Voyager Academy High School News, Sept. 22, 2019



GO VIKINGS GO!
In this issue...

  • Parent-Teacher Conferences This Friday, Sept. 27
  • Senior Yearbook Make up Pictures
  • Make-Up Yearbook Pictures for Grades 9-11
  • Highlights From This Week's AP Environmental Science Class Field Trip
  • Join VAHS for a Spectacular Homecoming
  • Announcing, The ACT Question of the Day
  • Astronomy Field Trip
  • Volleyball Tournament Postponed
  • THE OCTOBER ACT TEST IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
  • Backpack Buddies: Balanced Meals and Snacks for Students in Need 
  • 1st Annual 3 on 3 Volleyball Tournament
  • Don’t Miss the Durham College Fair, Sept. 29 
  • Free Assistance with the FAFSA (financial form)
  • Stay Informed
  • VAHS Senior Information Session (Senior Parent Night)
  • Durham Tech Dual Enrollment Information Sessions (Take College Courses While at VAHS)
  • Buy a Yearbook Now
  • Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) meets Wednesday Mornings
  • The VAHS Counseling Department Blog (website)
  • Be a Smartie and join the PTO ! !
  • PARENTS:  Sign up to receive text messages from the school
  • Important dates

----------------------


Parent-Teacher Conferences This Friday (Sept. 27)

Just a reminder to all Viking families, that this Friday (Sept. 27) is parent-teacher conference day. Should you wish to make an appointment to see one or more of your child’s teachers, please contact them via email, right away. For a directory of faculty email addresses, please click here.

--

Senior Yearbook Make up Pictures
Our Senior yearbook make up day will be Friday, October 18th beginning at 8:45am.
Ladies bring a top with no collar to wear under the drape. Gentlemen bring a white t-shirt to wear under the tux. Tux & Drape will be provided. 

--

Make-Up Yearbook Pictures for Grades 9-11
We will have make up pictures for grades 9-11 on Thursday, October 17th beginning at 8:45. Any student (in grades 9-11-no seniors) who needs a make up or retake, should report to The Commons at 8:45am on October 17th. 

--

Highlights From This Week's AP Environmental Science Class Field Trip
On Friday, September 20th the AP Environmental Science class took part in a Marinequest program with UNCW. Students participated in a field study of marine science at a Wrightsville Beach and at the Marine Science Center. This included marsh ecology studies, plankton studies and turning algae into biodiesel fuel! 



 

 


--


Join VAHS for a Spectacular Homecoming
Join VAHS as we celebrate Homecoming September 30th to October 4th! We will roll out the week with a Kick-Off Assembly where our Homecoming Court will be officially announced. Don't forget to dress for Meme Monday Spirit Day. And join our Volleyball and Soccer teams as they play away games at East Wake Academy High School.
Tuesday's spirit wear theme will be Disney vs Marvel and our amazing volleyball team will take on the Oxford Preparatory School in another away game.

Wednesday will highlight Decades Day as the spirit day theme and we will sponsor two home games with Cross Country meeting with Roxboro Community HS and Men's Soccer playing Henderson Collegiate.

Thursday is the BIG DAY so wear your Viking Pride gear! We will hold a pregame pep assembly that will show our support for the Men's Soccer team as they play the fall homecoming game against DSA. Bring your voice and cheer our team on at our new field at 6:00 pm. Immediately after the game, high school students can enjoy a post game block party in the high school parking lot from 7 to 9pm.
But we aren't done yet! Friday will be a Wacky Tacky day and we will complete our  Homecoming celebrations with two final events. First a school wide Victory Parade will take place at 1:30 Friday afternoon. The parade route will go from the high school, past the elementary, past the middle school, and back to the high school. We can't wait to share our Viking Pride with the rest of campus. Finally  the high school will end the week with our first annual HOCO Olympics where the freshmen will take on the sophomores and the juniors will take on the seniors in "Olympic" games for the remainder of the afternoon.
Join in on the fun as we cheer and root for our teams. Go, Vikings, Go!!

