Queens FAQ

Students can be dropped off from 7:45am on. The teaching assistants are there to supervise the students, who arrive by car, bus, etc. All students enter school through the gym doors in the morning. Students in M3 and M4 are not eligible for yellow school bus transportation and come by train or get dropped off. All students place book bags, lunch boxes, etc. on their class line and can play outside or remain in the gym until 8:25. At 8:25, JS student go to their homerooms. Classes begin with homeroom at 8:30 for Junior School students and at 8:30 in the gym for Middle school students. MS students have a "Morning Mindful Moment" in the gym together before they go to homerooms at 8:35.

Numerous studies have shown the many benefits of teaching mindfulness to children. Through mindfulness education, students can develop a lifelong capacity for greater self-awareness, concentration, patience, and resilience. By taking a few moment to begin the day in a calm, centered way, we hope to show our students how to de-stress. These exercises can be quiet meditations, stretching and movement actions, short readings, peaceful music, etc. and help to put students into a calm frame of mind to begin the day.

Students are dismissed from the gym at 3PM. Students line up by bus routes and are brought to the bus by a supervisor. Students being picked up by parents remain in the gym with their teacher. At 3:15 teachers send remaining students to aftercare or to an after school activity if the student has signed up for one.

If your child's dismissal arrangements change for a given day, please email your child's teacher that morning. In the case of a last minute emergency, please call the school (718) 658-6166 by 2:30pm. After 2:30 pm the School cannot guarantee that dismissal changes will be relayed to all relevant parties in time for 3 pm dismissal.

There is a 20 minute break for students in mid-morning. During that time student can play games, have a snack, etc. Students are supervised outside or in the gym if there is no class scheduled. Please make sure your child is appropriately dressed for outdoor play. In inclement weather, and if the gym is in use, break time is in the class room.

At second play at lunch time, MS students can use their Chromebooks in the ICT room or go to the library during break, as well as play outside.

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.

Teachers are best contacted by email. They are busy with their classes and do not have phone access in their classrooms. The email address is the first initial of the first name, then the entire last name, followed by unis.org. Please note that during the school day teachers are working with students and may not be able to read emails until the end of the day. See the Teacher Directory for contact information.

It is important that students be on time and attend school each day. However, when a child is seriously ill, it is best for them to stay at home and receive the care they need, and to not spread germs to their classmates. If your child will absent from school, please call school (718) 658-6166 or email Theresa Rodriguez (trodriguez@unis.org ) and your child's homeroom teacher.

There are numerous things happening at school all the time, and your child may have different activities in class that you will be informed about. However, there are some major events at the campus that parents are invited to attend and most do. There are also others, where parents are invited and many do, but numbers may vary.

The Parent Association holds monthly meetings that you will be informed about and all parents are welcome and encouraged to attend.

• September
  • PA Welcome Breakfast - the first day of school there is a breakfast held by the PA in the morning so that parents can get reacquainted, see old friends, and just catch up after the summer break.
  • PA Picnic - This is a purely social event held on the weekend for parents to get together and socialize. It is a great way for new parents to meet other parents from their child's class.
  • Curriculum Evening - This is an opportunity for you to meet your child's teachers. At curriculum evening, parents go to their child's homeroom and your child's teachers will present the program for the year for each subject.
• October
  • UN Day - Our biggest celebration of the year! Everyone - parents, other family members and friends, turns out for UN Day! Students are encouraged to wear national dress or dress up on this special day. There is an assembly in the morning which features music, songs and dance from around the world. Every class, along with the Middle School Ensembles preforms. Following the concert, parents prepare international foods for each homerooms. In the afternoon, students hear a guest speaker from the UN or work on other UN related issues.
• November
  • Student-Led Conferences -Fall mid-semester conferences are held with the student, the parent and the child, to discuss progress up to the point and to set goals for future learning.
• December
  • Winter Concert - The Winter Concert brings the community together to hear the students perform and celebrate the season. Families are invited to attend.
• March
  • Student-Led Conferences - Spring mid-semester conferences are held with the student, the parent and the child, to discuss progress up to the point and to set goals for future learning.
• MAY
  • May Day - The whole community turns out for this traditional event! The Junior School classes perform, accompanied by our Middle School musicians. The climax is the annual weaving of the May Pole ribbons, done by the Junior 4 class.
  • Middle School Concert - Families are invited to hear the Middle School student ensemble groups perform.
  • Sports Day - MS and JS each get a day to enjoy the spring weather outside at nearby Cunningham Park and engage in light competition, such as softball throw, kickball, etc. Parents are invited to attend.
• June
  • M4 Graduation

Parents will need to link to the "Parent Portal". Log in to the Veracross Parent Portal at myunis.vc. The Parent Portal gives you access to information about UNIS as well as the way to access student reports. Please review your family profile and contact information to ensure that your cell phone numbers, email addresses and home address are up to date. You may update your information throughout the year. All departments at UNIS, including the Nurse, rely on the information that you provide here to contact you. After logging in to the Veracross Parent Portal at myunis.vc , you may review and update all of your family contact information by:

• Go to Veracross
• Click on Household Information
• Update Household Profile -> Contacts. The Parent Portal