The Unity Scoop – October 29

Dear Families of Unity,

Greetings to you and your loved ones.  I hope that the week has been good to you.

Please be sure to provide a hearty congratulations to your kids for completing their first round of interim assessments (IAs) this week.

As mentioned last week, IAs provide an opportunity for students to show off all that they have learned thus far in their classes this year.  They also provide important information to our educators on which standards students have mastered, and promote future lesson plan creation to address any learning gaps in knowledge.  We look forward to reviewing and acting on IA results this week.  At Unity Middle School, students will still complete their English Language Arts Assessments this coming Wednesday.

As expressed this past week, we are grateful to you for your continued collaboration in supporting your child at home with their studies at home. Note that the actions below are helpful on any given day or week, not just during IAs:

• Ensure that your child eats a healthy breakfast and arrives to school on time with their full set of school supplies and materials
• Ask your child about how things are going in their classes and provide encouragement such that they are supported and confident.
• Help your child prepare for school by ensuring that they have a quiet, designated space and time to study each night.  Of course, feel free to pull up a chair and help them study!  Studying together can be a fun experience for all.
• Be proactive in your communication with your child’s teachers about any questions or concerns.

In this edition of the Scoop, we share our November calendar, highlight recent events among our student-athletes, pay tribute to recent school festivities, and offer a host of other exciting updates.

Enjoy the weekend and best wishes in the coming week!

In unity,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of October 29, 2022:

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

• One important note for middle school families: Picture Day will be rescheduled to a later date.  School pictures will not take place on November 2nd.  Apologies for the change – contact help.ms@unityprep.org with questions.

2. New – Athletic Spotlight: Unity Panthers in Full Action!: Unity’s soccer team recently attended a New York Red Bulls game at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.  During the game, the team received an official welcome on the stadium jumbotron!  We thank the friends of our athletic program for making this possible.  In addition, all of our teams were in action this week, including our middle school flag football team featured in the photo below.  Shout-out to our athletic teams – continue to make us proud!  Finally, our middle school volleyball teams recently visited Hofstra University to watch Hofstra’s Women’s Volleyball practice.  They also had the opportunity to meet the University team!

3. Updated – A Recap of Unity’s Virtual High School Info Session: On behalf of Unity, Mr. Beckford would like to thank all of the caregivers who were able to join us for last Thursday’s information session.  It was great to see so many caregivers engaging in their 8th grader’s high school admissions process.  In case you missed the event or wish to review the information shared, here is the session on video.  In addition, Mr. Beckford is offering weekly High School Admissions Office Hours for all 8th grade families on Wednesdays from 1-4pm.  Office hours will be offered through December 1st.  Family consultation sessions may also be scheduled at other times during the week by appointment.  Appointments can be made here.

4. Updated – Halloween Events at Unity!: There are a number of festive events taking place over the coming weeks at Unity.  Events include this past Wednesday’s Hallowsfest and this coming Monday’s Character Day at our middle school.  They also include last night’s “Yoon-uh-tee” Haunted House extravaganza at Unity High.   Enjoy the photos from Hallowsfest below as well as the flier for Character Day at Unity Middle!

5. New – Unity’s Queen Steppers and New Formed Rising Royal Steppers Join Forces!: This year, we are excited to introduce the middle school step team, the Rising Royal Steppers, alongside our nationally ranked high school team, the Unity Queen Steppers. Both teams have begun preparations for their upcoming competition season, which opens in January.  Members of both teams have dedicated themselves to team practices 2-3 days weekly, prioritizing their studies and maintaining high grades, and participating in service projects throughout the year that benefit our local community.

Please support both teams by purchasing a T-shirt for $20 by contacting Coach Alley (Unity Queen Steppers – aolivier@unityprep.org ) and/or Coach H. (Rising Royal Steppers – kherrand@unityprep.org) via email.  All proceeds will go towards paying for registration fees, uniforms and costumes, and transportation.

6. Recap – Unity High Upcoming College Visits!: Unity High students in grades 9-12 will have an opportunity later this month to visit and gain college exposure on a number of campuses.  See the colleges and dates in the flier below.  We are seeking family chaperones.  If you are able to serve as a chaperone, please reach out to Ms. Young.

7. Recap – Kudos to our Core Value Champions as mid-October!: 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 are leaders in their given grade level 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.

8. Recap – Unity High’s Debate Team on the Rise!: Unity High’s debate team enjoyed a strong week with Wisdom Ford, LJ Graham and Niko Bennett having wins at the Brooklyn Debate League Scrimmage.  Aniya Hayes and Miguel Castillo won half qualifications to the New York State tournament in April at Hofstra University (current home to Unity Alum, Sincere Baptiste).  They are hoping to join Jade Springfield who won their second half qualification.  In just her first year of debate, Jade has already booked a spot at the state tournament and has also been promoted from intermediate to varsity Lincoln Douglas debate!  You can even catch a glimpse of Jade here in this clip about the BDL and Coaches Conyers and DiCo on the Kelly Clarkson Show!

The team debated at the Berkeley Carroll School this past Friday in its first live, off-campus debate.  Thanks to Unity educators, Ms. Cirelli, Mr. Silber, and Ms. Lokey, for judging and to other Unity community members for training to judge in the future.

9. Recap – Congrats to our Middle School’s Students of the Month in September!:  Kudos to our Students of Month for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship, and growth – we are proud of you!

6th Grade:

• Scholarship – Malachi Reid
• Citizenship – Jordan Jones

7th Grade:

• Scholarship – Zea Charles
• Citizenship – Tenajah Rodgers
• Most Improved – Lounha Edouard

8th Grade:

• Scholarship – Jeremy Brown
• Citizenship – Jayla’rae Morales

10. Recap – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in our First Family Ambassadors Meeting of the Year!: We are grateful to our families who participated in our Family Ambassadors meeting on Zoom earlier this month.  The meeting was productive, energizing, and, of course, fun!  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, November 11th, at 6pm – all families are encouraged to attend.

11. Recap – Unity High Indulges Actively in Latinx Heritage in Honor of Latinx Heritage Month!: Students and staff took part in a culminating celebration of Latinx Heritage last Friday afternoon in our gymnasium.  The celebration featured learning and engaging in dance, cooking, art, travel, and trivia, as well as showing pride in Latinx heritage!  Enjoy the photos below!

​​​​​​​12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.