Yellow School Bus

• Call 212-584-3160 or email transportation@unis.org should you have any questions or concerns.

Student's Metro Cards

Student Metrocards are coordinated through transportation@unis.org

School Bus for JA Students

JA parents are invited to complete the form on the "Getting Ready JA" page. This will let us know that your child is ready to ride the bus.

Click on the link below to access more information about transportation.

JS teachers will only dismiss at the end of the day to a parent, authorized caregiver, after school teacher, or bus supervisor. JS students are not permitted to leave the front gate of the campus without adult supervision. Only a sibling in grade M3 or above may be given permission to escort their sibling from campus.

We follow the Dept of Health guidelines for outdoor play: "New York City Department of Health Guidelines regarding outdoor play in cold weather policy states “Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. Unless it is snowing or there is ice on the playground low temperatures should not be a barrier to outside play, as long as children are appropriately dressed. The City’s Health Department strongly encourages principals to maintain outdoor play periods on the vast majority of winter days.”

Recommendations are as follows: If the wind chill factor is above 20 degrees, it is safe to play outside. If the wind chill factor is 0-20, outside play is advised provided that students are appropriately dressed and under observation to make sure that they are wearing their coats, hats and gloves." From:  New York City Department of Education and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

JS teachers are best contacted by email. They do not have phones in their classrooms. The email address is usually the first initial of the first name, the entire last name, followed by unis.org. For example, Bonnie Smith would be bsmith@unis.org. Note that during the school day our teachers are working with students and may not be able to read emails.

If you need to inform the school about changes regarding your child’s dismissal on any particular day, SchoolPass is the sole method of communicating dismissal plans to the UNIS JS, After School and Athletics Programs. 

Between 2:00 - 2:30pm, if there is an urgent last minute change, you may phone the JS Office at 212-584-3190, and a message can be sent to the homeroom teacher. However, it is the expectation that any dismissal plan changes will be entered in SchoolPass directly by the family prior to 2:00pm. After 2:30 the School cannot guarantee that dismissal changes will be relayed to all relevant departments in time for dismissal.

To authorize a new caregiver to enter UNIS to pick up or drop off your child, please log in to the Veracross Parent Portal at myunis.vc:

• Log in Veracross

• Click on Household Information

• Update Household Profile by clicking on Contacts for My Children and +Add New

• Enter that caregiver’s details under the Contacts section (add as many additional contacts and caregivers as you need)

• Then grant Pickup Authorization to your Contacts as needed by clicking on Pickup Authorization on the right and +Add New.

After you enter that information in Veracross, your caregiver can have a UNIS ID made that will allow him/her access to the school to pick up and drop off. In the interim, until the caregiver information is populated by IT to the Security Access card system, fill in this ID Authorization Form, print and sign it, and have the caregiver carry this form along with a photo ID to present to Security at the front gate until a physical UNIS ID card is printed. 

Please note that during the 2023-24 school year, JS dismissal is between 2:45-2:55, depending on grade. Parents and caregivers are expected to arrive at UNIS by the time that their child's grade is dismissed. If parents or caregivers are not able to arrive at that time on a regular basis, please contact our Office of Special Programs to register for the Care Program. 

If you or your caregiver is running late in unusual circumstances and will arrive late, please phone the JS Office at 212-584-3190 to inform the school so that special arrangements can be made.

Parents are asked to retrieve and turn in ID cards issued to caregivers who are no longer employed. 

Requesting Early Dismissal for Your Child: UNIS JS utilizes SchoolPass so that parents can let the school know when their child is being picked up early. 

Starting in September, we will be implementing a new system for dismissal called SchoolPass. This system will bring improved efficiency and organization to our dismissal procedures, ensuring a smooth and time-effective process for all students. More detailed information regarding the implementation and usage of SchoolPass will be shared with you before the start of the school year.

After updating your JS child's dismissal in SchoolPass, also email the early pick-up time directly to your homeroom teacher with copy the Junior School Attendance (jsattendance@unis.org) to alert the school that a change has been made.

