Join Us at Our End-of-Year Roundtable Presentations!

Dear friends, colleagues, community members, and supporters,

We would be honored to have you as a distinguished guest at our Roundtable presentations, happening this year from June 18th through 21st at our middle school campus at 432 Monroe Street in Brooklyn.

As many of you appreciate from attending these presentations in prior years, Roundtables offer a profound opportunity for our students to present highlights of what they have learned over the course of the school year to a small and intimate audience, including their caregivers, advisors, and other school and community members.

As a guest at Roundtables, you will have the chance to hear students’ reflections of the year, ask questions, and experience first-hand the challenge and excitement as our talented students present and reflect on their learning over the course of the year.

Roundtables take place every hour, on the hour, at the following times:

Tuesday, June 18th: 10 AM – 8 PM (last presentation begins at 7 PM)
Thursday, June 20th: 1 PM – 7 PM (last presentation begins at 6 PM)
Friday, June 21st: 9 AM – 2 PM (last presentation begins at 1 PM)

Roundtable presentations are an especially authentic experience if students are able to present to members of the broader community, so we depend on community members and supporters (like you!) to volunteer their time and show their support. Some time slots are harder to fill, so please let us know if your schedule is flexible. Guests may attend up to three Roundtables presentations. Our guests in prior years have found the experience to be most valuable when they can stay for more than one presentation.

If you are able to take part, please use this RSVP link to sign up.

If you have any questions about Unity’s Roundtable presentations, please do not hesitate to contact Michelle Gaines, Director of Special Projects, at mgaines@unityprep.org.

I do hope that you decide to join us for a presentation or two. I am quite certain that you will find the experience to be immensely gratifying.

Best regards,

Josh Beauregard
Head of School & Co-founder

The Unity Scoop – May 24

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations on closing out a strong week at Unity! Shout-out to our high school students who completed their Advanced Placement exams this week! Shout-out to our middle school students as they transition to preparing for their end-of-year Roundtable presentations in June. In addition, shout-out to our volleyball and track teams for representing our community with pride in their competitions this last week. Go Panthers! Finally, shout-out to our 12th graders who enjoyed their Senior Prom last night at Princess Manor in Williamsburg!

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we provided our 2024-25 Key Dates and Vacations Calendars for grades 6-8 and grades 9-12. We also share the slides from last night’s Family Ambassadors Meeting (thank you to those who participated!). Finally, we also highlight one of our dedicated Family Ambassadors and highlight the recent accomplishments of our student-athletes!

I hope that you and your loved ones enjoy the beautiful weather in the forecast this holiday weekend!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of May 24, 2024:

Updated – May 2024 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a complete school-wide calendar of events for the month of May – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added. An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

New – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year are now ready to share. Note that we have two versions this year – one version for our middle school (grades 6-8) and another version for our high school (grades 9-12).

New – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in Last Night’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in our Family Ambassadors meeting last night. As always, the meeting was productive, energizing, and, of course, fun! Here are the slides from the meeting. Quick fun note: if you are looking for something fun to do tonight or tomorrow evening, there is a new play being performed at the Weeksville Heritage Center (see the slide below for details). One of the actors in the play is none other than Mr. Williams, our very own Math Teacher at Unity Middle!

New – Unity Family Ambassador Spotlight of the Month!: We are thrilled to resume an exciting feature to the Unity Scoop, a monthly profile of our amazing Unity Family Ambassadors. The Unity Family Ambassadors are a group of caregivers who meet monthly and serve as thought partners for many of our school’s initiatives. If you are interested in learning more about or joining the Unity Family Ambassadors, please reach out to Mr. Beckford.

Full Name: T’Lyssa Connell

Student Name: TriniTee Connell, 6th grade

Grade level: 6

Profession: Office Manager

Favorite Restaurant in Brooklyn: Olive Garden

Why did you choose to send your child to Unity? Unity has so much to offer these kids that other charter schools don’t offer until high school.

What is the best advice you could provide for an incoming caregiver? Once you attend an info session in person, you see the love, care and dedication the staff has for these kids… you will feel it in your gut that you are making the right decision.

What is your favorite aspect of Unity? Community. Unity does so much, not only for their school community, but as well as the community in which the school serves.

What inspired you to ‘give back’ to our community by joining the Unity Family Ambassadors this year? I will always be one of those parents that tries their best to be at every event or try to contribute in any way possible. Once you show up for your kids, and kids in the community; they know that they will always have support. This leads to success in many ways. Not only for my child but any kid I cross paths with.

Updated – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!

Unity Middle Student-Athlete, Sariah Wilson, being interviewed by the MSAL league commissioner during yesterday’s meeting. Click on the image to hear the interview. Unity’s 4×4 girls’ team won their race!

Unity High’s volleyball teams recently honored all 12th grade team members during their Senior Farewell Ceremony. Congrats to the seniors of both teams. We applaud you for always representing our community with pride – go Panthers!

Members of the middle school volleyball teams before a recent match (clearly with the game faces on!)

Recap – Unity High’s Climbing Club Reaches New Heights!: During the April break, Mr. Pakter and eight Unity High students from our Climbing Club ventured to Minnewaska State Park in New Paltz to take part in some high-quality climbing. Enjoy the beautiful photos of the adventure below. Very impressive! And thank you to the New York City Climbing Collective who made the trip possible.

Recap – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders from April!: Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community. They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce. The students listed here were leaders from the month of April in being recognized by their teachers for demonstrating our Core Values. On behalf of our school community, we are proud of these students, and look forward to continuing to shout out all of our students when they demonstrate P.R.I.D.E. in our community.

Recap – Reading is Power! Unity Middle Students Make the Most of their Local Library!: Enjoy the photos below of a number of Unity students who have been recently taking full advantage of our local library to find engaging books and experience the joys of reading. Thank you, Ms. Ayoub and Ms. Richardson, for your encouragement and support of young readers!

Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Alicia Griffith, Unity’s Class of 2021: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can. This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of Alicia Griffith, who is now in her third year at SUNY Oneonta! See Alicia’s note to our entire community below. Congratulations on your recent successes, Alicia!

Hello fellow Unity Panthers!

After graduating from Unity, I committed to SUNY Oneonta, where I am presently completing my final full year of study. I am majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Communications. My plan is to graduate in December 2024. Upon graduating, I look forward to beginning my career as a flight attendant or a paralegal.

As a member of the Queen Steppers at Unity, I immediately gravitated to the Step Team at SUNY Oneonta. Over the past three years, I am proud of the impact that I have had on the team. I was recently selected to be the President of the Divine Leaders Step Team for the upcoming semester, in addition to my current role as a Choreographer. I also work as a Library Assistant, Resident Assistant, Dragon Campus Guide, and Building Manager, and do hair for students on campus as a side job.

