Dear parents,

In 2016 the Oscars made a bold attempt to fix one of its longest-standing problems: the winner's "thank you" list. They offered the nominees a chance to list everyone they wanted to thank in advance of the ceremony. The winners’ lists began running in a ticker on the bottom of the screen as the winners were making their way to the stage. The main idea was first to give the winners more of an opportunity to say the things that really mattered to them, ensuring that they wouldn’t be cut off just as they were getting to the real meat of their speeches, but more importantly, for the winners at least, it was designed to keep them from worrying about forgetting to name anyone. 

Even though I have always cherished the dream of becoming a comedian, I am not here to discuss the Oscars any further. But I do feel a bit like Jean Dujardin, the first French actor to win Best Actor in 2011 and his "thank you" list: trying to select 11 extraordinary women who changed the face of the world, I know that I will forget so many more who should be honored in this Newsletter celebrating Women's History Month.

I could nominate for celebration Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928), a British politician and pioneer in the fight for women's rights who created the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), the social and political union of women. Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) a British molecular biologist participated in the discovery of the DNA structure. Or Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) a remarkable French philosopher and feminist of the women's liberation movement in the 1970s, author of the famous book "The Second Sex". Wangari Maathai (1940-2011) a political and environmental activist from Kenya, and the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, in honor of her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace. Marie Curie (1867-1934), an exceptional woman who received two Nobel Prizes for science. Malala Yousafzai (born in 1997) a Pakistani activist awarded, at 18 years old, the Nobel Peace Prize, making her the youngest winner of this prestigious award. At 11, she was already taking a stand on access to education for young girls, despite the threat of the Taliban in her country. Or Kathrine Switzer (born in 1947), the first American woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967, 5 years before women were officially allowed in the competition, while Jock Semple, one of the organizers of the marathon, tried to prevent her from running, without success. Rosa Parks (1913-2005), a major figure in the fight against racial segregation, known as “the mother of the civil rights movement”. It was on December 1, 1955, that Rosa Parks made history in the United States by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a bus. Simone Segouin (born in 1925), who in 1944 at age 19 joined the Resistance during the Second World War. Now 90 years old, Simone Segouin says: “If I had to do it over again, I would do it again because I have no regrets… No, I have no regrets". Margaret Hamilton (born 1938) could be added to this list. This American computer scientist and mathematician was in charge of the guidance software that made it possible to go to the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. 

You may have noticed that I shared 10 names and not 11 as initially planned. It is simply because I would like to dedicate this Newsletter to the last woman on my list. She has a name I do not know, and probably never will. It's unlikely that her name will ever be written in a history book, but her dramatic story will. This woman is a Ukrainian mother.

On February 25, 2022, when Bernadett Szabo (REUTERS) captured this moment, this woman, number 11 on my list, was not walking her daughter to school. She was walking to flee from Ukraine to Hungary, hoping to find shelter in Beregsurany, and safety for her child. She is, as many Ukrainian women are, a true hero.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• Wednesday, March 16 | All School PA Meeting Webinar (MAP Growth) 7:00-8:30 pm   PA Meeting Link 

• Thursday, March 17 | Student-Led Conference Sign Up Opens for Parents 7:00pm (details in this newsletter)

REMINDER:

Arrive no later then 8:20 and

Update School Dismissal Manager (SDM) for Semester 2

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

• • Monday, March 21 | Student-Led Conference Sign Up Closes 7:00pm (details in this newsletter)

  • Wednesday, March 23 - Friday, March 25 | Student-Led Conferences (details in this newsletter)

- No Classes for JS Students on Thursday & Friday, March 24 and 25

- No JS Students on Campus on Thursday & Friday, March 24 and 25

• • Friday, March 25 | Remote Marking Period #3 Ends (Opt In Link for #4 in this newsletter)

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

  • Monday, April 11 | Classes Resume

  • Friday, April 15 | No Yellow Bus Service Available 

  • Wednesday, April 27 | JS Parent Coffee (save the date)

  • Friday, May 27 - Tuesday, May 31 | Memorial Day - School Closed

Remote Learning [Marking Period 4]

As we move toward the completion of the third marking period, we want to remind you of the option to select fully remote instruction for your child(ren).  

To opt into the remote learning model through the end of the school year, please respond to this survey.

