Happy first week of school, Voyager families! It was such a joy meeting so many of you at Kickoff Nights this week — thank you for the warm energy you brought to campus.
Our team is ready and excited to welcome your scholars tomorrow. We know the first few days always come with a few hiccups, but we hope your student has a wonderful start to the year.
And a huge thank you to everyone who helped us get ready — from our staff BBQ to the balloon arch greeting scholars on day one — we couldn’t do this without you!
Week of August 9The Voyager Weekly Principal’s Update
Upcoming events, campus announcements, and family engagement updates — organized for quick scanning and easy sharing.
On Campus
Campus Announcements
🔄 New Dismissal Times
For the 26–27 school year, we’ve adjusted our schedule to comply with state guidance on instructional day length. Updated arrival and dismissal times:
- Mondays: 7:55 a.m. – 3:36 p.m.
- Tuesday–Friday: 7:55 a.m. – 3:10 p.m.
If you’re picking up from the Voyager Traffic Circle on Mondays, please arrive after 3:20 PM — VCP dismissal begins at 3:00 PM, and arriving earlier means you’ll be in the VCP Traffic Circle and need to loop around with traffic.
A Note on Arrival & Dismissal
As we begin the first week of school, please prepare for some delays during arrival and dismissal. We aim to complete dismissal within 15 minutes, but with new students, families, and staff still learning our procedures, it will take a little longer at first — up to 25 minutes on Monday, with a goal of getting it down to 20 minutes by the end of the week. We appreciate your patience and grace as our team works through this.
Here’s how you can help:
- Talk with your child each morning so they’re clear on how they’re getting home.
- Use the map below to identify where you should enter campus — entering at the wrong location can cause delays for you and other families.
- If a staff member asks you to loop back around, please follow their directions; we promise we’ll have your child ready when you come back.
- Please note: drivers who are unkind to staff or who refuse to move will be followed up with directly.
Dismissal traffic flow map — please review before Monday morning.
Fire Drill on August 13th
We’ll be having our first fire drill at 10:05 a.m. on August 13th. If your student needs additional support during fire drills, such as noise-canceling headphones or additional teacher support, please email Sydney Gardner at sgardner@valorcollegiate.org so we can relay this information to the grade-level team.
DeansList
All Voyager families should have received an email from Nat Pendley about signing up for a DeansList account. Please reply to her email or send a separate email to npendley@valorcollegiate.org for support! Watch the DeansList Family Portal introduction video on YouTube — more information to come in the next few weeks.
🎉 Opportunity to Join the 26–27 AI Community Council!
Are you curious — or concerned — about how AI is shaping life for you and your student? We’re looking for 4 family members to join a small multigenerational team working to learn and share more about the opportunities and risks of integrating AI into Valor, alongside students and staff. Application is here (deadline Aug 17) — you don’t need to be a “tech expert” to apply, and we welcome family members who are skeptical about AI to sign up.
Time commitment: monthly Monday (4:00–5:15 p.m.) meetings at VCP, plus 30 minutes of work between meetings. Questions? Reach out to Daren Dickson at ddickson@valorcollegiate.org.
Students in grades 7–12 interested in the council can apply once they arrive on campus, due by August 24th.
🔄 Links to Important Resources
Need the yearly calendar, school supply list, or weekly lunch menu? Bookmark the Family Resources and Links page for easy access to this information and more.
Ms. Naramore Out August 14th–27th
Ms. Naramore will be on PTO from August 14th–27th. Please know you’re always welcome to reach out, though she may have a slightly delayed response. For immediate assistance, please contact your student’s grade-level point of contact:
- 5th Grade: Diamond Benjamin, dbenjamin@valorcollegiate.org
- 6th Grade: Andrew Arp, aarp@valorcollegiate.org
- 7th Grade: Diamond Benjamin, dbenjamin@valorcollegiate.org
- 8th Grade: Sydney Gardner, sgardner@valorcollegiate.org
Please Note
Important Reminders
🔄 7th Grade Immunization Records
If you have an incoming 7th grader and haven’t submitted their updated Tdap booster record, please take care of this as soon as possible. Scholars need updated immunization records on the official Tennessee Immunization Certificate (a sample of what the certificate looks like is linked here), with the box at the bottom checked by the doctor’s office as “Complete 7th Grade or Higher.” Scholars without documentation of a Tdap booster, a medical exemption, or a parent/guardian religious-objection note by day 10 of the school year (August 13th) will not be allowed to attend school until it’s received. Please refer to the Tennessee Department of Health website here for more information.
