Newsletter #10

Dear parents,

With the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks ahead of us, some of you have reached out for clarification concerning the quarantine protocol for our Junior School students in light of vaccination now being available to 93% of our Junior School students.

• If my child has received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, does he/she need to quarantine after the Thanksgiving break if we travel internationally? Yes, a student is considered vaccinated 2 weeks after the second vaccine shot is administered.

• During Winter Break we will travel internationally. Can my child receive instruction remotely during the first week after the break while quarantining? Yes, during the week following the Winter Break (January 3 -7), all families will have the option to have their child learn remotely. If you would like your child to learn remotely during that week, kindly fill out our Remote Learning Form for Jan 3-7 (due by December 15). All other students will be able to attend their classes on-site as normal. Teachers will be teaching using the Polys, similarly to last year, during that first week of January.

• If my child is fully vaccinated, will they need to quarantine after the Winter Break if we travel internationally? No, as of today, travelers coming back to the US after international travel do not need to quarantine if fully vaccinated (and tested negative).

• If my child is in direct contact of someone who tested positive, but is fully vaccinated, do they need to quarantine? No, a person who is fully vaccinated does not need to quarantine if they were in direct contact with someone who tested positive.

• I would like my child to be vaccinated, what should I do?  The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now authorized for children ages 5 to 11 years. The best way to protect your child at school, around friends, and at home is to get them vaccinated as soon as you can. Vaccinations are now available at any of NYC hospitals. Parents can make appointments using the COVID-19 Vaccine Scheduler. Limited walk-Ins are also available. Patients who visit the Gotham Health sites will be directed to the closest NYC Health + Hospitals location. For more information, visit NYC COVID-19 Vaccine webpage.

Over the past few days, many of you shared photos of your children after they were vaccinated. It's been a relief for many families to be able to provide a level of protection for their children that was previously unavailable to those under 12 years old. While 71.9% of the population in Vermont has been vaccinated, 67.5% has been in the State of New York, 68% in New York City, 83% in Manhattan, and 92% of Adults living in Manhattan. It feels fair that now that 93% of our Junior School students can be vaccinated. 19 students in PreK and JA will be eligible for vaccinatation within the next 6 months, and 9 students will need to wait between 10 months to 1 year.

Parents can find a lot of literature online concerning vaccination.  You will find a few links below: the first offers a list of locations for childrens' vaccination. The second one is the official page on the CDC website concerning vaccination for children and teenagers. The following are some current publications concerning the effectiveness of the vaccination, publications listed by the CDC.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

More resources: 

• Children Immunization Locations

• COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens

• Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines in Ambulatory and Inpatient Care Settings I New England Journal of Medicine

• Effectiveness of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine among U.S. Health Care Personnel

• Effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines among Healthcare Personnel — Interim Estimates – 33 U.S. sites, January – March 2021

• Effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines Against COVID-19 Among Hospitalized Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, January–March 2021

• Interim Estimates of Vaccine Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 Vaccines in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Health Care Personnel, First Responders, and Other Essential and Frontline Workers — Eight U.S. Locations, December 2020–March 2021

• Effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Among Residents of Two Skilled Nursing Facilities Experiencing COVID-19 Outbreaks — Connecticut, December 2020–February 2021

REMINDER

 JS students are expected to arrive at the gate no later than 8:20

Arrival after 8:20 is considered late & interrupts the start of the school day

• November 15 - November 19 | UNIS City Harvest and Toiletries Drive (details in this newsletter)

• Monday, November 15 at 9:00am| Deadline: Picture Day Retake with Stomping Ground Request Form Due (details in this newsletter) FORM 

• Monday, November 15| Deadline to Submit Sibling Admission Applications for 2022-23 (contact admissions@unis.org with questions)

• Wednesday, November 17 | PA Meeting "Arts & Athletics"  7:00 - 8:30pm | LINK  | Webinar ID 969 2526 7205  | Passcode 393725

• Thursday, November 18 | Picture Day Make-Up with Stomping Ground (details in this newsletter)

