Voyager Elementary School

Dear Voyager Families,

 

It is hard to believe that we have completed one quarter of the school year as of TODAY - Wow!!!  That is 40 days of in-person instruction, virtual instruction, or a combination of both!!

Whether you have been in-person, virtual, or a combination of both, I want to personally thank you for the support you have given our staff and your children as we continue to navigate this pandemic!!!  Everyone is doing their best in what continue to be very stressful and challenging times!!  Bring on the 2nd quarter - just a reminder that the 2nd quarter/1st semester will end on Friday, December 18th...the day we leave for the winter holiday break!!!

With the end of the first quarter, it is time for report cards and fall parent-teacher conferences.

 

1) 1st Quarter Report Cards - 1st quarter report cards will be available in PowerSchool on Friday, October 23rd. Here is what each grade level will receive relative to a 1st quarter report card:  Kindergarten and 1st Grade students do not receive a report card until the end of 1st semester, however, there will be a “mark” for the special area class that they had first quarter in PowerSchool; 2nd-5th Grade students will receive a report card for the subjects that were covered during the 1st quarter, as well as a “mark” for the special area class that they just completed.  Here is the link to the Directions for Accessing Report Cards in PowerSchool

 

2) Parent-Teacher Conferences - Parent-teacher conferences this year will all be done virtually or over the phone.  There will not be face to face conferences on the evenings that conferences are being held.  The dates for conferences are Thursday, October 22nd, and Thursday, October 29th, from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.  Teachers will be contacting their parents about scheduling a time to meet and will explain how the virtual conferences will work.  In a nutshell, there will be a zoom session set up with a “waiting room”.  At your scheduled time, the teacher will allow you to enter the zoom meeting for your conference.  As is the case when conferences are in person, please be considerate and make sure you end the conference at your assigned end time.  If there is a need for additional time, the teacher will follow-up with you at another time.

 

This concludes the information that I have to share today! Please read the following information from others:

 

1. “Counselor’s Quick Tip” below.  It contains information about October being celebrated as “College Month”
2. Voyager Booster Club October Newsletter (Linked Here)
   
3. District Updates (full breakfast and full lunch will continue to be free to all students for the remainder of the school year - not ending on 12/30/2020 as originally announced) 

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: 

October is College Month

October is College Month!   To encourage our students to think about their futures, our District is celebrating College Month throughout the month of October!  At the elementary level, this  means that our students are learning about their teachers’ college experiences, and they are hearing college trivia in the morning announcements!   We have one more College Spirit Wear Day left this month on Friday, October 23!  Later this month, students will hear a story called I Can Be Anything!  inviting them to think about their interests and hobbies.   At Voyager, we will end the month with a fun-filled “Dress As Your Future Self” Day on Thursday, October 29.  

Your Partner in Education,

Jennifer Starkey, LPC

 

District Updates

 

USDA Free Meals for Kids Extended for Entire School Year 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it has extended several waivers regarding school meals through the end of the 2020-2021 school year. This means that all students purchasing a full breakfast or lunch at school will not be charged. The waivers will also allow the district to provide free meal kits to families with children under the age of 18. The kits will include seven days of breakfast and lunch items. Distribution of the kits will take place each Tuesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the circle drive on the northside of Howell High School, and each Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the bus lot at Three Fires Elementary off Latson Road. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/3lQxKOJ. 

Food Service Job Openings

The Howell Public Schools Food Service Department has job openings at several schools around the district. To learn more about these positions, please call Sharon Lenard at 517-540-8344 or visit https://bit.ly/3jLcw4j. 

 

Dear Voyager Families,

We made it...we have successfully completed our first full week of school for the 20-21 school year!  Thank you for your continued support of our staff as we continue to navigate our current situation.  Our Voyager Vikings are demonstrating that they are in the routine of school and are handling all of the new procedures and ways of doing things like true “Vikings”!!  One thing that you as parents could help with is remembering to send your child with a clean mask everyday.  We are noticing that some masks are definitely not being washed everyday or being replaced if the mask is not washable!