Please note: due to HIPAA and privacy laws, we generally can’t contact your scholar’s physician directly to obtain this information. Questions? Contact the school nurse: Alphonsine Haslet-Phillips, ahasletphillips@valorcollegiate.org.
Community
Celebrations & Community Connection
As we start the new school year during Intersectionality Awareness Month, we celebrate the unique identities, stories, and backgrounds that make our middle school community strong. To help scholars connect, create, and share their voices, we’re excited to highlight two upcoming community opportunities:
- CreArte Fest (Ages 7–15): The “Meeting of Traditions” art contest invites students to honor their cultural heritage through original artwork inspired by global traditions. Submissions are due August 19th. Register here!
- Nashville Watermelon Festival: A free, family-oriented daytime event at the Nashville Farmers’ Market featuring live music, kids’ activities, cooking demos, and fresh tastings for the whole family.
Whether celebrating traditions through art or connecting at local events, we encourage our scholars and families to participate.
Go Lynx
Athletic Announcements
- Aug 13 & 14: MS Volleyball Tryouts
- Aug 17: MS Cross Country Tryouts
- Sept 12: MS Baseball Tryouts
MS Volleyball Tryouts
August 13th & 14th at the VCP Gym. Visit the Volleyball team page or email ppiro@valorcollegiate.org with any questions.
MS Cross Country Tryouts
August 17th. Visit the Cross Country team page or email mfisher@valorcollegiate.org with any questions.
Middle School Baseball Tryouts
Saturday, September 12
6th Grade: 9:00–10:15 a.m. · 7th–8th Grade: 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Nashville Collegiate Prep Baseball Field — 14446 Old Hickory Blvd, Antioch, TN 37013
We partner with Nashville Collegiate Prep for Middle School Baseball. If possible, we’ll create a 6th grade team separate from our 7th/8th grade team. If you’re interested in trying out, please fill out this form.
Valor Family Group
Family Engagement Announcements
🎉 Campus-Wide Parent Welcome Breakfast
Thursday, August 13th, 7:45–9:00 a.m.
Plaza Mariachi — 3955 Nolensville Pk, Nashville, TN 37211
Meet the Family Engagement Team and learn how to get connected, informed, and involved with our Valor community. Feel free to bring a breakfast item to share — we look forward to seeing you there!
Valor Family & Student Event Calendar
Check out our new centralized calendar for Valor families, students, and staff — it covers events happening during the school day and after school, so nothing slips by. You’ll find:
- Important dates (early release days, school breaks)
- School events (field trips, testing dates, spirit weeks, award ceremonies)
- After-school events (theater performances, club dates)
- Family engagement activities (meetings, cultural festivals)
- Enrollment events (tours, enrollment deadlines)
Bookmark it and check back often to stay in the know.
Fine Arts, Clubs & Enrichment
Valor Theatre & FACE Announcements
Valor Theatre Announcements
Valor Theatre is excited to announce our HS Fall Season and auditions! Please see our 26–27 Valor Theatre One-Pager for more information and important links. These shows are open to 8th graders as well. Questions? Reach out directly to our Director of Fine Arts & Enrichment, Jacob Waid, at jwaid@valorcollegiate.org.
FACE: Fine Arts, Clubs & Enrichment
Registration for Valor’s after-school clubs is officially open! Please visit valorface.com to take a look at the current offerings, their schedule, and sign up. The first day of programs will begin September 8, 2026.
- Boys and Girls Club registration is currently open and programming begins Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
- Valor Dance Tryouts (“Lovely Lavish Ladies”) — Monday, August 10th, 3:30–6:00 PM in the Voyager Lower Commons. Open to middle and high school scholars. Wear a solid white shirt, black bottoms, and sneakers. Questions? Coach Aliah, msdance@valorcollegiate.org, or the FACE Team, face@valorcollegiate.org / 615-200-7647.
All middle school clubs and late scholar pickup will be held at Voyager.
Interested in Leading a Club?
If you’re interested in leading a club, please fill out this form, and we’ll follow up with more information as soon as possible. You can read a description of clubs at valorface.com.