An early dismissal for students is strongly discouraged. Parents are encouraged to make their child’s appointments and travel plans outside of school hours. Early Dismissal should be reserved for urgent circumstances only.

Arriving to class on time is the first step in preparing for a successful start to the JS student’s day.  It better ensures that students are prepared for learning and informed of daily announcements.  It allows students to make important connections with their community. 

 Junior School students are expected to attend all assemblies, classes, and curricular trips. 

The day starts with Responsive Classroom morning meetings, calendar routines, and other important grounding and skills building endeavors. Children who arrive late disrupt the beginning of the day.

JS faculty record and report attendance data; in order to do so accurately and for your child to have the best possible educational experience we ask that you are aware of the following information:

• For safety reasons, JS students may not arrive at school prior to the time indicated below or be left at the front gate unattended by a parent or guardian.

• JS students should arrive: 

  • • 8:15 AM for J2, J3, J4

    • 8:20 AM for PK, JA, J1

  • PK and JA students are expected to arrive at school ready to enter their homeroom at 8:20 each morning. The PK/JA doors will remain open until 8:30, allowing a 10 minute late arrival grace period. Instructional time for PK and JA begins promptly at 8:30 every morning and a late student’s arrival disrupts the morning meeting for the whole class. 

  • Once the PK/JA doors close at 8:30, late students should be escorted by their caregiver to the JS Office on the 2nd floor where their arrival will be recorded in the Principal’s Office. Caregivers are then expected to depart the 2nd floor as soon as possible to avoid disruption to instructional time for the homerooms on that floor. Late arriving students will be escorted by UNIS staff to their homeroom.

• Junior School attendance is taken at the beginning of the day and students are recorded as Present, Absent or Late.

• Students who do not arrive on time will be recorded as Late.  A late arrival for students is strongly discouraged as it disrupts the morning routine for all of the students in the class and pulls school personnel from other tasks. Parents are encouraged to allow for adequate commuting time in the morning, and to make their child’s appointments outside of school hours. Late Arrival should be reserved for urgent circumstances only. In that case, JS utilizes SchoolPass so that parents can let the school know when their child will be arriving late to school.  

If your child will be absent, late to school, or needs to be collected early, it is essential that no later than 8:00am you:

1. contact your homeroom teacher by email with a copy to jsattendance@unis.org

2. and report your child's absence or early dismissal through SchoolPass

If email or SchoolPass is not available to you, you may leave a phone message before 8:00am at 212-584-3190 to let the JS Office know and a message will be sent to the homeroom teacher. 

To ensure the safety of students, the JS Office staff will contact the parents of children who are absent without having notified the school.  

ID Cards will be distributed to all new parents/guardians by our Security Team. For caregivers, please see Caregivers Access to UNIS below. Lost Cards can be reported to Security at elentini@unis.org and paaron@unis.org. You will receive a "Replacement ID Card Authorization Form" which must be completed and returned to Security and a new ID card will be issued. The replacement cost is $15.00. 

Please review your family profile and contact information to ensure that your cell phone numbers, email addresses and home address are up to date. You may update your information throughout the year. All departments at UNIS, including the Nurse, rely on the information that you provide here to contact you.

After logging in to the Veracross Parent Portal at myunis.vc , you may review and update all of your family contact information by:

• Going to Veracross

• Clicking on Household Information

• Updating Household Profile -> Contacts. 

To give permission for a new caregiver to enter UNIS to pick up or drop off your child, please log in to the Veracross Parent Portal at myunis.vc:

• Log in Veracross

• Click on Household Information

• Update Household Profile by clicking on Contacts for My Children and +Add New

• Enter that caregiver’s details under the Contacts section (add as many additional contacts and caregivers as you need)

• Grant Pickup Authorization to your Contacts as needed by clicking on Pickup Authorization on the right and +Add New.

After you enter that information in Veracross, your caregiver can have a UNIS ID made that will allow him/her access to the school to pick up and drop off. In the interim, until the caregiver information is populated by IT to the Security Access card system, fill in this ID Authorization Form, print and sign it, and have the caregiver carry this form along with a photo ID to present to Security at the front gate until a physical UNIS ID card is printed. 

