Dear Families of Unity,

It was terrific to be back in action as a school community this week following our spring break.  I want to congratulate our middle school students for showing off all of the reading and writing skills they have developed this year during this past week’s state English Language Arts (ELA)  exam.  Kudos to our talented middle school ELA teachers and entire staff for fully preparing and supporting our students to confidently show off all that they have learned as readers and writers this year.

In addition, I want to thank our families who participated in our high school family conferences on Wednesday and Thursday.  It is always energizing to connect with family members and students, to discuss experiences thus far this year, and consider how we can best collaborate moving forward so that students are getting the most out of their experience at Unity!

Finally, I also want to congratulate our high school students who took full advantage of our practice Advanced Placement exam extravaganza on Friday.  In total, over 130 students participated in the additional practice. Kudos to all of these students – taking the initiative to engage in meaningful practice in preparation for the real exams in the coming weeks is surely going to pay off!  A hearty thank you to our high school team for supporting our students in their efforts.

In looking ahead to the coming week, it is a full and important week, as we prepare for next week’s state math exams at our middle school and support our high school students in getting off to a strong start of the final quarter of the school year.  We also have a number of athletic teams in action this week as well as a Family Ambassadors meeting on Thursday at 6pm.  We look forward to seeing you at these events!

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 23, 2023:

1. Updated – April 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of April – 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.  Upcoming key events include:

• Note: This Thursday’s Family Ambassador Meeting will be a regular monthly meeting via Zoom. The outing has been postponed.
• Note: Unity’s Board of Trustees will meet this coming Tuesday at 6pm.  The board meeting notice is posted here on our website.

2. Recap – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of March!: 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 were leaders for the month of March 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.

3. Recap – Stellar Attendance in February – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of February.  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!

4. 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.

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our entire school community for our collective good work over the past six weeks.  It has been a productive and demanding stretch and it is now time to make the most of a well-deserved break!

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I share some updates to the April calendar.  I also spotlight our Core Value Champions and Students with Stellar Attendance from the month of March.

The next edition of The Scoop will be disseminated on April 21st.

We look forward to reuniting with students on Monday, April 17th.  Enjoy the spring break!

Best regards,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 5, 2023:

1. New – April 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of April – 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.  Upcoming key events include:

• 4/6-1/14: Spring break
• 4/17: First day back from break
• 4/20-4/21: Grades 6-8 state ELA exams (note: students will be dismissed from school at 12pm on both days)
• 4/19-4/20: Grades 9-12 family conferences (see details below)
• 4/21: Asynchronous learning day for students in grades 9-12

2. Recap – High School Semester 2 Conferences – Grades 9-12, April 19-20th: We have our second round of family conferences coming up on:

• Wednesday, 4/19 (in-person or virtual evening hours, 5pm-8pm)
• Thursday, 4/20 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm)

School staff and advisors have made several rounds of outreach to families to schedule appointments, but we are still waiting on some responses and reservations. Our goal is that 100% of our students have at least one adult family representative attending conferences.

You can use this link to RSVP: https://forms.gle/N8zAsGv5HFauDpVs8

If you have any questions or need additional support, call Unity’s main office at 718-682-3725.

3. New – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of March!: 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 were leaders for the month of March 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.

4. Recap – State Assemblymember Cunningham Joins Assemblymember Zinerman in Offering Formal Support to Unity and Our Expansion!: Assemblymember, Brian Cunningham, recently provided his formal support for our school and its expansion to serve students in the elementary grades (see his letter of support here).  Approximately 200 members of our school community, including families, alumni, and staff, reside in the Assemblymember’s district and are represented by him in Albany.  We thank Assemblymember Cunningham for his support and look forward to collaborating with his office on initiatives that benefit and empower our students, families, and local community!  Visit the Assemblymember’s website here to learn more about his background and priority initiatives.  He joins Assemblymember Zinerman who also recently provided her formal support for our school and expansion (see her letter of support here).

5. New – Stellar Attendance in February – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of February.  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!

6. Recap – Unity High’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team are Conference Champions!: Congratulations to our Varsity Girls Basketball Team on winning the New York Scholastic Athletic Association (NYSAA) championship this week!  Congrats to Coach Harvey and all team members – go Panthers!

7. Recap – Citywide Step Competition Hosted by Unity’s Step Teams Featured in Local News!: Unity’s step teams, the Queen Steppers and Rising Royal Steppers organized and hosted a step competition this past weekend that included 20 teams from across the city.  The event was a major success and featured in the local news.  Click on the photo below to view the News 12 clip!  Thank you to all community members who came out to support!

8. Recap -Students May Now Apply to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYED): The SYEP application is now live, and applications are due by March 31st. SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

9. 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

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the last week of March has treated you and your loved ones well.  As we move into the month of April, we have a short week ahead – three days of school – before enjoying a long and well-deserved spring break.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I share with you Unity’s April calendar as well as a nod of formal support from State Assemblymember Cunningham.  I also share an exciting update on our high school girls basketball team and a number of relevant updates on all things Unity from last week’s edition.

Enjoy the spring weekend!

Best regards,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of April 1, 2023:

1. New – April 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of April – 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.

2. New – High School Semester 2 Conferences – Grades 9-12, April 19-20th: We have our second round of family conferences coming up on:

• Wednesday, 4/19 (in-person or virtual evening hours, 5pm-8pm)
• Thursday, 4/20 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm)

School staff and advisors have made several rounds of outreach to families to schedule appointments, but we are still waiting on some responses and reservations. Our goal is that 100% of our students have at least one adult family representative attending conferences.

