Viking Weekly News 

October 27, 2022

Dear Voyager Community,

It was another exciting week across campus. The National Honor Society Induction was held at the high school with 33 new members inducted.  Honorees were selected based on the 4 pillars of scholarship, service, leadership, and character. We are proud of the accomplishments of all NHS students shown below. The PSAT test was also offered to all high school juniors so they could prepare for the college process.


Our Middle School conducted NC Check In testing all week and worked hard to demonstrate their knowledge. This data is used to assist teachers in planning future instruction to ensure all students have a deep understanding of the required content. Our 8th graders had an amazing field trip to the Eno River.  They collected macroinvertebrates to assess water quality. They also participated in an ecology hike where students learned about ironwood trees, lahar development, water quality, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Our parent volunteers were spectacular and the park rangers were knowledgeable and engaging. What a great authentic learning experience!



   

Our 1st graders had an exciting Project Based Learning (PBL) celebration. They have been learning about the human body and the importance of good health. First graders then planned a health fair and taught kindergartners all they learned. Pictures below are some of the highlights of their PBL learning experience and project celebration. We have future doctors and nurses in training!

   

Voyager Recognition

      Our students and staff continue to demonstrate the excellence of a Voyager Education.  Voyager was recognized by the State Department of Public Instruction for being in the top 5% of growth for 2022. Cognia also awarded Voyager a School of Distinction for 2022 certificate. Additionally, Voyager earned National ESEA Distinguished School Recognition for excellence in our EC programs.  Congratulations to all students and staff for these great achievements! Go Vikings Go!

 

Student Recognition Program for 22 -23

All the best,Voyager will be implementing a new recognition program to highlight the academic, social, emotional, and athletic growth and success of our students. . Our goal is to recognize student achievement in many areas and encourage and support all learners to achieve their personal best. The following categories will be included in the recognition program:

  • High School and Middle School Academic Awards – Principal’s Honor Roll for straight A’s, and Honor Roll for A’s and B’s for the quarter.

  • Elementary School will be recognizing student academic growth in reading, math, and project-based learning with the following awards:

    • Powerful PBL Thinkers

    • Marvelous Mathematicians

    • Rockin Readers

  • Athlete of the Month – High School and Middle School Sports, and Elementary PE

  • Core Value of the Month - Awardee at each School

  • Visual Arts Student of the Month at each School

  • Performing Arts Student of the Month at each School

Students will receive monthly recognition for the awards and be included in the quarterly Recognition Brochure highlighting all awardees and shared with the entire school community. The first issue will be shared with the community at the end of October.

Please remember 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 below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

All the best,

We hope to see you all there! 

WEEKLY NURSES UPDATE:

DON’T LET THE FLU GET YOU - Flu Season 2022-2023

Influenza (flu) is a serious disease that can cause mild to severe illness. More serious infection can lead to hospitalization or death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyday preventive actions (like staying away from people who are sick, covering coughs and sneezes and frequent hand washing) to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses, like flu.

Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever during 2022-2023 to protect yourself, your family, and your community from flu. A flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our healthcare systems. September and October are generally good times to get vaccinated for the flu. While ideally, it’s recommended to get vaccinated by the end of October, it’s important to know that vaccination after October can still provide protection during the peak of flu season.

Symptoms of flu

  • Fever* or feeling feverish/chills

  • Cough

  • Sore throat

  • Runny or stuffy nose

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headaches

  • Fatigue (feeling tired)

  • Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults

*it is important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever

What’s the difference between the flu and COVID?

Influenza (flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is caused by infection with a coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first identified in 2019. Flu is caused by infection with a flu virus.

You cannot tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 by the symptoms alone because they have some of the same signs and symptoms.  Specific testing is needed to tell what the illness is and to confirm a diagnosis. Testing for flu is available at many locations such as doctor’s offices, Walgreens, and CVS. COVID-19 testing is also a helpful tool when someone has symptoms and can be done at a location listed above or at home using a rapid antigen test. There is also a single test that will check for COVID-19, flu, and RSV (another respiratory illness) in one swab that is available at many pharmacies and through doctor’s offices.

