Voyager Elementary School

Dear Voyager Families,

It is hard to believe it is already the last day of January - if it seems like the month flew by, it did!!  The unexpected snow day was nice, but it also contributed to the month seeming like it flew by even more. From experience, I can tell you that the next four months will fly by, as well.  When we get to the last day of May, we will only have four days left in the school year. Hang on as we finish the second half of the school year together!

Since sending my last bi-weekly newsletter on January 17th, Superintendent Erin Macgregor sent to all Voyager families an emailed letter letting them know that I have been named the permanent Principal at Voyager.  I am very happy with this announcement and look forward to continuing the journey that we started this fall on into next year.  

Feelin’ Good Mileage Club 2020 - Either today or early next week, your child will be bringing home information regarding Sparrow Hospital’s “Feelin’ Good Mileage Club” (information is also on the Voyager Facebook Page).  From April 13-May 29, students are provided opportunities to walk or run during identified lunch periods. Students earn a toe token for every five miles logged up to 20 miles. When they reach 20 miles they earn a water bottle.  This is a free program, however, any student who chooses to walk/run even on one day has to be registered to participate. As a result, I encourage you to register your child even if he/she is not sure if he/she wants to participate (some of our younger students decide they want to participate after they see friends participating).  Registration opens tomorrow (2/1) and ends on Monday, March 2nd - you can register on your phone, tablet, or computer.  Please contact the office if you need a hard copy of the form! Let’s shoot to have 90-100% of our Voyager Vikings registered to participate. **** A program like this requires a number of volunteers - please be on the lookout for upcoming information regarding when volunteers are needed for this program.  It’s a fun way to be involved at the school!!!

Topic for this newsletter: ATTENDANCE

There will be times that a child needs to miss school - sick with a contagious illness; an appointment(s) that can’t be scheduled outside of the school day; a family emergency that can’t be avoided, etc., but overall students should miss very little school.  Regular attendance in school is one of the most important factors related to success in school. In elementary school students are being taught foundational skills. As a result, regular attendance is crucial for learning these skills. I recently read a parent tip sheet related to attendance that I thought made some good points (woodburnpress.com).

• Absences add up - even if your child misses just a few days of school here and there, important concepts can be missed/not learned.  According to research, missing two days a month negatively impacts a student’s academic performance (missing 2 days a month = ~ 18 days/year - that’s 10% of the school year that a student is missing; missing 3-4 days a month = ~27-36 days/year - that’s 15%-20% of the school year that a student is missing)

• Elementary attendance affects reading - reread the last sentence above.  Frequent absences in elementary school have been shown to significantly impact a student’s reading skills.

• Elementary attendance problems can negatively impact a student’s future - research shows that by 6th grade, attendance problems become a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

• Attendance affects social growth - elementary students are still learning social and emotional skills that will help them throughout their lives.  At school, they learn to interact with others, make friends, and build relationships with adults outside their family.  Consistent attendance helps foster positive social and emotional growth for your child.

School is the equivalent of being a student’s job.  It is important that students receive the message that being in school everyday is the expectation, just like adults are expected to be at their job everyday.  When this is the expectation, attendance does not become an issue. There are things that parents can do to support this expectation:

• Develop routines - prepare for school the night before (clothes out, coat and backpack ready) - set the tone that going to school is the expectation; have a consistent bedtime that supports getting a good night’s sleep; get up in the morning at a time that provides for a less stressful start to the day - enough time for a good breakfast and to get to school on time.  Finally, if your child does have to miss school, develop a habit of getting work from the teacher that he/she may have missed from the teacher. This reinforces the expectation that it’s important to be in school.  

• Be informed - Know bus pick up times, parent drop off times, and school start times, so that you can determine what time your child needs to be “out the door” to get to school on time.

