Dear Families of Unity,

I hope this message finds you in good spirits.  It has been a trying week as we experienced an intense election day and adjusted to the end of Daylight Saving Time.  We have a long weekend ahead, and I wish you and your loved ones a restful and rejuvenating break.

In this edition of the Scoop, we continue spotlighting our students and teachers in action over the past week.  We also extend our congratulations to our new National Honor Society inductees.  Finally, we bring a range of events, initiatives, and opportunities to our families and students, both on our campuses and beyond!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of November 8, 2024:

1. New – Congratulations to Unity’s Newest National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and National Honor Society (NHS) Members!: Unity’s NJHS and NHS chapters expanded their membership during our annual induction ceremony held this past Monday. Congratulations to more than 30 new inductees listed below!

Returning Members

2. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the wonderful photos below of our students and staff in action over this past week!

3. New – Fall Family Conferences to Take Place in Two Weeks, November 16-17th: We are excited to hold our first round of family conferences on:

• Monday, 11/25 (in-person evening hours, 5pm-8pm)
• Tuesday, 11/26 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm)

School staff and advisors have begun making outreach to families to schedule appointments. Our goal is that 100% of our students have an adult family representative at conferences.

4. New – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – RJ Mark, Unity’s Class of 2024: 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 RJ Mark, who is enrolled at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.

A proud graduate of Unity Prep High School’s Class of 2024, RJ Mark has transitioned smoothly into his first semester at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He’s currently taking 15 credits across five courses. Reflecting on his high school experience, RJ credits Unity Prep’s focus on college preparation for helping him adapt seamlessly to university life and stay focused on his goals. “Unity Prep prepared me not just for college admission but for life in college,” he shared, noting that the skills he gained in high school enabled him to dive into his studies and campus life.

Starting college has brought many exciting changes for RJ, particularly in building new connections. While he once found socializing challenging in high school, he has now embraced the opportunity to meet new people and quickly formed a close-knit friend group in his first few days on campus. Alongside making meaningful memories, RJ is focused on personal goals such as staying fit and actively participating in university clubs. Academically, he is committed to maintaining strong grades while staying engaged on campus, embodying the determined and ambitious spirit nurtured by Unity Prep.

5. Updated – Congratulations to our iReady Challenge Winners from the Month of October!  Unity Middle School Students Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  We are excited to announce the winners of our October iReady Challenge! Throughout the month, students have shown #progress and #integrity strengthening their academic skills, and we’re happy to recognize those who went above and beyond.  Congrats to the students highlighted below, as we look forward to celebrating our winners for November in just a few weeks!

6. New – Unity Continues in its Community Service with a Canned Food Drive this Month!: Coming off our schoolwide Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and fundraiser with the American Cancer Society, we are now engaged in a Can Drive in partnership with City Harvest.  Between now and November 22nd, we encourage all Unity families to donate non-perishable food items.  All donations will go directly toward providing nourishment to community members in greatest need. Unity students who participate in the drive will earn Panther Pride Points for demonstrating our Pride Value of Empathy.

7. Updated – November 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of November – 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.

8. New – Attention Unity Students in Grades 8-11 – Apply Now for a Paid Internship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is now recruiting students in grades 8–11 for the 2024 Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. GAP is a great way for teens to get paid to learn about urban agriculture, science, and the environment while working in one of the most exciting public gardens in the world!

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

BBG Garden Apprentices:

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

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

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

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

•           Facilitate lessons to teach children about plants.

•           Explore Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s amazing plant collections.

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

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

Visit bbg.org/gap for applications, photos, a detailed program calendar, and answers to frequently asked questions. Applications are due December 8th.

9 New – Exciting Free Upcoming Programs and Events at Greenpoint YMCA!: Here are two free programs for basketball and swimming that may be of interest to our families at one of our local YMCAs.  Take advantage!

10. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

11. Recap – Unity’s 8th Graders and Families Visit Unity High!: Unity High’s team hosted our 8th graders and their families on Friday.  Our 8th graders met with our high school’s students and staff, learned our programs and what makes our high school special.  They also toured the neighborhood, enjoyed lunch together, and took in the water views on a beautiful fall day. The experience was informative, fun, and inspiring for all those involved!

12. Recap – Unity High Students Engage in a Day of Field Trips and Festivities!: In celebration of closing out their first round of IAs, Unity High students engaged in a number of trips on Friday, including visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Intrepid Museum, and roller skating at Brooklyn Bridge Park!

13. Recap – Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer!: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 participated in a 3-mile walk last Sunday in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.

14. Recap – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

15. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4.  Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

16. Recap – Unity Students in Grades 6-8 Outperform Their Peers Across New York State in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science!  Our students showed off the impressive skills that they developed over the course of the 2023-24 school year as they performed better in math, reading & writing, and science compared to the average student in key districts of comparison and the state of New York.  Kudos to our team and our families for their impact on student learning!

17. Recap – Unity High Earns Advanced Placement Honor Roll Status with CollegeBoard!  Unity has been recognized by the College Board for delivering results for students while broadening access. Unity’s Honor Roll status reflects a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.  Congratulations to our high school leaders and our AP teachers!  Indeed, this is an impressive achievement and reflects our commitment as a grades 6-12 school to excellence and access.