However, in temporary situations, there is no need for a UNIS ID card to be issued or a temporary authorization form to be carried. If your caregiver is temporary, or a visiting family member will be picking up or dropping off, please follow the same procedure by adding their name to your Household information in Veracross and have that person(s) be prepared to present a photo ID at the security gate. 

In either case, in order to alert your child’s teacher and school security that a new or temporary caregiver has permission to pick up your child, the new or temporary caregiver's full name should be entered in SchoolPass.

The Junior School Library fosters a community of learning.  It is a powerful intellectual and welcoming social space where students and teachers gather to read, share ideas, exchange points of view and learn together.  The Library is open to all students throughout the school day.  Additionally, the Libraries' Homepage, online catalog, and digital resources may be accessed by the UNIS community directly from the school's website under the Quicklinks tab.

SchoolPass is the required method of communicating dismissal plans to the UNIS JS, After School and Athletics Programs. It is the expectation that any dismissal plan changes will be entered in SchoolPass by parents prior to 2:00pm. 

Between 2:00 - 2:30pm, if there is an urgent last minute dismissal change, you may phone the JS Office at 212-584-3190, and a message can be sent to the homeroom teacher. After 2:30 the School cannot guarantee that dismissal changes will be relayed to all relevant departments in time for dismissal.  

Any JS child not picked up at the dismissal time designated for their grade, or registered in an After School or Athletic activity, will be placed in the Care Program for supervision. Families who have not already registered for the Care Program will be billed at $25 per hour (or the current rate) beginning at 3:00pm. 

Children attending extra-curricular activities should be picked up promptly at the end of the activity. They should not be left on campus unattended. Children not picked up promptly at the end of their activity will automatically be placed in the Care Program and parents will be billed accordingly.

Please label all jackets, coats, school supplies, water bottles, lunch boxes, athletic gear, etc. with your child’s first and last name and homeroom before they are brought to school.

Students are expected to be accountable for their own possessions and we encourage clear labeling on all of your child's clothing and school supplies (both first and last names and homeroom) including coats, sweatshirts, athletic gear, backpacks, pencil cases, lunch boxes and water bottles. 

Your reinforcement of this at home with your child is encouraged.

Families should note that:

• Unclaimed clothing will be periodically collected and donated by the school

• All other items will be discarded

Please label all jackets, coats, school supplies, water bottles, lunch boxes, athletic gear, etc. with your child’s first and last name and homeroom before they are brought to school.

Students are expected to be accountable for their own possessions and we encourage clear labeling on all of your child's clothing and school supplies (both first and last names and homeroom) including coats, sweatshirts, athletic gear, backpacks, pencil cases, lunch boxes and water bottles. 

Your reinforcement of this at home with your child is encouraged.

Families should note that:

• Unclaimed clothing will be periodically collected and donated by the school

• All other items will be discarded

JS students are not permitted to bring toys from home, including electronics, balls and trading cards. Aside from often being lost, these items are a distraction from learning in the classroom, and a cause of conflict at play and during after school programs.

We understand that some families provide their children with smartwatches or cell phones for safety reasons. However, upon entering the school building, all watches and phones are to be silenced and placed securely in the students backpack and remain there until they are dismissed. We ask that parents not attempt to text, call or send alerts to their Junior School child during the school day. If you need to reach your JS child on an urgent matter, please phone the JS Office at 212-584-3190 or email jsoffice@unis.org with a copy to your child's teacher.

Gum chewing is not permitted at school at any point during the school day, including during playtime, and students are not permitted to bring any gum or candy to school.

Note that the school is not responsible for the loss of any personal items, valuable or not, that students have brought from home. This includes jewelry, smart watches, cell phones, electronic devices, toys, etc.

Junior School children should not bring money to school and they are not permitted to purchase food in the Cafeteria.  If they forget their lunch from home one day, they can ask the JS Office to help arrange for school lunch for that day. Parents are expected to send payment of $8.00 cash for the Food Service Director the following day in an envelope with their child’s name and homeroom. 