You can use this link to RSVP: https://forms.gle/N8zAsGv5HFauDpVs8

If you have any questions or need additional support, call Unity’s main office at 718-682-3725.

3. New – State Assemblymember Cunningham Joins Assemblymember Zinerman in Offering Formal Support to Unity and Our Expansion!: Assemblymember, Brian Cunningham, recently provided his formal support for our school and its expansion to serve students in the elementary grades (see his letter of support here).  Approximately 200 members of our school community, including families, alumni, and staff, reside in the Assemblymember’s district and are represented by him in Albany.  We thank Assemblymember Cunningham for his support and look forward to collaborating with his office on initiatives that benefit and empower our students, families, and local community!  Visit the Assemblymember’s website here to learn more about his background and priority initiatives.  He joins Assemblymember Zinerman who also recently provided her formal support for our school and expansion (see her letter of support here).

4. New – Unity High’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team are Conference Champions!: Congratulations to our Varsity Girls Basketball Team on winning the New York Scholastic Athletic Association (NYSAA) championship this week!  Congrats to Coach Harvey and all team members – go Panthers!

5. Updated – Unity’s Admissions Lottery for the 2023-24 School Year will be Held on April 1st at 6:00pm – If you know any students entering middle school or high school for next school year, please make sure they apply online at www.unityprep.org by April 1^st in order to have a spot in the lottery. For any questions or to set up a school tour, please call Mr. Beckford at the middle school at (862) 862-294-0219 or Mr. Doscher at the high school at 347-746-1575.

6. Recap – Citywide Step Competition Hosted by Unity’s Step Teams Featured in Local News!: Unity’s step teams, the Queen Steppers and Rising Royal Steppers organized and hosted a step competition this past weekend that included 20 teams from across the city.  The event was a major success and featured in the local news.  Click on the photo below to view the News 12 clip!  Thank you to all community members who came out to support!

7. Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – John Martinez, Unity’s Class of 2020: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can.  This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of John Martinez, who is now in his third year at St. Joseph’s College.  Kudos to John in making the most of his college experience thus far!

Some Background:

John Martinez has attended St. Joseph’s College (SJC) since graduating from Unity in 2020.  John was a member of Unity’s first class and began at Unity as a 6th grader in fall of 2013.  John was a proud and enthusiastic member of Mr. Beauregard’s first advisory – go 602 (City College)!

Accomplishments:

• John was a long-time participant in Film Club throughout his time in Unity’s middle and high school.  He is passionate about film and video editing.
• College Acceptances: SUNY Purchase, St. Joseph’s College, SUNY Oswego

• John has completed the core curriculum at SJC and is currently majoring in Computer Science. He is well on his way to earning his Bachelor’s Degree!

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

John’s advice for Unity seniors is that the main thing to consider is what you are going to college for, because you want to care about what you are studying and pursuing. That will really help you stay motivated. Get the higher education YOU want to get that will be useful in your future.

Expressions of Gratitude:

John is grateful for the return to synchronous, in-person learning since he enjoys getting to know his professors and classmates and having a positive higher education experience.

8. Recap – Unity’s Athletic Department Celebrates our Winter Season and Student-Athletes!: Awards ceremonies were held last week to honor the winter sports teams and student-athletes.  Congratulations to all of our teams, our coaches, and our athletes.  Go Panthers!

9. Recap – Make-up Conference Appointments for Families of Grades 6-8 Students – Please Schedule ASAP! – For families who were unable to attend conferences earlier this month, please contact one of your child’s two advisors as soon as possible to schedule a separate appointment to discuss your child’s academic progress over the second trimester of school.  We expect to meet with 100% of our families so that we are best supporting our students in collaboration with families – the stronger the collaboration, the better!  Contact Ms. Morel in our main office (718-455-5046 or amorel@unityprep.org) if you need contact information for your child’s co-advisors.

10. Recap – Volunteer to Participate in Unity High’s Student Career Fair!: Unity High will host its Seventh Annual Career Fair on Wednesday April 5th, from 12:00pm to 2:05pm.  During the Fair, students will have the opportunity to speak with adults about the work the adults do.  Students will visit several different professionals and inquire about their work, their professional backgrounds, and ask for tips to enter their career field.  Should you or anyone in your network be interested in participating in the Career Fair, please complete the Unity Prep Career Fair RSVP Survey.  Our goal is to have at least forty (40) adults from a range of career fields including, but not limited to:

• Technology (programmers/coders, engineers),
• Trades (HVAC, carpentry, electrical, plumbing)
• Design (graphic design, animation, architecture),
• Science (biology/marine biology, chemists, researchers),
• Arts (music, visual, performing arts)
• Entrepreneurs
• Medicine (OB/GYN, veterinarian),
• Law, and
• Humanities-related careers.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Gonzalez via email (egonzalez@unityprep.org) should you have questions.

11. Recap -Students May Now Apply to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYED): The SYEP application is now live, and applications are due by March 31st. SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

12. 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.

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the weekend has been good to you and your loved ones.  Spring is in the air!

