Hello Middle School Families,
I hope all of you had a great Spring Break! The weather was awesome so being outside was enjoyable. It was great to see so many of our students returning to campus and it is also great to see the students when they are zooming into their class. Our students are doing a great job!
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK
Parents, you still have time to order a yearbook!! Please order online at strawbridge.net. The online code is FMYB108404.
Individual Student Pictures
Strawbridge will also be taking individual school pictures on Thursday, April 29 for our In Person students during the school day. Remote students will also have the opportunity to have individual pictures. A sign up genius will be coming soon for parents of Remote students only. Thank you for all your help.
It’s Time for Baseball!!!!!
Baseball interest meeting will be Monday, April 19th, at 5:30 pm. Meeting is for players and/or parents. All are welcome to attend.
Here is the zoom link....
Richie Mitchell is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Baseball Interest Meeting
Time: Apr 19, 2021 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/95375197237?pwd=YTlVcXNQazVwMDJ4S092aXZoMitiQT09
Meeting ID: 953 7519 7237
Passcode: rLuS4n
Carline - Thanks so much for having your Blue Carline Card on your dashboard in the afternoons. It helps key in numbers quickly. If you have not received a Blue Card, we have plenty so just let me know during morning or afternoon carline. If you need your child/children’s carline number, please email gjohnson@voyageracademy.net.
On another note regarding carline------ I know you want to be at the beginning of carline, therefore, you arrive at the middle school before 3:00. I need you to wait until 3:15 please as the officers do not want us lined up on Ben Franklin as it is not safe. If you are lining up prior to 3:15, the officer will more than likely ask you to either leave the line as it is dangerous having all the cars on the road or send you to the circle intersection which causes problems at the elementary school as they are not able to move cars to get their cars off campus. Please wait until 3:15 to come to school so you can enter through the main entrance! We are moving afternoon cars quickly so you will not be in line very long. Please let me know if you have questions!
Gwen
News from the Student Services Team
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.
Students in the Building
On April 12, we increased the number of students in the building. I am very proud of each of our students as they are doing an outstanding job following procedures and routines! Teachers spent much time making sure that they and the students will be ready for April 12 and we were. We will continue to have tight procedures for our In Person students.
A Few Details About School:
Students and Staff must wear a mask to school each day.
Families are asked to complete the Greenlight Health Screening each morning.
Temperature checks will be conducted each morning.
Handwashing times and frequent sanitation will continue throughout the school day.
Students will be discouraged from sharing school supplies.
Students will have 15 minutes of unmasked time to each lunch and then masks will need to be reapplied.
Middle school students may not be dropped off at the elementary school during morning car line. Middle school students need to be dropped off at the MS building.
Car line begins each morning at 7:45 and concludes at 8:15. If you arrive on campus after 8:15, you are late and you will need to come to the front entrance of the school to check in. PLEASE TRY TO BE ON TIME SO THAT STUDENTS BEGIN THE DAY IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
We are getting ready to double the amount of cars that have been in the car line.
Afternoon car line will begin at 3:15 and will conclude at 3:45. Please be patient as we will be doubling the number of cars in the afternoon car line. Please be on time for after pick up.
Student Computers We need students to bring their computer to school and take it back home at the end of the day. We also need students to make sure that computers are charged each night. Students who have loaners also need to bring their computer each day and take it home at night for recharging.
If you are in need of a computer, please let us know ASAP so we can ensure we have enough to support our students.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4AA4A623A1FB6-diversity
MIddle School Service Club- Please help us!
The Voyager Academy Middle School Service Club is organizing a Supply Drive for UNC Children’s Hospital School. All donations are going to the UNC Hospital School. This is a school for students who spend much time in the hospital. The supplies are for children in grades Pre-K thru 12th grade. We will be collecting supplies during the morning carline from April 19 to April 23. We need new pencils, crayons, markers, loose leaf paper, glue sticks, and children’s scissors. Please help the Service Club with the School Supply Drive. Remember all donations need to be new, no used donations please.
