Newsletter #11

Dear parents, 

Every year, I take the opportunity of a short week ahead of us to quote Blaise Pascal, the famous French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher whose contribution to the research in Mathematics and Epistemology is outstanding. Not because Pascal, one of our JAW students, and I share the same name, but because he wrote in 1656 in The Provincial Letter, Letter XVI: “The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter." It has always been one of my favorite quotes to justify a Weekly Newsletter that will be... short. 

I therefore take this opportunity to enjoy the privilege, and the leisure, to use this Newsletter to invite all of you to join Jen and Germain at UNIS for the JS Talent Show on Saturday, December 3 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm. Everyone is invited! We are expecting a large public to attend and encourage the students from JA to J4 who have signed up to perform in a show that will shake Broadway!

Watch the video below shared by Jen and Germain as they share tips with the artists... and explain why it is so important for a large public to join our talented students! 

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• • Monday, November 21 | World Cup Spirit Day! I Wear a jersey to school if you love soccer

  • Tuesday, November 22 | Care Program, After School Activities, Languages & Athletics will run as regularly scheduled

  • Wednesday, November 23 - Friday, November 25 | School Closed / Thanksgiving Break

See the PA's section of this newsletter for PA-sponsored events  & information.

• • Wednesday, November 30 | JS Parent Coffee - Science & Design Engineering (Cafe 8:30-9:25) 

  • Saturday, December 3 | JS Talent Show 3:00 - 5:00pm (details in this newsletter)

  • December 5 - December 9 | Toy & Book Sale Collections (Lobby 8:00 - 8:30 am)

  • Tuesday, December 13 | Toy & Book Sale (details in this newsletter)

  • Monday, December 19 - Monday, January 2 | No Classes for Students / Winter Break

  • Tuesday, January 3 | Classes Resume

  • Monday, January 16 | School Closed / Martin Luther King Jr. Day

  • Thursday, February 16 - Monday, February 20 | No Classes for Students / President's Day Break

  • Thursday, February 23 - Friday, February 24 | No Yellow Bus Service (update SDM)

As the Thanksgiving break approaches, we would like to remind everyone about health protocols to keep in mind when we return on Monday, November 28:

• When your child is sick with runny nose, cough, stomach ache, fever, headache, etc. there is no expectation from the Junior School that they should attend class 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 your child had any symptoms that could be consistent with COVID, they need to remain at home and take a rapid test. Students can return to school under the following conditions:

  • • they have tested negative on a rapid antigen

    • are afebrile for at least 24 hours

    • their symptoms have resolved or are greatly improving

    • If your child's test is positive, please email a picture of the test to covid@unis.org.

You may review the full protocols on our website COVID & Health Protocols. 

Thank you for supporting the entire UNIS community by keeping your children at home when they are not well. 

When your child will be absent, please email your homeroom teacher before 8:00am with a copy to jsattendance@unis.org . We also encourage families to update SDM in order to alert all other departments, especially After School activities and Transportation.

Wishing you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving break with friends and family.

Today, when working with some of my youngest students, I noticed something remarkable that a JA child had added to his tree painting. This lesson, the "Tree Painting" is well known as a lesson that teaches structure. In the painting the child uses three different sized paint brushes to construct the trunk, add the branches, and finish with the twigs. The JA artists then go on to add to the painting considering the weather and place where the tree is growing. 

One little boy had completed the structure of his tree and then went on to add a ladder in orange, creating a fort attached to the tree branches. What caught my eye was a red line that this young artist added, weaving this last bit, linking the parts with spaces that clearly establish a foreground and a background. At the top of the painting, this young artist has painted two standing figures that hang upside down from the top of the paper, one is red and the other is blue, they are clearly having a conversation and sharing blue and red bits of paint. 

These precious moments are the reasons I love my job.

Anne Dohna, JS Art Teacher

The J2 Spanish Language B students had a fantastic time on their field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week. For some of them it was the first time riding the yellow school bus! 

The students enjoyed taking a tour and learning about paintings and sculptures connected to their Identity unit. Students worked on descriptions of the people in the paintings using adjectives, verbs and grammar structures learned in Spanish classes. They explored and learned about Spanish and other artists such as Pablo Picasso (describing the "Seated Harlequin" and "La Coiffure"), Edgar Degas (describing "The Little Fourteen Year Old Dancer"), Edouard Manet (describing "A Matador") and Gustav Klimt (describing "Mäda Primavese"). 

We had lunch on the famous stairs of the museum by the Dancing Fountains before heading back to UNIS. 

