Dear Families of Unity,

I hope you enjoyed the warmer temperatures this week—spring is finally here!

I want to begin by congratulating our newest Unity families who were accepted through our lottery on Wednesday afternoon. We are excited to welcome you to our community and look forward to partnering with you in the years ahead.

I also want to congratulate our high school students for completing their Quarter 3 interim assessments—an important milestone that reflects their focus, effort, and continued growth.

Finally, I’m excited to share a major milestone with our community. This past year, Unity High achieved an 84% college-going rate—one of the highest in Brooklyn and the highest among charter schools in the borough. In other words, a greater percentage of our recent Class of 2025 graduates enrolled in college this last fall than any other charter high school in Brooklyn. This is a significant accomplishment, and we are incredibly proud of our students, staff, and families—and eager to build on this momentum.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we highlight our middle school students preparing for state exams, student-athletes, and staff in-action,.

Wishing you a joyful and restful spring break. We look forward to coming back together as a community on April 13th!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of April 2, 2026:

1. New – Congratulations to Our Newly Admitted Unity Families!

We are excited to share that our 2026–27 admissions lottery has been completed, and we extend a warm congratulations to all newly admitted students and families! We are thrilled to welcome you into the Unity community and look forward to partnering with you in the years ahead.

Next Step: Schedule Your Enrollment Meeting
If you are a new family that was accepted in the lottery, please schedule your enrollment phone call appointment using the link below. During this call, we will review key information, complete required paperwork, and ensure a smooth transition to Unity.

New families: schedule your enrollment meeting by clicking here!

If you have any questions or need support along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing cbeckford@unityprep.org. We’re excited to welcome you and support your family every step of the way.

Welcome to Unity!

2. New – Rising to the Challenge: Our Middle School Readers & Writers Prepare to Shine!

Our middle school ELA students have been hard at work refining their reading and writing skills in preparation for this month’s state exam. We’re proud of the focus, stamina, and determination they’ve shown as they push themselves to be their very best.

This is a moment for students to showcase the growth and skills they’ve developed all year long, and we’re excited to celebrate their efforts at our upcoming pep rally on April 17th!

3. New – Shoutout to Mr. Kaiser for Sharing Best Practices!

Unity High’s Senior Director of Support Services, Mr. Kaiser, was recently featured in an article on effective co-teaching, highlighting strong collaboration through shared ownership, intentional planning, and both teachers actively leading instruction. Congratulations to Mr. Kaiser on this well-deserved recognition! He is a tremendous asset to our school and to all of our students.

4. New – The Spring Season is Upon Us and Our Panther Athletes Are Hard at Practice!

Unity’s student-athletes took full advantage of the warmer weather this week, getting outside to train, build chemistry, and sharpen their skills. It’s been great to see our Panthers bringing energy, focus, and pride to every practice as they prepare for a strong spring season ahead.

5. Recap – AP Seminar: College-Level Thinking in Action!

This week, our AP Seminar scholars delivered powerful, college-level presentations on complex, real-world issues—from AI and the workforce to teen mental health and pet ownership within unhoused populations—demonstrating both intellectual curiosity and a deep commitment to understanding the world.

As part of the College Board AP Seminar course, students engage in rigorous, college-style work—analyzing multiple perspectives, synthesizing research, and presenting evidence-based arguments through formal presentations and academic writing. These performance tasks are central to the AP assessment, and strong performance can lead to college credit or advanced placement in courses at many universities.

Our scholars rose to the challenge with clarity, confidence, and professionalism. We are incredibly proud of the depth of thinking and real-world connections they are building as they prepare for success beyond high school.

6. Recap – April 2026 Schoolwide 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.

7. Recap – Parent Workshops: A Resource for Unity Families!

Unity families are invited to take advantage of free, online parent workshops offered by Marble Health, shared as a helpful resource by our Director of Social Work, Ms. Del Purgatorio. These workshops are developed by clinician and researcher Annie Graham and are held via Zoom, with live captioning available in 35 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Russian, to ensure broad accessibility for our families.

