Hi Middle School Families,
Oh my, April is over and May is here. I cannot believe we have 14 days of school left with so much to complete before May 25th which is the last day of school!
Our 6th grade students are off to Busch Gardens on Friday! We know they will have a terrific time!
I need your help - we are having too many students putting their hands on others. Students should NOT be touching other students. Suspension is a possibility for putting hands on others.
Were you able to attend the musical, FOOTLOOSE? If so, you know it was fantastic! If you missed it, you missed an awesome musical! Great job Mrs. Thompson and Ms. Wicker and outstanding job by the cast and by the tech crew.
EOG INFORMATION !!!!! During the week of May 16—May 20, our middle school students will only come to school on their testing days which is very similar to what we did last year. We also have our dismissal time at 1:15 on testing days so students are able to go home early
For example on May 16, the Middle School students who come to school are our 4th graders and our 6th graders. Our 4th graders will test in the 4-5 classrooms and our 6th graders will test in the 6, 7th and 8th grade classes. We do not plan to test in the gym nor do we want to use the small spaces we have.
May 16, 4th grade and 6th grade, ELA
May 17, 4th grade and 6th grade, Math
May 18, 5th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade ELA
May 19, 5th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade Math
May 20, 5th grade and 8th grade Science
Thanks for the support you have shared as we try to make EOG days in an environment that is comfortable to our students and we hope to have no make-up tests.
TARDIES, TARDIES, TARDIES - Oh my, we had 22 tardies today which means they were not in class at 8:15. Hopefully our number of tardies will decrease.
8th Grade Parents, we will have an 8th Grade Celebration on May 25 at 8:45. Students will report to their classroom just like they do on all school days. The students will proceed into the gym at 8:45. We would like for the 8th grade to dress up on this day. We also want parents to join us so you will need to park and come to the gym. Once the celebration is over our 8th graders may go home with you.
We will send info to you next week so you can put May 25 on your calendar. The celebration will be about an hour.
I also need you to monitor your child’s phone and/or computer as there is so much out there that our students really need to stay away from. Please remind your student of the Technology Policies in the Student-Parent Handbook. Students need to be careful of what they are doing on the computer—creating an Instagram account for other students is not ok and could cause a student to spend some time at home (suspended). Mr. Mitchell and I will be going to classes to share the cans and can’ts and we are also looking for a speaker to share the information with our students regarding proper phone etiquette. I will certainly let you know once we have a speaker.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks for the 2021-2022 school year are now on sale. If you have questions contact Ms. Pam at pmurray@voyageracademy.net!!! If you prefer to pay by check or cash, you may complete the envelope that will be in the office. It should be a great yearbook sharing lots of memories. You should have also received an envelope if you prefer to purchase with cash or check.
TALENT SHOW:
The Talent Show that was held today (Thursday) was great. The students were great—--we certainly have some talented students!
Recycling Program
Mrs. Johnson and Mr. Manning
This is Amelie and Kaymille (juniors from the high school). We are working with Ms. Huntington and a group of high schoolers to create and secure a working recycling program here at Voyager since that has been something the school has been lacking for quite some time. We would like to expand this system to all three schools. Before we can begin, we need to make a list of all the teachers that need a recycling bin in their classroom. If you do not mind, could you please forward the google form below to all the teachers in the middle school and elementary school? This will allow us to move forward more efficiently and start working on the next steps of this project. Thank you for taking the time to read this email. We really appreciate the help.
Blood Drive
My name is Lauren King and I host the Blood Drives at the high school. Voyager is hosting another drive this semester on May 13, from 9 am to 2 pm. I think the newsletter is a great opportunity to advertise to more future donors. Could you please notify all staff members of this opportunity to give blood as well? If you have any questions please let me know!
FIELD TRIPS AND SCHOOL PAYMENTS IN TITAN SCHOOL STORE
The Family Portal is where families pay your school fees, manage your students accounts, apply lunch funds and apply for free and reduced meals. When making purchases, you will need to visit the "Store," which is on the left hand side of the Home screen. The one time payment and recurring payment features are where you apply funds for lunch orders. Select the Categories button to filter through the list of items available in the store. Then select the item you are wanting to purchase for your student.
If you have trouble logging into your account or have questions, call or email the Titan Support team. Support is available from 7 AM to 7 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, to answer your family portal questions at (844) 467 4700, option 2. Refunds are issued at the school level.
Want to catch up? View presentations and watch recorded meetings here
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.
