• May | Asian History Month

• May 2 - May 6 | Teacher Appreciation Week (details in this newsletter)

• Monday, May 2 | M1and J4 students + JS Faculty/Staff Covid Pool Testing  7:15 - 8:45

• Wednesday, May 4 | M1 Information Webinar for all JS Parents 7:00pm (save the date / more information to follow)

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

• • 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

  • Thursday, June 2 and Friday, June 3 | MAP Testing for J3 and J4 (details in this newsletter)

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

  • Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7 | MAP Make Up Testing

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

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

When Your Child is Sick

When your child is sick with runny nose, coughing, stomach ache, fever, headache, etc. there is no expectation from the school that they should either attend school in person or attempt to learn remotely. 

If your child has symptoms that would normally have kept them at home prior to COVID-19, we ask that families not send their children to school or request to join classes remotely. 

We hope that time will be taken for your child to rest and recover at home as the school believes that children recover more quickly when they are permitted to disconnect and rest, and that care is taken by everyone to avoid spreading communicable illnesses.

Dear Families, 

We will be administering the third Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test for J3 and J4 students on Thursday and Friday, June 2 and June 3, 2022. 

The purpose of MAP Growth is to compare learning growth from one point in time to another. We explored how we use these data at UNIS in a presentation delivered at the March 16, 2022 Parent Association meeting.  We will share the results of the third and final testing session of the year once those Family Reports are available. 

MAP Growth reports give us an external measure to continue to monitor our student learning. It is one data point among many that we collect in order to inform and adjust our instruction to meet the needs of our students. MAP scores are not factored into student grades; UNIS report cards include information about student learning from both formal and informal assessments, which are conducted in the context of our curriculum.

Your child does not need to do anything special to prepare for MAP assessments.  As for all school days, we encourage a good night’s rest the night before and a healthy breakfast the mornings of MAP.

Thank you.

Note: MAP Make Up tests will take place on Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7 

Save the Date - J4 to M1 Information Webinar on May 4 at 7:00pm

We encourage all current J4 families, as well as all interested JS families, to join us this Wednesday, May 4 at 7:00pm for a webinar being held to discuss transition to the M1 grade in 2022-2023.

Webinar ID: 962 8808 6149 

Passcode: 387523

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.

• Upcoming Events

  • Tuesday, May 3: (see below)

    • UNIS PA celebrates Teacher's Appreciation Day and acknowledges the staff/faculty for their contributions with snack boxes, courtesy of the PA. 

  • Thursday, May 5 at 7pm: 

    • Monthly PA Meeting (Zoom Webinar) featuring Dr. Dan Brenner and members of the UNIS PA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Other presenters are being confirmed.

      • https://unis.zoom.us/j/95634831084?pwd=R0w2azZUVE9taDBvcTFDdjA4bkZWQT09

      • Webinar ID: 956 3483 1084 Passcode: 377156

  • Saturday, May 7 at 12:30pm:  

    • New2UNIS and the PA DEI committee warmly invite you to a weekend mixer in Queens, the most diverse borough in the world! Please join us for our Saturday Social at the Bohemian Hall, the oldest beer garden in New York. Email New2UNIS at New2UNIS@unis.org for details and to be included in our mailing list. 

• Acknowledgements/Updates:

  • Thanks to many parents that attended the UNIS PA Social on Volunteer Opportunities on April 22. Click ​​here to see event photos and here to see volunteer leadership opportunities with the PA this coming fall. Email us at unispa@unis.org with any questions. 

  • Thanks to many families who participated in the Book Drive hosted by the UNIS PA Social Responsibility Committee. Special thanks to all the TH Volunteers, for all their energy, enthusiasm and help throughout the book drive, as well as Mr. Baha and Ms. Polatbara, the school administration and the maintenance staff for all their help. We donated 4,329 books to the “Reach out and Read” Program at Bellevue Hospital. Click here for photos and the thank you letter from Bellevue.

  • We have results from our recent survey on the UNIS Cafeteria offerings. View here. A group of parents recently met with Corey Dorn of Flik Dining and Dr. Jennifer Amos this week and there will be quick collaboration for parent input into cafeteria offerings. 

  • If you'd like to learn more about participating in a local research study at Teacher's College of Columbia University concerning 10-12 year olds on the effects of digital v. print media on reading comprehension , please check out this flier.

• International Food and Fun Fair (see below)

  • Raffle tickets are available for the fair with great prizes in tech for all ages. Visit here to purchase tickets. They are 5 for $25 advance online/5 for $30 day-of.

  • We are delighted to have IFFF back after a gap of 3 years. The International Food and Fun Fair on May 14, 2022 is sold out, owing to overwhelming demand. In an effort to ensure that this is a safe and healthy event, the school set a fixed limit on occupancy.

  • We all know that this is a very popular event and it pains us not to be able to welcome every family as is customary. In an effort to accommodate more people, we decided to offer two sessions to allow for maximum participation.

  • Tickets were available on a first come, first served basis and sold out within weeks. 

  • We understand that many of you are upset about not being able to get a ticket and we empathize with your disappointment.  We hope that next year we will be able to welcome everybody to join us at the International Food and Fun Fair. We look forward to seeing some of you at this year’s fair on May 14.

