The Unity Scoop – December 18

Dear Families of Unity,

Happy Monday afternoon to you!  As we approach the final school week of the 2023 calendar year, I highlight for you in this edition of The Unity Scoop a host of recent events and achievements experienced by our students.  This includes spotlights of our students in action in their classes, a shout-out to our latest Students of the Month, our Unity climbers reaching new heights, and our P.R.I.D.E. leaders from the month of November.  Also highlighted are a number of current and upcoming community events, including our Toy Drive, Spirit Week at our middle school, Thursday’s Family Ambassadors meeting, and Love Your Neighbor community service event!

Warmest wishes to you and your loved ones.

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of December 18, 2023:

1. New – Students and Teachers in Action!: It is always thrilling to celebrate the hard work of our students as they engage in their learning each and every day.  This week, we spotlight our students and team in action across grades 6-12!

Our 8th grade scientists designed and piloted (with success) a solar-powered oven that bakes smores!

One of our Earth Science students tracking and analyzing how shadows change throughout the year.

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

3. New – Congrats to our Recent Panther Spotlight Awardees!: Each month, select Unity High students are recognized by our staff and faculty for their academic  achievement and positive contributions to our community.  Congratulations to our most recent recipients below who have been spotlighted!

●    Aazoria Smalls (9)
●    Abigail Germain (9)
●    Aleia Brooks (11)
●    Aniya Townes (12)
●    Arayah Brannon (11)
●    Brianna Flores (12)
●    Coleeto Bennett (11)
●    Daniella Horsford (11)
●    Diabe Traore (12)
●    Franklin Yaguachi (12)
●    Isis Gumbs (10)
●    Jahqui Thomas (12)
●    Jaylen Prendergast (12)
●    Jonathan Vega (12)
●    Joshua McMillian (12)
●    Kayon Clark (12)
●    Keillyan Garcia (9)
●    Kody Thomas (12)
●    Lakai Bush (12)
●    London Johnson-Barrett (9)
●    Messiah Gumbs (9)
●    Michael Cox (10)
●    Michelle Paulino-Siri (12)
●    Nasaiah Joseph (12)
●    Nylah More (9)
●    Ruth Manswell (12)
●    Sakura White (12)
●    Sanaa Vasquez (9)
●    Sariyah Gordon (11)
●    Shirley Longmire (9)
●    Yusra Shuraih (9)
4. New – Unity High’s Climbing Team Continues to Reach New Heights!: Our climbers have been active this fall as an enrichment club at Unity High.  Several club members have been a part of the club for multiple years now, where both their skills and interest in the activity have grown.  Enjoy the photos below of our climbers in action!

5. New – Unity Middle School Winter Spirit Week is Here!  We are excited to embark on our Winter Spirit Week at our middle school this coming week, December 18-22.  Spirit is about bringing our best selves to school, as well as showing off our collective school spirit.  We have a number of fun initiatives planned for the week, including themed dress days, activities centered on our Core Values, and other extracurricular events that bring out the best of our community – see the abundance of fliers below!

6. New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders 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.

7. Recap – Unity’s Middle School Art Students Shine in our Second Annual Art Exhibition!: Under the guidance of their Art & Design Teacher, Mr. Berkeley, Unity’s young artists proudly exhibited their latest art work this past Thursday evening.  The exhibition was attended by a number of Unity’s faculty, families, and students.  Enjoy the photos of the event below!

8. Recap – Congrats to our Senior Class on a Major Milestone – 100% of Seniors Have Submitted a College Application as of this Week!:  Congratulations to the entire class and their families on achieving this milestone.  And kudos to our high school College & Career Readiness Team and our 12th grade faculty and staff for your continued support and guidance of our seniors!

9. Recap – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience at Unity by Taking Part in our Next Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, December 21st at 6pm (Virtual)!: All Unity families are encouraged to take part.  During the meeting, we will recap the month of December, discuss 8th grade activities, and look ahead to initiatives in the New Year. Please do not hesitate to contact cbeckford@unityprep.org with any questions.  Here is the Zoom link.

10. Recap – December 2023 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.

Note: Middle school athletics events for the month are now included  in the calendar.

11. Recap – Unity Middle School Holds our Annual Toy Drive to Support the Community!: Unity’s middle school is holding a toy drive this holiday season to help bring joy to kids in need.  The drive began this week and continues through December 20th.  All donations can be dropped off in the main office (room 309).  See the fliers below for details!

12. Recap – Stellar Attendance in the Month of November – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance during 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!

11. 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.

12. Recap – New Students for Fall 2023 – Unity middle school has a few seats available for rising sixth graders for the 2023-24 school year. Finding the right middle school can be tough, and our current families (you!) are the best advocates. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both will be given a free uniform shirt.

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