Newsletter #07
Dear parents,
Last week we shared a close-up look at our PreK Students with the first episode of "a fly on the wall". It was a wonderful opportunity to see where everything begins at UNIS. Today, we step aside again and allow Nicolas and Matias Corona (Tut House students) the opportunity to be this week's Newsletter Chief Editors and place the spotlight on their wonderful project, part of the CAS Program (Creativity, Activity, Service) and one of the three essential elements that a UNIS student must complete as part of the Diploma Programme (DP). Their work is a great way to illustrate one of the many paths that our JS students are heading for.
Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal
Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal
Dear Junior School Parents,
Our names are Nicolas and Matias Corona, T4 and T3 at UNIS, and we are the co-heads of the Funding Bright Futures organization—a non-profit whose mission is to fund the scholarships of underprivileged children from around the world by providing extracurricular and academic services to children from the ages 8-12.
We have both been volunteers at Funding Bright Futures for 3 years; Matias taught LEGO classes and Nicolas coached soccer. Working along with two Indian based organizations—Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch (VSSM) and Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS)— as well as another based in Mexico—Fundación Contando Con Un Amigo (“Counting on a Friend Foundation”)—we have been able to raise over ten thousand dollars over the course of three years for underprivileged kids who are now able to receive an education at a school where they will be able to eat the nutrients they need and return to an environmentally healthy community and housing.
Through these experiences, FBF became a big, positive part of our lives and our way of giving back to the community. As we became so extremely passionate about aiding FBFs’ mission, we sought to take on more impactful roles as the organization’s founder (UNIS Alumni Jay Patel) graduated from high school. Now, as leaders of the non-profit, we are looking to not only fully reinstate classes that we previously provided, but expand the organization and its money raised. We will do this by recruiting more volunteers, enrolling more students, and providing a wider range of activities in which children can partake.
This year, we are set to provide academic tutoring including math, English, and Spanish classes; creative classes such as LEGO, Minecraft, and art; and athletic classes including soccer, basketball, and baseball. These classes will be mostly led by UNIS Tut House students who, before becoming official FBF tutors, undertake a thorough interview process in which we evaluate their experience and whether or not they are the right fit to represent our organization and meet the standards we wish to provide.
Now, as Junior School parents, we look to you to aid our mission by enrolling your children in our specialized tutoring services. We want to know what classes your child is interested in and then we’ll find the tutor who can meet your needs. Attached is a questionnaire on which you can demonstrate your child’s interest in specific FBF classes. Once we have sufficient demand for a class, we will find the tutor right to teach that class and begin sessions, which usually run 45 minutes to an hour per week. These classes become a seamless, enjoyable process for you and your children, with regular calendar updates debriefing when and where the class takes place, transparent contact between parents and our executive committee and tutors (should you have any concerns), and simple payment methods which save you the unnecessary hassle! Should you need more information, or would like to contact us with any inquiries you may have, make sure to find us on our socials, website, or email. We will also be attending an upcoming JS parent event to present Funding Bright Futures face-to-face, so make sure to find us there, should you and your child be interested in our organization!
Finally, we hope to hear from you soon, and should you choose to donate once to our mission rather than participate in regular classes, make sure to visit the website linked above!
Sincerely,
FBF co-chairs Nicolas and Matias Corona and the FBF team
Instagram | FundingBrightFutures.org | FundingBrightFutures@gmail.com
IMPORTANT DATES
THIS WEEK | WEEK A
Tuesday, October 19 | Deadline to Opt in for Marking Period #2 Remote Learning | Opt In Form (details below)
Wednesday, October 20 | PA Meeting 7:00pm Webinar | Link (details below)
Friday, October 22 | UN Day Celebrated / Parade of Nations (details below)
October 25 - October 29 | October Break - No Classes for Students
REMINDER:
Update School Dismissal Manager (SDM)
with instructions for After School classes & changes in Bus ridership
UN DAY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22
On Friday this week we will celebrate UN Day, an important day for our community and one that continues to be challenged by current circumstances. Safety being first, some traditional events will again not take place this year.