• Schedule & plan strategically - if the expectation is that you go to school everyday, not going to school becomes the exception.  Students learn very quickly that there is little that interferes with them going to school, and when something does interfere it is because all other options were tried and/or the situation was an emergency/out of the adult’s control. Notify the school whenever your child will be absent and share the reason for the absence.

• Ask for support before the school contacts you - If you are having difficulty getting your child to school, if your child doesn’t seem to want to go to school for any reason, or if there are other extenuating circumstances interfering with your child not being in school (medical condition; family dynamic, etc.), talk to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or an administrator, so that you can work together to resolve whatever issue is having a negative impact on your child’s attendance - collaborate as to how to reset the expectation!!  Regular school attendance is required/is the law. School’s monitor attendance and are required to notify parents when attendance is an issue. Typically, an initial letter is sent to make parents aware of an attendance issue when students have missed 10% of the time that they have been in school (5-10 days missed a quarter; 10-20 days in a semester). If after the initial letter is sent, attendance doesn’t improve, a second letter is sent. If a second letter does not warrant a change, a meeting is required to develop a plan.  The final step when all of the other efforts have been exhausted it to contact the county truant officer.  Schools never want to get to this point, but will go this route if a student is not attending school regularly. 

If regular school attendance is an issue for your child, make it a goal to reset the expectation!!!

This concludes what I have to share this week, however, there are a couple of district updates, as well as our bi-weekly note from our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey - this week’s Counselor Corner features follow up information regarding the district-wide Brooks Gibbs parent presentation that was held on the evening of Tuesday, January 21st.  If you weren’t able to attend this event, this “Counselor Corner” provides a brief overview of some strategies highlighted in the presentation. 

As always, 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

District Updates:

It’s Time for Kindergarten Registration

Howell Public Schools will hold its annual Begindergarten and Kindergarten registration event on Tuesday, March 17. To learn about the district’s Begindergarten and Kindergarten programs, find your child’s home school and begin the online enrollment process, please visit HowellSchools.com/KDG.      

13th Annual Livingston County Community Connect

Tomorrow, Saturday, February 1, The Livingston County Homeless Continuum of Care Committee will host the 13th Annual Livingston County Community Connect at Parker Middle School from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event is open to all area residents. It includes free health screenings, legal consultation, employment services featuring local job opportunities, food, clothing, books, personal care items, haircuts, and much more. The event includes fun activities for the kids, but no childcare. Lunch is also provided on-site at no cost. To learn more, please visit http://bit.ly/38sb5S2.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER:  

For those that were able to join for the Brooks Gibbs Parent Program on January 21st at Howell High School, we hope you enjoyed it! It is always inspiring and refreshing to get insight from experts (especially entertaining and comedic ones like Brooks!).   Brooks is a popular author/speaker and authority on bullying in the schoolyard and workplace. Here are some key takeaways from his message! If you would like more information or are interested in creating a more personalized plan for your family, please reach out!

1. Use the language, "Don’t get upset, treat him like a friend" when students are struggling with others. We often give conflicts power, and make them worse, when we respond with anger and frustration. Teach your child strategies for managing their reactions to mean behavior. A calm response is often enough to deter a “meanie.”

2. Everyone understands the concepts of winning and losing, and most people would agree it feels better to win. Use this analogy with kids when talking about resolving conflicts with others. You “win” when you keep your cool and defeat the “meanie.” You “lose” when you get upset and give them the dramatic and emotional reaction they are looking for. 

3. Our beliefs about ourselves impact our behavior. The better we feel about ourselves and who we are, the more able we are to repel mean behavior. Pay attention to your child’s sense of self. Give them specific feedback and praise. Catch them being good. Brooks would recommend giving them a (casual, humorous) script to use when they are face-to-face with a mean person, like “This negative energy is making my head hurt” (and then calmly turn around and walk away). 

Social conflict is normal, but can be uncomfortable. We hope these tips help as you navigate these difficult situations with your kids!

