Dear parents,

This week, the Junior School honored and celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. with moving and thoughtful assemblies led by our students. Junior School students of the Equity and Inclusion Board shared important speeches and quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. and, with the support of high school students, explored the origin of Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" song. 

The song was a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., released in 1981 as a single from the album "Hotter Than July," and it was written to support the campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday in the United States. The song was a commercial success, reaching the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It also helped to raise awareness for the campaign and played a role in the eventual establishment of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday in 1983. The song's lyrics celebrate King's life and legacy and also reflect Wonder's views on issues of civil rights and social justice. It is widely considered a classic and iconic song symbolizing the Civil Rights Movement and the fight for equality in the US.

In addition, the students introduced the "Birthday Box" project, where students create boxes filled with gifts and items needed to celebrate a birthday, such as a cake, decorations, and party favors. These boxes are intended for children having a hard time celebrating their birthdays for socioeconomic reasons, those whose families may not be able to afford to purchase these items themselves. The idea behind the project is to provide the opportunity for other children to have a happy and memorable birthday and to promote a sense of community and support for families facing financial challenges. It is a way for students to give back and help create positive memories for children whose families might not otherwise have the means to celebrate their birthdays in a special way. More information from our EIB students is below.

The PreKs were also part of the event with very beautiful words that they shared on stage for everyone to hear and see. Amazing!

Our EIB students prepared and presented to baskets for each homeroom containing items to explore the cultural diversity of our world. High School students and teachers played music and everyone sang "We Shall Overcome," creating a magical moment of celebration and learning. It was a reminder of the importance of continuing the work of Martin Luther King Jr. in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, leading non-violent protests and advocating for the equality of African Americans. He played a crucial role in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, helping to end segregation and discrimination against black people in the United States. Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. allows us to remember and honor his contributions to American society and to continue to strive towards the goals of equality and justice for all people. Additionally, it is a way to educate future generations about the history of Civil Rights Movement and the importance of diversity, inclusion, and non-violence.

Congratulations to our EIB students and Ms. Truike Boekholt for organizing this remarkable assembly! Do not hesitate to click on the video to see pictures from the event and listen to the PreK, JA, and J1s singing. We feel privileged to be able to share these experiences with our students, your children.

Pascal Vallet, Junior School Principal

Alessandra Camilo, Junior School Assistant Principal

What are Birthday Boxes?

• Use plain white boxes (ask a bakery if they could donate some). 

• We also have some boxes available if needed in the JS storage room. You can recycle a box.

• You will decorate the boxes with coloring, stickers, or any or anyway you can think of, be creative!

• You put cake mix, frosting, candles, balloons, and maybe even small toys in a cake box. (no money)

• Please bring the box to your classroom and we will collect them on Jan 24 and Jan 31.

Once they are collected, we will donate them to a local food pantry for those families in need of a birthday cake. The child who receives the box will be happy to have a birthday cake they can make, and you will feel good too to know that a child that normally would not have a birthday cake will now be able to celebrate with your special cake. In this way we honor the legacy of one of history’s greatest changemakers together—by taking steps to make a positive collective impact on the world. These steps begin with you! This project is on a voluntary basis! Let’s see how many special birthday boxes we can collect, we think 100!

Thank you for making a difference! 

JS EIB Students and Ms. BOEKHOLT

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

IMPORTANT DISMISSAL REMINDER - SEMESTER 2

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 & yellow bus ridership schedules.

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

  • Tuesday, February 14 | JA Friendship Day celebration with parents (more information from your teacher)

  • 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, February 28 | State of the School 6:00pm (save the date)

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

  • March 27 - April 7 | No Classes for Students / Spring Break (camp registrations are in this newsletter)

IMPORTANT: 

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 or your caregiver can be reached in an emergency, or when there are schoolwide announcements, is through the information that your family adds to our UNIS Portal. 

Please review your family profile and contact information to ensure that all of your local cell phone numbers, work phone numbers, email addresses and home address are correct and are entered in the correct fields. 