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

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

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

10. Recap – Join our New Unity Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

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

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful week.

Looking ahead, we have a busy and exciting four-day week filled with learning, celebration, and key milestones across our school community. Our middle school will engage in Spirit Week while continuing to prepare for upcoming state exams, and our high school students will continue Interim Assessments on Monday and Tuesday.

In addition, on Wednesday, we will hold our annual admissions lottery. We encourage our families to spread the word to those seeking an excellent middle or high school experience and to apply by Tuesday, March 31st. Please note that there will be no school on Friday as we begin Spring Break.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we highlight our high school AP Seminar students in action and encourage families to attend two exciting school events tomorrow—see details below. We also share our April calendar, a referral reminder for the admissions lottery, a full list of our Semester I Honor Roll students, our PRIDE Points leaders, details on middle school Spirit Week, and a spotlight on our Unity High climbers in action.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of March 27, 2026:

1. New – AP Seminar: College-Level Thinking in Action!

This week, our AP Seminar scholars delivered powerful, college-level presentations on complex, real-world issues—from AI and the workforce to teen mental health and pet ownership within unhoused populations—demonstrating both intellectual curiosity and a deep commitment to understanding the world.

As part of the College Board AP Seminar course, students engage in rigorous, college-style work—analyzing multiple perspectives, synthesizing research, and presenting evidence-based arguments through formal presentations and academic writing. These performance tasks are central to the AP assessment, and strong performance can lead to college credit or advanced placement in courses at many universities.

Our scholars rose to the challenge with clarity, confidence, and professionalism. We are incredibly proud of the depth of thinking and real-world connections they are building as they prepare for success beyond high school.

2. New – Lady Panthers Championship Run Continues!

Our Lady Panthers Basketball Team are headed to the championship game for the second year in a row and are looking to bring home our third championship in four years!

Come out and show your support as they compete for the title and represent Unity with pride.

Game Details:

• Location: 1485 Pacific Street, Brooklyn, NY
• Time: 11:00 AM, Saturday
• Entry Fee: $5

Let’s pack the stands and cheer on our Lady Panthers!

3. New – Rising Royals Step Team Takes the Stage This Saturday!

We’re excited to share that our Rising Royals Step Team will be competing this Saturday, March 28th at Mecca Dynasty’s Battle of the Throne! The event will take place at MS 61.

Our scholars have been working incredibly hard and are ready to bring their energy, talent, and commitment to the stage. We’d love for our community to come out and cheer them on!

Event Details:

• Doors Open: 2:30 PM Saturday
• Tickets: $15 (sold at the door)

Let’s show up strong and support our Royals!

4. Updated – Attention Unity Families!  Unity’s Admissions Lottery to Take Place in Less than Than a Week – Spread the Word!

Our 2026–27 school year admissions lottery is scheduled for April 1st, just under two weeks away. To be part of the admissions lottery, new families must submit an application by March 31st. This is your last chance to encourage friends, family, neighbors, and community members to experience all that Unity offers as a small and mighty school.

Become a Unity Connector today by getting the word out about our school and all that it offers. Learn more about our UnityConnect program here and submit your referrals here.

5. New – April 2026 Schoolwide 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.

6. Updated – Congratulations to Our Honor Roll Students for Quarter 2!:

A huge shoutout to our 6th-12th grade students who achieved Honor Roll status in Quarter 2! Your dedication, perseverance, and commitment to learning and growth are truly commendable. Your hard work is paying off—take pride in your accomplishments and keep striving for excellence!

7. Recap – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders as of the Month:

Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community.  They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce. 

The students listed below are our leaders from the month of February, 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.

