Dear Voyager Community,
What a wonderful week having all in-person students back on campus this week! I also enjoyed watching our MS soccer game and HS Volleyball team play for a senior night celebration. All school buildings are filled with energy, learning, and joy. Teachers and staff are so excited to be back together. The Hock Media Center was also filled with the joyful noise of children. Classes have started visiting the library and students are selecting books that pique their interest to further their reading skills. Our EC Middle School students in Mrs. Allen’s class were also at the Hock House on Thursday learning about cooking skills and are pictured below. We look forward to having our remote learners return for the 21-22 school year.
School Safety – COVID Surveillance Testing & Tornado Drill
Safety continues to be a top priority on campus. You all should have received detailed information about the COVID surveillance testing program we are implementing with the Duke ABC Science collaborative as an added layer of protection for our school community to help identify asymptomatic cases. Participation is voluntary and parental consent is required. Additional details are below along with the link to the consent form.
This week each of our buildings held a tornado drill to ensure that we are prepared in the event of a tornado watch or warning. We also continue to implement monthly fire drills, and other emergency drills to ensure the safety of all students and staff.
Community Building – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Night – 4/20 and MS Service Club
Next week we are hosting a community Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion night titled, “You Belong at Voyager”. Additional details and registration link are below and we hope you can join us. The Middle School Service Club is hosting a school supply drive during carline next week to support UNC Hospital’s School.
Summer Camp Opportunities
Voyager will be offering multiple opportunities this summer for enrichment, remediation, and camp experiences on campus. Identified third graders that have not met the Read to Achieve requirements will have the opportunity for Summer Reading Camp to focus on literacy skills. Students in K-8 that are not at grade level in math and literacy will have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Jumpstart program. Additionally, Voyager will be offering a traditional summer camp with exciting programs and enrichment opportunities to keep your children engaged and learning during summer break. Program details will be sent out next week.
Teacher Recognition
The NC Association of Public Charter Schools is sponsoring a Rock Star Teacher Contest to recognize our teacher leaders for their efforts this year. Share your messages of gratitude for your teacher and Voyager will also have the opportunity to be awarded a $500 grant from the NCAPCS. Submissions will be shared by the NCAPCS during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3-7) to highlight all the teacher Rock Stars. Take a minute and recognize your Rock Star Voyager teacher. Nominations are due by April 29, 2021 and can be submitted using the Rock Star Teacher Contest: Nomination Form linked here.
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:
April 19 – 23 – MS Carline School Supply Drive
April 20 - Parent/Staff Night- Diversity/Equity/Inclusion - You Belong at Voyager
April 22 - Board Meeting
April 23 - Learning Annex Grand Opening - 9 am
April 24 - Prom (https://mountainviewfarmnc.com/)
May 10-26- EOG/EOC/EXT1
May 27 – Graduation Orange County Speedway
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Parent Enrichment Night
“You Belong at Voyager” - February 20, 2021 – 6 pm
Voyager is committed to being a diverse and inclusive learning community for our staff and families. This year we have continued to offer professional development to support our staff grow and learn more about the important topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are excited to take the next steps in this important work and engage our families in the dialogue to help us continue to grow. We are establishing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee with the overarching theme, “We’re Better Together”. We have planned our first parent/staff event to broaden our conversations and include our families in the process. The parent night “You Belong at Voyager” will help us better understand the needs of our community and identify our goals for the future. Please review the flyer below and register to attend this important event to join in on the conversation.
Middle School – Morning Carline School Supply Drive – April 19- 23rd, 2021
The MS Service Club is sponsoring a carline school supply drive to support the UNC Hospital School. Please bring new school supplies for donation during the morning carline from April 19, 2021 through April 23, 2021. We appreciate our families for your support and we are proud of our student leaders working together to support our community.
Summer Camp Opportunities
Voyager will be offering multiple opportunities this summer for enrichment, remediation, and camp experiences on campus. Identified third graders that have not met the Read to Achieve requirements will have the opportunity for Summer Reading Camp to focus on literacy skills. Students in K-8 that are not at grade level in math and literacy will have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Jumpstart program. Additionally, Voyager will be offering a traditional summer camp with exciting programs and enrichment opportunities to keep your children engaged and learning during summer break. Program details will be sent out the week of April 19, 2021.
Voluntary Surveillance Testing at Voyager
RE: Surveillance COVID-19 Testing at Voyager Academy
As part of our return to safe in-person instruction at Voyager, we are participating in a COVID-19 surveillance testing program. Surveillance testing will help us identify individuals who have COVID-19 but do not show symptoms.
The primary goal of our surveillance COVID-19 testing is to limit the number of infected individuals at our school. The testing data will help us plan our learning accommodations and safety procedures for the summer and the upcoming school year.
How the testing program will work
Surveillance COVID-19 testing will take place at our school from April 22, 2021 to June 30, 2021.
We have asked a team of Duke doctors to help us administer this program and analyze the testing data from our school. Testing data sent to Duke will be de-identified, meaning that Duke will not be able to know who participated in testing or their individual results.
