Knights News
Unity Elementary School
Unity will be celebrating 12 Days of Holiday Cheer staring this Thursday, December 4th! Please see the list of days below:
Thursday, December 4th - Deck the Halls!
K-2: Wear Green;
3-5: Wear Red;
Everyone else: Wear White
Friday, December 5th - Rockin' Around the Tree! Dress like a Tree
Monday, December 8th - Top it off for the Holidays! Hat or Headpiece Day
Tuesday, December 9th - Striped for the Season! Dress like a Candy Cane
Wednesday, December 10th - Shine Bright like a Star! Wear something Shiny
Thursday, December 11th - Walking in a Winter Wonderland! Wear Blue & White
Friday, December 12th - Flannel & Plaid Day! Wear Plaid or Flannel
Monday, December 15th - Ugly Sweater Day! Wear your Ugliest Sweater
Tuesday, December 16th - Grinch Day! Wear Green or Grinch Attire
Wednesday, December 17th - Rock your Holiday Socks! Wear Holiday Socks
Thursday, December 18th - Present Day! Dress like a Present
Friday, December 19th - Polar Express! Wear Pajamas
There will be a 2 hour early out on Friday, December 19th for Christmas Break
There will be no school for students on the following days:
Monday, December 22nd - Friday, January 2nd - Christmas Break
Friday, January 16th - Teacher Workday
Monday, February 16th - Professional Develpment
Thursday, March 26th - Parent/Teacher Conferences
Friday, March 27th - Exchange Day
Thursday, April 2nd - Monday, April 6th - Spring Break
Monday, May 25th - Memorial Day
You are invited to our Musical Fundraiser! All proceeds from this event will go towards our musical productions (set design, props, etc). Come join us after school in the cafeteria on Thursday, December 4th, from 4:00-5:00 pm for Cocoa, Cookies, and Carols. All students must be accompanied by an adult! Our 4th and 5th grade students will perform a couple songs, there will be a bake sale with yummy goodies and hot chocolate, and you will have the opportunity to get a photo with Santa!
All bake sale items and hot chocolate will be available for $1 each, and you can get a photo with Santa for just $5. Photos will be sent to you digitally via talking points and we will also print one for you that will be sent home with your child the following week.
You can pre-purchase Santa photo tickets (individual or family) in the main office prior to the event for a discounted price of $4 per photo (They will be $5 per photo at the door).
We hope to see you there!
During November, we focused on Gratitude. One way to think about Gratitude is “choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives.” Practicing Gratitude can increase our well-being and our happiness. Gratitude is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress management.
The following students were nominated by their teachers as being great examples of how to show Gratitude. Congratulations to all of these students!
The Kindness Crew is a new group just recently started at Unity by Ms. Kaitlyn Stusse, one of our MTSS Specialists. This group is made up of 3rd-5th graders, one student from each class, nominated by their classmates as a person who exemplifies kindness. These students will serve for one quarter and then new students from each class will be chosen.
The Kindness Crew spreads positivity, promotes kindness, and helps make our school a welcoming place for everyone. Members are role models who encourage others to show compassion and care. This group is meant to get as many students involved as possible so we can educate our students on bullying and how to use their voice against it and not be a passive bystander.
This is a fun, educational group that Ms. Stusse would like the whole school to get involved in to help the school become united in love, respect, and most importantly, to make our school a place that every student feels safe in. Unity is a great place to be and a great place to learn!
The Kindness Crew will meet at least once a week for 30 minutes to be taught a lesson on bullying. They will also be doing school challenges such as making posters, creating spirit days, and teaching other students about bullying and how to be an Upstander!!
The first Kindness Crew consists of the following students: Lexlie Cardona, Claudia Casaday, Stenel Mavinga, Harper Gibson, Ava Stusse, Ezra Rockwood, Jorge Chavez, Kaison Chim, and Emily Lopez Ramos. Congratulations to these students for being examples of Kindness to their peers!
Unity 3rd graders enjoyed an exciting field trip to the police station, where they explored how our local government keeps the community safe. This visit connected perfectly to our Social Studies and Benchmark lessons about government and what it means to be a good citizen. Students learned interesting history about the Sioux City Police Department and how it has grown over the years. They also discovered the many ways police officers work every day to protect and serve our community.
Mr. Chapman wanted to announce that 1st semester doesn't end until January 15th, and there are already many students with double digit absences. Any student with 9 or more days absent, for any reason, within the first semester will be required to have a Level 1 (10%) attendance hearing with Mr. Chapman.
