Dear Families of Unity,

I want to begin by applauding our school community on a strong return to school this week following the February break.  I am optimistic about the health and safety of our community and our ability to conduct school in ways that mirror our approach pre-pandemic.  To this end, I want to provide an update to families regarding our mask requirement policies given the updates from the CDC, New York State, and New York City.

I want to thank you for your thoughtful responses to our survey earlier this week; we reviewed all of the responses and took the needs and preferences of both our families and our staff into consideration in this decision.  Unity will take the following actions regarding masks in March:

• Unity will continue to require all community members to wear masks inside of our school building through at least March 31st.  
• Beginning Monday, March 7th, Unity community members do not need to wear masks when they are outside (e.g., at recess).
• Unity leadership will review data from the city and schools that remove the mask requirement over the next several weeks, and we will share another update by March 31st.

Our rationale for this decision is anchored in our shared vision from last summer:

• We will continue to offer the best possible educational experience for all of our students – with our mission of student empowerment and student fulfillment being realized.
• For the 2021-22 school year, we shifted to in-person learning for all and doing so with safety and well-being at the forefront of our minds.  This also means being adaptive to the needs and interests of our stakeholders based on the best information we have on hand.
• We will continue to lean on our strengths of being responsive, nimble, and collaborative with our families as we experience the 2021-22 school year as one.  In Unity, there is strength!

A letter with the full rationale of our decision was sent out via Jupiter this afternoon and can be accessed here.  Once again, thank you for your thoughtful responses to our survey earlier this week, and for all of the work that you do every day to support our students during this challenging year.

On a final and separate note, we honor Unity’s social workers as a part of School Social Workers Week this coming 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.

Enjoy the spring-is-almost-here weather this weekend!

Best regards,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of March 4, 2022:

1. New – Students and Teachers in Action this Week: This week, we spotlight our young middle school mathematicians deep in thought.  Below are a few photos from our middle school test-prep tutoring, which takes place after school Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Students are in small groups with their teachers getting more hands-on, individualized support. Teachers are focusing on clarifying misconceptions and giving students more “at-bats” on the content they have not mastered, yet!

2. Updated – March 2022 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/or new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  Notable events this coming week include:

• National School Social Worker Appreciation Week, 3/7-3/11
• Virtual middle school conferences on 3/17 and 3/18
• High School Regents/Mock exams on 3/22-3/24
• High School Career Fair on 3/25
• Star reading and math assessments for all high school students
• Various athletic events

5. New – Recent Happenings with Athletics, Physical Education, and Health at Unity: This week, we highlight two upcoming events, celebrate our Student-Athletes of the Month, and offer details on an upcoming health initiative at our high school.

• Spring Athletics Tryouts for all middle school teams will take place on Tuesday, March 8th and Thursday March 10th.  This spring, Mr. Coleman is excited to offer the following sports: Girls Middle School Volleyball, Boys Middle School Basketball, Coed Middle School Baseball and Coed Middle School Track.  Permission slips are located in the main office (room 311).  Once signed, forms may be returned to the main office.

• The Unity Queen High School Steppers’ next competition is scheduled for Saturday, March 12th, at 2 pm.  Details are provided on the flyer below.

• Unity’s Student-Athletes of the Month for February!  Congrats to Sariah W. (6th grade) and Maykayla S. (9th grade) – we are proud of you!
  • Sariah boasts a 3.5 GPA, and is widely regarded as one of the kindest and most respectful students in school.  Sariah recently was named the Most Valuable Player of the Pink Classic Basketball Tournament, as she led her team to win the championship.  As a 6th grader, she was named one of the team captains for her leadership style and work ethic.  Sariah is consistently positive and upbeat in her classrooms as well as on the basketball court.

• Makayla is the epitome of a Unity scholar-athlete. Makayla currently maintains a 4.0 GPA, and is widely regarded as one of the kindest and most respectful students in school. She shows up to school everyday with a smile and positive attitude. She brings so much joy to all her peers and teachers. On the court, Makayla is one of our most well-rounded competitors. She has been appropriately given the nickname of “Mighty Mouse” for her fierce and aggressive style of play. Makayla was one of our top defenders and despite only being a freshman, she was a huge reason for our Unity Panthers’ successful season.

