Dear Students and Families of Unity,

 

It is hard to believe that we are just a few days away from June.  On behalf of our entire staff, I am excited to fully embrace each day in closing out the school year as strongly as possible.

 

This edition of The Scoop is similar to last week’s edition.  We continue to offer important updates on end-of-year events and summer initiatives.  We also continue to honor Unity students and their recent accomplishments.  Congrats to our students with stellar attendance this week with a special shout-out to any students newly appearing on the list this week.

 

Congrats to the Unity family member who won last week’s trivia contest and a Seamless gift card!  We encourage all family members to take part in this week’s trivia!

 

In unity,

 

Josh Beauregard

Head of School

 

 

Updates as of May 29, 2020:

1. 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 Senior Signing Day has been rescheduled to Friday, June 12th. By rescheduling this special event, we are able to rally our students and staff to come together in an informal, but important way, to connect and rejoice in all that we’ve experienced over the past seven years, as well as look forward to exciting times ahead.  This day is meant to celebrate the next chapter of our 12th grader’s educational journey.  More details will be provided in the upcoming edition of The Scoop, if not sooner.
• 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.  For now, please mark your calendars.  More details will be provided in upcoming editions of The Scoop.

 

2. Update – Middle School End-of-Year Reflections Update: Please see the video clip and slides below with important information about End Of Year Reflections at the middle school! .

Video:  Unity Middle School End Of Year Reflections 2020 Overview

Slides: Unity Middle School End Of Year Reflections 2020

 

3. 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.  Congrats again to our middle school Students of the Month from April!

• Middle School Students of the Month from April!
  • 6th Grade:
    • Katelynn R.
    • Francis A.
  • 7th Grade:
    • Jalicia W.
    • Jade B.
  • 8th Grade:
    • Shaniel C.
    • Elizabeth Y.

 

• High School Student Shout-outs from Teachers for Excellence in Remote Learning!
  • 9th Grade: Lakeshia Johnson – Lakeshia, shout out to you for showing so much kindness, resilience, and respect! You bring a lot of positive energy to class, help your friends, ask to attend tutoring and office hours, and you try to improve your performance during remote learning every day!  Thank you for being a great listener, responding to feedback and working so well with your teachers!

 

• 10th Grade: Samija Thomas – Samija, you are an all-around ALL STAR—staying on top of all work, having no missing work, and meeting all deadlines. You are a standout performer during debates and still manage to rock out on the cheerleading team!

 

• 11th Grade: Jada, Jordie, and Joelle Wardlow – Wardlow Sisters! You deserve to be recognized individually because you have not once taken the easy way out, even though you live together. You are all honest, hard working, curious, and show an extreme amount of hustle. You exhibit powerful reflection and are super hungry for feedback!  All three of you individually advocate for your own success!
  • Jada, you show a ton of bravery and drive to improve your writing throughout this whole year in AP Lit!
  • Jordie, you have outstanding work ethic and hunger for success in math!
  • Joelle, you show a very exciting mastery in math class!

 

• 12th Grade: Jalik Douglas – Jalik, you are our Senior of the week! You have been regularly attending class, turning in high quality work, and engaging in class through zoom chat. You’ve also been taking and implementing feedback from teachers and sharing a positive outlook!

 

4. 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, 139 students had 100% attendance in their classes. Here is the all-star list!

 

Middle School Students:

6th Grade Students	7th Grade Students	8th Grade Students
Abdoalmaliek A.	Aniyah A.	Brandon R.
Allizson Z.	Bryan M.	Chalmers L.
Amir L.	Celine P.	Christian S.
Camerin D.	Connor S.	Danville N E.
Charmaine J.	Corey C.	Dymandjie L.
Christopher M.	Faye N.	Hailey S.
Daniel G.	Francisco M.	Isarina C.
Darius C.	Gabrielle S.	J’shai W.
Elijah M.	Jalicia W.	Jaheem A.
Francis A.	Jasmine J.	Jaleel B.
Ilianna M.	Jayde S.	Jason M.
Jabari B.	Jonah B.	Jayden Carlos F.
Jaelyn W.	Justin J.	Joshua James M.
Jahlil B.	Najir M.	Kaylah D.
James M.	Nakayla B.	Kayon Shawn C.
Jazel J.	Natalie D.	Krystian M.
Jeshaun E.	Nathan R.	Malachi Chris C.
Jonathan C.	Priscilla G.	Matthias G.
Julissa G.	Shaila G.	Nakaylah S R R.
Justin L.	Shyanne T.	Nicholas D E.
Katelynn R.	Sokona G.	Sakura W.
Keianna M.	Tiffanny P.	Shaniel C.
Michayla P.	Zuri T.	Skyla P.
Naishae W.		Tianna H.
Raven B.		Ziaire P.
Reginald F.
Rhondell H.
Richard B.
Sani D.
Saniyah H.
Savion R.
Sean D.
Seth J.
Stephen P.
Taylor B.
Triniece B.
Zaquon L.