--

The ACT Question of the Day
The ACT exam is one of the most crucial standardized tests taken by a high school student. This is especially true in North Carolina, where it is required for all 11th graders.  It will be one of the primary determiners of college acceptance.

To support student success at VAHS, next week we will be adopting an “ACT Question of the Day,” provided by Kaplan (which provides many more ACT and SAT resources for students).  This will take place during the first five minutes of 3rd period for all students.  Students will be given the question, some time to respond, and then the answer will be provided, with an explanation. Teachers will manage the process and can provide support.

How parents can support their VAHS students’ success on the ACT…
Parents can help by providing students with a composition notebook, in which they can record all of their ACT Questions of the Day, to keep throughout their entire time at VAHS. This could also serve as a tool for communication with your child about ACT preparation and readiness.  In addition to familiarizing students with the ACT exam, the ACT Question of the Day will raise a collective awareness—as a school and community—as to the importance and impact of the ACT exam.  

--

Astronomy Field Trip
The Astronomy classes are taking a field trip on Oct 25th to the Ingram Planetarium in Sunset Beach NC. Please be sure to have your child's permission slip returned to Mrs. Huntington or Ms. Batty by Oct. 1st. The cost of the field trip is $75 to cover admission and the bus. The students will be touring the museum and watching a show at the dome. If your child needs a permission slip please contact chuntington@voyageracademy.net. Payments are to be made through the Charter Pay system which can be accessed on the Voyager Academy website. 
--

Volleyball Tournament Postponed
The 1st Annual Tournament that was to be held on September 28th has been postponed to a later date. We will provide more information soon about the rescheduled event. 

--

THE OCTOBER ACT TEST IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER!
Students who would like to take the ACT on Oct. 26 need to register by Sept. 20 to avoid a late registration fee. Register at ACT.org

Fall is a great time to test because:
*Juniors can use the exam to predict college and career readiness.
*Seniors have a final shot at securing the score they need before college applications are due.
* Many colleges will "superscore"  ACT scores by taking the best subscores across all test dates to create the strongest possible. 

--

Backpack Buddies: Balanced Meals and Snacks for Students in Need 
VAHS is once again teaming up with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle to offer a BackPack Buddies Program. This program provides a weekend bag filled with balanced meals and snacks for eligible students to take home over the weekend.  The program is free of charge. Permission slips will be distributed to all students who are currently participating in the Voyager Academy free/reduced lunch program. A form is also included below for your convenience. Please contact Jill O'Kane with any questions. 

--

Don't Miss the Durham College Fair! 
Students and parents are encouraged to attend the Durham College Fair!
Sunday, September 29 at the Durham Convention Center.
Go to meet representatives  from over 75 colleges and universities without leaving Durham! This is a great chance to figure  out which college is right for you.

To register, log on to gotocollegefairs.com    Click here for a flyer with details

--

Free Assistance with the FAFSA
The FAFSA launches on October 1. The NC campus financial aid offices are holding multiple events, including FAFSA Day on October 26, 2019, to assist students and families with FAFSA completion. Click here for a flyer with information about where students/families can receive assistance with financial aid/FAFSA completion. It includes a link asking students/families to complete a VERY short form – name, email, county of residence, and how they wish to be contacted. Once they  receive a request, they will reach out to the financial aid office on the campuses of the designated counties. The financial aid office will then send information on the events in the family’s area.
--

Stay Informed!      
Please check the VAHS blog frequently, for news, information, and opportunities for VAHS students. Also, please feel free to subscribe, to receive emailed notifications of new postings. (see below on the right hand side of the page under where it says, "FOLLOW US.").

--

VAHS Senior Information Session (Senior Parent Night)
Seniors and their parents/guardians are invited to attend the Sr. Information session at VAHS on Thursday, October 17, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.. Sessions will include Information about Graduation Requirements, Post High school Options, and College Application/Admissions Information.  