Hello 5th Grade Families,
This has been an amazing week! Those of us in school have thoroughly enjoyed having all the students in the classroom at one time! We love seeing their faces each day and spending more time getting to know each other. The weather has allowed us to enjoy lunches outside and recess time has given the students opportunities to talk and play with one another! It's been wonderful! Since we are spending about 45 minutes outside each day, if the weather continues to cooperate, you may want to have your child apply sunscreen each day and/or bring a hat to wear.
Please be sure to send your child with earbuds and a fully charged computer each day.
On April 30th, there will be a 5th-grade American Revolution project celebration for all students, in-person and remote. The presentations will be live on Zoom starting at 9:45 am and lasting no later than 10:15. Homeroom teachers will send out a Zoom link prior to the presentation. Please be on the lookout for information regarding possible costumes and/or props your child may need, optional of course. Emails will be sent out next Wednesday regarding those needs.
Thank you for your support.
The Fifth-grade Team
Dear 8th grade parents and families,
Thank you for your patience and flexibility as the school transitioned to Plan A. This week has gone smoother than we ever imagined. For lunch, we plan to eat outside as much as the weather allows. Students are sitting on the curbs but are more than welcome to bring a towel to sit on.
Moving forward, all fully remote students have been grouped together. Zoom calls will only be for the fully remote students. Zoom calls will not be held for in person students, even if they are absent. If you are scheduled to attend school in person and are unable to attend, please check the 8th grade blog, http://vikings8.blogspot.com/, and google classroom for assignments.
Important dates:
Picture Day (in-person students) is April 29 (Stay tuned for Picture Day for remote students)
8th Grade ELA EOG is May 18th
8th Grade Math EOG is May 19th
8th Grade Science EOG is May 20th
Math:
In Math 8, students are working on their statistics projects. They’ve enjoyed surveying their peers and participating in each others’ surveys. Students will summarize their data in relative frequency tables and in paragraphs. In Math I, students have been solving systems of equations. We will continue to solve systems using three methods: graphing, substitution, and elimination. Next week, we will focus on systems of equations word problems.
Social Studies:
This week students are working on their Arpilleras. We will be sketching, painting, designing and writing to finish Part 4 of the Constitution project. The full project title is “Dreams of Democracy: The Legacy of the U.S. Constitution”. Arpilleras will be presented with an artist statement. A project rubric and artist statement template will be provided in Google Classroom. Completed projects will be turned in on Monday, April 19th. Ask your student “What is the legacy of the U.S. Constitution?”
Science:
We are learning about geologic time and Earth’s history. Students can identify the different types of fossils. We are also learning about relative dating, using geologic clues to determine the ages of rock layers.
Core Connections:
Students transitioned to in-person learning with academic games to build community. This week’s project work utilized structured peer reviews for revisions of their second drafts of “My Story, Our Story, History.” The rubric and checklists for this project can be found in Google Classroom. As a side venture, students also dug marine fossils from the NC Aurora Fossil Mine.
Green/Weber Team - Our remote students have begun researching a famous North Carolinian for their Sweet Potato Project. Students are very excited about the project. Our Zoom Project Celebration will be on Tuesday, May 4 at 1:40.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!
PLEASE SET UP YOUR GREENLIGHT ACCOUNT!
YOU WILL NEED IT FOR CARLINE!!!!!
Greenlight - Health Screenings - Speed up Carline
We have partnered with Duke and Greenlight Ed to complete our daily health screening so we can monitor the overall health of our school community. 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/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.
Middle School- activate account here: https://glit.me/go/voyager-middle
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.
Middle School- activate account here: https://glit.me/go/voyager-middle
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,
What Do I Do If My Student Has Been Exposed To Someone with Covid: If a 4-8 grade student has been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID, please call the school or email Mrs. Johnson and we will talk you through the details of how long you may need to quarantine. Please complete the Greenlight App, because it will automatically give you a date where you will be allowed to return to school.
Before and After School Care:
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. 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 Information:
Parents, you can order your child's lunch, 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. For instance, March 1st lunch order should be placed before February 22nd. You also have the option to purchase lunch for the entire month. Payment options are by debit/credit card or ACH bank draft. Order Lunch online at CharterPay.org.
