The Unity Scoop – May 1

Dear Families of Unity,

Congratulations to our middle school students, educators, and families on completing this week’s Math state exams—a major milestone. We’re incredibly proud of the focus, determination, and critical thinking our students demonstrated every step of the way.

Today we celebrate Principal Appreciation Day. We’re fortunate to be led by two exceptional principals—Ms. Terry at the middle school and Mrs. English at the high school. Thank you both for your leadership, care, and unwavering commitment to our students and community.

Looking ahead, we wish our high school students the very best as they begin their Advanced Placement (AP) exams. We’re confident they will bring focus, preparation, and determination to this important milestone.

We also recognize National Educator Appreciation Week. Our educators are one of Unity’s greatest strengths, and I encourage you to take a moment to share your appreciation—whether by call, text, email, or note. You can also leave a message using the link in the first update below.

In this edition of the Unity Scoop, you’ll find:

• The May calendar and key dates
• The 2026–27 school year calendar and vacation schedule
• A brief survey to share your plans for the 2026–27 school year
• Celebrations of our AP Art students and their creative pursuits
• Upcoming fitness competitions in physical education classes
• A preview of our middle school Spring Art Exhibition

Wishing everyone a restful weekend and a strong start to the week ahead.

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder

Updates as of May 1, 2026:

1. New – AP Scholars Reach a Major Milestone

Congratulations to our AP 2D Art, AP Seminar, and AP Computer Science Principles students on successfully submitting their portfolios—a huge accomplishment that reflects months of creativity, analysis, and sustained effort.

Photos from this week capture scholars hard at work during Saturday Academy, putting the final touches on their AP 2D Art portfolios and demonstrating the focus and dedication that define this moment.

We are incredibly proud of our students and wish all of our AP scholars the best of luck on their exams next week!

2. New – May 2026 Schoolwide Calendar

For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of May – 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 – Join Us for Art that Shapes Us: Unity Middle’s Spring Art Exhibition, May 7th, 5pm

We’re excited for our upcoming Spring Art Exhibition, Art that Shapes Us, on May 7th from 5-6:30pm in the Unity gym at 432 Monroe! We look forward to your presence, feedback, and encouragement in making this a truly special experience for our young artists.

And congratulations to Mr. Moorman and his talented student artists—we can’t wait to celebrate their work!

4. New – 2026-27 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families Now Available

We’re excited to share key dates to help your family plan ahead, including the first and last days of school, holidays, breaks, and important events throughout the year.

Please review the calendar closely and save it for reference. We will communicate any updates with families in advance as needed.

• 2027-27 School Calendar of Key Events and Vacations for Families, Grades 6-12

5. New – Take a Moment to Share a Brief Note Appreciation to a Member of our Team: For your convenience, here is a space to share a note of appreciation with a Unity educator.  Simply share your note via this survey and the note will be shared with the educator next week.  Alternatively, feel free to reach out to the educator directly.  Thanks in advance for your encouragement and appreciation!

6. New – Planning Ahead for the 2026–27 School Year

We are honored to partner with you at Unity in support of your child’s education, and we deeply value our collaboration in helping them thrive.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to share your child’s plans for the 2026–27 school year on this brief survey by May 5th. Your response helps us plan effectively for the year ahead and determine whether any seats may become available for students on our waitlist.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for taking a moment to complete this important step.

7. New – Get Ready for National Physical Education and Sports Week at Unity!

In honor of National Physical Education and Sports Week, Unity’s PE department will host a series of fitness competitions next week, including the infamous plank challenge and the notorious wall sit challenge.

Students will have the chance to test their strength, endurance, and determination while building school spirit and celebrating healthy competition across grades.

Step up, push your limits, and let’s see what you’ve got!

8. Recap – Unity High Leads Brooklyn in College-Going!

We are proud to share that Unity High achieved an 84% college enrollment rate for the Class of 2025—one of the highest in Brooklyn, among the highest for open-admissions schools, and the highest among charter high schools in the borough. In other words, a greater percentage of our graduates enrolled in college this past fall than any other charter high school in Brooklyn.

9. Recap – Presentations in Advanced Placement English Language Classes This Week!

We’re excited to share the photos below of 12th grade students leading their classmates through a close analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Through this work, students are taking ownership of their learning—examining rhetoric, building arguments, and facilitating thoughtful discussion with confidence.

10. Recap – Students Explore Local Colleges Today!

On Friday, our students visited local colleges—including Cooperative Education Services (Coop Tech), Barnard College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Mercy College, and St. Francis College as part of their continued college exploration.

These visits provided a valuable opportunity for students to experience campuses firsthand, learn about academic programs and student life, and begin envisioning their own paths beyond high school. Students engaged, asked thoughtful questions, and took another meaningful step toward their future goals.

11. Recap – Perfect Attendance from March!

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

12. Recap – Excellence in Action: Celebrating Our Student-Athletes!

Unity High’s girls volleyball team hosted two home matches this week, showcasing focus, energy, and strong team spirit. This young and talented group continues to grow with each match—an exciting season lies ahead.

Unity High student-athletes also gave back to the community, volunteering their time to mentor students at PS 44 and support their development in basketball. Through this experience, students built leadership, responsibility, and communication skills while serving as positive role models for younger scholars.

At the middle school, our rugby team took part in a spirited match against teachers and staff. As a new offering this year, rugby is building excitement while helping students—and staff—learn the game and strengthen community connections.

Click here to see the team in action!

Click here to see mentoring in action!

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

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

You can find the meeting agenda and slides here. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting on Thursday, May 14th!

14. Recap – Congratulations to Our Newly Admitted Unity Families!

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

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

New families: schedule your enrollment meeting by clicking here!

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

Welcome to Unity!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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