Congratulations to our students in grades 9-12 who completed their third round of interim assessments this week.  On behalf of our high school faculty and staff, we applaud our students for putting forth their best effort on these assessments and showing off all that they have learned this year.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I bring to you a number of exciting highlights from the past week, including a recent step competition that was featured in the local news and a spotlight on an alumni in his third year at St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn.  In addition, I bring to your attention a few events on the calendar this week, including a college field trip for our 10th grade students, a dance of our middle school students, and our upcoming student lottery for the 2023-24 school year.  As always, there are also a number of recent achievements among our students that we proudly highlight – scroll down to fully appreciate all that our students are experiencing!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Best regards,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of March 26, 2023:

1. New – Citywide Step Competition Hosted by Unity’s Step Teams Featured in Local News!: Unity’s step teams, the Queen Steppers and Rising Royal Steppers organized and hosted a step competition this past weekend that included 20 teams from across the city.  The event was a major success and featured in the local news.  Click on the photo below to view the News 12 clip!  Thank you to all community members who came out to support!

2. New – Unity’s Admissions Lottery for the 2023-24 School Year will be Held on April 1st at 6:00pm – If you know any students entering middle school or high school for next school year, please make sure they apply online at www.unityprep.org by April 1^st in order to have a spot in the lottery. For any questions or to set up a school tour, please call Mr. Beckford at the middle school at (862) 862-294-0219 or Mr. Doscher at the high school at 347-746-1575.

3. New – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – John Martinez, Unity’s Class of 2020: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can.  This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of John Martinez, who is now in his third year at St. Joseph’s College.  Kudos to John in making the most of his college experience thus far!

Some Background:

John Martinez has attended St. Joseph’s College (SJC) since graduating from Unity in 2020.  John was a member of Unity’s first class and began at Unity as a 6th grader in fall of 2013.  John was a proud and enthusiastic member of Mr. Beauregard’s first advisory – go 602 (City College)!

Accomplishments:

• John was a long-time participant in Film Club throughout his time in Unity’s middle and high school.  He is passionate about film and video editing.
• College Acceptances: SUNY Purchase, St. Joseph’s College, SUNY Oswego

• John has completed the core curriculum at SJC and is currently majoring in Computer Science. He is well on his way to earning his Bachelor’s Degree!

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

John’s advice for Unity seniors is that the main thing to consider is what you are going to college for, because you want to care about what you are studying and pursuing. That will really help you stay motivated. Get the higher education YOU want to get that will be useful in your future.

Expressions of Gratitude:

John is grateful for the return to synchronous, in-person learning since he enjoys getting to know his professors and classmates and having a positive higher education experience.

4. New – Unity’s Athletic Department Celebrates our Winter Season and Student-Athletes!: Awards ceremonies were held last week to honor the winter sports teams and student-athletes.  Congratulations to all of our teams, our coaches, and our athletes.  Go Panthers!

5. Update – March 2023 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of March – 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.

• 3/27 – 10th grade college trip to Quinnipiac College in Connecticut
• 3/29 – Spring Fling dance for students in grades 6-8, 3-5pm
• 3/31 – End of Quarter 3 at Unity High

6. New – Make-up Conference Appointments for Families of Grades 6-8 Students – Please Schedule ASAP! – For families who were unable to attend conferences last week, please contact one of your child’s two advisors as soon as possible to schedule a separate appointment to discuss your child’s academic progress over the second trimester of school.  We expect to meet with 100% of our families so that we are best supporting our students in collaboration with families – the stronger the collaboration, the better!  Contact Ms. Morel in our main office (718-455-5046 or amorel@unityprep.org) if you need contact information for your child’s co-advisors.

7. New – Spring Fling Dance at Unity Middle on Wednesday, March 29th, 3-5pm!: Our middle school Spring Fling Dance is happening this coming Wednesday afternoon!  To attend, students must have a permission form completed by a caregiver.  Tickets are $2 and may be purchased at the door on the day of the event.

8. Recap – Congrats to our Middle School Students of the Month!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from February for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship, and growth – we are proud of you!

• 6th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Nyla Telesford
  • Citizenship: Ariyah Mills
• 7th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Arianna Garcia
  • Citizenship: Melody Bramwell
  • Most Improved: Makayla Vasquez
• 8th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Shirley Longmire
  • Citizenship: Amani Prince

9. Recap – Senior Spotlight of the Month – Aniya Hayes!: We are immensely proud of Unity seniors and are excited – as all of their hard work in middle school and high school pay off – as they apply to colleges that best align with their postsecondary pursuits.  This month, we salute Aniya Hayes by sharing her story and recent accomplishments with the entire Unity community.  We are proud of you, Aniya!

Some Background:

One of her teachers describes Aniya Hayes (AKA, “Ms. Cashout”) as “perhaps the most ambitious student in the senior class at Unity Prep.” Given her exemplary attendance, near-perfect Grade Point Average (GPA), successful business pursuit, and her approach to managing her staff, it is easy to understand how Aniya has earned this reputation.  While several seniors’ achievements are impressive, Aniya stands out for her ability to demonstrate excellence in all of these areas at the same time.  Aniya courageously challenges herself by taking on even the most difficult tasks.  Her teachers note that she is organized, diligent, and dedicated to everything she sets her mind to; with that approach, it is easy to envision her success in college, and in life.

Recent Accomplishments:

Aniya’’s recent accomplishments include:

• Currently earning a GPA of 4.22 for the entire year!
• Earned admission to five colleges!
• Earned over $115,000 in scholarships!
• Aniya’s business Cashout Apparel has been the most popular enterprise at Unity’s annual “Pop-Up Shop” series for the past two years!  At this year’s sale, her entire inventory sold out in less than two hours!