• 100% of graduates completed at least one AP course while in grades 9-12 (this reflects high access and exposure to college-ready coursework)
• 26% of graduates earned college credit while in high school (vs. the national average of 21%)
• 21% of graduates completed at least 5 AP courses while in grades 9-12 (this represents ample opportunity for students to thrive academically in college-ready coursework while in high school)

18. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to you on rounding out a short but bustling work week.

We are excited to put forward a full five days of school next week before meeting with you all during fall conferences and embarking on a joyful holiday break.  A friendly reminder to all Unity families: please schedule a conference with your child’s teachers if you haven’t done so already.  Conferences are an opportunity to share insights and partner with teachers to best support your child’s educational success at school and at home.  We look forward to making the most of this opportunity with you!

In this edition of the Scoop, we continue spotlighting our students and teachers in action this past week.  We also highlight students with stellar attendance from the month of October and extend our congratulations to our new National Honor Society inductees.  Finally, we bring a range of events, initiatives, and opportunities to our families and students, both on our campuses and beyond!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of November 15, 2024:

1. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the wonderful photos of our 8th grade students immersed in their analysis of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

2. New – Fall Family Conferences to Take Place in Two Weeks, November 25-26th: We are excited to hold our first round of family conferences on:

• Monday, 11/25 (in-person evening hours, 5pm-8pm)
• Tuesday, 11/26 (daytime virtual hours on Zoom, 9am-2pm)

School staff and advisors have begun making outreach to families to schedule appointments. Our goal is that 100% of our students have an adult family representative at conferences.

3. New – Perfect Attendance in October – 100%!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance in October.  Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day!  And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

4. New – First Unity Family Ambassadors Meeting of the Year, Thursday, November 21st, 6pm!: All Unity families are welcome to participate in our second Family Ambassadors Meeting of the school year (via Zoom).  Ambassadors help play an active leadership role in providing the best possible educational experience to our students!  Ambassadors meet monthly to plan new events and initiatives and play a significant role in accentuating school community experiences.  The Zoom meeting link is here.  See you Thursday on Zoom!

5. New – Members of Unity High’s National Honor Society (NHS) Volunteer at this Year’s New York City Marathon!: Kudos to Unity High’s Academic Counselor and NHS Co-Coordinator, Mr. Peters, and members of NHS for their service in support in this year’s New York City Marathon!

6. Updated – The Fall Athletic Season Continues!: We are excited to kick off our winter athletic season over the coming few weeks!  Congratulations to our Student-Athletes of the Month.  Go Panthers!

Komar Perry, 8th grade

– Quote from Komar on learning of his accomplishment: “I am proud of myself because I am being recognized for doing my work inside of the classroom and outside of school when I am running Cross Country.”

– Quote from Komar’s coach, Coach Nana: “Komar Perry has shown to be a prime example of what a Unity Scholar-Athlete is. He has a 3.8 GPA and takes full advantage of tutoring.  He comes to practice every day and always looks for ways to improve his abilities and puts in the extra work without anyone telling him. Shout out to Komar for being a role model for his peers!”

7. New – Unity High Partners with the Health Information Project (HIP) to Train Student Leaders in Health Education: Unity High is excited to partner with HIP to train Unity High 11th and 12th grade students to teach health education to 9th grade students. The program covers topics like depression, anxiety, drugs, and obesity. HIP also connects students to health resources at their school and in their communities.  Our trained student leaders recently assisted Mr. Clotter in his health classes. Congratulations to these students on the skills they are developing!

8. Recap – November 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of November – 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.

9. Recap – Congratulations to Unity’s Newest National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and National Honor Society (NHS) Members!: Unity’s NJHS and NHS chapters expanded their membership during our annual induction ceremony held last week. Congratulations to more than 30 new inductees listed below!

Returning Members

10. Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – RJ Mark, Unity’s Class of 2024: 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 RJ Mark, who is enrolled at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania.

A proud graduate of Unity Prep High School’s Class of 2024, RJ Mark has transitioned smoothly into his first semester at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He’s currently taking 15 credits across five courses. Reflecting on his high school experience, RJ credits Unity Prep’s focus on college preparation for helping him adapt seamlessly to university life and stay focused on his goals. “Unity Prep prepared me not just for college admission but for life in college,” he shared, noting that the skills he gained in high school enabled him to dive into his studies and campus life.

Starting college has brought many exciting changes for RJ, particularly in building new connections. While he once found socializing challenging in high school, he has now embraced the opportunity to meet new people and quickly formed a close-knit friend group in his first few days on campus. Alongside making meaningful memories, RJ is focused on personal goals such as staying fit and actively participating in university clubs. Academically, he is committed to maintaining strong grades while staying engaged on campus, embodying the determined and ambitious spirit nurtured by Unity Prep.

11. Recap – Congratulations to our iReady Challenge Winners from the Month of October!  Unity Middle School Students Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  We are excited to announce the winners of our October iReady Challenge! Throughout the month, students have shown #progress and #integrity strengthening their academic skills, and we’re happy to recognize those who went above and beyond.  Congrats to the students highlighted below, as we look forward to celebrating our winners for November in just a few weeks!

12. Recap – Unity Continues in its Community Service with a Canned Food Drive this Month!: Coming off our schoolwide Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and fundraiser with the American Cancer Society, we are now engaged in a Can Drive in partnership with City Harvest.  Between now and November 22nd, we encourage all Unity families to donate non-perishable food items.  All donations will go directly toward providing nourishment to community members in greatest need. Unity students who participate in the drive will earn Panther Pride Points for demonstrating our Pride Value of Empathy.

