Newsletter #21


MONDAY, MARCH 1 IS A YELLOW DAY FOR J2, J3, J4

REMINDER: Update SDM with March Dismissal Plans

peace (n.)

mid-12c., "freedom from civil disorder," from Anglo-French pes, Old French pais "peace, reconciliation, silence, permission" (11c., Modern French paix), from Latin pacem (nominative pax) "compact, agreement, treaty of peace, tranquility, absence of war" (1)

Back in December 2017, in the Junior School Weekly Newsletter, we paused to reflect on the concept of Peace. We noted that the word Peace interestingly only referred to when there is evidence of conflict: it is ironically defined by the existence of war. It can also be perceived as being related to the victory or the oppression of the parties involved. This was a misunderstanding as "Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding" (2). This need for understanding in order to achieve Peace led UNIS, long ago, to develop the idea of the Peace Table. Through education and strategies that apply to real-life events, we give our students the tools to understand the origin of a conflict in which they may be caught, and empower them to find their own resolution.

In September 2018, we prepared our community for the International Day of Peace by exploring how the Peace concept is the cornerstone of the first Article of the UN Charter:

"The Purposes of the United Nations are to maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace".

On April 9, 2019, our JS Peacekeepers held a Peace Pole Ceremony in the 2nd floor Garden. It was organized by JS Music Teacher, Truike Boekholt (who worked with our Peacekeepers throughout the year), in collaboration with JS Art Teacher, Anne Dohna. In the following Newsletter, we published the moving script shared with the guests at this very special ceremony, so closely aligned with the UNIS core mission and values.

Last year, in Newsletter #05, we shared with our community the Special Assembly we held in the Junior School to Celebrate the International Day of Peace and to reflect on the different ways we can change the World, in a peaceful way. We recognized in this Newsletter that "in the UNIS Junior School we believe, and teach our students at the Peace Tables in their classrooms, that the first step in solving conflict is peaceful dialogue. Diplomacy. At UNIS we stand by the belief that all problems can be solved with the use of diplomacy." We discussed through Barack Obama's own words, the complexity of Peace and its intersection with the concept of War: "It is very important for I think those of us who desperately want peace, who see war as, at some level, a break-down, a manifestation of human weakness, to understand that sometimes it’s also necessary – and you know, to – to be able to balance two ideas at the same time; that we are constantly striving for peace, we are doubling up on our diplomacy, we are going to actively engage, we are going to try to see the world through other people’s eyes and not just our own."

Peace is a fundamental concept at UNIS, as it is for the United Nations. Throughout the year we have celebrated Peace and engaged our students in experiencing it. Our Peacekeepers and Peace Tables are here to support us in this endeavor.

Karen Ager Wells, Learning Specialist, and Charlotte Mourlot, Homeroom teacher, have worked diligently to maintain focus on the Peace we want our students to experience and explore. You will find below videos that Charlotte Mourlot’s former classes made about Peace Tables and how to use them. They were made entirely by J4 students, except for the last one which was made with the Peacekeepers:

Truike Boekholt, Music Specialist in the Junior School, has been highly engaged with students at school and beyond. Over the past few years she has devoted time to the peacekeeping traditions in Junior School. Last week, she was interviewed by Rye TV about her new program in The Wainwright House in Rye. In this interview, she shares her journey while working at UNIS.

"I am aware of our school's mission for our students but I am also inspired by the great work I daily experience at school from our students and colleagues. I hope that I am contributing in my own way and to never forget to be grateful for what we all have here at UNIS even during this pandemic that seems to last forever." - Truike Boekholt, Music Specialist 

This is an opportunity for us to express gratitude to everyone at UNIS who has never missed an opportunity to celebrate Peace, recognizing its necessity and complexity, reminding us of the story of the Lion and the Rat, in which Jean de La Fontaine conveys to us that "by time and toil we sever what strength and rage could never"(3).

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal


See all the Junior School Photos 2020-21

IMPORTANT DATES

THIS WEEK

Des poèmes qui se lient dans les deux sens... By the J4 Mother Tongue French, Molida Kuhon

THE HYBRID CALENDAR

See the hybrid calendar for the full year here

UPCOMING EVENTS

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TO DO: "Staycation" Photos for Yearbook 

Hello UNIS Community,

This year, instead of celebrating Globe Trotting and travel in the Yearbook, we will be featuring the time spent at home with family. Our section this year will be called Staycation and we invite you to share photos of new hobbies, activities and memories from the past year while at home due to the pandemic.

Please submit only ONE PHOTO per family through the following form.

Photos must be submitted by Wednesday, MARCH 10.

Thank you for helping to make this year's yearbook a special one!

Please feel free to reach out with questions regarding submission to mburgess@unis.org. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: MINDFUL PARENTING IN AN UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD WORKSHOP

The second workshop: Riding Emotional Waves with Calm & Compassion. brought many participants together for the second time last Tuesday. You will find below resources from these workshop, you can still enroll for the third workshop coming up this Tuesday!

Resources Workshop #01

Please find the slide deck here and the North Star worksheet attached. In addition, Rachel is sharing some resources that dive a bit further into the topics discussed during the first workshop.

North Star Worksheet - Parents.docx

Resources Workshop #02

Please find the slide deck and Stress Responses worksheet attached. In addition, here are a few resources to continue exploring the topics that parents discussed during the second workshop

Additional Parenting Support

If you have any questions or want to schedule a time to learn about my additional parenting offerings, you can email Rachel Henes directly or send a note to Rachel Henes Consulting.

