Dear Parents, dear teachers and colleagues,

When a photograph combines composition, strength of subject, and appeals to the emotions, a photo can rise to the rank of image-icon. This is the case with the "Green-eyed Afghan" - arguably Steve McCurry's best-known photograph - taken in 1984 in the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in northern Pakistan.

It was on the cover of National Geographic in June 1985. Since its publication, it has become a symbolic image of Afghan refugees - fleeing a devastating war in neighboring countries. "The girl with green eyes", "The Afghan girl" or even "the Afghan girl with green eyes" touched the world.

Sharbat Gula was orphaned following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, forcing her to flee to Pakistan in 1984. Her village was attacked by Soviet helicopters in the early 1980s. The Soviet attack killed her parents and forced her, along with her siblings and grandmother, to cross the border into the mountainous tribal areas of North Waziristan and South Waziristan, and to reach the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan. When Steve McCurry photographed Sharbat Gula, she was 13 years old.

I was 10 years old and living in France. Growing up in a safe and caring environment, I took the National Geographic in my hands and paused. I was one of the millions of National Geographic readers mesmerized by the green eyes and the subtle mixture of strength and vulnerability visible in the portrait. My mother called my name. It was time to go to school. I dropped the magazine without yet knowing the story of this persecuted young Afghan girl.

Sharbat Gula married Rahmat Gul in the late 1980s and then returned to Afghanistan in 1992. Gula had three daughters: Robina, Zahida and Alia. A fourth daughter died in infancy. She expressed hope that her daughters could be educated and that they would receive the education that she was not fortunate enough to have. 

The right to access education and the right to learn safely is the hope of many. This is what lead Malala to stand for her rights and the rights of many girls around the world persecuted for being peaceful learners.

This fight is far from being over, and the terrible and choking tragedy that took place at the gate of Sayed Al-Shuhada school in Afghanistan on Saturday reminds all of us that the right for education is a privilege that not everyone has access to, but a privilege that we should all fight for. UNIS joins in this effort and in the strong condemnation of this violence by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore in a statement published following the attack:

NEW YORK, 8 MAY 2021 –“UNICEF strongly condemns the horrific attack earlier today near the Sayed Ul-Shuhada high school, in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack claimed the lives of dozens of schoolchildren, mostly girls, and severely injured many more. Violence in or around schools is never acceptable. Schools must be havens of peace where children can play, learn and socialize safely. Children must never be the target of violence. UNICEF continues to call on all parties to the conflict to adhere to international human rights and humanitarian law and ensure the safety and protection of all children.” - UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore

We will continue to educate and inspire our students, your children, to become an active force in shaping a better world: peaceful, compassionate, and sustainable. We will never forget the young girls of Sayed Al-Shuhada school who lost their lives for being educated.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

Support recommendations and resources from Dr Marnin, Junior School Psychologist

• Very young children should not be exposed to any media coverage of the traumatic event(s)

• Slightly older children: Watch what they watch, and follow their lead with questions. Only answer what they are asking. Always reaffirm and reassure children's safety and security. Help them to identify all the ways school, home, etc. are safe. Help them to identify all the grown-ups in their lives that help to keep them safe every day.

• Pay extra attention to family, children and your own self care needs (eg., spend time with family, socialize with friends, eat healthy, sleep well, spend quality time with pets, exercise, etc.).

• Support and discuss ways that young children can feel empowered and advocate for themselves, family, friends and community. 

• Please remember that UNIS has an amazing team of staff and security that work hard every day to keep everyone physically and emotionally safe and supported. Security staff, student support staff, administrators, and teachers are consistently working together to incorporate new ways to make our school safer, which in turn, reinforces our sense of community for all members.

