Newsletter #03

Dear parents,

When looking at the concept of gratitude, you will find plenty of research and articles describing how being grateful for the good things in your life contributes to enhancing your happiness and well-being. Interesting Research, "The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief" (1), describes these positive effects:

• • Gratitude releases toxic emotions

  • Gratitude reduces pain

  • Gratitude improves sleep quality

  • Gratitude aids in stress regulation

  • Gratitude reduces anxiety and depression

“Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

The articles that agree with Oprah Winfrey usually end with a call to start a gratitude journal to reap the full benefits of being thankful. Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with this. I never miss an opportunity to remind my own daughters to be grateful for what they have in life, including a set of skills they need to nurture and allow to grow in order to be able to realize their dreams.

However, while it is important to be grateful as described above, there is another form of gratitude I believe is even more important, one that William Bennett, Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988 in the United States, saw as a virtue:

"Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue." - William Bennett

William Bennett could probably have expressed gratitude to Marcus Tullius Cicero, who inspired his own thinking. The Roman scholar said more than 2000 years ago that  "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.". 

Being able to express gratitude to others is therefore an important component of the character we wish to grow. But we often make a common mistake when expressing gratitude to others. In a recent Harvard Business School article by Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D., titled “Stop Making Gratitude All About You" (2,) Dr. Halvorson noted that a common mistake when expressing gratitude is in making it self-centered. What she argued is that gratitude only resonates when it is “other praising”.

For example, as a Principal I could use one of the phrases below:

• You and your colleagues have demonstrated how committed you are to the school and your students by…

• Over the past few months, you have worked hard to…

• You and your colleagues are to be applauded for…

or use what Dr. Halvorson calls “self-benefit” or "self-centered"expressions like,

• The school successes have been evident over the past few months thanks to you and your colleagues…

• Senior leadership has noticed the increase in creativity in the classroom – thank you for that…

• The school is successful because we have such dedicated teachers…

The researcher is demonstrating that expressing gratitude in a self-centered way does not have the same impact that expressing gratitude for only the benefit of those to whom we express this gratitude.

Our new protocols for student Arrival and Dismissal have been designed for the purpose of creating a safe environment for our students, while allowing a smooth transition from home to school. One of the collateral effects is the priceless benefit I receive as Principal when I greet our students in the morning, and to be on the front line to hear you, parents, expressing the profound gratitude you have for what our teachers and the school are doing to overcome the unprecedented challenges that Covid-19 has forced on all of us.

However, the collateral damage is that our teachers are not at the gate to hear the positive feedback that is so precious and supportive of them as they create a dynamic, caring, creative learning environment for their students while facing the greatest obstacles of our lifetime as educators. This needed to be addressed and, thanks to YOU, parents and students, last Tuesday afternoon during our faculty meeting, the expression of your gratitude that I have witnessed every day at the gate has reached those who deserve it the most: teachers. 

After a moving and unexpected visit from our Junior School PA reps, Jen Fiorese, Melissa Hernandez and Erin Russell, we shared a 15 minutes video in which students and parents, in the least self-centered way possible, expressed with care, affection and admiration, their profound gratitude to their teachers. 

Nothing I could have said as a Principal, to express how amazing the work of our teachers and students are accomplishing together is, could have been as powerful and meaningful as what you, the parents and students, expressed to them directly.

And for this, you have my profound gratitude. 

However, let's not forget what Aristotle said when he questioned the concept of gratitude long ago:

"What soon grows old? Gratitude." - Aristotle

Which mean that we should never miss an opportunity to express gratitude, or to, beyond our own words, act in a way that allows gratitude to be expressed: working hard for our students, to the best of our abilities.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

(1)  The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How It Affects Anxiety & Grief, by Madhuleena Roy Chowdhury, BA, January 2020

(2) Stop Making Gratitude All about You, by: Heidi Grant Halvorson, Harvard Business Review

• Monday, October 5 - JA students with older siblings permitted to ride yellow bus (details below / update SDM)