• Unity High’s Health Initiative regarding social media and digital communication as a tool for positivity begins this Monday.  See Mr. Martinez’s flyer below for details.

6. New – Attention All High School Students: Information on Two Exciting Events from Mr. Gonzalez: See the updates below from our College & Career Readiness Team!

• Our Sixth Annual Career Fair is on Friday March 25th, from 12:00pm to 2:05pm (details provided in the flyer below).  We would love to have family members of our students participating as presenters.  If you are able to take part, please complete this survey of interest.  Thank you!

7. New – Free Resources for Unity Families: Unity’s social work team is always looking for resources that may be helpful and of interest to our families.  Three such resources are provided below.  Reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio, Unity’s Director of Social Work, with questions.

• The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children.  Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
  • Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
  • How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
  • How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
  • How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
• Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
  • Bronx PDF 
  • Manhattan PDF
  • Queens PDF
  • Brooklyn PDF
  • Staten Island PDF
• Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th.  The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar.  Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
  • Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
  • Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
  • Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health

8. Updated – Upcoming Events of Interest to Unity Families!:  Brought to you by Mr. Beckford, we are happy to highlight a number of fun upcoming events across Brooklyn for our families.  Here is one happening this coming Sunday!

• Illuminating Lewis Latimer’s Brooklyn History: A Conversation on Latimer’s Life + Work in 19th Century Brooklyn [Virtual] Sunday 3/6, 2pm:  Join Beam Center to celebrate public art sculpture BEACON and pay tribute to pioneer electrical engineer and Brooklyn resident, Lewis Howard Latimer. BEACON artist, Shervone Neckles; Brooklyn historian and scholar, Prathibha Kanakamedala; Lewis Latimer House Museum Director, Ran Yan; and Beam Center Director, Brian Cohen together explore Latimer’s life, work, and activism in Brooklyn during the turn of the 19th century.

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the week has been good to you and your loved ones.  In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I bring to you a number of upcoming events as well as some notable recent student achievements.

I wish you a healthy and restful February break!  We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Monday, February 28th.

Best regards,
Josh Beauregard
Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of February 18, 2022:

1. New – Students and Teachers in Action this Week: We are thrilled to continue celebrating the hard work of our students as they engage in their learning each and every day.  This week, we spotlight our middle school scientists-in-training.  In the first photo below, our 8th grade science students – as a part of learning about the relative movements of the sun, earth, and moon – build models of the different phases of the moon using Oreo cookies.  In the second photo, our Earth Science students create natural landscapes and drainage patterns using Play-doh as a part of their geology unit.  Shout-out to Ms. Diaz and her science team for incorporating so much tactile learning into our students’ study of science!

2. New – March 2022 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/or new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

• Free Parenting Classes and Resources: The Parenting Resource Center at Catholic Guardian Services offers a free 4-week class for expectant parents and those with children aged 0-3 months. Classes are offered in English and Spanish, and cover topics including self care, breastfeeding, safe sleep, and more. All participants are eligible to receive a free crib. The Parent Resource Center also offers support with immigration, housing, childcare support services, and more. Learn more here.
• Get Covered – Apply for Health Insurance for 2022: Visit NY State of Health or call (855) 355-5777 to get free, one-on-one help enrolling in health insurance plans including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and more. Open enrollment continues through January 31, 2022. Learn more here.

9. Recap – Footage from our Zoom Session on January 12th regarding our Revised Safety Protocols: Thank you to our families who participated in our recent Zoom session regarding our revised safety protocols. This includes our moves to provide increased testing and our adoption of the NYCDOE’s test-to-stay policy.  If you missed Wednesday’s session, here is a recording and here are the informational slides.  Any questions regarding our revised protocols may be directed to covid@unityprep.org.

