• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Subscribe
Program Guide
Watch Live

CCX Media

Skip NavigationMenu
  • News
    • Close
        • CCX News
          • CCX News Home
          • News Stories
            • CCX Daily Newscast
          • CCX Media Schools
        • Feature Segments

          • Business Matters
          • School Spotlight
          • Standout Student
          • Weekend Showcase
          • Newsmakers
        • News Tip

          Send us a story idea or news tip!
          Facebook Instagram Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
        • Apple News
    • Close
  • Sports
    • Close
        • CCX Sports
          • CCX Sports Home
          • Sports Tips
          • Hall of Fame
          • Upcoming Event Coverage
          • Play of the Week
        • Sports Coverage

          Adapted SportsAdditional SportsBaseballBasketballFootball
          GymnasticsHockeyLacrosseSoccerSoftball
          Swimming & DivingTennisTrack & FieldVolleyballWrestling
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
          Shop/Order
    • Close
  • Cities
    • Close
        • CCX Cities
          • CCX Cities Home
          • Cities Stories
          • In The Community
          • Our Town’s Story
          • Community Resources
          • CCX Media Schools
          • City Meetings
        • Your City

          Brooklyn Center Local News and Events
          Brooklyn Park MN Local News and Events
          Crystal
          Golden Valley
          Maple Grove
          New Hope
          Osseo
          Plymouth
          Robbinsdale
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Create
    • Close
        • CCX Create
          • CCX Create Home
          • Channels
          • Resources
          • Meet The Create Team
          • CCX Create Virtual Tour
        • Get Creative

          • Launch Your Creative Vision with CCX Create
          • Free Classes
          • Contact Us
          • Polka Spotlight
          • Diversity Minute
        • RueShare

          • Member Login
          • Member Guide
        • Social Media

          Facebook Twitter Instagram
          Watch Live
          CCX1 | CCX2 | CCX3
    • Close
  • Subscribe
  • Program guide
  • Watch Live

School Spotlight: Nasha Shkola Embraces Slavic Culture

5:25 PM | Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Culture can be a very important part of one’s identity. One charter school in Brooklyn Park embraces post-Soviet culture in every day learning.

With a 120 students Nasha Shkola Charter School has the unique advantage of small class sizes. However, that’s not the only characteristic that sets them apart.

“I would say about 90% of the kids we have, come from families where Russian is spoken,” says Yelena Hardcopf a teacher and chair of the board at Nasha Shkola School.  “Sometimes both parent’s speak Russian or at least one of the parents do, so there is always some sort of connection.”

Preserving Heritage 

All classes are taught in English. However, students have the option to learn the Russian language from Kindergarten to 8th grade.

“Originally this school was started by the members of the Russian speaking community,” added Yelana.  “One of the ideas of the school was to help the Russian speaking community have a community school that allows kids to preserve their heritage.”

Preserving heritage is important to the school and their small class sizes have created a family environment for both the students and staff.

“It really makes you close with the families,” says Nicole Larson, a 3rd grade teacher at the school. “We have a lot of families that come through and they have three or four kids so you get to know them as a family. You get to know them year after year and you get to know all the siblings and you get really close with them. It gives you a better connection with students.”

Around 75 percent of students speak English as a second language. The English Language Learners or ELL learners originally created some challenges for teachers and staff.

“We dug ourselves out of a pretty deep hole about four years ago when I started here,” says Christian Schmitt and social studies teacher at the school.  “We were what was considered a priority school. So, that’s a school that has been identified by the state as needing help. We’ve made progress each year since then to better meet the need of our students, especially ELL learners.”

Different Ways of Teaching 

The school has since overcome those challenges by changing the way they teach.

“We have a guided reading program that was implemented last year,” stated Hardcopf.  “Staff takes the kids to the Hennepin Library nearby to make sure they access to books and can read. We differentiate in different ways. We also provide one on one support and group support in math.”

The school has come a long way since its start. Teachers say the emphasis on Slavic culture helps bridge a divide that’s prevalent in today’s political climate.

“There are major divisions right now,” added Schmitt. “The relationship is probably at its worst point since the Cold War. You know our school is very small but it is building bridges between people speaking different languages and I think that is a really crucial thing.”

Nasha Shkola School is a charter school that anyone can attend. For more information on when open enrollment takes place click here.

Sponsored

School Spotlight

Related Stories

Osseo Senior High School Celebrates 100 Years with 100 Portraits:  It matters to be a part of… Read More
How Birchview Elementary Principal Changed a School’s Culture:  As the school year winds down, it's… Read More
Brooklyn Center Elementary Rewards Students for Good Choices:  Brooklyn Center Elementary Assistant… Read More
FAIR School Crystal Celebrates Honor Roll Students with Parade:  Students at a Crystal middle school… Read More
Brooklyn Center Schools Freshen Lunch Menu, Add Diverse Options:  Cook Novellette Murray used a large… Read More
FAIR Crystal Puts Student Creativity on Display:  FAIR Crystal, a school serving grades 5-8, is… Read More

Footer

NAVIGATE

  • CCX Media
  • NEWS
  • SPORTS
  • CITIES
  • CREATE
  • Job Opportunities
  • Meet the CCX Media Team
  • ABOUT CCX MEDIA
  • Annual Programming Reports
  • CABLE COMMISSION

SUBSCRIBE

Get email updates for daily story previews. “Week in Review” video links, and programming previews.

Subscribe Today

CONNECT

HAVE A NEWS TIP? CALL OUR TIPLINE AT:  763-533-1710
Send us story ideas and comments!
Get in touch with us
  CCX MEDIA     SPORTS
 NEWS                SPORTS
SPORTS.           SHOP/ORDER

LOCATION

CCX Media
6900 Winnetka Avenue North
Brooklyn Park, MN 55428

Main Phone:  763-533-8196

CCX Media serves the northwest suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, including Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, Golden Valley, Maple Grove, New Hope, Osseo, Plymouth and Robbinsdale.
Copyright © 2025 CCXMedia | All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement
Web Design and Development by CEL Marketing PR Design and BizzyWeb | Log in