Please note, students may not go back and forth between remote and in person learning.  At the end of each marking period a parent 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 4th marking period despite your child's current learning model*

REMOTE LEARNING OPT IN FORM

This Thursday, March 17, at 7:00 pm (time to be confirmed later this week), we invite all Junior School families to book their appointments for JS Student-Led Conferences! Click on the document below to learn how to book an appointment. Be aware that the booking system we will use this spring is different than the one used in the past. Our IT Department has worked hard on implementing this new system following the difficulties we encountered last fall.

REMINDER: The Student-Led Conferences for our JA to J4 students are approaching. They were implemented in the Junior School in 2016 and have been through a few iterations since then. 

Given the complexity of organizing Student-Led Conferences, and taking into consideration the constraints put on us by the pandemic, last year teams of teachers, team leaders, homeroom teachers, specialist teachers, language teachers reflected on the fundamental purpose of Student-Led Conferences and the organization that best supports their ultimate goal. This year, we will follow the same model designed last year, following the positive feedback collected from parents, teachers, and students. 

The goal of these conferences is "to celebrate the Learning Experience and Successes of the school year, in connection with the IB attitudes and attributes". To reach this goal, as in the past, parents have a fundamental role to play as the main interlocutor with our students, your children. You will find below important information to support you in understanding the goal and organization of the conferences this year. 

Note that the Pre-K conferences take place later in the term with a different and age-appropriate format. The Pre-K team, in collaboration with the Junior School Leadership and Curriculum Office, will work together on the organization, content, and date when these conferences will be held. The goal will be similar to the one we have for our other grades: celebrating learning.

The conferences will be held on Wednesday evening, March 23 (for J1, J2, J3, and J4), and during school hours on Thursday, March 24, and Friday, March 25 (for JA, J1, J2, J3, and J4). Regular JS classes will not be held on Thursday and Friday and JS students will not be on campus. Students and their guardians will connect with their teachers remotely, from home. 

Important SLC Dates for JA - J4:

• • Wednesday, March 23: from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm for J1 - J4 Student-Led Conferences (not for PK or JAs)

  • Thursday, March 24: from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm for JA - J4 Student-Led Conferences (not for PK)

  • Friday, March 25: from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm for JA - J4 Student-Led Conferences (not for PK)

Sign-Up Period 

• • Start / Open: Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 pm

  • End / Close: Monday, March 21 at 7:00 pm

Parents will make appointments with the homeroom teacher and the language teacher. Specialists will design a hands-on activity to be sent home and posted on Seesaw or Schoology for Student-Led Conferences. The teacher’s responsibility is to prepare the students to lead a presentation of the work uploaded on Seesaw. Parents will have the opportunity to share a production/reflection with their child on Seesaw. All of the proposed activities are not mandatory for families. Parents can choose the ones they want to do with their child.  This year students will need to choose at least 3 activities, and publish them on Seesaw or Schoology. Teachers will give prompt feedback on the work posted on Seesaw during conference days, being available online on Wednesday evening and from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm on Thursday and Friday.

Student benefits:

• empowers students to take responsibility for their own learning

• encourages reflection and self-evaluation

• increases self-confidence, self-esteem and motivation

• improves communication and critical thinking skills

• student ownership of celebrating the learning experience

• Opportunity to celebrate what students are most proud of

Parent benefits:

• encourages active participation in their child’s education

• provides parents the opportunity to observe their child as a learner

• increases parents’ understanding of their child’s learning experience.

• involves parents with realistic goal-setting

• allows communication in the home language

Teacher benefits:

• Keeps student wellbeing and resilience at the forefront of conversations this year

• emphasizes shared responsibility and encourages partnership approach

• more reflective of actual classroom learning experience where the teacher is "guide on the side"

• increases parent participation

Students

Before 

• Students and teachers work together on reflections and choose pieces of work which are representative of the student’s learning experience. 

• Students work with teachers to prepare for sharing zoom screens and samples of their work during conferences.

• Students reflect on their learning experiences and successes throughout the hybrid school year.

• Students reflect and report on their social and emotional lives at school.

• Students prepare for sharing their reflections and celebrations of the year. They will review with the teacher what they would like to celebrate and the pieces of work that will support their reflections.

• Students understand what good speaking skills look like and sound like. They practice with and support other students to develop these skills while using zoom.

During

• The student is the main speaker during the conference.

• Students will share their reflections and celebrations of the school year connecting them to the samples of work they chose to share with parents.

