Dear Voyager Community,
This was another busy week on campus. Thank you to all the parents and staff that participated in conferences earlier in the week to discuss your child’s progress. We are in the process of planning for the new year as well as focused on finishing the 21-22 school year strong. Our staff and students continue to work hard together demonstrating their growth and knowledge.
Safety continues to be a top priority at school as well. We have completed all lockdown, shelter in place, and fire drills throughout the school year to meet state requirements and prepare our school community for any emergency situation. Most recently we held a severe weather drill to practice procedures in the event of a tornado so all students and staff are prepared to respond quickly in an emergency. We’re proud of our students for their cooperation during these important safety drills.
We’re kicking off the 4th quarter and spring is in the air with excitement on campus. The elementary school has a variety of exciting science events planned for next week. Ask your child about all the new things they are learning in school. It’s amazing to see the connections they are making across the curriculum.
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. Check out the upcoming events and all the updates below from our School Nurse, Student Support Team, Operations Manager, and Athletic Director.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Upcoming Events:
3/18 - MS Pictures
3/24 - Board Meeting
3/21-3/25 - Science Week at Elementary
3/28-3/29 - Remote Days for students
3/31-4/6 - MS Check In #3, Final Check In
4/5- Elementary Art Show 5:30 pm
4/6 - HS Project Exhibition Night
4/6- Elementary Spring Pictures
4/19- EOY M-Class Assessments Begin
4/20 - Parent Enrichment Night: Nourishing Children with Picky Eating Behaviors (6:30p) [final session for this academic year]
4/22 – PTO Spring Fling
4/27 - New Family Get Acquainted Day
4/28-Kindergarten Parent Orientation
4/30- Chick-Fil-A Book Drive 7 to 7
PTO SAVE THE DATE – SPRING FLING – FRIDAY APRIL 22ND, RAIN DATE – APRIL 23RD
NURSES CORNER
WANT TO FEEL YOUR BEST? TRY REST.
Daylight savings time was Sunday, March 13th! Hopefully everyone is adjusting to the new time and enjoying the extra hour of evening daylight.
March 13-19, 2022 is National Sleep Awareness Week. Founded by the National Sleep Foundation, this week recognizes the importance of sleep as a crucial measure of overall health. Research shows that sleep is important for physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Sleep Awareness Week began on March 13th at the start of Daylight Savings Time when most Americans change their clocks and lose an hour of sleep.
According to the CDC’s sleep recommendations, children ages 3-5 are recommended to get 10-13 hours of sleep each day, school-aged children ages 6-12 are recommended to get 9-12 hours of sleep, teenagers ages 13-18 are recommended to get 8-10 hours of sleep. And adults are recommended to get 7 or more hours per night.
Below are some tips that can help children AND adults promote better sleep.
· A warm (not hot) bath before bed can promote relaxation
· Keeping lights dim encourages the body’s natural production of the sleep hormone, melatonin.
· Quiet reading or listening to soft music while lying in bed
· Relaxation breathing exercises
· Avoiding screens (iPad, smartphones, televisions) 1 hour before bed
· Older children tend to stay up late or even wake in the middle of the night and check devices or social media. Encourage charging devices in another room to minimize distractions during sleep time.
For links to Voyager’s updated COVID-19 protocols and policies please see below. These documents are also available on the Voyager Academy website under “COVID-19 Info.”
· UPDATED Voyager Academy COVID Protocols as of 2/28/22: https://www.
· UPDATED Voyager Academy Sick Child Policy: https://www.
· UPDATED Voyager Academy Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.
COVID -19 Policy Updates
There have been several changes in guidance from the state and local health departments which warranted us to review and update our COVID 19 policies. As you know Durham Public Health lifted their mandatory mask mandate effective Monday, 3/7/22. The NCDHHS held a webinar earlier this week to discuss updates on their policy changes and mask recommendations along with updated data and statistics statewide. The revised Strong Schools Toolkit from NCDHHS will be released later today. The latest information which has led to the mask recommendation changes from NCDHHS are outlined below.
- The COVID-19 landscape is different as we emerge from the latest surge; as we have throughout the pandemic, we are adapting our response based on the current stage of the pandemic.
- We are learning more about the virus, and we now have a wider array of effective tools to reduce risk:
- Vaccines and boosters are widely available and help protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
- Immunity in the community is increasing
- Treatment is available for those at higher risk of severe disease.
- Trends are decreasing, lowering the risk of infection, and improving hospital capacity.
- Our goal is to use the most tailored and effective tools for the stage of the pandemic, get people back to the experiences and places they love, and reduce the risk of COVID-19 and to protect those at highest risk of severe illness.