If you have not reviewed your information since the start of this school year, we encourage you to do it today so that we can reach you quickly if needed, especially if you have relocated from abroad.

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

• Going to Veracross

• Clicking on Household Information

• Updating Household Profile -> Contacts.

Thank you for taking the time to review and update your contact information now, and throughout the school year if your contact information changes.

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

Contribute to the UNIS Cookbook

Dear UNIS Community,

The International Baker's Club is revising the UNIS cookbook for the modern era, and we would like all of you, with your delicious recipes from all over the world to help contribute to it. We will collect and organize your creations into the cookbook, which will be released in June of this year. We hope that you will buy a copy or access the e-book version to cook all of these wonderful foods at home! 

Please fill out this form to submit your recipes. Thank you for your contribution.

After School Classes and Care Program

Semester 2 begins on February 6. 

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

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

Athletics After School and Weekend Sports Registration

Semester 2 begins on February 6. 

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

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!

2023 Spring Break Camp (March 27 - April 7)

During the upcoming spring break, UNIS offers 2 weeks of "Spring Camp" for students in JA-J4 and M1-M4.   

UNIS 2023 Spring Camp / Division 1 (JA-J4) 

Program Dates & Times: 

Week 1: Monday, March 27 - March 31, 2023

Week 2: Monday, April 3 - Friday, April 7, 2023

Arrival from 8:30 to 9:00 am

Time: 9:00 am to 3:30 pm

Extended Care until 5:30pm

Program Offered Division 1 (JA-J4)

Leadership including:

· Leadership

· STEM Projects

· Arts & Crafts

· Multi-Sports & Dance

Brochure & Registration

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!!!

BAKE SALE ON FEBRUARY 14 

UNIS Friendship Day Bake Sale

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

عيد صداقة سعي

友誼日快樂!/友谊日快乐！

Happy Friendship Day!

Bonne journée de l'amitié !

С днем дружбы!

¡Feliz día de la amistad!

These are the 6 official UN languages and this is how we say Happy Friendship Day! The friendships built and fostered in UNIS serve as a reminder of the UN General Assembly’s position that friendship between people, countries, cultures and individuals inspire peace and build bridges between communities. 

On Tuesday, February 14th, the PA will be hosting the Annual UNIS Friendship Day Bake Sale. The Sale will be open to JS and MS students, faculty, staff and parents, with proceeds going to support community activities.  Please join us in this wonderful tradition by donating edible treats or volunteering on the day of the sale. 

In the spirit of sharing, we encourage parents to donate items that reflect the food and diet of their cultures, taking into consideration that UNIS is an allergy-aware school.  To meet the needs of our entire community, the PA is also looking for donations of edible treats that reflect different diet preferences, as well as allergen-free items.  

If you are interested in donating, please sign up here Donate Time & Baked Goods Here

To address our community’s Social Responsibilities around environmental awareness and reducing waste, we ask that:

• Children come to the Sale with their own reusable containers.  Treats bought at the sale will be brought home in these reusable containers.  

• Biodegradable bags and containers will be available for sale for $1 each.  

• Edible donations should, insofar as practical, be sent in reusable containers or packaged in biodegradable packaging.  

For more information on food safety, packaging and donations, please go here Friendship Day Bake Sale - General Information

 [insert hyperlink for the Bake Sale General Info attached to this email] 

If you have any questions, please contact the JS PA Coordinators at pa_jscoordinators@pa.unis.org

Thank you for helping us make this event a great success!

JS TOY & BOOK SALE FOLLOW UP

Thanks to the enormous support of the UNIS community, the PA raised $2049.99 from the Toy and Book Sale. Unsold toys and books were donated before the holidays with the support of the PA's Social Responsibility Committee. Proceeds will contribute to supporting PA activities. 

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

JS PARENT COFFEE ON MARCH 7

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

GREEN GUIDE TRAINING

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

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.