Dear parents,

On Monday, November 20, 2017, our Newsletter was dedicated to the question of Technology in Education, on teaching and parenting perspectives. We wrote that as "we become what we behold, we shape our tools and then our tools shape us" (1), we need to help our students understand how technology impacts their lives, how this technology is shaping them, and how we can empower them to build a better world where technologies are not designed “to extract attention from people which erodes society”, but support “a totally different digital environment designed to replenish and renew societies while protecting our minds through totally humane design” (2).

This Newsletter was an opportunity to have educators share their expertise on using technology in education. Two parents, with radical different views on the use of technology at home, shared their perspectives and demonstrated (if necessary) that not all of us grant technology the same space in the lives of our children.

After the spring break, in collaboration with the Parents Association, we plan to bring parents together to discuss the impact of technology on our children, the different perspectives and expectations we have on its usage, and what strategies parents are developing to design an environment at home that allows them to align the relationship between their children and technology with their perspectives and expectations:

I am looking forward to sharing our questions, doubts, solutions, expertise, with all of you for a unique and interactive webinar on the topic of Technology in the life of our children. Stay tuned!

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

(1) While this quote is often attributed to Canadian professor, philosopher, and public intellectual Marshall McLuhan in 1966, it seems that the real author would be Father John Culkin, SJ, a Professor of Communication at Fordham University in New York and a friend of the Canadian intellectual,  in The Saturday Review on 18 March 1967.

(2) Center for Humane Technology (CHT), an organization dedicated to radically reimagining our digital infrastructure with the mission to drive a comprehensive shift toward humane technology that supports our well-being, democracy, and shared information environment.

• Tuesday, February 1 | Black History Month Begins

• Tuesday, February 1 | Wear RED to celebrate Lunar New Year & the Year of the Tiger

• Wednesday, February 2 & Thursday, February 3 | MAP Test Make Up Dates

• Friday, February 4 | Deadline to Request Semester 1 Report Card Corrections

REMINDER:

Arrive no later then 8:20 and

Update School Dismissal Manager (SDM)

with your child's dismissal instructions for SEMESTER 2 Athletics, After School, Language, Care Program & Bus

• • Monday, February 7 | Semester 2 After School Activities Begin  (update School Dismissal Manager "SDM" with your child's new activity schedule)

  • Thursday, February 10 | Webinar hosted by DEI: Civil Rights Attorney/Activist Nekima Levy Armstrong at 7:00pm (save the date)

  • Wednesday, February 16 | PA Meeting with MLD 7:00pm | LINK 

  • February 21 - February 25 | February Break - No Classes

  • March 23 - March 25 | Student Led Conferences (no classes on Thursday & Friday)

  • Friday, March 25 | Remote Marking Period #3 Ends

  • March 28 - April 8 | Spring Break - No Classes

  • Monday, April 11 | Classes Resume

Semester 1 Report Cards for Junior School students were published on Friday, January 28 on the Veracross Parent Portal. If you haven't already, we encourage you to review this report card with your child to celebrate his/her achievements during this past semester and engage in conversation about their potential growth.

Friday, February 4 is the deadline to request a correction in a specific JS teacher’s report. Please contact the teacher directly by email no later than the 4th.

If you do not have access to the Veracross portal and need instructions or support, please contact veracross@unis.org to get information.

As has been shared in this Newsletter, and our JS Guidelines, students with medical and other appointments during school hours are asked not to attend classes that day, either in person or remotely. Although the school fully understands and excuses absences for medical or other reasons, the Junior School cannot offer flexibility in the schedules and duties of our faculty and staff to escort students to or from the gate during school hours. All of the school's personnel are fully dedicated to the routines of our division, and our students, and follow a full daily schedule. In addition, leaving early or arriving late disrupts the flow of learning in the classroom and affects the entire class.

Note that, as the school's leadership has shared in previous correspondence, the school provides the option of remote learning to only those students in quarantine or for exceptional medical reasons. If it is necessary for your child to attend an appointment during school hours, the expectation is that they are absent for that full day.

Your child's teacher will support them with catching up when they return. Thank you for your understanding and for supporting the school protocols.

Our next monthly PA meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 16 at 7pm featuring a spotlight on the Modern Languages Department with its director, Paco Barba-Morán. 

Please join us for exciting updates about languages at UNIS.  

UNIS February 16, 2022 

PA meeting 7pm-8:30pm

Webinar ID: 996 1040 6224 

Passcode: 954461

UNIS PA DEI Committee

Dear Families,

We hope you and your children are safe and well.

The UNIS PA DEI Committee would like your support in getting better data on how issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are being experienced by you and your children.  Please see more info below and please fill out our 2021-22 UNIS PA DEI Survey by the end of next week (February 4, 2022).

Purpose

The UNIS Parent Association’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee was formed to support the fundamental UNIS principle that acknowledging, understanding, respecting and accepting diverse beliefs, ethnicities, cultures, and lifestyles are critical underpinnings of a successful education. It aims to support the administration in its ongoing DEI work and also to add value by offering supportive programmes, creating safe spaces where students and families can discuss challenges, and providing timely information and feedback on UNIS’s commitment commitment to implementing anti-discrimination policies, and the ideals embedded in the UN Charter, including the dignity and worth of every human being.

