The Unity Scoop – October 19

Dear Families of Unity,

I hope that this past week has been good to you and your loved ones. I’ll begin this edition of the Unity Scoop with two brief but important shout-outs.

First, congratulations to our students for showcasing all that they have learned so far this year through the completion of their first round of interim assessments. Our high school students will wrap up their assessments this coming Wednesday—kudos to all for putting forth their best efforts!

In addition, kudos to our student-athletes for their efforts this week – see the calendar below this coming week’s athletic contests and enjoy the photo here of our MS soccer team.

Finally, a big shout-out to our entire community for continuing to champion anti-bullying awareness and for standing united in the fight against breast cancer. Our advocacy continues this week as all students wear pink in solidarity on Wednesday and take part in the Breast Cancer Walk on Sunday, where all family members are encouraged to participate. See the flier below for details.

In this edition of the Scoop, we spotlight a number of community members, including our Students of the Month for September and our MS Student-Athletes of the Month. We also share details about a number of exciting and recent school events for you and your family.

Best wishes in the week ahead!

In unity,
Josh

Josh Beauregard
Executive Director / Co-founder
Updates as of October 19, 2025:

1. New – Congrats to Unity’s Students of the Month!:  Kudos to our Students of the Month from September!  We celebrate these students for showing exemplary scholarship and citizenship!

2. New – Get Ready for Our October i-Ready Challenge!
Unity Middle is kicking off a fun, schoolwide competition from October 22nd–31st to get our students excited about learning and earning rewards! During this two-week challenge, students will log minutes on i-Ready Math and ELA, with prizes for top performers — including a pizza lunch, dress-down passes, and other fun surprises.

This kickoff round is designed to spark excitement, build great learning habits, and set the stage for our monthly i-Ready Challenges beginning in November. Let’s cheer on our students as they learn, grow, and have fun along the way!

3. New – We Salute our Middle School Student-Athletes of the Month for September!  Let’s give it up for our Unity Middle School Students of the Month! These Panthers showed outstanding effort, teamwork, and character all month long. You set the bar high—keep shining and leading the way!

4. Updated – Unity Stands Up Against Bullying!: Over the past few weeks, Unity students and staff proudly stood together against bullying—promoting kindness, inclusion, and respect throughout our community. Many showed their solidarity by wearing orange and blue, reminding us all to speak up, reach out, and support one another every day.

This past week, Unity High students also took part in Community Circles to reflect on how we can prevent harmful behaviors and actively promote healthy relationships and a positive school culture for all.

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

6. Recap – Kudos to our P.R.I.D.E. Leaders as of the Month of September: 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 September, 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.

7. Recap – Thank You for Joining Our High School (HS) Info Session this Week!: A huge shout-out to all caregivers who joined our Unity Prep HS Virtual Information Session – it was fantastic seeing so many families together on Zoom! The session was packed with high-quality information on academics, extracurriculars, athletics, and family/student testimonials.

Follow-Up & Next Steps:

• Info Session Slides
• Tour Unity Prep HS: Every Tuesday at 9:30 AM — sign up at bit.ly/UPHStours
• Reserve Your Seat: Email cbeckford@unityprep.org if you’d like to confirm your child’s seat at UPHS for the fall of 2026
• DOE MySchools Overview

We’re excited to partner with you for a great high school experience!

8, Recap – Congratulations to Unity High’s Newly Elected Student Government Association (SGA)!: Congratulations to our newly elected representatives of the SGA! Kudos to all students who ran for office and took on the challenge of leading a campaign—sharing their ideas, vision, and voice with our community. We look forward to seeing the SGA make a meaningful impact on our school in the months ahead!

9. 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.

10. Recap – Wear Pink on Wednesdays for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!: Join us in showing support and solidarity during Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing pink!  Your participation helps raise awareness and honors those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer.  Let’s fill our halls with pink and unity!

11. Recap – Save the Date! Unity’s Campuses to Join Forces to Support The American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer on Sunday, October 26th (note – this date is now correct): Members of our community from grades 6 through 12 will participate in a 3-mile walk on Sunday, October 26th, in support of The American Cancer Society (ACS).  ACS’s Making Strides initiative raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey.  Unity families are encouraged to take part!

12. Recap –  Thank you, Families, for Taking Part in our Recent Family Ambassadors Meeting!: We are grateful to our families who participated in our Family Ambassadors meeting. As always, the meeting was productive, energizing, and, of course, fun! The agenda from the meeting is below.  Here are the slides from the meeting. And see the meeting below. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on November 6th!

13. 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.

14. Recap –  Attention Middle School Families Who Are Interested in Afterschool Programming!: The partnership with our middle school and St. Nick’s Alliance continues strongly this year.  St. Nick’s offers a rich array of afterschool programming in academic enrichment, leadership development, and extra-curricular activities for our middle school students.  Programming began on Monday, September 15th. Afterschool applications have been distributed to students and additional copies are available in the main office. Through St. Nick’s programming, 17 students from each grade have access to a free field trip to Dorney Park Halloween Haunt!

Details on St. Nick’s Alliance afterschool program and the upcoming field trip will be shared with families after submitting their application. Please contact Program Director, Luis Rodriguez, with questions via email at lrodriguez@stnickallliance.org, or by phone at 646-676-1309.

15. Recap – Guidance on Supporting Your Child with School at Home: As communicated last week, there are four key actions you are encouraged to engage in at home throughout this month to help your child get off to a strong start to the school year.  Congratulations on completing #4 below this week!

 Four Actions for a Strong Start

 Ask Your Child About Their Day
Engage your child in conversations about their school day and week. If our team can help ensure your child is enjoying their school experience, please reach out to:

• help.ms@unityprep.org
• help.hs@unityprep.org
• or your child’s advisor

 Check Jupiter for Progress Updates
Stay informed about your child’s progress in Jupiter.

• Watch this brief video tutorial for instructions.
• Email your child’s advisor with any questions about their specific gradebook or assignments.

 Create a Homework Space & Routine
Help your child set a consistent space and routine for completing homework or practicing skills. Routines build strong study habits that will pay off all year long.

 Attend Back-to-School Night this Week!
Meet teachers, learn about curricula, and see what your child will be learning this year!

• High School: Tuesday, 9/16

• Middle School: Wednesday, 9/17

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!