Dear Voyager Community,
We’ve had an active week on campus with very chilly, rainy, and windy weather. Yesterday during the afternoon Middle School and High School carline we had an active tornado warning and needed to implement our emergency procedures. We are appreciative of all staff, students, and families that acted swiftly and followed all protocols to ensure the safety of all. We also encouraged our parents in carline to take shelter in the building and sent an alert to families as well. Please know that we cannot continue to dismiss your child during an active tornado warning after we have taken shelter. Part of our ongoing procedure is to debrief after events to ensure our procedures are working well and identify any areas for improvement. The safety team will meet later today to discuss the tornado warning and make any recommendations for improvement. We thank our school community for your cooperation during emergency procedures. It’s wonderful to finally have the sun shining brightly today.
Elementary students today are venturing out for an exciting field trip at Duke Gardens to connect with their learning in the classroom. Thank you to our parent volunteers for your support. Please remember that all volunteers must complete a background check, be fully vaccinated against COVID, or show a negative COVID test. Please know that our school nurse can do the COVID tests for our volunteers. We are grateful for the partnerships with our parents to support school initiatives for student success.
Our PTO parents also continue to feed and nourish our staff with amazing monthly lunches. I enjoyed the middle school feast yesterday! Thank you to all the parent volunteers for the incredible meals you provide to support our team. They are very much appreciated by all.
Tomorrow, April 2, 2022 is World Autism Day. The Voyager Autism Team (and friends) celebrated World Autism Day on campus with "Be the Change" theme! We are so proud of our exceptional children and our exceptional children (EC) staff for the difference they make for our students and our community.
Congratulations to the High School Personal Finance Team for their recent success in competition! Team members (Mary Jurusick, Constantine Papanikas, Cliffird Burton, and Caden Desnmore advance to the Personal Finance Challenge State Competition on April 8, 2022. Go Vikings Go!
Our High School performing art students continue to excel at their competitions. This past weekend they competed in Virginia and Vocal Affinity swept the categories in their division - something we have never done at an out-of-state competition. What an exciting season for our Viking performers! Congratulations to all for showcasing your talents.
Vocal Affinity
1st in their division, Best Costumes, Best Stage Crew, Best Visuals, Best Vocals, People's Choice, Showmanship: Haegan Bryant
Bull City Lights
3rd Runner Up in their division, People's Choice, Showmanship: David Anderson and Allison Miller
Our middle school students are working hard in their classes to demonstrate their knowledge and growth. The third benchmark check ins are started this week and will continue next week. This information will allow the teachers to better differentiate instruction and ensure our students are prepared for end of grade testing. It’s hard to believe how quickly the year is going.
Saturday night our High School students will be celebrating their Prom Night with dancing, music, and making many great memories. And in North Carolina style we are setting up large screen TVs so everyone can keep track of their favorite team during the Final Four. It will be an exciting match up of the two best teams in the country!
We also have exciting events on the calendar for next week that you won’t want to miss. Join us for the Elementary School Art Show and the High School Project Celebration. Please remember that school will be closed for spring break from April 11, 2022 through April 18, 2022 and we will reopen on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. Our school nurse has an important message for parents of 11th graders so please read below for details.
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:
4/5- Elementary Art Show 5:30 pm
4/6 - HS Project Exhibition Night
4/6- Elementary Spring Pictures
4/11 - 4/18 - Spring Break
4/19- EOY M-Class Assessments Begin
4/20 - Parent Enrichment Night: Nourishing Children with Picky Eating Behaviors (6:30p
4/22 - Spring Fling
4/27 - New Family Get Acquainted Day
4/25-4/29 - Spirit Week (HS)
4/29 - Homecoming Parade (HS)
4/30- Chick-Fil-A Book Drive 7 to 7
5/10- Spring Choral Concert (7-8pm, HS gym)
PTO SAVE THE DATE – SPRING FLING – FRIDAY APRIL 22ND, RAIN DATE – APRIL 23RD
NURSES CORNER
ATTENTION PARENTS OF CURRENT 11TH GRADERS….
Upon entering the 12th grade, students are required to have received 2 total doses of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV).
Meningococcal vaccines help protect against the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease. The two most severe and common illnesses caused by these bacteria include infections of the fluid and lining around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream infections (bacteremia or septicemia). Even if they get treatment, about 10 to 15 out of 100 people with meningococcal disease will die from it.
What are the immunization requirements for students entering 12th grade in 2022-2023?
Students entering the 12th grade need the following vaccine:
Ø Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV)
· Two TOTAL doses for individuals entering the 12th grade.
Please note - If your child received the MeningB vaccine, they will still need a 2nd dose of the MCV vaccine (brand name Menactra or Menveo on your child’s immunization record).
My child received a meningococcal conjugate vaccine in 7th grade. Will he/she need to get another dose before entering the 12th grade?
Yes, as of the 2020-2021 school year, North Carolina state law requires that students receive a booster (2nd) dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine before the start of their 12th grade school year.
Are the vaccines safe?
Yes. The most common side effects are mild and include pain and swelling at the site of injection.
Where can I get vaccines and how much do they cost?
You can get the vaccines at your doctor’s office or local health department. If your child is insured, the insurance may cover the costs of the vaccines. Contact your health care provider to find out how much the vaccines will cost.
My child is currently in 11th grade, what should I do next?
Contact your child’s health care provider or local health department to schedule an appointment to receive their 2nd booster MCV vaccine. Be sure that the doctor provides a Certificate of Immunization (shot record) that documents the vaccine has been received. Then send an uploaded copy of the immunization record to the school nurse, Mrs. Skoff (cskoff@voyageracademy.net) before the start of your child’s 12th grade school year.
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.voyageracademy.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Voyager-Academy-COVID-5-Day-Guidance-and-Policies.pdf
· UPDATED Voyager Academy Sick Child Policy: https://www.voyageracademy.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Voyager-Academy-COVID-Sick-Policy.pdf
· UPDATED Voyager Academy Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.voyageracademy.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/COVID-19-Guidelines-FAQ.pdf
STUDENT SUPPORT
Yesterday (March 31st, 2022), was InternationalTransgender Day of Visibility! Check out the video link below to hear more about this day and of one family's journey as they support their child with her transgender experience: https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/video/international-transgender-day-visibility-83788402
Please join the Student Support Services Team as we host a guest presenter who will bring us a wealth of information focused on: Nourishing Children with Picky Eating Behaviors. The recorded session will begin at 6:30p on April 20th. The flyer is included and has the zoom link ("Click Here to Join" or copy the URL from the bottom). We hope to see you there!
The Student Support Services Team is proud to announce that we are able to host a second Parent Enrichment Night in April! The topic will be focused on: Gender Identity and all adults working with and supporting youth are encouraged to attend. We are finalizing the date at this time, but plan for either the last Monday or Wednesday in April (6:30p) - save the date! Once the date is confirmed, we will let everyone know!
We hope to see you at our last two events for this academic year!
LUNCH PROGRAM
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@voyageracademy.net.
April Menu IS LIVE!
VIKING SUMMER CAMP
Voyager Academy summer camp is for Rising 1st – 8th grade Voyager students and their siblings. 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." When registering a sibling that does not attend Voyager Academy, select a Voyager student from the dropdown. Then select the sibling's rising grade and name in the labled text box. 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:
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
INTERESTED IN PART TIME WORK AT VOYAGER – SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS
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”