Upper School Teacher Newsletters

As another incredible school year comes to a close, we want to thank our students and families for making this such a wonderful experience. Through PE classes, field days and athletic competitions, it has been exciting to watch our students grow in confidence, teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance.

Our athletic programs continued to thrive this year, with student-athletes representing our school with pride both on and off the field, court, and track. We are grateful for the support of each and everyone one of you, who helped make our sports programs such a valuable part of the student experience.

While summer is knocking on the door, we’re already beginning preparations for next Fall and you should have a signup for our Fall offerings in your inbox! Gryphon Athletics will continue to grow next school year with the introduction of new sports and full varsity teams! Mr. Allen and myself hope you all have a fantastic break and we look forward to seeing you all again in the Fall!

If you see us out watching World Cup games - don’t forget to say hi!

Stay cool,

Ms. Simmons and Mr. Allen

Obrian Espejo

MYP Spanish 6th, 7th
obrian.espejo@uniondayschool.com

Querida Familia,

I hope this letter finds you well.

As we come to the end of this school year, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your support, commitment, and partnership throughout the year. The collaboration between home and school plays a vital role in student success, and I truly appreciate everything you have done to support your children’s learning.

I am very proud of the accomplishments made by our 6th and 7th grade Spanish students. Throughout the year, they have expanded their vocabulary, improved their communication skills, developed a better understanding of the Spanish language, and worked hard to meet new challenges. Their growth and dedication have been wonderful to see.

I would also like to wish you and your family a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer vacation. I hope this time provides opportunities to create special memories, explore new experiences, and spend quality time together.

To help students maintain the progress they have made this year, I encourage them to continue practicing Spanish during the summer. Reading books, listening to music, watching movies or television programs in Spanish, reviewing vocabulary, and speaking Spanish whenever possible are excellent ways to reinforce what they have learned. Consistent practice will help them return to school confident and ready for continued success.

Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of your child’s educational journey. It has been a pleasure teaching them this year. I wish all of you a wonderful summer, and I look forward to seeing many of our students again next school year.

With appreciation and best wishes,

Mr. Obrian Espejo
Spanish Teacher
6th and 7th Grade

Have a wonderful summer vacation! ☀️📚🌴

Chante Evans

Science 6th and 7th Grades
chante.evans@uniondayschool.com

June 6, 2026

Greetings Parents.

This school year has been amazing. Thank you for trusting me to provide your child with Science education. We have journeyed through the year with excitement, growth, and laughter. Your children were always enthusiastic about the learning tasks and learning goals. They were encouraging, inquisitive, and creative. This year has been a great experience due to your support as well. Many thanks and a tremendous amount of love as you and your child continue to learn and grow in Science.

Best,

Chante Evans

Eddy Mkwambe

MYP Math 7th, MYP Advanced Math 7th 7th Math 8th, Math 1 w Foundations, Math 2
eddy.mkwambe@uniondayschool.com

June 6, 2026

Greetings Parents,

As we come to the close of another school year, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your support and partnership throughout this journey. It has been a privilege to teach your children and watch them grow as mathematicians, problem-solvers, and learners.

This year, our students explored new mathematical concepts, developed critical thinking skills, persevered through challenges, and celebrated many successes. Whether in Math 7, Advanced Math 7, Math 8, Math 1 with Foundations, or Math 2, I have been continually impressed by their effort, curiosity, resilience, and willingness to learn.

I am grateful for the encouragement and support you provided at home, which played an important role in your child's growth and achievement. Together, we created a positive learning environment where students could build confidence, take risks, and develop a deeper understanding of mathematics.

Thank you for trusting me with your child's education this year. It has been a rewarding experience, and I wish you and your family a safe, restful, and enjoyable summer. May your children continue to learn, grow, and pursue their goals with confidence and determination.

With sincere appreciation,

Best Regards,

Mr. Mkwambe

Traleeya Heyward

MYP Math 6th, 7th
traleeya.heyward@uniondayschool.com

Greetings,

As we come to the end of another school year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and partnership throughout this academic journey. Your involvement and dedication have been instrumental in fostering a positive and enriching learning environment for our students.

