The Unity Scoop – May 12

Dear Families of Unity,

Let me begin this edition of The Scoop with a hearty note of admiration and gratitude to all of the mothers in our community.  Happy Mother’s Day to you!

This past week was a busy one with middle school state exams and high school Advanced Placement (AP) exams.  Congratulations to our middle school students for completing their state math exams this past week!  And congrats to our high school students who completed their AP exams, including those in Government, Environmental Science, Literature, and US History!

On behalf of our entire community, we are extremely proud of our students for their hard work in preparing for these exams over the past few months.  And we look forward to celebrating the efforts of our high school students who will be completing their remaining AP exams next week.  Again, we are proud of you!

I also want to thank everyone in our school community who contributed to Educator Appreciation Week at Unity.  Our team definitely felt the love and appreciation coming their way.

Below, I re-share with you our May calendar for your convenience.  In addition, we spotlight one of our amazing alumni as well as some recent highlights from our athletics program.

Best wishes in the week ahead!

In unity,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of May 12, 2024:

Updated – May 2024 School-wide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a complete school-wide 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.  For this week, notable dates and events include:

• 5/14 – State Science Exam, grade 8
• 5/15-5/17 – NYSESLAT testing, grades 6-8
• 5/13-5/17 – Advanced Placement exams in Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Language, World History, Computer Science, and Biology, grades 10-12

New – Help Shape Your Child’s Experience in School by Taking Part in our Next Middle School Family Ambassadors Meeting, Thursday, May 23rd, 6pm!: The next Family Ambassadors of Unity meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 23rd, at 6pm on Zoom.  Contact Mr. Beckford with questions – all families of middle school students are encouraged to attend!

Hello fellow Unity Panthers!

After graduating from Unity, I committed to SUNY Oneonta, where I am presently completing my final full year of study.  I am majoring in Philosophy with a minor in Communications.  My plan is to graduate in December 2024. Upon graduating, I look forward to beginning my career as a flight attendant or a paralegal.

As a member of the Queen Steppers at Unity, I immediately gravitated to the Step Team at SUNY Oneonta.  Over the past three years, I am proud of the impact that I have had on the team.  I was recently selected to be the President of the Divine Leaders Step Team for the upcoming semester, in addition to my current role as a Choreographer. I also work as a Library Assistant, Resident Assistant, Dragon Campus Guide, and Building Manager, and do hair for students on campus as a side job.

If there’s any advice I could impart to current Unity students, it is to make sure to find your people on campus and take FULL advantage of ALL of the opportunities afforded to you!  The roles I’ve mentioned above are just a fraction of what I have done while in college. I can surely say that I am proud to be a Red Dragon and proud of  all the experience that I have had.  And I’m proud to be obtaining my degree in 3.5 years!

Updated – Unity Athletics – The Spring Season is Upon Us!!: There have been a number of recent highlights worth sharing with Unity’s athletic teams this spring season.  Here are a few!

Members of the middle school volleyball teams before a recent match (clearly with the game faces on!)

Middle School Scholar-Athlete of the Month for March: Tonya Richardson

Team: Track

Current GPA: 3.6

Description: Tonya is a role model for her fellow student athletes.. As a student, Tonya is very diligent as she regularly checks in with her teachers and seeks out additional help from her teachers when she needs it.  As an athlete and teammate, Tonya shows high support for her teammates and a high level of sportsmanship. She has even been complimented on her sportsmanship by opposing teams and their coaches!

Quote: In learning that she had earned Scholar-Athlete of the Month, Tonya offered the following response:  “I am really excited and really proud of myself!”

Members of our middle school community recently participated in a Student vs. Faculty flag football game at MetLife Stadium!  The game went down to the wire and ended in a high-scoring tie at 28-28.  Go Panthers!

Student-Athletes from Unity’s middle school and high school have been hard at work over the past two weeks to develop their skills on the basketball court.  Workout sessions take place on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.  See the flier below for details and enjoy the photos below of students in action!

Recap – Stellar Attendance in April – 95% and Above!: The following lengthy list of students demonstrated a strong and consistent dedication to their education by showing stellar attendance to school in the month of April.  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!

Recap – Free Admission to NYC’s Finest Museum through Unity Middle’s Partnership with Urban Advantage: Unity Middle students were given vouchers to attend some of the best museums in NYC free of charge.  See the details below and contact Ms. Diaz, our MS Science Department Chairperson, with any questions.

Recap – College Acceptance List for Unity’s Class of 2024!: We are excited to share with our community the full list of colleges to which members of Unity’s Class of 2024 have earned admission.  Congrats to the entire class and their families as they now decide which college they will attend this fall!  Enjoy the photo below of members of Unity’s Class of 2024 visiting SUNY Stony Brook on Thursday and being greeted by members of Unity’s Class of 2023 who now attend Stony Brook. Kudos to our alumni in supporting our seniors as they weigh their options!

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.

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