All students are invited to come to school on Friday, October 22 wearing traditional dress to celebrate the country of their choice, or country of origin. This dress-up is optional.
The goals of this day are to:
Celebrate our connection with the UN.
Enhance UN Studies at all levels.
Engage students in the work of the UN and inspire them to live their lives guided by the principles of the UN Charter.
JS students will create a Mandala of flowers by the front gate and parents will have the opportunity to take a flower when leaving with their children at the end of the day. Each class will have the opportunity to have an individual parade. A special UN Day Assembly will be pre-recorded and homerooms will share it with their students during the school day. The Assembly will focus on sharing information about the United Nations with our students and is designed to accommodate the range of ages between our littlest ones and our J4 students.
We will also provide a nut-free cookie to each of our students as we are not able to hold our traditional breakfast with parents. Students can choose to have the cookie, or not. Parents of students with food allergies may provide their children with their own snacks on Friday. The cookies will be provided by Flik following the same protocols they use for student lunches.
Finally, we are planning to have some of our high school students sharing recordings of themselves reading, remotely, to our JS students.
During this exceptional day we will take as many photos and videos as we can to share with families. We regret that for the second year in a row we cannot welcome parents on campus, either for the parade or our traditional international breakfast.
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 25 - October 29 | October Break - No Classes for Students
Monday, November 1 | Halloween Dress Up Day (optional / details in this newsletter)
Monday, November 1 | JS After School Sports Program Begins (email doconnor@unis.org with any questions)
Wednesday, November 3 | JS Parent Coffee Webinar 7:00pm (save the date)
Thursday, November 4 - Monday, November 8 | Parent Teacher Conference Online Registration is Open (sign up instructions in this newsletter)
Wednesday, November 10 - Friday, November 12 | Parent Teacher Conferences for PK - J4 (details to follow)
Wednesday, November 10 (Evening 5:00-7:00pm)
Thursday, November 11 (Day 8:30-3:00 - No School for Students)
Friday, November 12 (Day 8:30 - 3:00 - No School for Students)
November 10 - November 12 | After School Programs are Cancelled during Parent Teacher Conferences (Wednesday through Friday):
JS After School Program Classes
JS Francophone, Portuguese and Mandarin Classes
After School Athletics for JS students
On Campus Private Music Lessons for JS students
Note: Care Program will be available from 3-6pm Wednesday, Nov 10 only
November 14 | UNICEF Fundraiser Ends (details in this newsletter)
November 24 - November 26 | Thanksgiving Break - School Closed
December 20 - December 31 | Winter Break - No Classes for Students
Monday, January 3 | Classes Resume
THE NEWS
TO DO: VIRTUAL PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
SIGN-UP PROCESS: DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
In advance of registration opening from November 4 - November 8 for the Parent Teacher Conferences held on November 10 - November 12, please review the instructions for signing up for appointments. If you have questions or concerns about sign up, please reach out to veracross@unis.org as soon as possible.
CONFERENCE DATES
Wednesday, November 10 (5:00 - 7:00pm Evening) - PK/JA - J4 Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday, November 11 (8:30 - 3:00 Day - No Classes for Students) - PK/JA - J4 Parent Teacher Conferences
Friday, November 12 (8:30 - 3:00 Day - No Classes for Students) - PK/JA - J4 Parent Teacher Conferences
SIGN-UP PERIOD
Opens: Thursday, November 4 at 5:00pm
Closes: Monday, November 8 at 5:00pm
ACCESS TO CONFERENCE SIGN-UP
Sign-up is available only through the Veracross Portal (myunis.vc).
Without access to Veracross, you will not be able to book conference times with your children’s teachers.
If you have not yet received notifications regarding your Veracross login credentials, send an email message now to veracross@unis.org to retrieve them.
If you have received your credentials you must log in to Veracross to access the Parent Teacher Conferences sign up.
