Voyager Elementary School

Dear Voyager Families, It is hard to believe that we are finishing week four of the school year and that the first of October is just around the corner.  We are continuing to experience a wonderful start to the school year. This week I have met with every grade level 1st-5th grade (I met with Kindergarten students during the first week of school) to remind them that here at Voyager we RISE UP everyday!  With the 2nd-5th grade students, I reminded them of the Voyager Behavior Expectations Matrix that I shared with you in my letter two weeks ago (I’m sharing it with you again this week).  With 1st grade I reviewed basic behavior expectations that they can understand - as the year goes on, we will dig deeper into the behavior matrix with our 1st graders.  It was obvious that our teachers had shared the matrix with the students and discussed it - students knew its purpose and the information contained in it. Students could also tell me what RISE stands for - Responsibility, Integrity, Safety, and Empathy and could provide examples of what RISING UP looks like in the cafeteria and on the playground - the two areas that I highlighted in our grade level meeting.  I also talked to our 3rd graders and 5th graders about RISING UP and being “ambassadors” for Voyager as they each head out on field trips to the Howell Nature Center (5th grade was there today; 3rd grade goes there on Monday).  I will discuss field trip expectations with the other grade levels prior to their first field trip. Overall, I can say that in the first four weeks our students are truly RISING UP and are contributing positively to the learning environment that we have here at Voyager. With the majority of our Voyager Vikings RISING UP on a daily basis, I haven’t in the first 18 days of school had to address the flip side of behavior very often - what happens when a Voyager Viking slips up and doesn’t RISE UP.  At this point in the school year and given that I do not know the students (everyone is starting with a clean slate), most instances of not rising up that I am asked to address are handled with a conversation about what happened and a review of what is expected (reference to the behavior matrix if appropriate).  If a follow-up conversation has needed to occur (a repeat infraction), an appropriate consequence has been issued (spending some time in the office with me; missing some recess or free choice time; a phone call home to a parent, or a combination of these consequences). For the first time this year, the district has included an HPS Elementary Code of Conduct within the district’s “Student Handbook” - the link above contains just pages 113-119 of the 143 page “Student Handbook”. This subsection of the larger “Student Handbook” lists the core beliefs of the district and shares examples of proactive strategies (teaching of expected behaviors, recognizing positive behaviors that students are exhibiting) and reactive strategies (consequences).  Within the elementary code of conduct are charts that detail examples of behaviors and potential disciplinary actions that may result. Please be advised that the charts do not list all possible behavior infractions, and that consequences are determined in accordance with the severity of the action and may defer from/not follow the charts exactly. K-5 students are subject to the entire code of conduct, not just areas in the elementary specific section.  Please carefully review the elementary code of conduct. Let your child’s teacher or I know if you have any questions about this document. If at anytime your child is sharing information with you that you find concerning or you have concerns/questions in general, please contact your child’s teacher, myself, or transportation to share your concerns with the appropriate contact for the situation at hand.  In other words, if your child is reporting that he/she is having difficulty with another student and they have tried various strategies on their own (asked the student to stop, told an adult at school, etc.) to get the behavior to stop and it hasn’t, please let your child’s teacher know or feel free to reach out to me.  If a situation occurs on the bus that is concerning to you, please contact the bus driver or the transportation department directly. Please don’t assume that someone here at school knows about the situation that you are concerned about. As I mentioned in my welcome letter back in August, “We have a “learning community” here at Voyager.  Students, staff, families, and members of the community who may volunteer at Voyager are all important members of our learning community. The students will grow and succeed more if the adult members of our learning community form a partnership to help them make good choices, both academically and behaviorally. Our doors are open to you, and our phones are on to take your calls.”  Open communication is a key to the partnership being successful!  This concludes the topics that I have to share this week, however, there are several updates and informational items from the district, as well as our bi-weekly note from our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey - her topic this week is about her role here at Voyager - the services and resources that she provides to students and their families.  Please check the list of upcoming events that is included in this newsletter. Please feel free to contact me at anytime.  