February 12, 2021
Dear Voyager Community,
What an action packed week here at Voyager! It was so wonderful to see the children and families at our drive through “Share the Love” events held on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This was a great opportunity for our team to connect with students and families and share smiles before the return to in-person instruction in March. Voyager staff were out in full force to cheer for our students and share valentine’s greetings, candy, and goodies. We are also so very grateful for the donations and outpouring support for our canned food drive for the Interfaith Food Pantry. Thank you for brightening our week and for supporting families through the Interfaith Food Pantry. We are also appreciative of the families that attended the Durham Cooperative Extension Parent Engagement night that was held on Thursday evening sponsored by Student Services.
The leadership team held an information session on Tuesday evening for prospective families and had over 400 families attend virtually. The recording of the session was shared with all applicants and is posted on our website under the admissions tab. Please remember to complete your application if you are planning to apply for admission for a sibling (not currently attending Voyager) for the 21-22 school year. To date, we have over 1,500 applications. Please remind any friends interested in applying that the deadline is February 28, 2021.
We are also in the process of making plans for a new Learning Annex for our EC separate setting students to provide real life experiences and skill development. Students will have the opportunity to engage in activities to develop life skills by running a new coffee cart business, creating a garden, and cooking. We are very grateful for the generous parent donation that will kick start the coffee cart business. The former Before and After Care space is being cleaned out and upgraded for our new EC Learning Annex. This initiative is also being supported through the work of Chase Carrington as part of his Eagle Scout project. What a great partnership between the school, students, and families!
Our Operations Manager has also been busy planning the school lunch program and before and after care program to support our families as well. Additional details are outlined below. Middle School Progress Reports are also going out today. Please remember to set up your account for Greenlight to monitor your Covid health screening as part of our check-in process. This will also speed up car line when students return in-person. Additional information on Greenlight is also below if needed. It’s hard to believe it’s mid-February already and car line will be starting soon. Let’s make sure everyone is ready so that all goes smoothly.
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.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all! Have a wonderful weekend with your family and those you love. I’m looking forward to some sunshine and warm weather soon.
All the best,
Upcoming Calendar Events:
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 18-19 – Teacher Workdays – Remote Learning Days for Students
Feb 18 - School Improvement Team Meeting
Feb 19 - Senior Drive Through Breakfast
Feb 23 - ACT to all 11th graders
Feb 25- Elementary Virtual Assembly “We All Have A Skill To Share”
Feb 25 – Board Meeting
Feb 26 - 8th Grade Career Talk
March 1 - ES Hybrid Cohort A reports to school
March 3 - Pre-ACT to all 10th graders
March 4 - ES Hybrid Cohort B reports to school
March 4-12 - HS Midterm Exams
March 4 - Student Social
March 11 - Parent Enrichment Session
March 15 - Teacher Workday – No School for Students
March 16 - MS/HS Cohort A reports to school
March 17 - Remote Learning Day for Students
March 18 – MS/HS Cohort B reports to school
Before and After Care
We are excited to open our before and after school care (BASC) programs. BASC will open on Monday March 1st for elementary students and March 16th for Middle/High school students. Voyager Academy BASC knows what it takes to keep children safe, so you can feel sound in registering your child. We pay attention to every detail both big and small in training staff for COVID-19 restrictions and protocols.
BASC Programs will be available only on days that your child is scheduled to be at Voyager Academy:
·Early Care: 6:45am – 7:45am for Elementary and Middle School (6:45am – 8:15am High school)
·After Care: 2:45pm – 6:00pm for Elementary and Middle School.
All students must be pre-registered in order to attend The BASC program. Parents use the Charter Pay online billing system for program registration. If you need help with your username or password, please visit https://charterpay.org/
Lunch Program
Voyager Academy does not have a cafeteria on campus. Elementary and Middle school students eat lunch in their classrooms. High school students will eat lunch in their 2nd period classroom. Students may pack their own lunch or order lunch through Charter Pay. Students that pack their own lunch will not have access to microwaves this year. We have two food vendors to provide hot lunch for our A & B Cohorts.