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

“Don’t procrastinate!  Always keep on top of all the work you have.  Give yourself time to enjoy your high school years (responsibly), and start focusing on college and college decisions now because it is right around the corner.”

Expressions of Gratitude:

“I want to give thanks to my family for being supportive and always pushing me to do better, and to my counselors and teachers for always supporting my decisions and helping me along the college process.”

10. Recap – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of February!: 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 were leaders for the month of February 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.

11. Recap – Volunteer to Participate in Unity High’s Student Career Fair!: Unity High will host its Seventh Annual Career Fair on Wednesday April 5th, from 12:00pm to 2:05pm.  During the Fair, students will have the opportunity to speak with adults about the work the adults do.  Students will visit several different professionals and inquire about their work, their professional backgrounds, and ask for tips to enter their career field.  Should you or anyone in your network be interested in participating in the Career Fair, please complete the Unity Prep Career Fair RSVP Survey.  Our goal is to have at least forty (40) adults from a range of career fields including, but not limited to:

• Technology (programmers/coders, engineers),
• Trades (HVAC, carpentry, electrical, plumbing)
• Design (graphic design, animation, architecture),
• Science (biology/marine biology, chemists, researchers),
• Arts (music, visual, performing arts)
• Entrepreneurs
• Medicine (OB/GYN, veterinarian),
• Law, and
• Humanities-related careers.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Gonzalez via email (egonzalez@unityprep.org) should you have questions.

12. Recap  – State Assemblymember Zinerman Offers Formal Support to Unity and Our Expansion!: Our local Assemblymember, Stephani Zinerman, recently provided her formal support for our school and its expansion to serve students in the elementary grades (see her letter of support here).  The Assemblymember’s education representative recently visited our middle school to meet with stakeholders and take in our students’ winter theatre performance.  We thank Assemblymember Zinerman for her support and look forward to collaborating with her office on initiatives that benefit and empower our students, families, and local community!

13. Recap – Stellar Attendance in February – 95% and Above!: This lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of February.  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!

13. Recap -Show Your Support for Unity to Open an Elementary School by Signing this Letter of Support: As we proceed in our aim of expanding our school to serve students in grades K-5, we kindly request that family members of our current students in grades 6-12 show your support for our expansion by taking a moment to sign a formal letter of support from Unity families.  The letter is here.  Simply enter your full name in the available space below the letter to actively show your support by March 26th.  This letter will be shared with the New York State Board of Regents before they vote on our proposed expansion this spring.  We thank you in advance for showing your support!

14. Recap -Students May Now Apply to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYED): The SYEP application is now live, and applications are due by March 31st. SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

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.

Dear Families of Unity,

I want to thank our middle school families who participated in conferences last night and today.  It was valuable to connect with family members and students to discuss both progress this year and our collaboration moving forward. Our shared goal is for students to get the most out of their experiences at Unity.  Conferences with our high school families will take place on April 19th and 20th.

This coming week, our high school students will engage in their third quarter interim assessments.  I am thankful for our teachers and administration, as they have worked diligently to prepare our students for these exams.  And congrats in advance to our students for putting forth their best effort on these assessments in showing off all that they have learned this year.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I highlight our Students of the Month for February and spotlight a Unity senior and the impressive year she is having!  We also celebrate our students with stellar attendance for February as well as honor Core Value leaders for the month.  Finally, I share with you a letter in support of Unity from our local Assemblymember, Stefani Zinerman.

Best of luck to our step teams in their competition this weekend – go Panthers!

Best regards,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of March 17, 2023:

1. New – Congrats to our Middle School’s Students of the Month!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from February for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship, and growth – we are proud of you!

• 6th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Nyla Telesford
  • Citizenship: Ariyah Mills
• 7th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Arianna Garcia
  • Citizenship: Melody Bramwell
  • Most Improved: Makayla Vasquez
• 8th Grade:
  • Scholarship: Shirley Longmire
  • Citizenship: Amani Prince

2. New – Senior Spotlight of the Month – Aniya Hayes!: We are immensely proud of Unity seniors and are excited – as all of their hard work in middle school and high school pay off – as they apply to colleges that best align with their postsecondary pursuits.  This month, we salute Aniya Hayes by sharing her story and recent accomplishments with the entire Unity community.  We are proud of you, Aniya!

Some Background:

One of her teachers describes Aniya Hayes (AKA, “Ms. Cashout”) as “perhaps the most ambitious student in the senior class at Unity Prep.” Given her exemplary attendance, near-perfect Grade Point Average (GPA), successful business pursuit, and her approach to managing her staff, it is easy to understand how Aniya has earned this reputation.  While several seniors’ achievements are impressive, Aniya stands out for her ability to demonstrate excellence in all of these areas at the same time.  Aniya courageously challenges herself by taking on even the most difficult tasks.  Her teachers note that she is organized, diligent, and dedicated to everything she sets her mind to; with that approach, it is easy to envision her success in college, and in life.

Recent Accomplishments:

Aniya’’s recent accomplishments include:

• Currently earning a GPA of 4.22 for the entire year!
• Earned admission to five colleges!
• Earned over $115,000 in scholarships!
• Aniya’s business Cashout Apparel has been the most popular enterprise at Unity’s annual “Pop-Up Shop” series for the past two years!  At this year’s sale, her entire inventory sold out in less than two hours!

