Friday, February 28, 2020
Dear Voyager Families,
It’s been a short week...two snow days does that, and today was a half-day! I have a couple of reminders to start off this newsletter:
RESCHEDULED SPRING PICTURE DAY - Spring Pictures were supposed to be taken last week Wednesday. Due to the snow day on Wednesday, they needed to be rescheduled. Life Touch will now be here on MONDAY, MARCH 16th. Please send your child's picture envelope with them that day if you still had it at home. We still have order forms in the front office if you need one.
REMINDER - Vision Screening for 1st, 3rd, & 5th Grade Students and Referrals is THIS WEEK - Vision screening will occur this week on Monday and Wednesday (rescreening will be on Thursday). Please notify the school on Monday morning if: 1) You have a concern for your child and your child is not in the above grades, or 2) You do not want your child screened. Please provide your child’s name and his/her teacher if either of these situations apply to your child. Please let the office know if you have any questions about vision screening.
REMINDER - Registration for the Feelin’ Good Mileage Club 2020 ENDS ON MONDAY - 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). You can register on your phone, tablet, or computer at SparrowMilesClub.com. 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 large number of volunteers - information on how to volunteer is on the Voyager Facebook Page and it was emailed to everyone earlier this week. Please take a look at this information so you can see how you might support this program once or twice; on a weekly basis; or even more than that if your schedule allows. It’s a fun way to be involved at the school that doesn’t require any prep work or a long term commitment!!!
NEW INFORMATION -
Reading, Reading, Reading - As everyone knows, reading is a very important part of what we do here at school!! Even though March is designated as reading month, our belief is that reading should be the focus every month of the year not just during March. With that said, we as educators do typically place a heightened focus on reading during the month of March - Dr. Seuss’ birthday is Monday and reading is celebrated nationally during the month. We typically hold a spring book fair in March (this year’s fair will be the week of March 9th - more information will be coming home soon, although I’ve heard it has a “jungle” theme)!!! Another way that we focus on reading in March is through our wonderful parent group’s “Read-a-Thon. The Voyager Booster Club (VBC) utilizes the “Read-a-Thon” as their major fundraiser of the year to raise funds for the activities and materials that they provide to our staff and students. I’m looking forward to experiencing my first “Read-a-Thon” fundraiser at Voyager - it is kicking off today and runs through March 31st. Students will be bringing home information about the “Read-a-Thon” and information will be posted on the Voyager FaceBook page. I strongly encourage you to check out the staff video to kick-off the “Read-a-Thon” - it’s posted on the Voyager FaceBook page. In wrapping up this section on reading, even the National Association of Elementary and Secondary Principals focuses on reading in March. They shared this flyer with their members across the country this past week: Report to Parents: The Rewards of Reading
2020 Census - Every 10 years, the United States conducts a census to determine how many people live in the United States (all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 U.S. territories are counted). 2020 is a census year. In mid-March, homes across the country will begin receiving invitations to complete the 2020 Census form. The form will be able to be completed on-line, by phone, or by mail. No matter when a person completes their form, they will be reporting their information relative to their status on April 1st - this has been designated “Census Day 2020”. If you would like more details about the census and why it is important that everyone is counted, here is a link to the US Census Bureau website - What is the 2020 Census? Since January, the US Census Bureau has been sharing census resources with schools across the country. Next week (March 2nd-6th) has been designated “Statistics in Schools” Week and they have provided a flyer for schools to share with families relative to the upcoming census. Here is a link to the flyer and a fact sheet: They Grow Up So Fast and Counting Young Children Fact Sheet. In mid-March, keep your eyes peeled for the invitation to complete your census form for the people residing in your house on April 1st - there are 9 short questions for each person who is being counted. Census Trivia - The first census was conducted in 1790 - 230 years ago!!!
There are several “District Updates” this week (I’m rerunning a couple of the ones that were in the previous bi-weekly newsletter just in case you missed them due to President’s Day weekend). Please read these “District Updates” and the “Counselor Corner”. Every other week, our wonderful Elementary Counselor, Ms. Jennifer Starkey shares information with parents - this week’s Counselor Corner highlights three school/community initiatives that may be of interest to parents - Mobile Dentists, Mentor Livingston, and the Michigan Education Savings Program.