Parents, you can order your child's lunch online, pay at the time of order, and we will deliver your students lunch to their classroom. Lunch orders must be placed at least one week in advance. You also have the option to purchase for the entire month. Payment options are by debit/credit card or ACH bank draft. Order Lunch online at CharterPay.org.
Black History Month
- Student Services Black History Month Plans
- Elementary Black History Month Plans
- Middle School Black History Month Plans
- High School Black History Month Plans
Student Support Services
News from the Student Services Team
Black History Month
Black History Month is an opportunity for parents and guardians to introduce age-appropriate discussions about race and culture. It is a time to educate children not only about the contributions made by African Americans, but also provide them with insight about the circumstances that led to its creation. It is important for parents and guardians of all ethnic backgrounds to educate themselves and feel comfortable to bring up topics such as slavery, oppression and racism, and to be prepared to answer hard questions with simple, concrete explanations. There is no shame in saying “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” and returning to the conversation after more research. February gives us a reason to focus on African American history, but it's crucial that children understand the importance of learning and celebrating African American history year-round.
Ways to Teach Your Child About Black History
- Read up on diversity
Adult Books:
- The Slave Ship by Marcus Rediker
- Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Children Books:
- The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf (ages 3 and up)
- Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson (ages 6 to 9)
- Who Is Barack Obama? by Roberta Edwards (age 8 to 12)
- 50 Black Women Who Changed America by Amy Alexander (ages 12 and up)
2.Invite children to listen to inspiring Black musical artists such as Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Grace Jones, Beyoncé
3.Teach them about Black icons. From the original Black legends (Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass) to Civil Rights Movement icons (Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Davis, and Audre Lorde) to the amazing Black leaders of their lifetime (Barack & Michelle Obama, and Madame VP Kamala Harris). Black activists, authors and thinkers have shaped what America is today. Inventors like Leonidas Berry and George Washington Carver, authors like Maya Angelou and Lorraine Hansberry, lawyers like George Washington Williams, educators like Booker T. Washington, politicians like Shirley Chisholm and Maxine Waters, major business owners like Chris Gardner.
4.Watch history together. Pick a movie and/or documentary to help open up conversations about Black history in America. Movies like The Great Debaters, Remember the Titans, 42, Hidden Figures, The Journey of Henry Box Brown are both entertaining and educational.
5.Explore reputable websites
- The National Museum of African American History & Culture
- National Archives
- The 1619 Project
- African American Museum in Philadelphia
- Ferris State University’s Jim Crow Museum
Counselor Updates
Voyager Academy Elementary
Kindergarten and 1st grade receive a recorded guidance lesson through SeeSaw. 2nd and 3rd grades have live guidance lessons on Zoom with the school counselor, Melissa Meckes.
Week 1 - This week in classroom guidance, students learned what it means to be an upstander to racism (standing up when someone is being treated unfairly because of the color of their skin). This was followed by a read aloud on Martin Luther King Jr. and how he exhibited the core value of Empathy.
Week 2 - This week in classroom guidance, we discussed the importance of learning about Black history. This was followed by a read aloud on Wilma Rudolph and how she exhibited the core value of Confidence.
Voyager Academy Middle
Mrs. Farrish, the school counselor, sends out weekly recorded videos for middle school students to enjoy. Her videos during the month of February will focus on the sacrifices, contributions, and achievements of Black Americans to the United States and the world.
Week 1: Ask your student about the Freedom Riders. Mrs. Farrish shared the story of how civil rights activists participated in Freedom Rides; bus trips through the American South in 1961 to protest segregated bus terminals.
Week 2: Students learned about the real life “Hidden Figures” (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson). These Black women made critical contributions to NASA by performing calculations that made it possible for the nation's astronauts to fly into space and return safely to Earth.