8. Recap – Unity Middle School’s Spirit Week Is Coming!

We’re excited to kick off Spirit Week at our middle school—a time to bring our best selves and celebrate our school spirit. Throughout the week of March 30th, students will enjoy themed dress days, activities rooted in our Core Values, and fun community-building events that bring out the best of our school. Check out the flyer below for themes and details!

9. Recap – Unity High’s Climbing Club Reach New Heights!

Led by Mr. Pakter, our Climbing Club is building strength, confidence, and community as students take on new challenges at local gyms. From learning belaying to tackling new routes, climbers are pushing past limits and supporting one another every step of the way. Enjoy the photos below of our climbers in action!

10. Recap – Thank you for Taking Part in our Recent Family Ambassadors Meeting!

We invite all Unity families to join us for our upcoming Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, March 19th, at 6pm on Zoom. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow families, share ideas, and help strengthen our school community. We look forward to seeing you there!

11. Recap – Unity Middle Rated Excellent by NYC Public Schools!

We are proud to share that Unity Middle was one of just two middle schools in our district to be rated Excellent in Instruction and Performance by NYC Public Schools. This distinction reflects the dedication of our teachers, the partnership of our families, and the hard work and growth of our students. Congratulations to our entire Unity community on this outstanding achievement!

12. Recap – Parent Workshops: A Resource for Unity Families!

Unity families are invited to take advantage of free, online parent workshops offered by Marble Health, shared as a helpful resource by our Director of Social Work, Ms. Del Purgatorio. These workshops are developed by clinician and researcher Annie Graham and are held via Zoom, with live captioning available in 35 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Russian, to ensure broad accessibility for our families.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. Recap – Join our New Unity Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

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

I hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful week.

It’s been a short but productive week of learning, both in and beyond our classrooms.

Looking ahead to next week, our middle school students will engage in the third week of state exam preparation while our high school students will begin their Quarter 3 Interim Assessments.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we share referral information for our upcoming admissions lottery, highlights from this past week, a full listing of our Semester I Honor Roll students, our PRIDE Points leaders, details on the middle school’s upcoming Spirit Week, and a spotlight on our Unity High’s climbers in action.

Please be reminded that there will be no school tomorrow in observance of Eid al-Fitr. We wish all members of our community who are celebrating a joyful and peaceful holiday.

Eid Mubarak! May this special time bring happiness, reflection, and connection with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday.

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of March 19, 2026:

1. New – Attention Unity Families!  Unity’s Admissions Lottery to Take Place in Less than Two Weeks – Spread the Word!

Our 2026–27 school year admissions lottery is scheduled for April 1st, just under two weeks away. To be part of the admissions lottery, new families must submit an application by March 31st. This is your last chance to encourage friends, family, neighbors, and community members to experience all that Unity offers as a small and mighty school.

Become a Unity Connector today by getting the word out about our school and all that it offers. Learn more about our UnityConnect program here and submit your referrals here.

2. New – Classroom Spotlight this Week: Coding Creativity at Unity Prep!

In our Intro to Coding classes, students are designing their own education apps on topics important to them. From Salif’s app teaching users about Eid to Jayda’s sports-focused app, scholars are combining creativity with foundational coding skills to build meaningful, real-world projects.

Meanwhile, our AP Computer Science students are deep in development on their Create Task apps—designing programs that process data and generate outputs based on user input, a key milestone in their AP coursework.

We’re excited to share more next week as these projects continue to take shape!

3. New – Congratulations to Our Honor Roll Students for Quarter 2!: A huge shoutout to our 6th-12th grade students who achieved Honor Roll status in Quarter 2! Your dedication, perseverance, and commitment to learning and growth are truly commendable. Your hard work is paying off—take pride in your accomplishments and keep striving for excellence!

4. New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders as of the Month: Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community.  They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce. 

The students listed below are our leaders from the month of February, 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 – Unity Middle School’s Spirit Week Is Coming!

We’re excited to kick off Spirit Week at our middle school—a time to bring our best selves and celebrate our school spirit. Throughout the week of March 30th, students will enjoy themed dress days, activities rooted in our Core Values, and fun community-building events that bring out the best of our school. Check out the flyer below for themes and details!

