Dear Voyager Families,
All of you should have received an email from Superintendent Erin MacGregor last night letting you know that I am one of four elementary principals who is at home quarantining due to a possible COVID-19 exposure on November 5th. I am feeling fine and do not have any symptoms. Provided everything goes as planned, I will be back in the office at Voyager on Friday, November 20th (one week from today). Even though I am not at school (so wishing I could be there), I am in constant contact with various staff members and with families who need me while I am away from the building. My mantra is...I’m steering the ship from afar, and so thankful and grateful for the “crew” that has remained on board in my absence! Voyager is the best! Please reach out via email ([email protected]) if anyone needs anything from me.
You also received correspondence from me regarding a staff member testing positive for COVID-19. Fortunately our contact tracing resulted in only a few students and/or staff needing to quarantine. As the district update below reminds us all - it is critical that we all continue to follow good public health practices at all times. We will continue to be vigilant in our practices here at school. Thank you for all that each of you is doing to keep our schools safe so that they can remain open for face to face instruction as long as possible. I am thankful and grateful that overall issues with COVID-19 have been minimal here at Voyager since the start of the school year.
While mentioning being thankful and grateful, I would like to wish each of our families a Happy Thanksgiving (the next Viking View will go home on Friday, December 4th)! Whatever you have planned this year, I wish you a safe and blessed Thanksgiving holiday and break!
DEADLINE IS TONIGHT at 10:00 P.M. - The deadline for registering your 2nd semester enrollment plans is tonight at 10:00 p.m. If you are not making a change in your child’s enrollment for 2nd semester you do not need to do anything. IF, HOWEVER, you are wanting your child to go from Highlander Virtual to In-person or from In-person to Highlander Virtual, you MUST complete this form for each of your children who will be making a change. Additional information is in the “District Update” section below.
A Big Welcome to Mrs. Elliott - I should have included this information in the last issue of the Viking View, but it didn’t make it in there. Mrs. Carol Elliott began filling Mrs. Abby Kemper’s art position on Wednesday, October 28th. Mrs. Elliott is a retired Howell Art Teacher who taught at Northwest Elementary School prior to her retirement. We are so grateful that she was able to quickly step in when Mrs. Hurlbert was no longer able to fill the position. Mrs. Elliott will be with us until the end of the semester in December. Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Elliott to Voyager, especially if your child has art this quarter. Mrs. Kemper will be back in January!
Voyager Media Center/VBC Virtual Fall Book Fair is UNDERWAY - Our fall VIRTUAL book fair started on Monday, November 9th (this past Monday). PLEASE NOTE - the book fair continues through SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd (it was previously reported that it ended on Friday, November 20th - sorry for any confusion with this). Here is a recap of some important information that was shared previously to help you plan for shopping virtually at the book fair:
District-wide Food Drive for Gleaners Food Bank IS CONTINUING - Voyager Elementary is partnering with Howell High School to support a district-wide food drive for Gleaners Food Bank. Here is a link to a flyer that went home at the beginning of the drive. Voyager’s student council members will be helping with the drive here at Voyager. The drive will be held from Monday, November 2nd-Monday, November 30th. The featured items for the remaining two weeks are as follows:
- Week 3 - Canned Vegetables (week of 11/16)
- Week 4 - Protein items/Peanut Butter/Protein Shakes (11/23-11/30)
Thank you in advance for your support of this food drive! The HS students organizing the drive have set a goal of collecting 30,000 items for Gleaners Food Bank.
Life Changer of the Year Nomination Request - Life Changer of the Year is an annual program recognizing K-12 educators and school employees across the country. This includes teachers, para educators, custodians, secretaries, principals, lunch personnel, school nurses, guidance counselors, anyone who is employed by a K-12 school district. Anyone can nominate up to 3 employees. The program celebrates those who are making a significant difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence and leadership. Life Changer of the Year is sponsored by the National Life Group and the National Life Group Foundation. Nominations are actively being accepted for the 2020-21 Program until December 31, 2020. For more information and to make nominations, go to: https://www.lifechangeroftheyear.com/how-it-works.
