The Unity Scoop – December 16

Dear Families of Unity,

It’s been an especially festive and exciting week at Unity!  Thank you to all families who came out this week to support the events.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we recap the abundance of recent experiences that students engaged in over the past week, including our theatre showcase and athletics awards ceremony  In addition, we congratulate students for their recent achievements, including our debaters, our athletes, our Core Value leaders, and our students with stellar attendance from November.  Finally, we offer important information on upcoming events in the coming week.  Stay tuned for more community highlights in next week’s Scoop!

Have a terrific weekend!

Warmest wishes,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of December 16, 2022:

1. New – Unity’s Theatre Students Showcase their Talents!: The auditorium at Unity Middle was standing room only as students, staff, and families took in an impressive production of theatre performances on Wednesday afternoon.  Congratulations to Ms. Stevenson and all of our students who performed and helped to make the production possible, including the emcees for the event and the hard working stage crew!

2. Updated – December 2022 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of December – 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.  Three notes of importance this week:

• 12/17: MS & HS Winter Danceland Recital, 432 Monroe Street
• 12/19-12/22: Unity Spirit Week at Unity MS
• 12/21: Star Assessments in Reading and Math, Grades 6-8
• 12/22: Unity MS and HS Students & Staff Engage in Community Service

3. New – Congrats to our Middle School’s Students of the Month!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from November for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship, and growth – we are proud of you!

• 6th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Sincere Grant
  • Citizenship: Komar Perry
• 7th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Jamari Ports
  • Citizenship: Anakin Dawkiins
  • Most Improved: NaKeira Banks
• 8th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Jeremy Brown
  • Citizenship: Jayla’rae Morales

4. New – Unity’s Alumni Success Coordinator Visits Unity Alumni in College!: Unity’s Alumni Success Coordinator, Ms. Hack, hit the road to visit a number of Unity Alumni on their respective college campuses to offer encouragement and support.  Ms. Hack and our entire community are proud of Jaylen Kelly and Gregory Ward-Plante at Quinnipiac University and Unity Class of 2021 Valedictorian, Kayla Tipton at Trinity College.

5. New – Unity’s High School Debate Team Continues to Make Waves!: Unity High debater, Jade Springfield, had an impressive showing in last weekend’s competition at the Brooklyn Queen’s Forensic League.  She won first place in the varsity division, despite being a novice and competing against other veteran debaters from long running programs.  Enjoy the photos below of the team, including Coach Tartan and Coach Cirelli, enjoying some downtime after an intense and successful series of debates!

6. New – Unity’s Athletic Department Celebrates our Fall Season and Student-Athletes!: Awards ceremonies were held last week to honor fall sports teams and student-athletes.  Congratulations to all of our teams, our coaches, and our athletes.  Go Panthers!

7. New – Unity Students Step Up to Meet Jumping Jack Challenge!: Unity’s Physical Education Department organized a fitness challenge this week in which students were given the opportunity to show-off their physical health and stamina by collectively completing 100,000 jumping jacks as a community.  In Mr. Coleman’s words, “the community that exercises together stays healthy together!”  Congrats to our students who achieved this impressive feat!

8. New – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of November!: 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 November 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.

9. New – Stellar Attendance in November – 95% Above!: This lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of November.  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!

10. New – Round 2 of STAR Assessments in Reading and Math Being Administered this Week in Grades 6-8: Unity middle school students are taking their second round of STAR assessments in both reading and math this week.  These short, computer adaptive tests allow us to measure student progress and growth in reading and math skills over the course of the school year.  We are excited to acknowledge students and the growth they have experienced over the past several months!

11. New – Unity’s Full School Dance Recital is Tomorrow!: Please support the middle and high school scholars by attending the Winter Danceland Recital on Saturday, December 17th, at 12:00pm, in our middle school auditorium (432 Monroe Street). Doors open at 11:45 am for light refreshments and mingling. Tickets can be purchased in the main office, at the door, or online: Eventbrite link (also see the QR code below).  All proceeds fund the MS & HS Dance Teams.