My email is [email protected] or you can reach me by calling the main office at 517-552-7500 ext. 46503. Sincerely, Kari Naghtin, Principal Counselor’s Corner:   What Do I Do Here at Voyager? My name is Jennifer Starkey, and I am the school counselor! I am available to help you and your child have a successful school year. As a school counselor, I work with parents, students, and teachers through a program of many services aimed at supporting social and emotional growth. Examples of services in the school counseling program, based on student need, are as follows: Small groups to help children learn to regulate emotions Individual sessions (limited, short-term) to help children adjust to school Opportunities to practice self-regulation and mindfulness during the school day Consultation with teachers to generate ideas for improving student performance Conferences with parents to reflect on their child’s social and emotional progress I also facilitate several community outreach programs throughout the year, such as Mobile Dentist, Holiday Assistance, Mentor Livingston Lunch Buddies, Shop With a Cop, Reaching Higher, Weekend Survival Kits, and Ability Awareness Day. If you are interested in participating in or contributing to any of these programs, please reach out to me. Twice a month, I will be sharing information and articles to help support social, emotional, and academic success at home and school! In light of the recent transition back to school, here are two quick tips: Encourage your child to talk about his/her day by asking specific questions. Try social questions (“Who do you sit next to in class?”), best/worst questions (“What’s the best/worst thing that happened today at school?”), what you learned questions (“What are some of the rules you have to follow at school?”), and school function questions (“How do you celebrate student birthdays?”). Use the WIN strategy to help them develop solutions to any jitters or concerns. Step 1:  W: What happened? Describe the dilemma. Listen without judgment. Step 2:   I: What ideas can we come up with to solve the problem? Make a list. Step 3:  N: Now move into action!  Pick a strategy and give it a try!   I invite you to reach out with any needs or questions - I am available via email anytime: [email protected] Your Partner in Education, Jennifer Starkey, MA, LPC District Updates: Elementary Half Day Please remember that the first half-day of the school is next Friday, September 27. On that day our students will be released at 12:05 p.m. Our office will be closed once school is released as our office staff will all be attending professional development. The half-day bus schedule has been posted online at http://bit.ly/2Zhghbz. Please remember that students in grades kindergarten through third must be met by an adult or older sibling at the bus stop otherwise they will be returned to Kid’s Care and a $20 fee will be charged. Text Messaging is Coming to Howell Public Schools To enhance our school to home communication, Howell Public Schools will begin using SMS text messaging next month. This will not replace our emails and automated calls, and those methods will remain the primary communications tools used. However, SMS text messaging will allow for faster communications of items such as snow days. To receive these messages, we must have your cell phone number on file. If you do not currently receive our automated calls on your cell phone, please contact our office to add your cell phone number to your account. You will need to opt-in to receive SMS text messages from us. To opt-in, please text “Y” to 67587. You will receive a reply that states, “You’re registered 4 SchoolMessenger notifications.” We will not begin using this service until Thursday, October 31, 2019, so you will not receive any further text messages until after that date. Child Care Job Opportunities  Are you or someone you know looking to make some extra spending money?  The HPS Early Childhood Department is looking to hire energetic individuals for our Kids Kare program. These are part-time positions with shifts running Monday-Friday 6:30 - 9:00 a.m. and 3:15 - 6:00 p.m. To learn more, please contact Jenny Myers at 517-548-6310. (There may even be positions right here at Voyager!)  LOC Credit Union - New Look, Same Great Partnership LOC Credit Union and our school’s student-run credit union have some exciting news! The team at LOC is pleased to introduce their new look. LOC Credit Union’s new identity will present a more modern look and feel. While things will be visually changing, you can still expect the same vested, responsible, and helpful team you’ve grown accustomed to over the years. LOC remains committed to our partnership and will continue to offer interactive financial education presentations, financial reality fairs, and our student-run credit union program to enhance the experience and success of your students. LESA Early Childhood Programs Livingston Educational Service Agency Early Childhood Programs are enrolling for the 2019-2020 school year. Head Start and Great Start Readiness Programs offer no-cost/low-cost preschool to income-eligible or children “at-risk” who qualify under federal and state guidelines. Families meeting eligibility guidelines have access to learning opportunities, health and wellness, social and disability services, and other community resources. Children of all abilities are encouraged to apply. Currently, there are still open slots for 4-year-old children in Fowlerville, Hartland, and Howell school districts. To find out more information about the program visit our website www.LivingstonESA.org or fill out an application at www.startfreepreschool.org.