13. Recap – Attention Unity Students in Grades 8-11 – Apply Now for a Paid Internship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is now recruiting students in grades 8–11 for the 2024 Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. GAP is a great way for teens to get paid to learn about urban agriculture, science, and the environment while working in one of the most exciting public gardens in the world!

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

BBG Garden Apprentices:

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

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

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

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

•           Facilitate lessons to teach children about plants.

•           Explore Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s amazing plant collections.

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

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

Visit bbg.org/gap for applications, photos, a detailed program calendar, and answers to frequently asked questions. Applications are due December 8th.

14. Recap – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

15. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4. ☑ Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

16. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the week has been good to you and your loved ones after a full week of learning.  I want to begin by congratulating our high school students on completing their first round of interim assessments this week!  I also want to thank our high school student leaders for helping to host our 8th graders and their families during their visit to our high school campus – thank you for being so accommodating!

Finally, kudos to our 8th graders (the Class of 2029!) for visiting our high school campus yesterday.  Having you in Williamsburg to meet our high school team was thrilling and we are excited to have you contributing fully to our high school community beginning Fall 2025!

In the coming week, we have a four-day week with no school on Tuesday due to elections.  Get out the vote – this election means a lot for our students and how they experience the next several years and beyond!

In this edition of the Scoop, I bring to you an abundance of photos of our students and community experiencing new things and having fun together.  I also share our November school calendar with you.

We turn back the clocks this weekend – I hope you indulge in something fun for you and your family during that extra hour on Sunday!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of November 2, 2024:

1. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the wonderful photos below of our students and staff in action (and in costume) this past week on Halloween!

2. New – Unity’s 8th Graders and Families Visit Unity High!: Unity High’s team hosted our 8th graders and their families on Friday.  Our 8th graders met with our high school students and staff, learned about our programs and what makes our high school special.  They also toured the neighborhood, enjoyed lunch together, and took in the water views on a beautiful fall day. The experience was informative, fun, and inspiring for all those involved!

3. New – Unity High Students Engage in a Day of Field Trips and Festivities!: In celebration of closing out their first round of IAs, Unity High students engaged in a number of trips on Friday, including visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Intrepid Museum, and roller skating at Brooklyn Bridge Park!

4. Updated – Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer!: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 participated in a 3-mile walk last Sunday in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.

5. New – November 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of November – 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. Recap – Congrats to Unity’s Students of the Month – Grades 6-12!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from September!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship!

7. Recap – Thank You for Attending Last Week’s Middle School Family Meeting!: Here are the slides from the meeting.

8. Recap – Unity Middle Students Visit College Campuses!: As a grades 6-12 college-preparatory school, our students in grades 6-8 visited three terrific colleges right here in New York City!  Students visited Long Island University, Columbia University, and New York University.  Enjoy the photos below!

9. Recap – The Fall Athletic Season Continues!: See the October calendar below for details on this coming week’s games.  And see photos of student-athletes and teams in action this past week.  And congratulations to our Student-Athlete of the Month at Unity Middle.  Go Panthers!

Caleb White, Grade 6

– Quote from Caleb on learning of his accomplishment: “I am very happy and proud of myself.  I came into this school wanting to get off to a good start and that’s what I am doing.”

– Quote from Caleb’s coach, Coach Tyler: Caleb is a great athlete and an amazing defensive player.  He has kept his grades up this entire season.  Caleb is a great teammate and athlete.

Unity Middle’s fall track team at their final meeting of the season at Van Cortland Park.

Members of Unity’s girls volleyball team present an opposing team member with a Panther PRIDE Award after their match this past week.

10. Updated – Your Feedback Empowers Us – Please Take a Moment to Share Your Experiences With Us By Completing our Fall Family Perception Survey: Our purpose as a school is to best serve you and your child’s educational aspirations.  And we are best positioned to fulfill this purpose when we have honest and direct feedback from you.  With this interest, we request your feedback on how we are doing as we kick off the school year by completing one of the surveys below.  The survey includes questions about family communication, engagement, fit, support, school climate, and safety, among other things.  Your answers are anonymous; we will use your collective feedback over the coming months to drive our decision-making and best position us to best serve you.  As a small gesture of appreciation for your time, the first 300 families to complete the survey by Monday, 11/4, at 4pm will be eligible for a raffle of $100 to Amazon. Simply text the survey complete screenshot to 347-746-1575 to enter the raffle.  We thank you in advance for your invaluable feedback, and, more importantly, we thank you for positioning us to act on your feedback.

• Complete the survey by clicking here
• Note: in the event that you have children attending both our middle school and high school, please complete the high school survey.
• Text the survey complete screenshot to 347-746-1575 to enter the raffle.

11. Recap – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

12. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

13. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4.  Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

14. Recap – Unity Students in Grades 6-8 Outperform Their Peers Across New York State in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science!  Our students showed off the impressive skills that they developed over the course of the 2023-24 school year as they performed better in math, reading & writing, and science compared to the average student in key districts of comparison and the state of New York.  Kudos to our team and our families for their impact on student learning!

15. Recap – Unity High Earns Advanced Placement Honor Roll Status with CollegeBoard!  Unity has been recognized by the College Board for delivering results for students while broadening access. Unity’s Honor Roll status reflects a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.  Congratulations to our high school leaders and our AP teachers!  Indeed, this is an impressive achievement and reflects our commitment as a grades 6-12 school to excellence and access.

