The Unity Scoop – December 8

Dear Families of Unity,

Season’s greetings to you!  I hope that the week has been good to you and your loved ones.

Congratulations to our middle school students who exhibited their artwork during last night’s art exhibition.  And thank you to all of our families who came out to support the event and appreciate our students’ talent and creativity.

I would also like to congratulate our high school senior class; 100% of our seniors have submitted a college application for next fall!  Kudos to the families of our seniors, Unity High’s College & Career Readiness Team, and our 12th grade staff and faculty.

In this edition of The Unity Scoop, we spotlight our students and teachers in action in their classes, our students with stellar attendance (from the month of November), and a number of upcoming events and initiatives, including a toy drive, Family Ambassadors meeting, and next week’s middle school Open House event.  Scroll down!

Have a wonderful weekend and best wishes to your families in the coming week.

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of December 8, 2023:

1. New – Students and Teachers in Action!: It is always thrilling to celebrate the hard work of our students as they engage in their learning each and every day.  This week, we spotlight our students and team in action across grades 6-12!

Unity High’s Algebra II students learning in small study groups under Ms. McCullough’s guidance and support.

Ms. Caspi’s Chemistry students conducting the classic flame test lab!

2. New – Unity’s Middle School Art Students Shine in our Second Annual Art Exhibition!: Under the guidance of their Art & Design Teacher, Mr. Berkeley, Unity’s young artists proudly exhibited their latest art work this past Thursday evening.  The exhibition was attended by a number of Unity’s faculty, families, and students.  Enjoy the photos of the event below!

3. New – Congrats to our Senior Class on a Major Milestone – 100% of Seniors Have Submitted a College Application as of this Week!:  Congratulations to the entire class and their families on achieving this milestone.  And kudos to our high school College & Career Readiness Team and our 12th grade faculty and staff for your continued support and guidance of our seniors!

4. New – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience at Unity by Taking Part in our Next Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, December 21st at 6pm (Virtual)!: All Unity families are encouraged to take part.  During the meeting, we will recap the month of December, discuss 8th grade activities, and look ahead to initiatives in the New Year. Please do not hesitate to contact cbeckford@unityprep.org with any questions.  Here is the Zoom link.

5. New – Upcoming Virtual Open House for Prospective Unity Families, Thursday, December 14th, 6pm: Unity invites prospective families from elementary schools across Brooklyn to join us for an informative, and engaging virtual event. Prospective families will get to hear from school leaders, staff, and stakeholders of Unity.  The session is a great opportunity to learn more about all the amazing resources Unity has to offer.  Here is the RSVP form and the Zoom link.  Please take a moment and forward the RSVP to families of 5th grade students in your networks!

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

Note: Middle school athletics events for the month are now included  in the calendar.

7. New – Unity Middle School Holds our Annual Toy Drive to Support the Community!: Unity’s middle school is holding a toy drive this holiday season to help bring joy to kids in need.  The drive began this week and continues through December 20th.  All donations can be dropped off in the main office (room 309).  See the fliers below for details!

8. New – Stellar Attendance in the Month of November – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance during the month of November.  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 – Congratulations to our Middle School Honor Roll Students for the First Trimester of 2023!  Congrats to our students in grades 6-8 who earned Honor Roll status in the first trimester of the school year!  Your consistent hard work, organization, and eagerness to learn things and develop new skills is paying off.  Be proud of your accomplishments and stay the course!

10. Updated – Recent Highlights from Unity’s Athletic Program: There have been many recent highlights for Unity’s athletic teams this fall.  Here’s the latest!

Coach Egharveba presenting game jerseys to senior members of our high school girls volleyball team following their final home match.

