Dear Voyager Community,
I hope you all stay warm and safe during the wintery mix anticipated this weekend. Although it was a very short week with lots of changes, we are very proud of our students for continuing to work hard and stay focused on school.
The high school results from the first semester State End of Course Exams (EOCs) demonstrated proficiency for 82% of students in English II, 77% of students in Math 1, 57% of student in Biology, and 87% of students in Math 3. We also had 36 students enrolled in 33 courses at Durham Tech to earn dual credit for high school and college. Way to go high school Vikings! The high school students are getting settled into the start of the second semester and striving to meet new goals in new courses.
The Middle School second quarter report cards were sent to parents early in January. Results showed that our students are growing academically. The results highlighted that 95 % of all students showed growth in at least one subject. The Middle School continues to monitor growth and progress using teacher created tests, Check Ins, MyOn (Language Arts lexile level), and IXL which tracks progress in math). The second round of Check Ins will be administered the week of February 7th to continue to measure growth and identify those students in need of support. We’re proud of our middle school students for challenging themselves to do their best.
Our elementary students are also working hard toward mastering early learning skills. All grade levels are showing some growth in both math and reading when comparing BOY report card grades with MOY report card grades. Now that our little ones are settled into the school routines we anticipate seeing even more growth by the end of the 3rd report card. The middle of the year reading assessments are being implemented during January so that we can further understand student reading achievement levels and identify intervention supports that may be needed to help support our young readers. Social and emotional development is also a major focus at the elementary school. Students and staff have done an awesome job focusing on kindness and spotlighting the Valiant Vikings!
Please know that we are all here to support your child grow, learn, and find their passion. Feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher, building administrator, or student support if we can assist your family in any way. Hopefully the kids will get to enjoy the snow that is on its way.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Upcoming Events:
1/24/22 - 8th Grade Transition to HS Night - zoom
1/26/22-EC 8th grade Parent night-zoom-High school Transition
1/27/22 - Board Meeting- zoom
2/3/22 - Info Night for Prospective Families - 5 pm
2/7-11/22 - MS Check Ins
2/7-2/10 - Kids Jump Rope Heart Challenge (Elementary PE)
2/11/22 - DPAC Country Songwriters Night - Voyager Arts Fundraiser
2/14/22 - Singing Friend-A-Grams at the Elementary School
2/16/22 - Parent Enrichment Night: Social Media and Internet Dangers (6:30p)
3/1/22 - ACT (all 11th graders)
22-23 APPLICATION AND LOTTERY PROCESS
The 2022-2023 application process is now open. Please remember to submit an application by the February 28, 2022 deadline for any siblings that you would like to enroll for the 2022-2023 school year. Students that are already enrolled at Voyager do not need to reapply. Information, resources, and the timeline for the application and lottery process are under the admissions tab on the website. We will be hosting a virtual information night on February 3, 2022 for all prospective families. Voyager continues to strive to reach a diverse demographic that reflects our community. Please reach out to your friends and neighbors and share information about our wonderful school community. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee will be recruiting at area preschools and community centers. Voyager also partners with the Head Start program and has already shared our school brochures and participated in their open house.
HIGH SCHOOL INFORMATION NIGHT FOR 8TH GRADE
Voyager High School will also be hosting information nights for our rising 8th graders so they can learn more about the opportunities available at our high school. Please reserve the dates and look for additional information coming soon with the zoom link for the virtual sessions.
NURSES CORNER
With each new year, comes the opportunity to start fresh. Many people use this time to reflect and identify opportunities for positive changes in their lives. Maybe it’s eating healthier or exercising more. Just like adults, kids can benefit from this type of reflection.
A New Year’s Resolution can be a great opportunity to implement goal setting with your child. Goal setting is an important part of a child’s psychosocial development as it teaches them how to be responsible. They learn to make commitments and how to follow through with such commitments. Setting a New Year’s resolution is a prime example of setting an important goal, and it’s best to start this habit from a young age.
Consider sitting down with your child and coming up with a New Year’s resolution idea. Work together, or make it a family event. Help your child identify goals that are S-M-A-R-T. The SMART goal method teaches people how to break down large ambitions into bite-sized, actionable steps that a person can more realistically follow through with, making reaching their goals more likely.
- S: Specific – design the goal with a focused objective.
- M: Measurable – define what evidence proves you are making progress toward that goal.