Hope to "see" you on May 5!

Angela

Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6)

As a token of their appreciation, the Parents Association wants to acknowledge the hard work of faculty and staff on May 3, Teacher Appreciation Day.  Thanks to Corey Dorn and his Cafeteria team for the efforts for our special snack boxes!

We invite students and parents to reach out directly to their teachers to show their appreciation as well! These messages mean a lot to teachers!

The UNIS International Food Fair and Fun is coming soon!

Don’t forget to get your Raffle tickets for $25 for 5 tickets to win exciting prizes: https://www.unis.org/ifff2022

As you all know, it is your participation, of the UNIS community as a whole, that makes this event unique, special and successful.

The IFFF will be an opportunity to taste food from different regions, step on the dance floor, shop for UNIS swag, raffle tickets, try your creativity at the arts and crafts table, and enjoy outdoor games!

All food and fun is included with your tickets.

There will be drinks, raffle tickets, swag, used PE uniforms and flowers for sale at the event.

• The event is fully outdoors, on May 14, 2022, rain or shine! 

• International Food Buffet - If you haven't been contacted for food contribution or volunteering for your country or regional table yet, please find here the list of the Regional Food Coordinator(s) and reach out to participate! 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1czwsPdfY7eaTckBSYXlKfNcGj91V4zvu8qqwH8qCYoE/edit?usp=sharing

• Keep Greening the Blue by bringing your own reusable water bottle on May 14th! Each reusable bottle will entitle you to one free Raffle ticket!

• PE Uniform Thrift Shop - CLEAR your closets of outgrown PE uniforms - donations accepted starting Monday, May 9th through Friday, May 13th  - outside UNIS gates, at drop off and pick times.  Bring any size, washed (gently used) or unworn school-logo T-shirts, hoodies, pants, and shorts (bottoms do not need to have a logo). Items will be available for sale starting at $2. Contact Nicole Clarkson at nclarkson@unis.org with questions.

• Dance Floor - Come and join us on an open dance floor and dance away with your UNIS friends. Simple and easy to follow dance workshops will be held in both sessions. Contact Charul at  charul01@gmail.com for questions.

• Flower Sale - Please visit our flower sale before you leave the Food Fair! We will sell all floral arrangements on display. All of the proceeds will go back to UNIS. The prices of the arrangements include vases. Prices range $5 - $20. Contact Branka at branka.obradovic@gmail.com with questions.

• Sessions - The event will be held over two sessions: Morning from 10.30am -12.30pm and afternoon from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. Due to the restriction on the number of people who can be at the campus at any one time, attendees at the morning session will be asked to leave at 12.30pm.

• Fun Fair - There will be an inflatable bouncy castle, an inflatable slide and Basketball game. Additionally, everyone will have access to the playground.

• Crafts/Origami/Henna Tables - Try out your creativity at the Crafts corner! 

• Photo Booth - There will be a Photo Booth for capturing your memories.

• Reusable Cups and Water Buggies - There will be 2 water buggies on site. Please note that we are renting reusable cups for use on the day. Kindly make sure to return them to the marked receptacle for them to be washed. Please DO NOT throw these in the trash bins.

• Reusable cutlery - We have purchased silverware to use on the day.  Kindly make sure to return them to the marked receptacle for them to be washed. Please DO NOT throw these in the trash bins. (Rather than throw away the single- use cutlery purchased in 2019, the PA will use these items first. When supply runs low, we will augment it with the metalware.)

• Bins - There will be three different bins for Trash (Black bin) , Recyclables (Blue Bin) and Compostables (Brown Bin). Kindly make sure you use the correct bin - the plates we will serve food in are compostable!

• SWAG - Don’t forget to buy your SWAG at the IFFF!

We are excited to see you all in person!

Abhilasha & Sabrina

International Food & Fun Fair Co-Chairs

abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org; sabrina.zancan@pa.unis.org

In honor of her recent birthday, Mia in Ms. Watson's J2 class brought her friends together to help raise money for the children of Ukraine. 

Neighborhood friends and classmates from J2, J3, and M1 made crafts and treats as gifts for anyone willing to make a donation. Their handmade signs and cheers captivated the passersby in their neighborhood park, and when people lamented that they had no cash the children cheerfully chanted 'we take Venmo!'

After about an hour of fundraising, the children gathered to count the funds they had collected. Instead of singing happy birthday they counted down from ten and Mia hit the 'Submit Donation' button to the Save the Children Foundation for a total of $1,223.86! A corporate sponsor was also secured which doubled the donation bringing it to a grand total of $2,447.72

We are inspired by the efforts of Mia and her friends and are proud to share their success here, as well as these tips for other families who want to hold a fundraiser:

• Go Mobile! 60%+ of donations were via Venmo, so make sure you have a sign with your Venmo account, bonus if you have an account name that is easy for others to find!

• The More the Merrier! Having 10+ kids singing chants and cheers for every donation attracted the attention of other donors. Invite passersby to join in the fun.

• Double the Donation! Ask your employer or local business if they'd be willing to match the funds your child raises

• Hit the Submit Button Together! Having a countdown and Mia hitting the submit donation button was a last minute improvisation that turned out to be one of the highlights of the day.

- Message from Mia's proud family

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.