans and any other information in your child's health record that you would like to share with our nurses.

NCS Health Information 

If you have been involved before and would like to continue to do so, please go to their application for your phone and sign up again for this school year. It must be renewed each school year.  Any questions or concerns, please contact your building school nurse to assist you.