The Unity Scoop – December 15

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope this past week was good to you and your loved ones. I want to begin by congratulating our middle school students and staff on completing their second round of i-Ready assessments this week—we look forward to celebrating students’ growth from the start of the year and the strong effort they have shown over the past three months. I also want to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our high school students and families on their Quarter 1 achievements, which we celebrated together at this week’s Quarter 1 Awards Banquet. It was a truly wonderful affair—see the many photos below!

With just one week until winter break, we look forward to a festive lineup: Winter Spirit Week on both campuses, home and away athletic events, and our ongoing service initiatives, including our coat drive, practical care drive, and food pantry. Our Winter Art Exhibition will take place on Tuesday, December 16th at 5pm in the middle school gym—details are below. On Friday, our middle school community will participate in our annual Love Your Neighbor Day of Service, while our high school closes out the week with our annual Holiday Hoopla Celebration alongside additional service activities.

Friday will be a partial day of school before we head into a much-deserved December break.

A big thank you to all family members who joined this past week’s Family Ambassadors Meeting. For those who were unable to attend, we’ve included the meeting notes and slides below.

Wishing you and your family a warm, joyful, and fulfilling week ahead.

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of December 15, 2025:

1. New – Congrats to Unity’s Students of the Month!

Kudos to our Student s of the Month for November!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship and citizenship!

2. New – Celebrating Our High School Academic Achievers!

Congratulations to our high school students for their outstanding academic performance this past quarter! We proudly recognize all students who earned Honor Roll, High Honor Roll, and Principal’s List distinctions. Your hard work, focus, and commitment to excellence continue to inspire our entire community.

We look forward to celebrating even more students and their achievements at the conclusion of Quarter 2!

3. New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders as of the 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 are our leaders from the month of October, 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.

4. New – Unity Athletics Are in Full Winter Mode!

Our winter season is off and running! This week, we’re celebrating our Middle School Student-Athletes of the Month for their effort, teamwork, and character. We’ve also added new photos and clips from last week’s Barclays Center festivities.

And this weekend, our middle school and high school basketball teams hit the court together for a fun, high-energy joint practice—great vibes all around!

Yasani Williams – Girls Basketball

• Student-Athlete’s response to earning the honor: I feel good! It’s an honor, and it reflects my hard work.”
• Coach’s praise of the student-athlete: “Yasani is truly setting the standard in the classroom. She currently holds an A+ in six of her seven classes and has earned an incredible 17 A+ grades across classwork, homework, participation, and assessments. Her work ethic is outstanding.”

Alpha Jalloh – Table Tennis

• Student-Athlete’s response to earning the honor: “I feel good, and I think I’ve improved a lot in ping pong and other areas as we continue to practice.”
• Coach’s praise of the student-athlete: “Alpha is super committed to the team and helping everyone improve, and he has a 3.5 GPA!”

Ethan Lee-Sutherland – Boys Basketball

• Student-Athlete’s response to earning the honor: “I feel great! It’s an honor and it shows that I am on top of my grades and sports.”
• Coach’s praise of the student-athlete: “Ethan has shown a positive attitude, sportsmanship, hustle, and improvement in skill level through practices for the month of November.”

5. New – Thank you for Taking Part in our Recent Family Ambassadors Meeting!

We’re so grateful to all of the families who joined us for our recent Family Ambassadors Meeting. As always, the gathering was productive, energizing, and filled with great conversation and community spirit!

You can find the meeting agenda and slides linked here. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting on Thursday, January 21st!

6. Updated – December 2025 Schoolwide 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.

7. Recap – Unity’s Middle School Second Annual Fall Art Exhibition, Tuesday, December 16th, 5–6:30pm!

Under the guidance of their Art & Design Teacher, Mr. Moorman, Unity’s middle school art students will proudly exhibit their latest artwork on Tuesday evening, December 16th. All art students are required to participate, and we welcome all of our students and families to attend and celebrate our young artists and their latest creations!

8. Recap – UnityConnect Referral Program is Here!

Help our small and mighty Unity family grow — and earn rewards while you do!  When you refer a new family who applies for the 2026–27 school year, you’ll earn Unity Connector Rewards like Unity swag, gift cards, and special recognition at Unity events.

Your voice matters — share your Unity experience with friends, neighbors, and families from your child’s former school community. Together, we’ll help more students belong, believe, and become!

Learn more about the program with our UnityConnect one-pager here and submit your referrals here.