6. New – Unity High’s Climbing Club Reach New Heights!

Led by Mr. Pakter, our Climbing Club is building strength, confidence, and community as students take on new challenges at local gyms. From learning belaying to tackling new routes, climbers are pushing past limits and supporting one another every step of the way. Enjoy the photos below of our climbers in action!

7. Recap – Congrats to Unity’s Students of the Month!

Kudos to our Students of the Month for February!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship and citizenship!

8. Recap – Join Us for Our Next Family Ambassadors Meeting, Thursday, March 19th!

We invite all Unity families to join us for our upcoming Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, March 19th, at 6pm on Zoom. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow families, share ideas, and help strengthen our school community. We look forward to seeing you there!

9. Recap –  Unity Athletics in Action and We Salute our Student-Athletes of the Month!

Unity’s basketball and cheer teams have been hard at work and enjoyed great success over the past two weeks. We congratulate them on their recent achievements and wish them the best as they advance to the playoffs! In addition, we celebrate our February Student-Athletes of the Month.

10. Recap – Unity Middle Rated Excellent by NYC Public Schools!

We are proud to share that Unity Middle was one of just two middle schools in our district to be rated Excellent in Instruction and Performance by NYC Public Schools. This distinction reflects the dedication of our teachers, the partnership of our families, and the hard work and growth of our students. Congratulations to our entire Unity community on this outstanding achievement!

11. Recap – March 2026 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.

12. Recap – Parent Workshops: A Resource for Unity Families!

Unity families are invited to take advantage of free, online parent workshops offered by Marble Health, shared as a helpful resource by our Director of Social Work, Ms. Del Purgatorio. These workshops are developed by clinician and researcher Annie Graham and are held via Zoom, with live captioning available in 35 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Russian, to ensure broad accessibility for our families.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

16. Recap – Join our New Unity Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

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

Dear Families of Unity,

Thank you to our middle school families who joined us for conferences yesterday and today. These conversations are an important opportunity to reflect on student progress, celebrate accomplishments, and strengthen the partnership between school and home. We are grateful for the time you took to connect with teachers and advisors, and we deeply value the collaboration that helps ensure every student continues to grow and thrive at Unity.

High school family conferences will take place on April 16th and 17th, and we look forward to connecting with our high school families then.

In addition to conferences, we also celebrated Pi Day and all of the math magic it brings. To mark the occasion, a number of our educators volunteered to be—well—pied by our young mathematicians. We appreciate Mr. McCray (featured below) and our other fun-loving educators who made the day memorable for our students.

Looking ahead to the coming week, our Family Ambassadors will meet on Thursday evening (details below), and there will be no school on Friday in recognition of Eid al-Fitr.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we’re excited to share several highlights from across our community. This week, we celebrate our February Students of the Month and recognize the accomplishments of our Unity student-athletes.

Thank you for being such an important part of the Unity community. Your partnership, support, and engagement make our school stronger every day.

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of March 14, 2026:

1. New – Brooklyn Roots, Boundless Futures: Unity Scholars Celebrate Identity While Preparing for State Exams!

Unity Prep Middle School transformed its spaces this week with the theme “Brooklyn Roots, Boundless Futures.” From brownstone-inspired hallway displays to Brooklyn Bridge artwork and student vision boards, scholars are celebrating their Brooklyn identity while imagining the possibilities ahead as they prepare for upcoming state exams.

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

Kudos to our Students of the Month for February!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship and citizenship!

3. New – Join Us for Our Next Family Ambassadors Meeting, Thursday, March 19th!

We invite all Unity families to join us for our upcoming Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, March 19th, at 6pm on Zoom. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow families, share ideas, and help strengthen our school community. We look forward to seeing you there!

