Dear parents,

Remembering is a gift from the past, a way to hold on to important moments in our life. Remembering is a journey through time and a chance to relive the memories of those we hold dear. Remembering is joyful, a celebration of life, a way to hold on to the love and happiness that is meaningful to us.

Remembering is also a responsibility no one should dismiss. Remembering events of the past that make today and tomorrow's humanity feel shame is a moral imperative. It is a call to action, a reminder of the atrocities that occurred and the devastation they wrought on countless lives. As the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. said, "To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

But to remember, we need to learn: learning is crucial to remembering. It is through learning that we acquire the knowledge and understanding that we need to remember important events, ideas, and people. We must actively seek out and engage with knowledge so that we can understand, remember, and make sense of those memories: learning allows us to see the connections and patterns of the past, and to understand the significance and meaning of events and experiences. It is through learning that we are able to remember the past and acknowledge the atrocities that occurred, and that is necessary to prevent them from happening again.

When it comes to racism and discrimination, the past is not so far away. The legacy of slavery, segregation, and discrimination continues to shape the present, and unless we remember it and confront it, it will continue to shape the future. It is painful to remember the violence and injustice that people of color, and more specifically Black people, have faced for centuries, but remembering is necessary in order to create a better world.

One of the challenges of education is to allow our students to build an understanding of a world where harmless facts of science, history, music, and much more, collide with painful facts, often historical. And this is no easy process, empowering students to learn, remember, and still be protected from a complex world with multiple, shifting faces, mostly wonderful but sometimes... evil. Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. is, therefore, an opportunity for our students to be confronted with this dual reality: the world can hurt, the world may take the lives of those who stand up for peace, respect, and tolerance, but the world can also witness the emergence of true leaders who can change it for good. Yes, we can. 

Last week, our students began reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and legacy. This coming week our students will join together to celebrate the memory of Dr. King and celebrate his actions against discrimination. And through this process, many of our students have and will learn.

This past Thursday, Ms. Urieli brought Ethan to my office. She wanted me to spend a moment with him. Ethan has never been shy to smile. As I shared with his parents once, every time I see Ethan in the hallway or in his classroom, he makes me feel that I am important to him. I always want my students to know how important they are to me, but Ethan is so generous, kind, polite, and expressive, he never misses an opportunity to express that he cares about me too and that I matter to him. But on Thursday, Ethan was not happy. He was sad, anxious and felt hurt. He told me his story. It was not an incident on the playground. It was not a conflict with a friend. Nobody called him names or tried to hurt his feelings. On Thursday, Ethan reminded all of us that history can cause pain today, that even if we do not have tears in our eyes when looking back to the past, we should challenge ourselves today and be sure that we never get used to it. Ethan reminded all of us that our world is not only peaceful and joyful, but that it can be evil. To see this realization unfolding in Ethan's eyes was an intense moment for the educators that Ms. Urieli and I are. Ethan, in collaboration with his mother, shares with all of us, his important and difficult moment of learning here. I am very, very proud of Ethan.

On Friday, Ethan and his friends invited me, along with Ms. Camilo, to listen to a poem they had learned that same day. Ethan led the group. With pride and conviction, and with the support of his friends, he transformed his fear into action to overcome and to be part of the change that will make the world more peaceful and tolerant. Ethan did not let his fear, sadness and stress lead his journey, he took control instead and, learned by heart, recited this poem of hope celebrating the change that we can all be a part of:

Ethan and his friends will share this poem with everyone in Junior School during our assemblies this week celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. 

The power of change is undeniable. It is the force that drives progress, the engine that powers the evolution of societies and civilizations. Change can be difficult, it can be uncomfortable, and it can be scary, but it is also necessary for growth. Looking at Ethan and his friends, I remember Mahatma Gandhi's lesson: "Be the change you wish to see in the world". Change starts with each one of us and, if we want to see the world change, it starts with our actions and choices. We must remember the past in order to create a future that is free from discrimination and racism. But remembering is not enough. We must also take action. 

It is not enough to be outraged by the atrocities of the past, we must also work to dismantle the systems of oppression that still exist today. I call on everyone in our community to fight for a world where all people are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic.

Ethan teaches us that remembering the past is not easy, but it is necessary. It is a call to action, a reminder that the world can be evil too. We must remember so that we can create a better world, one where all people are treated with respect and dignity. As King said, "The time is always right to do what is right." Let us remember the past and work to create a better future. Together.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

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

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

IMPORTANT DISMISSAL REMINDER

Remember to update your own calendars and School Dismissal Manager (SDM) to reflect changes in your JS child's Semester 2 After School Athletics and After School schedule, as well as their school bus ridership.

