The Unity Scoop – May 14

Dear Families of Unity,

I want to begin by wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Unity mothers in our community.  You are absolute superheroes and deserve hugs and appreciation each and every day of the year!

Congratulations to all of our high school students who completed their Advanced Placement (AP) exams this past week, including students who have been working all year in AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, AP Biology, and AP World History.  We are immensely proud of you!

Finally, congratulations to our 12th graders who were celebrated during our annual College Signing Day event on Friday.  Thank you to all of our families who participated in the heartwarming affair!

Best regards,

Josh

Josh Beauregard

Head of School / Co-founder

Updates as of May 14, 2023:

1. Updated – May 2023 School-wide 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.

2. New – Unity High Celebrates College Signing Day in Style: Unity celebrated our annual “College Signing Day” yesterday!  This tradition began by former First Lady Michelle Obama; it provides high schools the opportunity to honor seniors as they declare their postgraduate plans.  During the ceremony, the entire high school community and families of our seniors gathered in our gym.   As you can tell from the photos, the space was filled with excitement and pride.  Seniors each gave thanks to family members and staff who helped on their journey.  As each senior announced where she/he would attend college, the entire gym erupted in applause.  It was a beautiful event!

3. Updated – Unity High Art Exhibit to Showcase our Student’s Artistic Talents, Friday, May 19th at 4:30pm!:  All Unity families are cordially invited to support our young and talented artists during an exhibition this Friday.  Student artwork will be exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Cave, at 897 Broadway in Brooklyn.  See the flier below for details!

4. New – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Jordan Grant, Unity’s Class of 2020: 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 Jordan Grant, who is now working toward his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, at CUNY John Jay College.  Kudos to Jordan in making the most of his postsecondary opportunities thus far!

Some Background:

Jordan Grant was a member of Unity’s first class and began at Unity as a 6th grader in fall of 2013.  He graduated from Unity in 2020 as a member of Unity’s founding class.

Accomplishments:

Jordan earned his Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts from CUNY Guttman Community College in 2022, and is now working on his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, at CUNY John Jay College. He is on track to receive this degree in May 2024.

Fun Facts:

Jordan loves the extracurriculars at John Jay. He recently leveled up to a green belt in the Karate Club. If it fits his schedule, he may take Judo next semester. Jordan plans to attend graduate school for an advanced degree in Mental Health Counseling after completing his undergraduate degree.

Advice for Unity Underclassmen (middle and high school):

Jordan’s advice to Unity students is to be diligent and responsible. Pick a college that fits your career and makes you feel comfortable!

5. Recap – Kudos to our Core Value Champions for the Full Month of April!: 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 April 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. 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).

7. Updated – Spring Athletics and Festivities are in the Air!: Our spring athletic season continues to be in full swing.  Recent highlights include our volleyball teams continuing to bear the fruits of their labor, including our high school boys team, who registered a win over Uncommon High this past week.  In addition, our middle school track team is enjoying an impressive season with a number of notable achievements of late.  Finally, our Step and Dance teams have been busy honing their skills.  We look forward to seeing you at our spring dance recital next Saturday, May 20th!

8. New – Stellar Attendance in April – 95% and 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 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!

9. 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.