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

“Don’t procrastinate!  Always keep on top of all the work you have.  Give yourself time to enjoy your high school years (responsibly), and start focusing on college and college decisions now because it is right around the corner.”

Expressions of Gratitude:

“I want to give thanks to my family for being supportive and always pushing me to do better, and to my counselors and teachers for always supporting my decisions and helping me along the college process.”

3. Update – March 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of March – 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.

• A note on Grades 9-12 Interim Assessments: student exam schedules were emailed to students and their families earlier this week.  Questions can be directed to students’ academic counselors or advisors.
• Support our Step Teams in their competitions this Saturday (tomorrow)!  The event takes place at 883 Classon Avenue.  Doors open at 1pm – see the flier below for details!

4. New – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of February!: 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 were leaders for the month of February 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.

5. New – Volunteer to Participate in Unity High’s Student Career Fair!: Unity High will host its Seventh Annual Career Fair on Wednesday April 5th, from 12:00pm to 2:05pm.  During the Fair, students will have the opportunity to speak with adults about the work the adults do.  Students will visit several different professionals and inquire about their work, their professional backgrounds, and ask for tips to enter their career field.  Should you or anyone in your network be interested in participating in the Career Fair, please complete the Unity Prep Career Fair RSVP Survey.  Our goal is to have at least forty (40) adults from a range of career fields including, but not limited to:

• Technology (programmers/coders, engineers),
• Trades (HVAC, carpentry, electrical, plumbing)
• Design (graphic design, animation, architecture),
• Science (biology/marine biology, chemists, researchers),
• Arts (music, visual, performing arts)
• Entrepreneurs
• Medicine (OB/GYN, veterinarian),
• Law, and
• Humanities-related careers.

Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Gonzalez via email (egonzalez@unityprep.org) should you have questions.

6. New – State Assemblymember Zinerman Offers Formal Support to Unity and Our Expansion!: Our local Assemblymember, Stephani Zinerman, recently provided her formal support for our school and its expansion to serve students in the elementary grades (see her letter of support here).  The Assemblymember’s education representative recently visited our middle school to meet with stakeholders and take in our students’ winter theatre performance.  We thank Assemblymember Zinerman for her support and look forward to collaborating with her office on initiatives that benefit and empower our students, families, and local community!

7. New – Stellar Attendance in February – 95% and Above!: This lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of February.  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!

8. Recap – Congratulations to our High School Honor Roll Students for the Fall Semester!  As a part of Unity High’s recent award ceremony, the community celebrated our students who earned Honor Roll status from the fall term.  Congrats to the honorees – we look forward to celebrating your achievements again at the conclusion of the spring semester!

9. Recap -Seven Unity High Students Accepted to Summer Search!:  Congratulations to Aleia Brooks, Daniella Horsford, Janaya James, Johan Munoz, Sahfya Daniel, Sariyah Gordon, and Yoshua Foster.  By participating in this program, these students will be empowered to discover their purpose through mentoring and summer experiential learning during the critical transition from high school to post-secondary education, through to the launch of a fulfilling career.

10. Recap – Unity High’s Mathletes Club Competes in International Math Competition!: Four members of Unity High’s Mathletes Club – Jonathan Vega, Roland Durseau, Antonio Espinal, and Ashley Estevez – completed their first-ever math competition.  As a part of the competition, which includes hundreds of teams from across the globe, students were given 14 hours to complete an applied mathematics problem, which included data analysis, research on the topic, and writing a paper to present their findings.  Each student displayed intense reflection on the subject and utilized their math knowledge seamlessly to represent the data given in unique ways. Congratulations to our Mathletes –  for their critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration throughout the challenge!  And thank you to Ms. West for making the experience possible!

11. Recap – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in this Week’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in Thursday evening’s Family Ambassadors meeting on Zoom.  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, April 27th, at 6pm – all families are encouraged to attend.

12. Recap – – Unity High’s Dance Team Advances to Semifinals of Citywide Competition!: The Unity Blue Diamonds, Unity High’s up and coming dance team, advanced to the semifinals of the citywide Step It Up NYC Dance Team Competition.  Congrats to you, team – continue to make us proud!

13. Recap -Show Your Support for Unity to Open an Elementary School by Signing this Letter of Support: As we proceed in our aim of expanding our school to serve students in grades K-5, we kindly request that family members of our current students in grades 6-12 show your support for our expansion by taking a moment to sign a formal letter of support from Unity families.  The letter is here.  Simply enter your full name in the available space below the letter to actively show your support by March 16th.  This letter will be shared with the New York State Board of Regents before they vote on our proposed expansion this spring.  We thank you in advance for showing your support!

14. Recap -Students May Now Apply to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYED): The SYEP application is now live, and applications are due by March 31st. SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

​​​​​​​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.

Dear Families of Unity,

Kudos to our College & Career Readiness team at Unity High for making trips to Vassar College and Medgar Evers College possible for our 10th and 11th grade students this week.  By visiting these colleges, our students were exposed to a college campus, learned about college options available to them, and were able to reflect their own aspirations, interests, and future as prospective college students.  We look forward to our students experiencing more college trips this spring!

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I provide important information about next week’s middle school conferences, celebrate our students who earned Honor Roll status for Semester I at Unity High, and pay tribute to a number of other notable student accomplishments, including our Mathletes, Dance Team, Summer Search Awardees, and Girls Basketball team!  We also thank our families who participated in last night’s Family Ambassadors meeting.