Voyager Academy High School:
Continuing the VAHS tradition, the high school will present a school-wide “Black History Month Fact” every school day for the month of February. All teachers will share the same slide at the beginning of 2nd period. After the content is presented, there will be the opportunity for discussion and reflection. Illuminating student reflections, comments, etc. that arise may be featured in the newsletter. The facts can be seen here: A-A Fact of the Day
Advisory sessions in February are set aside for Black History month activities. Advisors will select activities and lessons of their choosing to share with students. The following list of resources was compiled and shared with advisors to provide suggestions. BHM Resources
Student Socials & Parent Enrichment Sessions Have Returned! Please use this link (Socials & Enrichment Flyer) for information regarding our fun socials and informative parent sessions.
News from the Student Services Team - Black History Month
Reopening Plans
We have outlined a phased in approach to allow time for our staff to acclimate back to teaching on campus and ensure all technology and safety procedures are ready for our students. Our elementary (K-3) students enrolled in the hybrid model will begin in-person instruction on March 1, 2021. Middle School and High School students will return to in-person instruction on March 16th so they can finish the 3rd quarter of instruction remotely without the added stress from a new transition. In order to ensure the continuity and integrity of instruction, Middle School and High School students will begin in person at the start of the 4th quarter. Outlined below is an overview of our reopening plans along with other important updates.
The Board reviewed and approved our plans to reopen under the hybrid model at the meeting on 1/28/21. Thank you to all parents, students, and staff for sharing your input. Key dates are summarized below:
- 2/18 & 2/19 - Teacher Work Days - All staff return to working on campus so that teams can plan together and prepare classrooms for the return of students- Remote learning for students
- 2/22 - 2/26 - All staff on campus teaching remotely
- 3/1 - Elementary (K-3) Students in Hybrid Cohort A begin in-person instruction on campus
- 3/1 – All staff children in hybrid learning return to in-person instruction on campus
- 3/4 - Elementary (K-3) Students in Hybrid Cohort B begin in-person instruction on campus
- 3/15- Teacher Workday – No School for Students
- 3/16 - MS/HS students in Hybrid Cohort A return to in-person instruction on campus
- 3/17 – Becomes the asynchronous remote learning day.
- 3/18 – MS/HS Cohort B begins in-person instruction on campus
Cohort Schedules:
Cohort A- in-person M/T, remote W, Th, F
Cohort B- in-person Th, F, remote M, T, W
Remote All Year – remote M-F
Wednesday (school sanitized between cohorts, asynchronous remote learning, small groups, & office hours)
AIG Enrichment Activities
On behalf of the AIG committee, we would like to share enrichment activities and highlight a few contests your children might like to use in addition to their regular learning.
First is a link to some resources that have been compiled by the NCDPI. The websites highlighted in this list offer an opportunity for you to delve into topics that students might be interested in.
K-5 Virtual Enrichment and Extension Resources
6-8 Virtual Enrichment and Extension Resources
In addition, we would like to encourage your child to participate in a contest being offered by the popular educational website, "Flocabulary." In honor of Black History Month, they are sponsoring a rap-writing challenge where students research a black historical figure and create a unique rap about them. The link to the contest is below. It includes a very thorough video to explain the rules and requirements.
Flocabulary Rap Writing Challenge
Another competition that is more local is the Durham Saves Water poster contest. The 8th grade science class is required to participate in this each year so you will definitely be doing this in the future, however the contest is open to any K-8 students and the poster theme changes each year.
Durham Saves Water Poster Contest
Our middle school AIG committee is committed to highlighting contests and activities for enrichment. If your child participates in any of these contests, please reach out to Mrs. Johnson so that we can share the excitement!
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/
High School Students - Students may register for accounts using this link: https://app.
Instructional slides for instructions on how to set up the account
For parents/guardians who already have an account, please email help@greenlightready.com
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.
All questions should be directed to help@greenlightready.com.
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.