Resources:

Support for Parents and Families:

• Talking to children about violence: Tips for parents and teachers

• Coping with traumatic news: Illustrated guide

• Tips for parents on media coverage

Activism and Advocacy:

• Books about activism for kids

• Engaging Youth in Activism

• • May 9 through May 16 - Virtual Book Fair (details in this newsletter)

  • Saturday, May 15 - Virtual International Food & Fun Fair 

Weekly Student Pool Testing

COVID-19 testing will follow the same schedule through the end of the school year on Mondays and Thursdays:

Mondays: J1, J2, M1, M2, T1 and T2

Thursdays: J3, J4, M3, M4, T3 and T4 

• • Tuesday, May 18 - J4 Moving Up Day  6:00-7:00pm  Link / Webinar ID:  95557303736 / Passcode: 180411 

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

  • Tuesday, June 1 - Classes Resume

  • Friday, June 4 - TH Graduation Day

  • Friday, June 18 - JS Last of Classes (Full Day)

• TO DO: BOOK FAIR !

• TO DO: DISMISSAL REMINDER TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

• INFORMATION: TALENT SHOW

• INFORMATION: MOVING UP DAY FOR J4 FAMILIES - MAY 18

• INFORMATION: P.41 / CERTIFICATION OF UNIS ATTENDANCE / SCHOOL RECORDS

• PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: 2021 INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND FUN FAIR, A VIRTUAL EVENT ON SATURDAY, MAY 15

• BIT OF NEWS: ADOPT A BAND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DRIVE 

• REMINDER: UPDATED PROTOCOLS FOR STUDENT ATTENDANCE

• REMINDER: REVISED PROTOCOLS FOR LUNCH & SNACK

• REMINDER: TRANSITIONING BETWEEN MODELS OF LEARNING

• REMINDERS: HEALTH AND SAFETY

• REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS

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

• REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

This week, our students will also have the opportunity with meet with authors in celebration of reading and writing.

At dismissal please stay in motion, circling through the tents as you wait to pick up your children, or wait outside the main gate between pick ups. Despite the warmer weather, the school has not relaxed it's policies regarding gatherings. Please do not linger or sit down in the tents to wait for a second child, or gather within the school gates to speak with other parents or teachers. At dismissal our goal is to have as few people on campus for the shortest time possible, and always in motion. Thank you for understanding and support as we work to keep our community safe.

The link to the JS Talent Show video is finally accessible! See below.

SAVE THE DATE

The Middle School invites J4 families to join them on Tuesday, May 18 from 6:00 - 7:00pm for Moving Up Day.

MOVING UP DAY LINK

Webinar ID:  95557303736

Passcode: 180411

May 18 at 6:00pm

Details to follow closer to the date.

If you need a P.41 for your employer in order to verify that your child(ren) attends UNIS, kindly email your request to Margaret Chiu in our Business Office mchiu@unis.org and include first and last name and grade.

Other school records can be requested from our Registrar, Estela van Aken, at evanaken@unis.org

Dear UNIS community,

This year's International Food and Fun Fair (IFFF) is less than two weeks away! Traditionally, UNIS students, parents, administration, teachers, and staff would get together on a mid-spring weekend for a day of fun-filled activities: outdoor games, music, dance, sports, arts and crafts, raffle prizes and the amazing international buffet showcasing a most incredible food spread from all over the world. The IFFF has always celebrated our school's diversity and willingness to share our cultures with each other. Even though this school year is like no other, we are still committed to keeping our long lasting, signature community-building event alive!

Everything you need to know about IFFF 2021 can be found at www.unis.org/ifff2021.

Here are the highlights :

RECOMMEND YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT/GROCERY and/or SPECIALTY STORE

Now is the time to let all your friends at UNIS know what your favorite restaurants and grocery/specialty stores in the city are and to invite them to dine out, order take out or shop at your beloved gastronomical destinations. You can easily do so by filling out THIS FORM. With your submissions, we will create a NYC map featuring your recommendations. The map will go live for the UNIS community on Saturday, May 15th.

RAFFLE

By popular demand, the IFFF Raffle is back! Buy a $10.00 raffle ticket and enter to win one of the four amazing prizes: Nintendo Switch, IPad, AirPods and LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle. The raffle will be drawn and the winners will be announced at the end of the year PA meeting on Tuesday, June 8th.

SUPPORT SDG 12 (RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION and PRODUCTION) and STAY SUSTAINABLE

Yes, we are consumers but mindful ones. Let's keep focusing on zero-waste goals and encourage environmental advocacy among our community. More detailed information on how to achieve this can be found here.

We look forward to your active participation in the virtual IFFF 2021. If you have any questions, please contact UNIS PA Cultural Events Committee coordinators Jinhwa Jo (jinhwa.jo@pa.unis@org) and Irina Ivleva (irina.ivleva@pa.unis.org)

Warmly, 

UNIS PA Cultural Events Committee 

May 10-14, 2021

ADOPT A BAND CLUB 

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT DRIVE

INFORMATION:

The Adopt a Band club will be running a musical instrument drive to acquire second-hand instruments from UNIS families to donate to those who have limited access to musical instruments.

When: Monday, May 10 to Friday, May 14, 2021. 

Where: Outside the UNIS gate every day from 8:00-8:30 AM.

What: We accept all musical instruments and music accessories. 

Contact:  excom.aab@clubs.unis.org, aab@clubs.unis.org, 24agurney@unis.org, 22kgurney@unis.org, 24jvasic@unis.org, 24hrocha@unis.org, 24alatkany@unis.org 

When your child is sick with stomach ache, fever, headache, etc. there is no expectation from the school that they should attempt to learn remotely. If your child has symptoms that would normally have kept them at home prior to COVID-19, please do not have your child log in to classes. We hope that time will be taken for them to rest and recover. It is difficult for teachers to engage students who are not feeling well, they distract their classmates, and the school believes that children recover more quickly when they are permitted to disconnect and rest.

Please take a few minutes to review our updated protocols regarding student attendance expectations for the three Learning Models we are using now, and we thank you for your support.

Remote Learning For A Medical Reason or Appointment:

Now that the Junior School has moved to Fully In Person Learning for the majority of our students, our protocols are adapted to ensure continuity in student attendance, consistent expectations in the classroom, and effective lesson planning for our teachers.

If your child is required to remain at home for a medical reason such as :

• Allergies

• Runny nose

• Cough

• Quarantine due to exposure or travel

• A doctor's appointment during school hours

but your child feels well enough to engage in learning remotely, please inform your teachers by email as far in advance as possible, but no later than 8:00am that morning, that your child will connect.

It is crucial that your teachers are aware, before the school day begins for them at 8:00am. Notification the day before is preferable. Emailing your teacher directly and using SDM to alert the JS office informs the school in advance and allows your teacher to anticipate and prepare to support your child as a remote learner. Appearing on the screen when they are expected in the classroom is disruptive for the students, divides your teacher's attention, and interferes with planned lessons.

Note that students who connect from home as an exception, who are not normally remote learners, may not have all the learning materials they will need for that day’s lessons. Ensure that they begin the day with plenty of paper and pencils in front of them when they log in.

However, when your child is sick with stomach ache, fever, headache, etc. there is no expectation that they should log in to class. If your child has symptoms that would normally have kept them at home prior to COVID-19, please do not have your child connect remotely to their classes. We hope that time will be taken for them to rest and recover. It is difficult for teachers to engage students who are not feeling well and the school believes that children recover sooner when they are permitted to disconnect and rest.

Learning Model - Consistent Schedule

The Junior School has moved to fully in person learning for the majority of our students and to ensure continuity, consistent expectations in the classroom, and effective lesson planning for our teachers, we ask that all families adhere to a fixed attendance schedule.

Families have now opted for one of these 3 learning models:

• Fully In Person

• Fully Remote

• Hybrid

and the expectation is that Junior School students attend school consistently in accordance with the model the family has opted for at this time. Inconsistent in person attendance is disruptive for the class, for the teachers who need to plan lessons, and for the student. The school believes that a consistent schedule reinforces learning and appropriate classroom behavior, and reduces anxiety.

Exceptions to your child’s learning model schedule may be:

• Quarantine (connect remotely only if your child is asymptomatic and feels well enough to participate in lessons)

• Illness (please do not connect remotely if your child feels unwell)

• Appointments outside of school (connect remotely until the appointment time)

• Early dismissal for travel (connect remotely until departure time)

Changing the Learning Model for JS Students

The school’s expectation is that families will consistently adhere to the Learning Model they have opted for because a steady and predictable schedule reinforces learning and appropriate classroom behavior, reduces anxiety, and allows our faculty to prepare effective lessons for all of their students.

For those families electing to change their current model during the remainder of this 2020-21 school year:

• Moving to Fully Remote from Hybrid or Fully in Person - Families give at least one day’s notice to the homeroom & jsoffice@unis.org so that teachers have an opportunity to send the student home with necessary materials to learn from home. The expectation is that the student will remain remote for the remainder of this school year.

• Moving from Fully Remote to Hybrid or Fully in Person - Families give at least 2 full school day’s notice to the homeroom teacher, schoolnurse@unis.org and jsoffice@unis.org that they would like their child to attend on campus. Health clearance from the nurse is required before any student can attend in person. The expectation is that the student will then remain learning on campus for the remainder of this school year on a consistent schedule, either in the Hybrid model or Fully In Person.

JS Lunch and Snack Protocols as of Monday, May 3:

All students will eat snacks and lunch in their designated classroom. An exception applies to specific homerooms with students who have severe allergies and specific health plans indicating that, for safety reasons, food is not allowed within their classroom. A second dedicated space is made available for this homeroom where only this group of students is permitted to eat.

Students will be asked to follow these guidelines:

• All students wash their hands before eating snack or lunch.

• All students wash their hands after eating snack and lunch.

• Students sit in their designated location in class for lunch.

• Students who are eating must be separated by at least one shield and will sit with maximum possible distance between each other.

• Students who are eating are allowed to remove their masks and are required to eat behind their shields.

• Students are not allowed to share food. If a student does not have lunch, the teacher will inform the Junior School Office and parents will be contacted. Parents may be asked to purchase a lunch for that day from Flik.

• Snack and lunch are supervised by an adult.

• Immediately after eating, and before moving away from their seat, students replace their masks.

• Staff uses the provided disinfectant, gloves, and paper towels to thoroughly clean the tables after students have eaten.

• Flik has developed a system of boxed lunches that can be ordered and paid for in advance and delivered to classrooms.

Parents who do not purchase lunch service provided by the school will need to provide lunch for their child that does not require either heating or refrigeration and can be eaten independently, without requiring support from an adult to manipulate boxes or bags in order to open them. This is in order to limit cross-contamination.

Following recent changes with CDC guidelines and NYDOH rules, UNIS is welcoming many of our students on campus every day.

Three Models of Learning are now offered to UNIS families:

• • Option 1: on campus every day

  • Option 2: hybrid schedule (continuing the yellow & blue group rotation)

  • Option 3: fully remote learning

UNIS will continue offering the hybrid model through June, as a transition path for remote families, and to help reduce the logistical challenges associated with the return of a large number of students on site.

If you would like to request a learning model change for your JS child, please send an email to both jsoffice@unis.org and your homeroom teacher with a minimum of 2 school days notice.

Note that fully remote students requesting a transition to on campus learning (either hybrid or full time) require health clearance from the Nurse as the first step. Please follow these directions to initiate the process:

• If you decide to opt for in person learning, either 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):

  1. 1. 1. • 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!

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.

5. For those families electing to change their current model during the remainder of this 2020-21 school year:

• Moving from Fully Remote to Hybrid / Fully in Person - Families give at least 2 full school day’s notice to the homeroom teacher, schoolnurse@unis.org and jsoffice@unis.org that they would like their child to attend on campus. Health clearance from the nurse is required before any student can attend in person. The expectation is that the student will then remain learning on campus for the remainder of this school year on a consistent schedule, either in the Hybrid model or Fully In Person.

• Moving to Fully Remote from Hybrid / Fully in Person - Families give at least one day’s notice to the homeroom & jsoffice@unis.org so that teachers have an opportunity to send the student home with necessary materials to learn from home. The expectation is that the student will remain remote for the remainder of this school year.

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.