To that end, the Committee feels it is crucial to find out how families feel at present about the school when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. By finding out what families are thinking, feeling and experiencing and any specific DEI challenges which they have encountered or are encountering, we will help foster meaningful dialogue, provide recommendations, monitor progress and create lasting change. The survey will focus on the following main areas:

• Curriculum

• Diversity of students, teachers, and staff

• Sense of welcoming and inclusion

• Challenges faced 

• Suggestions for diversity, equity, and inclusion

To help you to fill out the survey accurately, we have included some background information below…

Diversity is all the ways in which people differ. It is the representation of all our varied identities and differences (race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, language, religion, tribe, socio-economic status, etc.), collectively and as individuals.

Equity is a state in which all people in a given society, institution, or community receive what they need to be successful. This definition focuses on fairness, justice and outcomes, not just inputs, recognizing that different individuals have different access, challenges, needs, and histories.

Inclusion is about building a culture of belonging. Actively ensuring that a variety of people are contributing and participating in a community. Authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decision/policy making in a way that shares power.

Who do we want to reach? All UNIS families, or at least a representative sample large enough to draw conclusions.

Relevant external trends: The Black Lives Matter Movement has spurred a national conversation on race and in fact has forced institutions around the world to re-examine systemic racism as well as bigotry and intolerance based on identity, such as gender, sexual identity, religion, etc. UNIS has been drawn into this discussion – rightly so ­– and forced to reckon with its past as well as plan for the future. Working to solve these challenges is not only the right thing to do, but will also ensure that families stay at UNIS and that the school can continue to attract families in the future.

 What will we do with the results? We aim to collect quantitative and qualitative data that we can share with the UNIS administration to help inform their work on DEI resource allocation and initiatives. Names of survey respondents will be kept confidential. We will also use the information to help the committee introduce programmes and initiatives for both those families who are experiencing discrimination and those who want to become allies in the effort to make UNIS a more safe, warm and welcoming school to for all.

Thank you,

Cynthia Muffuh & Lamson Lam

UNIS Parent Association DEI Committee Co Chairs

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mrP82WjynHAcOx2pDYQuwbQSRJbfQ7FyrNLcqgr9Z_g/edit?ts=6181fc54

Reminder: UNIS Arts Festival: Call for Parent Photography!

This year UNIS will be mounting a school wide Arts Festival May 16th-20th and the UNIS PA Arts Committee will be curating a parents photography exhibition as part of it! Using the 17 SDG Goals as inspiration, and perhaps as you travel for the holidays during this or one of the other breaks, take a moment to share through photography what these goals mean to you or your family. Please email your submission to tali.harel@pa.unis.org by May 1, 2022.

Call for volunteers! If you are interested in helping us collect and manage submissions, including creating a slideshow, please email amanda.dubois@pa.unis.org as we would love to have your help!

FUNDING BRIGHT FUTURES

Hi, JS Parents! 

My name is Nicolas Corona and I am a T4 at UNIS. I, along with my brother Matias Corona (T3), currently lead Funding Bright Futures (FBF): a non-profit organization based in New York City working to raise funds for scholarships for underprivileged children around the globe. FBF raises money by providing a variety of student-led athletic/creative classes—soccer, basketball, LEGO, and Minecraft— as well as academic tutoring services— Math, English, French, Humanities, Percussion, and Spanish Tutoring— to children from the ages 7-14. FBF charges 10$ for group classes (1 hour) and 20$ for private classes (1 hour). FBF is proud to say that 100% of the money made from the organization’s classes (since FBF’s start in 2016) has gone to our partners in India—Vicharta Samuday Samarthan Manch and Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha— and has directly funded the education of over 750 disadvantaged Indian children. 

If you are interested in supporting FBF’s mission by enrolling your JS child/children in an engaging or educational weekly class taught by experienced high school coaches and tutors, please click this link . Don’t see a class that interests you listed in the Google form or in the message above? FBF welcomes your feedback (on the form linked in the previous sentence) and is more than willing to find a tutor for a class that meets you and your child’s needs. FBF also appreciates direct donations to our cause, which can be made through this link . 

If you have any other questions about us, feel free to visit our website fundingbrightfutures.org  or email fundingbrightfutures@gmail.com. 

STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT REGISTRATION

In keeping in line with COVID restrictions, the UNIS Performing and Visual Arts Department has developed a creative alternative to the traditional JS musical. This year we are proud to announce the Junior School arts initiative, "Step into the Spotlight"! In this series of dancing, singing, and acting workshops, J3 and J4 students will have the opportunity to develop the confidence and skills needed to perform on stage. This after-school program is the perfect place for all future Broadway stars to "step into the spotlight" and shine!

“Step into the Spotlight” is for J3 and J4 students, and will take place from 3 p.m.- 5 p.m. on Tuesdays-Thursdays. Classes will begin on April 12th and run through June 2nd. The cost for the program is $650. There will be a livestream showcase for parents in June.

