Week of March 14th

UAI Staff News

Volume III

Issue 25

Week of March 7th, 2016

UAI Celebrations

Staff Perfect Attendance.  Congratulations to the staff who have made the perfect attendance list for the and/or second quarter of the year.  In particular, let's give a big hand to Elena, Meredith, and Tom who have maintained their perfect attendance for the whole year.  If you would like to see the complete data file on attendance, please see Kiri.  Also, please do let us know if you see any mistakes!  As we head into the final full quarter of the academic school year, let's all try to make it on the last list.  When we are absent, our girls really feel it.  They need us to help create the stable, nurturing environment that they will rely on to push towards achievement both in classes and on those state exams!  Let's all be in it to win it!

• 2nd Quarter Perfect Attendance (December, January, and February)    Elena, Rebecca, Meredith, Jamie, and Tom
• 1st Quarter Perfect Attendance (September, October, November) Val, Elena, Steve, Kim, Meredith, Natalie, and Tom 

Announcements 

Student Led Conferences and Benchmarks are next week.  Please remember to FILL IN YOUR APPOINTMENTS ON THIS SHEET.  All appointments need to be made by this Wednesday 16MAR16.  Also, remember take a moment to review expectations and tips for SLCs here.  High School Grade Team Leaders have already shared resources and best practices with Middle School Grade Team Leaders.  Please do reach out if you have any questions or concerns.  Click here to refresh your memory on the Benchmark Schedule

Visit Feedback.  Deputy Superintendent Richie Cintron visited several of our classrooms on Thursday.  We saw various formats and a range of student engagement and we had a good discussion on next steps.  Overall, it was a productive visit!  Stay tuned for more specific feedback and next steps as I process this information with the teachers we visited, cabinet, and our coaches.

Monday, March 14th is UAI's 9th Annual Pi Day.  The Math team has coordinated a series of fun events to celebrate Pi Day in their classes.  As a math and science themed school, Pi Day is one of many days that we use to leverage excitement around math and science (Sonia K day last week being another example... The NYU Poly classes and the Urban Advantage activities being others).  If you have UAI Pi Day Gear, please do wear it tomorrow.  If not, please remember to talk up the day with the girls to see what they look forward to or remember doing from their math classes on Pi Day (either present day or in years past).  Have a wonderful Pi Day everyone!!

Teacher To Dos

Bulletin Board Update.  I notice that we're beginning to move towards board update.  We didn't all get there by Thursday, but we definitely need to get there by this Thursday to prepare for our families visits.  Grade team leaders will assign boards to specific teachers.  Take time this week (e.g. using your PD period that we're not using because we don't have Pods this month) to update student work in bulletin boards.  In addition, take time to organize your classroom environments.  Again, we're not reinventing the wheel.  We are updating and tidying in preparation for girls' families.

Survey Response Rates.  The Learning Environment Survey is the primary tool by which our school is evaluated.  We're asking that you use SLCs to gather both student and parent surveys.  Please make sure that you make it a point to ask both parent and student to take a few minutes to complete the survey at the end of the SLC.  Please make sure you are scheduling your SLCs appropriately to allow time and space for this.  So that we can track who has submitted surveys, please indicate survey submission on the SLC appointment sheet.  We will be following up with parents and students who have not completed their surveys on March 22nd.  As an incentive to guiding their advisories to parent and student survey completion, advisors who have a 100% completion rate (for both parent and students) will receive your own Kindle Fire! Please click here for guidance on supporting families in survey completion.  

Important Dates

• Monday, 14MAR16.  5th Marking Period Begins and Pi DAY
• Wednesday, 16MAR16. MP4 Grades are Due at 3PM
• Monday, 14MAR16. PD Topic:  Collaborative Talk Strategies to use During Unison [Kiri]
• Thursday, 17MAR16 and Friday, 18MAR15.  Benchmark 3 (This will be MS Predictive)
• Monday, 21MAR16. PD Topic:  Staff Share OR Using Active Listening Skills during the Lesson [Grade Team Time follows]
• Thursday, 24MAR16.  Women's History Month Full School Assembly (12:00-2:30PM) followed by rapid dismissal
• Friday, 25MAR16.  Good Friday, NO SCHOOL
• Monday, 28MAR16.  PD Topic:  Staff Share OR Disagreeing without being Disagreeable during Shares [Grade Team Time follows]

• Monday, 04APR16. Pod Cycle IV Launch [Grade Team Time moved to Tuesday]
• Tuesday, 05APR16 thru Thursday, 07APR15.  Middle School NYS ELA Exam
• Wednesday, 13APR16 thru Friday, 15APR15.  Middle School NYS Math Exam
• Friday, 15APR16.  5th Marking Period Ends
• Monday, 11APR16. Pod Share 1 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 18APR16. Pod Share 2 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 18APR16.  6th Marking Period Begins
• Wednesday, 20APR16.  5th Marking Period Grades Due at 3PM
• Friday, 22APR16.  5th MP Progress Report Distributed 8th Period
• Friday, 22APR16.  Poetry Slam Full School Assembly 1:45-2:30PM
• Monday, 25APR16 thru Friday 29APR15 - Spring Recess, NO SCHOOL

• Monday, 02MAY16. Pod Share 3 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 09MAY16. Pod Reflection - Grade Team Meetings moved to Tuesday
• Monday, 16MAY16. Pod Share 4 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 23MAY16. Pod Share 5 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Tuesday, 24MAY16.  Grade Teams meet Tuesday
• Monday, 30MAY16. Memorial Day- NO SCHOOL

• Monday, 06JUN16. Pod Share 6 of 6 and Pod Share Prep - Grade Teams meet Tuesday
• Thursday, 09JUN16. Brooklyn Queens PD Day

For All UAI School Important Dates, please add "UAI School" calendar to your google calendars.

Per Session Posting

NO new postings