4. New –  Unity Athletics in Action and We Salute our Student-Athletes of the Month!

Unity’s basketball and cheer teams have been hard at work and enjoyed great success over the past two weeks. We congratulate them on their recent achievements and wish them the best as they advance to the playoffs! In addition, we celebrate our February Student-Athletes of the Month.

5. Recap – Unity Artists Bring History to Life Through Art

Our Unity student artists have been hard at work creating pieces in honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, exploring the stories and contributions of influential leaders through their art. We look forward to sharing their work with the community at an upcoming exhibition!

6. Recap – Unity 8th Graders Visit the Jewish Heritage Museum!

Our 8th grade U.S. History students visited the Jewish Heritage Museum this week, bringing their classroom studies to life as they explored exhibits that highlight the experiences of Holocaust survivors and the enduring lessons of courage, resilience, and remembrance.

7. Recap – Unity High Hosts Welcome Dinner for Prospective Families!

Unity High was pleased to host prospective students and their families for a welcome dinner this week. The evening provided an opportunity for guests to learn more about our school community, connect with members of our team, and experience the warmth and spirit that define Unity. We were grateful to spend time together and look forward to continuing the conversation with families in the weeks ahead!

8. Recap – Congratulations to our Middle School Honor Roll Students for Semester 1!  Congrats to our students in grades 6–8 who earned Honor Roll status in the first semester of the school year! Your consistent hard work, organization, and eagerness to learn and develop new skills are paying off. Be proud of your accomplishments and stay the course!

9. Recap – Congratulations to Our February i-Ready Challenge Winners!

We are excited to recognize the winners of our January i-Ready Challenge! Throughout the month, students demonstrated #progress and #integrity as they worked to strengthen their academic skills.

Congratulations to all students highlighted below—we look forward to recognizing our March winners in just a few weeks!

Congratulations to our winning students for Reading

6th Grade: Rabial Islam, 207 minutes

7th Grade: Amar’e Jones, 223 minutes

8th Grade: Edwin Coronado, 178 minutes

Congratulations to our winning students for Math

6th Grade: Alpha Jalloh, 139 minutes

7th Grade: Joshua Eckstein, 151 minutes

8th Grade: Miranda Lam, 259 minutes

10. Recap – Perfect Attendance from February!

The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance this past month.  Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day!  And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

11. Recap – Unity Middle Rated Excellent by NYC Public Schools!

We are proud to share that Unity Middle was one of just two middle schools in our district to be rated Excellent in Instruction and Performance by NYC Public Schools. This distinction reflects the dedication of our teachers, the partnership of our families, and the hard work and growth of our students. Congratulations to our entire Unity community on this outstanding achievement!

12. Recap – March 2026 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.

13. Recap – Become a Unity Connector Today!

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

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

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

14. Recap – Parent Workshops: A Resource for Unity Families!

Unity families are invited to take advantage of free, online parent workshops offered by Marble Health, shared as a helpful resource by our Director of Social Work, Ms. Del Purgatorio. These workshops are developed by clinician and researcher Annie Graham and are held via Zoom, with live captioning available in 35 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Russian, to ensure broad accessibility for our families.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18. Recap – Join our New Unity Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

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

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope the first week of March has been good to you and your loved ones. With longer days and hints of warmer weather, it certainly feels like spring is beginning to make its way into the air.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we’re excited to share a variety of recent Unity highlights! We spotlight the creativity of our student artists, share highlights from recent field trips, and recap our welcome dinner for prospective high school students and their families. We also shout-out our Honor Roll students, recognize our February i-Ready Challenge winners, and celebrate our attendance leaders for their strong commitment to showing up and doing their best each day.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to welcome our middle school families for conferences on Thursday and Friday – see details below. In addition, spring athletics tryouts will take place on Monday and Tuesday, and we look forward to seeing many of our student-athletes out on the field and courts as the spring season gets underway.