Here’s what you need to know:
We will send you a consent form to complete on behalf of your child(ren). (Included below, please return in an envelope labeled School Nurse).
If you sign the consent form and agree to participate in the testing program, your child will be assigned a unique identification number. This number will be used in place of your child’s name for all testing-related procedures and data sent to Duke to help protect your child’s identity.
Each week, a set of identification numbers will be randomly selected for testing. You will know ahead of time which week your child will participate in testing.
Students selected for testing for a particular week will receive a nasal swab on the designated day at the school by a Duke clinician.
While the tests we have selected are accurate in most circumstances, it is possible to receive a false positive result. If your child’s test gives a positive read-out, your child will immediately receive a second test to confirm the result.
Our school administrator or nurse will contact you if your child receives a confirmed positive result for COVID-19, and we will provide instructions for picking up the student and how to isolate at home.
About the testing kits
We will start the program by using the Quidel QuickVue test and will switch to the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test in early May. These tests were chosen because they:
Use a small swab in the front part of the nose (nares).
Provide quick results (10-15 minutes).
Have high accuracy.
Are suitable and accurate in individuals with and without symptoms.
Are approved for use in adults and children.
Can be administered in the school.
Can securely transmit results to our school or public health department (i.e. it is HIPAA compliant) [Ellume test].
We will send additional information about this program soon. We hope that your participation in this surveillance COVID-19 testing program will help you feel more comfortable about your students being at school.
Thank you for your role in keeping our school community safe and healthy.
CONSENT FORM LINKED HERE - PLEASE PRINT AND RETURN TO FRONT OFFICE ADDRESSED TO THE SCHOOL NURSE
Before and After Care
Enrollment for the Before and After school care (BASC) programs is now open for full time (4/5 days) registration. BASC will transition to full time care beginning Monday, April 12th. To ensure we are properly staffed for students to ratios we will use the following.
The enrollment deadline will be on the first Monday after 1 week. i.e. If you register on April 9th, your students start date will be April 19th.
Fees are charged on a monthly basis and are due by the first of the month.
Early Care: $50 per month (No sibling discount)
After Care: $205 per month for 1st child and $195 per month for siblings.
There is a one- time non- refundable registration fee of $30.
BASC Programs hours:
Early Care: 6:45am – until carline opens for Elementary, Middle School and High school
After Care: 2:45pm – 6:00pm for Elementary and 3:15pm – 6:00pm Middle School.
Voyager Academy will offer Day Camp programs for Summer 2021.
Registration will begin Monday, April 19th.
Camp dates are June 7th – July 1st.
Specialty camps will be also available.
Voyager Academy BASC knows what it takes to keep children safe, so you can feel comfortable registering your child. We pay attention to every detail both big and small in training staff for COVID-19 restrictions and protocols. 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/login/recovery. Once you register for the program you will receive our complete Parent Handbook. If you have any questions or concerns, please email me directly at pjohnson@voyageracademy.net.
Lunch Program
Here are a few lunch program reminders in preparation for our transition to Plan A in April.
Lunch ordering is now available through the end of May.
Lunch orders must be placed at least one week in advance. Orders placed less than that will not be honored. A refund will be issued and you will need to provide lunch for your student that day.
K & W Cafeteria will provide lunch on Monday & Thursday.
Chick-Fil-A will provide lunch on Tuesday & Friday.
All meals will be delivered in hot and cold containers to maintain food safety guidelines.
Drinks are not provided with lunch.
Elementary and Middle school students will eat lunch in their classrooms.
High school students will eat lunch in their 2nd Bell classroom.
Students also have the option to bring their own lunch to school. Students that pack their own lunch will not have access to microwaves.
High school students will not be allowed to leave campus for lunch.
Payment options are by debit/credit card or ACH bank draft. Order Lunch online at CharterPay.org.
If you have any questions about before and after school registration or lunch ordering please feel free to reach out to Patrice Johnson, Operations Manager at pjohnson@voyageracademy.net. Technical and account issues should be directed to support@charterpay.org.
Greenlight App –
REMEMBER TO SET UP YOUR GREENLIGHT ACCOUNT AND CHECK IN EVERYDAY. THIS WILL BE USED FOR THE HEALTH SCREENING DURING CARLINE.
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/voyager-elementary
Middle School- activate account here: https://glit.me/go/voyager-middle
High School - activate account here: https://glit.me/go/voyager-high
High School Students - Students may register for accounts using this link: https://app.greenlightready.com/go/voyager-high
Instructional slides for instructions on how to set up the account
For parents/guardians who already have an account, please email help@greenlightready.com with the student’s name, and we will help set students up onto their account. That is a bug that we are working on addressing, but wanted to get this to you ASAP.
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.com/ to your phone. Additional resources are below to assist with setting up your phones for easy access to our Greenlight health screening.
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-to/add-a-web-link-to-home-screen-iphone-ipad/
For Android users:
https://www.howtogeek.com/667938/how-to-add-a-website-to-your-android-home-screen/
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