If there’s any advice I could impart to current Unity students, it is to make sure to find your people on campus and take FULL advantage of ALL of the opportunities afforded to you! The roles I’ve mentioned above are just a fraction of what I have done while in college. I can surely say that I am proud to be a Red Dragon and proud of all the experience that I have had. And I’m proud to be obtaining my degree in 3.5 years!

Recap – Free Admission to NYC’s Finest Museum through Unity Middle’s Partnership with Urban Advantage: Unity Middle students were given vouchers to attend some of the best museums in NYC free of charge. See the details below and contact Ms. Diaz, our MS Science Department Chairperson, with any questions.

Recap – College Acceptance List for Unity’s Class of 2024!: We are excited to share with our community the full list of colleges to which members of Unity’s Class of 2024 have earned admission. Congrats to the entire class and their families as they now decide which college they will attend this fall! Enjoy the photo below of members of Unity’s Class of 2024 visiting SUNY Stony Brook on Thursday and being greeted by members of Unity’s Class of 2023 who now attend Stony Brook. Kudos to our alumni in supporting our seniors as they weigh their options!

Recap – Unity Calendar for the 2023-24 School Year: The table below reflects our key events and vacations calendar for the 2023-24 school year. In addition, here is the updated PDF version of the table for your convenience.

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Free Resources for Unity Families: Unity’s social work team is always looking for resources that may be helpful and of interest to our families. A host of resources are provided below. Reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio, Unity’s Director of Social Work, with questions.

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

The Unity Scoop – May 19

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the weekend has been good to you and your loved ones.

End-of-year testing continued this past week with a number of our students completing the New York State (NYS) English as a Second Language Achievement Test. In addition, our 8th grade students completed the NYS Science Exam. Congratulations to these students!

Finally, congratulations to all of our high school students who completed their Advanced Placement (AP) exams this past week, including students who have been working all year in AP Precalculus, AP Calculus, AP English Language and Composition, AP Computer Science, AP Biology, and AP World History. We are immensely proud of you!

In this edition of the Unity Scoop, I bring to you some terrific photos of an adventure that our Climbing Club recently took part in. We also shout out our Core Value leaders from the month of April and our 12th grade student-athletes who are completing their spring seasons!

Best wishes in the week ahead!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of May 19, 2024:

New – Unity High’s Climbing Club Reaches New Heights!: During the April break, Mr. Pakter and eight Unity High students from our Climbing Club ventured to Minnewaska State Park in New Paltz to take part in some high-quality climbing. Enjoy the beautiful photos of the adventure below. Very impressive! And thank you to the New York City Climbing Collective who made the trip possible.

Updated – May 2024 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a complete school-wide calendar of events for the month of May – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added. An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website. For this week, notable dates and events include:

5/21 – Unity Board of Trustees Meeting
5/22 – Unity Middle Spring Fling
5/22 – Last day of regular classes for seniors in good academic standing
5/23 – Family Ambassadors Meeting
5/23 – Unity High Senior Prom

Updated – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience in School by Taking Part in our Next Middle School Family Ambassadors Meeting, Thursday, May 23rd, 6pm!: The next Family Ambassadors of Unity meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 23rd, at 6pm on Zoom. Contact Mr. Beckford with questions – all families of middle school students are encouraged to attend!

New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders from April!: Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community. They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce. The students listed here were leaders from the month of April in being recognized by their teachers for demonstrating our Core Values. On behalf of our school community, we are proud of these students, and look forward to continuing to shout out all of our students when they demonstrate P.R.I.D.E. in our community.

New – Reading is Power! Unity Middle Students Make the Most of their Local Library!: Enjoy the photos below of a number of Unity students who have been recently taking full advantage of our local library to find engaging books and experience the joys of reading. Thank you, Ms. Ayoub and Ms. Richardson, for your encouragement and support of young readers!

Hello fellow Unity Panthers!

Updated – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!Unity High’s volleyball teams recently honored all 12th grade team members during their Senior Farewell Ceremony. Congrats to the seniors of both teams. We applaud you for always representing our community with pride – go Panthers!

Members of the middle school volleyball teams before a recent match (clearly with the game faces on!)

Middle School Scholar-Athlete of the Month for March: Tonya Richardson

Team: Track

Current GPA: 3.6

Description: Tonya is a role model for her fellow student athletes.. As a student, Tonya is very diligent as she regularly checks in with her teachers and seeks out additional help from her teachers when she needs it. As an athlete and teammate, Tonya shows high support for her teammates and a high level of sportsmanship. She has even been complimented on her sportsmanship by opposing teams and their coaches!

Quote: In learning that she had earned Scholar-Athlete of the Month, Tonya offered the following response: “I am really excited and really proud of myself!”

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES – 5/21/24

To Whom It May Concern,

Please see below for a public notice of the upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees of Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn.

NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

UNITY PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

Notice is hereby given that there will be a meeting of the Board of Trustees of
Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024 at 7:00pm.

Members of the public may attend the meeting at the
following locations:

432 Monroe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11221

611 Kosciuszko Street
Brooklyn, NY 11221

121 DeKalb Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201

88 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10016

864 Carroll Street
Brooklyn NY 11215

55 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

70 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10003

Members of the public may participate in the meeting by using the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82392871344

Members of the public may view a livestream of the meeting by using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRhkGzAEcDA0SHn3W1tthSg/live

The Unity Scoop – May 12

Dear Families of Unity,

Let me begin this edition of The Scoop with a hearty note of admiration and gratitude to all of the mothers in our community. Happy Mother’s Day to you!

This past week was a busy one with middle school state exams and high school Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Congratulations to our middle school students for completing their state math exams this past week! And congrats to our high school students who completed their AP exams, including those in Government, Environmental Science, Literature, and US History!

On behalf of our entire community, we are extremely proud of our students for their hard work in preparing for these exams over the past few months. And we look forward to celebrating the efforts of our high school students who will be completing their remaining AP exams next week. Again, we are proud of you!

I also want to thank everyone in our school community who contributed to Educator Appreciation Week at Unity. Our team definitely felt the love and appreciation coming their way.

Below, I re-share with you our May calendar for your convenience. In addition, we spotlight one of our amazing alumni as well as some recent highlights from our athletics program.

Best wishes in the week ahead!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of May 12, 2024:

5/14 – State Science Exam, grade 8
5/15-5/17 – NYSESLAT testing, grades 6-8
5/13-5/17 – Advanced Placement exams in Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Language, World History, Computer Science, and Biology, grades 10-12

New – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience in School by Taking Part in our Next Middle School Family Ambassadors Meeting, Thursday, May 23rd, 6pm!: The next Family Ambassadors of Unity meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 23rd, at 6pm on Zoom. Contact Mr. Beckford with questions – all families of middle school students are encouraged to attend!

New – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Alicia Griffith, Unity’s Class of 2021: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can. This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of Alicia Griffith, who is now in her third year at SUNY Oneonta! See Alicia’s note to our entire community below. Congratulations on your recent successes, Alicia!