- A: Attainable – make sure the goal is something that you can reasonably accomplish
- R: Realistic – the goals should align with what you/your child are capable of
- T: Time – set an end-date for your goal
Voyager Sick Child Policy & Guidelines
STUDENT SUPPORT
LUNCH PROGRAM
Voyager Academy is a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) School effective January 3, 2022. We know the importance of meals in fueling both healthy minds and bodies. Even though school meals and ordering may look a little different than years past, our goal is to provide children with the well-balanced nutrition they need to be healthy and stay focused during the school day. Meals, foods and beverages sold or served at schools meet state and federal requirements which are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines.
The Linq Online Meal Ordering system is updated each Friday with your Titan account balance. The price for lunch under NSLP will be $4.00 for full price, $.40 for reduced and free for students that are eligible for reduced priced student meals. Families can complete a Free and reduced price meal application online at Family.TitanK12.com. The monthly lunch menu is available on our School Nutrition website by clicking here.
LUNCH FUND DONATIONS
Some families require more help than others with daily purchases and outstanding meal balances. A few extra dollars from families with the ability to donate can help us make sure all of our children have consistent access to nutritious school meals, while keeping Voyager Academy’s finances strong! If you would like to contribute to the Voyager Academy Lunch fund, you can do so on the School Store at TitanK12.com
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Thank you once again for your patience and understanding with all the delays and closings. We are trying our best to make this as manageable as possible for our families. Below are some very important updates. Please read each one and feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
As a reminder, Before Care is $50 per month per student. It is not included in the cost of after care.
Weather Delays - When there is a delay, there will be no before care services. After care will operate as normal scheduled hours.
Weather Closings - When the school closes early for weather or emergencies, there will be no after care services provided.
Before and after care payments are due the 1st of every month. They should be made using the Titan School Store on the family portal dashboard or by check. Checks are deposited once per week on Fridays. Do not use Charter Pay for any future payments.
There are currently no openings in after care. The waitlist is closed. We do not anticipate there being any new enrollments this year for after care. We will make an announcement via email, if the program opens for new enrollments.
The payment system on the Titan school store is only for currently enrolled students. If a family not enrolled makes a payment on Titan, the funds will be refunded minus the service fees charged by the processor.
AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS
Registration for Enrichment Programs is open until Monday, January 31st! The sessions this spring are Hip Hop Dance, Yoga, String Lessons, Beats by Girls, Piano, Woodwinds, Guitar & Ukulele, Drums, Robotics, Spanish Club, Art Club, Dungeon & Dragons, Soccer Shots and we just added Jewelry Making (beadwork). Classes run from February 7th through May 13th, except Soccer Shots (March 21st for 6 weeks). While the program happens after school, it is not a part of the after school program. Students will need to be picked up from the instructor immediately following the session. Be sure to visit the Enrichments website for more info, cool visuals and videos from the fall session. Space is limited in most classes. Register online via Titan Family Portal under Online Store before February 1st.
If you need assistance or would like to offer a course, please email enrichments@voyageracademy.net.
ATHLETICS
Middle School Athletics:
The girls basketball team (2-0) kicked off 2022 with a big win against conference opponent Oxford Prep, 38-12. Chloe Crawford led all scorers with 17 points. Izzy Jeffers, Samone Arrington, Calise Crawford, and Peyton Vickers all contributed points in the win.
The boys basketball team (5-0) picked up where they left off last week and beat conference opponent Oxford Prep, 52-3. Manny Pullium and Devin Seward led 12 different Voyager scorers with 9 points each.
The impending storm has forced us to reschedule the home middle school basketball games for Friday, 1/21 against Excelsior Classical Academy. A make-up date will be announced soon.
High School Athletics:
The women’s basketball team (3-4, 0-2) The January 14th game at Henderson Collegiate had to be postponed due to the opposing team quarantining for COVID. A make-up date has not been rescheduled at this time. Earlier in the week the women made a 14 point comeback, but ultimately ran out of time as they dropped their game to conference opponent Oxford Prep, 30-31 on Tuesday, January 18th. Seniors Nailah Khan and CeCe Whitaker led the Vikings with 11 points and 10 points each. The women’s team will resume basketball activity on January 29th .
The men’s varsity basketball team (5-4, 2-1) travelled to Henderson Collegiate last Friday, January 14th, where they dropped their first conference game 57-70. Senior Nate Kornegay had 16 points and 3 assists while Erik Kronstad notched another double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. The Vikings got back in the win column on Tuesday, January 18th as they beat conference opponent Oxford Prep, 70-33. Erik Kronstad was selected as Player of the Game with his 6 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 blocked shots! The incoming winter storm has caused us to reschedule our Friday, January 21st home game vs. Eno River Academy. The rescheduled date will be announced next week.