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:
NEW Updates:
Coffee Chat With Superintendent MacGregor
Superintendent MacGregor’s next Coffee Chat is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Black Iron Coffee Roasters located at 119 W. Grand River in Downtown Howell. At the chat, attendees will hear updates on district happenings and there will be time for questions from district stakeholders. Additionally, there will be an in-depth look at the various ways that the district is working to educate the whole student through social and emotional learning and increased counseling support.
Got Art Art Student Art Exhibit
Several of our students will have their artwork featured in the 22nd Annual Got Art Student Art Exhibit at the Historic Howell Opera House. The elementary exhibit will run from Tuesday, March 17 through Sunday, March 22. The exhibit will be open from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. on weekends. For more information on the Got Art Student Art Exhibit, please visit http://bit.ly/2T7SXZ2.
In addition to the student artwork that will be on exhibit for Got Art, Voyager students also have artwork on display at the Howell District Library from March 1st-31st.
PAST Updates:
Information for Fifth Grade Families Regarding Middle School
As you and your child prepare for the transition to middle school, the middle school principals wanted to share some upcoming dates. On March 12 and 13, the middle school principals and counselors will be visiting all fifth-grade classes in the district. During these visits, they will be going over the changes to expect in the transition to middle school and some things students can start doing now to prepare. Additionally, they will review how the middle school day is structured and the encore class choices available to students. A fifth-grade parent night will be held at both Highlander Way and Parker on Wednesday, March 18th at 6:30 p.m. Students and parents are encouraged to attend this meeting.
Kindergarten Registration is March 17
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.
Senior Survivor Kick-off Carnival
Howell High School's Senior Survivor fundraiser is coming up soon! This year's charity is the Special Olympics of Michigan. To kick off Senior Survivor, the high school is hosting its second Senior Survivor Kick-Off Carnival on Friday, April 24th from 6-9 p.m. in the Howell High School Field House. The Carnival will have bounce houses, face painting, balloon animals, inflatables, food trucks, arts and crafts, a DJ, games, raffles, etc. The survivors will be there with their buckets for donations and interacting with everyone. Admission is $10 (ages three-18), and donations are appreciated for adults and children two and under.
Livingston Educational Service Agency Early Childhood Programs are Enrolling for Fall
Livingston Educational Service Agency Early Childhood Programs are enrolling for the 2020-2021 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. To learn more, please call 517-548-2100 or visit www.startfreepreschool.org to complete an application.
COUNSELOR’S CORNER:
MOBILE DENTIST COMING ON TUESDAY, APRIL 28
Health and wellness are central to success at school, and this includes taking care of our children’s teeth. The Mobile Dentist will be visiting and servicing our school on April 28! Your child should have brought home the Mobile Dentist permission slip - if dental services are desired, please fill out the form and have your child return it to school as soon as possible. Additional information can be found at https://www.mobiledentists.com/ If you need another permission slip, let your teacher know and we will send one home with your student!
PLEASE HELP! MENTOR LIVINGSTON NEEDS MENTORS FOR OUR STUDENTS
Imagine what the world would look like if every child had a caring adult that listened to them, nurtured their self-esteem, and showed them the possibilities of the world. Mentor Livingston, formerly Big Brothers Big Sisters, is currently recruiting caring volunteers who are willing to mentor (and share lunch with) an elementary student twice a month. We currently have a long list of “littles” in our district waiting and hoping to be matched with a “big.” If you know of anyone (parents, friends) who could provide this opportunity for a Howell elementary student, please reach out to Alyson Mapes at [email protected] or 517-546-1140.
MICHIGAN EDUCATION SAVINGS PROGRAM
Also, don’t forget about the Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP). Visit www.misaves.com to discover everything you need to know about saving for college, what the Michigan Education Savings Program (MESP) can do to help, and how to help maximize your savings even on a modest budget.
It takes a village! Please reach out with questions, concerns, or requests for additional support: [email protected]
Your Partner in Education,
Jennifer Starkey