Hello fellow Unity Panthers!

Updated – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!

Members of the middle school volleyball teams before a recent match (clearly with the game faces on!)

Middle School Scholar-Athlete of the Month for March: Tonya Richardson

Team: Track

Current GPA: 3.6

Quote: In learning that she had earned Scholar-Athlete of the Month, Tonya offered the following response: “I am really excited and really proud of myself!”

Members of our middle school community recently participated in a Student vs. Faculty flag football game at MetLife Stadium! The game went down to the wire and ended in a high-scoring tie at 28-28. Go Panthers!

Student-Athletes from Unity’s middle school and high school have been hard at work over the past two weeks to develop their skills on the basketball court. Workout sessions take place on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. See the flier below for details and enjoy the photos below of students in action!

Recap – Stellar Attendance in April – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of April. Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day! And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

Grades 6-8		Grades 9-12
Name	Grade	Name	Grade
Aiden Seltzer	6	Adewale Salau	9
Arsheal Dutchin	6	Amir Watkins	9
Aunri Cuffy	6	Amor Johnson-Gregory	9
Caela McClean	6	Chase White	9
Christian Gallishaw	6	Jaliney Canady	9
Digriana Morgan	6	Lamont Kimbrough	9
Dylan Pillco-Duchimaza	6	Lanae Watson	9
Edwin Coronado	6	Messiah Gumbs	9
Gabriel Garvey	6	Oswaldo Calixto	9
Jabreel Khalifah	6	Quinten DeJesus	9
Jaden Phillip	6	Tammy Charlesworth	9
Jaliyah Roberson	6	Tanya Nieto	9
Jeremiah Rodriguez	6	Tyler DeJesus	9
Kaela Alexander	6	Vince Thomas	9
Kaira Alexander	6	Adriana Pollard	10
Kayden Edwards	6	Allizson Zelaya	10
Kendell Houston	6	Austin Cope	10
Kylie Vassell	6	Cheyenne Young	10
Maliah Tsoi	6	Elijah Mckenzie	10
Miranda Lam	6	Ethan Desravines	10
Mitchell Adonis	6	Evan Ramos	10
Nathaniel Duke	6	Julissa Garban	10
Noah Thompson	6	Kira Preudhomme	10
Omari Whyte	6	Kwaku Antwi	10
Samariah Legister	6	Lateefah Subair	10
Sanah Lawrence	6	Madison Jackson	10
Taylor Mathias	6	Malachi Sanchez	10
Taylor Smith-Monroe	6	Melody McKenzie	10
Yelyzaveta Martynanko	6	Michael Cox	10
Zanir Carty	6	Miley Ortiz	10
Zyaire Hale	6	Sean Dankwah	10
Acai Carrington	7	Sebastian Andrade	10
Agneiszka Thompson	7	Tedane Green	10
Ahmad Altareb	7	Abdoulaye Kone Jr	11
Chace Haynes	7	Ajani Dorsey	11
Christopher Hallums	7	Alyssa Hall	11
Destiny Imbert	7	Aniyah Rivera	11
Doris Chadan	7	Arayah Brannon	11
Dylan Phillips	7	Dahkim Perkins	11
Gavin Smith	7	Darnele Nelson	11
Hawa Diallo	7	Emelys Perez	11
Jada Vatel	7	Iliana Laverpool	11
Jaida White	7	Jeremiah Smith	11
Jeremiah Dinkins Jr	7	Justin Jones	11
Josiah Bartholomew	7	Keyontae Jackson-Abdullah	11
Kamau Hutchinson	7	Miguel Brito Cruz	11
Kiorah Lucky	7	Nakayla Barber	11
Kourtnee Payne	7	Ralston Reid	11
Liliana Diaz-Garcia	7	Ryan Irat	11
London Harris	7	Sariyah Gordon	11
London Maxwell	7	Shamira Allen	11
Madisyn Seabron	7	Stephanie Kwamina	11
Mkenzie Howard	7	Yoshua Foster	11
Morgan Thompson	7	Aniya Townes	12
Ndiawa Diaw	7	Antoinelle Abbey	12
Nicholas Walcott	7	Blakeleigh English	12
Nylah Telesford	7	Chase Grimes	12
Rovaldo Roopchand	7	Christian Dickerson	12
Seneca George	7	Dante Jones	12
Sincere Grant	7	Diabe Traore	12
Sole Farinha	7	Fatima Sanogo	12
Steven Cox	7	Franklin Yaguachi	12
Tamara Ellis	7	Isaiah Bovell	12
Trevon Perkins	7	Jahqui Thomas	12
Amir Christie	8	Jared Willis	12
Anaya Wilson	8	Jayden Carlos Fajardo	12
Aniyah Warren	8	Jayden Ross	12
Blessing Fox	8	Jelan Luke	12
Brooke Thomas	8	Joshua McMillian	12
Elijah Kirton	8	Kody Thomas	12
Ester Pollard	8	Lakai Bush	12
Jaylene Herrera	8	Levi Thomas	12
Jencarlos Hernandez	8	Malachi Clarke	12
Joshua Corbin	8	Mariah Horsford	12
Khloe Khan	8	Mason Miller	12
Latrust Byrd	8	Melani Paucar Siguencia	12
Lounha Edouard	8	Nasaiah Joseph	12
Madison Goddard	8	Ricardo Sealy	12
Mekhi Clarke	8	Roland Duroseau	12
Nahla Stephenson	8	Ruth Manswell	12
Nicholas Thomas	8	Ryan Saunders	12
Oscar Thomas	8	Skyla Phillips	12
Salematou Barry	8	Tylar Charles	12
Salif Oulany	8	Ziaire Pettis	12
Sariah Wilson	8
Shaniya Noble	8
Steven Trivedi	8
Tenajah Rodgers	8
Tonya Richardson	8
Tristin Hardaway	8
Yehudi Rosario	8
Zaeyah Rush	8
Zahaviyah Bullock	8
Zea Charles	8

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

The Unity Scoop – May 5

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope you enjoyed a terrific spring break with loved ones, and that the return to school this week was seamless. It felt great to reunite with students, teachers, and staff this last week. We are now fully immersed in the spring season in which there are a number of major milestones that we will experience together!

The upcoming week is an exciting one. On Wednesday and Thursday, our middle school students will take their state math exams. We are also administering four Advanced Placement (AP) exams for our high school students throughout the week. We ask that you support your child at home in preparation of these important assessments by ensuring that they get a good night’s sleep, enjoy a healthy breakfast, receive an abundance of praise and encouragement leading up to the exams, and, of course, arrive at school on time and in good spirits.

In addition to middle school state exams and high school AP exams, we are also celebrating our entire staff this week in honor of National Educator Appreciation Week. As I am sure you appreciate, our team of dedicated educators is one of the greatest features of our school. I encourage all of our families to take a moment next week to show your appreciation of the educators you are working most closely with this year. Such appreciation can be conveyed through a brief phone call or text, or through an email or written note – whichever manner feels most comfortable to you. You may also share a note of appreciation below under the first update. In any case, do share your appreciation this coming week – I promise that it will be warmly received!