10. Recap – How to Obtain Free COVID Home Tests:  Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. The website is here:  https://special.usps.com/testkits.  Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.

Dear Families of Unity,

It has been a busy month of assessing student academic growth and progress at Unity.  As a school, we utilize testing as one measure to gauge learning and strive to have all of our students experience positive growth.  I want to shout-out our students for showing their full effort on their recent assessments.  We are thrilled by their progress this year and we are supremely proud of them!  I want to thank our staff for both their encouragement of our students and for their continued good work in meeting students where they are in their learning.  With this in mind, our team continually provides a high quality of teaching and learning.  Finally, I want to express gratitude to our families for your support of students over the past few weeks as they experience and re-familiarize themselves with formal in-person testing for the first time in almost two years.

In the coming week, we continue to honor Black history through a host of meaningful festivities and events.  As I described in my introductory message last week, as a school, we take pride in honoring, celebrating, and learning about Black history every month and each day of the calendar year. We are also excited to pay special tribute to Black history in February each year through a host of events and festivities within our school community and beyond.

As we celebrate Black history this month, we have been learning about and honoring the great many figures in history who have made the world a better, more creative, more vibrant place and pushed for progress in our country and around the world.  At the same time, we also acknowledge and pay tribute to those who have lost their lives too soon due to racism in all forms, including acts of brutality and extreme negligence among law enforcement.  Alas, this has continued to happen all too often in recent years.  I want to take a moment to honor Amir Locke who, at 22 years old, was tragically killed last week in Minnesota at the hands of law enforcement while they were exercising the very problematic no-knock warrant practice.  As a community, our hearts go out to Amir’s family and loved ones.  Moreover, as a community, we will continue to take action that effectively eliminates systemic racism in our country and empowers our students with the skills and knowledge to build a better and more just future.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I highlight a number of upcoming events as well as some notable recent student achievements.

Best regards,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of February 13, 2022:

1. New – Students and Teachers in Action this Week: We are thrilled to continue celebrating the hard work of our students as they engage in their learning each and every day.  This week, we feature our 7th grade English Language Arts (ELA) students and our 12th grade history students.  In the first photo below, our 7th grade ELA students are led by Ms. Vela and Ms. Knuckle in their historical fiction unit; students are considering how they may be changed by what they read through  character development analysis and recognizing what they most admire about the characters in their novel.  In addition, we feature our high school history team who have been highlighting inspirational Black leaders in both the past and present all year.  In the photo below, Ms. Tartan and Mr. Baez highlight entrepreneur, Janice Howroyd, who desegregated her home town’s previously segregated high school in North Carolina.

2. Updated – February 2022 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of February – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door!  It is possible that events could change and/or new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  Notable events this coming week include:

• An after-school Valentine’s Day dance for middle school students
• Middle school mock exams in math on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
• A remote, asynchronous learning day on Friday for our middle school students only.  Note that high school students have an in-person Advisory Day on Friday.
• A Zoom chat with our middle school co-principals on Friday afternoon.
• Various athletic events

9. Recap – Free Resources for Unity Families: Unity’s social work team is always looking for opportunities that may be helpful and of interest to our families.  Two such opportunities are provided below.  Reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio, Unity’s Director of Social Work, with questions.

• Free Parenting Classes and Resources: The Parenting Resource Center at Catholic Guardian Services offers a free 4-week class for expectant parents and those with children aged 0-3 months. Classes are offered in English and Spanish, and cover topics including self care, breastfeeding, safe sleep, and more. All participants are eligible to receive a free crib. The Parent Resource Center also offers support with immigration, housing, childcare support services, and more. Learn more here.
• Get Covered – Apply for Health Insurance for 2022: Visit NY State of Health or call (855) 355-5777 to get free, one-on-one help enrolling in health insurance plans including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and more. Open enrollment continues through January 31, 2022. Learn more here.

