Dear parents,

This is the week when your children will be celebrated: the Student Led Conferences. As a reminder, you will find important information regarding these conferences in this newsletter:

• The video and slides from the March 3 JS Parent Coffee on the topic of Student Led Conferences

• A link to all of the information shared in our previous Newsletter

• A link to the upcoming March 17 Student Led Conferences Webinar to help you navigate your conferences and to answer all your questions before the day

• A video introducing the asynchronous activities designed by our specialist teachers

The goal of the conferences this week is clear: "to celebrate the Learning Experience and Successes of the school year, in connection with the IB attitudes and attributes".

It is therefore time for celebration!

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• Tuesday, March 16  - JS Student Led Conference Sign Up Closes 5:00pm (instructions in this newsletter)

• Tuesday, March 16 - Mindful Parenting in an Upside-Down World  7:30 - 8:45 (REGISTRATION) 

• Wednesday, March 17 - JS Webinar: Student Led Conferences 7:00 - 8:00pm  SLC Webinar Link

• Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19 - UNIS-UN Conference

• Thursday, March 18 and Friday, March 19 - JA - J4 Student Led Conferences 8:30 - 3:00pm 

- No Classes for JS Students on March 18 and 19 

- No JS Students on Campus on March 18 and 19

 Spring 2021 After School Program Begins - Details in This Newsletter

• 6-Part Parent Workshop Series:  Mindful Parenting in an Upside-Down World on Tuesdays from 7:30 - 8:45 

  • Tuesday, March 16  Click Here 

  • Tuesday, March 23

  • Tuesday, March 30

• April 5 through April 16 – No Classes for Students – Spring Break (travel advisory in this newsletter)

• Monday, April 19 – Classes Resume

• TO DO: WHEN YOUR CHILD LEARNS FROM HOME FOR A MEDICAL REASON

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION: SIGN UP FOR STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES THIS WEEK

• INFORMATION: A DISCUSSION WITH Dr. WENDY NASH ON PARENTING A CHILD WITH ADHD

• INFORMATION:  SPRING 2021 AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

• INFORMATION: J2-J4 UNIS SPRING BREAK VIRTUAL CAMP

• INFORMATION: PARENT WORKSHOP: MINDFUL PARENTING IN AN UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD (MARCH 16)

• PARENTS ASSOCIATION CORNER: MARCH 17 WEBINAR: STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES & BOOK DRIVE

•  BIT OF NEWS: DR ANTHONY FAUCI OPENS UNIS-UN CONFERENCE ON MARCH 18

•  BIT OF NEWS: UNMUTED 2021 IB VISUAL ART EXHIBITION

• REMINDER: SPRING BREAK TRAVEL

• REMINDER: BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPLICATIONS

• REMINDERS: HEALTH AND SAFETY

• REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS

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

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

If you elect to keep your child home for a medical reason (allergies, running nose, etc.) but your child feels well enough to engage in learning remotely, please inform your teachers as far in advance as possible, and certainly before 8:00am.

Of course, when your child is sick there is no expectation that they should log in to class - we hope that time will be taken for them to rest and recover. 

However, if you plan to have your child engage remotely at any point during the school day, it is crucial that your teachers are aware before the school day begins for them at 8:00am, and preferable the day before, by emailing your teacher directly and using SDM to alert the office.  Informing your teacher in advance allows them to anticipate and prepare to support your child as a remote learner. Appearing on the screen when they are expected in the classroom can be disruptive for the class and divides your teacher's attention.

Thank you for your support.

If you haven't done so already, please sign up for your JS child’s Student Led Conferences to be held on March 18 and March 19. 

Online sign up closes on Tuesday, March 16 at 5:00pm.

 JS classes will not be held on March 18 and 19 and students will not be on campus.

Students and their guardians will connect with their teachers remotely, from home. 

Important Dates:

• • Wednesday, March 17th at 7:00pm: Webinar with the Principal and Assistant Principals - "Guidelines for parents: How to support a succesful Student Led Conference" [Webinar ID: 92097161214 | Passcode: 739566]

  • Thursday, March 18th: from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm JA - J4 Conferences

  • Friday, March 19th: from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm JA-J4 Conferences

Sign-Up Period 

• • Opened: Thursday, March 11th at 5:00 pm 

  • Closes: Tuesday, March 16th at 5:00 pm 

• • Registration    (Deadline 3/10/2021)  We will collect registrations and send the confirmations by March 15th. 