When you log on to your portal, you will be able to sign up for conference slots for each of your children.
SCHOOL WILL NOT BE IN SESSION ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 and 12
CHILDCARE AT UNIS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE DURING CONFERENCES
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD
INFORMATION: MEASURE OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS (MAP)
We are happy to report that we have completed the first of three administrations of the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test for J3 to T1. The remaining administrations will be: January 2022 and May 2022.
The purpose of MAP Growth is to compare learning growth from one point in time to another. The October testing provides us with baseline data in the absence of any MAP testing at UNIS since the Fall of 2019. When we complete the January test, we will have a second set of data points which are necessary to generate the MAP Growth Report. These reports will be shared with families at the end of January. We will share the results of the May testing session once that is completed, too.
MAP Growth reports give us an external measure to continue to monitor our student learning. It is one data point among many we collect to inform and adjust our instruction to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students.
INFORMATION: HALLOWEEN DRESS UP MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1
Halloween will be held in Junior School this year. It will take place on:
Monday, November 1 - Optional Halloween Dress Up Day
Halloween is a regular school day and dressing up is optional. While we want our students to enjoy dressing up, we also want to ensure that the day is focused on learning.
All students who choose to dress up should arrive at school fully dressed in costume. Time will not be provided for students to change into their costumes at school.
Please be sure your child will be comfortable in their costume for the full school day.
If students have PE on that day, they should have their PE clothes under their costumes.
Costumes should not insult a particular ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Costumes should be safe.
Props or costumes that simulate a weapon or promote violence are not permitted.
Students need to remember that it is a regular school day.
And, of course, students must still wear a mask aligned with our Covid-19 Protocols. A Halloween mask is not a substitute for the mask they wear on regular days for safety purposes!
PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: PA MEETING OCTOBER 20
Join us for the 2nd All-School
UNIS Parents’ Association Meeting of 2021-2022
Wednesday, October 20
7:00PM-8:30PM
Click here for Zoom meeting
Webinar ID: 985 6307 7555 Passcode: 525631
Please submit your questions in advance here for our speakers.
At our October meeting, we will be introducing the new co-presidents of the PA Queens Campus, Neil Nandkisure and Sylvie Fayolle.
We will also have a lively presentation by the following guest speakers from UNIS leadership.
Jennifer Amos, Chief Academic Officer
Sochenda Samreth, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Anthony Staccone, IB Coordinator
Amy Morris, Math Curriculum Specialist
Audra Robb, Literacy Curriculum Specialist
And thanks to the Bridge2UN PA committee, we are featuring guest speakers (who also are UNIS parents) to discuss the meaning of UN Day and provide an overview of the UN structure geared for parents not employed at the UN.
Richard Towle, Deputy Director, UNHCR NY Office
Joseph Barnes, Chief, Program Monitoring, UNICEF
Please submit questions here in advance by Monday 10/18 that we can share with our speakers.
PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: TRICK-OR-TREAT FOR UNICEF FUNDRAISER
Your 100% tax-deductible donation to UNICEF USA will help UNICEF support ACT-A, the global Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which provides vaccines, diagnostic tests, therapeutic medicine, and community engagement around the world. The 2021 fundraising campaign runs from October 1, 2021 through November 14, 2021.
UNIS families can make their donation by visiting this link.
BIT OF NEWS: COAT & BOOT DRIVE FOR REFUGEES (STAR CLUB)
STAR (Serving, Teaching and Assisting Refugees) Club: COAT AND BOOT DRIVE
The STAR Project is once again partnering with Hearts and Homes for Refugees to host a Coat and Boot Drive in support of newly arrived refugees in our community!
When: Oct. 19, 20, 21 from 7:45am to 8:15am
Where: Drop Off Bins will be placed at the UNIS gate in front of the school
What: Winter Coats and Boots in excellent donation condition for ALL AGES and SIZES. Please DON’T bring coats or boots that are dirty, torn, or otherwise in poor condition.