10. Recap – Footage from our Zoom Session on January 12th regarding our Revised Safety Protocols: Thank you to our families who participated in our recent Zoom session regarding our revised safety protocols. This includes our moves to provide increased testing and our adoption of the NYCDOE’s test-to-stay policy.  If you missed Wednesday’s session, here is a recording and here are the informational slides.  Any questions regarding our revised protocols may be directed to covid@unityprep.org.

11. Recap – How to Obtain Free COVID Home Tests:  Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. The website is here:  https://special.usps.com/testkits.  Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.

Dear Families of Unity,

Happy Lunar New Year to you and your loved ones!

I hope that the first week of February has been good to you.  As you well know, February is recognized nationally as Black History Month.  While we, as a school, take pride in honoring, celebrating, and learning about Black history every month and each day of the calendar year, we are excited to pay special tribute to Black history over the coming weeks through a host of events and festivities within our school community and beyond.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, I highlight a number of upcoming events as well as some notable recent student achievements.

I would like to end my introductory note with special thank you to Unity’s academic counselors as a part of National School Counseling Appreciation Week coming up.  Unity is fortunate to have an extremely talented and dedicated team of academic counselors who play a central role in supporting our students in making the most of their educational experience at Unity.  On behalf of our entire community, I would like to thank Ms. Roth, Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Eason, Ms. Ramjan, and Ms. Gutierrez for all that they do for our school and community.

Best regards,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of February 4, 2022:

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.  This week, we feature our English Language Arts students in action in their 8th and 12th grade classrooms.  In the first photo below, Ms. Driscoll’s 8th grade class is using logic to explain exactly what their evidence means and why it is important in crafting a thematic essay.  In the second photo below, Ms. Bond’s 9th grade class is engrossed in their latest novel.

2. Updated – February 2022 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of February – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door!  It is possible that events could change and/or new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  Notable events this coming week include:

• Middle school mock exams in ELA and math on Tuesday and Wednesday
• Star reading and math assessments for all grades 9-12 students
• Various athletic events
• National School Counseling Appreciation Week

1. DTBK Presents: Lunar New Year Celebration, Saturday, 2/5, 2-5pm: Ring in the Lunar New Year at Albee Square with a celebration featuring traditional lion dance performances by the New York Choy Lay Fut Lion Dance Team and DJ KDOTLIM. Snap a social-distanced selfie with the lion dancers, and pick up a traditional red envelope which contains small prizes! A few lucky red envelopes include gift cards to spend at some of the Asian-owned businesses in Downtown Brooklyn.
2. Money Heist: The Experience – NYC, Friday-Sunday, 2/4-2/6, Times Vary: The Money Heist immersive experience is here in NYC for an exhilarating challenge of a lifetime. Taking place at the landmarked skyscraper, Skylight One Hanson in Brooklyn, you’ll join the masked bandits in taking over the Big Apple! Are you up for the task?
3. The Merchant of Venice (Play), See dates and times below: Shakespeare’s perennially contested play about corrosive bigotry and blinding vengeance is poised squarely at the radioactive intersection of race, class and religion in Arin Arbus’s production. John Douglas Thompson stars as the ill-used, vindictive money-lender Shylock in his fifth classical collaboration with Arbus. The show’s uniquely diverse company and creative team evoke a deeply stratified Venice suffused with racism, misogyny, classism and homophobia, its connections to our own grievously fractured world vivid, stark and startling.
   1. Event Dates:
      1. Sunday 2/6 at 7:30pm
      2. Tuesday 2/8 at 7:30pm
      3. Wednesday 2/9 at 7:30pm
   2. Event Location: Theatre for a New Audience at Polonsky Shakespeare Center

7. Recap – Attention Senior and Families of Seniors: Information re: College Workshops and Scholarships from Mr. Gonzalez: See the updates below from our College & Career Readiness Team!

