News

Ashley Kurtz

Dean of Students, Parkview Elementary School

Ashley has worked in education for 14 years, teaching first through fourth grade in Michigan, Alabama and North Carolina. This is her fifth year in Novi. She spent the past two years working as a Literacy Coach for the district. Before that she spent two years teaching first and fourth grade at Orchard Hills. She enjoys spending time with her children (Ella and Amelia) and husband Chris, and attending Detroit Lions home games on Sundays. 

"I already feel so welcomed at Parkview!" Ashley said. "I am very excited to support the wonderful staff, students and families in this new role!"

The Novi Rotary is proud to once again provide lunches for children in the Novi community who face challenges accessing consistent meals during the summer months.

Formerly known as Feed the Need, the program has been renamed Novi Rotary Cares, reflecting a continued commitment to supporting families and nurturing the community.

Novi Rotary Cares will provide bagged lunches from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. four days a week (Monday-Thursday) at Village Oaks Elementary, starting June 9, 2025. The program runs through August 7, 2025 and is free to students in need up to the age of 17. For more information, email novirotarycares@gmail.com. Bagged lunches will also be at satellite locations – Highland Hills Estates, Novi Meadows Homes, Old Dutch Farms, Oakland Glens, and Pavilion Court Apartments.

Students from Parkview Elementary and Novi Meadows participated in the first Novi4All Unified Soccer game at Novi Meadows on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. 

The idea of the soccer game came about after NCSD became the first school district in the state to earn the Unified Champion School District designation by Special Olympics Michigan.

Meadows teacher Meghan Hodge and Parkview teacher Lori Garner began talking about how they could create some opportunties for students from the respective schools to collaborate, given they are within walking distance of each other.

Lori Garner said they began a Walking Wednesday activity “and then we thought about developing the kids’ soccer skills in adaptive PE and the game evolved from there.”

Lori Garner said she hoped the athletes and peers would build relationships by participating in the game: “We thought it would build up our athletes’ confidence and make them feel more involved in PV and their community."

One of the highlights for Lori was that so many people came to watch and lend support. 

“It was awesome to see so many people supporting inclusion and embracing the ideas of sportsmanship, teamwork, and relationships. To see all those people cheering and supporting us was really awesome!

Meghan Hodge was happy to see the athletes and peers working together on the soccer field. 

While the educators were pleased with the support they received from parents, students and staff, they are planning to make some adjustments for future events. 

“I would like to give consideration to making the event a more sensory friendly experience,” Meghan Hodge said. “At times it was very loud on the soccer field, which was challenging for some of our students.”

Having the event at the Meadows playground space worked well. 

“That allowed students and families to have space to enjoy the soccer game on a manageable size field and then also have fun on the playground when the game was finished,” Meghan said. 

Thank you to all of the Parkview Elementary families who attended the third annual State of the District on Feb. 25, 2025. 

Special thanks to the Parkview staff and students who represented the school at a table during the State of the District festivities. 

Second-grade teacher Carly Musa was honored as the NCSD Preschool through Grade 4 Educator of the Year in February. 

"One of the most outstanding qualities that make Carly an extraordinary teacher is her innovative
approach to education," said a nominator. "She has a unique talent for transforming standard lessons into captivating learning experiences. Whether it’s through interactive STEAM activities, engaging math discussions, or creative storytelling, Carly is always finding ways to make learning enjoyable. Her students leave her classroom every day with not just knowledge but also an enthusiastic love for learning that will carry them forward in their educational journey."

Musa has taught at Parkview Elementary for 11 years.