We have completed another week of learning at Voyager Academy. I have had the joy of hosting morning meetings with our 1st grade classes this past week and I will be hosting morning meetings with the kindergarten classes this coming week. Be sure to ask them about the book entitled, “A Very Fine School” by Sharon Creech. The following announcements will be helpful to you and your family for the week of September 6-10.
STEP IT UP: Voyager Academy began its BIG fundraiser on Sept. 1. Thank you to all of you who have already sent your 10 or more texts or emails to help us raise funds for our school. Step It Up told us that Voyager Academy set a new record for the amount of money raised in the first night of a fundraiser. THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH! The students are so excited about the fundraiser and our Day of Awesomeness that will be celebrated on October 8th. If you have any questions about this fundraiser, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Manning or review the details listed below:
How can you help Voyager? Click on the link below. It will take you to our school’s fundraiser website where you can set up your child’s Personal Donation page and invite your friends and family to join our efforts by sending them a donation invitation.
www.stepitupkids.com/VoyagerAcadMS
This entire fundraiser can be completed in TEN MINUTES OR LESS. Please send out TEN or MORE donation invitations via your Personal Donation Page. PS: Attached is the Golden Ticket Packet that was sent home with your student today and general fundraiser information. Check it out! Questions about how to complete your Golden Ticket?
Click here: www.pop4kids.com/golden-ticket-how-to
READING WITH GRANDPARENTS AND SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY: Voyager will be hosting a special reading event for students on Sept. 10th. MARK YOUR CALENDAR. This will now be a VIRTUAL event. Each classroom teacher will be sending out a zoom link for you to share with grandparents and special friends. The guests will log in to the zoom link at the set time and enjoy the event. We are planning to host this virtual event at 1:30 pm on Friday, Sept. 10. The students will be sharing a special song, we will be hosting a read aloud session and the students will be greeting our guests. Each student has also created a special art item to bring home for their guest. We hope this is a wonderful memory for you and your family.
CYNTHIA DRAKE: Mrs. Drake is a Voyager grandparent and an author--what a perfect fit for Reading with Grandparents and Special Friends Day. All K-3 Voyager families will be receiving some information about a book Mrs. Drake has written called, “A Grandmother’s Sourcebook”. The book has ideas of fun things grandparents can do with their grandchildren. You all know I have 4 grandchildren and I am always looking for fun things to do with them.
ORIGINS NIGHT: Thursday, Sept.9 , from 6:00 to 7:00 pm Voyager is hosting an Origins Night. Research the places your ancestors came from. Share what you learned. Do you have a talent, skill or craft that is representative of a different culture? Contact Mr. Mitchell at rmitchell@voyageracademy.net if you would like to perform during Origins Night.
LABOR DAY: School will be closed for students and staff on Monday, September 6 in honor of Labor Day.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN VOYAGER CLASSROOMS? Kindergarten has been working on nursery rhymes and fables in CKLA. One of the books they read this week was "The Tortoise and the Hare." Students were asked to predict who they thought would win the race. Based on their background knowledge, most all of the students chose the Hare. At the end of the story whenever the tortoise wins, the students learned the lesson that sometimes "slow and steady wins the race." They then applied this thought to their own classroom and classwork.
3rd Graders have been working on their writing and acting skills this week. The students re-wrote an ending to a book they have been reading and then acted out their alternate ending to the class.
2nd Grade is working on using a number line and number racks to solve equations. They learned a game called fly versus spider counting.
In music the students have been working on a special song they will perform at our Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
In art the students have been creating a masterpiece to share with their grandparent or special friend and in PE the students have been learning about the olympics. Watch this video clip to get a better understanding of the great time our students are having at school.
CURRICULUM NIGHTS SET: Thank you for attending Curriculum Nights 2021. If you have any follow up questions for the principals or the classroom teachers, please let us know. Our job is to help you and your family be successful as we all work together to create life-long learners.