 

High School Students:

9th Grade Students	10th Grade Students	11th Grade Students	12th Grade Students
Aisha J.	Brian F.	Alicia G.	Jian C.
Amber S.	Desiree P.	Alize M.	Jordan G.
Cheyenne A.	Gertorian Y.	Aniyah L.	Rondell B.
Danille H.	Gregory W.	Corey S.	Sierra C.
De’ana A.	Jaden J.	Fernando S.	Terry R.
Giovanni B.	Jennifer S.	Jada W.	Tyrese M.
Giuliano S.	Jessie V.	Jemuel B.	Zaniah J.
Jayden B.	Jordan F.	Joelle W.
Jessica C.	Katana K.	Jordie W.
Joshua W.	Kaylan M.	Justin S.
Joziyah J.	Kelisha K.	Maimouna D.
Ke’miya W.	Tayshawn C.	Micah W.
Lamorie-Jay G.	Zariya M.	Moshawn B.
Maya M.		Roshawana S.
Mekhi H.		Ruguiatru B.
Miguel C.
Nylah W.
Sean H.
Simon G.

 

5. Congrats to our Student-Athletes in Making All-Conference Teams!: We congrat our student-athletes for their accomplishments on the basketball court this past season! The following students have been recognized by our athlete leagues as all-stars:

Middle School:

• Quadier P.

High School:

• Adewale F.
• Malik D.
• Jaquanden L.

 

6. Through Your Support, the Unity High Queens Steppers Continue to the Next Round!: World of Step has creatively designed a virtual competition that utilizes pre-recorded performance material to allow their hard work to continue to be celebrated in hopes of snatching one last title. Unity’s Queen Steppers have continued on to the next rounds through your support. The team appreciates your support and kindly requests that you continue to show it!   You can cast your vote by visiting the World of Step website: http://www.worldofstep.com.

 

7. Unity’s Weekly Trivia Contest for a Seamless Gift Card: Congratulations to Ms. Charles for winning last week’s trivia contest! Each week, The Scoop will feature Unity Trivia! Answer each question correctly for an opportunity to win a Seamless gift card. The winner will be selected at random and announced in next week’s Scoop. Click here to access this week’s trivia contest (due Monday at 5pm) and reach out to cbeckford@unityprep.org with any questions.  Students and caregivers are both eligible to participate.

 

8. Reminder: Unity’s Summer Academy will be Remote this Summer: Summer Academy for grades 6-12 will be held remotely this summer. We will provide details to all families whose children are required to attend summer school in the coming weeks.

 

9. Reminder: High School Grading Policy Update: Please read the attached memo regarding Remote Grading Policy updates at our high school. For questions and clarifications about the policies or your student’s academic standing, reach out to their academic counselor.

• 9th and 10th Grade Academic Counselor: Louise Eason
• 11th Grade Academic Counselor: Lia Simon
• 12th Grade Academic Counselors: Alia Roth and Mr. Eric Gonzalez

 

10. Reminder – Clarification on Unity’s Grading Policy in Relation to Attendance for Remote Learning: The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) recently released its Grading Policy Guidance for Remote Learning, which included a statement that it would not use attendance to calculate grades. A few students and families have since reached out to inquire how this applies to Unity’s grading and attendance policy during remote learning. In terms of attendance, the expectations for Unity students continues to be the same: student attendance during remote learning is mandatory and essential to successful academic outcomes.  We are committed to providing instruction and academic support during our remote learning period to ensure all Unity students are best positioned to begin next school year ready for the next grade level.  In order to accomplish this, students must engage in online remote learning with teachers every day.  Students who are not able to attend classes may fall behind in coursework and may be required to continue classwork during the summer.  Please reach out to your student’s middle school teacher or high school academic counselor if you have any questions about attendance.