Thank you in advance for helping with the resettlement process of our most recently arrived neighbors.
REMINDER: OPT IN FOR MARKING PERIOD #2 REMOTE LEARNING
Deadline: Tuesday, October 19
To opt into the remote learning model for marking period #2, from November 1 - January 21 (returning to campus on Monday, January 24), please respond to this survey by Tuesday, October 19.
Please note, students may not transition between remote and in person learning during a marking period. At the end of each marking period families may choose to continue with remote learning, or choose to have their child return to in class instruction.
*This form is mandatory to opt in for remote learning for the 2nd marking period, despite your child's current learning model*
By not opting for remote learning by October 19, your child(ren) will be expected on campus on November 1.
REMINDERS: WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK / LEARNING MODEL CONSISTENCY
When Your Child is Sick
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, parents should not request to join classes remotely. We hope that time will be taken for your child to rest and recover as the school believes that children recover more quickly when they are permitted to disconnect and rest.
Learning Model Consistency
The expectation is that Junior School students attend school consistently, through the end of this marking period, in accordance with the learning model the family has opted for at this time (either fully in person or fully remote). Inconsistent in person attendance is disruptive for the class as a whole and for the individual student. The school believes that a consistent schedule reinforces learning and appropriate classroom behavior, and reduces anxiety.
Dismissal for Parents and Guardians
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. 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.
REMINDERS: COVID PROTOCOLS (UPDATED 9/21)
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. JS students are expected to arrive no later than 8:20 and the front gates should be closing no later than 8:30. Please ensure that you arrive at the time assigned for your child's grade.
3. Masks: Be sure you have packed 2 or 3 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 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. Days with Appointments or Travel:
Because parents and caregivers are not permitted inside the school gate, a request for either late arrival or early dismissal for a JS student requires that school personnel leave their work in order to escort your child.
Please support the school by arranging appointments and travel outside of school hours.
Of course, if your child falls ill during the school day, the nurse's office will coordinate an early pick plan with families.
5. Returning to Campus After Illness:
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping the community safe!
Please use the guidance shared by our Nursing Staff in this newsletter in coordination with your physician to address any illness.
For health related questions please email: schoolnurse@unis.org and mrivera@unis.org
6. 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.
7. 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 regularly on campus.
Thank you for your support.
REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS
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 and fzammarano@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 work hard to address the glitches we face. 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
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.
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 your child has 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.
School Dismissal Manager (SDM) is the sole method of communicating dismissal plans to UNIS JS.
JS Parents are asked to use School Dismissal Manager (SDM) to keep the dismissal process safe and orderly for all of our JS students. Emails, notes or verbal instructions to inform the homeroom teacher and the JS Office (except after 1 pm, see below) of dismissal plans are not accepted.
Parents have been issued a username and temporary password by email. Please use these to log in to SDM and set up your JS child's account. If you cannot locate the email sent to you by SDM, contact jsoffice@unis.org to have your login info re-sent to you.
Parents are first required to set their “Default Dismissal” for the remainder of the school year.
Parents can set “Recurring Exceptions” if needed.
Parents can set any “Exception” to the default dismissal if needed.
Parents are required to check every week to confirm that the information provided on SDM is accurate for the week ahead.
The cut-off to add a one-time “Exception” to any day’s dismissal is 1:00 pm. If a change in your plans occurs after 1:00 pm on any day, you may phone the JS Office up until 2:30 pm. But the expectation is that all changes will be made by parents directly in SDM before 1:00 pm.
After 2:30 pm the School cannot guarantee that dismissal changes will be relayed to all relevant departments in time for your child's dismissal.
Parents are encouraged to download the SDM Apps for Apple and Android and update their child's dismissal instructions with a click or two from their phone.
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:
Going to Veracross
Clicking on Household Information
Updating Household Profile -> Contacts.
If you need support in order to make your updates, please email veracross@unis.org