Parents

Before

• Parents and teachers reach out to each other with any issues or concerns well before conferences.

• Parents attend the Student-Led Conference Parent Coffee on Wednesday evening, led by the Principal and Assistant principal to clarify expectations and the structure of the conferences.

•  Parents read the Parent Newsletter to understand the goals and structure of the SLC.

During

• Parents must remember to let the student lead the conversation, saving questions for the students until the end.

• Parents will listen to their child’s explanations and reflections as the student presents their celebrations, reflections, and work samples.

• Parents may provide feedback, ask the child questions about his/her work and offer encouragement to their child.

• Parents may ask how they can help and what the student needs from them.

Teachers

Before

• Teachers meet with any parents when there are any issues or concerns well before conference time.

• Teachers guide students in preparing for their conferences, specifically on what they would like to celebrate and the pieces of work they are proud of and that will support their reflections.

• Teachers prepare students for sharing their work by modeling and practicing a conference.

• Teachers and students will review roles and identify criteria for success.

• Teachers will give students an opportunity to practice in class by using the zoom features and other tech resources they will need during the conferences. 

During

• The teacher welcomes the family and establishes clear guidelines: the child will lead, parents will listen, time at end for a final reflection and celebration.

• Teachers will intervene only when the student needs support to continue the conference.

• In case intervention is needed, the teacher will facilitate as needed by giving prompts and asking questions related to the work samples being shared.

• After approximately 15 minutes, the teacher will prompt the student to end their part of the conference.

• Parents and teacher will have the final 2-3 minutes to celebrate and reflect on the learning experience of the students as well as the successes and challenges of the school year.

• The teacher will help close the conference on time to keep on schedule.

CLASS LISTS 2022-2023

Our teachers will soon begin the process of creating class lists for the 2022-2023 school year.

Homeroom teachers and specialists collaborate to create balanced classes across each grade. Teachers take into account friendships and social interactions from this and previous years and take care to ensure that children are placed in a group with familiar friends and where they also have the opportunity to develop new friendships. Our school psychologist and counselors review all class groupings before they are finalized.

While we cannot honor specific requests for teachers, if you have any concerns about next year’s class placement be sure to email your child’s counselor before Friday, April 15. 

PK & JA - Dr. Dana Marnin  dmarnin@unis.org

J1 & J3 - Amy Iamundo  aiamundo@unis.org

J2 & J4 - Alyssa Frost  afrost@unis.org

An outstanding Model of Manhattan’s Landmarks is located now in the Lobby of the school. Designed by the J1 students, the model includes, the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, The U.N, Madison Square Garden, The Statue of Liberty, Washington Square Park, The Freedom Tower, Empire State Building, Radio City Hall, The Chrysler Building, Times Square, Central Park, and of course – UNIS!  This grade wide collaborative project was planned, designed and built by our very own J1 learners. 

During our Unit of Inquiry, “Where Are We on The Map?” The J1 students unpacked the big idea that we shape the local environment, and the local environment shapes who we are and how we live. It quickly became clear that this unit had many opportunities to be truly interdisciplinary. The J1 inquirers were able to make connections to many different subject areas we were learning about. A curriculum that is interdisciplinary presents content, skills and thinking processes, and assessments through exploring connections among the disciplines. Our J1 students have incorporated their knowledge of geometry (Math), Informational reading and writing (Language Arts), and map skills (Humanities- in the homerooms and in both Mother Tongue Spanish and Mother Tongue French classes) – just to name a few! We are beyond impressed with how our J1 collaborators thoughtfully formed groups, worked together to plan their creations, made compromises, shared materials, revised their work, and most importantly found pure joy in learning. 

Our J1 learners focused on three attributes of the IB learner profile throughout this unit: 

• Inquirer - nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

• Knowledgeable - develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

• Thinker - use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

We hope you have a chance to check our landmarks out! We’re so proud of our J1 risk takers.

Erin Hunter, J1 Homeroom Teacher and Team Leader

We are happy to inform you that your child's Reading and Math Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Family Report for the period of Fall 2021 - Winter 2022 is now available in Veracross under the tab My Children / My Files. 

The UNISPA has organized a special MAP Growth Test webinar on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 (7:00-8:30 pm). Look for their upcoming email with more information about the webinar.