In order for your child to attend an Athletics and After School class beginning on or after February 6, or ride the Yellow Bus home on any particular day, your child's SDM account must indicate that they are authorized by you to attend that specific activity, or ride the bus home, on that date. 

Dismissing teachers and Athletics and After School instructors follow the instructions that you, the parents, have entered and authorized in School Dismissal Manager for that day. 

• • Friday, February 3 | Semester 1 Report Cards Published 5:00pm 

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

  • Monday, February 6 | Semester 2 After School & Athletics Activities Begin - Registration links are in this newsletter (Remember to update School Dismissal Manager "SDM" with your child's new Semester 2 after school activity schedule & bus ridership)

  • Tuesday, February 14 | JS Bake Sale (details in this newsletter)

  • Thursday, February 16 & Friday, February 17 & Monday, February 20 | No Classes for Students / President's Day Break

  • Tuesday, February 21 | Classes Resume

  • Wednesday, February 22 | Nepal Club Auction (details in this newsletter)

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

  • Tuesday, March 7 | JS Parent Coffee 8:30am (save the date)

CELEBRATIONS OF LEARNING 

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 by homeroom teachers, but in the meantime our students are preparing for these special projects: 

• PK - Friendship Celebrations during week of February 13

• JA -  Friendship Celebrations during week of February 13

• J1 - Author's Reading in May

• J2 - Wax Museum in May 

• J3 - Biomes in April

• J4 - Nature's Fury on February 1

In the Junior School, we have a "no toys policy": No toys, electronic games, candy, cards, gum, money or other valuable items are to be brought to school unless there is a specific request by a teacher. This includes fidget spinners, Pokemon cards, Lego, etc.. This rule is reinforced on the bus, the playground, the classroom and any other shared spaces at UNIS. However, students may be allowed to bring toys based on a specific class project or special event at the specific request of their teachers.

Recently we have noticed several students bringing PANINI CARDS (soccer cards) to school, and some of them are trading those cards, which has created conflicts between the students. Please discuss the school's "no toys" policy and remind your children to not bring their PANINI CARDS to school.

On January 11, the J1 students and teachers went on a music field trip to Carnegie Hall. The students were prepared. ln music class,  they had practiced the songs from the artists that were performing. As soon as we were “ seated,” we got up and sang together with 400 other students. In the “Music Explorers” program we listened and sang to the music from Yacouba, a musician from Mali who played the Kora, then to Quiana who sang Gullah music , and then we learned how this African American music style traveled to the Bronx and became hip-hop and beatboxing. 

Soul Science Lab had us up and dancing.

Ms. Barton danced as she had not done in years she said and it sure looked like it! Making music together in this iconic Music Hall was an event the students and teachers will remember for a long time to  come. In the words of Yasha “This was the best best concert ever ever!”

And on the way back to school the bus driver gave us a big smile when we gave him a hand made “Thank you" card.

Our students made cards for the artists and Carnegie Hall Director as well! UNIS ROCKED TODAY.

Truike Boekholt | JS Music Teacher

play:science & design engineering

UNIS Spring Break Camp JA, J1, J2 Students

March 27th - 31st, 2023

Join Ms Zammarano in the CoLaboratory Jr. for a week of play through science and design engineering experiences. Every day a new theme will be introduced and experienced through play and the design process. 

Monday: Dash & Dot Robots vs Humans

Tuesday: Paper Engineering

Wednesday: Coding Basics

Thursday: Biomimicry Design Solutions

Friday: Simple Circuits

The daily schedule will follow the design process model where the students will all be introduced to a 1) Problem to Solve, 2) Brainstorm solutions, 3) Design and Prototype, 4) Build, 5) Iterate and get Feedback finally 6) Share the Process with each other. 

8:30 - 9:00 - Settle in to camp, free play

9:00 - 10:00 - Daily Problem to Solve and Brainstorm Solutions through guided structured lessons

10:00 - 10:30 - Snack and short outside play

10:30 - 11:45 - Design and Prototype (Guided and independent work)

11:45 - 12:45 - Lunch and long outside play

12:45 - 1:45 - Build (Guided and independent work)

1:45 - 2:30 - Iterate / Test (Guided and independent work)

2:30 - 3:00 - Feedback 

3:00 - 3:30 - Share Closing circle

Students will each get their own prototyping notebook and bring home design solutions - make sure you keep room for their creations at home! 

