The Unity Scoop – April 5

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our entire school community for our collective good work over the past six weeks.  It has been a productive and demanding stretch and it is now time to make the most of a well-deserved break!

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I share some updates to the April calendar.  I also spotlight our Core Value Champions and Students with Stellar Attendance from the month of March.

The next edition of The Scoop will be disseminated on April 21st.

We look forward to reuniting with students on Monday, April 17th.  Enjoy the spring break!

Best regards,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 5, 2023:

1. New – April 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide 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.  Upcoming key events include:

• 4/6-1/14: Spring break
• 4/17: First day back from break
• 4/20-4/21: Grades 6-8 state ELA exams (note: students will be dismissed from school at 12pm on both days)
• 4/19-4/20: Grades 9-12 family conferences (see details below)
• 4/21: Asynchronous learning day for students in grades 9-12

2. Recap – High School Semester 2 Conferences – Grades 9-12, April 19-20th: We have our second round of family conferences coming up on:

• Wednesday, 4/19 (in-person or virtual evening hours, 5pm-8pm)
• Thursday, 4/20 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm)

School staff and advisors have made several rounds of outreach to families to schedule appointments, but we are still waiting on some responses and reservations. Our goal is that 100% of our students have at least one adult family representative attending conferences.

You can use this link to RSVP: https://forms.gle/N8zAsGv5HFauDpVs8

If you have any questions or need additional support, call Unity’s main office at 718-682-3725.

3. New – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of 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 for 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.

4. Recap – State Assemblymember Cunningham Joins Assemblymember Zinerman in Offering Formal Support to Unity and Our Expansion!: Assemblymember, Brian Cunningham, recently provided his formal support for our school and its expansion to serve students in the elementary grades (see his letter of support here).  Approximately 200 members of our school community, including families, alumni, and staff, reside in the Assemblymember’s district and are represented by him in Albany.  We thank Assemblymember Cunningham for his support and look forward to collaborating with his office on initiatives that benefit and empower our students, families, and local community!  Visit the Assemblymember’s website here to learn more about his background and priority initiatives.  He joins Assemblymember Zinerman who also recently provided her formal support for our school and expansion (see her letter of support here).

5. New – Stellar Attendance in February – 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 February.  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!

6. Recap – Unity High’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team are Conference Champions!: Congratulations to our Varsity Girls Basketball Team on winning the New York Scholastic Athletic Association (NYSAA) championship this week!  Congrats to Coach Harvey and all team members – go Panthers!

7. Recap – Citywide Step Competition Hosted by Unity’s Step Teams Featured in Local News!: Unity’s step teams, the Queen Steppers and Rising Royal Steppers organized and hosted a step competition this past weekend that included 20 teams from across the city.  The event was a major success and featured in the local news.  Click on the photo below to view the News 12 clip!  Thank you to all community members who came out to support!

8. Recap -Students May Now Apply to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYED): The SYEP application is now live, and applications are due by March 31st. SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

9. Recap – 2022-23 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations: The table below reflects our key events and vacations calendar for the 2022-23 school year, including key events we ask for your collaboration with caregiver involvement.  In addition, here is the updated PDF version of the table for your convenience. We look forward to meeting our newest families and reconnecting with our returning families at Family Kick-off-the-Year Festival & Family Orientation on August 31st!

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Our Community Pledge as a school outlines the actions our staff, families, and students are committed to taking.  By following through on our commitments, we will undoubtedly have an enormously successful school year!

Information and Guidance on Unity’s Dress Codes for the 2022-23 School Year: Unity’s dress codes by grade level are provided below.

• Grades 6-8: Here is a link to all things dress code for all middle school students.
• Grades 9-12: Unity High’s dress code is outlined below:
  1. Tops:
     1. It is strongly encouraged that an official Unity top is worn in the spirit of school pride and in being united in our collective focus on learning. “Official” is defined as a top (T-Shirt or Polos) purchased from an approved vendor.
     2. In cases where students do not take our recommendation, students can wear tops of their choice so long as the top covers their entire torso and shoulders.
     3. Tops must not bear any offensive and/or inappropriate language and/or images and may not be crop tops, tube tops, halter tops or tank tops.
  2. Bottoms:
     1. Student bottoms must be long enough that the hem hits the top of the knee, shin, or ankle.
     2. Bottoms must properly fit and be worn at the waist.  A belt must be worn if bottoms are unable to fit at the waist without sagging.
     3. Bottoms may have rips or tears.
     4. Bottoms may not be leggings, tights, catsuits/bodysuits, basketball shorts or display undergarments.
  3. Shoes:
     1. All shoes must have backs, be closed-toed, and low heeled.
     2. Sandals, flip-flops, and athletic slides ARE NOT permitted (worn with or without socks).
     3. Crocs ARE permitted so long as the backstrap is raised behind the ankle at all times.
     4. For reasons related to safety, the policy for shoes will apply for all dress down days and spirit days.

School Supply Guidance: Having all of our students equipped with the supplies they need is essential to getting off to a strong start to the school year.  We offer guidance below on school supplies by grade level:

• Grades 6-8
• Grades 9-12

COVID-19 Vaccines: Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines: the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines. The vaccine can prevent COVID-19 symptoms and severe COVID-19 illness. People 5 and older are eligible for the vaccine. Those who are fully vaccinated can more safely gather with friends and enjoy other benefits of vaccination. Many vaccination sites in the city no longer require appointments.

• See a list of sites where you can get a walk-up vaccination today. To find a vaccination site near you, including those that take appointments, use the City’s Vaccine Finder.
• Note, people who are 12 to 17 years old can only receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Mental Health Counseling and Social Work Services at Unity: If you would like to speak to a social worker about your child’s mental health or if you would like your child to receive support from a social worker in school, please reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio via phone or text (347-688-9107) or email (tdelpurgatorio@unityprep.org).

Unity social workers can also be of assistance in providing information regarding social services (for example: housing, immigration, access to community mental health services & referrals to mental health providers, food security / access to food, public assistance, crisis intervention, etc.).

If your child or family member is experiencing a mental health crisis, NYC Well is available 24 hours a day and can be accessed by phone (1-888-NYC-WELL) or text (text WELL to 65173) or by internet chat via their website: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/.

Discounts on Home Internet Services Available: If your household is struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a monthly service discount through the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Please visit this information page or call 833-511-0311 for more information