Viking Weekly News
Dear Voyager Community,
We are so proud of our students on campus that demonstrate our core values on a daily basis. I want to recognize two of our students who have gone above and beyond by demonstrating Voyager’s core values along with their leadership skills and passion this week.
McKenna Andrew formed a chapter of the Morgan’s Message organization at the high school this year. Morgan's Message was founded in memory of Morgan Rodgers, a Duke Lacrosse player who took her own life in 2019. Morgan's Message is dedicated to ending the stigma surrounding mental health in athletics, and helping athletes to unlock the mental aspect of their sport. Additional information can be found at https://www.morgansmessage.org/
Over the past several months, the Voyager chapter has hosted fall and winter sport dedication games, held a booth at the fall festival, and coordinated various activities to spread awareness and tips for mental health. Last Friday the club held their first Viking ball tournament.
The Viking Ball tournament had the high school gym filled with energy and spirit to bring greater awareness to the mental health of athletes. It was tremendous to watch all the enthusiasm and fun. The band was on hand to help rock the house down and was even joined by the Durham Bulls mascot, Wool E Bull. Check out the coverage and interview with McKenna on WRAL. We are proud of McKenna and the Morgan’s Message club members for making a difference in the lives of others.
Jurnee Cheney, 8th grader at the Middle School, created the vision for a Black History Month program. She recruited other students to support her idea and then planned and organized an assembly for the 7th and 8th grade. The Black History Program celebrated African American culture through the performing arts. The program showcased art, music, dance, and poetry from the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the present day. This was also a great example of the collaboration between the elementary school and the middle school. Below are photos and videos from the assembly held this past Friday.
Voyager Vocals singing What a Wonderful World
Elementary School
Mrs. Tackett’s kindergarten classes had a special visit from a miniature horse as part of their studies on animals
The 3rd grade students visited Morehead Planetarium and participated in some engaging science experiments. Engaged and interactive learning with lots of fun too!
Culture and Climate Survey
Our culture and climate survey launched on Monday. To date only 20% of our Voyager families have responded to the survey. Our goal is to have 100 % participation. The email was sent from Panorama Education so please check your email so you can share your feedback. Measuring and implementing community feedback is part of our Cognia accreditation process and will help guide our future strategic planning process so that we can focus on continuous improvement.
Lottery for 23-24 School Year
The lottery was held this morning and over 300 families joined virtually to observe the lottery process for each grade level. A notification was sent to all families after results were verified. Congratulations to all families that had siblings accepted! Continue to monitor your School Mint account if you are on the waitlist since it will be updated automatically with changes and additional offers.
Please remember 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 great weekend!
All the best,
Upcoming Dates:
3/4-3/5 - HS Choir & Band: Koste Classic (Richmond, VA)
3/7 - ACT/CCRAA/ EXTEND 1 (all 11th graders)
3/13 – 3/14 – Teacher Workdays – no school for students
3/18 - Voyage into Service (final event): NC Diaper Bank, 9:30-11:30a
3/20-3/24 STEM week at Voyager Elementary
3/20- Vaping 101 Session with 9th graders (Poe Center)
3/21- Vaping 101 Session with 6th, 7th, 8th (Poe Center)
3/21 - 3rd Grade Math NCCI 3
3/21 - ACT Make-ups
3/24 - Teacher Recruiting Fair - 1 pm at MS
3/25 - HS Choir & Band: Powhatan Classic (Powhatan, VA)
3/27-3/28 – Remote Learning Days
Last Chance to get your DPAC tickets! Help us sell out DPAC and support Voyager Arts Programs!
WEEKLY NURSES UPDATE:
SEASONAL ALLERGIES – KEEPING SYMPTOMS IN CHECK
What are seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies strike at different times of the year. Also known as allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, seasonal allergy symptoms occur when airborne irritants, or allergens, enter the eyes, nose and throat, setting off an allergic reaction. An estimated 7.1 million kids in the United States report environmental allergies.
In the Spring, flower and tree pollen are common culprits of allergies. Grass pollen starts in late Spring and peaks in the summer months. Weed pollen (such as ragweed) and mold spores tend to occur mainly in the late summer and fall.
Signs your child may have seasonal allergies
Symptoms of seasonal allergies include a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, sore throat, cough, and dark circles under the eyes. Keep in mind that these symptoms are also common with COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. The only way to know if it’s COVID-19 or allergies is to take a test. Please remember that it’s still important to test for COVID-19 if you or your child experience these symptoms.
Seasonal allergies can be more than just a mild annoyance. Some of the consequences of uncontrolled seasonal allergies in children include:
Fatigue and poor concentration in school due to lack of sleep
An increase in ear and sinus infections
Asthma exacerbations
Behavioral issues from discomfort and lack of sleep
How can you minimize exposure to seasonal allergy triggers?
Even when pollen seems to be blanketing everything in its path, there are steps you can take to prevent allergies from acting up:
Have your child wash their hands and face as soon as they come in from playing outside so they don’t rub pollen in their eyes and nose. Better yet, rinse them off in the shower.
