The Unity Scoop – June 5

Dear Families of Unity,

It is hard to believe that we are now in the final month of the school year.  June promises to be a busy and festive month as we close out the year as strongly as possible while celebrating our students’ growth and their accomplishments, including Regents exams, Roundtable presentations, and graduation ceremonies.

One important note for families: unlike DOE schools, Unity is in session all five days this week.  We look forward to engaging in a full week of learning!

This edition of The Unity Scoop features: updates on our 2022-23 school calendar and on our mask requirement, some guidance from our alumni for our current students, our high school GSA leading the way during Pride Month, photos from our senior prom, and details on a number of exciting opportunities and resources for students and families this spring and summer.

In unity,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of June 5, 2022:

1. Updated – June 2022 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of June – 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.  Notable upcoming events include:

• 6/6: State science written exam for 8th grade students
• 6/7 & 6/9: Unity in session; DOE schools closed
• 6/9: Roundtable project deadlines for students in grades 6-8
• 6/10: 8th grade prom and last day Trimester 3 for grades 6-8

2. New – 2022-23 School Calendar Update: We will be disseminating our calendar for the 2022-23 in the next week’s edition of the Scoop.  One date to note is our first day of school for the coming year, which will be Wednesday, September 7th.  We look forward to sharing the calendar with you next week!

3. New – Safety Update: Mask Requirement Extended through the End of the School Year: As you know, we moved to reinstate our requirement that all staff, students, and visitors wear a mask when in our building and classrooms due to an increase in case throughout the city and at Unity over the last month.  We have since closely followed city-wide trends and the guidance put forth by city officials.  Currently, the Covid-19 Alert Level for New York City is at a high alert level; the NYC Health Commissioner advisies all New Yorkers to wear a mask in any public indoor setting.  Based on this guidance, we will continue to require mask wearing when in our building and classrooms through the end of the school year.

4. New – Unity Alum Visits Mr. Coleman’s Physical Education (PE) Classes!: William Miller, graduate of Unity’s middle school, visited Mr. Coleman’s PE class to discuss experiences as student-athlete in high school, including academic experiences as well as his experiences with health and fitness.  William will be attending Post University this fall on a football scholarship.

5. Updated – Updates from Mr. Gonzalez and Unity High’s College & Career Readiness Team: This time of year is typically marked by excitement – college admissions and career-training programs usually notify students in the spring and families then get to make some big decisions.  Each week for the past few months, our students have received wonderful news about their college and career aspirations – they have been admitted to incredible schools and programs.  Please join us in celebrating the impressive resilience and strength of our young people.  It is truly inspirational.  Here are few other updates from Mr. Gonzalez:

• College Application and Admissions Updates: As of June, members of our senior class have been admitted to the following colleges and universities with scholarships totalling over $400,000: Adelphi University, Clark University, CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY Bronx Community College, CUNY Brooklyn College, CUNY City Tech, CUNY College of Staten Island, CUNY Guttman Community College, CUNY Hostos Community College, CUNY Hunter College, CUNY John Jay College, CUNY Kingsborough Community College, CUNY LaGuardia Community College, CUNY Lehman College, CUNY Medgar Evers College, CUNY Queens College, CUNY Queensborough Community College, CUNY York College, George Washington University, Hampton University, Hofstra University, Howard University, Ithaca College, Long Island University, Marist College, Marymount Manhattan College, Penn State University, Quinnipiac University, San Jacinto College, Siena College, Spelman College, St. Francis College, SUNY Albany, SUNY Alfred State College, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Buffalo State College, SUNY Canton, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Cortland, SUNY Delhi, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Morrisville, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Old Westbury, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Purchase, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY University of Albany, Temple University, Vassar College, and Virginia State University.
• Unity High Celebrates College Signing Day in Style: To celebrate our seniors making decisions to continue their formal education and training after high school graduation, Unity took part in College Signing Day, a tradition started by Former First Lady Michelle Obama.  Caregivers, Unity staff, and students attended the ceremony on April 29th at our school.  Check out highlights from the event in this video.
• Co-op Tech Applications: NYC’s premier career-training program, Co-op Tech, has begin accepting applications for students who are interested in entering the building trades (carpenters, plumbers, HVAC, etc.), service industries (automotive repair, culinary arts, and cosmetology), IT (web design, computer networking, and advertising), and health careers (medical health careers, nurse assistants, and vision technology).  In addition to having top-notch programs, Co-op Tech is free!  Students who are interested in applying to Co-op Tech should make an appointment with Mr. Gonzalez immediately using this link.
• Brooklyn District Attorney Summer Internship – Apply Now: A Unity family member recently brought this opportunity to our attention.  The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office offers high school, college, and legal internships throughout the year.  These highly competitive internships offer students a unique opportunity to be part of a district attorney’s office.  An intern’s duties may include assisting in investigations, attending trials, preparing and compiling documents and financial data, conducting and analyzing legal research, and supporting community outreach programs.