Finally, we celebrated Principal Appreciation Day on Wednesday of last week. We have two magnificent principals: Ms. Williams at our middle school and Ms. Yun at our high school. Thank you, Ms. Williams and Yun, for leading the way at each of our campuses. Our community wholeheartedly appreciates you!

In this edition of the Unity Scoop, we bring to you an updated May calendar. In addition, we spotlight all our students with stellar attendance from the month of April as well as offer a convenient space for you to show your appreciation for teachers. Finally, we highlight a number of recent academic and extracurricular experiences at Unity and beyond.

Best wishes in the week ahead!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of May 5, 2024:

New – Take a Moment to Share a Brief Note Appreciation to a Member of our Team: For your convenience, here is a space to share a note of appreciation with a Unity educator. Simply share your note via this survey and the note will be shared with the educator next week. Alternatively, feel free to reach out to the educator directly. Thanks in advance for your encouragement and appreciation!

5/6-5/10 – Educator Appreciation Week
5/8-5/9 – State Math Exams, grades 6-12
5/6-5/10 – Advanced Placement exams in Government, Literature, Environmental Science, and U.S. History, grades 10-12

New – Stellar Attendance in April – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of April. Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day! And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

Grades 6-8		Grades 9-12
Name	Grade	Name	Grade
Aiden Seltzer	6	Adewale Salau	9
Arsheal Dutchin	6	Amir Watkins	9
Aunri Cuffy	6	Amor Johnson-Gregory	9
Caela McClean	6	Chase White	9
Christian Gallishaw	6	Jaliney Canady	9
Digriana Morgan	6	Lamont Kimbrough	9
Dylan Pillco-Duchimaza	6	Lanae Watson	9
Edwin Coronado	6	Messiah Gumbs	9
Gabriel Garvey	6	Oswaldo Calixto	9
Jabreel Khalifah	6	Quinten DeJesus	9
Jaden Phillip	6	Tammy Charlesworth	9
Jaliyah Roberson	6	Tanya Nieto	9
Jeremiah Rodriguez	6	Tyler DeJesus	9
Kaela Alexander	6	Vince Thomas	9
Kaira Alexander	6	Adriana Pollard	10
Kayden Edwards	6	Allizson Zelaya	10
Kendell Houston	6	Austin Cope	10
Kylie Vassell	6	Cheyenne Young	10
Maliah Tsoi	6	Elijah Mckenzie	10
Miranda Lam	6	Ethan Desravines	10
Mitchell Adonis	6	Evan Ramos	10
Nathaniel Duke	6	Julissa Garban	10
Noah Thompson	6	Kira Preudhomme	10
Omari Whyte	6	Kwaku Antwi	10
Samariah Legister	6	Lateefah Subair	10
Sanah Lawrence	6	Madison Jackson	10
Taylor Mathias	6	Malachi Sanchez	10
Taylor Smith-Monroe	6	Melody McKenzie	10
Yelyzaveta Martynanko	6	Michael Cox	10
Zanir Carty	6	Miley Ortiz	10
Zyaire Hale	6	Sean Dankwah	10
Acai Carrington	7	Sebastian Andrade	10
Agneiszka Thompson	7	Tedane Green	10
Ahmad Altareb	7	Abdoulaye Kone Jr	11
Chace Haynes	7	Ajani Dorsey	11
Christopher Hallums	7	Alyssa Hall	11
Destiny Imbert	7	Aniyah Rivera	11
Doris Chadan	7	Arayah Brannon	11
Dylan Phillips	7	Dahkim Perkins	11
Gavin Smith	7	Darnele Nelson	11
Hawa Diallo	7	Emelys Perez	11
Jada Vatel	7	Iliana Laverpool	11
Jaida White	7	Jeremiah Smith	11
Jeremiah Dinkins Jr	7	Justin Jones	11
Josiah Bartholomew	7	Keyontae Jackson-Abdullah	11
Kamau Hutchinson	7	Miguel Brito Cruz	11
Kiorah Lucky	7	Nakayla Barber	11
Kourtnee Payne	7	Ralston Reid	11
Liliana Diaz-Garcia	7	Ryan Irat	11
London Harris	7	Sariyah Gordon	11
London Maxwell	7	Shamira Allen	11
Madisyn Seabron	7	Stephanie Kwamina	11
Mkenzie Howard	7	Yoshua Foster	11
Morgan Thompson	7	Aniya Townes	12
Ndiawa Diaw	7	Antoinelle Abbey	12
Nicholas Walcott	7	Blakeleigh English	12
Nylah Telesford	7	Chase Grimes	12
Rovaldo Roopchand	7	Christian Dickerson	12
Seneca George	7	Dante Jones	12
Sincere Grant	7	Diabe Traore	12
Sole Farinha	7	Fatima Sanogo	12
Steven Cox	7	Franklin Yaguachi	12
Tamara Ellis	7	Isaiah Bovell	12
Trevon Perkins	7	Jahqui Thomas	12
Amir Christie	8	Jared Willis	12
Anaya Wilson	8	Jayden Carlos Fajardo	12
Aniyah Warren	8	Jayden Ross	12
Blessing Fox	8	Jelan Luke	12
Brooke Thomas	8	Joshua McMillian	12
Elijah Kirton	8	Kody Thomas	12
Ester Pollard	8	Lakai Bush	12
Jaylene Herrera	8	Levi Thomas	12
Jencarlos Hernandez	8	Malachi Clarke	12
Joshua Corbin	8	Mariah Horsford	12
Khloe Khan	8	Mason Miller	12
Latrust Byrd	8	Melani Paucar Siguencia	12
Lounha Edouard	8	Nasaiah Joseph	12
Madison Goddard	8	Ricardo Sealy	12
Mekhi Clarke	8	Roland Duroseau	12
Nahla Stephenson	8	Ruth Manswell	12
Nicholas Thomas	8	Ryan Saunders	12
Oscar Thomas	8	Skyla Phillips	12
Salematou Barry	8	Tylar Charles	12
Salif Oulany	8	Ziaire Pettis	12
Sariah Wilson	8
Shaniya Noble	8
Steven Trivedi	8
Tenajah Rodgers	8
Tonya Richardson	8
Tristin Hardaway	8
Yehudi Rosario	8
Zaeyah Rush	8
Zahaviyah Bullock	8
Zea Charles	8

Updated – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!

Rowlyn Gonzalez, Co-Captain of Unity Middle’s Boys Volleyball team, congratulates members of an opposing team following a recent match. Go Panthers!

Recap – Unity’s Middle School Spring Art Exhibition!: Enjoy the photos below from the exhibition and, again, congratulations to our student artists!

