Dear Voyager Community,
It’s been a wonderful week at Voyager! The teachers and students are deep into their lessons and projects and the year is flying by too quickly. It was fun to celebrate with all the elementary and middle school students and staff at their assemblies this morning. Pictures below highlight some of the elementary staff character pumpkins shared at the Fall in Love with Books assembly.
The Voyager team has been preparing our plans for the return to in-person instruction in January. We have joined in on a Duke Science Collaborative with other NC schools to support our implementation plans and gain deeper insight into the COVID-19 metrics from area experts. The Duke doctors and researchers will provide standardized COVID-19 related data to Voyager along with other school districts in the ABC Science Collaborative to inform school re-opening approaches (remote, in-person learning, hybrid). They will also provide recommended mitigation strategies to support our safe return to the classroom. This information will be incorporated into our return to learning plans and procedures. We are also busy planning for and preparing all buildings with new safety protocols and procedures to keep all students and staff safe and healthy when we return to campus.
At the end of next week, we will be sending out a survey to get additional feedback from our community as we plan for the future. Outlined below is a timeline highlighting the input and communication process. Our student support team will be hosting another exciting social to help support students stay connected to one another while we are learning apart. Please see details below and use the link to register your child for the event. Thank you for partnering with us on the journey this year.
Please know that we are all here to support your child grow and learn. Feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher, building administrator, or student support if we can assist your family in any way. Please review the upcoming dates and information below for additional resources. Have a wonderful weekend!
All the best,
Book Character Pumpkins - Elementary Fall in Love with Books
Upcoming Calendar Events:
Nov. 5 – Student Support Mindfulness Activities for Students
Nov. 9 - K-3 Report cards sent home
Nov. 12 – Parent Night – Incorporating Mindfulness in our Daily Lives
Nov. 13 - MS Second Quarter Progress Reports
Dec 14- 18 - Final Exams
Student Social Event:
November 5th:
Sign-up link: https://forms.gle/kQw2cE75t6ekA6tb7
Please sign up by November 3rd.
Grades K-3:
Join us on November 5th from 2:45-3:15 for a game of I-Spy and I-Hear. Sharpen your vision and focus skills to see what you can spy hiding in the background of your classmates' Zooms. Test your hearing skills in a game of I-Hear, where we play fun sounds and you guess what made them. Can't wait to see you there!
Grades 4-8 & 9-12:
Do you want to refine your hearing and visual skills while playing fun guessing games with your peers? If so, come join us November 5th from 3:45-4:15 for some mental exercise. See you there!!
Stay healthy and safe – Practice the 3 W’s
Staying current on all of the health metrics and data is also part of our ongoing process. As we work together to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, please remind your children about the importance of the 3 W’s (Wear, Wait, & Wash). Wear a mask, practice social distancing by waiting and maintaining a 6-foot space between others, and wash hands frequently to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Outlined below are some helpful links and resources if you are interested in learning more about the latest data and recommendations.
K-12 Public Health Guidance Updates
Durham Public Health COVID Dashboard
Food and Nutrition Support for Families
From now until December 31, 2020, Durham County Public Schools is providing free meals to all children aged 18 and under. Drive-through pick up of meals is available weekly from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. Pick-up sites are listed here and below. No ID is required to pick up the meals. If you are unable to pick up at the designated time, click here to obtain information on how to have meals delivered to your home.
The students services team has compiled an additional list of resources which can be found here.
Community Partnership with Kate’s Korner for K-5
Kate’s Korner will provide a supervised remote learning space for Voyager Academy Elementary (Kindergarten-3rd grades) and Middle School (4th & 5th grade) students to complete their school work while Voyager is operating in a remote learning environment and parents are working. Additional information regarding Kate’s Korner can be found on their website https://www.kateskornerdurham.com, and registration can be completed using this Registration Form
Community Partnership with Student U for Grades 6-12
Student U will provide a supervised remote learning space for families of Voyager Academy Middle School and High School students to complete their Voyager school work in a safe supervised learning center while Voyager is operating in a remote learning environment and parents are working. This community partnership will support struggling Voyager families in need of free child care while they are working during the remote learning environment. Applications for the learning center will be prioritized by Student U for families that qualify for free or reduced lunch, have parents that are essential workers, or have become recently unemployed, are experiencing homelessness, are part of the foster care system, or live in public housing.
Link for Remote Access to the Voyager Library for Elementary Students