The Unity Scoop – January 29

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our students and our team for a strong and successful administration of English Language Arts (ELA) mock exams and Semester I final exams this past week.  And thank you, families, for your support at home.

This coming week, Unity middle school students will complete mock exams in math on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.  Our high school students will conclude the first semester on Friday.  Moreover, our high school students will complete their Star assessments to gauge academic growth in reading and math thus far this year.

As I messaged last week, families of our students at both sites can support their children in excelling on these exams by taking the following four actions:

1. Ensure that your child eats a healthy breakfast and arrives at school on time with their full set of supplies and materials.
2. Ask your child about how things are going in their classes and their exams, and provide encouragement such that they feel confident and supported.
3. Help your child prepare for school 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.
4. Be proactive in your communication with your child’s teachers about any questions or concerns.

Note that the actions above are helpful on any given day or week, not just during weeks in which we have assessments.  We are grateful to you for your continued collaboration in supporting your child at home with their studies at home.

On a very different but important note, as you well know, there have been a number of tragic and disturbing events that have taken place nationally over the past few weeks, including multiple mass shootings in California and the killing of a young black man, Tyre Nichols, at the hands of five police officers in Memphis.  As a school, we both grieve for the victims and their families and are determined to do our part in actively preventing such acts from occurring.

Last month, a number of our high school students were featured in The Scoop as they presented their research in Ms. Tartan’s Government and Economics course on gun violence at the NYC Bar Association alongside other students from other schools.  We are proud of these student leaders and, as a school and community, we must double-down on our efforts to address issues that continue to plague our society and our students’ lives.  During our next Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, February 9th (6pm), we will discuss ways that are most powerful in accomplishing this.  All Unity families are welcome and encouraged to participate.

In this edition of The Scoop, we bring to you: the school calendar for February, a proud Unity senior and his recent accomplishments, the launch of our new peer mediation teams, the good work of Unity High’s National Honor Society, our Core Value leaders for December, and our students who exhibited excellent attendance in December!

Best wishes in the week ahead.

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of January 29, 2023:

1. New – February 2023 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of February – print it out and throw it on the refrigerator door!  It is possible that events could change and new events could be added.  An up-to-date events calendar can always be accessed on our website.  Here are the noteworthy events for this coming week:

• 1/30: Unity has school!  The DOE does not.
• 1/31-2/1: Mock exams in math for all students in grades 6-8
• 1/30-2/3: Star growth assessments in reading and math in grades 9-12 (see Update #4 below for details on Star)
• 1/31 & 2/2: Unity’s High National Honor Society Bake Sale (see Update #6 below for details)
• 2/3: First Friday Black History Month Festivities at Unity High
• 1/30-2/3: Athletics Galore!  Go Panthers!

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

Some Background:

For years, current Unity Prep High School senior Giuliano Saico-Falconi has dreamed of becoming a computer scientist and studying at Georgia Tech.  To make this dream a reality, he has maintained a cumulative GPA of 90.4 (3.73) in his first three years in high school, and participated in a multi-year mentoring program called The Fellowship Initiative.  His teachers describe him as driven, determined, respectful, quirky, and resolute.

Recent Accomplishments:

Giulano’s recent accomplishments include:

• Earning admission to four colleges so far (as of January 20th)!
• Earning scholarships totaling nearly $200,000 (so far!)
• Participating in JP Morgan Chase’s The Fellowship Initiative for four years.
• Earning a 3.52 GPA in the second quarter of his senior year

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

“Please – figure out what you want to do in college and at least plan out what your personal statement is going to be about. These counselors do not play when it comes to tearing them apart with 100+ comments.”

Expressions of Gratitude:

Giuliano says he feels blessed to be in a position to have submitted 20 college applications.  He thanks his friends, some of whom he has known since the sixth grade: Mamadou, Josh, Giovanni, Jason, Kevin, Mekhi, Danille, Maiya, and many others.  He also appreciates his teachers (Mr. Russo!) and counselors for pushing him with his application materials (especially his personal statement).  Above all, he gives thanks to his mom for pushing him to do his best and for the sacrifices she’s made to make him the person he is today, and God for getting him to this point.