REMINDER

Update School Dismissal Manager (SDM)

with instructions for Athletics, After School, Care & Bus

• • November 24 - November 26 | Thanksgiving Break - School Closed

  • Thursday, December 9 | PA Meeting In Person with Guided Tours and DEI Director Dr. King-Calnek | 6:30pm

  • Wednesday, December 15 | Deadline to Opt for Remote Learning January 3 - 7 | Remote Learning Request Form 

  • December 20 - December 31 | Winter Break - No Classes for Students

  • Monday, January 3 | Classes Resume

  • January 3 - January 7 | Hybrid Model of Learning Option (Request Deadline: Dec 15)

  • Monday, January 17 | School Closed (MLK Day)

  • February 21 - February 25 | February Break - School Closed

Reminder from Dr. Brenner: UNIS will offer a hybrid model of learning from January 3 through January 7 only (the week after Winter Break). Families can opt either to have their children attend classes on campus, or to log in remotely for that full week. All requests for remote will be accommodated. 

If you will travel internationally over Winter Break, your child can receive instruction remotely from January 3 - 7 while in quarantine. Any student whose family has not opted in for remote learning by submitting the request form by December 15 will be expected on campus on January 3. Teachers will be teaching using the Polys, similarly to last year, during that first week of January.

To opt in for fully remote learning from January 3 through January 7 only,

the school requires submission of this Remote Learning Request Form  no later than Wednesday, December 15 

so that we can plan accordingly. 

Photo Retake Day will be Thursday, November 18 

for any students who either missed photo day or would like a retake. 

If you would like your child to retake their photo, you must fill out the following form.

Responses must be submitted by Monday, November 15 at 9:00 am.

If your child was absent on photo day, the school will be helping non-photographed students make up their photos on November 18 and no form needs to be filled out.

For further details regarding photos, ordering and other helpful information, please reference our school photo website: https://iloveschoolpictures.com/UNIS

UNIS City Harvest and Toiletries Drive:  15th -19th November, 2021

We would appreciate the support of the UNIS community to help make a meaningful difference in the lives of our fellow New Yorkers - there are over a million New Yorkers who are struggling to feed themselves currently.

How can we help: By donating food items and toiletries

What to donate: Canned veggies and fruit, Canned Meats, Fish & beans, boxed pasta items, hot and cold cereal, rice, grains, pasta sauce and peanut butter in plastic jars.

NO EXPIRED FOOD OR GLASS JARS

Toiletries Collection:

Additionally, we are also collecting toiletries  for a Homeless Outreach program in NYC. The toiletries we collect will be made into gift bags by TH volunteers.

The following items are greatly needed: shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. Small sizes from your last hotel stay are perfect.

When: 15-19 November, 2021

Where: Please drop them in the donation bins, which will be located right outside the school’s main gate.

How many: Between 10-15 food items per kid

Co-Chairs:

Abhilasha Mahan (Abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org)

Giulia Celli (Giulia.Celli@pa.unis.org)

Melissa Chow (Melissa.Chow@pa.unis.org)

Virtual Fundraising for City Harvest by UNIS Community: November 15 - January 17

In these times of the pandemic, with restricted access to the school, we understand that physical donations may not be possible for everyone. We have also created a Virtual Fundraising Drive - we would love for our UNIS community to come together and support this cause. Whatever your age you can use your talents to raise awareness and funds--ask your family and friends to sponsor your push-ups, jumping jacks, playing a musical instrument, running a mile, singing, dancing, creating art and help feed our fellow New Yorkers. So, make your team using the instructions below, and let's get going!

Every $1 donated helps City Harvest feed two New Yorkers for a day. Together, we can make a difference one day, one meal, one New Yorker at a time. Thank you for your compassion, generosity, and support the UNIS City Harvest Drive!

Here is the link to the virtual Drive: http://secure.cityharvest.org/goto/unis

Questions? 

Please contact the PA Social Responsibility Committee Co-chairs:

·        Abhilasha Mahan (Abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org)

·        Giulia Celli (Giulia.Celli@pa.unis.org)

·        Melissa Chow (Melissa.Chow@pa.unis.org)

Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF Fundraiser: 

Help UNICEF deliver COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostic tests, therapeutic medicine, and community engagement around the world. The 2021 fundraising campaign runs through November 14, 2021. Families can make a donation by visiting this link. Our goal is $2,000 and we're halfway there. Please donate today! 