This year has been filled with growth, challenges, and countless achievements. Your support at home, whether through helping with homework, attending parent-teacher conferences, or encouraging your child to do their best, has played a crucial role in their success. Together, we have worked to ensure that each student not only meets but exceeds their academic and personal goals.

I am incredibly proud of the progress and accomplishments of our students. Watching them learn, grow, and thrive has been a rewarding experience, and I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me to guide them through this important phase of their education.

Thank you for your open communication, your involvement in school activities, and your constant encouragement. Your partnership is vital to our school community, and it is through this collaborative effort that we create a supportive and nurturing environment for our children.

As we move into the summer break, I encourage you to continue fostering a love of learning at home. Engage in reading, explore new activities, and enjoy quality time together. These experiences will continue to build on the foundation we have established throughout the school year.

I look forward to the continued partnership in the coming years and wish you and your family a restful and enjoyable summer.

With sincere gratitude,

Ms. Heyward

IB Middle Year Program (MYP) Math Teacher

Union Day School

Mary Wyant

MYP Music 6th, 7th, 8th
mary.wyant@uniondayschool.com

Happy Final Friday!

It has been a pleasure working with all of your children this year. While our events were reduced this year, every class took the time to ask more questions, have more discussions, and share new music interests with the class.

Music teachers begin to measure student success by stepping away and letting them sing or play without assistance. Your children proved that they could push themselves to perform successfully in the Winter Concert. They further proved this during my maternity leave, working diligently to complete their weekly songs for Ms. Ungaro and by helping each other with immediate feedback and advice. For this, they deserve much applause and pats on the back. Kudos to my student volunteers who assisted with instrument organization and concert assistance.

Next year will bring more performance opportunities, such as BIG SING, Union County community performances, and solo opportunities for the National Anthem. As your kids prepare to relax and reset, help them build a summer music playlist! Introduce your favorite music as a kid and ask them about their favorite artists. Summer memories are cemented by our soundtrack.

Have a great summer, Gryphons!

Ms. Wyant

Polly Bratyanski

MYP Design 6th, 7th, 8th
polly.bratyanski@uniondayschool.com

Gryphon families,

We are on to the last few days of school! It has been such a fun year. I couldn't think of a better place to teach middle school for the first time. We have laughed, created, learned, and laughed some more.

I want to thank families for allowing us to lead your students through their educational career. We have a job that would not be possible without your support.

Next year, I will be following your 8th graders up to high school. I will be teaching Beginner Art, Intermediate Art, and IB Visual Art Year 1 and Year 2.

Thank you for a great first year at Union Day.

Ms.Bratyanski

Jennifer Chapman

MYP Social Studies 6th, 7th
jennifer.chapman@uniondayschool.com

Happy Friday, everyone!

It is hard to believe that this school year has come to an end so quickly. I want to extend my sincere thanks for all of your support throughout the year. It has been a joy to watch your children grow; many of the quiet students who walked through my door on the first day have blossomed into confident, social learners. This summer, I encourage your student to keep reading Historical Fiction and Biographies or anything they choose, quite honestly :). The more your child reads, the more success they will have in every subject, research shows over and over again.

To my students, as you move on to the next grade level, I wish you the utmost success in all your future endeavors.

Have a wonderful summer, everyone!

Warmly,

Ms. Chapman

Rachelle Hodges

MYP Math 1, Math 2, Math 3
rachelle.hodges@uniondayschool.com

It has been an honor to have joined the UDS family to finish out my 35th year as a teacher. I have to admit there were some learning curves and new tricks for this old dog to learn adjusting to the IB program and an AB schedule and teaching a different course, Math 3, for the first time. If it weren’t for the incredible administration, staff, parents and students to support me, it may not have been as rewarding as it was.

A special thanks to Mr. Lambert for stepping in and co-teaching Math 3 and mentoring me. In addition, I appreciate the communication with families and the dedication from the students. Sure, there were bumps in the road, but there always are. That's what makes the journey memorable.

It took students a bit to get used to my approach of answering questions with questions and trying to get them to see the whole context of a problem, but in the end, I believe it led to a better understanding of the vocabulary of math and how much previous knowledge can help tackle a new problem. The best outcome from this was seeing and hearing students begin to help each other using the same method. There were times when the conversations between students were just amazing to listen to. If students remember one thing I have said in class, I hope it is this, "You know more than you think you know."

