Newsletter #03

Dear parents,

The last 3 weeks have been an opportunity for the Junior School Leadership to share with all of our faculty, as well as the new-to-UNIS families we met during orientation, our theme for this school year: collaboration.

Collaboration

col·lab·o·ra·tion

/kəˌlabəˈrāSH(ə)n/

collaboration is a purposeful relationship in which all parties strategically choose to cooperate in order to accomplish a shared outcome (1)

We welcomed our JS teachers by challenging them in an activity which inevitably led to a discussion about the need for collaboration in order to be successful.

Researcher Ken Futernick (2007), after surveying 2,000 current and former teachers in California, highlighted evidence that being involved in decision making through strong collaborative relationships supports a greater level of satisfaction and efficacy among teachers. Increasing efficacy is translated by an increase in student achievement. Researchers Yvonne Goddard, Roger Goddard and Megan Taschannen-Moran (2007) reported “a paucity of research investigating the extent to which teachers’ collaborative school improvement practices are related to student achievement.”

The potential impacts of teacher collaboration on student success include (3):

While it appears evident that increasing teacher collaboration will positively impact student academic growth and success, it is necessary to remember that teacher collaboration is not the only factor. Including or engaging parents in their child’s education are also key factors to student success.

"A growing body of research demonstrates that the nature of the relationship between parents and professionals and parents' judgements of their feelings of empowerment are closely linked."(2)

During the new family orientations, we highlighted this necessary collaboration between teachers and parents.

In a 2015 study conducted by Daniel Yu and Tim Hodges, the researchers looked even deeper by questioning the difference between parent involvement and parent engagement:

“Parents can be involved in their child’s education in many ways, including reading to their child, setting expectations for their child’s success and participating in school activities and conferences.” However, engaged parents are slightly different in that they also “experience a strong feeling of pride for the school and serve as the school’s advocate when discussing it with friends and neighbors.”

The researchers concluded that parent engagement has an even greater impact on student academic growth and well-being than parent involvement does.

While parent involvement is clearly owned by parents, schools that expect parent engagement to fully be the responsibility of parents miss an important point. To engage parents, schools need to work hard on fostering collaboration by building trust, by allowing parents to understand the curriculum, the teaching and learning practices, by reassuring parents that their children are in good hands. This requires focus and hard work, even more in a school like UNIS where the richness of our diverse community brings very different perspectives on education within our parent body.

And this is the purpose of the Back to School Night we invite you to participate in this coming Wednesday, September 11th from 5:30-7:30pm. You will find more information in this Newsletter below. We look forward to seeing all of you then.


Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal

Susan Scullin, Junior School Assistant Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

EVENTS THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

Ms. Kimmy's (JAS TA) welcoming work of art in the main staircase leading to all three divisions of the school.

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

TO DO: UPDATE YOUR FAMILY CONTACT INFORMATION IN VERACROSS

UPDATE YOUR FAMILY CONTACT INFORMATION IN VERACROSS TODAY

All departments at UNIS, including the school nurse, rely on the contact information that your family provides to the school in Veracross. Please ensure today that your preferred email addresses, cell phone numbers and home address are up to date and entered accurately in your profile. The information that you provide here is the only way we can reach you regarding your child.

TO DO: UPDATE THE DISMISSAL INFORMATION & SIGN THE AGREEMENT

HIGH PRIORITY: BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

We are looking forward to seeing all of you at our Back to School Curriculum Evenings!

Wednesday, September 11th 

On Wednesday, September 11th, all Pre-K to J4 parents are invited to the Junior School Back to School evening. The evening will begin at 5:30 with curriculum presentations in various locations (see below).  The evening will end with a Parent/Faculty Social beginning at 6:30 in the Cafeteria.

Please note that this evening is intended for adults only and child care is not available.

5:30 to 6:30

The curriculum portion of the evening will be divided into two parts.  Please see the following schedule for the location of your grade level presentations.  Parents will meet teachers in the following rooms at 5:30:

6:30 to 7:30

Parents and teachers will gather in the Cafeteria for a social hour.  Light snacks and beverages will be served.

HIGH PRIORITY: DROP OFF UPDATE FOR J3 AND J4 STUDENTS

Instruction in J3 and J4 begins promptly at 8:30am. In order to welcome the students in their classrooms and get settled for the day, parents are asked to have their children arrive to school promptly at 8:20am. However, if you arrive earlier than 8:20 you may drop your child off in the playground or go to the cafeteria together.

In order to encourage their growing independence, we request that our J3 and J4 students enter the Junior School area on their own. The expectation is that they become responsible for putting away their own backpacks, lunch boxes and coats as they are welcomed by their teachers and join their class community.

Therefore, parents/caregivers of J3 and J4 students arriving after 8:20 are asked to drop off their child in the school lobby. This applies as well to parents/caregivers of J3 and J4 students who have been waiting together in the cafeteria. The students will use the C stairway to walk to their classroom.

If you need to meet with your child’s teacher please use email to request an appointment, rather than trying to arrange it in person at morning drop off. In cases where you have an important and brief message that you feel the need to communicate face-to-face you may do so while coming up to speaking with the homeroom teacher. The expectation is however that homeroom teachers are fully focused on greeting their arriving students.

DROP OFF POLICY

Our Junior School morning routines are designed, first, to support out students’ safety. They are also a special opportunity for our teachers to focus solely on welcoming each of their students and helping them settle in for a successful day of learning. All Junior School students must be escorted by parents/caregivers into the school building at drop off time in the morning. Pick up is also within the school building by parents/caregivers at either the 2:55 dismissal from JS or from any extr...

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INFORMATION: MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear UNIS Community,

I love the first day of school! There is nothing like the excitement and enthusiasm of the students entering the building after the summer vacation. Watching the children greet their friends and teachers with smiles, hugs and warm hellos just seems magical. It is as if there were never a first day of school before this one. Each is special in its own right.

It is in that spirit that I encourage you to click on the link below and watch a short video of UNIS 2019-20, First Day of School.

Enjoy and welcome back!

Dr. Dan Brenner

BIT OF NEWS: A SWEATSHIRT OR JACKET FOR SCHOOL

With the temperature fluctuating so quickly at this time of year, we encourage you to send to school a sweatshirt or light jacket that can remain in your child’s cubby for use as needed. Be sure to write your child’s full name and homeroom in the garment.

BIT OF NEWS: MOTHER’S CHORUS

The UNIS Mother’s Chorus will begin rehearsing together for the 2019-2020 school year on Wednesday mornings from 8:10 - 9:00 am in room 255 beginning September 11, 2019. Karen Lerner will be leading the ensemble. If you like to sing, please join us! All voices are welcome!

If you have any questions, please email Ms. Lerner at klerner@unis.org. 

BIT OF NEWS: J3 - M4 FALL ’19 DANCE ACADEMY: MUSICAL THEATRE STYLES

Instructors:

BIT OF NEWS: UNIS ATHLETIC GEAR POP UP STORE

You can now purchase your items online in 3 easy steps:

Online Store Deadline: Monday September 30th, 2019 (11:59pm EDT)