The Unity Scoop – June 11

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that this note finds you safe, healthy, and in a resilient and hopeful state of mind.  While the last few weeks have been exhausting on so many levels, I also hope that you have found inspiration in those around you.  I continue to find inspiration through my connection with colleagues and those around me, who are seizing the moment to create positive and lasting change for our students and children.  Stay stronger than ever, Unity, and continue to show care for yourselves and others.

In solidarity,

Josh Beauregard
Head of School

Updates as of June 11, 2020:

1. Free 6-Week Summer Enrichment Program for Students in Grades 6-9 – Apply Today!: Practice Makes Perfect is offering a six-week virtual summer enrichment program for children who have just completed grades 3 – 8. Over the course of six weeks, children will engage in 18 instructional sessions with a Practice Makes Perfect Fellow and a small group of peers. Children will also be given one additional hour of self-paced work in math and reading to help with content retention.

The program is FREE for students attending NYC Public Schools. To be considered for a spot you must complete and submit this form by June 29th, 2020 (el formulario está en español aquí here). Your child’s enrollment will be confirmed by July 3rd, 2020. Spots are limited!

2. Update – End-of-Year Events to Honor Unity’s First-Ever Graduating Class – The Class of 2020!: We have one update for you this week re: end-of-year activities for our “one and only” senior class:

• Our Virtual Roast and Toast for the Class of 2020 (formerly known as Senior Signing Day) is happening tomorrow afternoon, Friday, June 12th at 2pm. We look forward to having our students and staff come together in an informal but important way to connect and rejoice in all that we’ve experienced over the past seven years, and look forward to exciting times ahead.  This day is meant to celebrate the next chapter of our 12th graders educational journey.  The event is open to families and students of our senior class.  Register here to take part.

• We will have a proper, in-person graduation ceremony when it is safe to do so – this is important to us.  In the interim, we will also hold a virtual graduation ceremony on Friday, June 26th, at 6pm.  Please save the date; all Unity families are invited to attend.  This is a milestone event for our school as we celebrate the accomplishments and future aspirations of our senior class.  Note that while Governor Cuomo recently announced that graduation gatherings of less than 150 are now permitted, this change will not accommodate our needs.  We will stay with our original plan and look forward to a full-blown, in-person graduation without restrictions on how many people can attend when it is safe to do so.

3. Emergency Respite Reimbursement: Funding is available to help families pay for respite services in an emergency situation.  Covered emergencies can include:

• medical hospitalization and recuperation
• attending a funeral
• family member sickness
• assistance with challenging behaviors

For more information including eligibility requirements, please email: cheryl.jones@yai.org.

4. More Celebration of Academic Excellence at Unity!: Our students have been working very hard this year, especially over the past month, during the transition to remote learning.  We are excited to celebrate their achievements in their coursework and learning.  Today, we highlight four new students at our high school who are excelling in their coursework and our middle school Students of the Month for May!

• Middle School Students of the Month from May!
  • 6th Grade:
    • Adriana P.
    • Donovan T.
  • 7th Grade:
    • Tawrey N.
    • Connor S.
  • 8th Grade:
    • Nicholas E.
    • Jayden F.

• High School Student Shout-outs from Teachers for Excellence in Remote Learning!
  • 9th Grade: Danille, you always have perfect attendance, show mastery of content knowledge and you show PRIDE daily, especially professionalism. You’re an overall great role model for all Unity students!
  • 10th Grade: Zariya, you have really stepped up your game in recent months, so much so that you’ve now assumed a student leadership role (at least in ELA!) helping other students get on track and finish their work, too!  You are on time to zoom classes, submit high quality work, participate frequently, and pretty much always know the right answer!  You’re a great example of a strong young woman taking charge of your own life and leading the way for others!
  • 11th Grade: Jaemiah, you consistently push yourself to go above and beyond in and out of class! You are mature, self-aware, and exceptionally good at identifying problems and working towards solutions.
  • 12th Grade: Aniya, you are our Senior of the Week! Thank you for being brave enough to speak your truth among adults in our Unity community, public forum. We will always remember the words and truth that came from you.

5. Celebrating Stellar Student Attendance!: In addition to academic excellence, it is also worth highlighting the dedication of so many of our students to their studies through their excellent attendance in our remote classrooms.  This past week, 163 students had 100% attendance in their classes.  Here is the all-star list with the 7th grade leading the way – go 7th grade!  And congratulations to our Seniors who completed their high school coursework last week!

Middle School Students:

High School Students:

6. Senior Spotlight of the Week Franklin F. is heading to Buffalo State next year where he will be studying criminal justice. He intends to become a chief officer and fight for justice in his community. He is going to miss the staff and the students at Unity and his advice to other students is to keep working hard! Don’t catch senioritis and keep your eyes on your goals! We are so happy for you, Franklin, as you chase your dreams. Congratulations on joining the Buff State family!

7. Reminder: Sexual Education Resources for Middle School Families:  Due to concerns about not being able to create a safe and supportive space for students while teaching remotely, we decided to hold off from teaching our sexual education unit in science classes this spring.  We plan to adjust our curriculum next year so that students cover developmentally appropriate and relevant topics, including what they would have studied during this school year.  In the meantime, we are providing these resources to families to facilitate discussions around relevant topics, including an Overview of Puberty, Menstruation, Puberty for Boys, Pregnancy and Reproduction, What is Consent?, Forms of Contraception, Being Safe Online, Sexual Orientations Explained, Gender Identity and Transgender, and additional resources.  Each topic has a short video clip and discussion questions for caretakers and students.  If you have any questions or concerns, our Science Department Chair, Ms. Diaz, and our Founding Physical Education & Health Teacher, Mr. Coleman, are available as resources.

Video: Sexual Health Overview of Resources

Slides: