Newsletter #26

Tokuriki Tomikichiro, Lake Kawaguchi, 1950s

Bai Juyi (772-846), a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty, saw his poems as an opportunity to share observations he made as a government official, including as governor of three different provinces. Spring was, again, a beautiful, intense, joyful, exhilarating moment in life. 

Dreaming of the Southern Shore - by Bai Juyi of Tang Dynasty

Fair Southern shore,

With scenes I adore.

At sunrise riverside flowers redder than fire,

In spring green waves grow as blue as sapphire,

Which I can't but admire.

Vivaldi's Spring is probably the most iconic translation of the season into music. While it is one of the 10 most famous musical compositions, it is not well known that his Four Seasons were composed side by side with a Sonnet.

I could go on and on, celebrating Spring through many forms of art. But as I write this Newsletter during my Spring Break, the sounds of my daughters and the birds waking up on a rainy morning are calling my name!

On Monday, April 19 we look forward to welcoming back your children, our students, with their minds set to Spring! 

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• • Monday, April 19 – Classes Resume

  • Monday, April 19 -  COVID-19 Pool Testing for J1, J2, M1, M2, T1 and T2  7:15-8:45 am (details in this newsletter)

  • Thursday, April 22 - COVID-19 Pool Testing for  J3, J4, M3, M4, T3 and T4  7:15-8:45am (details in this newsletter)

• • Monday, April 19 – Classes Resume

  • Saturday, May 1 - JS Talent Show (Webinar link will be shared closer to the date)

  • Thursday, May 6 - PA Meeting Webinar (Save the Date)

  • May 9 through May 16 - Virtual Book Fair (Details will be shared later)

  • Wednesday, May 12 - JS Parent Coffee 7:00pm (Save the Date)

  • Saturday, May 15 - Virtual International Food & Family Fun Day (Save the Date)

  • Friday, May 28 and Monday, May 31 - School Closed - Memorial Day Weekend

  • Tuesday, June 1 - Classes Resume

  • Friday, June 4 - 11:45 Dismissal for JS / TH Graduation

  • Friday, June 18 - JS Last of Classes (full day)

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION: FULLY REMOTE FAMILY

• IMPORTANT INFORMATION: COVID-19 WEEKLY STUDENT POOL TESTING / TRAVEL ADVISORY

• INFORMATION: ALYSSA FROST, J1/J3 COUNSELOR IS BACK!

• INFORMATION: PARENT WORKSHOP - MINDFUL PARENTING IN AN UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD (FINAL SESSION)

•  BIT OF NEWS: SPANISH IN JAW

• REMINDER: ARRIVAL BY 8:30

• REMINDER: J4JH SERVICE LEARNING

• REMINDERS: HEALTH AND SAFETY

• REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS

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

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

• 
  

If you are a fully remote family considering a move from fully remote to either hybrid learning or 100% on campus learning (dependent upon the school's directive at the time) for your JS child before the end of this current school year, these are the steps you will need to take:

If you decide to opt for in person learning, hybrid or 100% in person, please inform these departments at a minimum of 2 full school days in advance of the date that you would like to have your child return (for example, no later than Wednesday afternoon of the week prior to a Monday return):

• jsoffice@unis.org

• mrivera@unis.org

• schoolnurse@unis.org

• your homeroom teacher

The first step will be for the nurse to confirm that all of your child's health forms are in order and that they are cleared to return to campus.

After you have the nurse's health clearance, please coordinate directly with your homeroom teacher the best date for your child's return to learning in person.

Inform jsoffice@unis.org about the agreed upon in person start date.

When your child returns to campus, you'll need to complete the daily Ruvna Health Screening that you will begin receiving by text and email each morning at about 5:00am.

You'll also need to update School Dismissal Manager (SDM) with your dismissal plan for each day that your JS child attends school on campus. The dismissing teachers will rely on the information you provide in SDM to escort your child to the correct location at the end of the school day (for example: pick up / care program / yellow bus). Note that your child will not be permitted to take the bus unless the SDM report printed for our Transportation Department each day indicates your choice of that dismissal option.

Please contact Charles Umbach at transportation@unis.org as soon as possible if you want to arrange for yellow school bus service.

We look forward to welcoming your child back to campus! Let the JS Office know if you have any specific questions.

Message from Nurse Marisa Rivera and Director of Security Ernest Lentini:

This is a friendly reminder that we are conducting our weekly pool testing after spring break. In order to get a proper sampling of all groups we will be adjusting the testing days slightly to ensure we include both groups. We will NOT be testing on Friday.

Monday April 19th we will test J1, J2, M1, M2, T1 and T2.

Thursday April 22nd we will test J3, J4, M3, M4, T3 and T4.

Hybrid or remote students who are not scheduled to be on campus should remain home and join their classes remotely, as scheduled.

Students will test upon arrival and no class time will be missed. Testing will occur from 7:15 to 8:45am. We encourage all to come as early as possible to avoid crowding. There will be a supervised area for the students once their testing is complete.

We encourage JS parents to come with their child(ren) who are testing to assist in the process if needed. There will be an area set up under the covered walkway for check-in and a separate space for providing saliva samples.