Here’s to raising strong, confident kids,

Jennifer Starkey, School Counselor

Dear Voyager Families,

I would like to wish all of our families a wonderful break!  The staff here at Voyager will look forward to welcoming our students back on Monday, January 6th.  Enjoy this time with families and friends! When we return there will be 2 weeks left in the first semester.  The semester ends on Friday, January 17th, and report cards will be available in PowerSchool on Friday, January 24th.  There is no school on Monday, January 21st - this is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The end of 1st semester provides an opportunity for students, staff, and parents to reflect on how the first half of the school year has gone for a student and to set goals for second semester.  As adults, we can have conversations with students as young as kindergarten about the fact that the school year is half over, and we can facilitate discussions with the student about what he/she has liked/disliked, what has worked well/not worked well, and what should he/she keep doing/what should he/she start doing.  An article I read recently shared some suggestions for “jump-starting” the second half of the school year.  Here are the suggestions:

• Take stock of how the first half went academically, socially, and behaviorally.  Think about ways to build on successes; how can changes be made for the better.

• Treat the start of second semester as a new beginning - I frequently refer to it as a clean slate!!!

• Talk with your child about the first half of the school year in chunks.  Ask open-ended questions that encourage your child to share their thoughts rather than yes or not questions.

• Help your child identify 1 or 2 high impact changes that are doable and attainable for the child.

• Develop with your child a road map/plan for the rest of the school year and regularly check in with each other as to how the plan is going.

Over the upcoming break and in the weeks before 1st semester ends, I would like to encourage you to utilize the suggestions above to have reflective conversations with your child about the first half of the school year.  I would also encourage you to share with the teacher/school staff information that you feel would be helpful for them to know as they begin second semester with your child.

In closing, I would like to remind parents of our drop-off procedures in the morning and our pick up procedures in the afternoon.  With the arrival of colder temperatures, we have had parents coming into the building and sitting on the benches with their child(ren) until the bell rings.  Parents are no longer able to wait/congregate with their children in the front lobby before school starts. Unless a student is coming in for breakfast or a parent is coming in for a meeting with me/the teacher, parents and students should not be in the building until the bell rings.  Please get in to the drop-off line or stay in your car in a parking spot until it is time to enter the building. Also, PLEASE remember when dropping your child off in the morning or picking up your child at the end of the day that you need to pull forward as far as you can - this may mean pulling all the way up to the cones that are close to the end of the building near the playground.  If there are no cars in front of your car, you should not be stopping in front of the main doors to have your child get out of or into your vehicle. Here are the drop-off & pick up procedures for you to review: Voyager Drop-off & Pick-up Procedures  

This concludes what I have to share this week, however, there are three district updates, as well as our bi-weekly note from our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey - this week she is providing information about a parent training opportunity being offered in January.  Please check the list of upcoming events that are included in this newsletter.

As always, 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.

Happy New Year!

Kari Naghtin, Principal

District Updates:

Elementary Robotics Showcase 

On Thursday, January 16, the Howell Public Schools elementary robotics teams are hosting the Howell Howell Elementary FIRST Robotics Showcase from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Three Fires Elementary cafeteria. FIRST Lego League and FIRST Lego League Jr teams from all of the district’s elementary schools will be represented at the event. During the showcase, there will be hands-on robot demonstrations, team displays, and general program information. To learn more about the showcase, please visit http://bit.ly/36tYuwC.

Great Start Readiness Preschool Openings

The Livingston Educational Service Agency (LESA) still has open spots in its Great Start Readiness preschool program for this school year. LESA will be hosting an enrollment fair for the program on Friday, January 24, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. To learn more, please visit http://bit.ly/34hxE9w.

2020-21 Middle School Orientation Schedule 

Both Parker Middle School and Highlander Way Middle School have released their 2020-21 School Year Orientation Schedule. The schools will hold their orientation on Thursday, August 13 o view the full orientation schedule, please visit http://bit.ly/35jnoPw. 