This program is a three day commitment. Please realize that these classes take place at the exact same time as classes being offered in the after school, sports, or private lesson program. It will not be possible to be enrolled in both if the days coincide. Due to Covid restrictions, we are only able to enroll twenty-four J3 students and twenty-four J4 students.

Registration is now open for Step into the Spotlight. Students will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in registering for this program, please complete this Google Form. Once completed, the form will send you a copy of your responses. Please keep this for your records. 

Please note: submission of this form DOES NOT guarantee a seat in Step into the Spotlight. The Performing and Visual Arts Department will contact you directly regarding your registration status.

From the Office of Student Activities

Junior United Nations of Calligraphy (JUNOC) and Cadenza Clubs Welcoming the Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year is almost here! Please join us in celebrating the Year of the Tiger in the lobby on Tuesday morning (February 1st) from 7.45-8.30 am, where there will be music performances and candy being distributed to all members of the UNIS community. We also encourage you to wear something  RED on this day, as it symbolizes good luck and prosperity for the year to come! 

• JUNOC will distribute small, individually packaged, candy to people entering the lobby and present a calligraphy video tutorial on how to write Chinese characters significant to Lunar New Year. 

• Cadenza will perform a short 20-minute performance in the lobby/ cafe area from 7:55-8:15 am 

We hope that this event will give the UNIS community a small taste of the unique culture surrounding the Lunar New Year (which is observed in various places in the world)  through music, decoration, calligraphy, education, and more… Happy Lunar New Year !

UNIS T4 Student Eva Lifsec Works as a Resource Navigator

Eva Lifsec volunteers for the New Neighbors Partnership (NNP) as a resource navigator, translating and helping newly arrived families connect to local opportunities. In the second year working with NNP- check out this article featuring NNP and how one of their 'Initiatives Matches Refugee Families to New Neighbors: 'A Friendly Connection Can Make All the Difference' | Parents Magazine. Read the article.

As you were informed in Dr. Brenner's January 4 email update, and following the CDC and DOH guidelines for schools in NYC, new COVID-19 protocols for UNIS have been put in place. In this newsletter you will find a flow chart to help you navigate these new rules. You may also view the  town hall meeting   held by Dr. Brenner on January 5, during which many parent questions were answered.

As a reminder, these are the criteria for being eligible for remote learning:

1. Students who are signed up for the current marking period

2. Students who are on a state-mandated quarantine following a positive test (minimum 5 days)

3. Students with extended documented illness lasting more than 5 days

Note that students with short-term illness (non Covid related) are expected to stay home (see flowchart) but are not eligible for remote learning.

We invite parents to confirm that their child's masks fit properly. N95 or K94 masks that fit children are available. Surgical masks that are properly fitted for children are also acceptable. However, cloth masks, especially those that are not properly fitted, do not protect your child and others against Covid-19.

Additionally, families are reminded that Covid-19 social distancing and mask rules should NOT stop at the gates of the school: children should protect themselves and the community by continuing to wear their face mask properly, even outside of the school gates and on the way home.

Students who are returning to campus from positive quarantine are expected to eat by themselves (6 feet or more from others) during the first five days back at school.

Students who have been remote and intend to return in person on January 24 will be expected to have a negative PCR test before starting in-person instruction. Email your test result to covid@unis.org.

• In full consultation with our medical experts at Mount Sinai Hospital, UNIS has instituted a vaccine mandate for students ages 5 and up. This COVID mandate began on January 24, 2022.

• All students must present evidence of their first vaccination by January 24 in order to continue to attend in-person instruction at UNIS.

• The second vaccine must be completed no later than February 28.

• Students who are not in compliance will not be allowed on campus.

• Your child’s vaccination should be uploaded into Magnus Health through the Veracross parent portal. Here is a step-by-step guide to assist you in this process.

Mask use is required at all times for any community member who is on either UNIS campus.

How to wear a mask?

They should fit securely, covering the nose and mouth completely without causing discomfort and creating a tight seal at the edges with no gaps. It should fit snugly along the sides of the face and can be held on with ear loops or ties.

What type of masks are best?

Medical experts are finding that Omicron is highly transmissible and spreads quickly. Upgrading your masks from the simple cloth masks is a good idea to help protect you and your family from COVID19. Everyone (children included) should upgrade from reusable fabric masks to medical-grade masks and even consider double masking. KN95, KF94, 3-ply surgical masks are the masks medical experts are now recommending as the pandemic continues.

What are KN94 masks?

“KF” in KF94 stands for “Korean filter,” and the “94” indicates a 94 percent filtration efficacy. “It is the South Korean equivalent to the N95 mask.

Where can we purchase upgraded masks?

As always, it is best to do your own research and work with your private physicians to find the best options for you and your family. Here are some keywords that can help you search for masks: Kimberly-Clark Child's Face Masks, KF94, KN95, KF94 children's mask

Where can we find more information?

As always, your pediatrician is your primary and best source of information for all health related matters.

Here are some links with helpful information:

• healthychildren.org

• aap.org

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. If it is necessary for your child to attend an appointment during school hours, the expectation is that they are absent for that full day. 

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.