12. Updated – Unity Students Continue in their Tour of Historical and Civic Institutions Across the City!: While our 9th and 12th graders learned about history and civics at the New York Historical Society, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and American Museum of Natural History today, our 6th and 7th graders visited the National Museum of American Indian.  Enjoy photos of the trips below!

13. Updated – Unity Drives to Support the Community!: Unity is holding a number of drives this holiday season to support our local communities.  The middle school is hosting a general goods drive while the high school is focusing their drive on children’s toys.  See the fliers below for details!

14. Updated – Unity’s First Ever Core Value Auction, Wednesday, December 21st!: Unity’s middle school will hold its inaugural Core Value Auction during Community Meetings on 12/21.  During the auction, students will be able to exchange Core Value Points that they have proudly earned thus far this year for a number of amazing items, including gift cards, food, toys, games, electronics and more!  Scholars – show off Unity’s Core Values and be ready to bid on Wednesday!

15. Updated – An Opportunity for Unity to Contribute to our Community this Holiday Season: In the spirit of giving during this holiday season, Unity is engaging in our third annual #UnityGives initiative to raise $2023 for a fellow non-profit in Bed Stuy, The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH).  The initiative will run from December 4th through December 22nd.  All proceeds will go directly to supporting TCAH as it continues its efforts to increase access to nutritious food, social services, and a wide range of programming to underserved and disenfranchised members of our community.  What’s more, for every dollar donated from a member of our community, that dollar will be matched by an anonymous donor until our goal is reached.  In effect, when you donate a dollar, your donation will have twice the impact, as TCAH will receive two dollars!  If you donate $20, TCAH will receive $40, and so it goes.  If you are in a position to do so, consider making a donation to this important cause today.  Simply click here to make your donation!

16. Recap – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in our Third Family Ambassadors Meeting of the Year!: We are grateful to our families who participated in the Family Ambassadors meeting on Zoom this week.  In case you missed it, here are the slides from the meeting.  Contact Mr. Beckford (grades 6-8) or Ms. Young (grades 9-12) with questions.  Unity’s Family Ambassadors will meet again on Thursday, January 12th, at 6pm – all families are encouraged to attend.

One of the many exciting initiatives coming out of our recent meetings is the exclusive Unity Strength in Family hooded sweatshirts, which are available for sale to all families this month.  Note that these sweatshirts were designed specifically with the family members of our students in mind.  We look forward to having family members proudly sport this exclusive Unity gear in the New Year!  Contact Mr. Beckford (grades 6-8) or Ms. Young (grades 9-12) with questions.

17. Recap – Attention Middle School Families Who Are Interested in After-school Programming!: The partnership with our middle school and St. Nick’s Alliance continues this year.  St. Nick’s offers a rich array of afterschool programming in academic enrichment, leadership development, and extracurricular activities for our middle school students.  Programming kicks off on Monday, September 19th.  Contact Luis Rodriguez with questions by email at lrodriguez@stnickallliance.org or by phone at 646-676-1309.

18. Recap – Unity’s Health Policies and Protocols in 2022-23: Unity will follow guidance provided by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) as of the start of the 2022-23 school year.  The NYCDOE’s guidance aligns with the CDC’s current guidance, which we have consistently followed over the past 2.5 years.  By adhering to the NYCDOE’s guidance, we believe that we are taking the proper approach to best ensure the health and safety of our community.  Details on our policies are provided on the NYCDOE website.

Per the recommendation of the NYCDOE and CDC, we strongly encourage all of our families to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.  Vaccinations are now available at select school sites across the city.  Visit www.schools.nyc.gov for information on sites and available dates.

19. Recap – Important Information Regarding Vaccinations Requested: As we continue monitoring current health safety protocols, one significant factor in our planning is the extent to which our students are vaccinated.  If you are a new Unity family, or have not yet provided your child’s vaccination status, please complete the COVID Vaccination Form at your earliest convenience.  Note that we strongly encourage all of our families to take steps in getting their children vaccinated to best ensure that we are providing the highest level of safety for our community.

20. 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.