Recap – Unity Represents Earth Day by Sporting Green: Staff and students showed their support of environmental preservation and protection by wearing green last week. Kudos to our community for advocating for a cause that is important to us!

Recap – Unity’s High’ Sophomores and Juniors Take PSAT and SAT!: Congratulations to Unity High’s 10th and 11th graders for completing the PSAT and SAT this past week, respectively. The PSAT helps students prepare for the SAT by testing their math, reading, and writing skills. The SAT, which was completed by our 11th graders, is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. Kudos to our College & Career Readiness (CCR) team for supporting students with registration and for coordinating and hosting the administration!

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

The Unity Scoop – April 19

Dear Families of Unity,

It was great to connect with many of our middle school families during last night’s Art Exhibition. Thank you to our families and staff who came out to support the event. And congratulations to Mr. Berkeley and his talented art students for an impressive exhibition of their recent works!

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we share our May calendar (yes, May is right around the corner!), highlight our student artists and student-athletes in action, and congratulate our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders from the month of March!

Have a delightful spring break, and do visit a museum or two free of charge – see the voucher details below!

We look forward to reuniting on May 1st!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 19, 2024:

New – May 2024 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a complete school-wide calendar of events for the month of April – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added. An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website. For this week, notable dates and events include:

Updated – Unity’s Middle School Spring Art Exhibition!: Enjoy the photos below from the exhibition and, again, congratulations to our student artists!

New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders from March!: Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community. They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce. The students listed below were leaders from the month of March in being recognized by their teachers for demonstrating our Core Values. On behalf of our school community, we are proud of these students, and look forward to continuing to shout out all of our students when they demonstrate P.R.I.D.E. in our community.

Grades 6-8		Grades 9-12
Name	Grade	Name	Grade
Arsheal Dutchin	6	Jaliney Canady	9
Mitchell Adonis	6	Nevaeh Johnson	9
Taylor Mathias	6	Dorian Hicks	9
Edwin Coronado	6	Kamariyah Lambert	9
Ethan Lee-Sutherland	6	Keymora Baker	9
Kaela Alexander	6	Romeo Avila	9
Hailey Austin	6	Jacarey Pitters	9
Taribbi Hosten Jr.	6	Adewale Salau	9
Nakhai Ellis Jr	6	Kashmir Robinson	9
Adelle Brito	6	Hadi Akoshile	9
Agneiszka Thompson	7	Le’La Smith	9
Sadiiya Coke	7	Terrell Gibbs	9
Ramon Vasquez	7	Noah Campos	9
Lea Elder	7	James Mallette	10
Eshyra Miller	7	Ibrahima Barry	10
Tyheem Owens	7	Sandra Monday Vasquez	10
Hannah Bowers	7	Sanah Thompson	10
Bre’elle McKenzie	7	Kyaere Kinloch	10
Seneca George	7	Ethan Desravines	10
Heaven Habersham	7	Tedane Green	10
Rovaldo Roopchand	7	Malachi Lewis	10
Isaiah Fisher	7	Brody Taveras	10
Malachi Reid	7	Christopher Fonseca Jr.	10
Mariah Edwards	7	Imbria Canady	10
Nicholas Thomas	8	Emelys Perez	11
Hattie Mitchell	8	Makayla Spencer	11
Kamari Tyler	8	Daniella Horsford	11
Mariah Lawhorne	8	Vondell Hankies	11
Zy’eare Schulters	8	Essence Martinez	11
Arianna Garcia	8	Joshua Bastaldo	11
Zanai Millington	8	Alice Naranjo	11
Aniyah Warren	8	Rhianna Mitchell	11
Lounha Edouard	8	Eycha Jimenez	11
Khloe Khan	8	Stephanie Kwamina	11
		Keyontae Jackson-Abdullah	11
		Preston Waterberg	11
		Sanaa Taitt	11
		Jordan Franklin	11
		Nataliya Miller	11
		Francisco Medina	11
		Blakeleigh English	12
		Kayla Wright-Martin	12
		Skyla Phillips	12
		Shaniel Chambers	12
		O’brian Marquez	12
		Antonio Suarez	12
		Jaylen Ayers	12
		Jonathan Vega	12
		Diabe Traore	12
		Jayden Ross	12
		Mason Miller	12
		Elisha Scully	12
		Christian Dickerson	12
		Isaiah Bovell	12
		Ricardo Sealy	12
		RJ Mark	12
		Khamani Davis	12
		Taliyah Joseph	12
		Antoinelle Abbey	12

New – Free Admission to NYC’s Finest Museum through Unity Middle’s Partnership with Urban Advantage: Unity Middle students were given vouchers to attend some of the best museums in NYC free of charge. See the details below and contact Ms. Diaz, our MS Science Department Chairperson, with any questions.

Updated – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!

Rowlyn Gonzalez, Co-Captain of Unity Middle’s Boys Volleyball team, congratulates members of an opposing team following a recent match. Go Panthers!

Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Aniya Childers, Unity’s Class of 2020: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can. This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of Aniyah Childers, who is now in her fourth year at Penn State University! See Aniya note to our entire community below. Congratulations on your coming graduation, Aniya!

Greetings Unity Community!

My name is Aniya Childers, and I am a member of Unity’s Class of 2020. Since graduating from Unity, I have spent the last four years in college and will be graduating soon! Upon earning my undergraduate degree, my plan is to pursue my graduate studies and earn an advanced degree in Health Policy and Management.

I am currently exploring internships, graduate school opportunities, and learning more about the field of health policy and administration. College has been intriguing, eye-opening, and has given me a fresh perspective on life. I’ve spoken at career-focused conferences and attended numerous career fairs, both of which have provided me with tremendous opportunities that continue to fuel my career aspirations.

A path in college is the way to go and can provide you with an array of possibilities! My recommendation to current Unity students – keep going – you can do it – keep striving to be your best!

Recap – Community Event – BSECDC Community Birthday Party, Saturday, April 20th, 12pm!: The Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center (BSECDC) is pleased to extend an invitation to families in the community for the upcoming BSECDC Community Birthday Party. The celebration will take place on Saturday, April 20th from 12-2pm at 5 Quincy Street, Brooklyn NY 11238, and is open to all local families with children ages 2 to 4 who are celebrating a birthday this quarter. Activities will include family games, story time with BSECDC teaching team, music and dancing by BaBas’ Kitchen. RSVP by scanning the QR code on the flier and hurry, we can only accommodate thirty families to join the festivities.

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES – 4/16/24

To Whom It May Concern,

Please see below for a public notice of the upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees of Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn.

NOTICE OF MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

UNITY PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL OF BROOKLYN

Notice is hereby given that there will be a meeting of the Board of Trustees of
Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 at 7:00pm.