• College Application Update: As of January 28th, 76% of seniors have applied to college.  Congrats to the following students for recently submitting their applications!
  • Ryan Parker
  • Zaveion Hoyte
  • Joshua Lewis
• College Acceptances: As of January 28th, 43% of the Class of 2022 have been offered admission to at least one college!  We are still very early in the admissions process – typically, colleges offer admission during the early spring months (March, April), so this is truly special.  Congratulations to the following students on their recent acceptances!
  • Jasmin Quamina (SUNY Brockport) with a $8,000 Scholarship
  • Antwon Dacosta (SUNY University at Buffalo’s engineering program)
  • Melody Roy (SUNY Oneonta) with a FULL RIDE!
  • Julius Cabrera (SUNY Potsdam)
  • Marquis Greene St. Louis (SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Morrisville, and SUNY Buffalo State College)
  • Cierra Newkirk (SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY Albany, and St. Francis College)
  • Jennifer Smith (Clark University) with a $20,000 scholarship
  • Shanice McBean (SUNY Purchase)
  • Sincere Baptiste (SUNY Oneonta)
  • Joel Watson (SUNY New Paltz)
  • Aisha Blades (SUNY Oswego)
  • Malika Saphy-Perret (SUNY Oneonta and SUNY University at Buffalo)
  • Zavieon Hoyte (Alfred State College)
• College/Career Application Information: FAFSA/TAP – These two applications for financial aid can earn students almost $12,000 in free money for college!  Please contact Mr. Gonzalez immediately to get support in submitting either of them.  The State University of New York (SUNY) is also conducting free online workshops to help families submit their aid applications.  Sign up here.

8. Recap – Unity Day Festivities at our Middle School!: Staff and students engaged in an afternoon of community-building festivities this last month, including a door decorating contest among Advisories and a range of games and fun events.  Enjoy the photos below!

9. Recap – An Advisory Outing at our High School!: As a part of our Advisory events last Friday, our 9th grade class took part in the seasonally festive event of ice-skating at Prospect Park.  Of course, hot chocolate was also in the mix!  Thank you to Ms. Eason, Ms. Terry, and others for making the event possible.

10. Recap – Free Resources for Unity Families: Unity’s social work team is always looking for opportunities that may be helpful and of interest to our families.  Two such opportunities are provided below.  Reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio, Unity’s Director of Social Work, with questions.

• Free Parenting Classes and Resources: The Parenting Resource Center at Catholic Guardian Services offers a free 4-week class for expectant parents and those with children aged 0-3 months. Classes are offered in English and Spanish, and cover topics including self care, breastfeeding, safe sleep, and more. All participants are eligible to receive a free crib. The Parent Resource Center also offers support with immigration, housing, childcare support services, and more. Learn more here.
• Get Covered – Apply for Health Insurance for 2022: Visit NY State of Health or call (855) 355-5777 to get free, one-on-one help enrolling in health insurance plans including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and more. Open enrollment continues through January 31, 2022. Learn more here.

11. Recap – Footage from our Zoom Session on January 12th regarding our Revised Safety Protocols: Thank you to our families who participated in our recent Zoom session regarding our revised safety protocols. This includes our moves to provide increased testing and our adoption of the NYCDOE’s test-to-stay policy.  If you missed Wednesday’s session, here is a recording and here are the informational slides.  Any questions regarding our revised protocols may be directed to covid@unityprep.org.

12. Recap – How to Obtain Free COVID Home Tests:  Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. The website is here:  https://special.usps.com/testkits.  Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our high school students on showing off all that they have learned over the past few months on their quarter 2 final exams this past week.  In addition, kudos to our middle school students for demonstrating their newly developed reading and math skills on their winter Star exams.  As a school that is keenly focused on the long-term growth for all students, we look forward to celebrating the new skills demonstrated by students.  Moreover, we look forward to continuing to identify and implement best practices that result in 100% of our students experiencing positive growth and reaching their potential as learners.

In this week’s edition of The Unity Scoop, I bring to you information on forthcoming events during the month of February.  I also spotlight a number of festivities from this past week   Finally, I feature the recent good work and accomplishments of our students in classrooms and beyond!

I wish you a warm and restful weekend.

