PTA Red Ribbon Week begins Friday, October 23!
Dear Parents,
We look forward to celebrating Halloween with the following activities on Friday, October 30. Classroom teachers will provide you with more details if needed for classroom activities, but here is an overview:
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 will have a parade after the last lunch period, beginning at approximately 2:00 p.m. The parade route will be out the back door and around the playground equipment, and back into the building. Students in grades 3-5 will be invited outside to watch the parade. Parents are welcome to attend the parade, and are to enter through the south side gates. The gates will be open at 1:50 p.m., after we have cleared the last recess for the afternoon parade.
In case of rain, we will plan an indoor parade route through the building ONLY for students due to space within the building. Information through an email blast will be sent out if the parade is moved to indoors.
Students in grades 3-5 may come dressed for Halloween but, PLEASE, be considerate of our younger students in kindergarten through grade 2. It would be inappropriate to have violent, gory or very scary costumes or masks in school. Although these things may be part of Halloween, they do not belong in an elementary school setting. I know that all parents will cooperate on this issue and I will ask upper grade teachers to reinforce this with their classes. Children wearing inappropriate costumes or masks will be asked to remove them and may be excluded from some activities.
Classroom parties are optional and different teachers may plan different kinds of activities. Ideally, parties will take place after the parade – a nice way to end the day. If this is not possible, the party should take place just before the parade. Naturally, we are trying to preserve the morning for instruction. We are continuing in only distributing pre-packaged factory wrapped snacks to students where the ingredients and nutritional information are clearly labeled. In addition, please Do NOT send in Treat Bags for the class. They will be returned with your child if they are sent in. This is for health and allergy purposes.
I look forward to a great Halloween and encourage all trick-or-treaters to follow their parents’ directions for a safe and healthy Halloween. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Deanna Catapano, Principal
Laura Hulsaver, Assistant Principal
Please help student Council with their Sock-tober Fundraiser.
Please help support MHS Safe Halloween by donating candy! A bin is set up in the Unqua lobby. Candy donations will be taken through October 21. Thank you!
PTA Red Ribbon Week begins Friday, October 23!
Unqua Weekly Wrap Up 10/13-10/16
Please help support MHS Safe Halloween by donating candy! A bin is set up in the Unqua lobby. Candy donations will be taken through October 21. Thank you!
Dear Unqua Families,
In honor of Veterans Day, we are excited to extend an invitation to our students’ family members, friends, and loved ones who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. We would be deeply honored if veterans in our community could join us to share their experiences, stories, and insights with our students.
This event is a wonderful opportunity for our students to connect with veterans, understand the importance of service, and express gratitude for the sacrifices made for our country. We believe that hearing directly from veterans will create a lasting impact on our students, helping them appreciate the dedication and courage involved in military service.
If you, a family member, or someone you know is a veteran and would like to participate, please contact your child's classroom teacher. We welcome all veterans, and no prior speaking experience is needed—just a willingness to share with our students. As we know schedules are very busy, and to include as many guests as possible, we are inviting veterans to visit from 11/5-11/12; the specific date and time will be scheduled with the classroom teacher.
Thank you for helping us honor and learn from those who have served. We look forward to making this day a memorable experience for our students and our valued veterans.
With appreciation,
Unqua Administration
Dear Parents/Guardians:
As we all know, illness is common in school children. Their young bodies have not yet developed immunities and they tend to spread germs. It is important to provide as healthy an environment as possible for all students and staff. In order to accomplish this, I would suggest you ask yourself the following question “Is my child too sick for school?”
Here are some guidelines:
If your child has had a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours, your child MUST STAY HOME!
If your child is contagious (strep throat, conjunctivitis, Coxsackie) your child MUST STAY HOME!
If your child has been on antibiotics for less than 24 hours, your child MUST STAY HOME!
If your child has vomited in the past 24 hours or less, please STAY HOME!
If your child has had diarrhea within the past 24 hours, please STAY HOME!
If your child has colored discharge from the eyes or nose, please STAY HOME!
If your child has an uncontrollable cough or sneeze, please STAY HOME!
If your child has an undiagnosed rash, please STAY HOME!