There are some key differences between flu and COVID-19:

  • COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than flu. It can also take longer before people show symptoms and people can be contagious for longer than people with flu.

  • With flu, typically a person may experience symptoms anywhere from 1-4 days after infection and are contagious for about 1 day before they show symptoms.

This link compares COVID-19 and flu, given the best available information to date. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm#:~:text=Compared%20with%20flu%2C%20COVID%2D19,for%20longer%20periods%20of%20time.


Where can I get a flu shot?

Flu shots are widely available at doctor’s offices and pharmacy locations such as Walgreens, CVS, and inside many grocery stores with a pharmacy counter like Harris Teeter. The flu shot is free and available by appointment at the Durham Department of Public Health immunization clinic. Call (919) 560-7608 to schedule an appointment.

COVID-19 COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION WEEKLY UPDATE:

Our CDC COVID-19 Community Level is: LOW

  • People may choose to wear a mask for any reason at any time. 

  • People with a positive test for COVID-19 MUST wear a mask for 10 days.

  • People with symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask.

Parent Enrichment Night – Fall Seminar: WE HEARD YOU! Please join the Student Support Services Team on Monday, December 5th from 6p-7:40p for an exciting night filled with enriching topics that are meaningful to YOU! Participants will be able to choose TWO of the three available sessions to attend, in seminar format. We kindly ask that you sign-up in advance in order to help us plan for space, refreshments, and childcare. We are looking forward to this evening of enrichment and fellowship with you!

National American Indian Heritage Month: November is reserved for the celebration and recognition of the rich histories and diverse cultures of our nation’s first people! Check out the websites below for more information, activities, and fun facts:


Important Dates in November:

6th – Daylight Savings Time Ends: Make sure to roll your clocks back!

8th – Election Day: Don’t forget to vote; your voice matters!

11th – Veterans Day: Do you know the history of Veterans Day?!

20th – Universal Children’s Day: Protect the rights and improve the welfare of children!

24th – Thanksgiving Day: Do you know the history of Thanksgiving?!

25th – Native American Heritage Day

29th – Giving Tuesday: A global day of generosity; “do something good” today!                                     

Did You Know That October is:


Registration and the waitlist for the 2022-23 school year is CLOSED. We have not been able to fully staff the after school program and therefore are unable to accept any new students.



On October 17, 2022, Titan sent eligibility letters to all families with an active email address in the Titan Family system. This was triggered by an internal process for families that recently applied for free/reduced priced meals. All Voyager Academy families were asked to submit household income information during the re-enrollment process in Schoolmint. That form redirected them to Titan to complete the application.

Some families qualify for free/reduced priced meals based on household income, while some students are automatically or categorically eligible through the "Direct Certification" (DC) process. Those students can also "extend" benefits to  eligible children within the household. Each year across the State, School Food Authorities (SFA) are required to undergo a "verification process" in October. To begin the process, Voyager Academy's Food Nutrition Services department needed to process any new applications recently submitted in Titan. The automated system then emailed the eligibility determination letters to all families instead of just the new applicants. Approval or denial for NSLP has no impact on a families ability to participate or to not participate in hot lunch. FNS will not order lunch for a student without notifying the parent even if the student is eligible for NSLP. Voyager Academy's FNS department keeps all income information and eligibility statuses confidential.

  • If your family does not qualify or does not wish to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), you can disregard the eligibility notice. You do not need to contact the school at this time.

  • If your family was categorically eligible through the DC process, you have the option to refuse benefits by emailing the Food Nutrition Director at foodnutritionservices@voyageracademy.net. The DC approval process happens automatically. Voyager Academy exports the file from a Secure State Server and import it to the Titan School Portal. 