The time that it has taken to get cars through the pick-up line this week has been amazing...most days all students have been picked up and the pick-up line is gone by somewhere between 3:40 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.  ONE BIG REMINDER:  While waiting along the service drive out back in the drop-off line in the morning or the pick-up line in the afternoon, please DO NOT block the entrance and exit to our bus parking lot.  Our buses need to be able to enter and exit the bus lot without interference from parent vehicles waiting to drop off or pick up their children.  Also, please DO NOT block the road - please wait on the shoulder until there is enough room to enter the lot.  We thank you in advance for your cooperation!!

One more reminder...Student Absences - If your child is going to be absent, please call the main office at 517-540-8084 and press 1 (this is the attendance line) and provide a detailed explanation as to why your child is absent.  When an explanation is not provided the absence is recorded as unexplained and the student is considered truant.  In the midst of the pandemic, it is very important that we know why your child is absent and what, if any, symptoms he/she is experiencing.  Please let us know if you have any questions regarding your child’s attendance or if there is information that we should have relative to your child attending school.

Now onto the “fun” stuff...

Picture Day is Next Week Thursday, 9/24 - Picture Day for BOTH our in person and our virtual students is on Thursday, September 24th.  Our in person students will have their pictures taken during the school day.  The Lifetouch photographers will be at Voyager from 4:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. to take the pictures of our virtual students.  You may come at any time during that window - know, however, that there may be a line at times.  Please bring your mask and know that we will socially distance the line of people within the building.  Our Picture Day ID is EVTFRTVMV - you may use this code to order online at mylifetouch.com  During fall pictures we like to take every student’s picture as it is this picture that will be used in a yearbook.  If you know that your child will be absent on this day or you are unable to make it in that evening if you are a virtual family, our retake day is scheduled for Thursday, November 5th.  Please contact the main office if you have any questions regarding picture day.

Two Voyager Booster Club Fundraisers happening this week - Our wonderful parent group which is known as the Voyager Booster Club (VBC) is hosting two optional fundraisers this week.  The first is happening on Monday and the second is on Friday.

Hungry Howie’s Pizza Night - On Monday, September 21st (not on Sunday, September 20th - there was an incorrect date on the flyer that was sent home), the Hungry Howie’s located at 2560 E. Grand River (next to Auto Zone and the old Great Escape) will donate 10% of their net sales brought in from 4-9 p.m. to our school.  You can call ahead or stop in and place your order.  Their phone number is 517-548-0067.  Please tell them thank you for supporting our school and let them know which teachers your children have - the class with the most participation will win a  pizza party.  You can take a night, a Monday night for that matter, off from cooking and support our school!

VBC ½ Day Theme Day - have your child participate for $1.00 - Next week Friday, September 25th, is the first of four ½ days scheduled during the school year.  On these ½ days students are dismissed at 12:05 p.m. so our teachers and staff can participate in professional development.  Also, on each of these ½ days, our VBC will be sponsoring a theme day “fundraiser”.  For $1.00, students can choose to participate in the theme day.  The theme for the first ½ day is “crazy hair day and hat day”.  For a $1.00 donation, students can choose to wear crazy hair or their favorite hat that day.  Please send the money in an envelope or a zip lock bag labeled theme day.

This concludes the information that I have to share today.  Please read the “Counselor’s Quick Tip” below.  It contains good tips regarding your child and being shy.  There are several updates in the “District Update” section this week - please read through them to see which pertain to you or which may be of interest to you.

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: 
 

Helping a Child Overcome Shyness

Do you have a shy child? 

Many children are not quite as outspoken as others. While there is nothing wrong with them, shy children often have a hard time in school and other social situations because they have a fear of talking to and/or meeting others. 

Why Being Shy Affects Children 

Many things can cause a child to be shy. Some children are introverted and simply prefer to spend time alone. Other times, it’s a feeling of not being like others that causes shyness to develop. Sometimes, it isn’t fun being shy. It seems that every other child is out there having a great time, and your child is left behind. For the child, it can be frustrating as well. It could even be that the child is very emotional and sensitive to the world around them. No matter what is causing your child to be shy, it is important not to label your child as shy, explain to others that your child is slow to warm up to others. 