As a member of the Step Team, Acai Carrington is our Middle School Student-Athlete of the Month for November.  Acai currently has a 4.0 grade-point average.  According to Coach Martino’ 20, “While all the members of The Rising Royals fall into the category of amazing scholar athletes, Acai Carrington makes it her number one goal to exceed the standards of what it means to be a great student! She embodies intelligence, character, and passion! Acai constantly pushes herself out of her comfort zone to help teach those around her. Her growth in patience and leadership shows her dedication to her team.”  In response to being honored, Acai expressed surprise as well as gratitude: “I didn’t know I had a 4.0 for Trimester 1.  I am really happy to receive this award.  This year I have worked really hard and I am thankful that it paid off.”

11. Recap – Unity Calendar for the 2023-24 School Year: The table below reflects our key events and vacations calendar for the 2023-24 school year.  In addition, here is the updated PDF version of the table for your convenience.

12. Recap – New Students for Fall 2023 – Unity middle school has a few seats available for rising sixth graders for the 2023-24 school year. Finding the right middle school can be tough, and our current families (you!) are the best advocates. 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 will be given a free uniform shirt.

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

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

• Introducing 988, The New Mental Health Hotline: The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which launched last week, is a new way for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis to quickly reach out for help. Anyone in the US can now call or text 9-8-8 to be connected to a trained mental health professional at one of more than 200 local crisis call centers around the country. Learn more here.
• INCLUDEnyc Presents: How to Talk to Your Children about Sexuality: This webinar will help parents and guardians of children with disabilities become more comfortable discussing sexuality and relationships, and cover some of the most effective ways to talk about this sensitive topic. Learn more and register here.
• Free Summer Meals for Students – begins Tuesday, June 28th: NYC’s Summer Meals program offers free breakfast and lunch throughout NYC for anyone age 18 and under. No registration, documentation, or ID is required.  Visit here for details on time, locations, menus and other helpful information.
• Free Book Giveaway for Kids and Teens: As part of our largest summer program ever, The New York Public Library is giving away 500,000 books for kids and teens to take home and keep. Drop by one of our neighborhood branches to choose yours—plus, explore free events, our summer writing contest for kids, the opportunity for teens to contribute to a new magazine, and more with Summer at the Library.  Visit here for more information.
• DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents Self-Regulation Techniques: This workshop will provide parents, caregivers and students strategies for reducing stress and improving the ability to self-regulate, with simple routines and activities that reduce anxiety and reactivity and promote calm and happy students and families. Spanish and Mandarin interpretation available. Learn more and register here.
• DOE’s Beyond Access Series Presents How to Access Supports for Students with Behavioral Challenges: This workshop covers the educational rights of students who face behavioral challenges in school, including different kinds of behavioral supports and interventions , along with the opportunity to share advocacy tips. Learn more and register here.
• The Child Mind Institute offers great (free & remote) caregiver workshops on a seasonal basis!  Take a moment to visit their site and appreciate their offerings.
• The recent events in Ukraine may be a source of stress and anxiety for some children.  Below are four resources that may be helpful for families:
  • Helping Kids Cope with Frightening News from Child Mind Institute
  • How to Talk to Kids About War from verywellfamily.com
  • How to Navigate Difficult Conversations with Children from The Relation Station
  • How to Talk to Children about War: An Age-by-Age Guide from Today.com
• Below are flyers for lists of low-cost dental providers in each borough:
  • Bronx PDF 
  • Manhattan PDF
  • Queens PDF
  • Brooklyn PDF
  • Staten Island PDF
• Free Child Nutrition Webinar Series: Register for the “An Alarming Rise in Excess Weight and Diabetes in Children: Strategies and Solutions” webinar on Monday, March 7th.  The webinar is presented by French-American Aid for Children as part of the new Child Nutrition Webinar series. Parents and educators will learn about practical nutrition tips and accessible information to encourage children to adopt good eating habits in school—and at home—through an interactive dialogue between Dr. Juliana Cohen, nutrition epidemiologist and associate professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Dr. Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Children’s Hospital of New York. A Q&A session will follow the webinar.  Check out previous recordings of past webinars, including:
  • Engaging Children in their own Nutritional Journey
  • Smart Summer Shopping and Cooking
  • Nutrition’s Powerful Impact on Children’s Physical and Mental Health