We would like to remind parents that the Student-Led Conferences to be held from Wednesday, March 23 through Friday, March 25, are dedicated to students sharing their learning journey with their family. The focus will not be on MAP results. 

We hope that you will join the MAP Growth Test Webinar as many of your questions about interpreting the results will be answered then. Feel free to contact the Junior School Leadership afterwards if you have specific questions about reading your child's MAP results by sending an email to jsoffice@unis.org. 

UNIS 2021-22 Spring Camps (for JA-J4 students)

Program Dates & Times: 

Week 1: Monday, March 28 - Friday, April 1, 2022

Week 2: Monday, April 4 - Friday, April 8, 2022

Arrival from 8:30 to 9:00 am

Time: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm

Extended Care until 5:30pm

Unfortunately, we continue to face tragic events in the world that may have an impact on our students and their families. We acknowledge that this crisis affects many countries, cities and communities and brings up strong feelings. At the same time, we find ourselves with the difficult task of educating, guiding, and supporting children through the latest current events. 

If you feel that your family or child would benefit from additional support, please reach out to the Junior School Support Staff. 

With kind regards,

Dr. Dana Marnin (JS Psychologist) dmarnin@unis.org

Amy Iamundo (J1 & J3 Counselor) aiamundo@unis.org

Alyssa Frost (J2 & J4 Counselor) afrost@unis.org

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.

UNISPA News

• Tuesday, March 15, 2022 -  New2UNIS Film Club

  • New2UNIS is excited to invite you all to the next edition of the New2UNIS Film Club. Every other month, we’ll be watching a movie (on our own time). Then we will get together virtually, armed with popcorn, soda or wine or even cocktails and talk our hearts out about the movie! This time we will be watching – The Tinder Swindler.If you have seen the movie and want to talk about it, please join us on Zoom for the discussion. The Link will be sent out to those who RSVP 'Yes'. Please check your inboxes for details on the date and time. Your evite has all the info.Email new2unis@unis.org  to get our evites and to be added to our mailing list!

• Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 7pm  - Women's Herstory Month Interactive Event

  • Our PA DEI Committee will be facilitating a Story Circle on the theme SHERO!! 

    • Zoom link CLICK HERE  

    • Webinar ID: 939 0177 0709

    • Passcode: 405946

    • If you would like to take part in this empowering and inclusive event, please register at the link below.

    • https://forms.gle/y7ngxrVmoLeRk1je9

    • What is a Story Circle? A Story Circle is a facilitated community dialogue that explores similarities and differences as people share their own personal stories around a common theme. This is a unique opportunity to connect with and to get to know others in the UNIS community!

    • What is the common theme? The theme for Women's History Month is Please Share Your Own Personal She-Ro Journey.

    • What do I need to prepare and to participate? An eagerness to share your personal story and willingness to actively listen to others . So that we have the chance to hear all of our stories, each story will have a 5-minute limit.

• Wednesday, March 16, 2022  at 7pm- Monthly PA Meeting

  • Our next monthly PA meeting will be held online featuring UNIS’ Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Jennifer Amos, Please join us for updates about MAP testing and assessment. Please send questions in advance here.

    • Zoom link CLICK HERE

    • Webinar ID: 973 0680 7430 

    • Passcode: 601339

International Food and Fun Fair Survey for Families due Fri March 18

We kindly ask ALL FAMILIES to participate in our survey by this Fri 3/18 to help us plan for our signature community event, the International Food and Fun Fair, as we are seeking to plan the "food" part of this fair. We ask each family to identify their regional affiliations so that food coordinators can make proper outreach. The event will be modified but is still scheduled to take place on Saturday, 5/14 at UNIS Manhattan campus. For more information and to volunteer, contact the chairs below.

Abhilasha 646 436 4047 (abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org)/

Sabrina 917 270 0276 (sabrina.zancan@pa.unis.org)

UNIS PA Marketplace UPDATED!

Own/operate a business or restaurant that you’d like to promote? Want UNIS community members to host a social at your establishment? Please learn and support local businesses owned/operated by UNIS community members and services sought such as childcare or afterschool services at https://www.unis.org/school-life/parents-association/businesses . To submit to the marketplace, you’ll have to log into your account by clicking here. Special thanks to Hongtao Wu, UNIS PA Vice-President, Manhattan for his work on this page.