Helping Your Shy Child

It is important to maintain a positive and encouraging attitude about their shyness. Show them that you understand their worries and what they are going through,  try sharing a time in your childhood where you can remember feeling shy, explain the emotions behind those feelings. Encourage your child to use their own words to describe their feelings. Support your child's social confidence by not pushing him or her into uncomfortable social situations quickly, or without warning.  It is helpful to attend parties, meetings, and other social gatherings that your child can also be a part of; ensure you’re also teaching them the basics of socializing with other people. 

Remember: 

●  Allow your child to adjust to situations as needed. Refrain from forcing them to talk or participate when they are fearful of doing so. 

●  Encourage your child to be involved with other people. Allow them to see you interacting positively with others as well. 

●  Give your child books and other age appropriate reading materials that discuss shyness and how to overcome it. 

●  Accept your child as they are. Some of us are just less outspoken than others — and that’s OK!

Your Partner in Education,

Jennifer Starkey 

School Counselor

 

 

 

District Updates

 

Family Access to Schoology and Seesaw

This year, our teachers in grades third through twelfth, are using the Schoology Learning Management System for both in-person learning and in Highlander Virtual. The Schoology Family Portal gives families access to their child’s course information and progress. To learn more about the Schoology Family Portal, please visit https://bit.ly/3hTWC6H. 

In grades begindergarten through second, our teachers are using SeeSaw as their learning management system for both in-person learning and in Highlander Virtual. If you have not yet received our child’s home learning code for SeeSaw, their teacher will be sending it home soon. To learn more about SeeSaw, please visit https://bit.ly/3iRIqva. 

 

USDA Extends Free Meals for Kids

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it was extending several waivers regarding school meals. These waivers will allow all children under 18 to receive free school meals until December 31, 2020, or until funding for the program runs out. This means that all students purchasing a full breakfast or lunch at school will not be charged. The waivers will also allow the district to provide free meal kits to families with children under the age of 18. The kits will include seven days of breakfast and lunch items. Distribution of the kits will take place each Tuesday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the circle drive on the northside of Howell High School, and each Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the bus lot off Latson Road at Three Fires Elementary. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2RxEnbu. 

Parent Workshop - Supporting the Resiliency of Families: Your Journey Together Workshop

The Livingston Educational Service Agency has partnered with MSU Extension to offer a free workshop titled Supporting the Resiliency of Families: Your Journey Together Workshop to all interested families in the county. This workshop will provide parents & guardians with the knowledge & skills which promote resilience and help family members better cope with life’s challenges to reach their full potential. Learn to use ordinary, everyday routines, activities & interactions as resilience-building opportunities. The workshop will be held via Zoom. To learn more please visit https://bit.ly/2ZZp3cz. To register for the workshop, please visit http://bit.ly/GSLfall2020. 

Child Care Job Opportunities 

Are you or someone you know looking to make some extra spending money?

The Howell Public Schools 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. 

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Case in Livingston County

Yesterday the Livingston County Health Department notified the district that a horse in the area had tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). As a preventive measure, the State of Michigan will be applying an aerial mosquito control treatment within a 2.5-mile radius of where the horse tested positive, which includes Three Fires Elementary. At this time, the risk to our students and staff is very low, as the majority of our outdoor events take place during the day when the mosquito that transmits EEE is not active. In partnership with the Livingston County Health Department, Howell Public Schools will continue to monitor this situation closely.

Important Dates

9/21 - VBC Hungry Howie’s Pizza Night (not Sunday, 9/20 as is on the flyer)

 

9/24 - Voyager Fall Picture Day

In-person during the school day; 

Highlander Virtual - 4:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. @ Voyager

 

9/25 - ½ Day for Students - NO SCHOOL in the PM

School dismissed at 12:05 p.m.

Professional Development Day for Staff in the PM

 

9/25 - VBC Crazy Hair Day/Hat Day - $1 Fundraiser

 

Week of 9/28 - Homecoming Week @ HHS - Spirit Week (more information to follow)

 

10/1 - Voyager Booster Club Meeting via Zoom - 6:00 p.m. 

 

10/16 - Quarter 1 ends

 

10/23 - 1st Quarter Grades available in PowerSchool