FIELD TRIP PAYMENTS AT VOYAGER: Field Trip Payments will now be made through the Titan Family portal at Family.Titank12.com. It is the same system we are using to deposit funds for lunch. If you have not set up an account yet, I've included the instructions (Spanish & English) to this email. I also created a short video tutorial of the process. Each family will need to set up an account in order to pay for field trip and classroom fees.
Watch the video here:
You will need to create an account on the portal first to begin making payments. Once in the Titan family dashboard
Link your student(s) to your family account. All Voyager students are in the Titan system.
Add a payment method here under profile or in your cart before checking out.
Use the menu on the left to select "Store." This is the future home of all fees payments at Voyager Academy.
Select the item you aRe purchasing (field trip, etc)
Select your student(s) name from the drop down list.
Select the plan selection.
Select your students' grade level.
Select the month of service.
Press the add to cart button.
A pop up button will appear with the option to continue shopping or view the cart. If you have a sibling to register or need an additional plan, click continue shopping. Otherwise, continue to the cart for payment.
Review your cart before completing your purchase. To delete an item. Click the 3 dots to the right of the item.
The system should email you a receipt. You can also view your transaction history from the dashboard menu under "History."
Please do not set up recurring payments within the portal for field trip fees.
Bring Your Own Device: For the 2022-2023 school year we are asking that 6th, 7th, and 8th graders Bring Their Own Device to School. Many of you are aware of the BYOD policy. Program outline is below:
BYOD stands for “Bring Your Own Device”. It is a strategy for providing personal computing in business and education where the end user (employee, student), as opposed to the organization, provides, owns, and maintains his/her own device. It is typical in universities and colleges, and is gaining in popularity in K-12 education and businesses.
Daily Expectations Access to a computer is essential to learning at Voyager Academy. The student’s personal device is considered an essential school supply, just as pencils and paper traditionally have been. Students are required to be prepared at the start of each school day with their fully-charged and functional devices. This is considered a part of being prepared to learn. As with all technology at Voyager Academy, students are required to follow the Acceptable Use Policy and the Ethical Use Policy when using their personal devices.
Loaner devices Voyager will maintain a sufficient pool of short-term loaner devices for extenuating circumstances, such as a computer being out for repair. Loans will be day-long only. Students who need a loaner should check one out from building administration (usually the building Assistant Principal) before the start of first period, and return it before returning home. The loaner devices do not go home with students unless no other option, such as a shared family computer, is available.
Student Computer Purchasing Guide - Updated July 2022 Voyager Academy requires that every student in grades 7-12 have his or her own laptop for use in school and at home as a part of our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Students use their computers extensively for academic purposes. Most software, resources, and services that students utilize are cloud-based and accessible via a modern web browser. Students use Google’s G Suite for office software (word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, etc), so Microsoft Office is not required.
Requirements
Hardware
Physical keyboard. On-screen touch keyboards are insufficient.
Battery sufficient to last an entire school day.
Operating System:
Chrome OS
Windows 10 or newer
Mac OS X / macOS
Linux
Installed Software:
Current version of a modern web browser. Options include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Google Chrome is recommended, as it includes a built-in Flash Player, which is still required by many web applications.
Adobe Flash Player
Network Connectivity:
WiFI: 802.11ac or 802.11n with 5 GHz support
This is an important requirement. Voyager has made significant investments in WiFi infrastructure to ensure reliable internet access by many simultaneous users. To take advantage, student computers must meet the above requirement. Meeting this requirement is not expensive; all devices listed in the “Device Recommendations” section are less than $300. Most new computers will have 802.11ac.
Your reseller can help make sure the computer meets this requirement. If 802.11ac is listed in the specifications, the computer meets this requirement. If 802.11n is listed, the 5 GHz band must be supported (often listed as 802.11n dual-band). Again, most new computers will have 802.11ac.
A note about cellular (3G or 4G) connections: Students are required to connect to Voyager’s WiFi for Internet access when at school. Use of cellular connections on campus is prohibited.
Device Recommendations
Voyager’s extensive use of cloud applications means that requirements for software support and local system resources are minimal. A Chromebook is an excellent, inexpensive option in our environment. Recommended models are the Lenovo (4 GB RAM), and the Acer (4 GB RAM and 14” 1080p screen). The Acer model is notable for having a 1080p 14” screen which provides more workspace. The Acer also is a 100% Aluminum chassis, while the Lenovo is hard plastic. Please note that we no longer recommend Chromebooks with less than 4 GB of RAM (some 2 GB models are still available but should be avoided).