The end of a year is always bittersweet to me. I have always been a big proponent of building relationships with students as individuals and not just as students learning math from me. Taking the time to foster those connections and seeing them lead to better understanding and communication is rewarding, but just as things are really starting to be fluid and natural, the year is over and they move on. I have seen tremendous growth in many students during their time in my classes this year. Clearly there were academic achievements, but more importantly to me I saw students come out of their shells, gain confidence and begin to take ownership and responsibility over their academic and personal experiences. Those are the things that have kept me in the classroom for over half of my life.

I am thankful the kiddos were able to deal with the abundance of penguins and purple in my room and the 4,837 quirks I have, give or take 216. Ask them about numbers like that…they’ll probably just roll their eyes and laugh at me. That’s okay, I laugh at me, too.

I wish you all a summer break to remember and look forward to seeing familiar races in the hallways again in the fall!

Maria Ledesma

MYP Spanish 2, Spanish 3 | DP Language B
maria.ledesma@uniondayschool.com

Dear students,

It was a pleasure to be your Spanish teacher this year. As you know, learning another language requires consistent practice. As you embark on your third year of Spanish and Spanish SL year 1-year 2 , I strongly encourage you to keep practicing the language regularly through a variety of activities.

1. Keep up your interpretive skills by spending some time consuming media. Watch a little news or perhaps your favorite show in Spanish with subtitles in Spanish.

2. Read one of their most popular newspapers, El país. Website: elpais.com

3. If you travel to a Spanish-speaking destination, use your language skills!

3. Do you spend time on your phone scrolling through social media feeds? Find some Spanish-speaking artists or celebrities to follow. You can also try switching your phone’s main language to Spanish.

4. Look for opportunities in and around our community to use your Spanish - at a summer job, doing volunteer work or community service, etc.

5. Apps to Learn Spanish (New apps now include AI conversation helpers to support pronunciation practice.)

Duolingo - grammar and listening skills (duolingo podcast)

Rosetta Stone

Speak - Language learning - speaking skill

Bussu - Language learning

6. Listening podcasts. You can adjust the speed as needed

Spotify

These websites are great to scratch up on those basic skills and to ensure you feel confident heading into your Spanish lessons in the new academic year.

I can’t wait to see you in the fall!

Sra. Ledesma (Profe)

Liliana Sampedro

MYP Spanish, Phy. Science, Latin American Studies
liliana.sampedro@uniondayschool.com

Dear Students and Families,

As we reach the end of another school year, I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to be part of your journey.

This year has been filled with challenges, growth, learning, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Together, we celebrated successes, worked through difficulties, and continued moving forward one day at a time. As a teacher, there is nothing more rewarding than watching students grow—not only academically, but also as individuals.

To the students who will be moving on to new schools, new grades, or new adventures: congratulations. While I am sad to see you go, I am incredibly proud of all that you have accomplished. I hope you carry with you the lessons learned, the friendships made, and the confidence to pursue your goals. Remember that success is not measured by perfection, but by your willingness to keep learning, trying, and growing. I wish you nothing but happiness and success in the next chapter of your lives. A very special congratulations to our 8th grade students on their promotion. This is an important milestone, and you should be proud of your hard work, dedication, and achievements. I wish you continued success as you begin this exciting new stage of your educational journey.

To those who will be returning next year: I look forward to seeing how much more you will grow. Continue to challenge yourselves, stay curious, work hard, and never underestimate your potential. The best learning happens when we are willing to make mistakes, ask questions, and keep trying.

To all of our families: thank you for your trust, support, encouragement, and partnership throughout the year. Your involvement makes a tremendous difference, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you in supporting your children.

As we begin summer break, I hope you take time to rest, make wonderful memories, and enjoy time with family and friends. Whether our paths cross again next year or this is our final goodbye, please know that each student has left a lasting impression on me and will always be remembered fondly.

Thank you for a wonderful year.

With gratitude and best wishes,

Ms Sampedro

Latin American Studies, Spanish 1 and Physical Science Teacher

Dawn Galanis

MYP English 2 | DP Language A Year 1 & 2
dawn.galanis@uniondayschool.com

To My Amazing UDS Families,

As we wrap up another school year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support, encouragement, and partnership throughout the year. It has been a privilege to work with your children and watch them grow not only academically, but as young adults preparing for the next chapters of their lives.

