Hello Middle School Families,
I cannot believe that April is almost over and May is right around the corner. Even with all the changes and uncertainties, it has been a great year!
Thanks to all of you who were able to attend the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion meeting. It is the beginning of lots of conversations related to DEI. If you are interested in joining the committee that will work together to provide additional opportunities for conversation please contact Mr. Mitchell. Working together will make Voyager
a better place for all of us.
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 and Remote students.
Picture Day for Our Remote Students
Strawbridge will be on campus to take individual student pictures. If your child is remote, we have an opportunity for your child to have a picture taken also. Below is a link for you to click on. You should see the sign up for our Remote students. You come to school at your selected time for your Remote child’s picture. You need to drive to the back of the building and enter through the back door and into the gym where the photographer will snap a picture!!!!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c4baeae2fa3fe3-108404
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
Soil and Water Contest
Several of our students participated in this year’s Soil and Water Contest. They participated in the Essay Contest and the Slide Show Contest. We are proud of our students for participating and receiving recognition for their participation. Be on the lookout next week as we will share more information about their placement!
TRASH REDUCERS
What do you know about Trash Reducers? Probably not much! We have a team of 4th graders who want to clean up our school grounds. They are extremely disappointed that trash is on our school grounds and no one picks it up to put in the trash can. Be on the lookout next week as you will learn more about the Trash Reducers and what they plan to do!
THE STUDENT SERVICES TEAM OF VOYAGER ACADEMY PRESENTS…
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Do you like to dance or watch other people dance to some of your favorite songs? Join us on Zoom for a dance
party!
Elementary, Middle, & High School: 3:45-4:15 p.m.
Click here for Zoom
Meeting ID: 910 1899 6520
Passcode: CBm9Ez Click here for Zoom
Please contact your school counselor with any questions or concerns.
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.
Hello 5th Grade Families,
We want to take this time to update your calendar! Please see the list of important dates below. There are MANY changes to the normal schedule that you need to be aware of.
Progress Reports- Friday, April 23rd. Grades are ready to be viewed in PowerSchool. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Picture Day- Thursday, April 29th. ALL students will have their pictures taken.
Project Celebration- via ZOOM. Friday, April 30th at 9:45. Homeroom teachers will send a link on Wednesday, April 28th.
EOG Weeks: May 10th- May 21st. Schedules are very different these two weeks. Please review the dates below very carefully so you know when your child will have their regular in-person or remote instruction, asynchronous days, and EOGs. You can also find this information on the 5th-grade website under the page titled "EOG Weeks May 10-21."
Thanks,
Your Fifth Grade Teachers
Students in the Building
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.
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
WE ARE EXTENDING OUR SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE AN ADDITIONAL WEEK.
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 29. 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.
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
Last big announcement!
We are offering some apparel for pre-order and purchase. This is a trial run with limited selections but we wanted to make sure we got some spirit wear to our Viking family
Buy yours today at this link: https://voyager-academy-pto.square.site/
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
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.
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
EOG Schedule - Spring 2021
On EOG days...MS students may be picked up at 1:00pm
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