COUNSELOR’S CORNER:  

Parent Training Opportunity…Stewards of Children Training  

Howell Public Schools is dedicated to ensuring the physical, social, and emotional growth and safety for all students. This fall, first-grade students completed Body Safety Lessons, which included 10 short interactive lessons about personal safety. The real responsibility to protect children rests on the shoulders of adults. No child should have to suffer from any kind of abuse, be it physical, sexual, or emotional.  Making sure that children can recognize and speak up about inappropriate behavior directed towards them is only one part of preventing child sexual abuse in our community. As parents/guardians, we can make a difference to protect our children!

If you would like to be a part of the solution to protect not only your child but every child in Livingston County, join the CAP Council at a Stewards of Children workshop. Stewards of Children is an evidence-based, 2.5 to 3-hour training that utilizes video, workbook and group discussion to teach adults the 5 Steps to Protecting Our Children- Learn the Facts, Minimize Opportunity, Talk About It, Recognize the Signs, and React Responsibly. CAP is holding two Stewards of Children sessions on Saturday, January 11 at 9 am and Friday, January 17 at 9 am. Both sessions will be held at the LACASA office, 2895 W Grand River Ave, Howell.

There is no cost to attend this workshop. Registration is required and space is limited. To register for a workshop or for more information please contact the CAP Council at 517-548-1350 or [email protected].

Your Partner in Education,

Jennifer Starkey, School Counselor 

Dear Voyager Families,

Wow, what a fast-paced couple of weeks it has been here at Voyager...a fabulous book fair was put on by our VBC (thank you for transforming our Media Center into a “polar wonderland”; thank you to our Media Secretary, Tammy Meisel, and all of the volunteers who supported this activity for students, staff, and families); we’ve had two evenings of parent-teacher conferences (thank you to all of the parents who were able to attend a conference during this month - teachers are still sharing their conference percentages with me, but as they are rolling in I can tell that we will certainly be close to reaching our goal of having 100% of our students represented by at least one parent at a conference); and we threw a SNOW DAY, yes, a snow day in there to change things up during two very busy weeks!!!

I know that classroom teachers have put this reminder in their newsletters, but with the arrival of the snow, I, too, would like to remind everyone of a couple of things:

1.  Please check the weather at night or in the morning.  If there is snow on the ground or the temps are at freezing or below, send your child with the appropriate snow gear (hat, gloves, snow pants, coat, and boots).  We go outside as long as the temperature with the wind chill is above 10 degrees.

2.  Label, label, label - It is a good idea to put your child’s name on anything that you can put your child’s name on, but is especially critical when it comes to outerwear like hats, gloves, boots, snow pants, and coats.  If you can’t fit your child’s entire last name on an item consider just putting their initials on the item with a sharpie marker. It is also a good idea to label water bottles, lunch boxes, etc. When an item gets separated from its owner, having even initials to go from is extremely helpful in getting the item back to where it belongs.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just 13 days away (when do I need to start thawing the turkey?!?!?).  With the arrival of Thanksgiving and the subsequent holiday season, I began thinking about gratitude and how do we encourage a grateful attitude in our children during the holidays.  I found a great article that addresses just that - “Encouraging a Grateful Heart During the Holiday Season”.  Here is the link to the article: https://www.carolinapeds.com/2018/11/encouraging-grateful-heart-holiday-season/, but thought I would share the suggestions they have as bullets (you can read the article if you want more information):

• Be a role model

• Have gratitude be part of daily conversations

• Volunteer as a family (see Mrs. Starkey’s “Counselor Corner” below)

• Encourage generosity

• Create a “family gratitude jar”

In addition to these suggestions, the article also highlighted some benefits of gratitude.  One of the benefits is that there is a development of empathy. Hopefully everyone immediately thinks of “RISE-ing Up” here at Voyager - the “E” in RISE stands for empathy.  When I got to the end of the article, I knew why I loved it - they quoted Piglet, friend of Winne-the-Pooh. “Piglet noticed, that even though he had a very small heart, it could hold a rather large amount of gratitude.”  Here’s to finding ways for you and your children to be grateful during the upcoming holiday season. I know I am grateful for the students, staff, and families that we have here at Voyager!

