Dear Voyager Community,
We’ve certainly had a week with wide ranging weather conditions and it looks like more is on the way. Thank you all for your patience and support as we make changes to the schedule due to inclement weather. We send out alerts for changes in the schedule due to inclement weather via email, automated phone message, posted on our website, and on WRAL. Weather delays and cancellations are often tricky calls since our families and staff come from over 12 counties. Our decision to delay, cancel, or dismiss early is made to ensure the safety for all students and staff. All before and after school activities are cancelled if school is closed for students.
I’m thrilled to share that Voyager Academy was approved on January 3, 2022 as a School Nutrition program and as an authorized National School Lunch Provider (NSLP). Families with food insecurities are eligible for free and reduced lunch. The price for lunch under NSLP will be $4.00 for full price, $.40 for families that qualify for reduced meals, and free for students that are eligible for free 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. The Linq Online Meal Ordering system is updated each Friday with your Titan account balance.
Many of our students and staff were recognized at the Board meeting on Thursday, 1/27/22 for their achievements. We are very proud of their accomplishments and serving as Voyager ambassadors. Summarized below is the list of the individuals recognized.
VFW PATRIOT’S PEN ESSAY CONTEST – Middle School
- The VFW's citizen education programs are designed to stimulate interest in America's history, traditions, Americanism, civic responsibility, flag etiquette and patriotism.
- 1ST, 2ND, and 3RD Place Award Winners for the VFW Patriots Pen Essay Contest
- Nellie Purdy, Aidan Daly and Peyton Vickers
- Michelle Harris – VFW Teacher of the Year for Middle Schools
INTERNATIONAL CHINESE PROFICIENCY EXAM
HANYU SHUIPING KAOSHI
Dennis Baker HS Teacher
Students earned Global Language Endorsement and opportunity for college credit
- Amelie Boyer
- Zach Hanspal
- Nathan Hinshaw
- Andrew Holland
Peter Jesutowo - Amelia Leonard
- Hayden Mancour
- Grayson McAlexander
- Carter Mills
- Taylor Mitchell
- Mason Pennuto
- James Stover (VAHS Graduate, Class of 2021)
- Osaretin Ukponmwan
- Will Vance (VAHS Graduate, Class of 2021)
- Ms. Yen Nguyen
Men's Soccer 1A state runner-up
Captains: Kooper Hendriks, Ben Luther, Charley Whight
Head Coach: Hunter Miller (Conference Coach of the Year, East Regional Coach of the Year) Asst. Coach: Jacob McGhinnis
Emory Crichlow: All-Region Team, All-State Team
Ben Luther: Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, All-Region Team
Caleb Bennett: Conference Player of the Year, All-Region Team
Ryan Dillon: All Region Team
Kooper Hendriks: All Region Team
Charley Whight: All Region Team
Women's Tennis 1A regional runner-up, Conference sportsmanship award
Most successful season in team’s history
Captains: Kate Flintom, Shea Dixon
Head Coach: LeeAnn Rose (Conference Coach of the Year)
Kate Flintom : Conference Player of the Year, Singles Regional Qualifier, NCHSTCA All Region Team
Shea Dixon & Katelyn Hutson: Doubles regional qualifier
The Cross Country Team
Captains: KJ Davis, Glenn Stiles, Liz Lalor
Head Coach: Hunter Creedle Asst. Coach: Dan Middleman Asst. Coach: Cara Jones
Men’s team: 1A Regional Runner-up, 13th overall in State Championships
Women’s team: 1A East Regional Champions, 5th overall in State Championships
Liz Lalor: Individually placed 8th in State Championships
Patrice Johnson, Voyager Operations Manager - was recognized for spearheading the complex application and implementation process with the state for Voyager to become a School Nutrition program under the National School Lunch program to support our families.
Congratulations to all on your achievements! We’re proud of each of you and appreciate the rich diversity of academic and athletic interests and recognition you all bring to our campus.
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. Have a wonderful weekend!
Upcoming Events:
2/3/22 - Info Night for Prospective Families - zoom link - 5 pm
Early February - 8th grade course registration during Core Connections
2/5/22 - MS Science Olympiad competition
2/7-11/22 - MS Check Ins
2/7-2/10 - Kids Jump Rope Heart Challenge (Elementary PE)
2/14/22 - Singing Friend-A-Grams at the Elementary School
2/16/22 - Parent Enrichment Night: Social Media and Internet
Dangers (6:30p)
2/17 & 2/18 - Teacher Workdays- No School for Students
2/21 - Remote Day for Students 2/22-2/25 - ACCESS for ELLs testing
3/1 - 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.
NURSES CORNER
You can find our current Sick Child Policy in Spanish here: https://www.
Voyager Sick Child Policy & Guidelines
STUDENT SUPPORT
Please join the Student Support Services Team for a riveting and informative Parent Enrichment Night focused on addressing "Social Media and Internet Dangers." This eye-opening session will be hosted by a special guest presenter on February 16th, from 6:30-7:30p. All adults caring for or working with a young person will benefit greatly from this session, as it will provide valuable insight as to how to keep our youth safe when interacting with today's technology. Adults will also learn the common "code language" and "secret" apps/websites that youth utilize in order to evade adult attention and knowledge. You are not going to want to miss this hot topic!
9th-12th graders can still join Dr. Link's Social Skills group after school!! This will be a fun, informative, reflective, and safe way for your student(s) to learn, build, and hone these important skills. WHY are social skills important?!? Great question! Because relationships are an integral part of our daily lives. Starting, developing, maintaining, and repairing meaningful and healthy relationships with others is possibly one of the most important yet underappreciated set of skills that we can develop and utilize over the course of our lives. Such important skills include, but are not limited to, active listening, conflict resolution, effective communication, non-verbal communication, assertiveness, perspective-taking, and reflective apologizing. Further development and/or honing of these skills, widely known as social skills, is most likely one of the best ways to improve our relationships with others.
