The Unity Scoop at 584! Week of January 7th

Happy New Year, families of Unity High!

I hope that the holiday break was “as good as it gets” for you and yours and that 2019 is off to a magnificent start!

I want to begin this morning’s Scoop by thanking wholeheartedly all of our families for supporting your kids with the additional academic practice assigned to them over the holiday break. By having students engage in some additional practice while on break, our aim is to have students’ minds and skills be as sharp as can be as they enter the New Year. Again, we thank you for supporting our efforts here.

In returning from the break, it is important that we, Unity staff and families, are oriented and on the same page regarding where we are and where we are going.  As of today, we are presently just shy of the midpoint of the school year. We are coming off of family conferences in which we had very productive conversations and are now a few weeks into the second trimester with state exams in the not-so-distant future. On behalf of our staff and faculty, we are excited to roll up our sleeves with you in best supporting your children in experiencing an exceptional education at Unity.

In this week’s edition of the Scoop, I bring to your attention 7 important announcements.

This Week’s Top 7:

1. A Shout-out to our Select 9th Graders who Led the Way in Presenting their CCR Roundtable in December! – Approximately 30 students from Mrs. Easson’s College & Career Readiness class presented their aspirational resumes and reflections on their academic progress in high school thus far.  In preparing for these presentations, students completed research on various colleges, took career inventories, and spent time learning about their future careers.  Please join us in congratulating these students on completing their first high school Roundtable and in putting themselves on track to graduate from Unity with distinction.  See the photo below of current 9th grader, Josh L, Josh’s father, and Ms. Glickman, Josh’s College & Career Advisor following Josh’s impressive presentation.

2. Make-up Conference Appointments – Please Schedule ASAP!– For families who were unable to attend conferences in December, please contact one of the child’s two advisors as soon as possible to schedule a separate appointment to discuss your child’s academic progress over the first trimester of school.  We expect to meet with 100% of our families so that we are best supporting our students in collaboration with families – the stronger the collaboration, the better!  Contact Ms. Rivera of our main office (718-682-3725 or crivera@unityprep.org) if you need contact information for your child’s co-advisors.

3. Seven Unity 11th Graders Earned Full College Credits at CUNY City Tech this Past Semester!– We are excited to report that seven students, who comprise Unity’s first group to participate in our College Now partnership with City Tech, all earned grades of at least a B, while some earned an A in actual college courses they selected and completed this fall semester.  This group, as well as other students who meet the high academic standards required to apply, will have the option of applying to enroll in additional college courses and earn even more credits.  Be proud, Unity!

4. Immediate Change in our Cell Phone Policy – Beginning this week, students will be assigned a Yondr case that they will take home every day. Students will be responsible for bringing the case to school each day. If they do not have their Yondr case, their cell phone will be turned in for the day and be returned during dismissal. Students will be personally responsible for keeping their assigned case in good working condition. If it is discovered that a case is broken, a replacement fee of $25 will be issued to the student’s account.  Contact Ms. Yun (gyun@unityprep.org) if you have any questions.

5. Join our Co-Principals for Tea this Thursday, January 10th– Ms. Fuller and Ms. Yun thank all families who participated in last week’s meeting over tea.  We look forward to continuing in our good work during next month’s meeting on January 10th at 6pm.  For those who have yet to attend a session, we encourage your participation and engagement!

6. Reminder!  Free Study Sessions for AP Students through AP for All– Families of students enrolled in AP courses, please see this list of available study sessions that your student may attend through our partnership with AP for All. Students have the opportunity to work with skilled AP teachers and college professors and to meet other AP students from throughout the city.  These workshops are a great way to give your scholar a leg up on AP exams.  Unity students who attended a recent study session for AP Environmental Science had a blast.  Please encourage your child to sign up, and reach out to Ms. Duphiney (mduphiney@unityprep.org) if you have any further questions!

7. Reporting Back on the 9th Grade’s Community Service Initiative!– On Friday, December 21st, Unity High’s 9th graders participated in community service opportunities to to kick off the holiday break. Students visited multiple locations, like Repair the World, where students will learn how to canvas and spread awareness on important issues impacting communities.  See the photo below of several students who participated in a writing workshop in which students read poetry written by incarcerated teens and provided positive feedback.

Resources for Families:

• HS Activities Calendar (updated weekly)
• 2018-19 HS Academic Calendar (official calendar as established at the beginning of the year)
• Student PRIDE Pledge
• Family PRIDE Pledge
• Jupiter (for your child’s grades) – you can also log in by visiting our website and clicking on the Jupiter Ed icon on the top right corner of our homepage.

Wishing you a terrific second half of the week!

Best,

Joshua M. Beauregard

Head of School & Co-founder

Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn

(718) 682-3725