Dear Voyager Community,
What a beautiful Friday filled with sunshine and blue skies. The Voyager staff and students continue to shine as well with their commitment to growing and learning together. Resilience and flexibility have been key strengths that have been demonstrated throughout the journey this year as we continue to be responsive to changing needs. Mid-year reviews of academic data show strong student growth in all three schools. We are proud of our Vikings! The Voyager community continues to grow stronger by working together. And we greatly appreciate all the parent support at home as we partner together.
Many student clubs have been active remotely and are continuing to grow and make plans for the remainder of the school year. Our High School National Honor Society has been available to tutor Voyager students as well as students in need in Durham. The NHS also launched a reading buddy program to partner with our elementary students. Voyager NHS students are doing an amazing job demonstrating Voyager core values through their service work. Voyager also has three Science Olympiad teams that have exploring and learning together as they prepare for upcoming competitions. We are very thankful for parent, Kristin Jantz, for spearheading the Science Olympiad teams. Our 8th graders continue to explore career opportunities and today learned about physical therapy, safety, and ergonomics from parent, Jennifer McIlvaine. Voyager is so fortunate to have such a strong community supporting one another.
The Voyager PTO is a great way to get further connected with our school community and help make plans to support the growth of our school programming. PTO information is linked on our website under parent resources. The PTO is always looking for new families to get involved to help them make plans for the future.
We are looking forward to all students returning 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. Have a wonderful weekend!
All the best,
Upcoming Calendar Events:
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 5 - 8th Grade Career Talk
Feb 11 - Parent Enrichment Session - Durham Cooperative
Feb 12 - Middle School Progress Reports
Feb 17 - Reopening Task Force Meeting 4 pm
Feb 17- End of second grading period for K-3
Feb 18- Culture and Climate PD
Feb 23 - ACT to all 11th graders
Feb 25- Elementary Virtual Assembly “We All Have A Skill To Share”
Feb 26 - 8th Grade Career Talk
Student Support Services
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.
Information from the Student 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.
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.
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.