Week of December 4th

UAI Staff News

Volume XI

Issue 16

December 4th, 2023

UAI WOW!   We're in December, people!!  December brings the hoidays and so many moments of warm and fuzzy joy.  Joy is also something we have rising up at UA.  So many folks are doing so many incredible things, it's long past time for me to stop and recognize them!

• AMNH Residents.  Liza worked hard to get our partnership with the American Museum of Natural History solidified and launched this year.  In September, we welcomed four wonderful residents (Mariana, Mateo, Steven, and Quin).  Our all-star science team took these folks under their wings to mentor them and help them develop the skills needed to be fabulous science teachers in their own right.  Many thanks to Tom, Sarah R, Judy, Liza, Mary, Thomas, and Camryn for working to uplift the next generation of science teachers and helping UAI and the city at large develop a pipeline of future science teachers for our kids!!
  
  
• Math Team & BTCM.  Since last year's Citywide Lighthouse Visit, our HS math team has been trying out a variety of new strategies that flip traditional math teaching on its head and get our kids up and on their feet and actively thinking and learning math!  Using practices from Buiding Thinking Classrooms the team hit it out of the park for Superintendent Fred Walsh's visit on Thursday and Deputy Chancellor Carolyn Quintana's Visit last Tuesday.  Judy, Amanda, Alexis, Danielle H, Sue, and Kaitlyn are getting geared up to be awesome AGAIN this week as they host CUNY LINCT teachers and admin from around the city + CUNY professors to share their work in our Quantitative Reasoning and Statistics classes!  
  
  
• Social Studies & AP African American Studies (APAAS).  This is the second year of a 2-year pilot for the AP African American Studies course.  The College Board selected UAI to be part of the pilot, and we are 1 of 50 schools in the city.  AP for All is so impressed with the quality of work that Kelly & Martine have delivered in their lessons, and in the amazing reactions of our kids!  As a reminder, this is and ICT AP course, and the kids are rising to the challenge because of how Martine & Kelly have structured their lessons, held high expectations and provided supports where needed AND perhaps most important - they have removed them where they are NOT needed so that students can more readily do the work on their own.  Their course is the model of this pilot AND the model of the "for All" piece of "AP for All".  For this, the AP for All folks invited the Deputy Chancellor to highlight their work 

• RPET Work.  Our Restorative Practice Equity Team has stepped bravely into the work of how we as a community educate ourselves and our students around the Hamas-Israeli conflict and now they are stepping forward to lead the work to equip ourselves and our students with the skills needed to engage in this work effectively and prodcutively (developing our RJ skills and practices).  Joanna, Sue, Elena, Jelissa, Freida, Jean, and Sarah R have stepped into this hard work and are giving so much of themselves and their time to take it on.  There's not enough words to describe my appreciation.  It's hard, complicated work, fraught with so many pitfalls for error.  However, it is extremely vital and necessary work and we are all lucky that you are there to lead the way!

• Student Leadership.  This year our Youth Leadership Council and our Student Government have launched as two new student leadership organizations.  They have already shone so brightly in their short time of existing.  The YLC were the ones to bring Elite Learners to our neighborhood and create a safe passage for our campus and others in the downtown area.  In a few short months, they have had lasting impact on their community! Many thanks to Kelly (YLC) and Sue, Marsha, and Phillan (Student Government) for their work to support our young leaders!  I cannot wait to see what they do next!
  
  
• Senior Activities.  Most folks have no idea what it takes to manage an entire class of kids who expect (and deserve) to be treated like royalty as the enjoy their ultimate year (in MS or HS).  It's a LOT.  However, our senior advisors (Patricia, Freida, and Jelissa) have been working hard to plan out all of the activities, get all of their pictures taken, and coordinating collecting their due to pay for all this fun and joy.  Because of their work and coordination, our kids are going to have a most memorable senior experience to take with them for the rest of their lives!  Thank you!!
  
  
• One-Person Theater Magician.  Noelle is a magical machine!! Single-handedly Noelle has built our theater department from the ground up and our students are now on the precipice of another fabulous production (The Transition of Doodle Piqueno).  Theater production isn't just getting the kids ready to act on stage.  It is that, and Noelle is particularly talented at cultivating our students' talents.  Theater production is also making sure everything around the acting is also up and running beautiful - the technical theater, backdrops, sets, lighting, etc.  That's a WHOLE other skill set AND Noelle has done that too! Then on top of all of that, this play celebrates queer and BIPOC youth, creating a place where our students feel valued, loved, and seen!
  