The Voyager wrestling team had another outstanding showing this past Saturday at the 2022 Silver Fox Invitational held at Riverside High School. Senior Jordan Ruedi took home gold in the 172 weight class going 3-0 on the day. Sophomore Jed Rose had another strong weekend going 2-1 in the 184 weight class and taking home the tournament’s silver medal. Junior Logan McElory closed things out on the day going 3-0 and taking home a silver medal in the 138 weight class.
The women’s swim team is currently undefeated on the season! A big congratulations to all three of our girls relay teams for achieving regional time standards. In addition, the following swimmers have set individual regional time standards.
Faith Murray in the 50M Freestyle
Ede Kosik in the 200M Freestyle, 100M Butterfly, and 100M Freestyle
Ashlin Wootton: 100M Freestyle and 100M Backstroke
Spring Athletics:
There will be a middle school boys tennis interest meeting on Tuesday, January 25th in the gymnasium during lunch for any boys interested in playing tennis this spring.
Spring tryouts are just around the corner! High school spring tryouts will officially begin on Monday, February 14th. Middle School will start around the same time. More specific information will be released when we get closer. If your child is interested in competing in a spring sport please go to this link and register: https://app.formreleaf.com/organizations/voyager-academy/programs/20202021-sportscopy-16
If you have any questions about our spring teams please feel free to email me at jgatcomb@voyageracademy.net
Upcoming Home Athletic Events:
January 24th: Swim team hosts TNAC Conference Tournament @ Campus Hill Pool
January 25th: JV Men’s Basketball vs. Roxboro Community, 4:30pm
Middle School Girls Basketball vs. Roxboro Community 5:00pm
Middle School Boys Basketball vs. Roxboro Community 6:00pm
Varsity Men’s basketball vs. Roxboro Community, 6:00pm
January 28th: JV Men’s Basketball vs. Vance Charter, 4:30pm
Varsity Men’s Basketball vs. Vance Charter, 6:00pm
Additional Athletic Notes:
A reminder that all home basketball games are $5.00 cash at the door. Voyager Academy students get in free by showing their student ID.
I am still looking for someone to run the high school varsity basketball scoreboard for home games, preferably someone with basketball knowledge. If you’re interested in helping out please email me.
The Athletic Boosters Club is looking for more people to come join! If you are interested please contact me and I can give you more information!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me:
jgatcomb@voyageracademy.net
Go Vikings, Go!
LET'S STAY CONNECTED
Let’s stay connected! Scroll on over to our Voyager Academy website to see all the updates and additions. Be sure to follow, friend, like and subscribe to all our Social Media accounts! #GoVikingsGo #VoyagerVikings
Amazon Smile
It’s the most wonderful way to support all of the great things we are doing at Voyager and to help us expand our program offerings in academics, extracurricular activities, professional development, athletics, the arts and more!
Now, it’s easier than ever to support us just by shopping online! Whenever you make an eligible purchase from Amazon, Voyager Academy will benefit at no additional cost to you. All you have to do is select Voyager Academy Inc. as your charitable organization on Smile.Amazon.com. You shop…Amazon donates!
What is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. AmazonSmile is available at smile.amazon.com on your web browser and can be activated in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android phones. When you shop with AmazonSmile, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Voyager Academy Inc.
INTERESTED IN PART TIME WORK AT VOYAGER – SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS
PART TIME MIDDLE SCHOOL EC TEACHING ASSISTANT
Provides one-on-one assistance with academics and behavioral supports needed and may lead small group activities.
Assists the teacher with executing instruction and evaluating its effectiveness, participates in planning.
Assists with the delivery of special services for students in need of functional life skills.
Competitive hourly rate
Supportive school climate
PART TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE FOR BEFORE AND AFTER CARE
Competitive hourly rate
Great staff and friendly children
Organized programming for before and after care
Apply on employment site on Voyager website under “About Voyager”
PART TIME BUS DRIVER OPPORTUNITIES
Safely transport students to field experiences and athletic events
Maintain safe bus environment for students
Available to drive activity bus for field trips and athletic events
Flexible hours
Competitive hourly rate
CDL license required
Apply on employment site on Voyager website under “About Voyager”