It is most important to make sure your child’s needs are met. Resting at home in bed would be better for an ill child. If they return to school, they are expected to participate in all activities, including physical education.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the school nurse.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth McCarthy, RN
Unqua Elementary School
Phone: 516-308-5691
Fax: 516-308-5629
As we all know, illness is common in school children. Their young bodies have not yet developed immunities and they tend to spread germs. It is important to provide as healthy an environment as possible for all students and staff. In order to accomplish this, I would suggest you ask yourself the following question “Is my child too sick for school?”
Here are some guidelines:
If your child has had a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours, your child MUST STAY HOME!
If your child is contagious (strep throat, conjunctivitis, Coxsackie) your child MUST STAY HOME!
If your child has been on antibiotics for less than 24 hours, your child MUST STAY HOME!
If your child has vomited in the past 24 hours or less, please STAY HOME!
If your child has had diarrhea within the past 24 hours, please STAY HOME!
If your child has colored discharge from the eyes or nose, please STAY HOME!
If your child has an uncontrollable cough or sneeze, please STAY HOME!
If your child has an undiagnosed rash, please STAY HOME!
It is most important to make sure your child’s needs are met. Resting at home in bed would be better for an ill child. If they return to school, they are expected to participate in all activities, including physical education.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the school nurse.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth McCarthy, RN
Unqua Elementary School
Phone: 516-308-5691
Fax: 516-308-5629
Please help student Council with their Sock-tober Fundraiser.
Please use this link for information about protocols to ensure safety and maximize instructional time throughout the day.
Dear Unqua Families,
We are writing to inform you that our school successfully conducted a planned emergency evacuation and relocation drill this morning. This exercise is a standard component of our district’s comprehensive safety plan, designed to ensure our students and staff are fully prepared in the event of an off-site emergency.
The drill took approximately one hour to complete from start to finish. During the exercise, all elementary students and staff members were safely evacuated from our building and transported to our designated relocation site, Berner Middle School. Throughout the process, students demonstrated outstanding behavior and followed the direction of their teachers and Emergency Response Team members closely.
The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priorities. Practice drills like this allow us to evaluate our procedures, strengthen our emergency readiness, and ensure that our school community can react quickly, calmly, and effectively.
We are very proud of our students for their cooperation and maturity during today’s exercise. We also extend our gratitude to our faculty, Emergency Response Team members, and district drivers for their leadership.
If you have any questions regarding today’s drill or our overall school safety procedures, please feel free to reach out to us at Unqua.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support in keeping our school safe.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Catapano and Mrs. Hulsaver
Dear Parents,
We look forward to celebrating Halloween with the following activities on Friday, October 30. Classroom teachers will provide you with more details if needed for classroom activities, but here is an overview:
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 will have a parade after the last lunch period, beginning at approximately 2:00 p.m. The parade route will be out the back door and around the playground equipment, and back into the building. Students in grades 3-5 will be invited outside to watch the parade. Parents are welcome to attend the parade, and are to enter through the south side gates. The gates will be open at 1:50 p.m., after we have cleared the last recess for the afternoon parade.
In case of rain, we will plan an indoor parade route through the building ONLY for students due to space within the building. Information through an email blast will be sent out if the parade is moved to indoors.
Students in grades 3-5 may come dressed for Halloween but, PLEASE, be considerate of our younger students in kindergarten through grade 2. It would be inappropriate to have violent, gory or very scary costumes or masks in school. Although these things may be part of Halloween, they do not belong in an elementary school setting. I know that all parents will cooperate on this issue and I will ask upper grade teachers to reinforce this with their classes. Children wearing inappropriate costumes or masks will be asked to remove them and may be excluded from some activities.
Classroom parties are optional and different teachers may plan different kinds of activities. Ideally, parties will take place after the parade – a nice way to end the day. If this is not possible, the party should take place just before the parade. Naturally, we are trying to preserve the morning for instruction. We are continuing in only distributing pre-packaged factory wrapped snacks to students where the ingredients and nutritional information are clearly labeled. In addition, please Do NOT send in Treat Bags for the class. They will be returned with your child if they are sent in. This is for health and allergy purposes.
I look forward to a great Halloween and encourage all trick-or-treaters to follow their parents’ directions for a safe and healthy Halloween. Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Deanna Catapano, Principal
Laura Hulsaver, Assistant Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians:
The New York State Education Department requires all schools to have policies and procedures for the safe evacuation of students and staff, as well as visitors to the school in the event of an emergency situation. These plans must include items such as our evacuation route, shelter sites, and procedures.
