Newsletter #31


All JS students are expected to arrive at the UNIS front gate no later than 8:20 each day.

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

REMINDER:

Update School Dismissal Manager (SDM)

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

If your child is in an activity after school, please clarify in SDM where you child should be escorted after the class (for example: Care Program or Pick Up).

When Your JS Child is Sick

When your child is sick with runny nose, cough, stomach ache, fever, headache, etc. there is no expectation from the school that they should 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 when care is taken by everyone to avoid spreading communicable illnesses.

Face Masks are Optional

The State of New York lifted the mask mandate in schools, effective  Wednesday, March 2, 2022. This was made possible by the fact that the positivity rate has fallen to a historic low, while vaccination has become widespread in the city.

As indicated in a message from the Executive Director to the UNIS community, UNIS lifted its mask mandate as well, also begining March 2. The school will continue to pool test. 

We understand that members of our community may have different views on wearing face masks. It is critical that each family be free to choose their own face-mask practice for their JS children, without feeling pressure to change their practice, or without being questioned about it. 

Masks are now OPTIONAL for Yellow Bus Riders: OPT has informed UNIS that the mask mandate on yellow school buses has been lifted and masks are now optional for students and drivers alike.  Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have about yellow bus service to transportation@unis.org

Dear parents,


The final JS Parent Coffee will be held on Tuesday, May 24th at 6:00 pm on campus and also streaming. Parents are invited to join in person, on campus, for the Parent Coffee and will also be able to participate in parent-led school tours with an opportunity to peek inside your child's classroom.  A JS Parent Social will be held outside in the tents following the Coffee. Space is limited to 250 parents (adults only please). Please claim your spot and RSVP here.  Note that proof of COVID vaccination will be required. Masks will also be required when indoors. 


When you are on the first floor, make sure you pause to look at the beautiful piece of art displayed by the Equity & Inclusion Board (EIB).  The painting Black Lives Matter is based on and with the permission of Brooklyn-based French artist Quentin Monge, and recreated by Rokhaya Ndiaye, Afomiya Kassie, Sarrah Taheraly, Ma-Sadio Faye, Sumita Lacey, Nina Ranjan, Eve Geissmann and David Sobola.  Many thanks to Ms. Colette Murphy who supervised the artistic process, and Mr. Alcy Leyva who advised the students in getting artist's permission.


We are looking forward to welcoming you to campus!

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal


IMPORTANT DATES

THIS WEEK

Jacket or Sweatshirt Needed Every Day

Spring weather can be changeable and we encourage all JS families to continue to send their child to school each day with a jacket or sweatshirt. Students are outside on the playground twice a day and we have noticed many who are not warm enough because they don't have an outer layer with them for chillier days.

And, once the weather heats up, the air conditioning will be on. There may be days when your child will need an extra layer indoors as well.



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

UPCOMING EVENTS



​JS Sports Week (a special morning of outdoor games from 9:00 - 12:00)

THE NEWS

IMPORTANT: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL IS A 1/2 DAY

JS Dismissal at 11:30am on Friday June 17


The school calendar has been updated to schedule Friday, June 17, the last day of JS classes, as a half day. JS students will be dismissed at 11:30 am. Yellow Buses will depart around the same time, more information will be shared. Please mark your calendars and alert your caregivers about the earlier dismissal time. Note that the Care Program is not available that day and all JS students are expected to depart campus no later than 12:15 when the yellow buses leave.

IMPORTANT: JA SPRING CONCERT

JA Concert: Tuesday, May 24 from 9:00-10:00 . The JA concert will take place outdoors, on the playground. JA parents are invited to attend in person if they are available. 


Update: For those parents not able to attend in person, the JA concert will also be recorded and shared at a later date.


Please have your children dress-up or wear festive/traditional clothing in which they can easily dance and move. JA students do not need to wear a mask because they will be spaced apart and outside on the playground. If you have any questions regarding the JA concert, please reach out to Truike Boekholt at tboekholt@unis.org.


Gratefully,


Kim Bruno

Director of Arts

kbruno@unis.org 

IMPORTANT: AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES ARE ENDING 

ATHLETICS

Update Your Child's SDM Dismissal Plans


Semester 2 Athletics classes After School are ending:




AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES 

Update Your Child's SDM Dismissal Plans


Semester 2 After School Activities classes are ending:




MANDARIN AFTER SCHOOL 

Update Your Child's SDM Dismissal Plans


Semester 2 Mandarin After School classes are ending:




IMPORTANT REMINDER: BOOK FAIR ONLINE ORDERING - LAST DAY

UNIS Junior School Book Fair Fundraiser  


Online ordering will be available until today, Sunday, May 22 at mainstreetbookfairs.com under the link to the UNIS JS book fair.   

