Voyager Elementary School

Greetings, Voyager Families.

As we embark on this season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for your unwavering support and commitment to our school community. The past few weeks have been a wonderful time for fostering a sense of togetherness among our students, parents, and staff.

Even a week later, many of our families are still enjoying the sweet memories of our recent Trunk or Treat event. It was truly a spooktacular evening, and we are grateful to have had the pleasure of your company.

Last week, we also wrapped up our fall Book Fair. Whether you volunteered your time, purchased books, or helped spread the word about the fair, your dedication did not go unnoticed. Thanks to your collective efforts, our amazing VBC was able to provide our students with an array of captivating books and fundraise to continue to support a variety of their initiatives, all aimed at improving our school and benefitting our students and families. 

Thank you all for joining us for our Parent-Teacher Conferences. It has been a pleasure seeing so many of our families engaging in conversations with our teachers about their child's progress and educational journey. As we wrap up our fall conferences, I am reminded of the importance of collaboration in education. It's the combined efforts of parents, teachers, and students that create a nurturing and thriving learning environment. Together, we have accomplished so much, and there is much to be thankful for.

Sincerely, 

Danielle Schmidt

******** This newsletter is for ALL Voyager families - families attending in-person, as well as those attending Highlander Virtual.  Even though a lot of the information pertains to in-person families, there is a fair amount of information that pertains to both in-person & Highlander Virtual families

Dear Voyager Families,

Happy New Year! This is the first issue of “The Viking View” for 2021!  For those families that are new to our school since the break, we would like to welcome you to our school!  We are glad you have joined us.  This newsletter typically is emailed every other Friday and is a great way to get important information about what is happening and what you as parents need to know.

2nd Semester is Underway - As a reminder we are now 2 weeks into 2nd semester.  You should have been able to access your child’s first semester report card in PowerSchool last Friday.  Please let us know if you were not able to access the report card. 

New Secretary in the Main Office - Today was Mrs. Megan Tefft’s (School Secretary at Voyager for the past three years) last day in the Main Office at Voyager.  Starting on Tuesday, January 19th, she will begin working as the Media Secretary in the library at Three Fires Elementary School. We will miss Mrs. Tefft a lot, but we are so happy that she has this opportunity to do what she has always wanted to do - be an elementary school librarian!

With saying good-bye to Mrs. Tefft, we get to welcome a new Secretary to Voyager!!!  Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Char Purdy to our Main Office.  Her first official day with us will be on Wednesday, January 27th.  Between now and then, Mrs. Shannon Birdsell, our Clerk, will be covering Mrs. Tefft’s position, and Mrs. Robin Peterson will be covering Mrs. Birdsell’s position.  We are still here to serve you like we always are, however, I ask for your patience as we welcome Mrs. Purdy to the office and make this transition!

Here is a brief introduction from Mrs. Purdy: Hello Voyager Vikings, I am Char Purdy, your new Building Secretary. My family and I have lived in Howell for nine years and I have worked for Howell Public Schools for five years. Of those five years the first three were at Voyager. I have been working at Highlander Way for the last two years as a Media Secretary.  My husband and I have two children, our son is in fourth grade and our daughter is a Freshman, both attend Howell Schools. We enjoy camping and traveling, especially in Northern Michigan. I am super excited to be back "home" at Voyager and I look forward to getting to know each of you better.

Virtual Assembly - On Tuesday, January 5th, we were treated to a virtual assembly with Mr. Peace!!  This was an assembly that was paid for by our VBC parent group that we were supposed to have in person last April.  When we realized that it was probably going to be awhile before we could hold an in person assembly we decided that bringing Mr. Peace and his message of diversity and kindness to us virtually was the best plan B available to us.  Mr. Peace presented to our K-2 students and to our 3-5 students.  Please check out this short video recap of the two assemblies that were held that day - Mr. Peace Visits Voyager You can also learn more about Mr. Peace at his website which is mrpeace.org The video recordings of the assemblies will be shared within the next week with our Highlander Virtual teachers from Voyager - Mrs. Hull; Ms. Biscorner; and Mrs. Gariepy.