Dear Voyager Families, Thank you to everyone for welcoming me to Voyager!  We have had a great start to the 19-20 school year! Here at Voyager, we RISE UP to be the very best we can be!!  We RISE UP in everything we do!  RISE stands for Responsibility, Integrity, Safety, and Empathy!!  During the first 8 days of school, the focus has been on establishing with our students what it means to RISE UP here at Voyager.  This work has revolved around our  Voyager Behavior Expectations Matrix .  Teachers have been explicitly teaching, modeling, and providing opportunities for our students to practice the behaviors outlined in the matrix.  In addition to work around the matrix, they have used this time to establish the culture in their classroom - building relationships and establishing classroom expectations.  A twist on a well-known quote: Our students may forget what we say to them, but they will never forget how we made them feel! This is true of peer to peer relationships, as well - students will never forget how peers treat them.  Establishing positive relationships early on is critical to establishing a successful environment for learning. As we finish day 8, I can truly say that we are RISING UP, and have embarked on what is going to be a fantastic school year!  I would like to thank our families for all you do at home to support your children and the school...you are a valuable partner in what we do everyday! Consider having conversations at home with your children about what it means to RISE UP and how might they RISE UP at home, as well.  You will be hearing more as we go through the year about our expectations and how we are supporting our students social-emotional well-being, as well as their academic achievement! I would like to thank all of our families for your support and patience with the new visitor management system (RAPTOR) and our new drop-off and pick up procedures.  I know that changes like these are never easy, but at the end of the day we are making a safer environment for everyone. Here are the Voyager Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures all in one document.  Please review them periodically and carefully.  One item that we would like to highlight relative to pick-up in the afternoon - if you are the first person to get into line, please pull all the way up to the orange cones which are located beyond the main front doors.  As the line continues to move, please pull your vehicle all the way up to the car in front of you. Please contact us if you have any questions or any suggestions for these new processes that we have put in place. This concludes the topics that I have to share this week, however, there are a number of updates and informational items from the district, as well as our bi-weekly note from our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey - her topic this week is on saving for college...never too early to start planning for that phase of your child’s life - even if they don’t end up going to college having money available to help them on the path they choose is a good thing.  Please check the list of upcoming events that is included in this newsletter. Our VBC is having a welcome back Cider & Donuts event this week Thursday, September 12th, and they are planning this year's Annual Trunk or Treat event for Friday, October 25th! I will look forward to seeing students and their families at both of these events. Please feel free to contact me at anytime.  My e-mail is [email protected] or you can reach me by calling the main office at 517-552-7500 ext. 46503. Sincerely, Kari Naghtin, Principal Counselor’s Corner:   Helping You Learn to Save For Your Child’s Education Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year!   As we embark on a new academic year, we would like to empower you and your family for success not only now, but also in the future.  Saving for your child’s education can start as early as Kindergarten! Two ways you can save for your child’s education are through MET (Michigan Education Trust) and MESP (Michigan Education Savings Program).   Both MET and MESP are simple and user friendly.  Contributions may qualify for a state tax deduction.  Also, contributions can be made automatically, either via payroll deduction or via direct deposit.  The programs boast a variety of plan options, and you can invite others to contribute to your child’s accounts through e-gifting!   To further assist you in learning about these programs, Howell Public Schools invites you to participate in a college savings Webinar!   You can access the interactive session from your computer and interact with live presenters. For information, visit https://www.misaves.com/ and click on “The Buzz” and then “Events and Webinars.” Dates and times for this fall are listed below.   September 10 at 12 noon September 18 at 7 pm September 24 at 12 noon October 8 at 12 noon October 22 at 12 noon RSVP today and instructions will be sent to you via email.   You can also click here to access the MESP/MET flyer.  Dates and times are listed in the lower left corner.  Click RSVP to register today!    We are looking forward to a wonderful 2019-2020 school year!   Feel free to reach out at any time.   Your Partner in Education, Jennifer Starkey, School Counselor District Updates: Howell Cross Country - Elementary Cross Country Meet On Wednesday, September 25, the Howell Cross Country program will host its second annual district-wide Elementary Cross Country Meet. The course will cover a one-mile portion of the middle school cross country course at Highlander Way Middle School. The event is open to all Howell elementary students in grades kindergarten through fifth. Elementary runners will be responsible for their transportation to Highlander Way on Wednesday, September 25, 2019. The girl's race will start at 5:15 p.m. and the boy's race will begin at 5:30 p.m. Runners will be allowed to warm up on the course at 4:55 p.m. To learn more about the event or to register your child, please visit https://forms.gle/oGofkHCbQWqFQsPs6.  Highlander Reading Express Books If your child still has books that were checked out from the Highlander Reading Express over the summer, please have them return the books to our main office. Additionally, if your child received all nine stamps in their Reading Passport this summer, please have them write their name, grade, and school on the front of the Reading Passport and turn it into our main office. The district is working on purchasing the final prize for students who earned all nine stamps and needs an accurate number.   Julianna's Wishes Miles for Smiles Kids Fun Run On Saturday, September 28 Julianna's Wishes, a 501c3 non-profit charity that was created in honor of Julianna Ward-Brown, a Howell High School student who passed away will hold its second annual Miles for Smilies 5/10K run/walk. New this year, the event will include a one-mile kids fun run. Howell High School in partnership with Julianna's Wishes will provide a prize for the classroom from each elementary school that has the most participants in the kids fun run. The Miles for Smilies event is to celebrate and honor the lives of children that we have lost too soon. The proceeds from the event will support scholarships for Howell High School seniors and to help fund a Celebration of Life Memorial Garden at the Howell Carnegie Library. To learn more about the event or to register, please visit http://bit.ly/2k5Morc.