Best regards,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of January 29, 2022:

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 mathematician applying the strategies they are learning in math classes.  In the first photo below, a 7th grader is using a number line to practice inverse operations when solving equations.  In the second photo, a 6th grade mathematician is using manipulatives in math to practice integers in 6th-grade math.

2. New – February 2022 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of February – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door!  It is possible that events could change and/or new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  Note the following important notifications for this coming week:

• Feb. 1st (Tuesday) – Regular day of classes for all Unity students (note: Unity is in session even through NYCDOE schools are not)
• Feb. 4th (Friday) –
  • Grades 6-8: Regular day of classes for middle school students
  • Grades 9-12: No classes for high school students (workshop day for staff)
• Feb. 4th (Friday) – Coffee with High School Principals (via Zoom) at 10:45am: Link

3. New – Unity Student-Athletes in Action!: Unity’s athletic program and teams have had a busy few weeks, with a number of highlights that Mr. Coleman and Mr. Noblia would like to celebrate.  Recent accomplishment include:

• Unity’s MS boys basketball team won their first game of the season, 24-20.
• Unity’s MS girls basketball team won their first basketball game of the season, 33-32.
• Sariah Wilson, 6th grader, set a Unity MS record for points in a game, with 24 points!
• Unity HS step team placed 3rd in their competition and earned an invitation to Nationals.
• Nicholas Thomas, 6th grader, was accepted into the BTS NYC Junior League Academy to wrestle until the end of the school year.

4. New – Attention Senior and Families of Seniors: Information re: College Workshops and Scholarships from Mr. Gonzalez: See the updates below from our College & Career Readiness Team!

• College Application Update: As of January 28th, 76% of seniors have applied to college.  Congrats to the following students for recently submitting their applications!
  • Ryan Parker
  • Zaveion Hoyte
  • Joshua Lewis
• College Acceptances: As of January 28th, 43% of the Class of 2022 have been offered admission to at least one college!  We are still very early in the admissions process – typically, colleges offer admission during the early spring months (March, April), so this is truly special.  Congratulations to the following students on their recent acceptances!
  • Jasmin Quamina (SUNY Brockport) with a $8,000 Scholarship
  • Antwon Dacosta (SUNY University at Buffalo’s engineering program)
  • Melody Roy (SUNY Oneonta) with a FULL RIDE!
  • Julius Cabrera (SUNY Potsdam)
  • Marquis Greene St. Louis (SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Morrisville, and SUNY Buffalo State College)
  • Cierra Newkirk (SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Plattsburgh, SUNY University at Buffalo, SUNY Albany, and St. Francis College)
  • Jennifer Smith (Clark University) with a $20,000 scholarship
  • Shanice McBean (SUNY Purchase)
  • Sincere Baptiste (SUNY Oneonta)
  • Joel Watson (SUNY New Paltz)
  • Aisha Blades (SUNY Oswego)
  • Malika Saphy-Perret (SUNY Oneonta and SUNY University at Buffalo)
  • Zavieon Hoyte (Alfred State College)
• College/Career Application Information: FAFSA/TAP – These two applications for financial aid can earn students almost $12,000 in free money for college!  Please contact Mr. Gonzalez immediately to get support in submitting either of them.  The State University of New York (SUNY) is also conducting free online workshops to help families submit their aid applications.  Sign up here.

5. New – Unity Day Festivities at our Middle School!: Staff and students engaged in an afternoon of community-building festivities this past Wednesday, including a door decorating contest among Advisories and a range of games and fun events.  Enjoy the photos below!

6. New – An Advisory Outing at our High School!: As a part of our Advisory events last Friday, our 9th grade class took part in the seasonally festive event of ice-skating at Prospect Park.  Of course, hot chocolate was also in the mix!  Thank you to Ms. Eason, Ms. Terry, and others for making the event possible.

7. New – Upcoming Virtual Open House for Prospective Unity Families, Wednesday, 2/16, 6pm: Unity invites prospective families from elementary schools across Brooklyn to join us for an informative, and engaging virtual event. Prospective families will get to hear from school leaders, staff, and stakeholders of Unity. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about all the amazing resources Unity has to offer.  Here is the RSVP form and the Zoom Meeting link.  Please take a moment and forward the RSVP to families of 5th grade students in your networks!

