Knights News

Hello Unity Families

It is hard to believe that February is already here! January did not go as planned, with several snow days, and the push back of the end of the first semester, but it looks like we finally have everything running according to schedule. The next scheduled “NO SCHOOL DAY” for students is on Monday, February 19. The district will be holding professional development for staff, which will give our students a three-day weekend! Speaking of schedules, Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on March 11th and 12th. Monday the 11th will be a full day of conferences, with no school for students on that day. Tuesday the 12th will be a regular day of school for students with conferences in the evening. You will be receiving a detailed description of the conferences, times and how to schedule appointments soon.

Unity has been working with Character Strong this year and promoting “Purposeful People”. Many of your students have been nominated for and received monthly recognition for their efforts to help Unity become a safe and positive environment. I would like to invite all parents to take time and talk with their student(s) about our monthly focus area. It is such a powerful message for students when they hear positive support from both the school and home. Thanks in advance for your help, and if you would like to find out more about Character Strong, please feel free to talk to your child’s teacher, or I would be happy to share our message too.

Parents of students riding the bus. Please take a few moments and talk with your students about safe behavior on the bus. Our bus drivers have reported an increase in significant distracting behavior happening on the bus. We know that every parent wants a safe method of transportation for their kids, and the best way we can all help is to share with students the importance of allowing our bus drivers to drive distraction free. Driving a bus requires a great deal of skill and focus, especially during these times when the roads are hard to travel on due to the weather. Anything you can do to help us keep students safe would be greatly appreciated.

Speaking of safety and driving, please remember that as the weather gets nicer, students are very excited to be out of school. Most of them, when they leave the building, are running for their parents, or for their parent’s vehicles. Drop off and pick up in the parking lot is always a time that everyone needs to pay extra attention and use caution. A lot of our little ones cannot be seen over the hood of a car and will often appear unexpectedly. We teach our students about using the crosswalk, looking for traffic and always walking, but they are often very excited and forget to take those extra precautions. As parents you can help by making sure to drive slowly in the parking lot. Please park in the marked parking spaces, and please respect all specially designed parking areas.

Thank you for all you do to help your children be successful in school. A child’s education is one of the most important influencing factors in their future. Together, between families and schools, we will make a positive difference in your child(ren)s’ life.

Mr. Finkey

Unity's PTO is sponsoring a family dance event! The Cupid Shuffle will be held on Friday, February 9th from 6:00-7:30 pm. Tickets will be on sale in the office from Monday, January 29th until Thursday, February 8th for $4 which includes admission to the dance and a dinner consisting of a hot dog, chips, and a drink. Tickets will also be available at the door for $5.

Merchandise will be available for purchase and we will also be holding a 50/50 raffle and a dance competition!

We look forward to seeing All of you there!!

Due to Professional Development for staff, there will be no school for students on Monday, February 19th

Kindergarten Lunch & Learn

Tuesday, February 20th, 2024

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

All Kindergarten parents are welcome! If parents can’t make it grandparents/friends are welcome to attend. You are invited to eat lunch with your child. When the children are dismissed, parents will stay for a short “Parent Connection” time. All parents who attend the presentation will receive valuable information about how to help your child at home to become a better reader, along with a free book for your child.

Please note we have an office check-in system for all visitors to our school. YOU WILL NEED YOUR IDENTIFICATION, please arrive early as the check-in process may be lengthy due to the amount of visitors.

You are able to order a school lunch to eat with your child or you may bring your own. The cost for school lunch is $4.85 per person. Please include your money with your RSVP. Invitations will be coming home soon, please look for those in your child’s backpack or take-home folder.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, Feb. 20th!

Mrs. White (Reading Interventionist)

Mrs. Benz (Title I Reading & Math)

Mrs. Chartier (Title I Reading & Math)

Mrs. Peterson (Title I Reading & Math)

Mrs. Metcalf (Title I Reading & Math)

2nd and 3rd Grade Title Event

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

2:15 - 3:15

Parents are invited to school to learn more about ways to help your child/children with literacy. Your child will receive a free book and you will have time to read together. A light snack will be served.

An invitation will be coming home so that you may RSVP.

We look forward to having you at Unity to spend time reading with your child!

Title Teachers

Mrs. Benz

Mrs. Chartier

Mrs. Peterson

Mrs. Metcalf

Mrs. White

UNITY PARENTS:

Below is a link to a parent survey about our Title program here at Unity. This survey will allow you to have a voice in upcoming Title parent events and stay informed about our Title program. This survey also requests information about last year’s parent events to help us understand what needs you may have as a parent.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJ5kgPxGTnep-CiUp2fys5Xk2G6NwD6nqsmslEJO2tFRJXbQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Thanks for your time.

Title Team

Mrs. White

Mrs. Chartier

Mrs. Peterson

Mrs. White

With the cooler temperatures upon us, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the colder winter. Even during the winter season, the District allows recess and outdoor activities to continue as usual, so it is important that students have the right winter weather clothing. When the temperature feels like 15 degrees or lower, students are kept inside for recess and activities. Students should be prepared for the cooler weather with a warm coat, hat, scarf, and gloves. If your student does not have access to cold weather apparel, please contact our school office.