--

Durham Tech Dual Enrollment Information Sessions (Take College Courses While at VAHS)
The dates for the CCP Information Sessions at Durham Tech. Have been posted on the Durham Tech CCP website under "Enrollment Steps". The next evening session is Thursday Sept. 19, 2019. 
Students interested in the Career and College Promise program must attend an information session. During a session students can learn about program requirements, plans of study, and apply for admission.  Parents are welcome to attend. https://www.durhamtech.edu/dual-enrollment

--

Buy a Yearbook Now!
The 2020 Expedition yearbook is on sale now at the lowest price offered, $55.  Purchase a personalization and get FOUR FREE ICONS to go along with the student's name.  The deadline for this offer is September 30th.

All purchases should be made at http://www.jostensyearbooks.com

--


Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) meets on Wednesday mornings from 7:30-8:30am in room D124. 
Students do not need to be athletes, nor Christian to attend--All are welcome! :)  Contact Mr. Baker (dbaker@voyageracademy.net) or Mrs. Paradis (mparadis@voyageracademy.net) for more info.   

--

VAHS Counseling Department Blog
All parents and students should frequently check and/or subscribe to the VAHS Counseling Department blog (click here)! Here you will find  important information and opportunities for VAHS students. Topics range from specific grade level information to scholarships and other interesting opportunities.   

--

Why you might ask?
We need YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will enrich your experience at Voyager by being involved
You get to meet and socialize with other parents
PTO involvement helps parents be aware of school needs
YOU’LL HAVE FUN!

--

PARENTS:  Sign up to receive text messages from VAHS
Even though you may have been subscribed from last year, all must re-subscribe.  This is because some cell phone numbers may no longer belong to last year’s subscribers (as people may change numbers or mobile providers). Click below for subscription instructions for your student’s grade.  





--

Important Dates for VAHS

Dates
Events
Sept. 27
NO CLASSES – Parent/Teacher conference day
Oct. 1
Midterm exams for pds. 1 & 3
Oct. 2
Midterm exams for pds. 2 & 4
Oct. 7-11
NO CLASSES – Fall Break
Oct. 17
VAHS Senior Information Session (Senior Parent Night)  6-7:30pm
Oct. 18
Report cards given to students
Oct. 22
Pre-ACT (required for all 10th graders)
Oct. 25
Fall Festival (by the VA PTO)
Nov. 11
NO CLASSES – Veterans’ Day
Nov. 25
Project Exhibition Day. 2-4:00pm
Nov. 27-29
NO CLASSES – Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 12 – 18
Final exams
Dec. 19 – Jan. 3
NO CLASSES – Winter Break
Jan. 6
1st day of class to begin the 2nd semester
Jan. 11
Report cards given to students
Jan. 20
NO CLASSES – MLK Holiday
Feb. 10-14
Teacher Appreciation Week
Feb. 17
NO CLASSES – Teacher workday
Feb. 18
NO CLASSES – Parent/Teacher conference day
Feb. 25
ACT Exam (all 11th graders)
Mar. 4
Midterm exams for pds. 1 & 3
Mar. 5
Midterm exams for pds. 2 & 4
Mar. 13
Report cards given to students
Mar. 16
NO CLASSES – Teacher workday
Mar. 17
NO CLASSES – Parent/Teacher conference day
April 8
Project Exhibition Day. 4-6:00pm
Apr. 10 – 17
NO CLASSES – Spring Break
May 1
Spring Fling (by the VA PTO)
May 4-15
AP exams
May 18-22
Final exams
May 26
Graduation (time and location TBA)



OTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION
FOR AND ABOUT VAHS





VOYAGER VIKING VALUES
CONFIDENCE   - CURIOSITY   - EMPATHY
REFLECTION   - INTEGRITY