Newsletter #15

Dear parents,

For this first Newsletter of 2023, I would like to reflect with you on the right of girls to education. There have been many women throughout history who have stood up for women's rights and worked to promote gender equality. Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) was a pioneer in the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She was a key leader in the fight for women's right to vote, and played a central role in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) was an African American abolitionist and women's rights activist. She is best known for her "Ain't I a Woman?" speech, in which she argued for the rights and dignity of all women, including black women. Malala Yousafzai (1997-present) is a Pakistani education activist and Nobel laureate. She gained international attention after being shot by the Taliban for advocating for the right of girls to education in Pakistan. Since then, she has continued to campaign for the education of girls around the world. Gloria Steinem (1934-present) is an American feminist and social justice activist. She is a leading figure in the women's liberation movement and has worked to advance the rights of women and girls for more than five decades. These are just a few examples of the many women who have stood up for women's rights throughout history. There are many others who have made significant contributions to the fight for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. In March 2021, we also celebrated 11 women in our Weekly Newsletter.

There have been a number of key moments in history when girls have made significant progress in terms of access to education and equal rights. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many countries began to establish public education systems that were open to girls as well as boys. This marked a major shift from the traditional model of education, which was largely limited to boys from wealthy families. During the 20th century, the feminist movement and other social justice movements around the world played a significant role in advocating for girls' education and equal rights. This led to the adoption of numerous international agreements and conventions that recognized the importance of girls' education, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Education for All goals. In the 21st century, there have been a number of initiatives and campaigns focused on promoting girls' education, such as the Malala Fund and the "Let Girls Learn" initiative launched by the United States government. These efforts have helped to raise awareness of the importance of girls' education and to make progress toward increasing access to education for girls around the world.

For UNICEF, "investing in girls’ education transforms communities, countries and the entire world. Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families. Girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals – including boys and men – the opportunity to fulfil their potential. But education for girls is about more than access to school. It’s also about girls feeling safe in classrooms and supported in the subjects and careers they choose to pursue – including those in which they are often under-represented."

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an estimated 129 million girls worldwide are not in school. This includes both primary and secondary education: 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower-secondary school age, and 67 million of upper-secondary school age. In countries affected by conflict, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than girls living in non-affected countries. The World Bank reports that in 2019, 58 countries had not achieved gender parity in primary education. This means that there was a significant disparity in the number of boys and girls enrolled in primary school in these countries. The Organization believes that "both individuals and countries benefit from girls’ education. Better educated women tend to be more informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, marry at a later age, and their children are usually healthier, should they choose to become mothers. They are more likely to participate in the formal labor market and earn higher incomes. A recent World Bank study estimates that the limited educational opportunities for girls, and barriers to completing 12 years of education, cost countries between US$15 trillion1 and $30 trillion in lost lifetime productivity and earnings. All these factors combined can help lift households, communities, and countries out of poverty."

Girls' education is important for supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations because it is a key factor in promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls. When girls have access to education, they are more likely to have better health outcomes, higher income potential, and increased decision-making power within their families and communities. This can lead to a range of positive social and economic benefits for both individuals and society as a whole.

In May 2021, we discussed in our Weekly Newsletter the story of the "Green-eyed Afghan", Sharbat Gula who was orphaned following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, forcing her to flee to Pakistan in 1984. Her village was attacked by Soviet helicopters in the early 1980s. The Soviet attack killed her parents and forced her, along with her siblings and grandmother, to cross the border into the mountainous tribal areas of North Waziristan and South Waziristan, and to reach the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan.

This Newsletter was a response to the tragedy that took place at the gate of Sayed Al-Shuhada school in Afghanistan on May 8, 2021 which reminded all of us that the right to an education is a privilege that not everyone has access to, but a privilege that we should all fight for. 

When the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, they imposed strict rules on all aspects of life in the country, including education. The Taliban believed that education, especially for girls, was against the teachings of Islam and therefore banned it for girls beyond the age of eight. During the Taliban's rule, girls were not allowed to attend school and many schools for girls were shut down or converted into other buildings. After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, there were significant efforts to rebuild the education system in Afghanistan and improve access to education for girls. The Afghan government, with the support of the international community, made efforts to increase the number of schools and improve the quality of education. Despite these efforts, education for girls in Afghanistan continued to be a challenge due to a variety of factors, including cultural and societal barriers, lack of access to schools, and financial constraints. In September 2021, Taliban officials said they will not return to past fundamentalist policies - including a ban on girls receiving an education - when they last ruled Afghanistan. They promised that girls will be able to study - but only in segregated classrooms. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the local Bakhtar News Agency at that time that arrangements were being made to reopen girls' secondary schools but he gave no date... We know now that they have not kept their promise.

Ismail Mashal, a university professor from Kabul, ripped up one of his university diplomas during a live appearance on TOLO TV in a video posted on social media on December 27. He is one of the thousands of men who are joining the movement identified with the protest slogan "Teach Everyone Or No One", slogan born in Nangarhar, and quickly spread to provinces around the country, including Herat, Logar, and Takhar. The goal is to allow girls in Afghanistan to access education without discrimination. Meanwhile, the United Nations has stood against the university ban. Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan have criticized the move. Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has urged the “Afghan authorities to revisit this decision."