Additionally, we recognized School Social Workers Appreciation Week this past week and took a moment to honor and appreciate our incredible social workers. On behalf of the Unity community, I extend my deepest gratitude to Ms. Del Purgatorio and Ms. Brookins for their unwavering dedication, advocacy, and support of our students and families. We are truly fortunate to have such passionate and skilled professionals strengthening our community each day.

Enjoy the weekend, and don’t forget to set your clocks forward for daylight saving time.

Here’s to the continued momentum of the semester—and to the promise of spring just around the corner.

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of March 7, 2026:

1. New – Unity Artists Bring History to Life Through Art

Our Unity student artists have been hard at work creating pieces in honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, exploring the stories and contributions of influential leaders through their art. We look forward to sharing their work with the community at an upcoming exhibition!

2. New – Unity 8th Graders Visit the Jewish Heritage Museum!

Our 8th grade U.S. History students visited the Jewish Heritage Museum this week, bringing their classroom studies to life as they explored exhibits that highlight the experiences of Holocaust survivors and the enduring lessons of courage, resilience, and remembrance.

3. New – Unity High Hosts Welcome Dinner for Prospective Families!

Unity High was pleased to host prospective students and their families for a welcome dinner this week. The evening provided an opportunity for guests to learn more about our school community, connect with members of our team, and experience the warmth and spirit that define Unity. We were grateful to spend time together and look forward to continuing the conversation with families in the weeks ahead!

4. New – Congratulations to our Middle School Honor Roll Students for Semester 1!  Congrats to our students in grades 6–8 who earned Honor Roll status in the first semester of the school year! Your consistent hard work, organization, and eagerness to learn and develop new skills are paying off. Be proud of your accomplishments and stay the course!

5. New – Congratulations to Our February i-Ready Challenge Winners!

We are excited to recognize the winners of our January i-Ready Challenge! Throughout the month, students demonstrated #progress and #integrity as they worked to strengthen their academic skills.

Congratulations to all students highlighted below—we look forward to recognizing our March winners in just a few weeks!

Congratulations to our winning students for Reading

6th Grade: Rabial Islam, 207 minutes

7th Grade: Amar’e Jones, 223 minutes

8th Grade: Edwin Coronado, 178 minutes

Congratulations to our winning students for Math

6th Grade: Alpha Jalloh, 139 minutes

7th Grade: Joshua Eckstein, 151 minutes

8th Grade: Miranda Lam, 259 minutes

6. New – Perfect Attendance from February!

The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance this past month.  Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day!  And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

7. Recap – Unity Middle Rated Excellent by NYC Public Schools!

We are proud to share that Unity Middle was one of just two middle schools in our district to be rated Excellent in Instruction and Performance by NYC Public Schools. This distinction reflects the dedication of our teachers, the partnership of our families, and the hard work and growth of our students. Congratulations to our entire Unity community on this outstanding achievement!

8. Recap – Unity Students’ Talents Shine during our Annual Dare to be Bold Celebration!

Unity students proudly and boldly took to the stage this past week to showcase their talents and honor Black History Month! From our Cheer Team, Step Team, Drumline, and Dance students to our individual performing artists, an abundance of talent, pride, and Panther spirit was on full display.

9. Recap – March 2026 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.

10. Recap – Middle School Spring Family Conferences, March 12th-13th!

We are excited to hold our middle school spring family conferences on Thursday, March 12th (in-person evening hours, 4-7pm) and Friday, March 13th (virtual hours on Zoom, 3-6pm).  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. All students whose families participate in conferences will be awarded 10 Pride Points.  If you have any questions or need additional support, call Unity’s main office at 718-455-5046.

11. Recap – Unity’s Celebrates the Restoration of our High School Gym with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony!

We are proud to share that we have officially completed the restoration of our high school gym following the damage caused by heavy rain and flooding this fall. Just before February break, students, staff, families, and supporters gathered to commemorate this important milestone and celebrate the reopening of a space that means so much to our community.

We applaud our entire Unity community for rallying in support of this effort — truly, there is Strength in Unity.