This concludes the information that I have to share today! Please read the following information from others:
- “Counselor’s Quick Tip” below. It contains information about “gratitude”
- District Updates - Please read this week’s information from the district. There is a reminder about free meal availability, as well as a reminder to fill out a free and reduced lunch form if you are eligible - the district receives federal money based on the free and reduced lunch student numbers in the district.
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:
Gratitude
“It is not happy people who are thankful, it is thankful people who are happy.” ~unknown
This month brings to mind the idea of being grateful. Gratitude is not an instinct, it is something we are taught and that we must practice. The ability to show gratitude not only allows us to feel at peace with our lives, but it also helps us to build strong relationships with others. There are many ways that we can help children appreciate the people and things in their lives.
- Model gratitude. Find a time during the day where you and your child can talk about the people and things for which you are grateful. For example, you could talk about a sunshine and cloud at dinner (a cloud being something not-so-great that happened during the day and a sunshine being something great that happened). This reinforces the idea that we can be grateful even when things are not going our way.
- Put the focus on the celebration. When you have your child write a” wish list” for a birthday or holiday, also have him/her write a “thankful for” list (spending time with family, baking, decorating, etc.).
- Say thank you. Make writing thank you notes or pictures a normal part of getting a gift or sharing a special event together.
- Experience volunteering. Volunteering, even a few hours a month, can keep us connected with the world around us and affirm our part in something bigger than ourselves. It can easily help children to feel grateful for their own situation. Check out this link for volunteering needs in your area Volunteer Livingston.
Your Partner in Education,
Jennifer Starkey
School Counselor
District Updates
Second Semester Enrollment Change Window Ends Today 11/13/20 at 10 p.m.
The district’s second-semester enrollment window ends today, Friday, November 13, at 10 p.m. If you wish to change your child’s enrollment for the second semester (Highlander Virtual to in-person or vice versa), you must complete the enrollment change form, which can be found at https://bit.ly/2HBizdL by the 10 p.m. deadline. Some families had contacted us to rescind their enrollment change request based on the rising COVID-19 cases. If you wish to rescind your enrollment change request, please complete the form again.
Health and Safety Reminders
The current increase in community spread of COVID-19 is impacting our district. While schools remain very safe, and thanks to our strict safety protocols and mitigation strategies, we have not seen the transmission of COVID-19 in our schools. However, we are seeing an increase in students testing positive for COVID-19 based on interactions outside of school. To help ensure that our schools can remain open for in-person instruction, we must all continue to follow good public health practices such as frequently washing our hands, avoiding large and social gatherings, wearing a mask when around others, and staying home when displaying any signs of illness. Remember that if anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID-19, your child should not attend school. Additionally, if your child has been tested for COVID-19 for any reason, they should not attend school while their test results are pending. Lastly, please remember to complete the daily student self-screener, which can be found in the Livingston County Health Department Back to School Toolkit at https://bit.ly/2PLeaoW.
Meal Distribution and Free School Meals Reminder
Each week the Howell Public Schools Food Service Department holds two meal kit distribution events. The first is on Tuesday’s from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Howell High School loading dock, and the second is on Thursday’s from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Three Fires Elementary bus lot off Latson Road. The meal kits are free and available to any family with children under the age of 18. Also, please remember that due to federal waivers, all school meals are free this year. While all school meals are free, it is still important to complete a Free and Reduced Meals application if your family qualifies. The Free and Reduced Meals application can be found at https://bit.ly/2z6nDlP.
Job Openings at Howell Public Schools
Howell Public Schools currently has several job openings in its Food Service Department and for education aides in schools around the district. To view the district’s current job opportunities, please visit www.HowellSchools.com/Jobs.