Newsletter #02

09/11/2022

COVID-19 REMINDERS

Wearing a mask is optional. 

 The COVID-19 vaccine is a mandate for all students, faculty and staff at UNIS. If a student's first dose has been administered prior to the first day of school on September 6, and the second dose administered 3 weeks after the first dose, students may attend classes. If the second dose is not administered as required, the student will be excluded from classes until it is administered.

Dear parents,

Her way of looking at us, as if her lips were eyes, this slight, mocking fold like a comma on the left commissure, this pleasure taken in posing and letting it be known via this subtle movement of her mouth: Mona Lisa's smile has fascinating the world for more than 500 years. 

Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece is not the first portrait to introduce "the incipient smile as an indication of the inner life of the sitter". Antonello di Giovanni d'Antonio, around 1470 with his Portrait of a Young Man, and his famous The Man Laughing painted 13 years before Da Vinci started to paint the Mona Lisa, is considered to be the first in Western painting to have depicted "a smile full of mischief, underlined by the small wrinkles that we see at the corner of the eyes".

But let's go back to Mona Lisa. Since its creation at the beginning of the 16th century, Mona Lisa's smile has not ceased to arouse passions and mobilize all kinds of experts, who have desperately tried to crack the mystery of her smile... in particular medical experts who have hypothesized about the model's state of health: heart disease, syphilis, asthma, rheumatism, or nerve degeneration resulting in facial paralysis. Four years ago, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Massachusetts and the University of California concluded that the 63 years old model was suffering from hypothyroidism, justifying their macabre diagnosis by medical observation: fatigue, yellow complexion, weight gain, skin dryness, muscle weakness. Really? This is when scientific explanations reach the limits of mon esprit cartésien: my rational, scientific, rigorous and somewhat formalistic way of thinking cannot suffer those - however scientific - explanations.

"I love those who can smile in trouble."- Leonardo da Vinci

Reducing the mysterious, enigmatic, captivating smile to a disease? I will respectfully disagree. By personal choice, I prefer to believe that the sfumato is at the origin of this transcendent emotion: the sfumato (from Italian sfumare, “to tone down” or “to evaporate like smoke”), is a unique technique for softening the imperceptible transitions between colors and tones, mimicking an area beyond what the human eye is focusing on. Or, even better, as Jacques Frank, a specialist in the Leonardian technique, explained: "The strangeness of the thing is not the cracks, a completely normal phenomenon. It is that some of these cracks have married the anatomy of the places where the smile is formed with such opportunity that this smile seems to have intensified", slightly raising the left corner of the lips, giving Mona Lisa's smile that sly side that makes it legendary: a divine coincidence? Much more fascinating than a cold medical explanation.

The French anthroplogist David Le Breton in "Le sourire n’est pas un sous-rire", explained that a smile could express just about anything and everything: benevolence like threat, well-being like embarrassment, love like hate, deference like contempt. And sometimes both at the same time! The interpretation being a matter of circumstance or more broadly, a result of our own culture. It can express pleasure, be an effective technique of seduction or respond to a social convention or even a threatening political obligation.

Our students, teachers, and staff have nothing to envy from Mona Lisa. This first week in Junior School was an ocean of smiles. And while David LeBreton very thoughtfully reminds us that behind a smile there is a unique, personal or cultural signification, one emotion was shared by all of us: Happiness. And we all have another thing in common: our collective smiles can change the world, but the world will not change our smiles!

And while creating this Newsletter truly makes me smile, I also faced a unique dilemma: who would I select for the smile of the week? As Leonardo's mysterious crack was guided by divine coincidence, I closed my eyes and let chance decide for me. Randomly chosen is Matteo, with his legendary... smile. 

Don't forget to scroll through our Junior School Album of Photos, with so many more smiles that will make you smile too.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal 

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

Pack a Jacket or Sweatshirt Every Day

Fall weather can be changeable and we encourage all JS families to send their child to school with a jacket or sweatshirt every day. Students are outside on the playground twice daily and they will need an outer layer with them on chillier days. On warm days the air conditioning is on and your child may need an extra layer indoors as well.

THIS WEEK: SEPTEMBER 12

See the PA's section of this newsletter for PA-sponsored social events taking place this week!

