Dear Voyager Community,
What a busy week we have had here at Voyager, learning and growing together. Thank you again to our community for sharing your feedback on the most recent Hybrid Reopening Plan survey. The Board met last night to review the recommended plan and consider all community feedback. The Board approved the recommendation to delay in-person instruction until March 1, 2021. The Board will allow sports and extracurricular activities to continue while we are learning remotely. Our high school student athletes did an impressive job presenting their views to the Board on resuming sports activities. The leadership team and Reopening Task Force will meet again on February 17, 2021 to review updated COVID-19 data and metrics as well as the results of safely resuming sports and extracurricular activities as we plan for the future. The school leadership team and school staff will continue to refine operations plans and programs to ensure school readiness for a safe return to in-person learning.
We recognize that remote learning has been a challenge for many of our students and families. The leadership team and school counseling team will continue to partner and develop additional solutions to support the needs of our students and families. At the board meeting each of the principals shared the academic progress shown for each of their schools. We are very proud of our students and staff for their demonstrated academic growth, resilience, and dedication. We are also grateful for the commitment and support from our family partners. We are Viking strong and we will get through this together. All documents shared during the Board meeting are posted on the Board of Directors page by date on our website and linked here for your convenience.
Thank you to our families, students, and staff that attended the high school curriculum night and the high school transition night for our rising 9th graders that were also held this week. The high school leadership team and staff led two informative programs about the academic, college and career, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities available at our high school. We look forward to having our Vikings continue to grow with us as they transition across campus and continue their educational journey.
The Student Services team is continuing their student socials and parent enrichment events each month to further engage our community while we are learning apart. Please check out the details below the newsletter and review the link to their flyer. Students will enjoy a karaoke party together on February 4th. The Durham County Cooperative Extension will share programs to engage children now and throughout the summer at the next parent enrichment night scheduled for February 11th. Both programs are designed to further connect and support our students and families.
We’re excited to plan for the future and welcome all to campus soon. Thank you for continuing to encourage your child to be an active participant in the remote learning process until we return in person. Remind your children to take advantage of the opportunity for office hours with their teacher if support is needed. Please know that we are all here to support your child grow, learn, and find their passion. 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. Don’t forget school will be closed on Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Remember his dream and share it with your children. Have a wonderful long weekend!
All the best,
Upcoming Calendar Events:
Jan 18 –No School - Martin Luther King Holiday
Jan 22 - 8th Grade Career Talk
Jan 26 - 100th Day of School for elementary
Jan 26 - EOC Make-ups
Jan 28 - Board Meeting
Feb 4 - EC 8th Grade HS Transition Night - 6 pm; Student Social
Feb 11 - Parent Enrichment Session
Feb 17 - Reopening Task Force Meeting 4 pm
Feb 17- End of second grading period for K-3
Feb 23 - ACT to all 11th graders
Feb 25- Elementary Virtual Assembly “We All Have A Skill To Share”
Student Socials and Parent Enrichment Programs from Support Services Team
Student Socials & Parent Enrichment Sessions Have Returned! Please use this link (Socials & Enrichment Flyer) for information regarding our fun socials and informative parent sessions.
Resources in Response to Events at the Capitol
Responding to Events at the United States Capitol
The events at the U.S. Capitol evoked intense emotions and reactions from us all. We hope that you are able to acknowledge and process these intense feelings. As members of the Viking family, please listen, support, and encourage one another. As parents, caregivers, and educators, it is our responsibility to help children feel safe and to teach them how to engage with others of differing viewpoints in a peaceful, tolerant, and respectful manner. As children look to us for guidance, below are ways to help them make sense of it all.
Resources
Helping Kids Understand the Riots at the Capitol - Child Mind Institute
Younger kids are unlikely to understand what’s happening on TV, but they may pick up on your anxiety. The news is disturbing but you can help insulate kids by keeping your cool.
- Stay calm as you explain what’s going on. If you need to, take a quiet minute to yourself before talking with your children. If you need to vent your frustrations or other feelings, do it when the kids are in bed.
- Use developmentally appropriate language to answer little kids’ questions: “Sometimes adults, like kids, get very emotional and do things they shouldn’t. A lot of people got very angry because of the election results. They wanted to show that they were angry, which is okay, but the things they did were not okay.”
- Reassure kids who may have seen disturbing images of violence on TV that they’re safe.
- Emphasize the positive, too: “Our representatives knew it was very important to continue doing their work, so they went back into the building to finish, even if it took all night! This shows how important our elections are.”
Older kids may have some understanding of what’s going on and feel anxious or scared. Modeling a calm, rational response and helping them talk through any fears or worries they have can help.
- Give kids a chance to tell you what they saw and ask questions. It’s important to get a sense of what they’re thinking.
- Validate their feelings: “I totally understand why this feels scary. Let’s talk about it.”
- Let them know that if anything, the response to this unrest proves the government is working as it should, not the other way around.
- Check in with kids frequently.
- Limit exposure to news. Instead, keep routines in place and try doing something as a family like taking a walk, baking a cake, or making art. Anything that helps keep everyone calm and distracted.
For teenagers and young adults, using this as an opportunity to talk about their own rights and responsibilities can be helpful.
- Let them know that it’s normal to be angry, sad or frightened when witnessing injustice. Especially for teens who were involved in the Black Lives Matter protests, seeing this situation unfold may be very upsetting.
- Discuss appropriate ways for teens to channel their emotions and fight for what they believe in, no matter their politics. Can they get involved in community organizations? Raise money or volunteer for a cause they care about?