Next Session

Rachel is looking forward to seeing parents again on March 2nd, from 7:30-8:45pm, for the next workshop: Perfectionism & Pressure in Parenting.

INFORMATION: EIB MESSAGE: MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

In the last few weeks, the Equity & Inclusion Board launched UNIS’s first Mentorship Program in the Junior and Middle School (Manhattan and Queens campus). Tut House students joined JS homerooms through zoom to teach students about The Golden Rule. MS Faculty also taught their students about Identity, Microaggressions & Stereotypes. The EIB received a positive response from students and faculty, which will be used to improve the program for upcoming lessons on Racism and Consent. Special thank you to the faculty, administrators, and advisors who helped launch the Mentorship Program! 

PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: TALENT SHOW & PARENT COFFEE

JS Parent Coffee

Join us on Wednesday, March 3 at 7:00 for a JS Parent Coffee on the topic of Student Led Conferences.

JS Talent Show

Who's got talent? Calling all Junior School students to sign-up for this year's Talent Show! We will be conducting a virtual Talent Show this year. Each performance will be recorded at home and uploaded (details will be sent to all confirmed participants). The final Show will be a webinar and will be open to all in the Junior School, date is still TBD.  Performances can include vocal, instrumental, theater/drama, dance, sport, or anything you would like to do! Note that performances should be individual or with siblings given the current pandemic. 

Please sign-up by March 5th. All grades are welcome to participate! 

Questions? Email to erin.russell@pa.unis.org. 

 BIT OF NEWS:  J4 VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP

Last week, the J4 students joined the Tenement Museum and the African Burial Ground National Monument on YouTube Live for a special program. Centuries before New York became the city we now know, Africans and their descendants built the infrastructure of this Dutch colony, created communities, and shaped the future of the city. Through this virtual field trip the students were able to learn about the history of two African families through primary sources to learn about who they were and how they made a home on the land that became Manhattan.

Since we have not been able to go on any field trips this year we were very excited to have this opportunity to go on a virtual field trip to trace the history of African experiences in New Amsterdam to support our current Humanities unit, “Whose Story Is This?” This program was also part of the J4s recognition and celebration of Black History Month. 

The Tenement Museum and the African Burial Ground National Monument shared a lot of information about people, places and experiences that often cannot be found in books, and in turn the students were able to learn a lot and use this information to support their learning. In class, the J4s have been investigating the concept of perspective and asking critical questions such as “Whose perspective is this from? Whose voice is missing?” etc. when analyzing texts, and so this experience allowed the students to fill some of the historical gaps that exist.

The J4 team is very thankful that organizations like the Tenement Museum and the African Burial Ground National Monument are thinking outside the box and offering alternative learning opportunities for our students and teachers. 

Jessica Hiebl-McArdle, J4 teacher

 BIT OF NEWS: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Please join us for a special Fireside Chat with H.E. Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. E.S.T. We are fortunate to have one hour to hear from the Deputy Secretary-General on calling out gender bias and inequality and celebrating women's achievement. In the interest of time, we will not have the customary opportunity for questions to be asked live during this event. Instead, we encourage you to submit your questions here for our student moderators to ask on your behalf. Please RSVP and submit your questions by Friday, March 5th. 

REMINDERS: EARLY PICK UP / PE / BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Use Remote Learning on Days with Appointments or Travel

We ask that you opt to have your child learn remotely on days when you have scheduled appointments outside of school or when you need to leave early for travel. 

Because parents and caregivers are not permitted inside the school gate, a request for early dismissal for a JS student requires that school personnel leave their work in order to escort your child. There is no guarantee that we can free staff from their work duties at any point during the day to accommodate an early dismissal.

Instead of requesting an early pick up, please enter Remote Learning as an Exception in SDM to alert your teacher that your child will connect remotely instead of joining in person.

Of course, if your child falls ill during the school day, the nurse's office will coordinate an early pick plan with families.

Thank you for your support.

DRESSING FOR PE

Please send your JS children to school in their PE uniform on the days that they have PE, especially wearing sneakers. This is to allow students to take part in the many activities with ease, and certain clothing can restrict movements. 

Board of Trustees Applications

The UNIS Board of Trustees has launched the application process to fill a number of expected vacancies on the Board for the school years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.

They invite parents, alumni and friends of UNIS to apply or encourage someone they think would be suitable for the Board to submit an application. The application package is accessible by clicking the link here. Applications should be sent to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for UNIS, Ms. Joan W. McDonald, at mcdonald@un.org, with a copy to caceresk@un.org, no later than 4 March 2021.


REMINDERS: HEALTH AND SAFETY

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:

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:

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.

REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS

If you have technology issues, please send an email to tech.support@unis.org

If you have academic tech questions, please contact Ms. Zammarano at fzammarano@unis.org 

All other times: If you are having trouble logging in at any other time, please call 212-584-3100 for technology support. 

REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PLANS in SDM

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.


REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Please take the time to review your family profile and contact information to ensure that your cell phone numbers, email addresses and home address are correct and are entered in the correct fields. You may update your information at any point throughout the year, but if you have not reviewed your information recently, we encourage you to do it today. 

All departments at UNIS rely on the information that you provide in the Veracross Parent Portal to contact you. The only way you can be reached in an emergency, or when there are school wide announcements, is through the information that you have entered in the Portal. After logging into the Portal at myunis.vc , you may review and update all of your family contact information by:

If you need support in order to make your updates, please email veracross@unis.org