Newsletter #13

Josephine J3MH playing in the snow. Thanks for sharing, Josephine!

Dear parents,

Thanks to our students' outstanding resilience, teachers' impressive commitment and creativity, and parents' countless efforts, we have completed some very unique weeks of school this past fall, allowing our students to learn and our teachers to teach.

It is now time for us to wish you a wonderful and safe winter break. While the anti-virus supports our optimism for a resolution to this unprecedented pandemic, we continue to strongly recommend that every family stay completely committed to the safety guidelines shared by the CDC. Our collaborative efforts to protect each other will maximize our chances of offering our students the opportunity to learn face-to-face with their teachers once again, as soon as it is possible.

But before heading to this winter break, if you and your child were not able to join Germain and the Cookie Monster this morning for a festive and joyful assembly, feel free to watch it below!

We are looking forward welcoming you back on Monday, January 4 for a week of Distance Learning before returning to our Hybrid Learning Model on Monday, January 11.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• • Stomping Ground Remote Photo Makeup/Retake Period - Extended through Friday, December 18 (details in this newsletter)

• Monday, December 21 to Friday, January 1 – Winter Break

• Monday, January 4 through Thursday, January 7 - Distance Learning Only / No Students on Campus

• Friday, January 8:  No Classes / Full Community Pool Testing at Manhattan Campus (information to follow)

• Monday, January 11: Return to Hybrid Model / Blue Day for J2, J3, J4

• Wednesday, January 6 - JS Parent Coffee on Report Cards (Webinar) 7:00pm 

• Monday, January 18 - School Closed - MLK Day

• Monday, February 15 through Friday, February 19 - No Classes for Students - February Break

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION: SUPPORTING CHILDREN DURING UNEXPECTED EVENTS DURING COVID-19

• PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: PARENT COFFEE JANUARY 6

•  BIT OF NEWS: MUSIC STUDENTS: NYSSMA AND ABRSM MUSIC EXAMS SPRING 2021 

• REMINDER: REMOTE PHOTO MAKEUP/RETAKE PERIOD: EXTENDED TO FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18

• REMINDER: AFTER SCHOOL REGISTRATION IS OPEN - WINTER SESSION

• REMINDER: AVOIDING LATE ARRIVAL & EARLY PICK UP

• REMINDERS: HEALTH AND SAFETY

• REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PLANS IN SDM

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

As we moved through in-person learning these past few months, we have seen how resilient and adaptable our children have been under the changes of this different school year.  However, the realities of the pandemic continue to be apparent, and as we head into the winter we are faced with circumstances, such as quarantines of our classmates, teachers and friends and sudden shifts to distance learning, that may be confusing or unsettling.  

Below you will find some helpful guiding language as you engage conversations at home with your children. The language is intended to be general so you may taper your conversations to your child and the specific school closure, quarantine or circumstances that you and your family, friends, teachers, etc.  are facing. The most important key is that an open dialogue is maintained throughout this unpredictable school year.

Taking your child’s developmental level into consideration, be honest with your children about the events. It is understandable that that sudden school closures, quarantines, and knowing someone with a positive COVID test may cause anxiety or fear. Talking with your child about how they might be feeling, as well as acknowledging your own feelings (without getting too detailed) is validating.  

Be mindful of your own feelings and rising anxiety, and model calm. Your child takes their cues from you, so while it is important to be genuine with how you are feeling, make sure you are being mindful of how you feel before you share it. 

Offer reassurance that school is doing all it can to stay safe (eg., wearing masks, socially distancing as much as possible, frequent handwashing/sanitizing, etc.), and “sometimes teachers, classmates and/or friends need to stay home for a little while or take care of themselves to get better.”  Validating language such as, “I understand that you are confused (or scared/etc.), here are some things we can do to keep safe…” (wearing masks, washing hands frequently, etc.) provides a sense of empowerment within what might feel like uncontrollable or unpredictable circumstances. 

Lastly, model and express compassion to those in our community that may be ill or need to quarantine. In times like these the best thing we can do is to come together as a community and support each other. Point out the ways your child, family, teachers and school have been resilient these past months. 