"Arts and Athletics at UNIS"

Tune into 3rd All-School

UNIS Parents’ Association Meeting of 2021-2022

Wednesday, November 17

7:00PM-8:30PM

 LINK  | Webinar ID  | Passcode 393725

Please submit your questions in advance here for our speakers.

At our November meeting, we are hosting the following guest speakers from UNIS leadership.

·        Kim Bruno, Director of Arts

·        Daniel O'Connor, Director of Athletics

Promote UNIS parent-owned businesses at UNISPA Marketplace

Are you a UNIS parent/relative/alum and a small business owner of a restaurant, goods or services? Do you have current student-led enterprises that you'd like other families to know about? Then advertise for free in the UNIS marketplace found at https://www.unis.org/school-life/parents-association/marketplace. Submit your business description, website and image on this form to advertise your company. Work opportunities you or your child may be seeking, like child-sitting or tutoring, are welcomed. 

New2UNIS  

All parents - whether you are new to UNIS or not - are welcomed to all events!

·        11/16 Lunch: Next week, New2UNIS heads to New York's oldest and most historic restaurant for our annual Thanksgiving Lunch. A favoured watering hole for many of America's Founding Fathers including George Washington, Fraunces Tavern is also home to a small museum dedicated to this nation's revolutionary past. Join us for a sumptuous lunch and a tour on November 16th. 

·        11/30 Evening Book Club: After Thanksgiving break join the New2UNIS book club at the East Village's part bookstore, part wine bar haunt - The Book Club Bar.  Join us as we discuss 'Evvie Drake starts over' over wine and handcrafted drinks on the evening of November 30th. 

·        RSVP through the New2UNIS evites. Send us an email at new2unis@unis.org to get on our mailing list for these and more upcoming events. Follow on Instagram too!

Next PA meeting will be in person on Thursday, December 9, 2021 at 6:30pm

Guided tours of the Manhattan school campus and light refreshments will be available to meeting attendees. Our special guest that evening will be Dr. Judith King-Calnek, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Have a question or suggestion for the PA? Email us at unispa@unis.org.

Recordings of Past PA meetings

·        September 20, 2021. Password: UNISPA

·        October 20, 2021

JS Parent Coffee November 8 

For those of you not able to join us last Monday, November 8, for the JS Parent Coffee you can find the recording here

JS Parent Coffee 11/8/21 

The J2 team and four specialist teachers dressed up as the IB Learner Profile Superheroes for Halloween. Their superhero powers included being caring (Ms. Martin), balanced (Ms. Dohna) a risk taker (Ms. Turner), a communicator (Srta Tapia), an inquirer (Ms. Watson), a thinker (Ms. Mercurio), knowledgeable (Ms. Urieli), open-minded (Ms. Zammarano), reflective (Ms. Chu), and principled (Ms. Skinner).These superhero powers are needed to help us be our best selves at UNIS and also when we practice following our sustainable development goals in order to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Rose Fico

JS Sustainability Coordinator

UN CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY CONCERT FOR VILLAGE HEALTH WORKS ON NOV 17TH

Where: THE WEILL RECITAL HALL AT CARNEGIE HALL

When: Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at 8:00 pm EST 

What: Village Health Works is proud to present a benefit concert with the UN Chamber Music Society. Working in Burundi, East Africa, Village Health Work’s newest project in progress is the Kigutu Hospital & Women’s Health Pavilion, a state-of-the-art, 150-bed teaching hospital designed to meet the growing needs of our region, particularly among women and children. 

One UNIS alum, Hana Mundiya, is performing.

For more information about the program, please click here. 

Click for the flyer.

Labeling Clothing

With students wearing extra layers of clothing now, it's time for families to be sure that all coats, jackets, sweaters, scarves, hats, etc. are clearly labeled with your child's last name and homeroom. Our faculty and staff do their best to return misplaced items to their owners, but clear labeling is needed to do that.

In the Classroom

As a health measure, fresh air is regularly circulated into the school building. Now that the weather is cooling, classrooms may feel colder than they did in the past, despite heat circulating as well. Please be sure your child has the warm clothes they will need for days when the temperature drops. We encourage all students to have an extra sweatshirt to keep in their cubby, labeled with their last name and homeroom.