This year, we will extend our practice to include the actual evacuation from Unqua to our designated evacuation site, Berner Middle School.
We are working with our emergency response team comprised of district and school personnel to ensure that in the case of a real emergency, we will be prepared.
Weather permitting, Unqua will conduct its Emergency Evacuation Drill on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. All students and staff will be evacuating Unqua and departing the premises via school bus to Berner Middle School. The drill will commence in the morning, and all students will be supervised by classroom teachers, support staff and security. Buses will transport all students and staff to Berner. Once all are safely gathered at Berner, we will then board buses again back to Unqua. The drill should take no more than an hour. The drill will not interfere with our normal lunch routine. Teachers continually discuss our drills with their students in age appropriate conversations.
We ask your assistance with the following.
Please bring your child to school on time. Arrival begins at 9:15.
Late arriving students should enter the lobby as usual. Accommodations within the school have been made and these students will be supervised at Unqua by a teacher.
In the event of a real evacuation, you would be notified as soon as safely possible. We anticipate that the drill will run smoothly. We will reflect upon our procedures to ensure safe and effective plans. We will continue to conduct other safety drills throughout the school year, including fire and lockdown drills, as mandated by the NYS Education Department.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Should you have any questions, please call the main office at 516-308-5601.
Sincerely,
Deanna Catapano, Principal
The New York State Education Department requires all schools to have policies and procedures for the safe evacuation of students and staff, as well as visitors to the school in the event of an emergency situation. These plans must include items such as our evacuation route, shelter sites, and procedures.
This year, we will extend our practice to include the actual evacuation from Unqua to our designated evacuation site, Berner Middle School.
We are working with our emergency response team comprised of district and school personnel to ensure that in the case of a real emergency, we will be prepared.
Weather permitting, Unqua will conduct its Emergency Evacuation Drill on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. All students and staff will be evacuating Unqua and departing the premises via school bus to Berner Middle School. The drill will commence in the morning, and all students will be supervised by classroom teachers, support staff and security. Buses will transport all students and staff to Berner. Once all are safely gathered at Berner, we will then board buses again back to Unqua. The drill should take no more than an hour. The drill will not interfere with our normal lunch routine. Teachers continually discuss our drills with their students in age appropriate conversations.
We ask your assistance with the following.
Please bring your child to school on time. Arrival begins at 9:15.
Late arriving students should enter the lobby as usual. Accommodations within the school have been made and these students will be supervised at Unqua by a teacher.
In the event of a real evacuation, you would be notified as soon as safely possible. We anticipate that the drill will run smoothly. We will reflect upon our procedures to ensure safe and effective plans. We will continue to conduct other safety drills throughout the school year, including fire and lockdown drills, as mandated by the NYS Education Department.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Should you have any questions, please call the main office at 516-308-5601.
Sincerely,
Deanna Catapano, Principal
The Sale ends today!!!!
Hello Unqua 5th Grade Families!
The Co-Chairs of the Class of 2027 have set up a virtual fundraiser, Double Good Popcorn, to help the Class of 2027 raise funds to defray some of the expenses related to the Moving Up events for this year.
We chose Double Good Popcorn because it is a fast fundraiser, and we keep 50% of the profit and the product ships directly to the buyer.
Each family will create a Pop-Up Store and sell Double Good Popcorn! The popcorn is ultra-premium, delicious and award-winning!
Our fundraiser window begins on Monday, September 28th at 5:00 pm and ends on Monday, October 5th at 5:00 pm. All orders must be placed during this time period.
Before the fundraiser begins: POP-UP STORES SHOULD BE SET UP BY SUNDAY, September 27th!
Instructions to setup Pop-Up Store:
1. Download the Double Good app (available for free on iOS and Android)
2. Enter our event code, dimnzx, in the app
3. Create your Pop-Up Store
If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Conte at m_dicicco@yahoo.com
Happy Selling!!!!
Please help support MHS Safe Halloween by donating candy! A bin is set up in the Unqua lobby. Candy donations will be taken through October 21. Thank you!
MHS Homecoming Spirit Week
Please help student Council with their Sock-tober Fundraiser.