  • If you feel your family should qualify but was denied, you can file an appeal. Submit a request to the Hearing Official, Ellie Schollmeyer, at eschollmeyer@voyageracademy.net for an appeal.

  • If you are suffering a financial or family hardship, you can contact the school social worker, Monique Link, at mlink@voyageracademy.net for assistance.

Direct Certification, an electronic data matching process, is an important tool for ensuring that low-income children receive free breakfast and lunch without barriers. All school districts that participate in the School Nutrition Programs are required to conduct direct certification for students living in households that participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid. Any child belonging to a household that participates in SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, or Medicaid (only available in some states), or children who are migrant, homeless or in foster care or Head Start are categorically eligible to receive free meals at school. Children who are categorically eligible for free school meals can be directly certified to receive free meals at school without submitting a school meal application to determine their income eligibility. 

Extending categorical eligibility to additional children in the household allows children in the same household with the same household income to be determined as eligible for free school meals without a school meal application. Children who live in households that are participating in SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, and Medicaid (only available in some states) are eligible for free school meals through “extended categorical eligibility” if another child in the household has been directly certified.

Verification is the process of checking a select number of Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application. Federal rules require that we do this to make sure only eligible children get free or reduced price meals. Selected households participating in NSLP will receive an email this week requesting verifying income information. Please respond with the documentation listed in the email by 10/28/2022. If households do not respond to the verification request, they will lose their free/reduced benefits regardless of their actual eligibility for NSLP. 


WHO CAN RECEIVE FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS?

  • All children in households receiving benefits from Food and Nutrition Services (FNS, formerly known as Food Stamps), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), are eligible for free meals. Children that receive Medicaid may be categorically eligible for free or reduced benefits based on the household income.

  • Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals.

  • Children participating in their school’s Federally-funded Head Start program are eligible for free meals.

  • Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.

  • Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines

Middle School Athletics

Congratulations to the Middle School Girl’s Tennis Team and Coach Rose for an outstanding 2022 season!  The girls were undefeated in the regular season and tournament play! Way to go Vikings!  A huge thank you to Mrs. Diller, Mrs. Combs, and all the other parents who helped make this an amazing season for our girls. 

 

Missing in team photo Zoe Robinson


Another congratulations goes out to our boys soccer team who won the conference championship last night against our rival, Excelsior Classical Academy, 4-2.  8th grader Elliot McMurray tied the game at 2-2 near the end of regulation to send the game into overtime as he calmly worked his way around Excelsior defenders before rocketing a shot into the corner.  The Vikings finished the season with just one loss and conference co-champions!

 

 

High School Athletics

The volleyball team saw their season come to a close as they lost to Vance Charter in the second round of the NCHSAA state tournament, 3-0.

The Men’s and Women’s cross country team will compete for East Regional Championships Saturday morning at Wake Med Sports Complex. The men’s race will begin at 10:00am and the women’s race will start at 10:30am.Keep an eye on our athletics webpage and social media accounts to see how they do!

The women’s tennis team will compete in the 3rd round of the NCHSAA State Duals on Monday, October 31st, as they will travel to Bear Grass Charter.Seniors Kate Flintom, Cara Freiburger and Juniors Karli McKenna and Katelyn Hutson will compete for individual and duo state championships this Friday and Saturday.Best of luck!!

The men’s soccer team will found out this afternoon where they will be seeded for the NCHSAA state playoffs that will begin on Monday, October 31.Keep an eye out on our social media accounts and voyagervikings.com for updates.

Important Notes

  • Athletic Booster meeting will be on November 2, 6pm at the high school

  • If your student is interested in participating in a winter sport, please make sure all athletes are registered with a valid physical uploaded at:  https://voyageracademy-ar.rschooltoday.com/   no paper copy of forms will be accepted.

  • Next week’s Athletic update will have a run-down of high school fall all-conference award winners, so be sure to keep an eye out!


Have an awesome weekend!