Ordered books will be delivered to school for pickup at no additional charge or can be shipped to your home for an additional flat fee.

Additionally, you can contribute to teachers’ classroom libraries by using the eGift card option.  Just select the amount of the eGift card and enter the email address of the teacher.


Please join us in support of our Junior School: 20% of the total sales will be donated to the Junior School Fund.

IMPORTANT: J4 FAMILY WEBINAR - JUNE 1 6:30pm

Information Webinar for Rising M1 Families


Dear Current J4 Families,


The Middle School invites you to a webinar on Wednesday, June 1st at 6:30pm. Members of our M1 Team, along with the Middle School Principal and Assistant Principal, will present to you on key highlights of the M1 experience. We will let you know what you and your child can expect as members of the MS Community. We hope to see you there! Please click on the link to join us.


https://unis.zoom.us/j/97631752546?pwd=Z1I3Q3I5bDc3NmtYaGlEb2dnb0xRZz09

Webinar ID: 976 3175 2546

Passcode: 401344



Sincerely,


Elaine Kelly

Middle School Principal


Camelia Perez

Middle School Assistant Principal

IMPORTANT REMINDER: MAP TESTING FOR J3 & J4

3rd MAP Testing on June 2 & 3 


We will be administering the third Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test for J3 to T1 students in the final weeks of May and in early June 2022. 


In the Junior School, the tests will be administered on Thursday, June 2 (Reading) and Friday, June 3 (Math), with makeups taking place the following week, specifically on June 6 and 7.


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 on the mornings of MAP.


Thank you.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK

When Your Child is Sick

When your child is sick with runny nose, cough, stomach ache, fever, headache, etc. there is no expectation from the school that they should 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 when care is taken by everyone to avoid spreading communicable illnesses.

PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: Thank You for a Successful IFFF

Dear UNIS community,


We couldn’t have been happier to see all the smiling faces of UNIS families at the beloved International Food & Fun Fair this past Saturday. 


The day truly represented the multicultural UNIS community - where families got together to enjoy food, fun, laughter and most importantly being in-person, on campus after a long time and for some, it was actually the very first time!


It was a memorable day! 


We want to extend our deepest gratitude and offer our heartiest congratulations to everyone involved—everyone who participated or attended—on an enormously successful event. We are very happy that we were able to accommodate as many of you as possible, given all the constraints. All 3 sessions  were SOLD OUT! 


Work for the PA's signature event began back in December. It required meticulous attention to detail and countless hours of planning, organizing and cajoling. And, it was all worth it to see the community come together, in a spirit of camaraderie!!!


Thank you all and looking forward to many such gatherings!


Please find some photos here:   https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzQMQW


Please share your photos and videos with us and we can upload them here. Thanks.



With Gratitude 

Abhilasha & Sabrina

International Food & Fun Fair Co-Chairs

abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org

sabrina.zancan@pa.unis.org



REMINDER: STUDENTS WHO MAY CONNECT TO CLASS REMOTELY

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. 

REMINDER: QUARANTINED STUDENT ACADEMIC TECH SUPPORT

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. 

REMINDERS: WHEN YOUR CHILD IS SICK / LEARNING MODEL CONSISTENCY

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. 

REMINDERS: HEALTH AND SAFETY

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.

REMINDERS: REMOTE LEARNERS

If you have technology issues, please send an email to tech.support@unis.org

If you have academic tech questions, please contact Ms. Zammarano at fzammarano@unis.org 

All other times: If you are having trouble logging in at any other time, please call 212-584-3100 for technology support. 

REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PLANS in SDM

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.

REMINDER: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Please take the time to review your family profile and contact information to ensure that your cell phone numbers, email addresses and home address are correct and are entered in the correct fields. You may update your information at any point throughout the year, but if you have not reviewed your information recently, we encourage you to do it today. 

All departments at UNIS rely on the information that you provide in the Veracross Parent Portal to contact you. The only way you can be reached in an emergency, or when there are school wide announcements, is through the information that you have entered in the Portal. 

After logging into the Portal at myunis.vc , you may review and update all of your family contact information by:

If you need support in order to make your updates, please email veracross@unis.org

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.