Check the forecast for pollen levels, and limit outdoor activities when pollen counts are at their highest.
Dry laundry in the dryer. Since pollen can coat clothing, avoid hanging laundry outside to dry.
Have your child take their bath at bedtime. This will help with nighttime allergy symptoms and also keep pollen off bed linens and pillows.
Keep windows in your home and car closed and use air conditioning to filter the air. Make sure the car air conditioner is on re-circulating mode.
Consider checking with your child’s pediatrician or healthcare provider to see about a medication regimen to help manage allergy symptoms.
Click here for more tips to help you, your child, and your family “Spring” into pollen season: https://www.chop.edu/news/health-tip/preparing-pollen-season
COVID-19 COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION WEEKLY UPDATE:
The health and safety of our students, teachers, staff, and volunteers are our top priorities. Voyager Academy is following the CDC COVID-19 Community Level guidance. We sincerely appreciate your consideration.
Our CDC COVID-19 Community Level is: LOW
Masks are welcome but are not currently required
March is Women’s History Month: This month is dedicated to observing, honoring, and learning about the great women in our nation’s history! Check out these websites for more information and exciting opportunities to join in the celebrations and learn more:
https://www.womenshistory.org/womens-history/womens-history-month - Informational
Check out the phenomenal book: Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen
https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/womens-history-month/womens-history-month-history/ - Informational
https://triangleonthecheap.com/raleigh-walking-tours/ - Pay what you want
https://triangleonthecheap.com/international-womens-day-celebration/ - Free
https://www.museumofdurhamhistory.org/blog/womens-history-month-resources/ - Informational and Exhibits
https://www.orangecountync.gov/3131/Womens-History-Month - Multiple events, registration required
https://durhamcountylibrary.libcal.com/event/10297775 - Durham Library Scavenger Hunt (lasts all month)
Laws of Life Essay Contest: This contest encourages middle school and high school students to reflect and write about a core value that means the most to them – and why.
• The program is available to all students in grades 4 through 12 across the world.
• All essay writers will be recognized by Character.org. We will also recognize the most compelling essays and feature them on our website and social media channels.
Submissions are due MARCH 23rd, and can be submitted through this online form. For more information, please click on the following link: https://character.org/laws-of-life-contest/
Final Voyage into Service K-12 Event: Time is running out to sign-up!! Guess what?!?! We have one more in-person “Voyage into Service” event with the NC Diaper Bank! For everyone who is interested, please sign-up at: https://x.gldn.io/e/hfSgEoGhXrb to solidify your spot today! We will be on-site on Saturday, March 18th from 9:30-11:30a. Here are the important details:
Each participant - each parent, child, and staff member, must fill out the link above.
All volunteers guarantee that they are not feeling ill before their shift.
Masks are optional; however, anyone who is not vaccinated, must wear a mask at all times.
Bring a cool drink!
Close-toed shoes are required.
Address: 1311 E. Club Blvd, Durham, 27704 - inside the green fence at the corner of Kiss Dr. and E. Club Blvd.
Contact Dr. Monique Link, School Social Worker at 919-433-3301 X 146 / mlink@voyageracademy.net with any questions or needs. Certificates of Participation will be awarded to everyone in attendance AND there will be one last raffle for a few sweet give-aways! Thank you in advance for your commitment to service and volunteerism!
Great News. Summer enrichment is here. Registration is open now open until April 14th. The process will look a little different from Fall and Spring enrichment sign up. Enrichments will be offered Monday through Thursday for 3 weeks during the month of June. Beginning June 5th and ending June 22nd. There will be 3 different session times offered depending on the individual enrichment. There will be a google form used to register for each individual enrichment. Each enrichment must meet the minimum number of participants before payment will be assigned in Titan. You will receive an email letting you know that your student is being placed on the roster, based on a first come first served basis. You will have until April 14th to make the payment. If your payment is not made your spot will be forfeited and will be given to the next student. Please go to our website to see a full description of each enrichment. https://www.voyageracademy.net/resources/summer-enrichments/
Voyager Academy is dedicated to making sure your child has a healthy and enjoyable School lunch. Please take a minute to take this brief Lunch Survey so that we can work together with you, your children, and our caterer to better meet their lunch needs. Thank you for your time and we appreciate all feedback. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to our nutrition department at: foodnutritionservices@voyageracademy.net
Middle School Athletics
Middle School Fall & Winter Athletic Awards
Middle School Spring Tryouts
High School Athletics
Attention Senior Athletes and Parents!!
Will you be competing in a sport at the next level (prep. school, JUCO, 4-year college, Internationally)? Please email me with where you’re going, what you will be competing in, and include a picture of yourself playing that sport! I will put something together over the next few months to share with everyone so we can see where our student-athletes are going!
High School Fall & Winter Athletic Awards
High school fall and winter athletic seasons came to an official close last night as we held our athletic awards evening. Individual team awards were/are being handed out during end of season team gatherings. Below are TNAC All-Conference, All-District, and All-State winners.