• 100% of graduates completed at least one AP course while in grades 9-12 (this reflects high access and exposure to college-ready coursework)
• 26% of graduates earned college credit while in high school (vs. the national average of 21%)
• 21% of graduates completed at least 5 AP courses while in grades 9-12 (this represents ample opportunity for students to thrive academically in college-ready coursework while in high school)

16. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

Happy Friday to all, and congratulations on rounding out a full week of school.  Thank you to all middle school families who participated in last night’s Family Night with Principal Terry and her team.  Moreover, kudos to our entire community for participating in an important day for college exposure and awareness: our middle school students toured three college campuses while our high school hosted a college fair (see the photos below)!

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

This coming week is a big one for our high school students as they complete their first round of interim assessments (IAs).  We kindly ask for your collaboration with this by supporting your child at home in the following ways:

• Ensure that your child eats a healthy breakfast and arrives at school on time with their full set of school supplies and materials.
• Ask your child about how things are going in their classes, and provide encouragement such that they are supported and confident as they complete their IAs this week.
• Help your child prepare for their exams by ensuring that they have a quiet, designated space and time to study each night.  Of course, feel free to pull up a chair and help them study!  Studying together can be a fun experience for all.
• Be proactive in your communication with your child’s teachers about any questions or concerns.

In this edition of the Scoop, we spotlight a number of our community members, including the students and teachers in action this week in our classrooms and our Students of the Month for September in grades 6 to 12!  We also share highlights from our athletic teams and enrichment programming.  Finally, we highlight a number of exciting upcoming school events for you and your family.

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

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of October 25, 2024:

1. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the wonderful photos below of our students and staff in action this past week in science classes!

6th grade students in Ms. Aviles and Ms. Spires ELA class lead their classmates in a discussion about the text they are reading.

Mr. Thabo and two of his students lead a discussion about how actors effectively practice their lines.  This discussion followed two students demonstrating for the class this valuable skill in theatre.

Ms. Gibson and her class waste no time in correcting common math misconceptions identified on last week’s interim assessment.

Mr. Pakter’s Global History students prepare for their interim assessment by providing peer reviews of their short responses with one another.

2. Updated – Congrats to Unity’s Students of the Month – Grades 6-12!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from September!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship!

3. New – Thank You for Attending Last Night’s Middle School Family Meeting!: Here are the slides from the meeting.

4. Updated – Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Sunday, October 27th: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Saturday, October 27th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part –  sign up here to participate!

Unity’s staff and students go pink in support of breast cancer awareness and research, including Mr. Bryant’s incredible shoes!

5. New – Unity Middle Students Visit College Campuses!: As a grades 6-12 college-preparatory school, our students in grades 6-8 visited three terrific colleges right here in New York City!  Students visited Long Island University, Columbia University, and New York University.  Enjoy the photos below with more to come next week!

6. Updated – The Fall Athletic Season Continues!: See the October calendar below for details on this coming week’s games.  And see photos of student-athletes and teams in action this past week.  And congratulations to our Student-Athlete of the Month at Unity Middle.  Go Panthers!

Caleb White, Grade 6

– Quote from Caleb on learning of his accomplishment: “I am very happy and proud of myself.  I came into this school wanting to get off to a good start and that’s what I am doing.”

– Quote from Caleb’s coach, Coach Tyler: Caleb is a great athlete and an amazing defensive player.  He has kept his grades up this entire season.  Caleb is a great teammate and athlete.

Unity Middle’s fall track team at their final meeting of the season at Van Cortland Park.

Members of Unity’s girls volleyball team present an opposing team member with a Panther PRIDE Award after their match this past week.

7. Updated – Fall Spirit Week is Just Around the Corner!:  See the fliers below for Unity’s Spirit Week and Annual Hallowsfest Extravaganza during the Week of October 28th!

Grades 6-8

Grades 9-12

8. Recap – October 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of October – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

9. Recap – Two Unity 11th Graders Continue in their Second Year as Fellows at JP Morgan’s Fellowship Initiative!: Kudos to Ibrahima Barry and Evan Ramos who are now in their second year as Fellows in The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) at JP Morgan.  Both students began participating in the fellowship in the summer prior to 10th grade and will continue as fellows through their graduation from Unity.  As Fellows, Ibrahima and Evan are gaining valuable college and career job experience, building their professional network, and learning under the mentorship of current JP Morgan employees.  In addition, both students are also eligible to apply for internships at JP Morgan as well as a $10,000 college scholarship.  Again, congrats to you both – continue to make us proud!

10. New- Your Feedback Empowers Us – Please Take a Moment to Share Your Experiences With Us By Completing our Fall Family Perception Survey: Our purpose as a school is to best serve you and your child’s educational aspirations.  And we are best positioned to fulfill this purpose when we have honest and direct feedback from you.  With this interest, we request your feedback on how we are doing as we kick off the school year by completing one of the surveys below.  The survey includes questions about family communication, engagement, fit, support, school climate, and safety, among other things.  Your answers are anonymous; we will use your collective feedback over the coming months to drive our decision-making and best position us to best serve you.  As a small gesture of appreciation for your time, the first 300 families to complete the survey by Friday, 11/1, at 4pm will be eligible for a raffle of $100 to Amazon. Simply text the survey complete screenshot to 347-746-1575 to enter the raffle.  We thank you in advance for your invaluable feedback, and, more importantly, we thank you for positioning us to act on your feedback.