8. New – Free Resources for Unity Families: Unity’s social work team is always looking for opportunities that may be helpful and of interest to our families.  Two such opportunities are provided below.  Reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio, Unity’s Director of Social Work, with questions.

• Free Parenting Classes and Resources: The Parenting Resource Center at Catholic Guardian Services offers a free 4-week class for expectant parents and those with children aged 0-3 months. Classes are offered in English and Spanish, and cover topics including self care, breastfeeding, safe sleep, and more. All participants are eligible to receive a free crib. The Parent Resource Center also offers support with immigration, housing, childcare support services, and more. Learn more here.
• Get Covered – Apply for Health Insurance for 2022: Visit NY State of Health or call (855) 355-5777 to get free, one-on-one help enrolling in health insurance plans including Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and more. Open enrollment continues through January 31, 2022. Learn more here.

9. Recap – Footage from our Zoom Session on January 12th regarding our Revised Safety Protocols: Thank you to our families who participated in our recent Zoom session regarding our revised safety protocols. This includes our moves to provide increased testing and our adoption of the NYCDOE’s test-to-stay policy.  If you missed Wednesday’s session, here is a recording and here are the informational slides.  Any questions regarding our revised protocols may be directed to covid@unityprep.org.

10. Recap – How to Obtain Free COVID Home Tests:  Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. The website is here:  https://special.usps.com/testkits.  Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.

Dear Families of Unity,

First and foremost, I want to thank our entire community, including our staff, families, and students, for contributing to a healthy return to in-person learning at Unity under our new safety protocols and policies.

It has been enormously gratifying to be back in our buildings together to engage our students in learning alongside their peers.  This is where we are at our best in providing the best educational experience for your children.

In this week’s edition of The Unity Scoop, I bring to you information about upcoming assessments, COVID testing resources, along with college & career readiness updates.  I also want to spotlight the good work of our students and teachers back in classrooms this week!

I wish you and your loved ones a warm, healthy, restful weekend.

Best regards,

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of January 21, 2022:

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 6th grade writers hard at work on their literary essays! In the photo below, Ms. Jenkins and Ms. Robinson are teaching students how to find the most compelling evidence by rereading a story through the lens of their claim.  Special shout out to this group for picking up where we left off!

2. New – High School Interim Assessments to Be Administered on January 25th-28th: From Tuesday through Friday of this coming week, Unity students in grades 9-12 will take the final interim assessments (IAs) of Quarter 2 in their classes.  During these days, students will have an alternate schedule.  Schedules will be emailed to families via Jupiter today.  Please support your student at home over the course of the week by checking in with them about their schedule, encouraging them to study their review materials, asking them about their day and how their week is going, and ensuring that they arrive to classes on time and are staying healthy and well-rested.

3. New – Middle School STAR Testing on Wednesday, 1/26:  Students at our middle school will take their second round of STAR assessments in both reading and math next Wednesday, 1/26.  These short, computer adaptive tests will allow us to measure student progress and growth since the fall.  We will have a webinar in early February to discuss student results and growth with families.

4. New – Footage from our Zoom Session on January 12th regarding our Revised Safety Protocols: Thank you to our families who participated in our recent Zoom session regarding our revised safety protocols. This includes our moves to provide increased testing and our adoption of the NYCDOE’s test-to-stay policy.  If you missed Wednesday’s session, here is a recording and here are the informational slides.  Any questions regarding our revised protocols may be directed to covid@unityprep.org.

5. New – Attention Senior and Families of Seniors: Information re: College Workshops and Scholarships from Mr. Gonzalez: See the updates below from our College & Career Readiness Team!