• Wednesday, October 7 - JA students without older siblings permitted to ride yellow bus (details below / update SDM)

• Wednesday, October 7 - JS Back to School Zoom with Homeroom Teachers:  JA & J1 at 5:00 / J2-J4 at 5:30  (note change of date and format / details are below)

• Monday, October 19 and Tuesday, October 20 - JS Photo Days 

• Week of October 26 – October 30 - No Classes for Students – October Break 

• November 30 - December 4 - Remote & Make Up Photos (Coordinated by Stomping Ground with families)

• TO DO: J1 AND J2 STUDENTS WEBINAR MONDAY 28 8:40AM

• TO DO: YELLOW BUS FOR J1-J4 and JA

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION: JS BACK TO SCHOOL - WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 at 5:00 & 5:30

• INFORMATION: IPAD DISTRIBUTION TO JA, J1, J2

• PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: PARENT COFFEE / CLASS PARENTS / ABOUT US

•  BIT OF NEWS: COVID-19 RAPID TESTING IN NYC

•  BIT OF NEWS: RETURNING TO UNIS AFTER ILLNESS

•  BIT OF NEWS: SOCIAL DISTANCING OUTSIDE OF UNIS

• REMINDER: FOR THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY

• REMINDER: REMOTE LEARNERS - LATENESS and ETIQUETTE

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PLANS

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Tomorrow, Monday morning, September 28 at 8:40 am, the J1 and J2 students will receive guidance from Francesca Zammarano, Technology Coordinator for the Junior School, and Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal, on how to be responsible with technology at school and at home. This is in anticipation of the iPad distribution taking place on Monday and Tuesday.

We are asking that all remote learners in J1 and J2 connect to the webinar from home on Monday at 8:40 too! 

The iPad distribution will take place during language class time with our language teachers.

 J1 students who are fully remote will NOT have language class on Monday. 

J2 students will not have language class on Monday and Tuesday from home. 

All language classes will resume with the adequate technology on Wednesday, September 30.

Based on the most recent information from OPT we expect yellow bus service to start on Tuesday, September 29.

As we have in the past, ridership will begin with a staggered start according to grade:

• Only J1 - M2 students will be permitted to take the bus beginning September 29.

• JA students with older siblings who ride the bus are permitted to begin on Monday, October 5.

• JA students without older siblings on the bus are permitted to begin on Wednesday, October 7.

JA parents: We want to do everything possible to ensure that JA children who ride the bus have positive experiences. It is important to prepare your child, in advance of October 5/October 7, by ensuring that he/she knows the following: the route number of the bus, the location where he/she will be getting on the bus in the morning, the location where he/she will be getting off the bus in the afternoon, and the person who will be picking him/her up at that stop.  

Thank you for your support and for updating your child's School Dismissal Manager (SDM) account to have accurate dismissal information each day. No student will be placed on a bus at dismissal if their SDM account does not authorize their ridership on that date. 

Please save the date to join your Homeroom Teacher(s) on Wednesday, October 7 in a Zoom session:

• • 5:00 - 5:30 with JA and J1 Homeroom Teachers 

  • 5:30 - 6:00 with J2, J3 and J4 Homeroom Teachers

The Junior School Back to School Night will be divided in 3 distinctive presentation, asynchronous and synchronous:

• • Multiple 5 minute pre-recorded videos from specialist teachers will be available to parents on a page easy to navigate so that you can select the curriculum information you are looking at.

  • Pre-recorded video, by grade, created by homeroom teachers to share general curriculum information related to their grade (in place of the traditional presentation by the homerooms, as a team, to the parents).

  • A 20-30 minute live Zoom meeting with your child's homeroom teacher. Teachers will be able to share more about their homeroom's specific routines and the expectations in their respective classes. Parents will be able to ask questions related to the curriculum and those routines.

This week we will begin distributing iPads to our JA, J1 and J2 students. They will be used at school, at home by J2 students on the days that they are not at school, and for all students in case of school closure. See below some important information to review before the week begins.