- Talking about their own media consumption can also give young adults a sense of control and safety. Where do they get their news? How do they know what information to trust? When do they give themselves space from the news?
How to Talk to Kids about Scary News - HuffPost
- Be mindful of news exposure
- Talk about what’s going on
- Ask open questions
- Keep it age-appropriate
- Validate their feelings
- Ensure them they’re safe
- Make it a teachable moment
- Focus on the positive
Psychological First Aid for Students and Teachers - Ready
- Listen: The first important step to help your students after an event is to listen and pay attention to what they say and how they act.
- Protect: Answer questions simply and honestly, clearing up confusion students may have about what happened. Talk to your students about what is being done by the school and community to keep everyone safe from harm.
- Connect: Reaching out to people in your school and community will help your students: “Check in” with students on a regular basis, find resources that can offer support to your students and classroom, keep communication open with others involved in your students’ lives (parents, other teachers, coaches, etc.).
Helping Children Cope
- Try to keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including school.
- Limit exposure to television, news and social media.
- Be honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle. Do not answer questions that have not been asked.
- Listen to kids’ fears and concerns.
- Refer students who are triggered by or struggling with recent events to the school counselor and/or school social worker.
Additional Resources
- Caring for Students in the Wake of a Traumatic News Event
- NASP Guidance for Ensuring Student Well-Being in the Context of the 2020 Election
Reopening Plans
The Board approved the recommendation to delay in-person instruction until March 1, 2021. The Board will allow sports and extracurricular activities to continue while we are learning remotely. The leadership team and Reopening Task Force will meet again on February 17, 2021 to review updated COVID-19 data and metrics as well as the results of safely resuming sports and extracurricular activities as we plan for the future. The school leadership team and school staff will continue to refine operations plans and programs to ensure school readiness for a safe return to in-person learning.
Applications for 2021 – 2022 School Year – Now Open
The application process is open for admission for the 2021 -2022 school year. It is important to remember that siblings of currently enrolled students interested in attending Voyager next year must also submit an application in order to be considered for admission. Applications are being accepted online through the SchoolMint system.
Please share our website and marketing materials with families that may be interested in learning more about Voyager Academy. Feel free to post on your social media accounts as well to encourage your friends to apply. The application period opens on January 1 and closes on February 28, 2021. We are scheduling a virtual information session for prospective families on February 9, 2021. We are also planning an information session on January 13, 2021 for current Voyager 8th graders and their parents to discuss the high school transition and share information about academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities available at Voyager High School.
Virtual Tour -
The link below will take you directly to a virtual tour of each of our school buildings along with drone footage of our campus. This will provide prospective families with a good sense of our incredible facilities since they will not be able to tour in person. The virtual tour will allow you to walk through the buildings and get a 360-degree view. The navigation menu will also allow direct access to each of the rooms on the tour.
Greenlight App -
We have partnered with Duke and Greenlight Ed to complete our daily health screening to ensure our school. Please set up your Greenlight account today and complete the survey daily for each child even while your children are learning remotely. We will use this data and input to ensure we are ready for reopening safely. The links to set up your account are below.
ACTION NEEDED: Directions and links to set up your Greenlight Account
Setting up your account is simple. Select the link below and enter the email address you use to receive Voyager newsletters. Families with multiple children can select any school their children attend. Once your account is set up you will see all of your children associated with your account and be able to complete the daily health screening for each of them. After you complete your first survey you will see the Greenlight pass cleared indication. We will have students select that option to show the larger pass during car line for screening along with their temperature check. Each student will be able to show their Greenlight pass to ensure they are healthy and can attend school. The app also provides support for families that need access to health care, testing, or additional community resources. Please select the link below to set up your family account now.
Elementary School - activate account here: https://glit.me/go/
Middle School- activate account here: https://glit.me/go/
High School - activate account here: https://glit.me/go/
Account set up questions should be directed to help@greenlightready.com
The app is not yet in the app store so you can't just download it at this time. The developer is currently waiting for approval from Apple. Once you set up your account you can send the link https://app.greenlightready.
Videos to Help you set up your account and add it to the home screen on your phone
Here is a link to a video that walks through registering for Greenlight:
Greenlight Video from Claire –instructions to add Greenlight to your home screen on your phone
For iPhone users:
https://www.macrumors.com/how-
For Android users:
https://www.howtogeek.com/
Questions regarding setting up your account should be directed to help@greenlightready.com. Once your account is set up you can also use their chat feature.
Biogen and MIT Speaker Series for HS and MS Students
Biogen and the Lemelson-MIT group are proud to introduce the BIOGEN COMMUNITY LAB: SPEAKER SERIES THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH
Please join on the third Wednesday of each month from 4pm – 5pm EST as we present a brand new, free virtual speaker series! Each session will host a different professional within the biotechnology community to discuss topics such as inventions, innovation and much more.
December 16th 4PM to 5PM EST The Next Frontier in Biomarkers, Imaging & Neuroscience!
Register Here: https://mit.zoom.us/
Biogen’s Vice President & Head, Biomarkers Center of Excellence, John Beaver
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.
StrongSchoolsNC Public Health Toolkit (K-12)
Durham Public Health COVID Dashboard
Before and After Care – Now Hiring
Contact Patrice Johnson – pjohnson@voyageracadmy.net for details
Food and Nutrition Support for Families
Important Update: Food and nutrition support for families in need has been extended through June. From now until June 30, 2021, Durham County Public Schools will provide 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.
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.