Enjoy the weekend!

In Unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of March 10, 2023:

1. Update – Middle School Trimester-2 Conferences, March 16-17th: We have our second round of family conferences coming up on:

• Thursday, 3/16 (in-person evening hours, 5pm-8pm)

• Friday, 3/17 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm).

School staff and advisors have made several rounds of outreach to families to schedule appointments but we are still waiting on some responses and reservations. Our goal is that 100% of our students have at least one adult family representative attending conferences. If you have any questions or need additional support, call Unity’s main office at 718-455-5046.

2. New – Congratulations to our High School Honor Roll Students for the Fall Semester!  As a part of Unity High’s recent award ceremony, the community celebrated our students who earned Honor Roll status from the fall term.  Congrats to the honorees – we look forward to celebrating your achievements again at the conclusion of the spring semester!

3. New – Seven Unity High Students Accepted to Summer Search!:  Congratulations to Aleia Brooks, Daniella Horsford, Janaya James, Johan Munoz, Sahfya Daniel, Sariyah Gordon, and Yoshua Foster.  By participating in this program, these students will be empowered to discover their purpose through mentoring and summer experiential learning during the critical transition from high school to post-secondary education, through to the launch of a fulfilling career.

4. Update – March 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of March – 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.

5. New – Unity High’s Mathletes Club Competes in International Math Competition!: Four members of Unity High’s Mathletes Club – Jonathan Vega, Roland Durseau, Antonio Espinal, and Ashley Estevez – completed their first-ever math competition.  As a part of the competition, which includes hundreds of teams from across the globe, students were given 14 hours to complete an applied mathematics problem, which included data analysis, research on the topic, and writing a paper to present their findings.  Each student displayed intense reflection on the subject and utilized their math knowledge seamlessly to represent the data given in unique ways. Congratulations to our Mathletes –  for their critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration throughout the challenge!  And thank you to Ms. West for making the experience possible!

6. Updated – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in this Week’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in Thursday evening’s Family Ambassadors meeting on Zoom.  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, April 27th, at 6pm – all families are encouraged to attend.

7. New – Recent Happenings with Athletics, Physical Education, and Health at Unity: This week, we highlight our middle school girls basketball team and tryouts for our spring athletic teams.  We encourage all interested students of all experience levels to try out!

• Grades 6-8:

  • Kudos to all students who tried out for the following teams this week: Boys Volleyball, Girls Volleyball, and Track.  Rosters were posted today.  Practice begins on Monday!

  • The Middle School’s Winter Athletics Awards Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, March 21st.  Save the date!

  • Contact Mr. Coleman with questions (acoleman@unityprep.org)

• Grades 9-12

  • Tuesday, 3/14: Girls Volleyball

  • Wednesday, 3/15: Boys Volleyball

  • TBD: Soccer

  • Contact Mr. Egharevba with questions (oegharevba@unityprep.org)

• Congratulations to our middle school girls basketball team on an impressive season!  Overall, the team placed 1st in the Brooklyn/Queens and 2nd in the city overall!

8. New – Unity High’s Dance Team Advances to Semifinals of Citywide Competition!: The Unity Blue Diamonds, Unity High’s up and coming dance team, advanced to the semifinals of the citywide Step It Up NYC Dance Team Competition.  Congrats to you, team – continue to make us proud!

9. Updated – Show Your Support for Unity to Open an Elementary School by Signing this Letter of Support: As we proceed in our aim of expanding our school to serve students in grades K-5, we kindly request that family members of our current students in grades 6-12 show your support for our expansion by taking a moment to sign a formal letter of support from Unity families.  The letter is here.  Simply enter your full name in the available space below the letter to actively show your support by March 16th.  This letter will be shared with the New York State Board of Regents before they vote on our proposed expansion this spring.  We thank you in advance for showing your support!

10. New – Students May Now Apply to NYC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYED): The SYEP application is now live, and applications are due by March 31st. SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

11. Recap – Congratulations to our newest inductees of our middle school’s National Junior Honor Society!: Congrats to our 31 students in grades 6-8 who were recently inducted into our middle school’s National Junior Honor Society.  We are proud of you!

1. Michael Bennett, 6th grade

2. Gabriella Brann, 6th grade

3. Acai Carrington, 6th grade

4. Seneca George, 6th grade

5. London Harris, 6th grade

6. Melanie Lane, 6th grade

7. London Maxwell, 6th grade

8. Makarios McCalmont, 6th grade

9. Eshyra Miller, 6th grade

10. Malachi Reid, 6th grade

11. Agneiszka Thompson, 6th grade

12. Zea Charles, 7th grade

13. Joshua Corbin, 7th grade

14. Jahlysa Edwards, 7th grade

15. Arianna Garcia, 7th grade

16. Elijah Kirton, 7th grade

17. Hattie Mitchell, 7th grade

18. Tenajah Rodgers, 7th grade

19. Candace Taylor, 7th grade

20. Nicholas Thomas, 7th grade

21. Steven Trivedi, 7th grade

22. Keillyan Garcia, 8th grade

23. Jewel Boothe, 8th grade

24. Emma Calderon, 8th grade

25. Jayden Collins, 8th grade

26. Nia Culpepper, 8th grade

27. Sasha Elysee, 8th grade

28. Gabriel Gordon, 8th grade

29. Kaylese’Simone Nickey, 8th grade

30. Dacota Porter, 8th grade

31. Chase Stapleton, 8th grade

12. Recap – Congratulations to Unity High’s Semester I Awardees!: Congratulations to all of our high school students for recently completing Semester I of the 2022-23 school year.  And kudos to all of our awardees, including students with stellar attendance, students recognized for their achievements in their courses of study, and our PRIDE awardees.  Finally, congratulations to family members who were celebrated for their strong engagement in our school (see the slide below)!

