UPCOMING EVENTS:
5/8 – 5/12: Teacher Appreciation Week
5/9 – 5/16: MAP Window
5/11: 6th grade field trip to Chattanooga
5/13: 7th Grade Dance
5/17 – 5/21: 8th grade DC Trip
5/22: 5th grade Outdoors Day
5/24: Voyager 8th grade promotion
5/26: Last Day of School (12 PM Dismissal)
CAMPUS ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Spirit Week is next week at Voyager! Check out these slides for themes.
Voyager MAP Testing
Our scholars will take the MAP assessment over the next two weeks in enrichment and content focus class. This is a critical assessment for our students and for our school, it provides important information about how much our students have grown over the year, helps us roster for next year, and informs decisions around retention, advanced classes, etc.. Next week in pride, we’ll reshare midyear scores with scholars and their goals for the assessment. Scholars who meet their reading and math goals will get a special prize and activity in the last week of the school year!
Yearbook “Out Of School Activities” Picture Request
Calling all Parents!
We have a page in our yearbook dedicated to students that participate in activities other than the ones offered here at Valor. We are hoping for photos of your students and see if they’d like their pictures on the page with a caption of their choice, keep the caption appropriate please! We are offering the caption to showcase their personality and to shout them out for the fun clubs and activities that they enjoy!
Some examples of out of school activities: roller derby, dance, league sports, competitive cheer, figure skating, fencing, kart racing, archery & ect.
Have any questions? Email: ms_yearbook@valorcollegiate.org
Please use this link to submit!
https://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/
School Code: 16912
Save the Date: 5th Grade Great Outdoors Day!
We’re excited about our 5th grade signature event, the end of year picnic! This is always one of our most memorable days of the year and will be on Monday, May 22nd. More information to come!
7th Grade Dance
Our 7th grade dance is next week! It will be on Saturday, May 13th from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM. Scholars must have turned in a permission slip in order to attend the dance!
Save the Date: 8th Grade Promotion
We’re excited about our 8th grade signature event, promotion! This is always one of our best nights of the year and will be on Wednesday, May 24th. More information to come!
DEI @Valor
May: Mental Health Awareness Month
“[Mental] health equity is the right to access high-quality and affordable health care services and supports for all populations, including Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality… In conjunction with promoting access to high-quality services, mental health disparities can be further mitigated by addressing social determinants of health, such as social exclusion, unemployment, adverse childhood experiences, and food and housing insecurity.” – U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
This document includes data points about items such as the prevalence of mental health issues for marginalized communities, as well as barriers to care, such as cultural stigma, accessibility issues, and medical racism. You can use this fact sheet to further build your understanding of mental health equity concerns, specific communities, and more, which can in turn be used to brief your staff, volunteers, donors, legislators, and other community members
Resources for Students and Families
Crisis Center
615-244-7444
Mobile Crisis Line: 615-726-0125
Crisis Text Line: Text TN to 741741
If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, call or text now. Help is available 24/7.
Mental Health Cooperative
615-726-0125
Treatment center designed to provide immediate access to specialized care for adults and children experiencing a psychiatric emergency. Free crisis services available 24/7. Walk-ins are welcome.
NAMI Davidson
NAMI Davidson provides Support, Education, Advocacy and Awareness, to people and families impacted by mental health issues, inclusive of all ages, ethnicities, spiritual practice, genders, and vocations, with understanding of differences within cultural communities. With their free peer-to-peer services they shine a light down the path to wellbeing and managed recovery. For more information call (615) 891-4724 or visit namidavidson.org.
VALOR FAMILY GROUP: FAMILY ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Teacher Appreciation Week!
Families,
This week is our annual teacher appreciation week! Each year, we make a special effort to show our teachers how much we value their incredible work for the school year.