6. New – Unity High’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Leads the Way during Pride Month!:  Members of Unity High’s GSA are leading the way as we honor LGBTQ Pride Month as a school.  In the photo, students and Ms. Marron pose in front of a community board they have decorated that offers educational information on the history of pride month as well as GSA-related vocabulary.  Next week, the GSA will participate in the Brooklyn Pride parade on June 11th!

7. New – Unity’s Seniors Celebrate in Style During their Prom!: Our seniors had a great time as they danced the night away during the prom last week.  Thank you to Mr. Lopez for his coordination and thank you to our staff chaperones who, as the photo below shows, took full opportunity to dress up and have fun with our soon-to-be graduates!

8. Updated – Upcoming Events of Interest to Unity Families!:  Brought to you by Mr. Beckford, we are happy to highlight upcoming events across Brooklyn for our families.  Here is one!

1. Hands On With Magical Miniature Horses, June 5-6th (Bell Point Drive Brooklyn, NY, 11234): Visit our peaceful, natural, and unique farm setting! Spend time meeting our menagerie of critters as you make your way through the farm to our baby goats! Put life on pause as you enjoy an hour and a half of tranquility in a secluded area on our farm while cuddling cute baby goats!  Tickets may be purchased here.

9. Updated – Summer Enrichment to Return with New Offerings Starting July 11th!: Last summer, Unity scholars toured NYC, cooked new cuisines, participated in intramural sports, and much more. Summer Enrichment sign up information will be available this coming week. Please reach out to Ms. Olivier if you have any questions: aolivier@unityprep.org.  Enjoy the photo below of members of last summer’s rock climbing club as they take a moment to pose for the camera!

10. Recap – 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.  Three such resources are provided below.  Reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio, Unity’s Director of Social Work, with questions.

• 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

11. Recap – Essay Contest in Celebration of Juneteenth – Open to Students in Grades 6-8!: The Black in Physics organization (https://www.blackinphysics.org) is running an essay contest in celebration of Juneteenth.  The contest is open to students in 6-8th grade with the essay prompt: In 1,000 words or less, write about a notable Black physicist and explain how their contributions have helped to shape how you see yourself represented in STEM. You can find out more details about the contest by visiting their website. https://www.blackinphysics.org/juneteenth-essay-contest/

12. Recap – Helping Your Child to Continue their Learning This Summer: Ms. Eason, Academic Counselor, offers a presentation – Avoiding Summer Slide – that offers valuable links to paid internships, volunteer opportunities and other things your child can do over the summer to promote critical thinking and learning during the months of July and August.  Click on the image below to see her presentation slides.  Feel free to reach out to her with questions: leason@unityprep.org.

13. Recap – Full Calendar for the Remainder of the 2022-23 School Year: Here is a schoolwide calendar for March through June.  As with the March calendar above, print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door!  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  We are now working on our calendar for the 2022-23 school year and plan to share it in late April.

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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.