Drop-off/Pick-up Procedures - As I mentioned above, we have some new families, but even for our current families, this is a good time to share our drop-off and pick-up procedures.  Overall, things are going well, and we thank you for that.  I asked our three drop-off/pick-up supervisors (Mrs. Hoyes, Mrs. Schoendorff, and currently Ms. Sawyer - covering for Mrs. Gariepy) if there were any points that they wanted me to touch upon.  The main reminder is this - please pull as far forward as you can which typically means that your children are not exiting in front of the main doors.  Pulling as far forward as you can down the sidewalk helps to keep the line moving.  Here are two documents regarding our drop-off and pick-up procedures:

Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures for 2020-2021

Pointers for a Quicker and Easier Drop-off and Pick-up

New Gate Installed on the East End of the Cut-through -  Cars speeding through our parking lot between 7:00 a.m.-7:30 a.m. and between 2:20 p.m.-2:45 p.m. has created an unsafe situation for a long time.  To assist with this problem, a new gate has been installed on the east end of the cut-through. Beginning on Monday, February 1st, the gate will be closed from approximately 6:45 a.m. until 7:45 a.m.; the gate will be closed during the day, but will be reopened around 2:45 p.m. to allow for the afternoon drop-off line to form.  More information will be included in the next Viking View on Friday, January 29th.  Today’s information is being provided as an informational heads-up to a change that will be occurring!

Vision Screening - Information was sent home with in-person students last week - Here is the information for both IN-PERSON and HV - Staff from the Livingston County Health Department will be at Voyager the week of January 25th-28th (Monday-Thursday) to conduct Vision Screening (Hearing Screening will not be conducted this year).  Students in 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades will be screened.  Follow-ups from last year and parent/teacher requests for this year will also be screened.  Important Notes: 1) Please call the school at 517-540-8084 and provide your child’s name and teacher if you DO NOT want your child’s vision to be screened; and 2) Please call the school and provide your child's name and teacher if you have a concern regarding your child’s vision and your child is NOT in the grades being screened this year.  Please call the health department at 517-546-9850 if you have questions about vision screening.

Highlander Virtual Families - You may bring your child(ren) in as follows: On 1/27 - 1st Grade from 8:00-8:30 a.m.; 3rd grade from 8:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.; On 1/28 - 5th grade from 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m.

COVID-19 Information - From the various emails that I have sent to you since our return to school on January 4th, everyone should be aware that we have seen an uptick in the number of COVID-19 related quarantines in the building.  We went the months of August, September, October, and November (4 whole months) with very little impact to the building.  We quarantined our first classroom on December 7th and have quarantined 3 more classrooms and several individual students on buses due to positive exposures since the end of November.  Please read the district update below related to “health and safety reminders”.  I want to stress how important it is to keep your child home if they are exhibiting any symptoms or if they have been exposed to a COVID-19+ individual.  We have a fairly efficient system in place for getting your child’s district device to them and providing work to them if they do indeed need to be at home.  We recognize that keeping your child home is a major inconvenience, but it is for the safety of everyone that we need you to do this.  Please let me know at any time if you have any questions regarding the letters that are sent home or other pandemic related questions.

This concludes the information that I have to share today (sorry this was a long issue)! Please read the following information from others:

1. “Counselor’s Quick Tip” below.  It contains information on “separation anxiety”.
2. I Just Had to Share - fun little read that I found this past week...
3. District Updates - Important information in these updates - Begindergarten/Kindergarten registration for next year starts TODAY; Teacher and Support Person of the Year Award Nominations; and COVID-19 reminders (already referenced above).

As always, please reach out to me with any questions that you may have.  Email is the best way to reach me.  My email address is [email protected].  We are here for you and willing to assist in whatever way we can.  