Members of the public may attend the meeting at the
following locations:

432 Monroe Street
Brooklyn, NY 11221

611 Kosciuszko Street
Brooklyn, NY 11221

121 DeKalb Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11201

88 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10016

864 Carroll Street
Brooklyn NY 11215

55 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004

70 East 10th Street
New York, NY 10003

Members of the public may participate in the meeting by using the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81357235565

Members of the public may view a livestream of the meeting by using the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRhkGzAEcDA0SHn3W1tthSg/live

The Unity Scoop – April 14

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our entire community for reaching a number of major milestones this past week, including ELA state exams at our middle school and family conferences along with PSAT / SAT exams at our high school. In addition, we experienced a once-in-generation solar eclipse. Indeed, it was a momentous week! Enjoy the photos below of our students and teachers in complete awe as they took in the experience together.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we celebrate our seniors and their college acceptances for the fall of 2024. In addition, we highlight one of our talented alumni and spotlight a number of upcoming events, including this Thursday’s Middle School Art Exhibition. See the flier below for details – we hope to see you there!

Have a terrific weekend!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 14, 2024:

New – College Acceptance List for Unity’s Class of 2024!: We are excited to share with our community the full list of colleges to which members of Unity’s Class of 2024 have earned admission. Congrats to the entire class and their families as they now decide which college they will attend this fall! Enjoy the photo below of members of Unity’s Class of 2024 visiting SUNY Stony Brook on Thursday and being greeted by members of Unity’s Class of 2023 who now attend Stony Brook. Kudos to our alumni in supporting our seniors as they weigh their options!

New – Unity Represents Earth Day by Sporting Green: Staff and students showed their support of environmental preservation and protection by wearing green last week. Kudos to our community for advocating for a cause that is important to us!

New – Unity’s High’ Sophomores and Juniors Take PSAT and SAT!: Congratulations to Unity High’s 10th and 11th graders for completing the PSAT and SAT this past week, respectively. The PSAT helps students prepare for the SAT by testing their math, reading, and writing skills. The SAT, which was completed by our 11th graders, is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. Kudos to our College & Career Readiness (CCR) team for supporting students with registration and for coordinating and hosting the administration!

New – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Aniya Childers, Unity’s Class of 2020: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can. This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of Aniyah Childers, who is now in her fourth year at Penn State University! See Aniya note to our entire community below. Congratulations on your coming graduation, Aniya!

Greetings Unity Community!

A path in college is the way to go and can provide you with an array of possibilities! My recommendation to current Unity students – keep going – you can do it – keep striving to be your best!

Updated – April 2024 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a complete school-wide calendar of events for the month of April – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added. An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website. For this week, notable dates and events include:

4/15-4/19 – Spirit Week all grade levels, 6-12
4/18 (Thursday) – MS Art Exhibition, 6pm

Updated – Unity’s Middle School Spring Art Exhibition, Thursday, April 18th, 5 & 6pm!: Under the guidance of their Art & Design Teacher, Mr. Berkeley, Unity’s middle school art students will proudly exhibit their latest artwork on Thursday, April 18th. All art students are required to participate, and we welcome all of our students and families to attend and celebrate our young artists and their latest creations! See the flier below for details and note the address – we are excited for our students to show off their latest works in a real exhibition space within the local community!

Recap – Unity High Students Participate in Unity’s Annual College Fair!: Unity High hosted representatives from over 20 colleges last week during its annual college fair. Thank you to our College & Career Readiness team for organizing the experience for our students and their families!

Recap – Receptions for Unity’s 2024-25 Admitted Families!: The Unity community welcomed all students and their families who were admitted to Unity for the 2024-25 school via our lotteries conducted earlier this week. Thank you to all who participated!

New – Stellar Attendance in March – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of March. Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day! And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

Grades 6-8		Grades 9-12
Name	Grade	Name	Grade
Adora Adams	6	Adewale Salau	9
Aissata Barry	6	Amelia Jones	9
Aliya Starks	6	Aniah Walters	9
Brihean Edwards	6	Elizabeth Pollard	9
Caela McClean	6	Hadi Akoshile	9
Christian Gallishaw	6	Jaliney Canady	9
Christina Olivier	6	Kamariyah Lambert	9
Digriana Morgan	6	Khaya Khan	9
Gianna Galeazzi	6	Lanae Watson	9
Jaaden Lumpkin	6	Leslie Paredes Tigsi	9
Jaden Phillip	6	Messiah Gumbs	9
Jean Azor	6	Nathaniel Polanco	9
Joselyn Mendez	6	Nehemiah Williams	9
Kausara Salau	6	Nevaeh Johnson	9
Kendell Houston	6	Quinten DeJesus	9
Maliah Tsoi	6	Talis Bonilla Gomez	9
Miranda Lam	6	Tammy Charlesworth	9
Mitchell Adonis	6	Tanya Nieto	9
Nathaniel Duke	6	Tianna Aaron	9
Noah Thompson	6	Tyler DeJesus	9
Omari Whyte	6	Yusra Shuraih	9
Samariah Legister	6	Adriana Pollard	10
Sanah Lawrence	6	Akeim McKenzie	10
Shyvonne Longmire	6	Austin Cope	10
St. Clair-Makonnen Washington	6	Christopher Fonseca Jr.	10
Taylor Mathias	6	Connor Carter	10
Taylor Smith-Monroe	6	Damani Green	10
Tevin April	6	Daniel Martinez	10
TriniTee Connell	6	Ethan Desravines	10
Tyler Bell-Martin	6	Evan Ramos	10
Yelyzaveta Martynanko	6	Julissa Garban	10
Zion Ojoe	6	Kyi Niles	10
Acai Carrington	7	Lateefah Subair	10
Agneiszka Thompson	7	Madison Jackson	10
Brandon Frankson	7	Malachi Sanchez	10
Brook’lynn Fields	7	Melody McKenzie	10
Bryant Smart Jr	7	Miley Ortiz	10
Chace Haynes	7	Reginald Faulkner	10
Dameon Louis Jr	7	Sanah Thompson	10
Doris Chadan	7	Sean Dankwah	10
Dylan Phillips	7	Taylor Beckles	10
Eshyra Miller	7	Tedane Green	10
Gabriella Brann	7	Ahkeelah Witty	11
Gissela Cando Muntza	7	Aleia Brooks	11
Hawa Diallo	7	Alexis May	11
Ian McDonald	7	Alnia Franklin	11
Isiah Collins	7	Arayah Brannon	11
Jada Vatel	7	Daniella Horsford	11
Josiah Bartholomew	7	Emelys Perez	11
Liliana Diaz-Garcia	7	Essence Martinez	11
Madisyn Seabron	7	Jahtia Napier	11
Malachi Reid	7	Janaya James	11
Malia Cohen	7	Johan Munoz	11
Mariah Edwards	7	Joshua Bastaldo	11
Mkenzie Howard	7	Justice Taylor	11
Morgan Thompson	7	Kayla Richardson	11
Ndiawa Diaw	7	Keyontae Jackson-Abdullah	11
Rovaldo Roopchand	7	Kimberley Valdez	11
Rowlyn Gonzalez	7	Miguel Brito Cruz	11
Sean Farinha	7	Nakayla Barber	11
Sole Farinha	7	Preston Waterberg	11
Tahaley Rodriguez	7	Priscilla Garcia	11
Amir Christie	8	Sanaa Taitt	11
Anaya Wilson	8	Sariyah Gordon	11
Ashton-Michael Hutchinson	8	Shamira Allen	11
Blessing Fox	8	Vida Gonzalez	11
Brooke Thomas	8	Yoshua Foster	11
Corey Wright Jr	8	Aniya Townes	12
Elijah Kirton	8	Antonio Echeverria Espinal	12
Ester Pollard	8	Ashley Estevez	12
Hattie Mitchell	8	Chase Grimes	12
Jason Solomon Jr.	8	Christian Dickerson	12
Jaylene Herrera	8	Fatima Sanogo	12
Jencarlos Hernandez	8	Isaiah Bovell	12
Joshua Corbin	8	Jah’Marley Thomas	12
Kaylani Reynolds	8	Jayden Ross	12
Keyshonte Bornia	8	Jelan Luke	12
Loic Leonard	8	Khamani Davis	12
Mohamed Al-Bakeer	8	Kody Thomas	12
Nahla Stephenson	8	Levi Thomas	12
Nicholas Thomas	8	Malachi Clarke	12
Oscar Thomas	8	Melani Paucar Siguencia	12
Salematou Barry	8	Pierrelyn Cineus	12
Sariah Wilson	8	Roland Duroseau	12
Shamel Collins	8	Ryan Saunders	12
Shaniya Noble	8	Sakura White	12
Tonya Richardson	8	Taliyah Joseph	12
Tristin Hardaway	8	Ziaire Pettis	12
Zahaviyah Bullock	8

