Newsletter #14

Dear parents,

The haiku (俳 句), a term coined by the poet Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902), is a highly codified and calligraphed poetic form that originated in Japan.  The poet Bashō Matsuo (1644- 1694) is recognized as one of the first haiku poets. Traditionally, the haiku must include a notion of season (kigo) and a break (the kireji). If the haiku indicates neither season nor particular moment, it will be called Moki; and if it is about human weaknesses, not nature, and is treated in a humorous or satirical way, it will be called Senryū.

First Winter Rain, by Matsuo Basho

First winter rain –

even the monkey

seems to want a raincoat.

While we are preparing this Newsletter a storm is heading to the East Cost and has probably arrived as you read these words. This presents the perfect opportunity for us to remind you about the UNIS JS winter protocols and advice!

OUTDOOR PLAY

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 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

MORNING ARRIVAL

Please note that after arriving in the morning JS school children who are accompanied by an adult may sit in the Cafeteria or Library. However, unaccompanied JS children must be supervised in our playground which is partially covered to protect from rain.

If a bus arrives early, JS students play there until 8:20 and will be led by UNIS staff to class at 8:20. UNIS supervisors are stationed in the playground beginning at 8:00 in the morning for JS students who arrive by bus, or for those who are dropped off by their parents between 8:00 and 8:20.

Even during cold weather, we do not have supervisors for JS students inside the building before the JS students are permitted to go to their homeroom. Unaccompanied JS students are expected to wait in the playground with their peers. Middle School students are permitted to stay in the building without supervision, but JS students may not be left in their care.

LOST ITEMS

Please take the time to write your child's name and homeroom in all outer garments, especially now when the weather is cold. Our staff does their best to return misplaced items to their owner, but without a clearly written name in a garment, lunch box or water bottle, it may not be possible. Unclaimed items are periodically donated to charity, so please promptly check the lost and found area near the entrance doors for missing items.

And for those of you who are missing the summer right now, remember that "what good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness"*. 

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal

Susan Scullin, Junior School Principal Assistant

* John Steinbeck, American author, winner of the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature

IMPORTANT DATES

EVENTS THIS WEEK

UPCOMING EVENTS

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

INFORMATION: JS PARENT COFFEE - DECEMBER 10

Please note the change in date for our next Junior School Parent Coffee.  On Tuesday, December 10 at 8:30am in the Cafe (instead of December 4) Nurse Marisa Rivera will be presenting Keeping Students Healthy.  With the winter months upon us this timely topic should help ensure the well-being of our children. 

INFORMATION: TALENT SHOW - GUEST REGISTRATION AND VOLUNTEERING

The Talent Show registration is now closed. We thank you for your enthusiasm and support! We have received many wonderful submissions from Dancing, Gymnastics and Instrumental Performances to Magic Show and Singing. We can't wait!

In an effort to make this show as memorable as possible, we are looking for many parent volunteers for the day of the event, and for the rehearsal on the day before. Also, please don't forget to register non-UNIS guests, so they can enter the school without drama.

Thank you very much!

JS Talent Show Team

REMINDER: SCHOOL PHOTOS & RETAKES - LAST CHANCE TO ORDER

December 3rd is the FINAL ORDER DEADLINE for Picture Day -- which means there is still one day to order! 

If you requested RETAKES, those have been posted to your gallery. You can see both your originals and retakes there.

All orders must be placed by the Tuesday, December 3 deadline. Estimated delivery is December 17.

shop.stompinggroundphoto.com

REMINDER: MOROCCO AT UNIS

Let's celebrate the diverse and lively Moroccan culture. This enchanted night is your chance to immerse into unique Moroccan Live Music, Food, Raffle, Fashion, Bazaar, and Fun Activities for children and adults.

Please join us at UNIS on Saturday, December 7th from 4:00PM to 7:00PM so that we can celebrate together!

Ticket sales have begun. Please note there are a limited number of tickets, so please purchase your tickets at www.unis.org/morocco 

General Admission is $25 per person and free for children 4 years old and under. Each ticket automatically enters you into raffle. The raffle prize is TWO round trip tickets to Casablaca generously provided by Royal Air Maroc. 

PA CULTURAL EVENTS COMMITTEE

REMINDER: FALL AFTER SCHOOL AND ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES - LAST DAY OF CLASSES (UPDATE SDM)

The last days of After School and Athletic Activities for Fall session classes will be:

Note that government supported German and Swedish language classes may have different schedules. Please contact the teacher directly.

After School and Athletic Activities Winter session classes will begin the week of December 9. Registration is now open:

School Dismissal Manager (SDM) must be updated by your family throughout the school year to reflect all changes in your child’s After School and Athletics enrollment.

Please enter the end date of the Fall session classes in SDM and then add the Winter session class descriptions and dates for the new classes that your enroll your child in. 

Dismissing teachers rely on the information that families enter in SDM each day to direct their students to the correct After School or Athletic activity.

REMINDER: WINTER AFTER SCHOOL AND ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES - REGISTRATION IS OPEN

Winter session After School and Athletic activities will begin the week of December 9. Registration is now open:

The Care Program is designed to meet the needs of JS working parents who want their children to do their homework and be engaged in relaxing activities after school hours. It provides a dependable daily program in a warm and safe environment, every school day from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. 

Register for the Care Program at: Care Program Registration

Please update School Dismissal Manager (SDM) with the Winter session class descriptions and the dates for all new classes that your enroll your child in.

Dismissing teachers rely on the information that families enter in SDM each day to direct their students to the correct After School or Athletic activity.

If Winter session classes are not accurately entered in SDM your child may be sent to the Care Program instead.

CALENDAR 9.24.2019 AftSch.pdf
JS WINTER 2019 2020 SCHEDULE.pdf
JS WINTER 2019 2020 BROCHURE.pdf

REMINDER: LOST AND FOUND UPDATED POLICY

UNIS has implemented new lost and found procedures. Lost and found items will be collected weekly and displayed on racks just outside the front door of the school every Monday, and any unretrieved items will be donated on Friday. Items that are collected after Monday will remain in the lost and found crate by the playground doors until the following week. Any items that are not retrieved from the racks by the front doors after a week of display, will be deposited in our RefashionNYC Bin. RefashionNYC is NYC's official clothing reuse program in partnership with NYC Department of Sanitation and Housing Works to make textile donations to those in need. Once items are deposited into the RefashionNYC bin, we cannot retrieve them.

We ask that you please label all clothing, lunch boxes and water bottles. Labeled items will be delivered to the appropriate school office to be reunited with their owners. Please note that unlabeled lunch boxes and unlabeled water bottles will be discarded at the end of each week. We will no longer set out lost and found during parent teacher conferences. Please stop by the racks on your way in and out of school to retrieve items and ask your children to check for any lost items. 

REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PLANS

Our homeroom teachers follow the instructions entered by parents in School Dismissal Manager each day. Now that after school activities have begun please update your SDM account to indicate what the plans are for your child for each day of the week.

SDM is the only way of letting your homeroom teacher know where your child should go at 2:55 dismissal. In addition to indicating that there is an Athletic or After School Activity, you must enter a description of the activity in the box below. If the activity name is not entered in SDM your child may be placed in the Care Program instead.

REMINDER: 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.