Noemi Montero, JS Spanish Teacher

J4s will receive two individual MAP family reports this school year (one for the Fall MAP test and one for the MAP Spring test). The first initial report will be sent by December 1, 2022, and will provide the initial data for Math and Reading for this academic year. 

New J4 students and J3 students will not receive a Semester 1 report because the recent fall assessment was their first date point. They will receive it after they have a second assessment in Spring, so that the report can be generated. 

UPCOMING PA EVENT

Junior School Parent Coffee - Science & Design Engineering 

Wednesday, November 30 at 8:30am in the Cafe

Join Ms. Zammarano, Mr. Alvez and Ms. Mourlot for an interactive session to learn about our NEW Design Engineering and Science Curriculum! 

This Parent Coffee will take place in person in the cafeteria from 8:30 - 9:20am. 

If you cannot be on campus that morning, the Coffee will also be live streamed (a link will be shared in the next newsletter).

If you have questions for the faculty, please send them in advance to: pa_jscoordinators@pa.unis.org

 JS BOOKS & TOY SALE: Tuesday, December 13 (Donation period: December 5-9)

• Save the date for the return of this UNIS classic event! We are now including Books for the sale!

• Parents/students bring in gently used books and toys that they would like to donate from Monday (12/5) to Friday (12/9) between 8-8:30am. Drop off in the school lobby.

• Books and toy sale will take place on Tuesday (December 13). Students will visit the sale with their homeroom.

• Items will be sold at nominal amounts ($1, $2, $3 or $5). Please send in some money with your children so they can participate in real life purchase decisions and can work on their math skills. Proceeds from the sale will go towards activities that the PA will organize for the children and the school.

• Unsold items will be donated before the holidays.

• We’re also looking for parent volunteers to help with toy collection and storage during 12/5 - 12/9 between 8-8:30 am daily, as well as the toy sale on 12/13 from 8:30 am – 1:00 pm. Please email pa_jscoordinators@pa.unis.org with your availability if you’re interested.

UNIS VIDEO LIBRARY

If you missed a meeting or want to review what you remember from a past meeting, UNIS maintains a library of recordings available at https://vimeo.com/unisny.  Some highlights include a Fireside Chat with the Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and a recent This is Junior School video. 

ARCHIVE

New2UNIS If you’d like to meet other parents - new or current to UNIS- sign up for the New2UNIS listserv at new2unis@unis.org Follow us on Instagram too!  

Publicize your Business or Seek Services - UNIS marketplace. Submit your business description, website and image on this form to publicize. Scroll through services here. 

Never too late to volunteer with the PA. Submit your interest here. 

Buy UNIS merch online. Visit https://store.unis.org/ And if you want to join the UNIS PA swag team, email unis@unispa.org. 

A big thank you to the UNiS community for coming together and making the clothing and shoe drive for the newly arrived migrants to NYC,  a huge success. Please rest assured that each of your contributions has landed in hands that really need it right now. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of people who have come here with nothing, except a dream to live a better life.

If you still wish to contribute, here is the link to an Amazon wish list.

ACCEPTING SHIPMENTS:

ATTN: Ms Collins 281 9th Avenue New York, NY 10001

If you wish to be part of an ongoing effort to help more migrant families, please feel free to join this WhatsApp group.

Please find below some photos from the Drive

In gratitude,

Abhilasha, Saima, Ellen, UNiS Social Responsibility Committee

Outdoor Activity & Recess Policy During Cold Weather

As winter approaches, please be sure your child is dressed for outdoor play every day, with a warm coat, sweatshirt, gloves and hat as needed.

UNIS JS follows the Dept of Health guidelines for outdoor play: "New York City Department of Health Guidelines regarding outdoor play in cold weather policy states “Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. Unless it is snowing or there is ice on the playground low temperatures should not be a barrier to outside play, as long as children are appropriately dressed. The City’s Health Department strongly encourages principals to maintain outdoor play periods on the vast majority of winter days.”

Recommendations are as follows: If the wind chill factor is above 20 degrees, it is safe to play outside. If the wind chill factor is 0-20, outside play is advised provided that students are appropriately dressed and under observation to make sure that they are wearing their coats, hats and gloves." 

From:  New York City Department of Education and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

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 at 8:15 and proceed directly to their homeroom. 

PK, JA and J1 are expected to arrive at 8:20 and proceed directly to their homeroom.

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

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

IF YOU GO TO THE CAFETERIA BEFORE DROPPING OFF YOUR CHILD

• Legal guardians may access the school building to wait near the drop-off zone, and remain in the company of their children until the announcement is made for students to line up with their classes at 8:15 (J2/J3/J4) or 8:20 (PreK, JA, J1).