12. Recap – Thank you for Taking Part in our Recent Family Ambassadors Meeting!

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

You can find the meeting agenda and slides linked here. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting on Thursday, March 19th!

13. Recap – Become a Unity Connector Today!

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

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

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

14. Recap – Parent Workshops: A Resource for Unity Families!

Unity families are invited to take advantage of free, online parent workshops offered by Marble Health, shared as a helpful resource by our Director of Social Work, Ms. Del Purgatorio. These workshops are developed by clinician and researcher Annie Graham and are held via Zoom, with live captioning available in 35 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Russian, to ensure broad accessibility for our families.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18. Recap – Join our New Unity Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

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

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that you and your loved ones had a great week! It’s encouraging to see the temperatures outside slowly ticking up — a welcome sign as we move deeper into the semester.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we’re excited to share highlights from across our community — including students and staff hard at work in classrooms, celebrations of our Students of the Month, and recognition of our PRIDE Point Leaders for modeling our 3Bs and Core Values each day. We also spotlight our efforts hosting prospective students and families, as well as celebrate our athletic teams for their recent accomplishments.

Wishing you a healthy, joyful, and restful February break! We look forward to welcoming students back on Monday, February 23rd.

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of February 13, 2026:

1. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: In the photo below, our 6th graders are hard at work in Ms. Sylvester’s class as they dive into The Outsiders, building annotation skills that strengthen comprehension, clarify genre, and prepare them for deeper discussion and analysis. Shoutout to our Exit Ticket Superstars for modeling focus and academic excellence!

In the second photo, our middle school teachers stepped into the learner seat during a dynamic professional development session led by Ms. Terry and Ms. Gibson — complete with exit tickets, success criteria, and real-time feedback. Experiencing the power of in-the-moment feedback firsthand reinforced a core belief at Unity: when teachers grow, students benefit.

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

Kudos to our Students of the Month for January!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship and citizenship!

3. New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders as of the Month: Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community.  They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce.

The students listed below are our leaders from the month of January, being recognized by their teachers for demonstrating our Core Values.  On behalf of our school community, we are proud of these students, and look forward to continuing to shout out all of our students when they demonstrate P.R.I.D.E. in our community.

4. New – Unity Hosts Prospective Students for the 2026–27 School Year!

This week, we were excited to welcome prospective students from La Cima and Hyde as part of our ongoing outreach for the 2026–27 school year. Visitors had the chance to learn about our course programming and extracurricular offerings, meet students and staff, and get a feel for the energy and community that makes Unity special. We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with future Panthers and their families!

5. Updated – Unity Athletics Are in Full Winter Mode!

We’re thrilled to share highlights of our high school athletics teams in action, along with team photos from the 2025–26 Middle School Winter Athletics season.  Congratulations to our Middle School Cheerleading Team, who placed 4th in their first competition of the year!

Click here to see Alex’s “And-One” Dunk against Eagle Academy.

MS Girls Basketball Team

MS Boys Basketball Team

MS Table Tennis Team

MS Cheerleading Team

6. Recap – Unity Students on College Tours!

This week, our high school students had the opportunity to tour several college campuses, including Vassar College, Fordham University, and Long Island University.

During their visits, students explored college campuses, learned about academic programs and student life, and began to envision themselves in college settings. These experiences are an important part of building confidence, encouraging curiosity and questions, and helping students see what’s possible beyond high school.

7. Recap – Congratulations to Unity High’s College Now Students!

We are proud to celebrate our newest College Now students, who were accepted into this academically challenging program this past month. Through their participation in College Now, the students listed below are taking college-level courses at City Tech.

This incredible opportunity allows students to experience college life on a college campus while earning college credits toward their future academic goals—all while still in high school. We commend these students for challenging themselves and stepping outside their comfort zones, and we look forward to celebrating even more Unity students as they join the College Now program in the future!