We hope you enjoy this moments captured on the 1st Day of 2022-2-23: 

1st Day Photos 2022-2023 

1st Day Video 2022-2023

IMPORTANT THIS WEEK: 

Be on time for class:

UPCOMING EVENTS

See the PA's section of this newsletter for upcoming social events!

IN THIS NEWSLETTER

TO DO: J2, J3, J4 SWIM PERMISSION FORM DUE NOW

As part of our Physical Education curriculum, swimming is offered to students in J2-J4. Students will swim once a week during the term at a designated time during their schedule. They will use the swimming pool located in the Waterside Plaza complex immediately north of the UNIS Manhattan campus. Their PE teachers and the Teaching Assistant will remain throughout the lesson and will escort students to and from the pool.


All students will require the following items:

Please ensure your child is appropriately dressed for walking to and from Waterside Pool on their designated swim days. Hair Dryers are available for use after swimming in colder weather.

If your child needs to be excused from swimming for a medical reason, please ensure they bring a note for the PE teacher as they will still accompany the class to Waterside unless there is a physical reason that they cannot walk there.


In order for your J2-J4 child to participate in the swimming program, please complete the online permission form by clicking on the link.


Please feel free to contact me with any questions.


Daniel O'Connor, CAA, CIAA. | Director of Athletics and Physical Education

doconnor@unis.org | Office: 212-584-3059 

TO DO: UPDATE YOUR PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION

If you haven't already, please review your family profile and contact information to ensure that your local 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 at the start of this school year, we encourage you to do it today so that we can reach you quickly if needed. 

All departments at UNIS, including the nurse, 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 your family enters in our UNIS Portal. 

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


Thank you for taking the time to review and update your contact information now. If you need support in order to make your updates, please email veracross@unis.org

TO DO: UPDATE YOUR CHILD’S DISMISSAL PLANS in SDM 

To facilitate a smooth dismissal for all of our teachers and students, all JS families are expected to have an SDM account set up for each JS child and have entered both their "Default Dismissal" plan and any "Exceptions" for the week ahead by Monday morning each week.

If you have not updated your SDM account for the week of September 12, and the 2022-2023 school year, please take the time to do it now.

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 attend school, please use SDM to mark your child "Absent".

SDM is the only way of informing the dismissing teachers where your child should go at dismissal each day. In addition to indicating that there is 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.

SCHOOL DISMISSAL MANAGER

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: COVID-19 PROTOCOLS / NO REMOTE LEARNING

UNIS Covid-19 protocols have been updated for 2022-2023:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: PK-J4 LUNCH BROUGHT FROM HOME

Please be mindful as you pack lunches for your Junior School child(ren) as these will remain stored in their backpacks until snack or lunch time. If lunch items require cooling, please be sure to include insulated ice packs in the packaging for your child's lunch. No additional heating or cooling options are available. 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: JS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION POLICY 

For reasons related to student allergies and health, the policy for JS student birthday celebrations on campus has been updated.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: ARRIVAL

IF YOU DROP OFF YOUR CHILD AT ARRIVAL TIME FOR THEIR GRADE

IF YOU GO TO THE CAFETERIA BEFORE DROPPING OFF YOUR CHILD

2. RULES

3. ARRIVAL TIME

LATE ARRIVAL

The late arrival of students in the morning is disruptive for faculty and staff and your child's classmates.

 J2, J3 and J4 students are expected to arrive no later than 8:15. 

PK, JA and J1 are expected to arrive no later than 8:20. 

Please ensure that your child arrives at the time assigned for your child's grade.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: DISMISSAL

IMPORTANT NOTICE: JUNIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE CAMPUS ALONE, OR WITH A SIBLING IN M1 or M2. JS STUDENTS ARE ONLY PERMITTED TO LEAVE CAMPUS WITH ADULTS IDENTIFIED IN THE UNIS DATABASE AS PARENT, LEGAL GUARDIAN, M3 - T4 SIBLING, OR CAREGIVER/RELATIVE AUTHORIZED BY PARENTS TO PICK UP THE STUDENT.

2. RULES

There is a strict hand-to-hand policy in the Junior School for dismissal:

JS teachers will only dismiss at the end of the day to a parent, authorized caregiver, after school/after care/athletics teacher/coach, or bus supervisor. JS students are not permitted to leave the front gate of the campus without adult supervision. Only a sibling in M3 or older may be given permission to escort their sibling from campus.

