The Unity Scoop – November 7

Dear Unity Families,

I hope the week has treated you well and that you’ve been adjusting smoothly to the time change. I want to begin by thanking our high school families for their flexibility as we worked through the flooding issues caused by last week’s storm. I’m pleased to share that installation of a new gym floor will begin this weekend and is expected to be completed by the middle of next week.

As we officially embark on November, I’m excited to see our entire school community put its best foot forward and launch the second quarter on a strong note. This past week, we proudly honored our newest inductees into the National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society. We look forward to the leadership and service they will bring to Unity in the months ahead. A reminder that family-teacher conferences are just over two weeks away—we look forward to sitting down with you and your child to discuss their progress so far, celebrating strengths and identifying areas for continued growth.

Looking to the week ahead, we will have a four-day school week: Monday is a full school day, followed by the Veterans Day holiday on Tuesday (no school). At the high school, students will enjoy Fall Spirit Week—see below for themes and festivities. Our middle schoolers have several exciting field trips on Wednesday, and middle school athletic tryouts will take place on Monday and Wednesday. We’ll also host a student-staff volleyball game on Thursday and a track meet on Friday. Go Panthers!

Wishing you a joyful weekend, and looking forward to making the most of all that the coming week has to offer!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder
Updates as of November 7, 2025:

1. New – Celebrating Unity’s Newest National Junior Honor Society and National Honor Society Members!: Unity’s chapters of the NJHS and NHS are growing, and this week we proudly welcomed our newest members at our Induction Ceremony. It was a wonderful evening honoring students for their scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Congratulations to all inductees and heartfelt thanks to the families and supporters who joined us for this special celebration!

2. New – Fall Family Conferences Are Just Two Weeks Away: November 24–25!: Our first round of Fall Family Conferences is around the corner, and we can’t wait to connect with you!

Conference Schedule:
• Monday, 11/24 in person from 4-7pm
• Tuesday, 11/25 on Zoom from 3-6pm

Advisors and staff have already begun reaching out to book appointments. These meetings are a powerful moment for families and educators to come together, celebrate progress, and chart next steps. Our ambition is bold and worthy of our community: 100% of our students represented by a family member.

We look forward to partnering with you and lifting up our students’ growth together.

3. Updated – Congratulations to Our October i-Ready Challenge Winners!: We are excited to recognize the winners of our October i-Ready Challenge! Throughout the month, students demonstrated #progress and #integrity as they worked to strengthen their academic skills. All students who completed 80 minutes or more of i-Ready practice in October will be recognized on our 7th-grade hallway bulletin board—stop by to see our hardworking learners being celebrated!

4. New – Join Us for Our Next Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, November 13th (new date)!: We invite all Unity families to join us for our upcoming Family Ambassadors Meeting on Thursday, November 13th at 6pm on Zoom. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow families, share ideas, and help strengthen our school community. We look forward to seeing you there!

5. New – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders as of the Month of October: 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 are our leaders from the month of October, 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 – Unity High Students Explore, Learn, and Lead Beyond the Classroom!: This past week, our high school students took part in a series of exciting enrichment trips across the city—including visits to Microsoft Headquarters, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and the Museum of Art and Technology. These experiences offered students opportunities to connect classroom learning to the real world, explore future careers, and engage with art, culture, and innovation in meaningful ways.  Enjoy the photos below capturing our students learning, discovering, and representing Unity with pride!

7. Recap – November 2025 Schoolwide Calendar: For your family’s convenience, here is a schoolwide calendar of events for the month of November – 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.

8. Recap – Middle School Fall Spirit Week Brought the Festivities!: Unity Middle celebrated its Fall Spirit Week and Annual Hallowsfest Extravaganza this past week and the energy was incredible! See the photos below of our students and staff showing their spirit on Twin Day and Character Day.

9. New – High School Fall Spirit Week Kicks Off Soon!: Unity High’s Fall Spirit Week begins on Monday, November 10th, and we can’t wait to see our students and staff show off their school pride and creativity each day! See the flier below for the full schedule of themed days and activities.

10. Recap – Alumni Spotlight of the Month – Keon Henry, Unity’s Class of 2021: 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 Keon Henry ‘21!

11. Recap – Unity Campuses Joined Forces to Support The American Cancer Society!: Last Sunday, members of our community from grades 6 through 12 came together to participate in a 3-mile walk in support of The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The event raised lifesaving funds and awareness for breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers. We’re so proud of our students, families, and staff for showing their Unity spirit and making a difference together!

12. Updated – Unity Prep Soccer Game at Sports Illustrated Stadium — A Fantastic Community Event!: Last Tuesday, our Unity community came together for an unforgettable soccer game at Sports Illustrated Stadium (also known as Red Bulls Stadium). Families, students, and supporters filled the stands to cheer on our players and celebrate Unity pride in a big way.  Enjoy the photos below capturing the energy, teamwork, and excitement of the day!

13. Recap – Attention Unity Students in Grades 8-11 – Apply Now for a Paid Internship with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is now recruiting students in grades 8–11 for the 2026 Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. GAP is a great way for teens to get paid to learn about urban agriculture, science, and the environment while working in one of the most exciting public gardens in the world!

More information is available online at bbg.org/gap.  Additional details include:

BBG Garden Apprentices:

            •           Earn a monetary award after apprenticeship (Tier 1: $600, Tier 2: $700, Tier 3: $800).

•           Work their way up the program to become paid staff as a Tier 4.

•           Learn about botany and environmentalism through hands-on lessons.

•           Grow and harvest fruits, vegetables, and herbs in the Children’s Garden.

•           Facilitate lessons to teach children about plants.

•           Explore Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s amazing plant collections.

•           Develop job skills, including teamwork, communication, and leadership.

Apprentices make a nine-month commitment to GAP, from March to November, which includes spring training, summer programming, and a weekly commitment after school or on weekends throughout the academic year.

Visit bbg.org/gap for applications, photos, a detailed program calendar, and answers to frequently asked questions. Applications are due December 5th.

14. Recap – Unity’s Annual Canned Food Drive!: Unity is proud to partner with City Harvest to collect non-perishable food items through November 17th. Every donation—big or small—will help support local families in need and remind us of the power of kindness and community.

Students who contribute will also earn Panther Pride Points for showing Empathy and making a difference in the lives of others.

15. Recap – Urban Advantage Family Science Days: Free Museum Admission for Unity Middle Families!: Through Unity’s partnership with Urban Advantage (UA), students in grades 6–8 and their families can enjoy free admission to some of New York City’s premiere museums and institutions.  Vouchers will be handed out to students in their science classes next week. Each voucher provides free entrance for our Unity scientists plus three guests.

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 – Help Us Welcome New Panthers to Unity Prep!: Unity has a few limited seats available for the 2025–26 school year – and we’re looking to fill them with amazing families like yours!

Finding the right school can be a big decision, and our current families are our best ambassadors. If you know a family who would thrive in our small, caring, college-prep community, please connect them with Mr. Beckford via email or (862) 294-0219.

As a thank-you, both your family and the new family will receive a $100 Amazon gift card for school supplies when they enroll. Let’s keep building our small and mighty community—one Panther at a time!

19. 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!