In Afghanistan, the problem of education for girls is a problem for everyone because it affects the country's overall development and progress. Girls who are denied an education are more likely to face a lifetime of poverty and disadvantage, which can perpetuate the cycle of underdevelopment in the country. Ensuring that girls have access to education is, therefore, essential for the overall well-being and prosperity of Afghanistan.

There are still a number of countries where girls face significant barriers to education, and where their right to education is not fully recognized or protected. Some of the factors that can contribute to this include poverty, conflict and violence, discrimination and social norms that prioritize the education of boys over girls. In these and other countries, girls may be less likely to attend school due to a lack of schools or teachers, financial barriers, cultural or religious beliefs that discourage girls from attending school, or insecurity and safety concerns.

While we are walking our children to school this Tuesday, I invite everyone to reflect on the right to education and the privilege our children have, privileges inaccessible to millions of children, boys and girls. The question with which I start this new year with the Junior School community is not to wonder if we should do something about it, but what we should do and when. I am inviting any parents working at the UN, UNICEF, the World Bank, or any organization working on the issue of girls without access to education to reach out to the Junior School Office. 

With this quote, the Anglo-Irish statesman, economist, and philosopher suggests that when faced with injustice or wrongdoing, it is important for people to take action and speak out, rather than remaining passive or indifferent. It suggests that by doing nothing, we allow negative forces to prevail and make it more likely that harm will be done. The situation of girls' deprived right to access education is a call to moral responsibility and a reminder that we all have a role to play in creating a better world.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

• • Tuesday, January 3 | Classes Resume on Tuesday

  • Tuesday, January 3 | Update your child's SDM dismissal plans for January

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

• • Tuesday, January 10 | JS Parent Coffee: School Lunch  8:30-9:20 in Cafe (details in this newsletter)

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

  • Saturday, February 4 | Lunar New Year Celebration (details in this newsletter)

  • 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)

CELEBRATIONS OF LEARNING - SAVE THE DATES

Each JS grade is looking forward to sharing their learning with parents during the 2nd half of the school year. Exact dates will be shared with you soon, but in the meantime our students are preparing for these special projects: 

• PK - Winter Buildings in February

• JA -  Winter Buildings in February

• J1 - Author's Reading in May

• J2 - Wax Museum in May 

• J3 - Biomes in April

• J4 - Nature's Fury in January 

Congratulations to Ms. Rose Fico, her Animal Rights Club students (the A Squad), and all their supporters for raising a whopping $1070 with their bake and crafts sale. We are so proud of everyone who joined in to support the cause and especially Ms. Fico for spreading her enthusiasm for animal rights throughout the UNIS community.

A big thank you to Mindy Tan, Sue Jing, Zhenzhen Huang and Conwell Tam who led a team of hardworking volunteers who made the JS Toy and Book Sale a huge success!

The team did a tremendous job in terms of planning and organization, and the physical labor it took to collect and sort the generous donations for a full week (thank you to everyone who donated!) and set up the sale tables. The sale days ran very smoothly thanks to great planning and both our faculty and students thoroughly enjoyed their shopping experiences!

Thank you PA! You have the gratitude of the Junior School for making this event a huge success.

This limited edition 75th Anniversary weekender tote is the perfect UNIS accessory! Made of 24 oz. cotton canvas, and includes a front pocket, top zippered closure, and 30-inch handles, it's the perfect weekend getaway bag or carry-on for your upcoming holiday travels. The best part is that it is just $20! Shop now.

For all our UNIS gear, check out the UNICORN STORE.  

Virtual Fundraising for City Harvest by UNIS Community - November 14th, 2022 to January 16th, 2023

Here is the link to the virtual Drive:

Thank you for your compassion, generosity, and support for the UNIS City Harvest Drive. For more information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Social Responsibility Committee Co-Chairs:

• Abhilasha Mahan (Abhilasha.mahan@pa.unis.org)

• Ellen Nidy (Ellen.nidy@pa.unis.org)

• Saima Faruqui (Saima.Faruqui@pa.unis.org)

Junior School Parent Coffee

• Parent Coffee: School Lunch - Tuesday, January 10 at 8:30 - 9:20 am 

Join us on Tuesday, January 10 at 8:30am in the Cafe for the next JS Parent Coffee on the topic of School Lunch. Join Tara Marcelle from FLIK DINING and the Administration Team to learn about lunch and lunch routines in the cafeteria. 

Lunar New Year - Saturday, February 4

UNISPA Cultural Committee invites you to bring in the Lunar New Year with us to celebrate the arrival of spring and the year of the Rabbit!

It is the time to reunite with the family and we would like to come together with our UNIS Family! Join us at UNIS  on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 4 - 7pm

Tickets are $25 per person and free for kids 4 and under. Buy your tickets here: https://www.unis.org/cf_forms/view.cfm?formID=901

To usher in a year full of abundance, good luck and fortune, there will be a food feast, Lion dance, Korean dances, student led musical Performances, lantern making, calligraphy and more….

We are excited to see you all in person!

Abhilasha & Sabrina

Cultural Committee Co-Chairs

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

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. 

We would like to remind everyone about our health protocols:

• 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.

Outdoor Activity & Recess Policy During Cold Weather

Throughout the winter season, 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 were 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.