If you are interested in having your High School child participate, please contact Dr. Monique Link, School Social Worker, to enroll or for more information - mlink@voyageracademy.net 919-433-3301 X 146.
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
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, Basketball, Beats by Girls, Piano, Woodwinds, Guitar & Ukulele, Drums, Spanish Club, Art Club, Dungeon & Dragons, Soccer Shots and Jewelry Making (beadwork). Robotics is sold out for Spring session. 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@
ATHLETICS
Middle School Athletics:
The girls basketball team (3-0) had to take Roxboro Community School to overtime but came away with a huge win on the road beating the Bulldogs 31-27. The sister tandem of Chloe and Calise Crawford continued to dominate as they combined for 22 points and 14 rebounds. Samone Arrington also contributed with 6 points and 5 rebounds. Arrington and Izzy Jeffers continue to be floor leaders for their team while on the court, a huge reason the girls have found such great success so far in the season.
The boys basketball team (7-0) had a physical game on the road as they visited conference opponent Roxboro Community this past Tuesday. Our boys continue to remain level headed and show great poise despite some very physical play in their 45-34 victory. Jonathan Scott had a big game for the Vikings as he led all scorers with 17 points. Josh Ford and Corshaun Pritchet each had 9 points in the win as well.
High School Athletics:
The JV men’s basketball team (5-2, 1-0) was finally able to return to action this past week and didn’t hold back in their first game as they beat Roxboro Community at home on Tuesday, 88-42. Freshman Lionel McCullough led all scorers with 15 points. Nasir Westbrook and Larry Pegron added 14 points each in the win as well. All 11 Viking basketball players that entered the game for Voyager contributed points in the big win. On Wednesday evening the JV men dropped a thrilling game to Durham Academy in overtime, 58-61. At the time of writing this summary, statistics had not been provided for the game.
The men’s varsity basketball team (7-5, 3-1) hosted Roxboro Community on Tuesday night in conference play as they came away with a 74-53 win. The Vikings shot an incredible 65% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc. Senior Parker Hinshaw was on fire as he scored a game high 23 points, including seven 3-pointers and shot 58% from the floor. Hinshaw also contributed 5 rebounds, an assist, and a steal in the big win. On Wednesday the men’s team fell to a very talented Durham Academy team 38-54. Senior Nate Kornegay led the team with 12 points.
The Swim Team hosted the TNAC conference swim tournament at Campus Hills last night and came away as conference champions! At the time of writing this release no specific times or finishes had been released. There will be more information on the swim team in next week’s update.
Spring Athletics:
Important message from our middle school baseball coach, Coach Eisch:
Voyager Middle School Baseball
Tryouts for the 2021-2022 season will be held for all 6th-8th graders that are cleared to tryout. February 10th from 4:15 to 5:30 and February 11th from 4:15 to 5:30
Tryouts will be at the Ridgecrest Baptist Baseball field located at 1104 Milton Rd. Durham, NC.
For a student athlete to be eligible to tryout on February 10th all paperwork on the athletic participation checklist:
Voyager Academy Athletic Participation Checklist (bigteams.com) must be completed prior to February 8th.
More specific information will be provided as we get closer to the tryout date.
If you are interested in participating in middle school softball please email or see Coach Blackston.
If you are interested in participating in middle school boys tennis please contact Coach Rose via email at: leerus@aol.com
All 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/
If you have any questions about our spring teams please feel free to email me at jgatcomb@voyageracademy.net
Upcoming Home Athletic Events:
February 1: JV Men’s basketball vs. Henderson Collegiate 4:30pm
Women’s varsity basketball vs. Henderson Collegiate 6:00pm
Men’s varsity basketball vs. Henderson Collegiate 7:30pm
February 3: JV Men’s basketball vs. Eno River 4:30pm
Women’s varsity basketball vs. Eno River 6:00pm
Men’s varsity basketball vs. Eno River 7:30pm
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.
- 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!
- If you are interested in making a financial contribution to help support our athletic programs please see below. Any amount would be a huge benefit to our programs and our student athletes and staff would be greatly appreciative.
How to contribute to Voyager Athletics
You will want to start by going to the following web address: Family.Titank12.com and you will see to the right where it says “Don’t have an account? Sign up today!”
1. Once you create your account you will see a green + button to the lower right of the computer screen. Once you hit that button it should give you an option where you can select “add student”. It will ask what your district is. Start to type Voyager Academy and it will automatically populate for you to select. It should now prompt you to enter your child’s name and their date of birth.
2. You should now see a box on the screen with your child’s name. If you want to add a payment method you can go to the top right of the screen, click name, select profile. Here is where you can add your payment method.
3. Use the menu on the left to select "Store." This is the future home of all fee payments at Voyager Academy.
4. Select the Recommended or Custom Athletic Contribution tab. Each tab has a picture of our V logo with Athletics written across it.
5. Select your student(s) name from the drop down list.
6. Select the contribution you would like to make. In the recommended Athletic Contribution tab there are pre-set amounts listed depending on how many sports your child participates in. In the Custom Athletic Contribution tab you are able to write in the amount you wish to contribute.
7. Press the add to cart button.
10. A pop up button will appear with the option to continue shopping or view the cart. If you have additional contributions you would like to make, click continue shopping. Otherwise, continue to the cart for payment.
11. Review your cart before completing your purchase. To delete an item. Click the 3 dots to the right of the item.
12. The system should email you a receipt. You can also view your transaction history from the dashboard menu under "History."
As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me:
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
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”