Oh my, even though this school year has been quite different, it has been a great year with the students. It’s hard to believe we are now in the month of May and talking about the 2021-2022 school year. The information below provides calendar information.
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.
21-22 Calendar
As we prepare to close out the 2020 – 2021 school year we are already actively planning ahead for the start of the 2021 – 2022 school year. The calendar committee met to review the previously approved calendar to identify if any changes were recommended. At this time, we are planning to move forward with our current 2021-2022 calendar which is posted on our website. We are planning for in person instruction for all students Monday through Friday and are not planning to offer a remote option. Please remember that the Voyager calendar has a built in early release day on Monday to allow for staff professional development and collaborative team planning in the afternoon. After school care will be available on the Monday early release days for students that register. Please contact our school registrar, Mary Beth Hawkins if your plans for your child to return to Voyager in August have changed for next year.
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. Students will have an asynchronous learning day and will be expected to log in to their class or classes. Attendance has to be reported even on the last day of school!
Several of you have asked about report cards and how your child will receive 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.
You will receive an email from me prior to the end of the school day on Friday. It will have much information related to EOG testing and testing procedures. Be on the lookout!
STUDENTS NEED TO BRING THEIR COMPUTER TO SCHOOL ON EOG TESTING DAYS, please. MAKE SURE IT IS CHARGED.
We will collect school loaners on Wednesday, May 26 and Thursday, May 27. You may drop off the loaner during the school day. Make sure you also bring the charger!
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.
Thanks to all of you who encouraged our students to wear green. We certainly had lots of green in the building as there was much student participation and staff participation.
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. Click the link (Children's Mental Health Awareness Month 2021) for additional resources and activities to promote awareness.
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).
Teacher Appreciation Week
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
PLEASE SET UP YOUR GREENLIGHT ACCOUNT!
Greenlight is NOT an APP
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
Important!!! EOG Information for MS Parents sent on 4/19
Please read closely.
The EOG dates have been emailed to parents so I am sure they are already on your calendars but you might not have all the information regarding testing dates. Because EOG testing must be completed in person, we will have our In-Person students testing and we are also asking that our remote students plan to be on campus on the scheduled dates of their grade level testing. Testing will begin each day at 8:30am and will end at 12:30pm. Remote students should be picked you at 1:00 and do so by going to the back of the school for carline. If you need your child’s carline number, please email me at gjohnson@voyageracademy.net and I will email you the carline number. Our In-Person students may be picked up at 1:00 pm on the day of their designated testing dates. Again, we will follow our usual carline procedure. If your In Person student remains at school please send lunch for your child/children or order lunch through CharterPay.
Below is a schedule showing which day each grade level will be testing and what grade levels need to be on campus. Having only 2 grade levels on campus each day provides space for us to spread out and allows us to follow social distancing during testing. Only Students who are testing will be on campus each day. If it is not your child’s testing date, your student will be at home and will have an asynchronous learning day AT HOME.
Below you will see the testing dates, who will be tested on each day, who will be home with asynchronous learning, and the time of pick up after testing.
May 10 and May 11- Third Graders will be tested. Students in grades 4 - 8 will come to school if your child is In-Person or continue to be Remote if that is their regular schedule. This will be a regular day for all middle school students.
May 12- All Fourth Graders and all Sixth Graders will be administered their Language Arts EOG. Testing begins at 8:30 am. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Students may be picked up at 1:00pm. We will follow our usual carline procedure.
May 13 - All Fourth Graders and all Sixth Graders will be administered their Math EOG. Testing begins at 8:30am. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Students may be picked up at 1:00pm. We will follow our usual carline procedure.
What about 5th, 7th, and 8th Graders on May 12 and 13th?. They will all (In-Person and Remote) have an asynchronous learning day at home!
May 14 - All Fifth Graders and all Seventh Graders will be administered their Language Arts EOG. Testing begins at 8:30am. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Students may be picked up at 1:00pm. We will follow our usual carline procedure.
May 17 - All Fifth and all Seventh Graders will be administered their Math EOG. Testing begins at 8:30am. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Students may be picked up at 1:00pm. We will follow our usual carline procedure. What about 4th, 6th, and 8th graders on May 14 and May 17? They will all (In-Person and Remote) have an asynchronous learning day at home!
May 18 - All Eighth Graders will be administered Language Arts and any students who need to complete make-up EOGs due to being absent on their scheduled testing day will be administered their missed test. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Testing begins at 8:30am. Students may be picked up at 1:00. We will follow our usual carline procedure.
May 19 - All Eighth Graders will be administered Math and any students who need to complete make-up EOGs due to being absent on their scheduled testing day will be administered their missed test. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Testing begins at 8:30am. Students may be picked up at 1:00pm. We will follow our usual carline procedure.
What about 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Graders on May 18 and May 19? They will all (In-Person and Remote) have an asynchronous day learning at home!
May 20- All Fifth and Eighth Graders will be administered their Science EOG. Testing begins at 8:30am. Our In-Person students and our Remote students will come to school and we will follow social distancing. Students may be picked up at 1:00pm. We will follow our usual carline procedure.
What about 4th, 6th, and 7th Graders on May 20th? They will all (In Person and Remote) have an asynchronous learning day at home!
May 21, May 24 and May 25- 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who are In-Person students will return to school and all Remote students will remain at home. Teaching will continue.
May 26- 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will have an asynchronous learning day. Each grade level will have a task for our students and will have them zoom in so may be “have a great summer” may be wished for each student. This is the last day of school and 11:45 be the end of the school year.
I recognize this schedule is very different from previous years but in order to follow the NCDPI testing guidelines, complete all of our required EOGs, and have our In-Person and Remote students on campus and provide social distancing, we needed to create a different kind of schedule. By having only 2 grade levels on campus each day, we will have enough space for social distancing which also means we will need all of our middle school staff to administer EOGs each day.
Please let me know if you have questions! We want all students to complete their EOGs so we can review the data to see where we are academically at the end of this school year.
Gwen
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION UPDATE: We need your help! We are looking to form committees that will begin to plan for the next upcoming year. We would like to gauge interest before the school year is done and then hit full steam in August. Anything done well takes planning and preparation and we look forward to having some of you join our team. Voyager is truly a great place when we are all working together. Please see a listing of volunteer opportunities attached, and if you are interested, fill out this google form: https://forms.gle/JLGtUFvjgTc9LNxaA
NEWS FROM FIFTH GRADE:
Hello Vikings!
Thank you for making teacher appreciation week a special one! We were treated with flowers, plants, cards, gift cards, and other amazing gifts! We definitely left Friday feeling special and appreciated!
This week marks the start of EOGs and the end of another year, one we will NEVER forget! Students have regular school days Monday, May 10th and Tuesday, May 11th. On Wednesday, May 12th and Thursday, May 13th students will complete assignments posted to Google Classroom. There will be NO in-person OR Zoom sessions those two days. Teachers will not be available those days. We will be testing students in other grades that are in the building. On Friday, May 14th ALL 5th students, in-person and remote, will come into school to take the ELA EOG. Students should arrive at school by 8:15. Students will be dismissed at 1pm. Students should bring a water bottle and a lunch. Students should come to school well-rested, with full stomachs and a positive attitude!
The math EOG is Monday, May 17th and the Science EOG is Thursday, May 20th.
Sincerely,
The Fifth-Grade Team
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