WHEN WILL THE DISTRIBUTION TAKE PLACE?

• JA: Wednesday, September 30

• J1: Monday, September 28

• J2 Blue: Monday, September 28

• J2 Yellow: Tuesday, September 29

Note that distribution will take place during language class times. Fully remote students will not have language class on those days.

MY CHILD WILL NOT BE ON CAMPUS THE DAY YOU HAND OUT THE iPADS. WHEN AND HOW CAN MY CHILD RECEIVE HIS/HER DEVICE?

• The iPad will be distributed upon return to school

WHAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO STUDENTS?

• An iPad

• A charger

• Students will be asked to place their device carefully in their backpack and to give it to their parents at home

• Note that cases have not been delivered yet, but should arrive soon.

SHOULD MY CHILD BRING THEIR IPAD BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL DAILY?

• Yes, to charge it, to work from home for the J2s, and to be prepared in case of sudden school closure for the JAs and J1s.

IF MY CHILD IS FULLY REMOTE, WHEN AND HOW CAN MY CHILD RECEIVE HIS DEVICE?

• Please complete the form below to coordinate receipt of a device for your fully remote learning child

• Note that during the period when iPads are being distributed to Remote Learning students, those students will not have language classes.

And, please join us on Wednesday, September 30, at 7:00 pm for the first JS Parent Coffee of the year (note the date change). Our main topic will be technology best practices.

Use this link to connect on September 30 and we hope to see you then:

Class Parents Needed:

This is your chance to help out! Each class typically has 2 Class Parents. Class Parents help the teacher in communicating with the parents of children in the class. This is a very important role - even more so this year with all that is going on! In addition to assisting teachers in communicating with families, the Class Parents this year will also be asked to collect feedback from other parents in the class and to share that feedback with the JS Principal and Assistant Principal during regular Zoom meetings. The time commitment for a Class Parent is minimal (1 virtual Zoom meeting every week or two along with ongoing email communications) and the appreciation you will receive is HUGE!

If you are interested, please let your child's homeroom teacher know during Back to School Night.

About Us:

We are excited to be your JS PA Coordinators this school year! We volunteered to be on the PA because we love the UNIS community and wanted to help out in any way we can. Please think of us as a resource and let us know if we can help answer questions and address concerns in any way. We will be working directly with the Class Parents (see below) but in addition we are of course here for anyone who needs us. We are looking forward to a great school year! Here's a little more about us....

Check out this article from the New York Times to find out where you can get your child tested for Covid-19 in New York City. We recommend that students be tested at least ONCE a month, preferably every two weeks. All UNIS Faculty and Staff will be pool-tested every other week on campus.

Based on CDC guidance, students who are sent home or become ill may not return to UNIS until the following:

• WITH A COVID TEST: A negative COVID test and clearance note from MD. Must explicitly state that the student is cleared to return to school.

• WITHOUT COVID TEST: Must be fever free (less than 100F) for 3 days with no fever reducing medications and improvement of symptoms

  • AND must be 10 days post-symptom (No symptoms in last 10 days)

  • AND report general feelings of wellness.

All students who are returning to campus after an illness, MUST FIRST SEE THE NURSE WHEN COMING BACK ON CAMPUS BEFORE STARTING CLASSES.

If your child is exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID please have them tested so we can alert potential contacts within UNIS. This helps us keep everyone safe. If you feel these symptoms are due to a cause other than COVID, please have your physician clearly document this in your return to school clearance letter.

This is a reminder to exercise caution and, whenever possible, to stay clear of gatherings where social distancing or face masks might not be the norm. We advise students and families to be particularly vigilant on playgrounds and during play dates, keeping in mind the impact they may have on the safety of everyone in our community.

1. To speed arrival for everyone and avoid confusion over forgotten items, please have your child take possession of their backpack and lunch before they approach the entry gate in the morning.

2. Before escorting your child to the gate, please check to see that their mask is on, fits well, and is covering their nose.