• Complete the survey by clicking here
• Note: in the event that you have children attending both our middle school and high school, please complete the high school survey.
• Text the survey complete screenshot to 347-746-1575 to enter the raffle.

11. Recap – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in Last Week’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in our Family Ambassadors meeting.  As always, the meeting was productive, energizing, and, of course, fun!  The agenda from the meeting is below.  Here are the slides from the meeting.  We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on November 21st.

12. Recap – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

13. Recap – Unity Middle School Students to Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  Families – see the flier below and please encourage students to develop their ELA and math foundational skills through focused practice during their daily tutoring block.  Through this practice, we look forward to celebrating their growth alongside you in the coming months!

14. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

15. Recap – Stellar Attendance in September – 98% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance in May.  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!

16. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4. ☑ Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

17. Recap – Unity Students in Grades 6-8 Outperform Their Peers Across New York State in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science!  Our students showed off the impressive skills that they developed over the course of the 2023-24 school year as they performed better in math, reading & writing, and science compared to the average student in key districts of comparison and the state of New York.  Kudos to our team and our families for their impact on student learning!

18. Recap – Unity High Earns Advanced Placement Honor Roll Status with CollegeBoard!  Unity has been recognized by the College Board for delivering results for students while broadening access. Unity’s Honor Roll status reflects a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.  Congratulations to our high school leaders and our AP teachers!  Indeed, this is an impressive achievement and reflects our commitment as a grades 6-12 school to excellence and access.

• 100% of graduates completed at least one AP course while in grades 9-12 (this reflects high access and exposure to college-ready coursework)
• 26% of graduates earned college credit while in high school (vs. the national average of 21%)
• 21% of graduates completed at least 5 AP courses while in grades 9-12 (this represents ample opportunity for students to thrive academically in college-ready coursework while in high school)

19. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that this past week was good to you and your loved ones.  I’ll begin this edition of the Unity Scoop with two brief but important shout-outs.

First, congratulations to our middle school students for showcasing all that they have learned thus far this year with the completion of their first round of interim assessments.  Kudos to our students for putting forth their best efforts!

Secondly, thank you to all of the families who attended last night’s Family Ambassadors’ meeting on Zoom!  See the agenda and slides from the meeting below.

In this edition of the Scoop, we spotlight a number of our community members, including the Students of the Month for September and our students with stellar attendance during the first month of the school year.  We also honor two of our 11th graders for their participation in a prestigious fellowship.  Finally, we highlight a number of exciting upcoming school events for you and your family.

Have an excellent weekend!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of October 18, 2024:

1. New – Congrats to Unity’s Middle School Students of the Month!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from September!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship, citizenship!  Look out Unity High’s Students of the Month next week!

2. New- Your Feedback Empowers Us – Please Take a Moment to Share Your Experiences With Us By Completing our Fall Family Perception Survey: Our purpose as a school is to best serve you and your child’s educational aspirations.  And we are best positioned to fulfill this purpose when we have honest and direct feedback from you.  With this interest, we request your feedback on how we are doing as we kick off the school year by completing one of the surveys below.  The survey includes questions about family communication, engagement, fit, support, school climate, and safety, among other things.  Your answers are anonymous; we will use your collective feedback over the coming months to drive our decision-making and best position us to best serve you.  As a small gesture of appreciation for your time, the first 300 families to complete the survey by Friday, 10/25, at 4pm will be eligible for a raffle of $100 to Amazon. Simply text the survey complete screenshot to 347-746-1575 to enter the raffle.  We thank you in advance for your invaluable feedback, and, more importantly, we thank you for positioning us to act on your feedback.

• Complete the survey by clicking here
• Note: in the event that you have children attending both our middle school and high school, please complete the high school survey.
• Text the survey complete screenshot to 347-746-1575 to enter the raffle.

3. New – Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in Last Night’s Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in our Family Ambassadors meeting last night.  As always, the meeting was productive, energizing, and, of course, fun!  The agenda from the meeting is below.  Here are the slides from the meeting.  We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on November 21st.

4. New – Two Unity 11th Graders Continue in their Second Year as Fellows at JP Morgan’s Fellowship Initiative!: Kudos to Ibrahima Barry and Evan Ramos who are now in their second year as Fellows in The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) at JP Morgan.  Both students began participating in the fellowship in the summer prior to 10th grade and will continue as fellows through their graduation from Unity.  As Fellows, Ibrahima and Evan are gaining valuable college and career job experience, building their professional network, and learning under the mentorship of current JP Morgan employees.  In addition, both students are also eligible to apply for internships at JP Morgan as well as a $10,000 college scholarship.  Again, congrats to you both – continue to make us proud!

5. New – College Trips for Unity Middle Coming Soon!: As a grades 6-12 college-preparatory school, we are excited to have our students in grades 6-8 visit three terrific college options right here in New York City!  Students will visit Long Island University, Columbia, and New York University next Friday, October 25th.  See the details below!

6. New – Fall Spirit Week is Just Around the Corner!:  See the fliers below for Unity Middle’s Spirit Week and Annual Hallowsfest Extravaganza during the Week of October 28th!

7. New – Stellar Attendance in September – 98% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance in May.  Kudos to these students – we love seeing you each and every day!  And, of course, we look forward to celebrating additional students at the end of this month!