  • After School Program Activities are held on virtual platform starting 4:30PM so that all the students are able to join. 

  • SPRING activities resume on Monday March 22nd.  

  • Zoom links to activities will be directly forwarded to you by the instructors.  

  • For your convenience below please find the calendar for the Spring Season: 

  • SPRING 2021 CALENDAR 

    • Mondays: 

      • March 22, 29  

      • April 19, 26  (No classes April 5 & 12)

      • May 3, 10, 17, 24  

    • Tuesdays 

      • March 23, 30   

      • April 20, 27  (No classes April 6 & 13)

      • May 4, 11, 18, 25 

    • Wednesdays 

      • March 24, 31    

      • April 21, 28  (No classes April 7 & 14)

      • May 5, 12, 19, 26   

    • Thursdays 

      • March 25     

      • April 1, 22, 29  (No classes April 8 & 15)

      • May  6, 13, 20, 27   

    •  Fridays

      • March 26     

      • April 2 , 23, 30 (No classes April 9 & 16)

      • May  7, 14, 21

      • June  4    

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.  

Kind regards,  

Dr. Lidana Jalilvand  | Director of Special Programs | ljalilvand@unis.org | +1 212-584-3083  Ext: 3083

During the Spring Break, UNIS offers a “Virtual Spring Camp” for J2-J4 students. 

• • All activities take place on ZOOM platform. 

  • The MORNING program runs from 9:30AM to 11:30AM

  • The AFTERNOON program runs from 1:30PM to 3:30PM

  • The FEES are based on $380 per week - morning or afternoon 

  • Week # 1 =>    Monday April 5th through Friday April 9th  

  • Week # 2 =>    Monday April 12th through Friday April 16th

For more information you may contact: Dr. Lidana Jalilvand  | Director of Special Programs ljalilvand@unis.org | +1 212-584-3083  Ext: 3083

Dear UNIS Parent,

I’m looking forward to seeing you on March 16th at 7:30pm for our next parenting workshop: Cultivating Kids Social-Emotional Health at Home. 

In this session, we’ll unpack the key components of social and emotional health and explore the ways we can support the wellbeing of our children as we all continue to navigate the pandemic.  

If you have any questions prior to the workshop, you can reach me at rachel@rachelhenes.com.

Looking forward to seeing you soon! 

Rachel Henes, LMSW | e: rachel@rachelhenes.com | www.rachelhenes.com

Please join us this Wednesday, March 17 at 7pm when Mr. Vallet and Ms. Camilo hold a webinar for parents on the topic of the Student-Led Conferences being held on Thursday and Friday this week. 

The upcoming 2021 UNIS-UN conference will explore the possible strategies and global collaboration that could have prevented the exacerbation of COVID-19. In addition, this conference will investigate the disparities accentuated by the pandemic, specifically in healthcare, education, and economic systems. Furthermore, we will examine how COVID-19 has highlighted the racial discrepancies that exist in society today. Click to learn more about this year's UNIS-UN Conference on "A Global Catastrophe - The Impact of Covid-19". Hundreds of students (including all TH students) will participate in this conference from all around the world.

The UNIS-UN Conference 2021 will take place (virtually) on March 18-19: the lead keynote speaker for our conference will be none other than Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Thursday, March 18 at 10 am.

While the UNIS-UN Conference is designed for (and led by) TH students, a YouTube feed to some of the key speakers (including Dr. Fauci) will be made available to alumni, parents. 

Other featured speakers include Christiane Amanpour (CNN's chief international anchor), Dr. Sanjay Gupta (chief medical correspondent for CNN), and H.E. Ambassador Burhan Gafoor, Permanent Representative of Singapore at the United Nations (and UNIS parent as well as UNIS Board member). 

Board of Trustees Applications - Deadline Extended to March 18

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.

The application deadline has been extended to 18 March 2021.

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. 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.

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.