3. Be sure you have packed spare masks in a clean bag in your child's backpack, as well as an extra bag to hold used ones.

4. Please, for the safety and peace of mind of all, do not send your child to school in a vented mask. We understand that many of you do use vented masks with filters inserted. But our teachers cannot be certain that every vented mask has the filter necessary to keep them safe. Please respect our community and do not send your child to school in a vented mask.

5. We ask that you opt to have your child learn remotely on the days that they have appointments outside of school. Parents and caregivers will not be permitted inside the gate and late arrivals and early dismissals pull vital personnel from their assigned posts in order to escort your child. Just enter Remote Learning as an Exception in SDM to alert your teacher that your child will connect remotely instead of joining in person.

6. Again, the late arrival of students in the morning delay our faculty and staff moving back to their positions. The JS gates should be closing by 8:40. Please ensure that you arrive at the time assigned for your child's grade.

7. When requesting a switch from full time Remote Learning to Hybrid attending in-person classes, at least 48 hours (2 school days) in advance, please email:

• homeroom teacher

• jsoffice@unis.org

• schoolnurse@unis.org (to request health clearance to attend in person if your child has not been on campus yet)

We are all learning how to navigate in a very different learning environment. We are all in this together, it is new, it is challenging, and it comes with some difficulties. Below, we share recommendations for parents, from the school's perspective. We will also be working with the PA to understand the challenges and difficulties from the parents' perspective so that we can collaborate and be sure that we offer a great experience to our students, your children, to the best of our abilities.

• • Instruction begins at 8:40 each morning. Remote learners are expected to connect with their homeroom no later than 8:40 to participate in Morning Meeting. Students who try to connect after that time disrupt the class and pull the teacher away from the rest who are already engaged in person or remotely. It is tremendously important that students are ready to join at 8:40. Meanwhile, we recognize that due to technical glitches or late arrivals, not all teachers will always be able to start at 8:40. We thank you for your patience. But, once the class begins, students who join between 8:40 and 9:00 are missing important direction and are inevitably disrupting the class. Let's try our best together!

  • Parents are expected to allow their children to learn independently. Please do not intervene or distract your child from the relationship between the teacher and your child.

  • Parents are asked not interact with the teacher during the lesson- we are trying to ensure that remote interactions are between teacher and students only.

  • Question related to technology should be addressed by email to tech.support@unis.org only. Tech Support will need your child's full name, teacher name and grade in order to assist you quickly. Please do not disrupt your teacher's instruction time to address tech support issues for your family. We understand it can be frustrating sometimes; we recognize it and are working hard to address the glitches we are facing. But we have noticed teachers trying to troubleshoot a system while teaching, a system that really requires technician intervention. They do it out of caring and concern about their students not being able to connect. Please help them by reaching out to our Tech Department for support instead. 

  • All families should check their internet connection today. The audio when your child connects from home should never be distorted - it is disruptive to the class when that happens and is likely the result from a poor connection at home. You should have at least 3mbps up and download. A 5mbps up and download will ensure optimal quality. You can check your bandwidth here: fast.com 

  • When your child has completed a task, they should have a book ready to read. Remote learners should wait quietly for the teacher's further instructions.

Thank for for your support, collaboration and understanding.

Our homeroom teachers follow the instructions entered by parents in School Dismissal Manager (SDM) each day. Please update your SDM account to regularly indicate what the plans are for your child each day of the week. SDM is always mandatory for Dismissal but can easily be used for Attendance as well. If your child will be learning remotely on a day that he/she is normally scheduled to be on campus, please use SDM and select "Remote Learning as an Exception". On days when your child will not engage in classes either remotely or in person, please use SDM to mark your child "Absent".

SDM is the only way of letting the dismissing teacher know where your child should go at dismissal. In addition to indicating that there is an 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.

No student will be placed on a bus at dismissal if their SDM account does not authorize their ridership on that date.  They will be placed in the Care Program instead.