8. Recap – Unity’s Seniors Visited the Campuses of a Number of Local Colleges and Universities!  Unity’s 12th graders visited five colleges and universities in New York City last week, including Columbia University, Long Island University, St. Francis College, St. Joseph’s College, and Hunter College.  Enjoy the photos from their visits below!

9. Recap – Unity Students in Grades 6-8 Outperform Their Peers Across New York State in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science!  Our students showed off the impressive skills that they developed over the course of the 2023-24 school year as they performed better in math, reading & writing, and science compared to the average student in key districts of comparison and the state of New York.  Kudos to our team and our families for their impact on student learning!

10. Recap – Unity High Earns Advanced Placement Honor Roll Status with CollegeBoard!  Unity has been recognized by the College Board for delivering results for students while broadening access. Unity’s Honor Roll status reflects a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.  Congratulations to our high school leaders and our AP teachers!  Indeed, this is an impressive achievement and reflects our commitment as a grades 6-12 school to excellence and access.

• 100% of graduates completed at least one AP course while in grades 9-12 (this reflects high access and exposure to college-ready coursework)
• 26% of graduates earned college credit while in high school (vs. the national average of 21%)
• 21% of graduates completed at least 5 AP courses while in grades 9-12 (this represents ample opportunity for students to thrive academically in college-ready coursework while in high school)

11. Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Joel Watson, Unity’s Class of 2022: 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 Joel Watson, who is enrolled at Brooklyn College.

Joel Watson graduated from Unity in 2022. He now attends CUNY Brooklyn College and is majoring in Digital Art with a minor in Digital Design and Production.

Joel dreams of being a director or producer of a TV show or movie in the future, and he is steadily making progress towards this goal. Joel has taken classes even during winter break and summer to get ahead!

While at Brooklyn College, Joel has received stellar grades, and is on track to graduate with his Bachelor’s Degree in May 2026. He has already completed 75 credits and we are so, so proud of him!

The latest news on Joel is that he is building his resume to find internships in the media production field. We can’t wait to see what this Unity alumni will do next.

12. Updated – October 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of October – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  Update: Unity’s Board of Trustees meeting for the month of October has been rescheduled for October 30th at 6pm.

13. Recap – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

14. Updated – The Fall Athletic Season is Now Upon Us!: See the October calendar above for details on this coming week’s games.  And see team photos of our Middle School Soccer Team below!  Come out to support our student-athletes in action.  Go Panthers!

15. Recap – Save the Date! Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 27th: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Saturday, October 27th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part –  sign up here to participate!

16. Recap – Unity Middle School Students to Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  Families – see the flier below and please encourage students to develop their ELA and math foundational skills through focused practice during their daily tutoring block.  Through this practice, we look forward to celebrating their growth alongside you in the coming months!

17. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

18. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4.  Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

19. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that the week has been good to you and your loved ones.

As we embark on a long fall weekend, I, on behalf of our entire faculty and staff, want to thank you for your continued active support and collaboration.  As mentioned last week, the school year is off to a strong and promising start and so much of our early success is due to our collaboration with you.  Let’s stay the course!

In this edition of the Scoop, I offer an abundance of academic highlights from our students in action in their classrooms and on college campuses.  We’re excited to announce our first Family Ambassadors Meeting of the year, happening this Thursday at 6 PM on Zoom. Additionally, we have an update to share about one of our talented alumni!

Have a rejoiceful three-day weekend, as we look forward to reconvening on Tuesday morning!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of October 11, 2024:

1. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the wonderful photos below of our students and staff in action this past week in science classes!

Ms. Bonhomme and Ms. Diaz’s 7th grade students act as engineers as they design a process for constructing, testing, and refining earthquake resistant prototypes.

Ms. Bond’s 8th grade students engage in friendly group competition as they review the phase changes between solid, liquid, and gas using trivia on Kahoot!

2. New – Unity’s Seniors Visited the Campuses of a Number of Local Colleges and Universities!  Unity’s 12 graders visited five colleges and universities in New York City today, including Columbia University, Long Island University, St. Francis College, St. Joseph’s College, and Hunter College.  Enjoy the photos from their visits below!

3. New – First Unity Family Ambassadors Meeting of the Year, Thursday, October 17th, 6pm!: All Unity families are welcome to participate in our first Family Ambassadors Meeting of the school year (via Zoom).  Ambassadors help play an active leadership role in providing the best possible educational experience to our students!  Ambassadors meet monthly to plan new events and initiatives and play a significant role in accentuating school community experiences.  The Zoom meeting link is here.  See you Thursday on Zoom!

4. Updated – Unity Students in Grades 6-8 Outperform Their Peers Across New York State in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science!  Our students showed off the impressive skills that they developed over the course of the 2023-24 school year as they performed better in math, reading & writing, and science compared to the average student in key districts of comparison and the state of New York.  Kudos to our team and our families for their impact on student learning!

5. New – Unity High Earns Advanced Placement Honor Roll Status with CollegeBoard!  Unity has been recognized by the College Board for delivering results for students while broadening access. Unity’s Honor Roll status reflects a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.  Congratulations to our high school leaders and our AP teachers!  Indeed, this is an impressive achievement and reflects our commitment as a grades 6-12 school to excellence and access.