Sincerely,

Kari Naghtin

Principal

Counselor’s Quick Tip: 

Separation Anxiety

Happy New Year!   I hope your second week of the semester is off to a great start!   As we return to school after an extended break, students (and adults!) sometimes find themselves tired, overwhelmed, and a bit anxious.   In fact, young children often struggle with separation anxiety, which can occur at the start of the year or even later in the year, especially after an extended break.  Common symptoms of separation anxiety include crying, tantrums, clinginess, and regressed behaviors. 

Below are some tips to help:

1. Make sure your child receives adequate sleep.  The American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests that elementary aged children receive 9-12 hours of sleep per night.  Try to set consistent bedtimes and wake up times for your family.  A restful night’s sleep helps to keep children’s emotions in check.
2. Make sure your child has eaten breakfast (or plans to eat breakfast at school). 
3. Prepare the night before to avoid feeling rushed in the mornings.  It may help to pack lunches and snacks the night before as well as having shoes, coats, and backpacks at the door.  Waking up a little early to schedule in some extra “snuggle time” can also be a great way to start the day!
4. When bringing your child to school (or saying goodbye before the bus arrives in the mornings), say your goodbyes and leave.   Watch your own body language.   Be sure to stand up straight and smile as you say goodbye so that your child can watch you and model your actions.
5. Make a “good-bye” ritual by creating a special wave or handshake.  Leave special notes in your child’s lunch.  Goodbye rituals can also be as simple as a kiss on each cheek and a hug.  Read stories about saying goodbye.  Children may enjoy stories like The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn or Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney.   

Wishing everyone a great start to the 2nd semester.   

Your Partner in Education,

Jennifer Starkey  

Source:  Katie Hurley, LCSW & Julie Tilsner, Parenting (18.8 (Sept 1, 2004) pg 170

I Just Had to Share...Kids Sum Up 2020

In this New York Times feature, Lucas Smith, age 9, asked young people around the U.S. to describe 2020 in just six words. 

Here are his favorites, from contributors age 7 to 11: 

- Daytime pajamas make great school attire. 

- Never take seeing friends for granted. 

- The world is a fragile place 

- Great parents aren’t always great teachers. 

- Life can be easy…and hard. 

- If I learned one thing: masks. 

- I love and hate my family. 

- Be catlike: Nap, eat, avoid humans. 

- Real friends actually stick with you. 

- Lifesavers: doctors, cousins, teachers, elections, Minecraft. 

“10 Lessons from 2020” by Lukas Smith in The New York Times, December 27, 2020  

District Updates

Begindergarten and Kindergarten Registration for the 2021-22 School Year

Begindergarten and Kindergarten Registration for the 2021-22 school year is now open. This year, all Begindergarten and Kindergarten registrations will be done online at HowellSchools.com/kdg. On Wednesday, March 10, at 6 p.m., each elementary school will host a virtual meet and greet for parents. Information on the meet and greet will be shared at a later date. To register your child or for more information, please visit HowellSchools.com/kdg. Please help us spread the word the registration is now open by telling any families that you know who have a student who will be entering Begindergarten or Kindergarten next school year.

Teacher and Support Person of the Year Award Nominations

Howell Public Schools is currently accepting nominations for its Teacher of the Year and Support Person of the Year awards. These awards honor an exemplary teacher and support staff member who continually go the extra mile to support students and families. To learn more about these awards or to submit a nomination, please visit http://bit.ly/3oJSSYQ.  

Health and Safety Reminders

While the number of COVID-19 cases in our state is decreasing, we must continue to remain vigilant with our health and safety protocols. If students are showing any signs of illness, they should stay home from school. Additionally, if for any reason a student is tested for COVID-19, they should not attend school while those test results are pending. Please continue to complete the student daily self-screening included in the Livingston County Health Department’s Back to School Toolkit each morning before sending your child to school. The Livingston County Health Department’s Back to School Toolkit can be found at https://bit.ly/2MTvKZJ. Lastly, please continue to follow best public health practices such as wearing a mask when in public, frequent hand washing, and avoiding large gatherings.