This year was filled with challenges, accomplishments, laughter, and countless memorable moments. Whether your child is returning next year or preparing to take their next step after graduation, I am incredibly proud of all they have achieved.

Thank you for trusting me to be a part of your child's journey. Your encouragement, support, and partnership throughout the year have made a tremendous difference, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you. .

I hope your family enjoys a well-deserved summer filled with rest, fun, and time together. Congratulations on another successful year, and I look forward to seeing many of my students back in the hallways next fall.

Wishing you a safe, happy, and relaxing summer!

Warmly 😁,

Dawn Galanis

James V. Lambert

Dean of Students | DP Applications and Interpretations SL I & II | MYP Personal Project Coordinator
james.lambert@uniondayschool.com

Dear Union Day Parents and Students,

I hope you and your families have a great 2026 summer of travel and rest, from this 2025-2026 school year, I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve with and for your families for this school year in Math 4 & DP Applications & Interpretations SL 1 & 2 and as your Dean of Students. Thank you for entrusting us with your child(ren), it has been an honor to help them grow and mature.

My experience now includes 24 years of teaching, coaching Varsity basketball, and administration; from small public/private to large public schools in Ohio and North Carolina. I am confident that, with your partnership going forward, I can and will bring your student success in their respective math course(s) at UDS, in the their time to come.

Always feel free to contact me if you have any questions in regards to how we may work together in bringing the expected success to come. It will be an honor and privilege to lead and learn with our students for the coming 2026-2027 school year.

Mr. James V. Lambert MA EL

james.lambert@uniondayschool.com

Dean of Students (2025-Present)

DP Mathematics Teacher (2025-Present)

Boy's Varsity Basketball Head Coach (2025-Present)

MYP Personal Project Coordinator (2024-2026)

Tony MacDonald

MYP English 8th, Social Studies 8th
tony.macdonald@uniondayschool.com

“Pleasure to Have in Class” & “Surprise, Surprise, Your Student uses AI”

First off, I’d like to address the universal “pleasure to have in class” gradebook comment. It truly was a “pleasure to have” your student in my classes this year. The entire group of 8th grade students are good kids. And that’s a testament to you as a parent. It’s a tough decision to make to send your child to a charter school. But, you made it because you care for your child’s well-being. That care and attention does not go unnoticed. Currently, choosing to be good is often seen as a detriment to one’s success, and the alternative is a much easier choice. You raised a good kid. Keep it up.

Secondly, your student, every student, used AI this year to either help them on an assignment (I had them ask AI to match their personality with a Shakespearean Sonnet), or had AI complete an entire assignment. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it is reality. AI is a useful assistant. But as we all continue to utilize this technology, it’s important for all of us, me included, to keep it as an assistant, or else we become its assistant. If your student does not exercise her critical thinking skills on her assignments, essentially letting the AI think for her, then these skills will atrophy, eventually getting to a point where she cannot function without it. In the not so distant future, the “haves” will have honed and mastered their critical thinking skills, and the “have-nots” will merely be assistants to the AI. The school is doing its part by pulling back from screen-time in the classroom. I’ll do my part by continuing to provide your student with critical thinking opportunities. You do your part by continuing to be aware of our new and ever evolving reality. Have a great summer!

-Mr. Mac

Christine Goodson

MYP Science 8th, Physics | DP Coordinator
christine.goodson@uniondayschool.com

Dear Families:

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to teach your children this school year (some of them the past 3 years!). I'm very proud of all their hard work. It has definitely paid off as most of them passed this year's Science EOG. Thank you for entrusting me with your children and your continued support. Enjoy all the luxuries of summer, and I will see you all next year!

Stephen Hoff

MYP Civics | DP Th. of Knowledge, DP His. of the Americas
stephen.hoff@uniondayschool.com

Dear UDS Families -

It's hard to believe that this school year has come to an end - most especially perhaps for our first-ever graduating class here at UDS. I want to send a heartfelt thank you for entrusting me with your wonderful children. They have truly blessed my life!