  Like I said - magical MACHINE!  Thank you Noelle - I for one cannot wait for the premier (on 14DEC23 at UA Unison) - also.. I have a car and can help you move set pieces ;-)
  
  
• Student Recruitment.  Jen is a powerhouse of recruitment.  Tracey has also been working hard to boost up our MS enrollment.  Over the last two months, Jen coordinated so many different efforts to showcase our school and convince families and students to choose UAI!  Tracy connected with countless elementary schools to share the awesomeness of UAI.
  
  It's such important work since all of our funding is tied to students choosing UAI.  Many, many thanks and high fives to the work Jen does, and also to the work that Tracey & Jen have done this fall!

There are so many more WOWs, I am just running out of blog time and space!  Some fast ones:  Mary's most excellent management of our IEPs, Sarah R's launch of the trout farm, Annie's work with Lincoln Restler's office, Roger & Patti setting up a badminton tournament!!   All of it is so amazing - and we have quite the stellar staff!  Please DO reach out to me with more. I'm not able to see everything all the time (turns out I am not omniscient - lol).  Don't be shy - do share!

You all are awesome - I am WOWed!!

Important Upcoming dates

• Wednesday, 06DEC23 - Trips to AMNH and Hamilton
• Thursday, 07DEC23 - Math Team Hosts CUNY QR and Stats Folks for BTCM Visit
• Friday, 08DEC23 - MS Applications Due
• Tuesday, 12DEC23 - MS Iceskating Trip
• Thurs & Friday 14 & 15DEC23 - Doodle Piqueno Premiers!
• Thursday 14DEC23 - Winterfest
• Friday 15DEC23 - UAI Holiday Staff Party at Henry Street Ale House. 
• Tuesday, 19DEC23 - 8-12 Iceskating Trip
• Friday, 22DEC23 - Rapid Dismissal at 2:15
  
  
• For Future Calendar NOTES
• January Benchmark Schedule
• For Grades 8-12:  2nd AND 3rd period Regents Mock
• Wed 17JAN23 ELA Regents
• Thu 18JAN23 USH or GLO Regents
• Fri 19JAN23 LIV or EARTH Regents
• Mon 22JAN23 ALG 1 Regent
• All other classes should give their end of MP2 benchmark at some point during the week of Tue 16JAN- Mon 22JAN - any period EXCEPT 2nd and 3rd.
• For Grades 6 & 7th graders:
• 2nd & 3rd will be benchmark periods - lunch will be moved to 4th
• Tuesday 23JAN will be the ELA benchmark
• Wednesday 24JAN will be the Math benchmark
  
• All staff will have grading time build into their Regents Week Schedules.
  
  
• Please Prepare your students for these benchmarks
• They should be seeing spiral review of MP1 and MP2 topics throughout all of MP2
• They should have practice with Benchmark questions for BOTH content and literacy
• You should schedule some type of practice benchmark prior to the actual benchmark so students have an idea of what to study.  This could be in any form you choose - but you need to provide it for them.  Please see your ILT lead or Kiri or Annie if you need more support on this

Announcements & To Dos

RPET Work.  The RPET met with LaChelle on Monday to pilot the circle/table talk structure.  The team discussed how there is tension between wanted to dive straight into the work and the need to not cause more harm.  This structure is a tool that is aimed at doing that.  It is the beginning of the work.  

After the session, the team met to form the missions statement and scope and sequence for the work this year and in the longterm.  Look to next week's blog for a more complete share and plan.

Monday PD.  In compliance with the 2022 N.G. Class Action settlement agreement, the DOE is required to provide training regarding transition planning annually for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to ensure that all staff are trained on quality transition planning.  Mary will be leading us through this training on Monday.  See you all in the farm on Monday at 3:30PM.

More Visitors.   This week we have more visitors who are coming to see our amazing UAI!

