Hello Middle School Families,
Wow, May 1 is almost here! I am so proud of our students whether in person or remote. We continue to work hard as we want to FINISH STRONG so many of our students are doing what they are asked to do so we can Finish Strong! As far as procedures and routines, we are continuing to follow procedures in hopes to keep all of our students and staff safe.
On a different note, if your child is sick, please do not bring your child to school. If you know your child has a fever, please keep them at home.
Last Day of School
Can you believe we are talking about the last day of school? It is getting closer. May 26 is the last day and it is a Wednesday. Because it’s a Wednesday, students will not be in the building BUT our teachers will have some time scheduled with our students on the last day. Whatever they plan, it will be virtual SO be on the lookout, you wouldn’t want to miss what the teachers do on the last day.
Several of you have asked about report cards and how will your child get their report card. We will send your child’s report card to you via email. Report cards will be emailed to you on May 26.
Individual Student Pictures
Strawbridge was at school on Thursday taking individual pictures of our Remote and In Person students.
Some of our students were absent so----if your child missed Picture Day and you want your student to have an individual picture, Strawbridge will be back on Thursday, May 6, at 9:00.
This opportunity is for our students who were not able to have their picture taken on Thursday, April 29.
They will be in the gym at the middle school from 9:00-10:00.
Science Olympiad----- GREAT NEWS!
Great effort by the entire Middle School Science Olympiad team this year in learning a very large quantity of high level science concepts and information! After qualifying at the regional tournament, they competed against the top 35 schools in North Carolina at the state tournament this past weekend. Competition was tough, but our team did great, ranking 18th overall and earning 5 event medals! Congrats to the following students who medaled and were top 10 in the state in their event!
2nd place for Ornithology: Luke Bakelaar and Reid Zebrowski
3rd place for Picture This: Vivian Brennan and Calista Robinson
4th place for Write it Do it: Vivian Brennan and Calista Robinson
6th place for Dynamic Planet: Vivian Brennan and Calista Robinson
7th place for Circuit Lab: Eisley Jantz and Amelia Fay
The rest of our wonderful state team: Ella Adams, Amaris Iwara, Kate Bakelaar, Jordan Oakley, Will Baker, Mitch Brennan, Kate Cunningham, Jake Brennan, Sophie Chorosevic & Zoe Robinson.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
May is a time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to reduce the stigma so many experience. May 2nd through May 8th has been set aside as Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. The Student Services Team invites the entire Voyager community to Wear Green on Thursday, May 6th to raise public awareness, better the lives of children with serious emotional disorders and show our support of these children and their families. Click the link (Children's Mental Health Awareness Month 2021) for additional resources and activities to promote awareness.
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).
DID YOU SAY NEXT YEAR? Some of us are so excited about summer that is just around the corner, but we are also very excited about the 2021-2022 school year. Voyager Academy is ready for some normalcy! Our current plan is to begin IN PERSON school on August 5! Monday’s will be early release days for students, just as it has been in the past. School will begin at 7:45 and end at 2:45 on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. On Mondays school will begin at 7:45 and conclude at 12:45.
SCHOOL NURSE: Voyager now has a school nurse. Nurse Jill is on our campus Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, from 9:00 until 2:00. Please join me in welcoming her to our team.
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.
A special thank you to those of you who are waiting to get in after noon carline. Because you are not starting our carline so early but waiting until at least 3:10, it has certainly helped the flow of car line at the elementary school and at the middle school.
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! Thanks to Max and Harrison our school grounds are going to be trash free or that is their goal!
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. You can use the Guest Pass if your Greenlight does not work.
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!
A huge thank you for making our School Supply Drive extremely successful. I am so proud that our Service Club wanted to support UNC Hospital School and collect needed school supplies. We are so appreciate as we have 5 boxes of supplies to deliver to the hospital. THANK YOU!!!!
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/
Greenlight - Health Screenings - Speed up Carline
My child has been Remote this year so I do not have Greenlight on my phone and I tried to add it this week but couldn’t get Greenlight to work.
If my child is Remote, is it a requirement to have Greenlight to come to school for EOG testing? Answer: Having Greenlight helps carline move smoothly and quickly BUT if you cannot get Greenlight on your phone, we will ask you the Greenlight questions during carline and we will check your child’s temperature.
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!
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
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:
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