CARLINE UPDATE: For the safety of all, we must ask for parents to NOT get out of the car during car line to move items or buckle in students. If you need to buckle your student into the car seat, please carefully pull over to the side (near the loading zone) and buckle your student in at that time. Thank you for understanding that we need to work together to keep our students, staff, and parents safe.
FALL PHOTOS SEPTEMBER 21: Strawbridge studios will be at Voyager on Tuesday, Sept. 21 to take fall photos. Details about this program will be sent home to you in the near future. Go ahead and plan what you want to wear on this special day!
QUARANTINE GUIDELINES: Listed below are the guidelines we have been given as they are related to quarantine:
When your children need to stay home to learn, always contact me and your child's teacher.
The teacher will provide remote assignments for your student. As long as the student is doing some work at home and you complete the attendance link provided below they will be counted present. The link to complete your child’s attendance is HERE
Because your student has been directly exposed to someone, outside of school, who has tested positive for COVID, your student needs to quarantine for 10 days. They may return to school after the 10 days of quarantine have been completed AND have no symptoms from the time of exposure.
The 10 day quarantine protocol is not school days, it also includes the weekend. For example, if your child was exposed on Aug. 9, they can return to school on Aug. 20 (10 days).
Please keep me, your child’s teacher, and our school nurse, Mrs. Skoff updated on your child’s symptoms and/or test results.
See below for details for siblings where ONE tests positive, another tests NEGATIVE. Or for students and a parent tests positive, but student tests NEGATIVE.
Your positive student will need to complete a 10 day quarantine and may return to school after those 10 days so long as they are fever free for 24 hours and their symptoms are improving. With regard to siblings - as of now, IF you are able to isolate the positive child from the family, eat in separate spaces, wear masks in the home, use separate bathrooms, etc the negative child may return at the end of the positive child’s 10 day quarantine IF you were able to ensure the above protective measures were taken in the home.
The negative child(ren) would need to have NO symptoms and obtain a COVID test NO SOONER THAN 5 days following their last exposure to the positive sibling. So, if you used Monday as Day 1, they could test after Friday. If that test is negative AND you have been able to keep the positive student isolated the entire time, then the negative siblings could go back to school after the positive child's 10 day quarantine is over. We would request that you provide us documentation of their negative PCR tests before the children return. IF any of your other children develop symptoms at any point, they should get tested. If they then test positive they would then just complete a 10-day quarantine from the onset of symptoms.
These are the recommendations that the Durham Health Department has provided us as of today. They will continue to assess and monitor the situation and may update their guidelines. We will make changes to our protocols here at Voyager if that happens.
REMIND APP: You can now sign up to receive text messages from VAES through the REMIND app. Even if you have signed up before you will need to subscribe again with your updated grade level and phone number. How do you sign up?
Texting from your cell phone:
Kindergarten Parents: In the “To” section of the text, please type 81010 and in the message section please type @vakinder22
First Grade Parents: In the “To” section of the text, please type 81010 and in the message section please type @vafirst
Second Grade Parents: In the “To” section of the text, please type 81010 and in the message section please type @vasecond22
Third Grade Parents: In the “To” section of the text, please type 81010 and in the message section please type @vathird22
WHAT DO I DO IF MY CHILD HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID?
Contact Mr. Manning and your child's teacher
Mr. Manning or the school nurse will contact the family and talk you through the quarantine/isolation process.
Students may still work from home during this quarantine period. The teacher will provide assignments for the student and the parent will need to complete a daily on-line attendance.
VAES LUNCH PROCEDURES: Thank you for all of your suggestions and support as we are attempting to provide a safe place for our students to learn, have fun and eat. We are now having students eat outside each day that it is NOT over 90 degrees. When the weather is over 90, the classes will have the option of eating inside. If you have any questions about the lunch procedures, please feel free to contact Mr. Manning or your child’s teacher.