K & W Cafeteria will provide lunch on Monday for Cohort A & Thursday for Cohort B.
Chick-Fil-A will provide lunch onTuesday for Cohort A & Friday for Cohort B.
All meals will be delivered in hot and cold containers to maintain food safety guidelines.
Drinks are not provided with lunch.
Middle school students will eat outside if weather is appropriate and in their classrooms if weather does not permit to go outside.
Students also have the option to bring their own lunch to school. Students that pack their own lunch will not have access to microwaves.
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.
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 after spring break.
Links to resources to support all learners
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
UPCOMIMG SOCIAL EVENTS For STUDENTS
Sponsored by our Counselors
Thursday, May 6, 2021: Family Dance Party
(click here for a .pdf version)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does my child need to wear a mask to school each day? Yes, please provide at least two masks per day in case the mask breaks during the day.
Can my child wear a gaiter mask? No, gaiter masks do not provide as much protection as a cloth, tight fitting mask and they are not acceptable for school.
Can I drop off my middle school student at the elementary school during morning drop off? No, only elementary students may enter the elementary building.
Should my child bring a water bottle to school? Yes, we are asking for each student to bring a water bottle to school each day if they want water. Our water fountains are not available. Our water filling stations are available. Please make sure the student’s name is on the water bottle.
Do I need to utilize Greenlight? If your child is coming to in person learning, we will need you to use the Greenlight. Parents will need to show that the student has been cleared based on Greenlight each morning before entering the building. This will happen in the car line before the student is allowed to enter the building. If a parent has not completed the health screening (on Greenlight) before arriving at school, it will slow down the process of getting students admitted into the building. Thank you for completing this each morning. We will also take the temperature of each child each morning.
Do I need a car line sign? Yes, you will receive a Blue car line sign. We will give you the sign on Day 1. If you do not have your carline number, please contact Mrs. Johnson.
Will the staff heat lunches? We are not able to heat student lunches during this school year because of COVID restrictions.
How do I get my carline number? You need to email Mrs. Johnson at gjohnson@voyageracademy.net. We will provide you with a carline sign on the first day you come through carline.
What do I do if a neighbor drops my kid off at school and they do not have access to my Greenlight? Please take a screenshot of your Greenlight and share it with the person who is bringing your child to school.
Where do I drop off my Middle Schooler in the morning? Middle School students are dropped off at the back of the school. Middle School students may not enter the building until 7:45 UNLESS they are attending Before School Care. If your child is attending Before School Care, you need to contact Patrice Johnson at pjohnson@voyageracadem.net.
Lunches - Students need to bring their lunch or you can order your child’s lunch through CharterPayOnline. We will not have extra lunches so please send lunch with your child.
CARLINE NUMBER
Each student should have a CAR LINE NUMBER and a bright blue to make it easy for you to find. This card must be displayed on the sun visor of your car. This is the only way we have of calling your student down to the carline (each afternoon). If for some reason, you do not have your Blue CAR LINE SIGN , please have your numbers ready.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!
PLEASE SET UP YOUR GREENLIGHT ACCOUNT!
YOU WILL NEED IT FOR CARLINE!!!!!
Greenlight - Health Screenings - Speed up Carline
. 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/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.
Middle School- activate account here: https://glit.me/go/voyager-middle
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.
Middle School- activate account here: https://glit.me/go/voyager-middle
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.
REMIND Text: Thanks to those of you who signed up!
4th Grade-In the“To” section of the text type 81010 and in the message type @6agbha.
5th Grade-In the“To” section of the text type 81010 and in the message type @eh9f6kb.
6th Grade -In the“To” section of the text type 81010 and in the message type @beeh8h.
7th Grade - In the“To” section of the text type 81010 and in the message type @cak43k.
8th Grade -In the”To” section of the text type 81010 and in the message type @8cg9ch
Thanks for all the support you have provided the Middle School. We are
thankful to have you on this most unusual journey that we are on!
If you need anything, please email or call !
Just remember ---YOU are “simply the BEST!”
Gwen Johnson
gjohnson@voyageracademy.net
Principal, Voyager Middle School
919-433-3301 ext. 101