As always, your JS Student Support Team is available should you have any specific questions or concerns about your child or family situation. Please reach out to us at any time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dana Marnin (JS Psychologist) - dmarnin@unis.org

Alyssa Frost (J1/J3 Counselor) - afrost@unis.org

Amy Iamundo (J2/J4 Counselor) - aiamundo@unis.org

Save the Date:

• Wednesday, January 6 - JS Parent Coffee (Webinar) 7:00pm on the topic of Report Cards

Note that recently enrolled students who have attended UNIS for less than 8 weeks, will not receive a report card this semester.

The music department is pleased to announce that both the New York State Schools Music Association (NYSSMA) and the Associated Board of Royals Schools of Music (ABRSM) plan to hold virtual adjudications this spring. These exams can be a great way for your child to stay motivated by having an additional goal and receiving feedback for their work.

NYSSMA exams will be scheduled in March (UNIS Manhattan Students) and May (UNIS Queens Students).   If you are interested in the NYSSMA exams for your child, please confer with your child's private teacher before deciding to register. Registration forms will be made available at the beginning of January. The fee for the exam is approximately $20  and will be billed to your account.

ABRSM exams are being field tested in February, with multiple dates to be scheduled to be announced at a later date.

Contact Karen Lerner, klerner@unis.org in the Music Department with any questions.

If your child missed photo day this year, Stomping Ground has extended the sign-up period for Remote Photo Sessions through December 18.

Makeup/Retake school pictures will be taken over remote technology this year. The remote sessions are 5 minutes and $5 to reserve. UNIS has distributed a coupon code to distanced-learners or those who were absent on picture day to cover the $5 fee. To learn more about how remote pictures will take place, please refer to the Stomping Ground website.

To book a remote session please refer to the announcement email you received from Stomping Ground. Check your inbox for an email from no-reply@imagequix.com with subject line Announce: {{ firstname }}'s {{ UNIS }} pictures are here! Scroll to the section "Missed Picture Day?" to view your booking details. 

If you have any questions or need direction, kindly reach out to help@stompinggroundphoto.com

Registration for the WINTER season 2020-2021 AFTER SCHOOL & CARE Programs is now open to JA students & up. We invite you to register, as soon as possible. At this time we only process the activities for the “Winter” season. No need to register in activities for the Spring season. An announcement will be forwarded at a later date. 

For your convenience, below are the LINKS for WINTER REGISTRATION: 

• AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS JS MS Tut.H 

• AFTER SCHOOL SCHEDULE JS MS Tut.H

• Registration (Deadline 12/12/2020) 

• CARE PROGRAM Registration (2nd Semester Registration Deadline is 1/15/2021 - The current 1st semester registration is valid until end of January 2021) & Protocols 

We will be sending the confirmations by December 15th. After School Activities start at 4:30PM so that all the students are able to join. Classes are held on Zoom platform. The Zoom links to activities will be directly forwarded by the instructors. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. We look forward to welcoming the students to the After School Program. 

Lidana Jalilvand, ljalilvand@unis.org or 212-584-3083

We ask that you support us by having your JS child learn remotely on the days that they have appointments outside of school, or need to leave early for travel. Parents and caregivers are not permitted inside the gate and so late arrivals and early dismissals pull school personnel from their work in order to escort your child. 

Please just enter "Remote Learning as an Exception" in SDM to alert your teacher that your child will connect remotely instead of joining in person on days when you make other plans during school hours. Thank you!

1. Arrival: To speed arrival for everyone, please have your child take possession of their backpack and lunch before they approach the entry gate in the morning and check to see that their mask is on, fits well, and is covering their nose.

2. Late Arrival: The late arrival of students in the morning delay our faculty and staff moving back to their positions. The JS gates should be closing no later than 8:40. Please ensure that you arrive at the time assigned for your child's grade.

3. Masks: 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. 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.

4. Remote Learning on Days with Appointments: 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.

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

• your 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)

The last step is to update SDM with your dismissal plans for each day your child is on campus.

6. Returning to Campus After Illness:  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. For health related questions please email: schoolnurse@unis.org and mrivera@unis.org

7. Social Distancing Outside of UNIS: 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.

8. COVID Testing: 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.

• • 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!

  • 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. 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 

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.