UNIS-UN Conference

You are cordially invited to attend the 46th Annual UNIS-UN Conference entitled "Food for Thought: A Sustainable Approach to Food Security" taking place online on Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25, 2022. To  join us, please RSVP here by March 18, 2022. To learn more please visit the conference website at www.unis.org/UNIS-UN 

M3/M4 Manhattan Campus Ice Skating Socials

The PA hosted outdoor ice skating events for the M3s (on February 17, 2022) and we hosted the M4s (on March 4, 2022) as per tradition. Special thanks to the  UNIS-PA Middle School Coordinators! Photos will be shared during March 16 PA meeting.

#BreakTheBias

Happy Women's History Month - #BreakTheBias! We are very excited to share with you our 2nd Diversity, Equity and Inclusion newsletter of 2022.  This month, we highlight Women In Leadership at UNIS that work everyday to "Break The Bias” (visit the newsletter page 2 to see photos and quotes of UNIS board chair Ms.Catherine Pollard and other UNIS women leaders), we celebrate a historic SCOTUS nomination, we shine a spotlight on our very own EIB chairperson, have a conversation with an Emmy nominated food expert, and we have exciting DEI related webinars and events taking place too. We are sure you will enjoy the read. Other newsletters available here.

Cynthia Muffuh - cynthia.muffuh@pa.unis.org    

Lamson Lam - lamson.lam@pa.unis.org    

NY International Children’s Film Festival  - March 4-19, 2022 - ONE MORE WEEK!

NY Int’l Children’s Film Fest starts THIS Friday and getting tickets means money for our UNIS PA! Organize a playdate or a class outing with a chance to watch a film rarely in theaters and help us raise money for our events. Here’s how to buy tickets AND raise money for our school:

Visit https://nyicff.org/tickets/ 

Select UNIS from the “Select My School” Menu (IMPORTANT!!!!)

Purchase tickets

Repeat!

UNIS Arts Festival: Call for Parent Photography for Arts Fest in May 

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 UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals as inspiration, and perhaps from your travels in the past 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. 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!

Summer Camp Recommendations

Want to share info about your favorite summer camps/ programs that your child has been a part of? Have questions for other parents? Fill out this survey and preview our Parents Summer Camp Report with 12 ideas so far!  Note that UNIS will be only hosting sports camps this summer due to space constraints. 

Meeting Recordings from UNIS available on vimeo

• March 2022- International Women's Day Speaker on Environmental Justice with Ms. Leslie Fields, Sierra Club

• March 2022 State of the School

• February 16, 2022 -  PA meeting on Modern Languages Department 

• February 2022 - Senegalese Music and Dance Class by Brooklyn Academy of Music

• February 2022 - Black History Month Speaker Nekima Levy Armstrong on Contextualizing Civil Rights and Racial Justice 

Please email me or unispa@unis.org with any questions/feedback. Thank you!

UNIS Food Fair 2022 - Call for Volunteers!  

We are reaching out to you, as the beloved Annual Food Fair might be back at UNIS on the 14th of  May, 2022, after a gap of 3 years!

However, the scale and scope might be different to it’s pre-Covid form.

We are looking for volunteers and if you can help out or if you know of someone who would like to volunteer, please get in touch with us.

Please fill in your details here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-6sj0rNr5KulLdZ2eqF4lsn1pQ7-vNPWzYe_JkEeLCg/edit

We are looking for volunteers for:

• Overall Food Coordinators

• Regional chairs for the various food regions/Country food chairs

• Finance Coordinators

• Ticketing and Raffle

• Outdoor Games and Rentals

• Sustainability

• TH Clubs

• Arts & Crafts

• Outdoor Dance

• Flowers & Decoration

Please reach out if you have any questions. Looking forward to a successful fair!

Best regards

Abhilasha and Sabrina

UNIS PA Cultural Committee

Abhilasha 646 436 4047 (abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org)

Sabrina 917 270 0276  (sabrina.zancan@pa.unis.org) 

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!

Show your UNIS pride! 

The UNIS store is now open, featuring a "Throwback" section with the original UNIS logo. Visit https://store.unis.org/ to get your gear today. 

*  For UNIS Athletics and PE gear, please continue to visit this store. *

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 School Nurse:

The health office would like to take a moment to provide some education regarding lice. Evidence-based research and guidelines from the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics and National School Nurses Association report that “screening for nits alone is not an accurate way of predicting which children are or will become infested, and screening for live lice has not been proven to have a significant effect on the incidence of head lice in a school community over time.  Because of the lack of evidence of efficacy, routine classroom or school wide screening should be discouraged." 