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 – 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.

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the February break was good to you and your loved ones, and that you’ve had a terrific week since.  It felt great to be back in action as a learning community.  One highlight of the week was last night’s Semester I Awards ceremony for our high school students.  Congratulations to our awardees and thank you to our family members who participated!

This coming week, we honor Unity’s social workers as a part of School Social Workers Week.  On behalf of our community, I would like to thank Ms. Del Purgatorio, Ms. Rivera, Ms. Brookins, and Ms. Saunders for your dedication, advocacy, and support of our students, families, and community.  We are especially blessed to have your talents and expertise supporting our community.  Thank you for being such a tremendous support for all of us.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I highlight a number of academic and extracurricular accomplishments among our students.  Moreover, I bring to you a number of upcoming events, including information on middle school conferences.

Have a terrific weekend!

In Unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of March 3, 2023:

1. New – Congratulations to Unity High’s Semester I Awardees!: Congratulations to all of our high school students for recently completing Semester I of the 2022-23 school year.  And kudos to all of our awardees, including students with stellar attendance, students recognized for their achievements in their courses of study, and our PRIDE awardees.  Finally, congratulations to family members who were celebrated for their strong engagement in our school (see the slide below)!

2. New – Congratulations to our newest inductees of our middle school’s National Junior Honor Society!: Congrats to our 31 students in grades 6-8 who were recently inducted into our middle school’s National Junior Honor Society.  We are proud of you!

1. Michael Bennett, 6th grade
2. Gabriella Brann, 6th grade
3. Acai Carrington, 6th grade
4. Seneca George, 6th grade
5. London Harris, 6th grade
6. Melanie Lane, 6th grade
7. London Maxwell, 6th grade
8. Makarios McCalmont, 6th grade
9. Eshyra Miller, 6th grade
10. Malachi Reid, 6th grade
11. Agneiszka Thompson, 6th grade
12. Zea Charles, 7th grade
13. Joshua Corbin, 7th grade
14. Jahlysa Edwards, 7th grade
15. Arianna Garcia, 7th grade
16. Elijah Kirton, 7th grade
17. Hattie Mitchell, 7th grade
18. Tenajah Rodgers, 7th grade
19. Candace Taylor, 7th grade
20. Nicholas Thomas, 7th grade
21. Steven Trivedi, 7th grade
22. Keillyan Garcia, 8th grade
23. Jewel Boothe, 8th grade
24. Emma Calderon, 8th grade
25. Jayden Collins, 8th grade
26. Nia Culpepper, 8th grade
27. Sasha Elysee, 8th grade
28. Gabriel Gordon, 8th grade
29. Kaylese’Simone Nickey, 8th grade
30. Dacota Porter, 8th grade
31. Chase Stapleton, 8th grade

3. New – Middle School Trimester-2 Conferences, March 16-17th: We have our second round of family conferences upcoming on Thursday, 3/16 (in-person evening hours, 5pm-8pm) and Friday, 3/17 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm).  Advisors are in the process of reaching out to families to schedule appointments.  A Jupiter message with a link to appointment options has also been disseminated.  Our goal is that all students have at least one adult family representative attending conferences. If you have any questions or need additional support, call Unity’s main office at 718-455-5046.

4. New – March 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of March – 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.

5. New – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience in School by Taking Part in this Thursday’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: The next Family Ambassadors of Unity meeting is scheduled for this Thursday, March 12th, at 6pm on Zoom.  Contact Mr. Beckford (grades 6-8) or Ms. Young (grades 9-12) with questions.

6. New – Recent Happenings with Athletics, Physical Education, and Health at Unity: This week, we highlight our middle school girls basketball team and tryouts for our spring athletic teams.  We encourage all interested students of all experience levels to try-out!

• Tryouts for all spring athletic teams will take place over the coming weeks – here are the details:
  • Grades 6-8:
    • 3/7-3/9: Boys Volleyball, Girls Volleyball, Track
    • Contact Mr. Coleman with questions (acoleman@unityprep.org)
  • Grades 9-12
    • 3/14: Girls Volleyball
    • 3/15: Boys Volleyball
    • TBD: Soccer
    • Contact Mr. Egharevba with questions (oegharevba@unityprep.org)

• Our middle school girls basketball team advanced to the city semi-finals with a big win this week.  Details on the game are provided below.  Go Panthers!
  • Wednesday, March 8th at 4:00pm
  • 330 East 21st Street.  New York, NY 10010

7. Updated – Show Your Support for Unity to Open an Elementary School by Signing this Letter of Support: As we proceed in our aim of expanding our school to serve students in grades K-5, we kindly request that family members of our current students in grades 6-12 show your support for our expansion by taking a moment to sign a formal letter of support from Unity families.  The letter is here.  Simply enter your full name in the available space below the letter to actively show your support by March 1st.  This letter will be shared with the New York State Board of Regents before they vote on our proposed expansion this spring.  We thank you in advance for showing your support!