** Please know surveillance testing is not to be used as a replacement for testing out of quarantine or illness protocols. If you are concerned about your child(ren)'s COVID status, please reach out to your pediatrician for guidance. 

Thanks,

Marisa and Ernie

If you have any questions please reach out to schoolnurse@unis.org

Hybrid or remote students who are not scheduled to be on campus on the 19th or 22nd should remain at home and join their classes remotely.

Time moves quickly! It's time to welcome Alyssa Frost back from her parental leave and say farewell to Stephanie DiRaimondo.

Ms. DiRaimondo stepped in to cover for Ms. Frost seamlessly. We are grateful for how quickly she became part of the JS community and the great job she did of supporting the students in J1 and J3. Ms. DiRaimondo will be missed and we wish her all the best.

Please let your child know that this transition will be taking place right after the spring break. Ms. Frost returns on Monday, April 19 and she and Ms. DiRaimondo will work together until Wednesday, April 21. Your child has an opportunity to say goodbye to Ms. DiRaimondo or write a special note during those three days if that is something they would like to do.

Dear UNIS JS Parents,

Thank you for attending our last session in our Winter workshop series: Growing Our Circles of Concern: Promoting Empathy and Social Awareness at Home. It has been such a pleasure to get to know you over these last several workshops!

Resources

Please find the slide deck attached, and check out these resources for promoting empathy and care at home: 

• Empathy’s Natural, but Nurturing it Helps

• Common Sense Media: Books That Teach Empathy

• Making Caring Common - For Families: Five Tips for Cultivating Empathy

Survey

If you haven't filled out the brief survey about the session (less than 2 minutes, I promise!), you can do so here. Thank you! Your feedback helps me adapt my offerings to be as responsive and useful as possible.

Parenting Support

I'd love to stay connected so if you're interested in parenting groups, coaching or additional workshops, please reach out to me at rachel@rachelhenes.com or send a note to Rachel Henes Consulting.

Take care and keep breathing!

Rachel

Rachel Henes, LMSW

rachel@rachelhenes.com

Ms. Montero shared a video of the Animal Dance from JAW's Spanish class. The children put so much effort and enthusiasm into their learning about animals that they finished the unit with this adorable dance. We hope you enjoy it too!

ARRIVAL

• To support the Junior School, we ask parents to time their morning arrival at school to the staggered schedule for each grade, but no later than 8:30.

• Please keep in mind that late arriving students disrupt their homeroom morning meetings and delay the work day for our staff. 

• Staff is stationed in the tents to supervise students at these times:

  • • 8:15 - 8:30: arrival for J2, J3, J4

    • 8:20: arrival for PK, JA

    • 8:30: arrival for J1

• Arrival is staggered by grade to ensure that we do not exceed a safe number of students in the tents at any given time, or families waiting at the gate.

• The JS gates should be closed no later than 8:40. 

• We understand that commuting in the morning can be a challenge so please allow enough time to arrive by 8:30.

Thank you for your support.

Beat the Boredom Blues for a Good Cause 

The J4JH fundraiser will be finishing on Friday 23 April, and the class is hoping to get a few more donations before then. To date they have raised $1047.25 from 17 donors. In May, everyone who donates will receive a handwritten thank you note from a J4JH student. 

Here's a link to the text, website link, and a short video reminder from Elena, Laila and Jonathan about this great cause. 

J4JH Wants You to Beat the Boredom Blues for a Good Cause - Reminder

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: Arrival of JS students after 8:30 in the morning delays our faculty and staff moving back to their positions and disrupt morning meetings in the homeroom. 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.

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 or has had an extended absence)

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 and NYSDOH guidance, students who are sent home or become ill may not return to UNIS until the following:

WITH A COVID TEST: MUST BE  A PCR NOT A RAPID (AS PER NYS)

• A negative COVID test must be emailed to the health office for clearance to return to on campus learning. 

• At least 24 hours symptom free.

WITHOUT COVID TEST: 

• • Must have a physician note. Must explicitly state that the student or employee is cleared to return to school. Physicians must also document an alternative diagnosis if symptoms are due to illness (ie- lab confirmed influenza, strep throat) or preexisting diagnosis and not COVID.

  • 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.

* Note: a signed note by the health care provider documenting unconfirmed acute illness, such as viral upper respiratory illness (URI) or viral gastroenteritis will not be accepted. If this is the physician indicated diagnosis, please know a negative COVID test will also be required to be cleared for on campus learning.

We kindly ask if your child is exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID to 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.

Mt. Sinai are our consulting physicians and can help find a Mt. Sinai practice that will offer expedited results. You are also free to utilize any testing practitioner you are comfortable with.

For anyone who needs confirmatory testing, please email AccessDowntown@mountsinai.org or call 646-531-1504 and identify yourself as a part of the UNIS community. If there are any issues, please reach out to their team directly at BusinessHealth@mountsinai.org and they will assist.

If you are a parent and you are having your child tested at Mt. Sinai, please know you will need to create a MyChart account to access your minor child's test results. You will also need to ask the practice manager to upload the results to the mychart account, as it doesn't happen automatically for minors.

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.

9. When Your Child Learns From Home For A Medical Reason:  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.

• • 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.