Dear parents,

In the fall of 2017 I shared with Junior School parents our views on Peace and what led the UNIS JS to have developed the concept of the Peace Table (1). Today, I could go back to the etymology of the concept of "Peace", which ironically exists only because of the existence of the concept of "Conflict". I could also highlight one of the main missions of the United Nations being the maintenance of international peace and security (2). I could also re-explore our school mission (3), which clearly identifies our collective responsibility to educate and inspire our students to become an active force in shaping a better, peaceful, and compassionate, world. I could again share the recent statement released by the United Nations General-Secretary, António Guterres, insisting on the need for peace and our collective responsibility toward future generations (4). 

As Dr. Brenner expressed on February 28, “UNIS as an institution, embodies the UN principles that believe conflicts should be settled at the peace table and not on battlefields.”  As he mentioned in the same letter to our community, UNIS “advocates ways to eradicate aggression and violence, not embrace it.”

It is with this inspiring understanding of the concept of Peace, driven by our School Mission and aligned with the values of Peace embodied by the United Nations, that a few weeks ago our students in Grade 2 began expressing their wish for a peaceful resolution to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia with a March for Peace at school (5), where they were joined by Middle School students moved by the hopeful and kind message of peace carried by our J2 students. 

This week, the students’ reflection on Peace as the only way conflicts should be resolved led some J2 students, accompanied by their parents and supported by their teachers, driven by the UNIS mission and the call from the Secretary-General to insist on the need for Peace, formed their own pro-peace rally.

As shared by the UNISPA a few weeks ago, it was for all of us an opportunity to understand that “the situation in Ukraine is happening at a time when there are serious conflicts in other parts of the world that are also the homes of many of our community members.” The J2 students, parents, and teachers who have joined this peaceful march hope that their message will be heard and will inspire everyone today and tomorrow to never dismiss Peace when facing conflicts of any kind, anywhere in the World.

On the day following their march, our J2 students had the opportunity to continue their reflection on the importance of Peace and the consequences of conflict, while focusing on another important element of our mission: compassion. We were honored to welcome Tetiana and Anna Tihova on Zoom. Tetiana and her daughter Anna are refugees from Ukraine welcomed into the home of a family in France. Their message of hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict affecting their existence, the story of their journey, and the compassion and generosity they have experienced since they have left the conflict, was a unique and emotional experience that no words can describe in this newsletter. 

UNIS will continue to carry a message of Peace and Compassion, encouraging our students to be this active force making our world a better place. The J2 students hope that their actions will inspire everyone around the World to STOP THE CONFLICT NOW, a strong request from the Secretary-General that we must apply to EVERY conflict in the world today and tomorrow.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• (1) Junior School Newsletter, December 11, 2017

• (2)  United Nations Peacekeeping portal

• (3) UNIS Mission statement

• (4) Statement by the Secretary-General – on Ukraine

• (5) Junior School Newsletter, March 6, 2022

• Friday, April 22  | Earth Day Celebrated (have your child wear green)

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

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

  • Friday, May 13 | JS Book Fair & Storybook Parade 

  • Saturday, May 14 | International Food and Fun Fair (IFFF) (details in this newsletter)

  • Week of May 16 | UNIS Arts Week 

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

  • Friday, June 3 | TH Graduation (11:45 dismissal for JS Students)

  • Friday, June 17 | Last Day of School for JS Students (full day)

  • Friday, June 17 | 2nd Semester Report Cards Available

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.

UNIS Food Fair 2022 - Early Bird Tickets

Please join us for food, fun, games, & raffles! 

We are excited to have this event back in person at school. The IFFF will be an outdoor event and in two separate timed sessions.

You can purchase your ticket(s) for either a morning session 10:30 am -12:30 pm or an afternoon session 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Food will be served during both the sessions. Please note due to limited capacity, the event tickets are only open to current families. 

The number of tickets for each session are limited. Tickets cannot be bought at the gate.

Get your Early Bird Tickets for $20 until May 1!

*Please note UNIS Faculty & Staff are eligible for a discounted $15 ticket*

And don't forget your raffle tickets! There will be both an in-person and an online raffle for chances to win great prizes. Buy tickets for either or both!

Calling for Volunteers! 

Dear UNIS Community,

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 from its 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: Volunteer Information

We are looking for volunteers for:

• Overall Food Coordinators

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

• Finance Coordinators

• Ticketing Registration Desk

• Sustainability Volunteers

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

Best regards,

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

UNIS PA Cultural Committee                 Sabrina 917 270 0276 (sabrina.zancan@pa.unis.org)

UNIS PA Marketplace 

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 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!

Angela Tolosa | PA President (Manhattan) angela.tolosa@pa.unis.org  

PA Meeting - MAP Test Discussion

If you missed the PA Meeting discussion on MAP Testing held on March 16, you can view a recording of the event here.

Dear UNIS Community,

The International Baker's Club is revising the UNIS cookbook for the modern era, and we would like all of you, with your delicious recipes from all over the world to help contribute to it. We will collect and organize your creations into the cookbook, which will be released in June of this year. We hope that you will buy a copy or access the e-book version to cook all of these wonderful foods at home! Please fill out this form to submit your recipes. Thank you for your contribution. 

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.

This means that students, families, faculty and staff are respectfully asked to refrain from bringing peanuts, nuts, and seeds of any kind or foods processed with these items or their by products, such as oils, into the school. This includes products which state "may contain traces of nuts/peanuts/tree nuts” or "manufactured in a facility which processes" nuts/peanuts/tree nuts.

For example, tree nuts (such as almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, cashews, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, etc.) and foods associated with them (such as nutella, pesto, granola bars, marzipan, macaroons, hummus (containing sesame), etc.) may present a risk to others.