 

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Resources Regarding Unemployment Due to COVID-19: NYC has developed a list of resources for those who may be unemployed due to COVID-19 or are seeking additional assistance. The website will be updated frequently and includes information on employment/unemployment, food assistance, financial assistance, rent arrears, health and medical assistance, and so forth.

 

Free Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner available for Students and Adults: Any New Yorker, child or adult, has access to three free meals a day at more than 400 Meal Hubs across the city (including PS44), between 7:30am – 11:30am for children and families and from 11:30am to 1:30pm for adults. More details, including a search tool, is available by clicking here.

 

Resources for Mental Health and Talking to Young People About COVID-19: The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) has provided this guide for self-care and strategies for talking about COVID-19 honestly and effectively with young people. In addition, here is a link for webinars for “Parenting During COVID-19” through the Weil Cornell Psychiatry Department. 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 (1888-NYC-WELL) or text (text WELL to 65173) or by internet chat via their website: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/.  In addition, a mental health hotline has been established in New York City that will provide FREE emotional support, consultation, and referral to a provider. The hotline number is: 1-844-863-9314.

 

Mental Health Counseling and Social Work Services Available to Unity Students who Receive Counseling: Social workers will continue to hold remote counseling sessions for all students who receive counseling throughout this week.  Please reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio via phone or text (347-688-9107) or email (tdelpurgatorio@unityprep.org) if you have any questions about the continuation of counseling services or if you are concerned about your child’s mental health. Unity social workers can also be of assistance in providing information regarding social services (for example: housing, access to food, access to community mental health services, referrals to mental health providers, crisis intervention, etc.).

 

Helpful Guidance on Obtaining the Perfect Book for Your Child: With the Unity Library closed for the time being, our public libraries in Brooklyn offer a vast majority of their books and resources online.  Additionally, many private companies are stepping up and offering their services for free.  Check out this helpful guide to gain access to ebooks or audiobooks from the Brooklyn Public Library.  In addition, see the list of resources below:

• Do you have dyslexia, blindness, cerebral palsy, or other reading barriers? Access Bookshare’s free online ebooks.
• Are you an English Language Learner (ELL) and interested in practicing your English? Are you looking to learn a new language? Rosetta Stone is being offered free for three months to all students.
• Are you finding it difficult to spend all day looking at a computer screen? Download BeeLine reader for free, which uses color gradients to make reading just a little bit easier.
• Worried that by spending so much time alone your vocabulary is growing more and more limited by the day? com has free daily activities such as puzzles, quizzes, and a word of the day to keep your vocabulary skills sharp.
• Want to practice your reading and thinking skills? Scholastic has a remote learning program where you can play games and participate in activities.
• Try using Newsela, which is an online news-as-literacy platform that features high-interest articles on everything from current events to myths and legends and from literature to science. Follow this link to create an account.
• Audible is offering free audio books for students. Click here to access a huge selection of audiobooks.

 

Supplemental Resources to Continue Your Child’s Learning at Home: Between now and the launch of remoting learning, we encourage you to support your child at home in keeping their academic skills fresh.  The NYCDOE’s Learn at Home site provides learning resources to students to complete while they are receiving instruction.  It is important that students continue to read, write, complete social studies and science activities, and work on math problems.  The materials are organized by grade level and include the following:

• Suggested daily study schedules
• Guides and materials for instructional activities
• Recommended educational television shows
• Links to a variety of books, magazines, and websites on a wide range of topics that appeal to children at all ages

 

Free Internet at Home: A variety of internet providers are offering free internet  access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have an internet subscription. Internet access at home will be critical for students to complete their remote learning assignments To enroll, call

• 1-844-579-3743 for Spectrum
• 1-844-488-8395 for Charter Communications
• 1- 866-200-9522 for Optimum

Note that Installation fees will be waived for new households.