We ask for your cooperation in ensuring that head lice are managed successfully, through a school and parent partnership. We would like to recommend that all parents be vigilant in checking their children for evidence of head lice on a frequent basis, as early diagnosis and treatment is crucial to prevent widespread transmission. Working together, let’s limit lice interruptions in school. 

Please note that students found to have active cases of lice (live bugs), and those with moderate/severe cases of nits (eggs) will be sent home for immediate treatment. Those students who are found to have a mild case of nits will be able to finish the school day and will require treatment after dismissal. 

Treatment can be provided by any company of your choosing or done at home. There are many effective creams and shampoos available over the counter or by prescription from your doctor. You may also seek treatment at any professional lice removal salons. After treatment it is important to continue combing the hair daily for 14 days to prevent re-infestation. A retreatment may be necessary 10 days after the first treatment. 

Please read the attachment “Facts about Head Lice” for additional information. You may also find more information on these websites: 

www.healthychildren.org 

www.cdc.gov 

If you have any questions, comments, or would like additional information, please speak to your child’s pediatrician.

Facts about Head Lice 

What are head lice? 

Head lice are parasites, which are found on the scalp. Head lice cause itching, commonly at the back of the head and neck or behind the ears. The adult louse is the size of a sesame seed and can be the color of your child’s hair. Eggs, or nits, are smaller and silver in color. Lice do not transmit infections and do not endanger a person’s health. 

Who gets head lice? 

Head lice occur commonly among school age children. This is a condition that each year affects approximately 6 to 12 million US children ages 3 to 11. Head lice are not a sign of poor hygiene and anyone can get them. It doesn't matter how clean your hair or home may be. It doesn't matter where children and families live, play, or work. 

How is lice spread? 

Head lice are crawling insects. They cannot jump, hop, or fly. Lice pass from person to person by direct contact or by sharing clothing, items with lice on them. Anyone who comes in head-to-head contact with someone who already has head lice is at greatest risk. Lice can also be spread by contact with clothing (such as hats, scarves, coats) or other personal items (such as combs, brushes, hair ties, sports and bike helmets, or towels) used by an infested person. 

How can lice be prevented? 

If your child has long hair, it is best to have it pulled back into a bun or braid during the school day. Avoid sharing personal items 

How to check for lice? 

Regular checks for head lice are a good way to spot head lice before they have time to multiply and infest your child's head. 

∙Seat your child in a brightly lit room. 

∙Part the hair and look at your child's scalp. 

∙Look through hair for crawling lice and for nits. 

Live lice are hard to find. They avoid light and move quickly. Nits will look like small white or yellow-brown specks and be firmly attached to the hair near the scalp. 

The easiest place to find them is at the hairline at the back of the neck or behind the ears. Nits can be confused with many other things, such as dandruff, dirt particles, or

hair spray droplets. The way to tell the difference is that nits are attached while dandruff, dirt, or other particles are not. 

What is the treatment for lice? 

There are several medicated shampoos or cream rinses that are available over the counter. Retreatment after 7 to 10 days is usually recommended to assure that no eggs have survived. Nit combs are available to help remove nits from hair. To avoid side effects and toxicity, dose and duration of treatment should be followed according to label instructions. Please seek further guidance from your pediatrician when using over-the-counter products. You may also seek professional treatment for a lice-removal salon of your choice. Many of these salons use non-toxic, all natural products. 

To prevent re-infection following treatment, clothing and bedding should be laundered in hot water (140 degrees F for 20 minutes) followed by a hot drying cycle to destroy lice and eggs. Since lice eggs hatch within 6 - 10 days, and lice can survive for only 1 - 2 days away from a scalp, storing infested items in a sealed plastic bag for 10 days is effective for items that cannot be laundered. 

Here is a link for a video that can assist you in the at home treatment and removal of lice. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9y6c3Opr9w 

Recipe for natural lice shampoo: 

● Kill lice by stopping their respiratory systems with a mixture of 1-part baking soda and 3-parts hair conditioner. 

● Apply the mixture and comb the hair by sections. Use a soft tissue to wipe off the comb and remove the nits, baby lice, and adult lice.

• 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.

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: If you want your JS child to be masked at school, 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. 

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.