8. Recap – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of January!: 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 were leaders for the month of January 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.

9. Recap – Unity Celebrates Black History this Month through a Host of Festivities!: Our school community continued in our celebration of Black History this past month.  The photos and videos below feature a number of the impressive performances by our students and guest presenters.  On behalf of our entire community, thank you to all students and staff for your contributions to our festivities and celebration!

10. Recap – – Stellar Attendance in January – 95% Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of January.  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!

11. 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.

12. 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.

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our newest inductees of our middle school’s National Junior Honor Society!  And thank you to the many families who attended last night’s wonderful ceremony.

In addition, thank you to the families that attended our Black History celebration on Wednesday.  It was a magnificent event that showcased the talents and voices of our students, staff, and community members. Kudos to our incredible team of educators for organizing such a rich and festive set of experiences for our students and community.

In this edition of the Scoop, I bring: highlights of students in action in their classes and clubs this week, our March calendar, our new Core Value leaders, photos and video clips from our festivities in celebration of Black History, athletics spotlights from the week, and our students with stellar attendance in January.

I wish you a healthy and restful February break!  We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Monday, February 27th.

Warmest wishes,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of February 18, 2023:

1. New – Students and Teachers in Action this Week: We are thrilled to continue in honoring the hard work of our students as they engage in their learning each and every day of school.  This week, we feature our middle school writers celebrating the culmination of their latest units of study with a publishing party!   In addition, we highlight our 8th grade Earth Science students as they engage in identifying different types of rocks based on their observable characteristics.

2. New – March 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of March – 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.

3. New – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of January!: 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 were leaders for the month of January 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.

4. Updated – Show Your Support for Unity to Open an Elementary School by Signing this Letter of Support: As we proceed in our aim of expanding our school to serve students in grades K-5, we kindly request that family members of our current students in grades 6-12 show your support for our expansion by taking a moment to sign a formal letter of support from Unity families.  The letter is here.  Simply enter your full name in the available space below the letter to actively show your support by March 1st.  This letter will be shared with the New York State Board of Regents before they vote on our proposed expansion this spring.  We thank you in advance for showing your support!

5. Updated – Unity Celebrates Black History this Month through a Host of Festivities!: Our school community continued in our celebration of Black History this past week.  The photos and videos below feature a number of the impressive performances by our students and guest presenters.  On behalf of our entire community, thank you to all students and staff for your contributions to our festivities and celebration!

6. New – Stellar Attendance in January – 95% Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of January.  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!

7. New – Unity High’s Culinary Arts Club Learn to Make Valentine’s Day Chocolates: Members of Unity High’s Culinary Arts Club celebrated the Valentine’s Day holiday this week by learning to make chocolates and giving them out to their friends and family members.  Enjoy the photos below!

8. Updated – Athletic Spotlight: Unity Panthers in Full Action!: Our athletic teams represented Unity with full force this week.  Panthers, we are proud of you!

Unity High’s Junior Varsity Basketball Team played solid team defense during their final home game of the season.

The team poses with their families and coaches following the game.  Thank you, families, for coming out to support our team!

Unity’s Step Teams joined forces to take home 1st and 2nd place titles in a competition last weekend at Brooklyn Tech.

9. Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Grace Ojatunwase, Unity’s Class of 2021: We are thrilled to share with our entire community the accomplishments of our alumni whenever we can.  This month, we proudly provide an update on the postsecondary success of Grace Ojatunwase, who is now in her 2nd year of college at SUNY Fredonia.  Kudos to Grace in making the most of her college experience thus far!

Grace was named Ms. ASU (African Student Union) at Fredonia in 2022!

Some Background:

Grace Ojatunwase graduated from Unity in 2021 with a cumulative GPA of 3.73 and earned a Presidential Scholarship to SUNY. She is currently in her 3rd year at SUNY Fredonia majoring in medical technology. She is currently excited to master college Chemistry this semester as she embraces being an upperclassmen at Fredonia.

Accomplishments:

• College Acceptances after Unity: Ithaca College, Manhattanville College, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY Geneseo, Wheaton College, Spelman College, CUNY BMCC, SUNY Albany, CUNY Medgar Evers, CUNY City Tech, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY Fredonia, Penn State University

• Grace has completed all of the SUNY general education requirements and is now focusing on her major classwork.
• Grace has maintained good academic standing through 4 semesters of college, earning 49 credits so far!

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

Grace would advise new college students to get involved with student life and activities. She has found joy in participating in Fredonia’s dance team and that it enables her to feel connected on campus.

Expressions of Gratitude:

Grace is grateful to stay connected to her Unity community and appreciates the support she receives from her Alumni Success Counselor.

10. Recap – Unity’s 10th Graders Visit the Intrepid Museum!: As a part of their study of World War II, Unity’s 10th graders took the opportunity today to visit the Intrepid Museum on the west side of Manhattan. Students were able to examine original artifacts, view historic video footage, and explore interactive exhibits.  Enjoy the photos below!

11. Recap – Unity’s Speech & Debate Team to Compete at the University of Pennsylvania this Weekend!: Members of Unity High’s Speech & Debate will compete in a major competition this weekend at the University of Pennsylvania.  We are so proud of our team’s efforts this year – go Panthers!

12. Recap – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in this Week’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in Thursday evening’s Family Ambassadors meeting on Zoom.  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, March 9th, at 6pm – all families are encouraged to attend.

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 – 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.