Snack and Lunch is not provided by the school, please plan on packing these for them. 

Cost for the week: $750

Please note, in order to run the camp we need a minimum of 11 children and a max of 18.

By Friday, February 3rd, please state your interest in this camp by both:

1. emailing fzammarano@unis.org , and 

2. completing this Interest Survey

Thank you and looking forward to playing:science & de with your kiddos!

Links to registration for the 2nd Semester After School Program are listed below. If interested, we invite you to register as soon as possible.

Semester 2 begins on February 6. All activities are subject to enrollment, and confirmations and cancellations will be sent by mid-January.

• AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM   LINK to Registration  - JS Schedule

• CARE PROGRAM   LINK to Registration  - CARE PROGRAM Protocols   (JA-J4 from 3-6PM - Monday through Friday - Limited space - Registration on Flat Fees)

Questions: Dr. Lidana Jalilvand  | Director of Special Programs | afterschoolprogram@unis.org

After School and Weekend Sports Registration

Registration is now open for the Semester 2 After School and Weekend Sports Program. The information can be found on the UNIS Athletics Website.

The Schedule is the same as Semester 1 with a few new activity additions:

Monday to Friday JS Sports from 4:00 - 5:00 pm

Tuesday MS Pickleball

Tuesday and Wednesday M4-T4 Strength & Conditioning 

Thursday PK-J1 Climbing

Friday Parent Zumba 

Saturday Gymnastics

Questions: Daniel O'Connor | Director of Athletics and Physical Education | doconnor@unis.org

Sports Camps Registration

Registration is also open for the upcoming Sports Camps. The information can be found on the UNIS Athletics Website.

Camps take place at UNIS for JS to T4 Students at the following times:

February Break

Spring Break

Summer Break

October Break

Winter Break starting in 2023

In keeping with the theme of UNIS - “Greening the Blue”, we would like to invite you to a Green guide training. This training will last around 20 minutes. And will focus on how to sort waste. If you’re interested in learning about this, please join us at UNIS on Wednesday, 18 of February, at 8:20 AM.

Abhilasha, Saima, Ellen | Social Responsibility Committee

Nepal Club Auction - Wednesday, February 22 at 6:00 p.m. 

After a three year sabbatical due to COVID, the Nepal Club’s annual T3 Service-based Nepal trip is back!  Nepal ClubT3 students  journey to Nepal to teach at an underprivileged school and sightsee around Kathmandu, Nagarkot, and Pokhara. Students will be immersed in the Nepali culture and make lifelong memories.

To give back to the community that is hosting us, we are hosting the Nepal Club's first-ever Live Auction! Did you know that just $100 provides one Nepalese student lunch for an entire year?

Mark your calendar and join us 

Wednesday, February 22, 2023 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at UNIS.

Stay tuned for more details, auction items, entertainment and more!!!

LUNAR NEW YEAR

We are pleased to announce that we are sold out! 

If you have a ticket, and would like to volunteer please sign up here. Looking forward to celebrating the Lunar New Year with all of you!

Abhilasha and Sabrina

Bake Sale on February 14 

Join us for this Junior School tradition to celebrate Friendship Day on February 14, 2023!

• Families will be invited to sign up to bring in baked goods on Tuesday, February 14.

• Students will come with their homerooms to visit the Bake Sale and purchase baked goods. 

• Students will bring a reusable container and $5 on the day of the Bake Sale.

• All proceeds will be used to fund PA activities supporting our children and the school.

• The PA is seeking parent volunteers to help on the day of the sale. Please contact the JS Coordinators at pa_jscoordinators@pa.unis.org, if interested.

• More details to follow.

JS Parent Coffee on School Lunch 

If you were not able to join us on Tuesday, January 10 for the JS Parent Coffee on the topic of School Lunch, you can view the presentation here: 

•  Recording of JS Parent Coffee - January 10, 2023 

Save the Date: The next JS Parent Coffee is scheduled for Tuesday, March 7 at 8:30am

LAST CHANCE: Virtual Fundraising for City Harvest by UNIS Community Ends January 16 

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)

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. 

COVID PROTOCOLS

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

• they 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.

Please review the full protocols on our website https://www.unis.org/covid-protocols." 

HEALTH PROTOCOLS

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.