August 2018
Welcome & Welcome Back!
Aloha to all our families, new and returning! We are so excited to embark with you and your keiki on our journey of learning for the 2018-2019 school year. Mrs. Donaldson and I have been very encouraged by the tone set by staff and students over the first two weeks of school, and we intend to use this strong start to build momentum toward an exhilarating year of learning.
This newsletter is a monthly update that we use to share important news and upcoming events in the life of Voyager. You should also be receiving regular email messages from the Voyager office (voyagerinfo@voyagerpcs.com). Please send a message to this email address if you are not receiving periodic updates.
Below, you will find an introduction to Voyager's administrative team, notices of upcoming events, some helpful reminders regarding Voyager policies and procedures, and an invitation to contribute to Voyager through volunteering. Thank you for choosing Voyager as your keiki's learning home. We look forward to a powerful learning partnership in the months to come!
Sincerely,
Evan Anderson, Trisha Donaldson, and the entire Voyager PCS Staff
About us:
Assistant Principal Trisha Donaldson is a veteran Voyager teacher who returned last year after a brief stint in California, where she successfully launched Temecula Academy, a new K-8 charter school built around cultural diversity, social-emotional learning and multilingualism.
Principal Evan Anderson is entering his 12th year serving Voyager students and families. He has served as Kindergarten teacher, music teacher, teacher coach, and administrator.
Back to School Night: Thursday, 8/16
Please mark your calendars for this Thursday at 5:30pm, when we will host parents for back-to-school night AND our first general meeting of the Parent Teacher Student Organization, or PTSO. To provide parents with more than one Voyager student the opportunity to visit at least two classrooms that evening, we have divided the schedule into the following time slots:
- 5:30pm-6:00pm: PTSO General Meeting and Introductions
- 6:00pm-6:30pm: Classroom Presentations by Teachers (Round 1)
- 6:30pm-7:00pm: Classroom Presentations by Teachers (Round 2)
Supervision:
Students are invited to stay downstairs in the blacktop area during classroom presentations, where they will be supervised by Ms. Abelli, our Art teacher, and other staff.
Parking:
Please remember that there is no on-site parking for parents or guests at Voyager. Allow time to find neighborhood parking (Dole St. and side streets, or Coyne St. (across Isenberg pedestrian bridge) are good options.
Appointments
Please respect the time of our teachers and depart classrooms promptly after the second round of presentations. If you would like to set an individual appointment to speak with your child's teacher, please contact them directly to schedule.
Traffic! Kokua Requested
With DOE schools starting up last week, and private schools starting up in the coming week, Voyager's pickup line traffic challenges are likely to increase before they subside. We have set a goal to complete dismissal each day within 15 minutes. To help us with reducing the backup and achieving our goal, please follow these important guidelines:
- DO NOT LINE UP ALONG WILDER AVE UNTIL 3PM (1:45PM on Wednesdays). No students will exit until that time.
- IF WILDER AVE IS FULL, ENTER H-1 FREEWAY AND CIRCLE AROUND VIA WILDER EXIT.
- CONSIDER CARPOOLING, OR PARKING AND WALKING TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD.
It is CRITICAL that NO CARS stop before the freeway entrance "split"; drivers may be cited and Voyager will receive complaints. Thank you.
By following these three guidelines, we hope to bring our dismissal time down to a manageable 15 minutes (see chart below). With your help, we can say "Bye-Bye to the Backup!"
Please review this video for more detail on how to make our pick-up line safe and swift.
Now Enrolling: Kindergarten, 7th and 8th Grades
Due to greater than anticipated movement on our admissions wait list this summer, we have a few spots remaining for prospective students in K, and Ka'apeha (7/8). If you or someone you know has a child who might benefit from Voyager's emphasis on Joy in Learning, please direct them to the Voyager office to fill out an application. Office staff can be reached on all school days between 7:30am and 4:00pm, in person, via phone (521-9770), or via email (voyagerinfo@voyagerpcs.com). Application materials can be found on our website at voyagerschool.com/enrollment/. Mahalo for spreading the word!
