Dear students, parents and school community,

We want to welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year at Union Square Academy for Health Sciences. Our theme for this year is “Innovating to Learn”.

Our school has the unique mission to provide a secure, interactive, and friendly environment in which our students are actively engaged in attaining the college and the career exploration skills necessary to learn through project based instruction. Students seek admission to career programs, colleges, universities, or post-secondary educational opportunities upon graduation from high school to continue their health care or other career goals.

Using support services our students and their parents are actively involved in plotting realistic, attainable learning targets (goals) that will lead them to a high school diploma and future college and career objectives.

The mission is to produce contributing members of society through participatory educational process dedicated to:

1. Creating standards-driven, rigorous academic environment that emphasizes college, career and job skills.

2. Developing critical thinking skills in order to foster independent decision making

3. Establishing an environment that addresses the needs of all learners, allowing each student to reach his/her maximum potential.

4. Integrating civic and social skills in order that our students function productively in the world community.

5. Supporting the concept, that learning is a lifelong process.

With the support of rich partnerships, consisting of St. John’s University College of Health Sciences, N.Y.U College of Dentistry, C. U. N.Y. New York City Technical College, College Bound Initiative, C.V.S Pharmacies, Dental Offices, Hospitals, iMentor, and the Clearly Gottlieb law firm, we have designed an educational environment grounded in academics and the medical field with technology component. Our students have obtained over $1.4 million dollars in scholarships each year when they graduate.

This school will provide you with opportunities to develop the skills and abilities young adults need to comprehend and weave together the fabric of their own experiences and the world in order. This will help students to achieve equity and excellence in their education thus fostering future careers.

This learning milieu enables you to develop cognitively, socially and emotionally, and to demonstrate high standards in the academic realm by offering more individualized and personalized instruction in an environment that emphasizes parental involvement and a strong sense of community.

The educational infrastructure of Union Square Academy for Health Sciences is based upon best practices, research and collective experience of partnerships with students, families and the school community. We have high expectations at Union Square Academy for our students. These build our philosophy as a school.

Union Square Academy for Health Sciences reflects the following beliefs and practices:

· All students can grow to their maximum career and college potential.

· Students will speak, dress, act and behave appropriately at all venues.

· Students will come prepared every day with laptop or iPad ready to take notes using online tools.

· Different folders, textbooks, and laptop devices for digital notetaking and organization will be used.

· Students will prepare for careers as dental laboratory, pharmacy, or diagnostic technicians in medical fields via examination by senior year. Lab coats must be worn in C.T.E classes, especially in 9th grade health core and CTE classes for upper grades.

Both staff and students are expected to maintain high standards of learning, academic rigor, professionalism, and behavior that exhibits compassion with respect for one another.

We anticipate the support and cooperation of our staff, our students and their parents or guardians in realizing our school goals for 2025-2026. The first step you can take is to read the student manual and be acquainted with our school rules and regulations. Once again, we want to welcome you to our school and wish you a successful 2025-2026 school year experience.

Sincerely Yours,

Mr. Bernardo Ascona,

Founding Principal

Union Square Academy for Health Sciences (U. S. A.)