• College Application Update: As of January 13th, 67% of seniors have applied to college!  There is still time to complete and submit applications for next year.  Seniors – please contact Mr. Gonzalez immediately to submit your applications!
• College Acceptances: As of January 13th, 28% of seniors have already been accepted to at least one college!  This is very early in the process; colleges usually do not announce acceptances until March or April.  A number of students have also been awarded scholarships by schools that have accepted their applications.  We are so proud of them!  So far, students have been accepted to: Clark University, Hampton University, Marist College, St. Francis College, SUNY Albany, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Buffalo State College, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Old Westbury, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Oswego, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Potsdam, SUNY Purchase, SUNY University at Buffalo, Temple University, and Quinnipiac University.
• College/Career Application Information: FAFSA/TAP – These two applications for financial aid can get students almost $12,000 in free money for college!  Please contact Mr. Gonzalez immediately to get support in submitting either of them.  The State University of New York (SUNY) is also conducting free online workshops to help families submit their aid applications.  Sign up here.

6. New – How to Obtain Free COVID Home Tests:  Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. The website is here:  https://special.usps.com/testkits.  Here’s what you need to know about your order:

• Limit of one order per residential address
• One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
• Orders will ship free starting in late January

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may make plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.

Dear Families of Unity,

I want to begin by conveying my best wishes to all of our families in the New Year.

I also want to thank our families who participated in Wednesday’s evening’s Zoom session regarding our revised safety protocols as we resume in-person learning this coming Tuesday, January 18th.  This includes our moves to provide increased testing and our adoption of the NYCDOE’s test-to-stay policy.  With these changes, we aim to resume in-person learning for all of our students in the safest and most consistent manner possible.

If you missed Wednesday’s session, here is a recording and here are the informational slides.  As you know, we are providing test kits to all of our families today.  Please review these materials at your earliest convenience so that you are up-to-date on updated protocols and actions to be taken prior to Tuesday.  Families may pick up kits at our middle school or high school between 9am and 3pm today; instructions on how to administer a test at home are available via this video. 

To ensure the safest possible return to school, we are asking that families have children tested between now and Monday, January 17th, and to submit proof of a negative test result using this form by Monday at 5pm.  $10 Amazon gift cards will be provided to all families that submit valid test results.

Finally, I want to thank all of our families for having their children vaccinated and, if eligible, boosted over the December break.  As I mentioned in our last edition of The Scoop in December, the degree to which our entire community is fully vaccinated and boosted will directly impact our ability to safely operate school without disruption to learning in the coming weeks and months.  This is a cause worth acting on immediately and I applaud you for doing your part.

We are excited to reconnect with your children in person on Tuesday morning.  I wish you and your loved one a safe and joyous long weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his lasting legacy.

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard
Head of School / Co-founder

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

2021-22 School Year Vacation Calendar for Students and other Key Dates: So that you may begin making plans for the year, with our school schedule in mind, the table below provides the vacation dates for students and families for the 2021-22 school year.  Students will not report to school on these dates.  Moreover, here are a few important notes regarding next year’s calendar:

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/.

Update on P-EBT Benefits for Families:  New York State is providing Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) food benefits to all households with children who are eligible to receive free school lunch under the National School Lunch Act and whose school was closed or operating with reduced in-school attendance due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 academic year. Issuance of the food benefit will continue for several months, due to the large number of eligible children and schools participating in the National School Lunch Program across the state. For additional information visit NYSOTDA P-EBT Benefits Information Page.

• If your child(ren) is eligible and has not received P-EBT benefit by November 2021, you may fill out the P-EBT Information Form.
• If you have misplaced a P-EBT Food Benefit card issued to your child[ren), you may order a replacement card by calling 1-888-328-6399.  If your child(ren) received P-EBT benefits on a Medicaid card and you need to order a replacement NYS Medicaid card or select a PIN, go to otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/P-EBT-Medicaid-Card-PIN-Instructions.asp for more information.
• Once you have set up a PIN to access your P-EBT food benefits, you can check your family’s P-EBT food benefits balance by visiting www.connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

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.

NYC Rental Assistance Program – The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) is a new program that will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. If you know of somebody who might be eligible for the program, please encourage them to learn more or apply here.