Triangle Ecycling VIP Store
We recycle our company computers and other electronics with Triangle Ecycling, a local nonprofit that uses them in an educational program that teaches public high school students computer tech and the soft skills they need to succeed in the job market. They also donate 10% of their profits to the DPS Foundation to support innovation and equity in the public schools.
They donate many computers to local charities but also make some available to the community online through their VIP Store. They have invited us to take advantage of great deals on refurbished computers through this link. Please check it out and support a good cause if you are in the market for a high quality computer at a discounted price.
ALLERGIES AND COVID: It's officially "that" time of year….ALLERGY SEASON! We realize that many students and families experience symptoms of seasonal allergies. And unfortunately, many allergy symptoms can look like COVID-19 symptoms, and vice versa.
As Voyager moves into a phase of less restrictive COVID-19 measures, testing remains a powerful and valuable tool that helps prevent the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 and keeps our students, teachers, and community safe and able to continue in-person learning. We ask that parents continue to practice an abundance of caution and follow the testing requirements for their children if they are experiencing any symptoms or have had a recent, known exposure to COVID-19.
Below are a few reminders as we head into allergy season. The Durham Department of Health guides our sick child/symptomatic individual protocols. Please note that Voyager Academy teachers, front office staff, or school nurse CANNOT diagnose allergies nor excuse a student that is currently experiencing any of the symptoms listed below from following the Sick Child Policy due to an assumption of seasonal allergies.
· NCDHHS and Durham Health STILL require a PCR COVID test for any student with symptoms on the list below. Even as other COVID protocols have changed, this policy has not changed.
· Negative at home rapid tests are not sufficient to clear a student to return to school at this point in time. While they are an informative tool, a student with symptoms needs a PCR test (with a negative result) in order to return to school prior to 5 days.
If a student is experiencing any symptoms listed below and a parent/caregiver feels that the symptoms are due to seasonal allergies, they have THREE OPTIONS. The student can either:
get a PCR COVID test with a negative result, OR
obtain a note from the doctor excusing the student from testing due to allergies, OR
stay home for 5 days following the onset of symptoms and they may return after the 5th day and will need to wear a mask indoors and outdoors for the next 5 days.
The only time a student with symptoms on the list below is not required to get a PCR COVID test is if they have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days.
If your child takes daily, over the counter medication for management of their seasonal allergy symptoms, now is a great time to speak with their pediatrician about starting that. For questions about medication management of seasonal allergies, please reach out to your child’s pediatrician.
Below is the list of possible COVID symptoms as defined by the CDC and NCDHHS:
· temperature above 100.4F or chills
· cough
· headache
· sore throat
· congestion or runny nose
· fatigue, muscle or body aches
· nausea or vomiting
· diarrhea
· shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
· new loss of taste or smell.
TRAFFIC STUDY: Voyager will be conducting a traffic study in the near future to obtain more data to help as we strive to ensure the car line experience is as smooth as possible.
Carline Reminder
Please follow carline procedures. We have shared that it is important for our middle school parents to arrive for car line pick up no earlier than 3:10-3:15. By waiting to arrive, we are not blocking Ben Franklin and we have less chance of accidents. We have also asked that you not cut in line as that is not how we do business. I continue to hear how the middle school needs to wait to arrive, how the middle school is not following the process, and how middle school is cutting in line. I even have pictures of license plates sent to me. Please stop cutting line. Once our line starts moving, the line goes quickly and smoothly.
WHAT IS AMAZON SMILE? 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.
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.
ADD THESE DATES TO YOUR CALENDAR:
5/6 - 6th Grade Trip to Busch Gardens
5/9 - 7th Grade Science Fair, 5:00-6:00 - Note change in date!
5/11-National School Nurses Day
5/12 - 4th Grade Beach Trip
5/12 - Talent Show for grades 6-8 sponsored by our Student Council, 4:00, MS gym
5/16 - Grades 4 and 6 administered EOG ELA
5/17 - Grades 4 and 6 administered EOG Math
5/18 - Grades 5, 7, and 8 administered EOG ELA
5/19 - Grades 5, 7, and 8 administered EOG Math
5/20 - Grades 5 and 8 administered Science EOG
Remember students who are testing come to school, other students stay home. They may complete work, review for EOGs or complete an assignment given by their teacher. They will also need to make sure they sign in for attendance. Teachers will have a process!
5/25 - 8:45, Celebration in Gym for 8th graders and parents
Thanks for all the support you provide Voyager Middle School. It’s
noticed and appreciated!
Gwen
Gwen Johnson
Middle School Principal
919-433-3301 ext. 101