- Universal mask mandates are a less important tool in lower risk settings like schools.
After a thorough review of all updated guidance from the state and local health departments, the board has approved a Mask Optional COVID 19 policy and updated the employee and volunteer vaccination policy at the emergency meeting today. The approved policies are linked for your convenience. Mandatory testing of student athletes was also eliminated. These policies will go into effect on Monday, 3/7/22 and continue to transition as guidance recommends.
I recognize that there may be mixed feelings about the changes to the mask policy. Some of you may be excited to remove your masks while others may still have concerns. Please know that we respect family’s individual choices and we ask that you respect the choices of others as well. We also ask that you please speak with your children about respecting the choices of others and not to question them about why they might be wearing or not wearing a mask.
Please remember that individuals that return from a quarantine will be required to wear a mask per guidelines from NCDHHS. We will continue to monitor the COVID metrics and stay abreast of all guidance from the health departments and adjust as needed. Thank you for all your flexibility as we continue to navigate the ever changing plans due to the COVID 19 challenges.
The school nurse has shared updated information and links to documents on COVID protocols as well in the nurse’s corner. Please keep in mind that all individuals that have been required to quarantine for 5 days will be required to mask for an additional 5-day period when they return to school per guidelines from the NCDHHS. Voyager will also offer Rapid Antigen Testing to students exposed to Covid with parent permission with these updated changes.
STUDENT SUPPORT
Please join the Student Support Services Team for our final Parent Enrichment Night of the academic year! We will have a guest presenter who will bring us a wealth of information focused on: Nourishing Children with Picky Eating Behaviors. The recorded sessio
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
There are more than 5.3 million individuals in the United States who are living with a permanent brain injury-related disability. That’s one in every 60 people. If you or someone close to you is living with brain injury, you know that it is a misunderstood, misdiagnosed ne The theme for the 2021 to 2023 Brain Injury Awareness campaign is More Than My Brain Injury. Learn more about engaging in this work through the links below: For NC specific information and resources on Brain Injury, visit:
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March is also Women's History Month! Check out these exciting events...
For more information, go to: https://www.ncmuseumofhist
Check out 5 Ways to Celebrate Women's History Month - various events at Duke and in Durham to honor the contributions of women.
Attention all Adults: Did you miss the amazing Parent Enrichment Night session on "Social Media and Internet Dangers" or do you simply wish to view it again?! Well here's your chance! You may view the informative presentation facilitated by Mrs. Shelly Calrk Epps at either of the following links:
Please be reminded that this presentation is NOT intended for youth; therefore, make sure that any youth are not within hearing or viewing of the content.
LUNCH PROGRAM
March is #NationalNutritionMonth! N
Celebrating flavors from cultures around the world is a tasty way to nourish ourselves and appreciate our diversity. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds and tastes! A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you create healthy habits that celebrate your heritage and introduce you to new foods and flavors.
For more information on National Nutrition Month, you can visit https://www.eatright.org
Week Three: Plan your meals and snacks .
- Choose healthful recipes to make during the week.
- Use a grocery list to shop for nutritious foods.
- Make healthful food and drink choices when away from home.
LUNCH ORDERING
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. The monthly lunch menu is attached and also available on our School Nutrition website by clicking here. Please be sure to select a milk flavor before adding to your cart. The milk is a part of the meal. When ordering please remember to deposit funds into your Titan portal to cover the cost of meals ordered. Accounts with a negative balance, will lose their ability to order online until the balance is paid. If you need assistance, please email foodnutritionservices@vo
April Menu
VIKING SUMMER CAMP
Summer Camp 2022 Webpage
Voyager Academy is offering 4 fabulous weeks of summer camp for Rising 1st – 8th graders. Camp begins Monday, June 6, 2022 and will end Thursday, June 30, 2022. Camp hours are Monday - Thursday from 8:00am - 4:30 pm. Each week has its own theme incorporated into crafts, activities, and games. Campers will also go on weekly field trips, swim (pending pool availability due to COVID) or water play and participate in STEM activities.
We are also offering "Specialty Camps" in Basketball, LEGO Robotics and Ukulele/Guitar.. The camp dates and details for these special sessions can be found on the camp webpage. Registration for Summer Camp is live on the Titan Family portal. You can quickly view all camp sessions by changing the "Category" in the school store to "Summer Camp." Complete the Summer Camp Registration Form for each child at the attached link. The $30 registration fee will be applied to your account after registration is complete. Registration is not complete until camp registration from, registration fee and session payment is made in Titan or by Check/Money Order. Space is limited and on a first come first served basis. There will be no waitlist for summer camp registration. The last day to register is April 30th, if space is still available.
ATHLETICS
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”