• Legal guardians may access the school building to sit in the cafeteria, beginning at 7:30 am, and remain in the company of their children until the announcement is made for students to walk independently to their classes at 8:15 (J2/J3/J4) or to line up outside Staircase D to meet their teachers and walk to their classrooms at 8:20 (PreK, JA, J1).

• Legal guardians may remain in the cafeteria until 9:00 am.

• Legal guardians who arrive earlier than 8:15/8:20 in order to have breakfast in the cafeteria must supervise their children at all times while on the premises until an announcement is made for students to line up with their teachers or proceed directly to their classrooms (dependent upon grade). 

• At no time is playground access permitted for students being supervised by their guardians. Playground access is reserved solely for students arriving by Yellow Bus who are in the care of school personnel.

• At no time may legal guardians enter the 2nd floor or access any classrooms.

• Legal guardians and students are expected to arrive at the campus no later than the arrival time for their grade as shared by the school's administration. Late arrivals impact the efficiency of our protocols designed for smooth transitions, as well as to detract from our community's safety. Families are strongly encouraged to ensure that their child(ren) arrives at UNIS at the time assigned for their grade, and no earlier or later.

• Students arriving at school by bus will be welcomed and supervised in the playground.

• J2, J3 and J4 students arriving at 8:15 am walk independently to their classrooms. If J2, J3 and J4 students have arrived earlier and are in the cafeteria supervised by their legal guardians, an announcement will be made at 8:15 for those students to proceed to their classrooms independently using Staircase D.

• J1 students arriving at 8:20 walk independently to their classrooms. If J1 students have arrived earlier and are in the cafeteria supervised by their legal guardians, an announcement will be made at 8:20 for those students to line up outside Staircase D with their legal guardians and then proceed to their classrooms independently.

• PK and JA are welcomed by their teachers at 8:20 at Staircase D and proceed directly to their classrooms. 

• PK and JA students who are in the cafeteria being supervised by their legal guardians will hear an announcement at 8:20 to meet their teachers at Staircase D to proceed to their classroom.

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:

• Log in to Veracross

• Click on Household Information

• Update Household Profile by clicking on Contacts for My Children and +Add New

• Enter that caregiver’s details under the Contacts section (add as many additional contacts and caregivers as you need)

• Next, grant the contacts Pickup Authorization as needed by clicking on Pickup Authorization on the right and +Add New.

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.

• PK and JA are dismissed by their teachers at 2:45 pm

• J1 and J2 are dismissed by their teachers at 2:50 pm

• J3 and J4 are dismissed by their teachers at 3:00 pm

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.

• Parents/legal guardians arriving on time at school for dismissal can pick up their child at designated areas indicated in the Dismissal Map.

• After JS dismissal and before 5:45pm: parents may pick up their child in the cafeteria by following the directions given by the security guards.

• Parents are required to indicate in the note field in SDM the identity of the parent/caregiver who will pick up their child, providing both the first and last name as it appears on that person’s identification. This information needs to be accurate on any given day. If the information is not provided correctly by the family, but the parent/caregiver is registered as a parent or an authorized caregiver in Veracross, and UNIS personnel are able to verify that information, the student will be allowed to leave with him/her. This information is required at dismissal as well as when the pick-up is scheduled after an After School, Care Program or Athletic activity.

• Parents are required to list all caregivers/babysitters on the portal in Veracross. Security will not allow entrance to caregivers/babysitters who are undocumented/not listed in Veracross. To avoid delay and complications at pick-up, please make sure to maintain an updated list of all caregivers/babysitters in Veracross on the portal. In case of an emergency, parents are required to call and email the JS Office or After School program (depending on the pick up time) providing the full name of the individual who is picking up their child and confirming that that person will carry a government issued photo ID.

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).

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.

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. 

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

• Birthdays will continue to be acknowledged and celebrated in the JS Homeroom and/or with the Mother Tongue group. 

• Students may bring a special food treat for themself from home on their birthday to enjoy at snack or lunch time.

• Instead of bringing food treats from home to be shared with classmates, the birthday student may choose from a menu of fun activities offered by the Homeroom or MT teacher for the class to participate in together. The activities will be age-appropriate and vary by grade.

• At the discretion of the Homeroom teacher, there may be individual celebrations for each student, or there may be grouped, monthly birthday celebrations. 

• Details about the birthday celebration policy for your child’s homeroom will be discussed in more detail with parents at Back to School Night on September 28.

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 if they aren't disposable. 

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.