On this very day (Monday, March 19^th 2012), we are honored to have Joe Biden, the Vice President of the United States, visit the beloved Morristown, in which our school resides.  We believe our politics are just as important as Joe’s politics.   Read and see how. – Editor Every day at Unity is living proof that a collaborative environment yields a productive participatory school community. As I greet the students and their families, on a first name basis each and every morning, it is an example of our philosophy about respectful relationships. The founders of Unity believed that Democratic Governance would be a pillar of the school.  Within that framework, one does not earn respect with a title such as Dr. or even Mr. and Mrs.  Rather, respect is earned with actions. Every member of Unity is valued and has a voice.

The Unity Talent Show is hands down my favorite fundraiser of the year.  Don’t get me wrong…  I love the rollerskating fundraiser and the Hoopla (i.e. student versus staff basketball game) is so exciting to watch, but you just can’t beat the Talent Show for a great evening of “commUnity”. I found out about the Unity Talent Show long before my kids started attending the school.  My neighbor, whose son attended the school, would rave to me about how great the talent show was and that I really should come and watch one.  “Watch a talent show that my kids aren’t even part of?!” I thought. “Why would I put myself through that agony?”  But then my kids got accepted into the school.  Of course, we all wanted to attend and support the school.  That was the spring of 2008.  I have been captivated ever since.

Toni Morrison said, “You need a whole community to raise a child,” and we parents know this to be true.  We send our kids to school, we send them on playdates, and eventually, we send them out into the world. The word “community” has many different meanings, but this is my favorite one:  A group of people living together in one place, especially one practicing common ownership.  Common ownership.  I like that.  It leaves a feeling of belonging, a feeling of pride, a feeling of unity.