3. New – Unity’s Peer Mediation Teams Complete their Training and Are Now Ready to Launch!: A number of student leaders across Unity have been participating in peer mediation training over the past two months.  These students completed their training this month and are now ready to bring their expertise to their fellow classmates.  Their goal is to empower students to prevent, resolve, and transform harmful conflict by developing the values, attitudes, skills and knowledge towards building peace.  Enjoy the photos below of Unity Middle’s peer mediators hard at work during their recent training sessions.

4. Updated – Round 2 of STAR Assessments in Reading and Math Being Administered this Week in Grades 9-12: Unity high school students will complete their second round of STAR assessments in both reading and math this week.  These short, computer adaptive tests allow us to measure student progress and growth in reading and math skills over the course of the school year.  We are excited to acknowledge students and the growth they have experienced over the past several months.

5. New – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of December!: Our P.R.I.D.E. Core Values of Progress, Respect for All, Integrity, Discovery, and Empathy represent qualities that we covet as a school community.  They also represent qualities that we believe empower our students to lead fulfilling lives and, therefore, qualities that we have a responsibility to actively teach and positively reinforce.  The students listed below were leaders for the month of December in being recognized by their teachers for demonstrating our Core Values.  On behalf of our school community, we are proud of these students and look forward to continuing to shout out all of our students when they demonstrate P.R.I.D.E. in our community.

6. New – Unity High’s National Honor Society Engages in Fundraiser in Honor United We Dream: Members of Unity High’s National Honor Society will hold a bake sale this week on Tuesday and Thursday during lunch periods to raise money for United We Dream.  United We Dream is a nonprofit immigrant advocacy organization with chapters operating in 28 states. The organization is an “immigrant-youth-led network” of 400,000 members in 100 local groups.

7. New – Stellar Attendance in December – 95% Above!: This lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of December.  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. New – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience in School by Taking Part in our Next Family Ambassadors Meeting, Thursday, February 9th, 6pm!: The next Family Ambassadors of Unity meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, February 9th, at 6pm on Zoom.  Note that the date for this meeting was changed so that it doesn’t conflict with another Unity event.  Contact Mr. Beckford (grades 6-8) or Ms. Young (grades 9-12) with questions.

9. Recap – Unity High Students Engage in Day of Service through Partnership with I Am Cultured!: An amazing group of Unity High students, through our partnership with I Am Cultured, participated in a day of service. Students prepared and served meals to members of the local community and read stories to young children.  As a part of our partnership with I Am Cultured, this group of students (listed below) will travel to Costa Rica this spring alongside Unity Staff and the I Am Cultured Team!  Visit the I Am Cultured to learn more about the exciting opportunity!

• Roland Duroseau
• Pierrelyn Cineus
• Jayden Fajardo
• Malachi Clarke
• Ashley Estevez

10. Recap – Attention Middle School Families Who Are Interested in After-school Programming!: The partnership with our middle school and St. Nick’s Alliance continues this year.  St. Nick’s offers a rich array of afterschool programming in academic enrichment, leadership development, and extracurricular activities for our middle school students.  Programming kicks off on Monday, September 19th.  Contact Luis Rodriguez with questions by email at lrodriguez@stnickallliance.org or by phone at 646-676-1309.

11. Recap – Unity’s Health Policies and Protocols in 2022-23: Unity will follow guidance provided by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) as of the start of the 2022-23 school year.  The NYCDOE’s guidance aligns with the CDC’s current guidance, which we have consistently followed over the past 2.5 years.  By adhering to the NYCDOE’s guidance, we believe that we are taking the proper approach to best ensure the health and safety of our community.  Details on our policies are provided on the NYCDOE website.

Per the recommendation of the NYCDOE and CDC, we strongly encourage all of our families to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19.  Vaccinations are now available at select school sites across the city.  Visit www.schools.nyc.gov for information on sites and available dates.