Below please find the Year-to-Date Attendance percentage per grade: (Attendance percentages for ALL Grades have dropped since last month)
TK - 92.13%
K -92.39%
1st - 94.52%
2nd - 93.37%
3rd - 94.80%
4th - 94.20%
5th - 94.25%
It is our goal to have 95% attendance in all grades every day!
Every minute counts!! Bringing students late or checking students out early means they miss valuable instruction. Please try to schedule appointments after school gets out whenever possible so your child can get the most out of their learning day.
Research shows students who miss just two days a month are more likely to fall behind. Let's work together to make school attendance a top priority!
Showing up every day, all day, helps students learn more, connect with friends, and succeed!
Being in school = Being on track!!
Mr. Chapman, Unity's Attendance Specialist, has brought Student Council back to Unity this year! Student Council consists of six 5th grade students nominated by their teachers, and here is the best part: A new group of six student council members will be chosen each quarter! By the end of this school year, Twenty Four 5th grade students will have had the opportunity to serve on Student Council, experience leadership, and make a difference this year!
Each student nominated for Student Council will receive a medal on a lanyard that they MUST keep at school during the quarter they are serving. They will be required to wear these lanyards anytime they are doing something for Student Council. At the end of the quarter, the students will be able to take the medals home with them to keep.
Students serving on Student Council for their assigned quarter will be busy helping with all kinds of projects, events, and activities throughout the school year to make Unity an even better place to be a part of. This could include delivering items to classrooms, escorting students, helping out with fundraisers, etc.
If your classroom has an activity coming up where extra hands might come in handy, please contact me, and I can see if any of the Student Council members are available to help out; as long as it doesn’t interfere with their academic learning.
Get ready Unity! This is going to be an amazing year of teamwork, leadership, and school spirit!
Quarter 2 Student Council Members
Congratulations to the following students who were nominated by their teachers to serve on Unity's Student Council for Quarter 2: Adassa Martinez, Lexlie Cardenas Torres, Harper Gibson, Alan Ruiz, Thomas Powell, and Vidal Moreno Medina (not pictured)
Just a reminder about our morning drop-off procedures:
- If you are dropping off students, please use the farthest left lane before entering the parking lot.
- Parents should stay in the car, and students should exit the vehicle quickly (within a few seconds).
- If you need more time, please park in a designated spot inside the lot so traffic can continue moving smoothly
This helps prevent congestion and ensures all students get to class on time.
Important Parking Reminders:
- No parking in front of the school – this area is reserved for school buses only.
- Handicap parking spots are located in the front of the parking lot. Please only use these if you have the proper permit, as families who need them rely on those spaces.
- Always drive slowly in the parking lot, watch for students walking, and stop to allow them to cross safe
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping drop-off safe and efficient for everyone.
Studies show a strong connection between eating breakfast and improved academic performance. To support a healthy learning environment, our school provides breakfast daily in addition to lunch.
Breakfast is served at our building from 8:00 am to 8:30 am. At this time, we are fortunate enough to be able to offer free breakfast and lunch to all of our students here at Unity.
Visit the District's website for more information on the District’s breakfast and lunch menus.
School will dismiss at 1:30 on Fridays again this school year! Please be aware and make sure appropriate transportation has been arranged for your students. If your students take the bus, they will arrive at their bus stop 2 hours earlier than their normal time on Fridays
Flu Season
Influenza (also called flu)
Influenza (also known as flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Influenza is not a stomach bug. The flu is different from a cold. The flu usually comes on suddenly.
Flu symptoms
ü Fever* or feeling feverish/chills * Not everyone with flu will have a fever
ü Cough
ü Sore throat
ü Runny or stuffy nose
ü Muscle or body aches
ü Headache
The Flu Is Contagious
ü Flu symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body
ü Call your medical provider if your child has symptoms
ü Stay home for 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of medicine
Wash Your Hands!
Soap and water or alcohol-based sanitizers for hands?
Both alcohol-based hand sanitizers and hand-washing are effective ways of preventing disease, but remember these important facts:
- Hand sanitizers are not as effective when dirt is visible on hands. Hand washing with soap and water, singing the “Happy Birthday” song, should be used to remove the oil and grime where bacteria can live.
- Hand sanitizers should not be used in place of soap and water:
ü when preparing food
ü after restroom use
ü changing diapers
- Hand sanitizers will not work in killing certain viruses or bacteria such as:
Ø Cryptosporidium - causes diarrhea.
Ø Norovirus – causes stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea and to throw up.
Ø Clostridium difficile – causes watery diarrhea.
Clean hands are one of the best ways to prevent infection or disease. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/handwashing/