NEWS FROM ELEMENTARY: It is beginning to feel a lot like WINTER! The below announcements should be helpful for you and your family for the week of Dec. 5-9
SCHOOL WILL BE CLOSED FOR WINTER BREAK DEC. 21 (DISMISSES AT 11:15 AM)-JAN. 04. STUDENTS RETURN TO SCHOOL ON JANUARY 5.
PARENT ENRICHMENT NIGHT: 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! For questions or support signing up, please contact Dr. Link at mlink@voyageracademy.net or 919-433-3301 X 146.
DECEMBER MUSIC UPDATES: DATE CHANGE: December is going to be an exciting time at Voyager Elementary School! On December 9th, we will have a Winter assembly in the elementary school gym. Our Voyager Vocals (2nd-5th grade chorus) will be performing with the High School Band! They will perform for their parents first at 1:00pm, then they will perform for the whole elementary school at 1:30pm.
DECEMBER STAFF LUNCHEON SIGN UP: The PTSO of Voyager will be hosting its December Staff Luncheon on Dec. 9. If you are able to help provide an item or set-up/clean-up support, please click on the link below:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054AACAB29A5FF2-vaes5
MAKE A DIFFERENCE HOLIDAY SIGN-UP: Dear Vikings,Every year we like to share the love of the season by purchasing gifts for children in need. If you would like to buy a gift for a child, you may use the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0544A5A622A4FF2-giving
How does this work?
(1) Sign up for the slot describing the gift(s) you would like to purchase.
(2) Label the gifts with a removable tag, using the code in parentheses. You do not need to wrap.
(3) Turn gifts into the Elementary school (c/o Melissa Meckes, School Counselor) by December 9th.
If you would like to donate money or purchase extra large gift bags for the gifts to fit into, there are sign up slots for this as well.
Please contact Melissa Meckes, School Counselor (mmeckes@voyageracademy.net) with any questions.
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD REGISTRATION ENDS DEC. 1O: Does your child love science? Would they enjoy sharing science ideas with their friends? If so, Voyager Elementary's Science Olympiad is the perfect team activity for them! As part of the olympiad team, students participate in fun, hands-on math and science learning games, then compete against other students in a super exciting science tournament. Registration for K-5th students is HERE. Registration will be open until December 10th. Please email Sandi Portilla at scienceolympiad@voyageracademy.net for any questions.
DECEMBER READING CHALLENGE CALENDAR: Encouraging your children to read is one of the best things you can do to assist your child’s teacher. The more we read, the stronger student we will become. Attached is a reading challenge calendar where you could encourage your child to read AT HOME in some fun and unique way.
YEARBOOK PURCHASE: If you would like to order a yearbook please click on the link and follow the steps. You can order a yearbook for $22.00 until Feb 1st. After Feb 1st the price will go up to $27.00. The deadline for ordering yearbooks is March 1st.
https://strawbridge.fotomerchanthv.com/search/YB26681
VOYAGER READ-IN: The month of November is National Native American Heritage Month. On November 30 our school hosted a READ-IN. Each class hosted special guests who came to the class and read books about Native Americans. It was a great way to end our month long celebration.
VAES ELECTIVE CLASSES: Do you want to see some of the amazing things that your child is learning and doing during specials at VAES? The VAES specials team has just started an instagram to keep our families updated. Follow us on instagram! vaes_specials
DECEMBER READING CHALLENGE: Reading is so important. Mr. Manning has created a few reading challenges for our students. We hope you will encourage your child to read as much as possible during the month of December. Our reading challenges are listed below:
WRAPPED UP IN A GOOD BOOK: Teachers have wrapped great winter read aloud books. Each day a student will unwrap one of the books for the teacher to read to the class.
15 MINUTE READING CHALLENGE: Each class has been challenged to read an extra 15 minutes per day during the month of December, when we reach our goal, each class will have a winter celebration!
CAUGHT READING: Teachers are taking photos of students they catch reading during the day (when reading is not required). We are posting those photos on our first floor bulletin board. PARENTS–IF YOU CATCH YOUR CHILD READING AT HOME, TAKE A PHOTO AND SEND TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER.
WINTER TREE: Voyager elementary students are now working on creating a WINTER TREE. Students have been asked to decorate our lobby tree with snowflakes. On each snowflake they are writing about one of their favorite winter traditions. Come and check out the tree!
UPDATE FROM SCHOOL NURSE: 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.
Flu 2022-2023 Update: The Flu is OFFICIALLY HERE
The CDC has been actively tracking flu cases and there has been an early increase in seasonal influenza (flu) across the United States and especially in the southeastern and south-central areas of the country. Over the last week, there has been an uptick in both confirmed flu cases and individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms here in Durham and in the Voyager community.
Some of the most common symptoms of flu include:
Flu signs and symptoms usually come on suddenly
Fever/feeling feverish or chills
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue/tiredness
Vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults
Notes for Families:
If your child is complaining of not feeling well before the school day starts, please honor their symptoms and keep them home for further monitoring. Students should return to school when they are feeling well enough to actively participate in learning during the school day.
If your child has a fever (temp above 100.4F), please DO NOT GIVE THEM A FEVER-REDUCING MEDICINE and send them to school. Fever is a sign of active illness and they can spread illness to others during this period. When the medicine wears off, the student’s symptoms return and the school will notify parents asking you to come pickup your sick student.
If an individual has a fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, they must stay home until those symptoms have been resolved for at least 36 hours without the assistance of medication per the Voyager Academy Sick Policy and Parent Handbook.
Voyager Academy remains a mask-friendly environment and individuals may choose to wear a mask at any time. With holidays and gatherings with friends and family coming up, now is a great time to discuss wearing a mask for families interested in adding an extra layer of illness prevention and protection. Students showing symptoms of illness will be asked to wear a mask while at school as outlined in the 2022-2023 Voyager Academy Sick Policy. Individuals returning to school after a COVID-19 isolation period will be required to wear their mask for the duration of their 10-day masking period per the CDC guidelines.
Voyager Academy still follows the CDC guidance for COVID-19 that highly recommends COVID-19 testing for any individual with symptoms of illness and the required isolation and masking periods for individuals that test positive.
We are doing our best to protect our classrooms and keep our students, teachers, and staff as healthy as possible as we head into the Fall and Winter months. The best first step is keeping sick children home.
We greatly appreciate each family’s understanding and cooperation.
PTSO UPDATES: Our PTSO is very busy. Listed below are a few upcoming events:
Freddy’s Spirit Dinner 12/07
CHICK-FIL-A READING CHALLENGE: We are so honored to partner with Chick-Fil-A on Roxboro St. They will be giving a FREE gift card to students every month who read 15 books. The December challenge begins Dec. 1. As your child reads or you read to your child, please record the books on the reading log and return it to your child’s teacher once you have 15 books listed. Your child can earn one free gift card per month.
MONDAY’S SCHEDULE: Each and every Monday, Voyager will dismiss students at 12:45 pm. Since our staff attend meetings every Monday, it is imperative that students are picked up on time.
BIRTHDAY ROCK: The Voyager Birthday Rock is such a popular thing! We hope you and the students enjoy seeing the various birthday designs. The Birthday Rock is available on a sign up basis. The sign up was sent out late summer. If you would like to see if there is any availability left, please click on the link below.