Recap – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!

Middle School Scholar-Athlete of the Month for March: Agneizska Thompson

Team: Track

Current GPA: 3.7

Description: Agneiszka has shown to be a prime example of what it means to be a student athlete at Unity. Whether she is excelling in her classes or crushing it on the track field, Agneiszka is a role model for many of her peers.

Quote: In learning that she had earned Scholar-Athlete of the Month, Agneizska offered the following response: “I am really happy and proud of myself. I can’t wait to tell my mom!”

Unity Middle’s volleyball teams present members of Community Partnership Charter School’s volleyball team with a Unity Pride Sportsmanship Award following their matches. Presenting one member of the opposing team with this award at the end of each game is a ritual of our athletics program. Go Panthers!

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

The Unity Scoop – April 7

Dear Families of Unity,

I want to begin by thanking all community members for contributing to two outstanding events this week with our Dinner Receptions for admitted students for the 2024-25 school year. This includes our school leaders and a number of our staff and faculty. It also includes members of our National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society, as well as middle school and high school step teams! And I want to thank the prospective families who attended. It was an energizing night for our community and we are excited to welcome you into our community in the coming months!

This coming week is a big one for our community. Namely, our middle school students will complete the state English Language Arts (ELA) exam on Thursday (4/11) and Friday (4/12). Our entire community has worked hard over the past year to develop the essential reading and writing skills assessed on this exam. We are excited for our students to show off the growing skills they have developed this year under the direction of our team! In addition, our high school students in grades 10 and 11 will take PSAT and SAT exams on Friday (4/12). Many have worked hard over the past two months preparing for the SAT during after-school prep classes – we are excited for these students to experience the pay-off of their efforts this Friday!

We ask that you support your child at home in preparation for these exams by ensuring that they get a good night’s sleep, enjoy a healthy breakfast, receive an abundance of praise and encouragement leading up to the exams, and, of course, arrive at school on time and in good spirits.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I underline notable events in the coming week. I also highlight recents events, including our college fair at Unity High and our recent Admissions Receptions. Finally, I spotlight our Students with Stellar Attendance for the month of March and well as the recent accomplishments of our student-athletes!

Best wishes to you in the exciting week ahead – enjoy the once-in-a-generation eclipse tomorrow afternoon!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 7, 2024:

4/10 (Wednesday) – no school
4/11 (Thursday) – ELA state exam for students in grades 6-8
4/12 (Friday) – ELA state exam for students in grades 6-8
4/12 (Friday) – SAT / PSAT day for students in grades 10-11

New – Unity High Students Participate in Unity’s Annual College Fair!: Unity High hosted representatives from over 20 colleges last week during its annual college fair. Thank you to our College & Career Readiness team for organizing the experience for our students and their families!

New – Receptions for Unity’s 2024-25 Admitted Families!: The Unity community welcomed all students and their families who were admitted to Unity for the 2024-25 school via our lotteries conducted earlier this week. Thank you to all who participated!

New – NYC Public Schools Solar Eclipse Guidance: As you know, on Monday, April 8th, the New York City area will experience a partial solar eclipse beginning around 2:00pm. A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth. This casts a shadow that may make the sky dark for the eclipse’s duration, as the sun will become approximately 90% covered in NYC during the peak coverage time, around 3:25pm. While this may overlap with school dismissal times, please know that there will be no changes to dismissal, and after-school programming will remain in effect. Please also be prepared for increased traffic throughout the area and consider using public transit instead of driving during this time. Please find solar eclipse safety guidance from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) here.

New – Stellar Attendance in March – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of March. Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day! And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