Watching them grow, learn (at a higher or honors level of instruction), participate, absorb, inquire, reflect, discover, engage and overcome challenges has been incredible to watch unfold. They've continued to add to a skill set needed for success - both here at UDS and going forward. They've taken quizzes and tests, worked on projects - both individually and in groups, written reflections, taken a lot of notes, done a good amount of research, and continued throughout to excel. Quite simply, I've been impressed with my students each and every day we've met. Their ability to go above and beyond - as needed for success on various assessments - has been impressive, and I couldn't be prouder. When I began my teaching career back in 1984, I couldn't have imagined that I'd still have such a genuine passion for what I do/teach. It's one thing to love the subject areas - which I do indeed, but it's another altogether to love and care about the students under my charge. It's that latter part of the job that keeps me excited. Thank you for partnering with me on this journey.

I wish you and your family a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled summer vacation! See you again in August.

Best,

Mr. Stephen Hoff

Trionna Lowe

MYP Bio., Earth and Enviro. | DP Env. Sys. and Soc.
trionna.lowe@uniondayschool.com

Dear families

It has been an honor teaching your children this year. While the journey wasn't easy it was amazing to be a witness to the growth and accomplishments of my students. Although they may tell you that I worked them to death and gave them a thousand assignments each day; they still pushed forward and completed the work. They worked hard and I was able to see the fruits of their labor. It has been fun teaching them and getting to know all of them as individuals. I know that the time I had with them has been brief but the memories I made here I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope the students remember the life lessons they learned this year and that they continue to grow as not only students, but as people. While I haven't known them for long, they have taught me so much as an educator and have greatly impacted me as an individual. As they start new chapters in their life, I want them to remember the good times they had, the connections they built with one another, and to embrace the unknown that comes with the future. I just want to say that I am proud to have been their teacher, and I wish them the best in all their future endeavors. Remember that anything worth having is worth working for. Continue to work hard, to percervere, to build connections and to enjoy the little things. If their is one thing in life you can never get back it is time. Enjoy the time you have with one another and make the most out of every opportunity you are given. Have a great summer!

Sincerely, Ms. Lowe

Gerald Cross

MYP Marketing, Economics, Business Essentials | DP Business Management | DECA Co-Advisor
gerald.cross@uniondayschool.com

As we close the 2025-2026 school year, I want to thank our students and families for making this such a memorable and rewarding year in the Upper School Business Program.

This year, students explored marketing, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, business strategy, and leadership through a variety of real-world projects, discussions, presentations, and case studies. It has been exciting to watch them grow as thinkers, communicators, problem-solvers, and future business leaders.

I would like to offer special congratulations to our rising sophomores and juniors as they continue their academic journeys. Most importantly, congratulations to Union Day School's first graduating senior class. It has been a true privilege to be a small part of such a historic milestone for our school and to witness the accomplishments of this inaugural graduating class.

I am also incredibly proud of our Business Essentials students. Despite joining the course midway through the school year, they performed exceptionally well on the North Carolina Career and Technical Education Business Essentials assessment, achieving a proficiency rate above school, regional, and state averages. More importantly, their success reflects the hard work, resilience, and commitment they demonstrated throughout the semester.

Looking ahead, I am excited about the continued growth of our business program and DECA chapter. We have ambitious goals for expanding membership, strengthening leadership opportunities, increasing competitive participation, and celebrating even greater achievements in the year ahead.

Thank you again for your partnership, encouragement, and support throughout the year. Have a safe, restful, and enjoyable summer. I look forward to welcoming everyone back and building on this year's successes in the fall.

Warm regards,

Gerald Cross
Upper School Business & Economics
DECA Advisor
Union Day School

Tracey Cothran

MYP Visual Arts | DP Visual Arts | English I
tracey.cothran@uniondayschool.com

HELLO families!

As we wrap up another school year, I want to thank you for your support and partnership. It has been a privilege to work with your students in both Art and English I this year.

I have enjoyed watching them grow as creative thinkers, readers, writers, and artists. Their hard work, resilience, and unique perspectives have made this year both meaningful and memorable.

I am proud of all they have accomplished and grateful for the opportunity to be part of their journey. I wish you and your family a wonderful summer filled with rest, fun, and new adventures.

Thank you for a fantastic year!

Love,

Mrs. Cothran

PS - My summer wishes are that you read, read, read and spend time outside. Check out the UDS Required Summer Reading List here.

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