9. Recap – Unity High Students Visit Lehman College & NYU!

This past week, our high school scholars explored two exciting campuses — Lehman College and New York University. Students toured facilities, learned about academic programs, and got a firsthand look at college life on two campuses. They asked thoughtful questions, engaged with campus staff and student guides, and left feeling inspired about the many pathways available to them. Experiences like these help our scholars envision their futures — and we’re excited for more visits to come!

10. Recap – Your Feedback Empowers Us – Please Take a Moment to Share Your Experiences With Us By Completing our Fall Family Perception Survey!

Our purpose as a school is to best serve you and your child. To do that well, we rely on honest feedback from our families. Please take a few minutes to complete one of the surveys below as we kick off the school year. The survey includes questions about communication, engagement, support, school climate, and safety. Responses are anonymous, and your collective feedback will guide our decisions in the months ahead.

As a small thank-you, the first 300 families to complete the survey by Wednesday, 12/17 at 4pm will be entered into a raffle for a $100 Amazon gift card.

Thank you in advance for your valuable feedback and for helping us continue to improve.

• Complete the survey by clicking here
• Note: in the event that you have children attending both our middle school and high school, please complete the high school survey.
• If you need help finding your survey code, please text 347-746-1575.

11. Recap – Congratulations to our Students with Perfect Attendance in November!

The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance this past month.  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!

12. Recap – Take the December i-Ready Challenge!

All month long, Unity Middle students will be logging minutes on i-Ready Math and ELA to build strong learning habits and keep growing their skills. December’s challenge features fun incentives for top performers — including gift cards and Pride Points!

This month’s challenge continues the momentum from our fall kickoff and encourages students to stay focused as we head into the winter break. Let’s cheer on our scholars as they learn, grow, and finish 2025 strong!

13 Recap – Free Glasses for Students!

Unity Middle students who received vision screenings got their free glasses this week! If your child was part of the program, please check in with them to ensure their new glasses fit comfortably and are being used during learning time.

A huge thank-you to Mr. Ortiz, Mr. Patrick, Mr. George, and Ms. Lawrence for helping launch this initiative at Unity.

If you believe your child may need glasses, please let us know — the eye doctor will return later this year.

14. Recap – Rugby 4 All Visits Unity!

This week, our students had an exciting opportunity to learn a new sport as members of Rugby 4 All led hands-on clinics in every PE class. These coaches introduced the fundamentals of rugby, taught skills through fun activities, and even encouraged our students to consider starting a Unity rugby team in the future.

15. Recap – Unity’s Winter Coat Drive: December 1–18!

We’re collecting new and gently used coats to support students and families in our community as the weather turns colder. If you’re able, please consider donating — every contribution helps keep someone warm this winter. See the flier below for additional details, and thank you in advance for your generosity!

16. Recap – Unity High’ NHS Practical Care Drive!

Unity High’s National Honor Society is leading a Practical Care Drive to support the Bowery Mission. All donated items will be used to assemble practical care kits for neighbors in need. See details below on how you can contribute and make a meaningful impact.

17. Recap – Unity’s In-School Food Pantry Is Here for You!

Our in-school food pantry is open and available to all Unity families—across every grade level. Families are welcome to stop by to pick up groceries, snacks, and essential items—no questions asked.  Together, we’re making sure every member of our Unity community has what they need.

• Location: Unity Middle School, 432 Monroe Street
• Hours: See details below
• Contact: Mr. Beckford with any questions

18. Recap – Unity High Gets Ready for a Festive December!

The holiday spirit is in the air at Unity High! Here’s a sneak peek at some of the exciting festivities and celebrations we have planned for our community this December. Stay tuned for more details in the weeks ahead — it’s going to be a joyful finish to the year!

19. Recap – Unity’s 2025-26 Student & Family Handbook is Available Here!

20. Recap – 2025-26 School Year Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families Calendars for the 2025-26 school year are available below. Note that we have two versions this year – one version for our middle school (grades 6-8) and another version for our high school (grades 9-12).

• Grades 6-8 2025-26 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 2025-26 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

21. Recap – Help Us Welcome New Panthers to Unity Prep!

Unity has a few limited seats available for the 2025–26 school year – and we’re looking to fill them with amazing families like yours!

Finding the right school can be a big decision, and our current families are our best ambassadors. If you know a family who would thrive in our small, caring, college-prep community, please connect them with Mr. Beckford via email or (862) 294-0219.

As a thank-you, both your family and the new family will receive a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies when they enroll. Let’s keep building our small and mighty community—one Panther at a time!

22. Recap – Join our New Unit Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

We recently launched our new grades 6-12 IG account to bring our entire community together – @unityprepcharterschool.  Don’t miss out – follow us now!