12. Recap – Important Information Regarding Vaccinations Requested: As we continue monitoring current health safety protocols, one significant factor in our planning is the extent to which our students are vaccinated.  If you are a new Unity family, or have not yet provided your child’s vaccination status, please complete the COVID Vaccination Form at your earliest convenience.  Note that we strongly encourage all of our families to take steps in getting their children vaccinated to best ensure that we are providing the highest level of safety for our community.

13. Recap – 2022-23 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations: The table below reflects our key events and vacations calendar for the 2022-23 school year, including key events we ask for your collaboration with caregiver involvement.  In addition, here is the updated PDF version of the table for your convenience. We look forward to meeting our newest families and reconnecting with our returning families at Family Kick-off-the-Year Festival & Family Orientation on August 31st!

Relevant Information from Past Editions of The Scoop:

Our Community Pledge as a school outlines the actions our staff, families, and students are committed to taking.  By following through on our commitments, we will undoubtedly have an enormously successful school year!

Information and Guidance on Unity’s Dress Codes for the 2022-23 School Year: Unity’s dress codes by grade level are provided below.

• Grades 6-8: Here is a link to all things dress code for all middle school students.
• Grades 9-12: Unity High’s dress code is outlined below:
  1. Tops:
     1. It is strongly encouraged that an official Unity top is worn in the spirit of school pride and in being united in our collective focus on learning. “Official” is defined as a top (T-Shirt or Polos) purchased from an approved vendor.
     2. In cases where students do not take our recommendation, students can wear tops of their choice so long as the top covers their entire torso and shoulders.
     3. Tops must not bear any offensive and/or inappropriate language and/or images and may not be crop tops, tube tops, halter tops or tank tops.
  2. Bottoms:
     1. Student bottoms must be long enough that the hem hits the top of the knee, shin, or ankle.
     2. Bottoms must properly fit and be worn at the waist.  A belt must be worn if bottoms are unable to fit at the waist without sagging.
     3. Bottoms may have rips or tears.
     4. Bottoms may not be leggings, tights, catsuits/bodysuits, basketball shorts or display undergarments.
  3. Shoes:
     1. All shoes must have backs, be closed-toed, and low heeled.
     2. Sandals, flip-flops, and athletic slides ARE NOT permitted (worn with or without socks).
     3. Crocs ARE permitted so long as the backstrap is raised behind the ankle at all times.
     4. For reasons related to safety, the policy for shoes will apply for all dress down days and spirit days.

School Supply Guidance: Having all of our students equipped with the supplies they need is essential to getting off to a strong start to the school year.  We offer guidance below on school supplies by grade level:

• Grades 6-8
• Grades 9-12

COVID-19 Vaccines: Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines: the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines. The vaccine can prevent COVID-19 symptoms and severe COVID-19 illness. People 5 and older are eligible for the vaccine. Those who are fully vaccinated can more safely gather with friends and enjoy other benefits of vaccination. Many vaccination sites in the city no longer require appointments.

• See a list of sites where you can get a walk-up vaccination today. To find a vaccination site near you, including those that take appointments, use the City’s Vaccine Finder.
• Note, people who are 12 to 17 years old can only receive the Pfizer vaccine.

Mental Health Counseling and Social Work Services at Unity: If you would like to speak to a social worker about your child’s mental health or if you would like your child to receive support from a social worker in school, please reach out to Ms. Del Purgatorio via phone or text (347-688-9107) or email (tdelpurgatorio@unityprep.org).

Unity social workers can also be of assistance in providing information regarding social services (for example: housing, immigration, access to community mental health services & referrals to mental health providers, food security / access to food, public assistance, crisis intervention, etc.).

If your child or family member is experiencing a mental health crisis, NYC Well is available 24 hours a day and can be accessed by phone (1-888-NYC-WELL) or text (text WELL to 65173) or by internet chat via their website: https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/.

Discounts on Home Internet Services Available: If your household is struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for a monthly service discount through the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Please visit this information page or call 833-511-0311 for more information.