• 100% of graduates completed at least one AP course while in grades 9-12 (this reflects high access and exposure to college-ready coursework)
• 26% of graduates earned college credit while in high school (vs. the national average of 21%)
• 21% of graduates completed at least 5 AP courses while in grades 9-12 (this represents ample opportunity for students to thrive academically in college-ready coursework while in high school)

6. New – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Joel Watson, Unity’s Class of 2022: 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 Joel Watson, who is enrolled at Brooklyn College.

Joel Watson graduated from Unity in 2022. He now attends CUNY Brooklyn College and is majoring in Digital Art with a minor in Digital Design and Production.

Joel dreams of being a director or producer of a TV show or movie in the future, and he is steadily making progress towards this goal. Joel has taken classes even during winter break and summer to get ahead!

While at Brooklyn College, Joel has received stellar grades, and is on track to graduate with his Bachelor’s Degree in May 2026. He has already completed 75 credits and we are so, so proud of him!

The latest news on Joel is that he is building his resume to find internships in the media production field. We can’t wait to see what this Unity alumni will do next.

7. Updated – October 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of October – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

8. Updated – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

9. Updated – The Fall Athletic Season is Now Upon Us!: See the October calendar above for details on this coming week’s games.  Come out to support our student-athletes in action.  Go Panthers!

10. Updated – Save the Date! Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 27th: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Saturday, October 27th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part –  sign up here to participate!

11. Recap – Unity Middle School Students to Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  Families – see the flier below and please encourage students to develop their ELA and math foundational skills through focused practice during their daily tutoring block.  Through this practice, we look forward to celebrating their growth alongside you in the coming months!

12. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

13. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4. ☑ Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

14. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

Happy Friday to all! And congratulations on supporting your children through a full vibrant week of school at Unity!

In this edition of the Unity Scoop, we highlight two major academic achievements for our school community regarding state exam results and our Advanced Placement program.  See below!  In addition, we continue to highlight our students and teachers in action within the classroom as well as provide details on a number of upcoming school events.

In the week ahead, students in grades 6-8 will show off all that they have learned so far this year on their first round of interim assessments.  In addition, we have a number of athletic contests on the schedule – do come out to support our Panthers!  Finally, our 12th graders will visit a number of local colleges on Friday, including Columbia University, Long Island University, St. Francis, St. Joseph’s College, and Hunter College.

The Walk to End Lupus event with Ms. McRae is tomorrow – see the details below and we hope you can take part.

Have a terrific weekend!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of October 4, 2024:

1. New – Unity students in Grades 6-8 Outperform Their Peers Across New York State in Math, English Language Arts (ELA), and Science!  Our students showed off the impressive skills that they developed over the course of the 2023-24 school year as they performed better in math, reading & writing, and science compared to the average student in key districts of comparison and the state of New York.  Kudos to our team and our families for their impact on student learning!

2. New – Unity High Earns Advanced Placement Honor Roll Status with CollegeBoard!  Unity has been recognized by CollegeBoard for delivering results for students while broadening access. Unity’s Honor Roll status reflects a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.  Congratulations to our high school leaders and our AP teachers!  Indeed, this is an impressive achievement and reflects our commitment as a grades 6-12 school to excellence and access.

3. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the wonderful photos below of our students and staff in action this past week!

A Unity 6th grader is immersed in crafting her essay on how she believes Christopher Columbus should be remembered in Ms. Douyon’s history class.

Ms. Peeples provides individualized support to her 7th grade students as they compare themes in a nonfiction essay and poem they are reading in their ELA class.

4. Updated – October 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of October – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

5. Updated – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

6. Updated – Members of the Unity Community to Participate in Walk to End Lupus on Saturday, October 5th: Unity Middle’s Dance & Health Teacher, Ms. McRae, is organizing an opportunity for Unity community members to participate in The Lupus Foundation of America’s Walk to End Lupus tomorrow.  See the flier below for details on participating and donating to the cause!

7. Updated – The Fall Athletic Season is Now Upon Us!: See the calendar above for this coming week’s games.  Come out to support our student-athletes in action.  Go Panthers!

Photos of the JV and Varsity Volleyball captains presenting our opponents with PRIDE Awards after their matches this past week.

8. New – Save the Date! Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 27th: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Saturday, October 27th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part!

9. Recap – Unity Middle School Students to Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  Families – see the flier below and please encourage students to develop their ELA and math foundational skills through focused practice during their daily tutoring block.  Through this practice, we look forward to celebrating their growth alongside you in the coming months!

10. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

11. Recap – Unity Middle Students Celebrate the Completion of Month 1 of School with Field Trips!:  Our middle school students ventured out for some enrichment together on Friday. Sixth graders visited LeFrak Skate Park in Prospect Park. Seventh graders visited the New York City Science Museum and our 8th graders spent some quality time together at Bowl 360.  Enjoy the photos below!

12. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4.  Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

13. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that this note finds you and your loved ones enjoying the weekend and in good spirits despite the rain.

There is much to share in this edition of the Unity Scoop, including our students and teachers in action within the classroom, a number of photos from Friday’s field trips, some upcoming service opportunities, and our school calendar for the month of October!

Enjoy your Sunday evening and best wishes in the week ahead!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard

Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of September 29, 2024:

1. New – Highlights of Students and Their Teachers in Action This Week!: Enjoy the beautiful photos below of our students and staff in action this past week!  We have a mix of pictures across both middle school and high school, including those captured by a professional photographer at the middle school site on Wednesday.  Stay tuned for more amazing photos of our high school in action this month!

