Dear Voyager Community,
Students, teachers, and staff continue to work hard to reach academic, social, and emotional learning goals for the year. It was an exciting week on campus with lots of activity. Thank you to all the families that attended the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion night, “You Belong at Voyager”. There was a lot of great conversation and ideas for the future. Middle School Assistant Principal, Richie Mitchell, is spearheading a new committee to further the work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Reach out to him directly if you are interested in getting involved.
You’ll notice that we have a major repair and replacement project underway at the Hock House. The windows are all in the process of being replaced to ensure we maintain our beautiful facilities. We continue to partner with the School Foundation to identify capital repair projects to maintain our campus.
This morning we had a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of our EC Learning Annex. We are grateful to the parent donation that funded the start of the EC separate setting coffee cart business. The Middle School supply fundraiser has been extended another week. As you drive through carline, please drop off any new school supply donations at the Middle School. Thank you to all families that have already donated.
The High School outdoor prom event is being held this weekend as an outdoor event. As part of our safety precautions required by NCDHHS all students attending need to have a negative Covid test, mask, and have their Greenlight health screen to ensure the safety of all attendees. We are fortunate to have the support of our partnership with the Duke ABC Collaborative. They were on campus on Thursday to perform the Covid test for students so that parents did not need to make arrangements. Please review the Covid Surveillance testing document that was previously sent and listed below the newsletter. We encourage staff participation as well as parental consent to random anonymous testing as an added layer of safety precaution to identify any asymptomatic Covid cases on campus so that we can prevent further spread of the virus. This testing is only done on a voluntary basis with parental consent. Please send your consent forms to our new school nurse, Ms. Jill Balok.
Check out the information below about an exciting upcoming Voyager Drive In music performance. 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 – 30 – MS Carline School Supply Drive
April 23 - Learning Annex Grand Opening - 9 am
April 24 - Prom (https://mountainviewfarmnc.
May 5 - Student Social Dance Party
May 10-26- EOG/EOC/EXT1
May 27 – Graduation Orange County Speedway
Voyager HS Music Program Performs at the Drive-In!
What a year it's been!! Join us for a night of performances showcasing our talented HS musicians & all they've accomplished over the last year at the Raleigh Road Drive-In Theater in Henderson, NC. You don't want to miss it!
WHERE: Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater (3336 Raleigh Rd Henderson, NC 27537) http://www.
WHEN: Thursday, May 13th
COST: Admission is FREE!!!
SCHEDULE:
6:00: Gate opens to the public
6:30-8:00: Cabaret performances featuring our HS Chorus & Band students
8:00-Band & Show Choirs perform!
9:30: Hairspray! (stay to watch on the big screen if you can!)
Concessions will be sold for the duration of the event, no outside food allowed.
Questions? Contact Jenny Hobgood jhobgood@
News from the Student Services Team
May Student Social
Join the Student Services Team on Wednesday, May 5th at 3:45 p.m. for a Voyager Academy Dance Party. See the flyer for additional information (Dance Party).
Summer Programs
Find engaging summer opportunities for children of all ages and interests to include academic, recreation, art, STEM, and much more. See the compiled list for all summer opportunities (Summer Programs).
Resources for Talking to Children about Anti-Asian Racism
In light of the recent violence and discrimination against people of Asian descent, the Student Services Team has compiled a list of resources to help parents/guardians talk to children about anti-Asian racism (Resources for Talking to Children about Anti-Asian Racism). If your child needs additional support, please reach out to your child's school counselor and/or the school social worker.
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.
Middle School – Morning Carline School Supply Drive – April 19- 30th 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 30, 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 by the Director of Operations on Friday, April 23, 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/
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
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.