8. Recap – Perfect Attendance from January!

The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance this past month.  Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day!  And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

9. Recap – Unity Wears Red in Support of Heart Health Awareness!

Kudos to our staff and students who wore red on Friday to show their support for heart health awareness and the fight against heart disease.  Learn more about this annual event as well as heart disease and how to reduce risks here.

10. Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Jada Wardlow, 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 Jada Wardlow ‘21!

11. Recap – Congratulations to Our January i-Ready Challenge Winners!

We are excited to recognize the winners of our January i-Ready Challenge! Throughout the month, students demonstrated #progress and #integrity as they worked to strengthen their academic skills.

Congratulations to all students highlighted below—we look forward to recognizing our February winners in just a few weeks!

12. Recap – February 2026 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 new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

13. Recap – Thank you for Taking Part in our Recent Family Ambassadors Meeting!

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

You can find the meeting agenda and slides linked here. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting on Thursday, February 26th!

14. Recap – 2025 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Lottery

SYEP provides young people aged 14-24 with paid summer jobs in a variety of fields, from retail to government agencies to nonprofits. Teenagers living in NYC  aged 14-24 can make a difference in their communities through paid project-based activities. Any young person who resides in the 5 boroughs is eligible to apply. Apply by February 27th online or by calling DYCD Community Connect at (800) 246-4646.

15. Recap – Become a Unity Connector Today!

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

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

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

16. Recap – Parent Workshops: A Resource for Unity Families!

Unity families are invited to take advantage of free, online parent workshops offered by Marble Health, shared as a helpful resource by our Director of Social Work, Ms. Del Purgatorio. These workshops are developed by clinician and researcher Annie Graham and are held via Zoom, with live captioning available in 35 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, French, and Russian, to ensure broad accessibility for our families.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

20. Recap – Join our New Unity Prep Instagram (IG) Account Today!

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

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our middle school students and educators on the successful completion of this week’s math mock exams!  Additionally, we celebrate all students and staff for reaching the milestone of completing the first semester of the school year.  As always, thank you, families, for your ongoing support and encouragement at home – it truly makes a difference!

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we’re excited to share our full February calendar along with details on upcoming events. You’ll also find important information about applying to the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) for this summer. Finally, we’re proud to recognize and celebrate our middle school student-athletes who are participating in our winter sports teams.

As you review the calendar, you’ll see that our community is honoring Black History Month with a variety of meaningful events and celebrations.  At Unity, we take pride in recognizing, celebrating, and learning about Black history every day.  February serves as a special opportunity to deepen our appreciation and pay tribute through engaging activities within our school and beyond.

Important Reminder: Unity students will not have school on Wednesday, February 4th, as our staff will be engaged in training and planning following the recent exams.  Any homework assigned for that day will be communicated by teachers.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and a great week ahead!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of January 30, 2026:

1. New – February 2026 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 new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

2. New – Unity Wears Red in Support of Heart Health Awareness!: On Friday, February 6th, Unity staff and students are invited to wear red to show their support for heart health awareness and the fight against heart disease.  We encourage all to take part!  Learn more about this annual event as well as heart disease and how to reduce risks here.

3. Updated – Unity Athletics Are in Full Winter Mode!

We’re thrilled to share our team photos from the 2025–26 Middle School Winter Athletics season!

MS Girls Basketball Team

MS Boys Basketball Team

MS Table Tennis Team

MS Cheerleading Team

Astra Cabrera – Table Tennis

• Student-Athlete’s response to earning the honor: “I am very excited and grateful!”
• Coach’s praise of the student-athlete: “Astra deserves this honor because of her perseverance and honesty.”

Leon Frasier – Boys Basketball

• Student-Athlete’s response to earning the honor: “I feel happy and grateful to be on the team.”
• Coach’s praise of the student-athlete: “He has humbly led our varsity boys basketball team this school year. He also set a school record, scoring 41 points against the Brooklyn defending champions.”