Two Unity High students partner up in Ms. Abreu’s Spanish class to practice speaking about what they do in their daily lives using reflexive verbs.

9th grade students in Ms. Aponte’s Biology class work together to hone their graphing skills by charting and determining the relationship between one’s heart rate and body temperature.

2. New – October 2024 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is an updated school-wide calendar of events for the month of October – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door! It is possible that events could change and new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.

3. New – Unity Middle Students Celebrate the Completion of Month 1 of School with Field Trips!:  Our middle school students ventured out for some enrichment together on Friday. Sixth graders visited LeFrak Skate Park in Prospect Park. Seventh graders visited the New York City Science Museum and our 8th graders spent some quality time together at Bowl 360.  Enjoy the photos below!

4. Updated – Refer a New Student to Unity Today!: Unity has a few seats available in grades 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11 for the 2024-25 school year. If you know of any interested families, please reach out to Mr. Beckford via email or cell (862-294-0219). For any families that refer a new family, both referring and enrolling families will be given a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies.

5. New – Members of the Unity Community to Participate in Walk to End Lupus on Saturday, October 5th: Unity Middle’s Dance & Health Teacher, Ms. McRae, is organizing an opportunity for Unity community members to participate in The Lupus Foundation of America’s Walk to End Lupus Now next Saturday.  See the flier below for details on participating and donating to the cause!

6. New – Save the Date! Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Saturday, October 27th: Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Saturday, October 27th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part!

7. New – Unity Middle School Students to Earn Dress Down and Pizza by Practicing their ELA and Math Skills during Tutoring Class!  Families – see the flier and please encourage students to develop their ELA and math foundational skills through focused practice during their daily tutoring block.  Through this practice, we look forward to celebrating their growth alongside you in the coming months!

8. New – Urban Advantage Family Science Days – Free Admission to some of the City’s Premiere Museums and Institutions for Unity Students in Grades 6-8!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), middle school families may visit the following museums for free!  See the instructions below for how to obtain a family voucher.  Visit here for additional information.  Contact your child’s science teacher with questions.

Visit any of these Institutions with your family free of charge!

9. Updated – The Fall Athletic Season is Now Upon Us!: See the calendar above for this coming week’s games.  Come out to support our student-athletes in action.  Go Panthers!

10. Recap – Guidance on Supporting your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four things that you are encouraged to engage in at home and over the course of this month in getting off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week.

1. Ask your child about their school day and, more generally, how things are going.  If our team can be helpful to your child in ensuring that they are enjoying their school experience, please reach out to help.ms@unityprep.org or help.hs@unityprep.org or your child’s advisor.
2. Take a moment to check Jupiter for the latest information regarding your child’s progress.  If you are unfamiliar with how to log into Jupiter, here is a brief video tutorial.  And if you have questions about your child’s specific information in Jupiter, email your child’s advisor for support.
3. Establish a designated space and routine at home for your child to complete any homework or practice the skills they are learning in school.  Establishing routines early will reap dividends over the school year and cultivate sound study habits that will benefit your child at Unity and beyond.
4. ☑ Attend your child’s Back-to-School Night Session.  These in-person events are an extremely valuable part of our collaboration, as families learn about curricula, academic programming, and what your child will be learning this year.  Details on dates and times are featured below; you should have also received details  of the event via email and text.  The expectation is that 100% of families participate.

11. Recap – 2024-25 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families: Calendars for the 2024-25 school year can be accessed using the links 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 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families
• Grades 9-12 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families

12. Recap – Attention Middle School Families Who Are Interested in Afterschool Programming!: The partnership with our middle school and St. Nick’s Alliance continues strongly this year.  St. Nick’s offers a rich array of afterschool programming in academic enrichment, leadership development, and extra-curricular activities for our middle school students.  Programming began on Monday, September 16th. Afterschool applications have been distributed to students and additional copies are available in the main office. Through St. Nick’s programming, 17 students from each grade have access to a free field trip to Dorney Park Halloween Haunt!

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

13. Recap – Guidance on School Supplies: Guidance on school supplies are below:

• UPMS 6th-8th grade
• UPHS 9th grade
• UPHS 10th-12th grade: supplies for students in grades 10th-12th are based on each student’s unique schedule.  Thus, there is no general supply list for all students of these grades.  Students in grades 10-12 were informed of the supplies they need by their course teachers on the first day of school.

14. Recap – State Exam Results from the Spring of 2024 are Now Available to Individual Families: State exam results in ELA and Math for Unity students in grades 5-9 are now available. You can view your child’s test scores in their NYC Schools Accounts.  You will need their child’s student identification number, which can be found on Jupiter, as well as your child’s account creation code, which should have been mailed to you. You may reach out to Mr. Beckford (cbeckford@unityprep.org) if you do not have your account creation code.  We are excited to share our schoolwide results in the coming weeks – overall, the results are impressive and reflect our students experiencing strong growth in their skills over the course of last year!

15. Recap – AP scores from the 2023-24 school year are now available!: Unity High students who completed their AP exams in May can sign into their College Board accounts and use this website to obtain their scores.  In addition, students can also see notes on the scoring here.  Congratulations to all of our students who earned college credit based on their scores!  More generally, congratulations to all of our students who experienced an AP course this year!

16. Recap – Information and Guidance on Unity’s Dress Codes for the 2024-25 School Year: Unity’s dress codes by grade level are provided below.

• Grades 6-8
• Grades 9-12