School Uniforms: Coming Soon!
Kula Threads have begun printing shirts to fulfill your pre-orders. We expect the shirts in one to two weeks. Look for an email notification from the office when shirts have arrived and are available for pickup. Until shirt orders are in, students may continue to follow "free dress" guidelines or wear "classic" Voyager shirts.
If you missed the first ordering period, be on the lookout for a second order window later this month, for delivery in September. Mahalo for your patience as we roll out the new designs!
Meal Account Balances
If your child purchases school breakfast or school lunch, your meal account balance will be reported via email at the end of each week. If you incur a negative balance, you will also receive an email from voyagerinfo@voyagerpcs.com notifying you of the amount owed. Please address any negative balances promptly; beginning September 3rd, students with a negative balance may not be served a meal, and parents will be called to provide a meal for their child that day. Payments can be made by cash (under $20), check or money order to the Voyager office, or via paypal (see voyagerschool.com/payments/).
Call for Morning Volunteers
As you may have noticed, we have a wonderful new play area fronting the makai side of our school (along Wilder Ave). The new play structure gives our kids a great place to stretch their legs and move before heading into the classroom in the morning. So far, the kids have been very good about playing safely and mindfully around their schoolmates, big and small. However, we would benefit from more adults on the yard to supervise play from 7:30am-7:45am.
If you are available to help watch the front yard area during this time, please email Principal Evan Anderson at eanderson@voyagerpcs.com with your preferred days. Mahalo!
Coaches Wanted for Voyager Sports!
Thanks to the efforts of our staff and parent volunteers, Voyager has had the privilege of participating in multiple seasons of Co-ed Basketball and Co-Ed Flag Football over the past few years (see the trophies in the front lobby!). We welcome the opportunity to expand our sports offerings this year, and we need your help to do so. If you are willing and able to serve as coach or assistant coach for a sport this year, please contact the principal at eanderson@voyagerpcs.com. Thank you to Coach Scott Harney for lining up the first Police Activities League Flag Football season of the year already--be on the lookout for registration and practice announcements soon! Coach Scott can be reached directly at harneys002@yahoo.com.
Your PTSO Needs YOU
We have a wonderful, energized, and nearly-all-new Board for our PTSO this year. The one position that we have yet to fill is President (Mr. Anderson is filling this role as Pro Tempore). Our goal is to fill the position with a parent by our meeting on Tuesday, September 11th. If you are curious about what PTSO board membership or officer-ship entails, please join us at our meeting this coming Tuesday, August 14th at 5:15pm in room 204.
Last year's PTSO sunset picnic
Save the Date: September 7th and November 4th
Please mark your calendars for the following two events:
September 7th: PTSO Fall Picnic at Magic Island (5:30pm-8:00pm)
November 4th: Ice Palace Night! Details TBA.
Parent Satisfaction Data, Spring 2018
One of the things that makes Voyager special is our commitment to continuous school improvement through stakeholder (AKA "customer") feedback. We survey parents three times a year to find out how they are feeling about their child's experience at Voyager. Below are some results from our Spring 2018 Parent Satisfaction Survey. In response to this data, we will be asking additional follow-up questions regarding communication at the classroom and office level, to see how we might better meet our families' needs. Mahalo for your feedback!
Educational (and Artistic) Opportunities:
Voyager is committed to integrating the arts throughout our curriculum. Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Art and Media Arts all serve to enhance and enrich your child's learning in other content areas, and teach them a unique set of artistic skills and sensibilities that will benefit them for a lifetime.
In the area of visual arts, our two local art museums offer monthly FREE opportunities to get up close and personal with world-class art, and to create some art of your own: the Hawai'i State Art Museum's Second Saturdays and the Honolulu Museum of Art's Family Sunday. Check out the links below for details! (HISAM is always free).
