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.

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!

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 – 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 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!

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.

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:
  • Bronx PDF 
  • Manhattan PDF
  • Queens PDF
  • Brooklyn PDF
  • Staten Island PDF
• 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