Grades 6-8		Grades 9-12
Name	Grade	Name	Grade
Adora Adams	6	Adewale Salau	9
Aissata Barry	6	Amelia Jones	9
Aliya Starks	6	Aniah Walters	9
Brihean Edwards	6	Elizabeth Pollard	9
Caela McClean	6	Hadi Akoshile	9
Christian Gallishaw	6	Jaliney Canady	9
Christina Olivier	6	Kamariyah Lambert	9
Digriana Morgan	6	Khaya Khan	9
Gianna Galeazzi	6	Lanae Watson	9
Jaaden Lumpkin	6	Leslie Paredes Tigsi	9
Jaden Phillip	6	Messiah Gumbs	9
Jean Azor	6	Nathaniel Polanco	9
Joselyn Mendez	6	Nehemiah Williams	9
Kausara Salau	6	Nevaeh Johnson	9
Kendell Houston	6	Quinten DeJesus	9
Maliah Tsoi	6	Talis Bonilla Gomez	9
Miranda Lam	6	Tammy Charlesworth	9
Mitchell Adonis	6	Tanya Nieto	9
Nathaniel Duke	6	Tianna Aaron	9
Noah Thompson	6	Tyler DeJesus	9
Omari Whyte	6	Yusra Shuraih	9
Samariah Legister	6	Adriana Pollard	10
Sanah Lawrence	6	Akeim McKenzie	10
Shyvonne Longmire	6	Austin Cope	10
St. Clair-Makonnen Washington	6	Christopher Fonseca Jr.	10
Taylor Mathias	6	Connor Carter	10
Taylor Smith-Monroe	6	Damani Green	10
Tevin April	6	Daniel Martinez	10
TriniTee Connell	6	Ethan Desravines	10
Tyler Bell-Martin	6	Evan Ramos	10
Yelyzaveta Martynanko	6	Julissa Garban	10
Zion Ojoe	6	Kyi Niles	10
Acai Carrington	7	Lateefah Subair	10
Agneiszka Thompson	7	Madison Jackson	10
Brandon Frankson	7	Malachi Sanchez	10
Brook’lynn Fields	7	Melody McKenzie	10
Bryant Smart Jr	7	Miley Ortiz	10
Chace Haynes	7	Reginald Faulkner	10
Dameon Louis Jr	7	Sanah Thompson	10
Doris Chadan	7	Sean Dankwah	10
Dylan Phillips	7	Taylor Beckles	10
Eshyra Miller	7	Tedane Green	10
Gabriella Brann	7	Ahkeelah Witty	11
Gissela Cando Muntza	7	Aleia Brooks	11
Hawa Diallo	7	Alexis May	11
Ian McDonald	7	Alnia Franklin	11
Isiah Collins	7	Arayah Brannon	11
Jada Vatel	7	Daniella Horsford	11
Josiah Bartholomew	7	Emelys Perez	11
Liliana Diaz-Garcia	7	Essence Martinez	11
Madisyn Seabron	7	Jahtia Napier	11
Malachi Reid	7	Janaya James	11
Malia Cohen	7	Johan Munoz	11
Mariah Edwards	7	Joshua Bastaldo	11
Mkenzie Howard	7	Justice Taylor	11
Morgan Thompson	7	Kayla Richardson	11
Ndiawa Diaw	7	Keyontae Jackson-Abdullah	11
Rovaldo Roopchand	7	Kimberley Valdez	11
Rowlyn Gonzalez	7	Miguel Brito Cruz	11
Sean Farinha	7	Nakayla Barber	11
Sole Farinha	7	Preston Waterberg	11
Tahaley Rodriguez	7	Priscilla Garcia	11
Amir Christie	8	Sanaa Taitt	11
Anaya Wilson	8	Sariyah Gordon	11
Ashton-Michael Hutchinson	8	Shamira Allen	11
Blessing Fox	8	Vida Gonzalez	11
Brooke Thomas	8	Yoshua Foster	11
Corey Wright Jr	8	Aniya Townes	12
Elijah Kirton	8	Antonio Echeverria Espinal	12
Ester Pollard	8	Ashley Estevez	12
Hattie Mitchell	8	Chase Grimes	12
Jason Solomon Jr.	8	Christian Dickerson	12
Jaylene Herrera	8	Fatima Sanogo	12
Jencarlos Hernandez	8	Isaiah Bovell	12
Joshua Corbin	8	Jah’Marley Thomas	12
Kaylani Reynolds	8	Jayden Ross	12
Keyshonte Bornia	8	Jelan Luke	12
Loic Leonard	8	Khamani Davis	12
Mohamed Al-Bakeer	8	Kody Thomas	12
Nahla Stephenson	8	Levi Thomas	12
Nicholas Thomas	8	Malachi Clarke	12
Oscar Thomas	8	Melani Paucar Siguencia	12
Salematou Barry	8	Pierrelyn Cineus	12
Sariah Wilson	8	Roland Duroseau	12
Shamel Collins	8	Ryan Saunders	12
Shaniya Noble	8	Sakura White	12
Tonya Richardson	8	Taliyah Joseph	12
Tristin Hardaway	8	Ziaire Pettis	12
Zahaviyah Bullock	8

New – Unity’s Middle School Spring Art Exhibition, Thursday, April 18th, 5 & 6pm!: Under the guidance of their Art & Design Teacher, Mr. Berkeley, Unity’s middle school art students will proudly exhibit their latest artwork on Thursday, April 18th. All art students are required to participate, and we welcome all of our students and families to attend and celebrate our young artists and their latest creations! See the flier below for details and note the address – we are excited for our students to show off their latest works in a real exhibition space within the local community!

New – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season. Here are a few!

Middle School Scholar-Athlete of the Month for March: Agneizska Thompson

Team: Track

Current GPA: 3.7

Quote: In learning that she had earned Scholar-Athlete of the Month, Agneizska offered the following response: “I am really happy and proud of myself. I can’t wait to tell my mom!”

New – Community Event – BSECDC Community Birthday Party, Saturday, April 20th, 12pm!: The Bedford Stuyvesant Early Childhood Development Center (BSECDC) is pleased to extend an invitation to families in the community for the upcoming BSECDC Community Birthday Party. The celebration will take place on Saturday, April 20th from 12-2pm at 5 Quincy Street, Brooklyn NY 11238, and is open to all local families with children ages 2 to 4 who are celebrating a birthday this quarter. Activities will include family games, story time with BSECDC teaching team, music and dancing by BaBas’ Kitchen. RSVP by scanning the QR code on the flier and hurry, we can only accommodate thirty families to join the festivities.

Recap – Unity Families and Students Take Part in Sip & Paint Event: Students and their families had an opportunity to come together, appreciate one another, and “zen-out” as they created masterpieces on rainy Saturday afternoon last weekend. Thank you to all Unity families and students who came out for the event. And thank you to Ms. Griffin for organizing and hosting the event!

Recap – Unity Family Ambassador Spotlight of the Month!: We are thrilled to resume an exciting feature to the Unity Scoop, a monthly profile of our amazing Unity Family Ambassadors. The Unity Family Ambassadors are a group of caregivers who meet monthly and serve as thought partners for many of our school’s initiatives. If you are interested in learning more about or joining the Unity Family Ambassadors, please reach out to Mr. Beckford.

Machelle Smith, Proud Mother of Unity 6th Grader, Taylor Smith-Monroe

Profession: Client Relations Director

Favorite Restaurant in Brooklyn: Grand & Peaches

Favorite Self-care Activity: massage, meditation, spa time

Why did you choose to send your child to Unity? I chose Unity Preparatory due to a great community to enrich Taylor in her academic needs, community participation and athletics performance.

What is your favorite aspect of Unity? The leadership at Unity is phenomenal, and they always place the best interest of the children first.

What is the best advice you can provide for current and future Unity family members? Your support to your scholar and the school during this transition into middle school is so vital. Get involved and be a part of their school community, you will not regret it!

Shout out to Ms. Shebroe for spearheading and facilitating last week’s Pi Day event. Families and scholars had a great time playing math games and building community.

Recap – Unity Calendar for the 2023-24 School Year: The table below reflects our key events and vacations calendar for the 2023-24 school year. In addition, here is the updated PDF version of the table for your convenience.

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required. Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library. Visit here for more information.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis! Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children. Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
- Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
- How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
- How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
- How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th. The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar. Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
- Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
- Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
- Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health