The weather in Iowa can be unpredictable. If the weather requires us to delay the start of our school day, cancel school for the day, or dismiss school early, information will be sent to families through email, text, and voicemail. In addition, this information is posted to our social media sites and the District website.

Please remember that parents and guardians have the right to make the decision to keep their child home on any day they feel it is unsafe for their 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.

Mark your calendar for spring parent-teacher conferences on Monday, March 11th (8:00-5:40) and Tuesday, March 12th (3:40-5:40). There will be no school for students on Monday, March 11th due to conferences.

There will be a two-hour early dismissal on Tuesday, March 26th for the start of Spring Break, and no school from Wednesday, March 27th through Monday, April 1st . School will resume on Tuesday, April 2nd.

The District provides every student with a device to enhance the overall learning experience. When a student receives their device, it is their responsibility to take appropriate care of the device. Unfortunately, the District has hundreds of devices damaged or destroyed each year.

Damage to devices or lost devices could result in fines and reduced Internet access. Detailed information on fees is available in the Parent/Guardian and Student Handbook on the District website. We encourage you to remind your student about the responsibility that goes with having a device.

The District’s mobile app provides quick and convenient information at your fingertips. Download the mobile to receive push notifications from the District about closings and cancellations and stay updated on today’s school lunch menu, upcoming events, and school news. Look for Sioux City Community Schools in your app store today!

If you have questions about how you can be a part of the Unity PTO, please email us at:

unitypto@yahoo.com

Please join us at our monthly PTO meetings which will be held on the first Thursday of every month at 6:00 pm in the library.

Thursday, February 1st

Thursday, March 7th

Thursday, April 4th

Thursday, May 2nd

Bring a Book, Take a Book (Be a "Knightly" Reader) is a Title 1 sponsored event for ALL Unity students (TK-5th grade). This is a Book Exchange Program where students can bring books from home and exchange them for different books (limit 5 books). Please wear your book tag chains each time you attend!! Each student who remembers their chains will receive a Smencil!

This program takes place once a month in the library from 8:20 - 8:35 am. The dates for this year are:

Friday, February 23

Friday, March 22

Friday, April 26

December's Character Strong focus was Empathy. The following students were acknowleged and recognized for their strong sense of Empathy towards others. Congratulations!!

* Can you share or show what it means to practice Honesty?

* What is one way you can be more Honest with others?

This month's focus is Honesty. One way to think about Honesty is "being truthful in what you say and do." Practicing Honesty helps strengthen our relationships and even reduces stress.

Honesty is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students BE WELL. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.

Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Honesty. Here are 2 "PurposeFull Pursuits" you can complete together!

#1 - Review Honesty as a family! Honesty is being truthful in what you say and do. Discuss the importance of being Honest and work together to create a family Honesty pledge. Create and decorate a sign together that explains what Honesty means in your family. Have each family member sign the pledge and choose a spot to display it. Refer back to the pledge as a reminder to be Honest and to celebrate when Honesty is practiced!

#2 - Set aside some time to gather as a family and check in with each other. Ask each family member, "How are you feeling today?" Practice Honesty when responding and listen carefully as each family member shares. Use the emotion check-in questions to learn more. Challenge yourselves to check in with each other on a regular basis!

Emotion Check-In Questions:

* Tell me more about that feeling

* Why do you think you are feeling that emotion

* What do you need right now?

Our day ends at 3:30 pm on Tuesdays - Fridays. On Monday we dismiss at 2:30 pm for staff professional development.

Our TK & Kindergarten students exit from doors 25 and 26 (Mrs. Poulson and Mrs. Anderson's rooms). Our 1st and 2nd-grade students exit from the main entryway (door 1). Our 3rd-grade students exit from door 3 which is located behind our loading dock. The 4th and 5th graders exit from door 4 at the North end of the building. Please see the image below to assist you with this visualization. Please work with your family to agree to a common meeting place outside of the building. We do our best to limit student traffic within the building after school.

If you have a preschool child and a child in another grade level we can make special accommodations so that you can pick up all of your children at the preschool door. Please contact your child's teacher to work through this.

Exercise is important in helping us stay healthy because it makes our heart pump our blood throughout our body. This brings oxygen to all our body cells which keeps us healthy and keeps our hearts strong. It also keeps us from getting sick and having colds. Exercise improves our minds and how we feel about life...it helps us to be happier!

Healthy snacks are part of a balanced diet. Below are ideas for snacks with less sugar and calories, keeping our bodies and our teeth healthier.

Bagels

Melba toast with cheese or cheese spread

Popcorn

Mozzarella String Cheese

Fresh Fruit

Vegetable Sticks and Cheese Cubes

Rice Cakes

Cheerios mixed with pieces of dried fruit

Fruit Juice (100%)

Pita Pocket cut in half with cheese spread or peanut butter and jelly in the middle

Children enjoy making these snacks as well as eating them. Help your child develop a healthful snacking habit!