During Dismissal time, legal guardians should not gather inside the school premises to wait for their child. If their child is not at the designated location, they should continue to walk, following the flow, until their child arrives.

PreK through J4 students are not permitted to meet parents or caregivers outside the school’s front gate. Teachers must release students whose dismissal is indicated as being “Pick-up” in SDM, to parents, or another adult authorized by the parents, following the dismissal guidelines as indicated below.

Please note that parents and caregivers are expected to arrive at UNIS no later than the time indicated in this section. If parents or caregivers are not able to arrive on time on a regular basis, please contact our Office of Special Programs to register for the Care Program. If you or your caregiver is running late in unusual circumstances and will arrive later than the time indicated, the school will place your student in the Care Program. Parents are aware that Non‐Registered Care Program drop off has a specific cost (see After Care protocol for most updated fees).

To give permission for a new caregiver to enter UNIS to pick up or drop off your child, please log in to the Veracross Parent Portal at myunis.vc:

After you enter that information in Veracross, your caregiver can have a UNIS ID made that will allow him/her access to the school to pick up and drop off. In the interim, until the caregiver information is populated by IT to the Security Access card system, fill in this ID Authorization Form, print and sign it, and have the caregiver carry this form along with a photo ID to present to Security at the front gate until a physical UNIS ID card is printed.

Parents are asked to retrieve and turn in ID cards issued to caregivers who are no longer employed.

ID Authorization Form for Caregivers

3. DISMISSAL TIME

To support our Security team and ensure a smooth transition, parents and guardians arriving to pick up their children at dismissal should avoid entering the school building.

4. DISMISSAL PICK-UP

Any student scheduled to be picked up at school by the parent/caregiver, and that parent/caregiver fails to collect the child at dismissal, will be brought to the Care Program and the family will be billed accordingly. Parents are aware that Non‐Registered Care Program drop off has a cost (see After Care protocol for most updated fees).

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. 

On Saturday, you should receive an email from SCHOOL DISMISSAL MANAGER with important information in order to share with the school how your child will be dismissed at the end of each day. We highly encourage everyone to review the information below.

PARENT ASSOCIATION CORNER: PA SOCIAL EVENTS / CLASS PARENTS / VOLUNTEERING / PA MEETING SEPTEMBER 14

Junior School Class Parents

If you are interested in volunteering as a class parent, please let your child's home room teacher know by email as soon as possible. We look forward to working with all JS class parents in the new school year!

Save the dates: 

Feel free to bring your preferred picnic food and drinks, picnic blanket and lawn toys. 

PA Volunteers Needed!

Many thanks to those parents who have indicated their interest in helping the PA plan and organize many upcoming events in the Junior School. 

If you are interested and have not yet done so, we invite you to indicate your interest by completing the UNIS Junior School PA Volunteer Form. 

The deadline of submission is Sunday, September 18.  

Message from PA President, Angela Tolosa


Hello UNIS Families!


Welcome back to the new 2022-23 academic year! Please join us for an in-person meeting on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 from 8:25am-9:25am at the UNIS Cafe. Dr. Brenner will provide remarks. Coffee/refreshments will be served.


Friendly or upcoming events including new JS family fun days this Saturday and a MS family picnic this Sunday. Fliers for these events can be found in this shared folder: 2022-23 UNIS PA Documents for Parents


Have a fantastic end to the first week of school. Hope to see some of you at this weekend events or at the PA meeting!


Best regards

Angela

--


Angela Tolosa | PA President  

angela.tolosa@pa.unis.org  | 646-797-7432

https://www.unis.org/school-life/parents-association

United Nations International School 

REMINDER: MASK WEARING AT SCHOOL

At this time, mask wearing while on campus is optional and the discretion of your family. Be assured that all JS students whose families choose to have them remain masked at school will be fully supported by our faculty and staff.

If your child will wear a mask at school be sure you have packed at least 2 spare masks in a clean bag in your child's backpack, as well as an extra bag to hold used masks. 

REMINDER: UNIS IS AN ALLERGY AWARE SCHOOL

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.

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 from home. 

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 for schoolwork to be sent home.

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.

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