Knights News

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:

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

The staff and student's have had such a fun time dressing up for our 12 Days of Holidays here at Unity! Please check out some photos below!

Our K-2 students wore Green, and our 3-5 students wore Red

Staff and Students dressed up like trees!

Wear your favorite hat or headpiece

Dress like a candy cane in red and white

Wear something shiny or bright!

Wear Blue and White/Snowflake/Snowman clothing

Wear plaid or flannel

Wear your ugliest holiday sweater!

Wear Green or Grinch Attire!

Dress like a present!!

Wear your most festive, cozy, or comfortable pajamas!

During December, we focused on Empathy. Empathy is a vital social-emotional skill, focusing on understanding others' feelings (perspective-taking) to build stronger communities, reduce bullying, and improve conflict resolution.

The following students were nominated by their teachers as being great examples of how to show Empathy. Congratulations to all of these students!

December's Students of the month as well as the 5 staff members with the best attendance had the opportunity to throw cheese at Mr. Chapman, our attendance specialist! A fun, albeit cheesy, time was had by all!! Thank you Chap for being a team player!!

Unity's Staff of the Month are voted on by their fellow staff members! December's winners are Stephanie White (Title 1 Teacher) and Perla Briseno (ELL Aide). We are truly honored that these two exceptional ladies are a part of Team Unity!

We have noticed that already this school year, many students are coming in late, being checked out early, or missing full days. While we realize that emergencies do happen, frequent absences, tardies, and early check-outs interrupt learning and make it harder for children to stay on track.

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!!

As a parent or guardian, you have the right to decide to keep your child home on any day you feel it is unsafe for your student to be in school because of weather conditions. If you believe the weather provides a sincere reason why you may have to keep your student at home or take your student home when classes are scheduled to continue, you, as a parent or guardian, will simply need to contact our school office to let us know.

Winter break is quickly approaching! School will have a normal two hour dismissal on Friday, December 19. School will not be in session from Monday, December 22 through Friday, January 2, resuming on Monday, January 5.

There will also be no school on Friday, January 16 for a teacher workday.

Is Your Contact Information Up to Date?

The District sends out important information regarding school closings and cancellations and other updates to our families via phone, email, and text. Additionally, our school will contact you in case of an emergency or student health concern. Make sure your contact information is updated in our system and that your phone accepts the school’s phone calls. Doing this will ensure you receive school communication promptly and we can reach you in case of an emergency. To make updates to your contact information, please contact our office.

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.

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

Mrs. Van Eldik, our school nurse, grows candy canes in her office for a week every December! Students who come to see the nurse get an opportunity to plant the "seeds" and watch them grow each day! This year Mrs. Van Eldik was able to obtain some magical powder which she sprinkled on one of the candy canes and it grew and grew and grew!!! She then held a raffle and drew the name of a lucky student that got to pick the giant candy cane and take it home! The winner was 4th grader, Ava Rager! Congratulations Ava! She was so excited to share this candy cane with her sister!

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

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/