The Unity Scoop – October 25

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations on rounding out a full week of school! Thank you to all middle school families who participated in this week’s Talks with Principal Terry. Here is the resource she shared with our middle school parents who took part.

This Sunday, Unity’s campuses will join forces to support the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk (see details below). All families are encouraged to take part in this important act of community service!

Next week, our middle school students will celebrate Fall Spirit Week, which includes our annual Hallowfest on Tuesday! See the details on all festivities below. (Note: Spirit Week for high school students will take place during the week of November 10th.)

In this edition of the Scoop, we highlight our students as historians and scientists in action, our student-athletes on the field, and our student-artists drawing inspiration from nature. Finally, we preview a number of exciting upcoming school events and opportunities for you and your family.

Have an excellent weekend—and again, we hope to see you at Sunday’s walk!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder
Updates as of October 25, 2025:

1. New – Highlights of Students and their Teachers in Action this Week!: Enjoy the photos below of our students and teachers in action! This week, our 6th graders stepped into the role of historians as they analyzed primary sources to uncover evidence and draw conclusions about the past. Meanwhile, our high school chemistry students worked as scientists do—conducting experiments in the lab to explore chemical reactions and strengthen their skills through hands-on investigation.

2. New – Unity High Art Students Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden – One of the Premier Botanic Gardens in the World!: Unity High’s art students explored the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this week to draw inspiration from its stunning natural landscapes and refine their sketching skills. Kudos to Ms. Gjakova for making this enriching experience possible!

3. Updated – Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer this Sunday Morning!: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Sunday, October 26th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part!

4. Updated – Thank You for Wearing Pink on Wednesdays for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!: Throughout October, our community came together in support and solidarity by wearing pink each Wednesday. Your participation helped raise awareness and honor those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. We applaud our Unity community for advocating with heart and showing what it means to stand together!

5. New – Middle School Fall Spirit Week is this Coming Week!:  See the fliers below for Unity Middle’s Spirit Week and Annual Hallowsfest Extravaganza during the Week of October 27th!

6. New – Panther Athletics!: This week, we’re excited to share a series of sports highlights as we enter the final stretch of the fall season — including action shots of our HS soccer team and team photos for MS volleyball, MS cross country, and HS soccer!

7. New – Attention Middle School Families!  Picture Day to Take Place on Wednesday, November 5th: We are excited to have our middle school filled with smiles!

8. New – Attention Unity Students in Grades 8-11 – Apply Now for a Paid Internship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is now recruiting students in grades 8–11 for the 2026 Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. GAP is a great way for teens to get paid to learn about urban agriculture, science, and the environment while working in one of the most exciting public gardens in the world!

More information is available online at bbg.org/gap.  Additional details include:

BBG Garden Apprentices:

            •           Earn a monetary award after apprenticeship (Tier 1: $600, Tier 2: $700, Tier 3: $800).

•           Work their way up the program to become paid staff as a Tier 4.

•           Learn about botany and environmentalism through hands-on lessons.

•           Grow and harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the Children’s Garden.

•           Facilitate lessons to teach children about plants.

•           Explore Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s amazing plant collections.

•           Develop job skills, including teamwork, communication, and leadership.

Apprentices make a nine-month commitment to GAP, from March to November, which includes spring training, summer programming, and a weekly commitment after school or on weekends throughout the academic year.

Visit bbg.org/gap for applications, photos, a detailed program calendar, and answers to frequently asked questions. Applications are due December 5th.

9. Recap – Congrats to Unity’s Students of the Month!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from September!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship and citizenship!

10. Recap – Get Ready for Our October i-Ready Challenge!
Unity Middle is kicking off a fun, schoolwide competition from October 22nd–31st to get our students excited about learning and earning rewards! During this two-week challenge, students will log minutes on i-Ready Math and ELA, with prizes for top performers — including a pizza lunch, dress-down passes, and other fun surprises.

This kickoff round is designed to spark excitement, build great learning habits, and set the stage for our monthly i-Ready Challenges beginning in November. Let’s cheer on our students as they learn, grow, and have fun along the way!