Reminder from my last newsletter - An employment opportunity...permanent or part-time...everyday from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., our students on a rotating basis eat lunch and partake in recess.  Our teachers eat their lunch at the same time as their students. As a result, we need additional staff to be with our students during this time.  Finding individuals who enjoy supervising students during lunch/recess and who are available to work 2 hours in the middle of the day is often very difficult.  I am bringing this employment opportunity to your attention as a good source for filling these positions is our own parent population. Stay at home parents often find the opportunity to work at their child’s school appealing for a variety of reasons - these positions allow them to get their children to and from school, provide a couple hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon to take care of other tasks, and this position provides a little bit of extra spending money in their pockets (think the upcoming holiday season!!!).  We currently have one permanent 10 hour/week General Education Aide position available, as well as opportunities to sub during our student lunch/recess times. Please let me know if you would be interested in a permanent General Education Aide position or if you would be interested in subbing. I would be happy to answer any questions or provide additional information relative to the application process. If you are not interested, but know of a non-parent who would be interested in working at Voyager in this capacity, please have them get in touch with me.

In closing, if you are a parent who picks up your child at the end of the day, we would like to thank you for remembering to have your assigned sign with you and for having the sign visible to our pick up supervisors!!  We have posted a sign out front with some pick up reminders - please refer to it if you have questions or contact us with your questions. Overall, our pick up process goes very smoothly due to the great parents that we have!!!

This concludes what I have to share this week, however, there are two district items, as well as our bi-weekly note from our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey - her topic this week is about holiday giving and receiving opportunities.  Please check the list of upcoming events that are included in this newsletter.

As always, 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.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Kari Naghtin, Principal

District Updates:

District-wide Canned Food Drive

The district-wide canned food and personal hygiene drive to support Gleaners Community Food Bank continues through Tuesday, November 26. All donations will support families right here in Livingston County.  Donations can be dropped off at all Howell Public Schools buildings. To view a flyer on the drive, please visit http://bit.ly/2pJkd3H. 

Sing-along to Frozen

Join the Howell High School Drama Club on Saturday November 16 for a sing-along to the hit movie Frozen on Saturday November 16 at 7 p.m. All proceeds from the event will support the Drama Club. The fundraiser will take place at the Historic Howell Theatre. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.

COUNSELOR’S CORNER: 

Holiday Giving and Receiving Opportunities

November is here, and that means that the holidays are right around the corner.  In Livingston County, we are fortunate not only to have several services available for families, but we also have opportunities available for families who wish to give or volunteer.  Check out the information below!  

If you would like to receive:

• For information about a free Thanksgiving meal, call Cornerstone Church at 810.494.4059.

• Contact the organization you are a part of in the community for more information about their holiday gift-giving programs (some CMH programs, DHS foster care, Family Impact Center, Mentor Livingston, The Arc, etc).   You can also contact the Salvation Army to check if items are still available on an emergency basis at 517.546.4750.

• For Christmas Food Programs, contact the American Legion Post 141 at 517.546.2534.

If you would like to give or volunteer:

• Contact Volunteer Livingston for local volunteer opportunities: www.volunteerlivingston.org or 810.464.3000. Many volunteers are needed to staff community seasonal efforts, such as gift collection, pick-up and delivery of goods, gift wrapping, donation site management, toy and fund drive organization, and many other activities.  

• Contact the Livingston County United Way at 810.494.3000.   Individuals can donate at any events such as Toys for Tots, Stuff the Bus, or the many other local efforts!   Contact the United Way for areas of greatest need.

For more information or any support, please reach out to me!

Your Partner in Education,

Jennifer Starkey, School Counselor