Unity Alternative High School

Happy halloween!

Come trick-or-treat Halloween evening at the Unity doors! Thanks to some generous parents and fans, we have candy to pass out and our students will be costumed up and ready to go.

See you at 5:30. We will be at the entrance is at the corner of Monroe and High Street.

Read-aloud has been a popular activity at Unity for a few years now. Everyone likes to have someone read to them, no matter your age! We started the year reading Refugee by Alan Gratz (it was a hit and included many conversation starters!). Now we are reading The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. The storyline keeps their attention with suspense and action. From a teaching perspective it is also a learning extension to our government course, to geography and to discussions regarding our worldwide technological dependency. So much to pack in! But notice the photos? The activity has also returned our kids to a joyful time in elementary school when they huddled in a circle to listen to their teacher read. 💜

BEST PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE MEAL EVER! Thanks Austin!!!

Wondering what to do after high school? Or looking for a change? Grand Rapids Community College has opportunities for you. Here is one to check out!

Grand Rapids Community College Workforce Training - Manufacturing Fundamentals

Information to know as the 2024-25 school year is coming soon!

With the start of school less than a month away. Be sure to complete the annual update for your student in Infinite Campus and review all materials, including the LAS Chromebook Handbook Policies. Parents need to digitally sign the Chromebook agreement form before students can check out new Chromebooks this fall. Please note that LAS is no longer offering Chromebook insurance. Instead, there is a graduated cost for any Chromebook damages as detailed in the handbook.

Last man standing and inspiring! Jonavan returned for an extra day to finish his last class and set himself up to graduate next spring.

Here he is pictured with our “You Did It” board listing his and all of our students completed courses for the school year. (I need to write smaller next year.)

Enjoy your summer because August 20th will arrive before we know it! 🌞

Our final graduate this year is Aniyia. She finalized her diploma and has big plans to attend college in Alabama! Her career goals involve social work or other medical related profession. We wish her luck with her future endeavors and know she can do great things!

Congratulations to Mario for completing his courses and graduating from Unity. Mario plans to work some and then explore a trades program. He has come a long way, and we expect more great things from Mario in the future.🎓✅

Congratulations to these two grads, Leah and Wyatt. They finished last Friday with self-pride and smiles. Leah and Wyatt exemplify what is possible with intense effort, extra time outside of school and belief in themselves. As a teacher, they both are a reminder of why I return to school every day of the school year.

Leah plans to pursue a career in cosmetology and to work before venturing to more schooling.

Wyatt also plans on working full time initially while looking at trade programs at GRCC or other schools, possibly in welding.

We wish them luck in their future endeavors. They already have the grit to make it happen. 💜🎓

Proud moment!

From struggling to role model, thanks to strong teacher support Senior Kenny Dysard went from being completely disconnected from school to becoming a volunteer reader to kindergarten students at his former elementary school.

We are lucky to have Officer Summerhays as our district resource officer. Over a week span we “fast tracked” a police scenario of arresting a drunk driver, from incident to trial. Students learned about police procedures, equipment used, and the trial process. All students were able to take a role. The debates and strategizing of our “lawyers” was enlightening with their smarts and laughter. In the end our students learned about various careers plus the cost of drinking and driving.

Before break we celebrated another achievement as Kenny graduated from Unity High School! We are so proud as Kenny returned this year and completed his requirements (with lots of math which he rocked). He plans on working full time and traveling.

Congratulations Kenny!

Congratulations to Alvin, our latest graduate!Alvin completed his graduation requirements today beaming with pride, and rightly so. We are so proud of Alvin too and look forward to seeing where his dreams take him next. 🎓💜

🎓The holiday season brings many smiles, and today we are beaming with two graduates! Both Gavin (pictured here) and Alex returned this fall with a mission to be done by the winter break. What a gift they have provided for their futures!

We are proud of both young men and know they are ready for the next phase of their bright futures. (Plus they are required to come back with updates! 😂💜)

Pink Arrow is a time for awareness and empathy. Unity students exercised both as we read the Lowell Ledger’s series “Stories of Perseverance,” discussed our own connections to cancer, and created cards for community members. Students reflected on our community event while also tapping into their creative side. If you receive one of these cards, know they were made with love and care.

Day 1 is in the books for these scholars! We had a fabulous start today, and today is what counts. Bring on the 2023-2024 school year because we are ready.

Our final graduates of the year: Alex (pictured here) and Mikey! We are so proud of these two, as we are all of our grads.

Life gives us hurdles, and we all have a story about them. Whether we jump over these hurdles with grace or trip through them with scraped knees, the point is making it through and then carrying on with your life’s novel.

Next graduate on display to represent Unity is Toby! Toby finished up last week and is ready for the workforce plus GRCC. He is always a character and will be missed, but we expect him to stop by occasionally (as with all of our grads!). We are proud of you Toby!

Friday brought us a taste of summer, so we had to include ice cream in the mix. Walking to Ball’s with these kids was a perfect way to start my Mother’s Day weekend. 💜
Thank you Ball’s Softee Creme for the great service!

Grayden swooped in this trimester and impressed us with his smarts, determination, and kind heart. Today is his day as Grayden finished his graduation requirements. Next up is GRCC with some business classes and a bright future. Our cup continues to spill over with pride and joy.

Today, give a cheer and help me celebrate Damian as he graduates from Unity! He will be taking his high school diploma to Grand Rapids Community College and beyond. Damian has grown so much this year and sees the possibilities in his present and future. We are proud of another graduate!

Congratulation shout out to Daniel! He finished his graduation requirements today and is off to new adventures and learning. Daniel plans to attend GRCC in the fall. He is a thinker, and we know there will be success in his future.

Unity Pride grows with our newest graduate. Give Makayla a big congratulations when you see her! She is ready for the next adventure and exploring college options. Whatever she chooses, we know there will be great results!