11. Recap – We Salute our Middle School Student-Athletes of the Month for September!  Let’s give it up for our Unity Middle School Students of the Month! These Panthers showed outstanding effort, teamwork, and character all month long. You set the bar high—keep shining and leading the way!

12. Recap – Unity Stands Up Against Bullying!: Over the past few weeks, Unity students and staff proudly stood together against bullying—promoting kindness, inclusion, and respect throughout our community. Many showed their solidarity by wearing orange and blue, reminding us all to speak up, reach out, and support one another every day.

This past week, Unity High students also took part in Community Circles to reflect on how we can prevent harmful behaviors and actively promote healthy relationships and a positive school culture for all.

13. Recap – October 2025 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of October – 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.

14. Recap – Thank You for Joining Our High School (HS) Info Session this Week!: A huge shout-out to all caregivers who joined our Unity Prep HS Virtual Information Session – it was fantastic seeing so many families together on Zoom! The session was packed with high-quality information on academics, extracurriculars, athletics, and family/student testimonials.

Follow-Up & Next Steps:

• Info Session Slides
• Tour Unity Prep HS: Every Tuesday at 9:30 AM — sign up at bit.ly/UPHStours
• Reserve Your Seat: Email cbeckford@unityprep.org if you’d like to confirm your child’s seat at UPHS for the fall of 2026
• DOE MySchools Overview

We’re excited to partner with you for a great high school experience!

15. Recap – Congratulations to Unity High’s Newly Elected Student Government Association (SGA)!: Congratulations to our newly elected representatives of the SGA! Kudos to all students who ran for office and took on the challenge of leading a campaign—sharing their ideas, vision, and voice with our community. We look forward to seeing the SGA make a meaningful impact on our school in the months ahead!

16. Recap – Unity’s Annual Canned Food Drive!: Unity is proud to partner with City Harvest to collect non-perishable food items through November 17th. Every donation—big or small—will help support local families in need and remind us of the power of kindness and community.

Students who contribute will also earn Panther Pride Points for showing Empathy and making a difference in the lives of others.

17. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days: Free Museum Admission for Unity Middle Families!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), students in grades 6–8 and their families can enjoy free admission to some of New York City’s premiere museums and institutions.  Vouchers will be handed out to students in their science classes next week. Each voucher provides free entrance for our Unity scientists plus three guests.

18. Recap –  Attention Middle School Families Who Are Interested in Afterschool Programming!: The partnership with our middle school and St. Nick’s Alliance continues strongly this year.  St. Nick’s offers a rich array of afterschool programming in academic enrichment, leadership development, and extra-curricular activities for our middle school students.  Programming began on Monday, September 15th. Afterschool applications have been distributed to students and additional copies are available in the main office. Through St. Nick’s programming, 17 students from each grade have access to a free field trip to Dorney Park Halloween Haunt!

Details on St. Nick’s Alliance afterschool program and the upcoming field trip will be shared with families after submitting their application. Please contact Program Director, Luis Rodriguez, with questions via email at lrodriguez@stnickallliance.org, or by phone at 646-676-1309.

19. Recap – Guidance on Supporting Your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four key actions you are encouraged to engage in at home throughout this month to help your child get off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week!

 Four Actions for a Strong Start

 Ask Your Child About Their Day
Engage your child in conversations about their school day and week. If our team can help ensure your child is enjoying their school experience, please reach out to:

• help.ms@unityprep.org
• help.hs@unityprep.org
• or your child’s advisor

 Check Jupiter for Progress Updates
Stay informed about your child’s progress in Jupiter.

• Watch this brief video tutorial for instructions.
• Email your child’s advisor with any questions about their specific gradebook or assignments.

 Create a Homework Space & Routine
Help your child set a consistent space and routine for completing homework or practicing skills. Routines build strong study habits that will pay off all year long.

 Attend Back-to-School Night this Week!
Meet teachers, learn about curricula, and see what your child will be learning this year!

• High School: Tuesday, 9/16

• Middle School: Wednesday, 9/17

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

21. 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

22. 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!

23. Recap – Join our New Unity 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!