Outdoor Activity & Recess Policy During Cold Weather

As winter approaches, please be sure your child is dressed for outdoor play every day, with a warm coat, sweatshirt, gloves and hat as needed.

UNIS JS follows the Dept of Health guidelines for outdoor play: "New York City Department of Health Guidelines regarding outdoor play in cold weather policy states “Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. Unless it is snowing or there is ice on the playground low temperatures should not be a barrier to outside play, as long as children are appropriately dressed. The City’s Health Department strongly encourages principals to maintain outdoor play periods on the vast majority of winter days.”

Recommendations are as follows: If the wind chill factor is above 20 degrees, it is safe to play outside. If the wind chill factor is 0-20, outside play is advised provided that students are appropriately dressed and under observation to make sure that they are wearing their coats, hats and gloves." 

From:  New York City Department of Education and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

PROCESS FOR QUARANTINE, CONTACT TRACING & RETURN TO SCHOOL

The Junior School Office, in collaboration with the Nurse's Office and Security Team, has set in place a process for contact tracing in the event of a positive case and for informing the family:

1. Parents are asked to inform the Nurse's Office schoolnurse@unis.org and the Junior School Office jsattendance@unis.org in the event that their child tests positive for COVID or is a contact of a positive case.

2. The Nurse's Office and the Director of Security, in collaboration with the Junior School, identify the students who may need to quarantine

3. The Nurse's Office and the Director of Security call the parents of any students who need to quarantine and give any information related to the quarantine over the phone.

4. The Principal sends an email containing important information about the quarantine (reiterating the phone call) and all the information needed to connect remotely to the student's class. However, students who are not feeling well are expected to rest and not to connect remotely to their class until they feel better.

5. The Junior School Office informs the student's teachers so they can be ready to connect the student(s) remotely during their quarantine.

6. The Parents send their child's PCR test results by email to jsattendance@unis.org with a copy to schoolnurse@unis.org. The Junior School Office will collect test results submitted by families.

7. The Principal sends an email acknowledging receipt of the negative test to the family with the updated return to campus date.

8. The Junior School Office informs teachers of student return dates.

PROCESS FOR STUDENT ILLNESS AND RETURN TO SCHOOL

The Junior School Office, in collaboration with the Nurse's Office and Security Team, has set in place a process for clearing students to return to campus after an absence due to illness.

1. Parents are asked to inform the Junior School Office at jsattendance@unis.org if their child is sick.

2. The Junior School Office sends an email containing important information about the protocol in order for the student to return to campus.

3. When the student feels better and has tested negative for COVID, the parents send the rapid test results by email to jsattendance@unis.org with a copy to the schoolnurse@unis.org. The Junior School Office will collect test results submitted by families.

4. The Principal sends an email acknowledging receipt of the negative test result to the family.

5. The Junior School Office informs the student's teachers that the rapid test result has been received.

6. With a rapid test negative result, and without any symptoms, the students is welcome back on campus.

STUDENTS WHO MAY CONNECT TO CLASS REMOTELY

Following Dr. Brenner's direction, access to fully remote learning is an option offered only to students from PK to T4 who have opted in for fully remote for a full marking period, or those who need to quarantine due to direct contact with a positive case, or in the case of a student who tested positive and is asymptomatic. Online learning may also be offered in exceptional or medical circumstances. 

Students who have returned from an international trip and are required to quarantine due to travel, do not have access to fully remote learning. Thank you for your understanding. 

For families with a JS child connecting remotely to class while under quarantine, a daily Academic Tech Support session has been scheduled.

Junior School Remote Student Live Support for ACADEMIC TECH

Monday - Friday from 8:20 - 8:40am

Join Zoom Meeting

https://unis.zoom.us/j/9673245905

Meeting ID: 967 324 5905 

Francesca Zammarano & Javier Alvez, JS Design Engineering Teachers, and/or a member of the JS office, will be available for the support or guidance that you and your child may need regarding connecting to the JS academic technology learning tools such as Seesaw, Dreambox, etc. 

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. 

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.

• • 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 

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.