Our wonderful Family Engagement team is arranging for a lunch and breakfast at both Voyager and Flagship this week – you can reach out to Alexis Morris (alexis.morris@valorcollegiate.org) with any questions or offers of support. We also encourage families to write letters, cards, or emails to teachers expressing gratitude and appreciation this week – teachers LOVE hearing how they are making a positive impact on their scholars, so please shower them with love this week! You can find contact information for staff at the following links: Flagship and Voyager.
Safety Q&A Session for Caregivers
Dear Valor Families,
In living up to our commitment of keeping ourselves and others safe, Valor continues to explore options to improve our safety protocols and building security features. We will be hosting a Valor Safety Q&A session for caregivers. The purpose of the session is to share some high level safety measures we currently have in place, some plans on the horizon, and hear any questions, concerns, or ideas that our families may have. Details below:
When: Tuesday May 16th 2023
Where: Zoom: https://valorcollegiate.zoom.us/j/6320625326
Time: 6pm- 6:45pm
To ensure that we can get to as many questions as possible, please add your questions document linked here (column A) Safety Session Q&A. Below is a recap of what we have previously shared just after the events at the Covenant Church Private School.
“Over the last several years, I have been committed to keeping myself, my boys, and the Valor community safe. With the help of the leadership team, we have made several changes to our building security. Below is a list of additional security measures we have added over the last 4-5 years…
- Added window film to all of our entrance doors and windows to prevent visibility into our buildings
- Invested over $300K in security camera and security access control systems on our campuses
- We have increased onsite security on our campuses during arrival and dismissal times.
- Installed emergency radios in every one of our buildings that have immediate access to law enforcement
- Upgraded our lockdown sirens to ensure full coverage of our school buildings
- Reviewed our emergency and crisis plans annually to adjust for any new requirements or changes to standard protocols for schools
- Built partnerships with the local Midtown Hills MNPD precinct as well as the new School Safety Division of MNPD, to provide:
- Additional patrols in our area
- Speedy response to any emergency call
- Crisis response assistance
- Feedback on our current safety and emergency protocols
- An annual assessment of our campuses, and feedback on how we can make our spaces safer.
- Provided an additional training video on how to respond to an active shooter emergency
And with all of that, I still know that we can (and should) always be looking for ways to improve the safety of our campuses. We are actively considering the following as a leadership team…
- Additional armed security guard patrol presence outside long-term. Note: this has been added for the remainder of this school year and will start this Monday, April 3rd
- Enhancement to our glass storefront doors and windows (ballistic or bullet-resistant coatings)
- Upgrades to our lockdown software and sirens
- Reviewing our current building locks and doors, to ensure that every classroom door is capable of being locked inside and everyone knows how to execute this (We believe this is the case, but want to review to be 100% sure).
- Additional training for faculty and students “
FACE: FINE ARTS, CLUBS & ENRICHMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS:
New Club
If you are interested in starting a new after school club please click on the link below!
Contact The FACE Team!
Have questions, concerns, or feedback please call us at 615-200-7647 or email us at face@valorcollegiate.org
Contact Boys & Girls Club!
Have questions, concerns, or feedback please call us at 615-753-8451 or email boysandgirlsclub@valorcollegiate.org
Fire Safety Announcement from the State of Tennessee
A fire can break out with little or no warning. The more prepared you are, the safer you will be.
- Know your emergency evacuation routes at school and at home. Don’t forget to identify a secondary evacuation route in case your primary route is not available.
- Emergency supply kits can help you be prepared. Items to keep in your emergency kit include a flashlight, batteries, first aid kit, whistle, phone lists, paper, pencil, water, and non-perishable snacks.
- Smoke detectors should be located on every floor of your home and near all places that you and your family sleep. Smoke detector batteries should be changed on a regular basis.
- Have a meeting location at school and at home that everyone will gather after a fire evacuation. A meeting location will help you quickly verify that everyone made it out safely.
- Once you evacuate due to a fire, NEVER go back inside a burning building. Once out, stay out. Firefighters will rescue anyone who needs help.