For reasons related to student allergies and health, the policy for JS student birthday celebrations on campus is:

• Birthdays will be acknowledged and celebrated in the JS Homeroom and/or with the Mother Tongue group. 

• Students may bring a special food treat for themself from home on their birthday to enjoy at snack or lunch time.

• Instead of bringing food treats from home to be shared with classmates, the birthday student may choose from a menu of fun activities offered by the Homeroom or MT teacher for the class to participate in together. The activities will be age-appropriate and vary by grade.

• At the discretion of the Homeroom teacher, there may be individual celebrations for each student, or there may be grouped, monthly birthday celebrations. 

• Details about the birthday celebration policy for your child’s homeroom will be shared by your child's homeroom teacher.

The temperature is monitored throughout the winter to decide if it is appropriate for our students to play outside, and we may make a different decision for our Pre-K and JA students.  We follow the Department of Health guidelines but also know that the wind chill on our river playground may feel colder than the actual temperature. Please make sure your children are dressed warmly for outdoor play, wearing hats, gloves, and scarves, all labeled with their name, when they come to school.

New York City Department of Health Guidelines regarding outdoor play in cold weather policy states “Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible.  Unless it is snowing or there is ice on the playground low temperatures should not be a barrier to outside play, as long as children are appropriately dressed. The City’s Health Department strongly encourages principals to maintain outdoor play periods on the vast majority of winter days.”

Recommendations are as follows:

If the wind chill factor is above 20 degrees, it is safe to play outside.  If the wind chill factor is 0-20, outside play is advised provided that students are appropriately dressed and under observation to make sure that they are wearing their coats, hats, and gloves.

Roger Platt, M.D., Director of School Health, New York City Department of Education

As the weather becomes cooler, please remember that we follow the Department of Health guidelines for outdoor play and your child should be dressed to spend time outdoors accordingly and comfortably.

Students in JS are expected to come to school wearing their UNIS PE uniform on the days they have PE. JS students do not change in the locker rooms.

Your child will need the following clothes for PE:

• UNIS t-shirt (UNIS logo required)

• Dark blue shorts 

• Dark blue or black leggings or sweatpants for colder weather

• A UNIS sweatshirt for colder weather

• Short white athletics socks 

• Athletic footwear, securely closed with rubber soles (pack separately if your child wears boots to school)

• In accordance with safety protocols, all types of jewelry and watches are prohibited in all PE classes

Order JS PE Uniform from Lands End Store Here

Order JS PE Uniform & UNIS Athletic Gear from BSN Here

The only item you need to purchase is the PE t-shirt as the other items are not required to have the UNIS logo. 

Jewelry is not permitted to be worn during Physical Education classes due to safety protocols. We ask that students remove items of jewelry and watches before class starts, or not wear them on days they have PE. 

Students with long hair should have it tied up securely when they arrive at school on PE days.

Swim for J2 - J4 Students Only

As part of our Physical Education curriculum, swimming is offered to students in J2, J3 and J4. Students will swim once a week during the term at a designated time during their schedule. 

They will use the swimming pool located in the Waterside Plaza complex immediately north of the UNIS campus. Their PE teachers and a Teaching Assistant will remain throughout the lesson and will escort students to and from the pool.

All students will require the following items:

• Girls: one-piece bathing suit, preferably in a plain dark color

• Boys: speedos / jammers / swim shorts, no longer than the knee, preferably in a plain dark color

• Swim cap (mandatory for all)

• Goggles (optional but recommended)

• Towel

• Flip-flops or water shoes

• A rash guard is permitted but not required

• Labeled swim bag, preferably a backpack big enough to hold everything

The Junior School will offer Curriculum Evenings for each grade level, and specialist sessions, when parents can meet their children’s teachers and receive information regarding course objectives and expectations. These usually take place during the month of September. Please refer to the school calendar for the dates. 

In addition the Junior School Principal holds “Parent Coffees” several times throughout the year. Please see the school calendar and newsletters for the exact dates and location. Note that during 2023-2024 the Coffees may be held in person on campus or remotely, as Webinars.