• CUNY Folks:   CUNY LINCT QR & STATS teachers, admin, and professors
  
• Thursday 07DEC:   For many years now, we have had a partnership with CUNY College Now that gives our students the opportunity to strengthen their math skills AND earn college credit.  CUNY hires our teachers as adjunct professors to be able provide that credit.  Our QR, Stats, and Geometry teachers (Alexis, Judy & Kaitlyn, and Amanda) will be hosting teachers and their admin from school from around the City who also have QR & Stats classes in their programs.  Professors from CUNY will also join in to see how the team is using practices from Peter Liljedahl's book Building Thinking Classroom in Math to engage students and get them thinking and learning.
  
  
• Thursday 07DEC and Friday 08DEC.  We have been selected by OSYDs Office of Restorative Justice to be part of their professional learning community and to participate in their various training to bring programs and systems into our school building.  This Thursday & Friday our students will be working with Sue to learn about and extend their own skills around conflict mediation and circle keeping.  They'll be training with other students-teacher teams from around the city!

Instructional Rounds.   Our next round of Instructional Rounds will be on Tuesday 05DEC23.  Judy will be leading that round with Amanda, Laura, Martine, Mike, Patricia, Camryn, Dru, Roger, and Shan.  We'll be looking at the quality of feedback that happens during class and how students leverage that feedback to improve understanding and deepen skills.   

Trips.   We heard your feedback and are streamlining communications around trips!  Please click the links to see trip details below:

• Monday, 04DEC - 
• APES and AP Bio Trip to AMNH
• Wed, 06DEC - 
• USH & APAAS to Hamilton
• Chem Trip to AMNH (Link to come)
• Tuesday, 12DEC - 
• MS School Culture Ice-Skating Trip - Jen is Organizing (Details to com)
• Tuesday, 19DEC - 
• Grades 8-12 School Culture Ice-Skating Trip - Jen is Organizing
• 7th Grade Trip to Pfizer (SSNM7 - all sections)

Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities, please complete Per Session Application Form"

After School Clubs.   If you are interested in running an after school club, please complete THIS form by EOD TUESDAY 26SEP23  AND submit the Per Session Application Form.  Clubs are slated to start next week.  Clubs must have a steady roster of at least 8-10 students per week in order to NOT be cancelled.  Rosters & Attendance lists MUST be submitted with per session time cards.  If your club goes three consecutive weeks with less than 8 students, your club will need to be cancelled (so that we can optimize funds for other uses - so sorry...wish we could fund everything all the time, but unfortunately, we don't have endless sums of funds).  After school sessions can be 3-4PM or 3-4:30PM or 3-5:30PM (teacher's choice)up to three days per week.  So per session hours can range from 1-7.5hrs per week).  Posting Expires 10OCT23.

Finalize After School Rosters.  Please continue to help promote your after school clubs.  Please make sure you are getting a reliable group of at least 10 students.  Help our after school classes get off the ground! - I will be collecting final rosters on 30NOV - you have additional time to recruit!!

• Black Student Union - Joanna & Pauline (Rm 411) - Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-4:30
• Arts & Crafts Club - Tiffany & Jennifer (Rm 311) - Mon/Tue/Weds - 3-4:15PM
• Theater Production Club - Noelle (Rm 315) - Tues/Thurs/Fri - 3-5:30PM
• Student Government - Sue, Marsha, Phillan, and Girls' Inc's Kassi (Rm 309) - Tuesdays - 3-4PM
• Youth Leadership Council - Kelly  (Rm 307) - Tuesdays 3-4PM
• Photo Club - Tom(Rm 205F) - Wednesdays 3-4:30
• Cheer - Mary & Lia - Various days depending on Game Days
• Anime & Art Club - Adelle & Francis (Rm 409) - Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-5PM
• Running Club with Camryn (starts after the marathon is over)
• Dance Club - Girls Inc - Room 503
• Students Against Racism & Bias Club - Jelissa (Rm 305) Tuesdays & Thursday 3-4PM
• Muslim Student Association - Laura (Rm 404) TBD
• GSA Club - Amanda - Rm 407

PSAL Supervision.   Posting Expires 10OCT23. PSAL Games are starting up soon. Please submit the Per Session Application Form if you are interested in supervising student spectators.  Hours vary depending on games.  Each game (basketball or volleyball) is usually 4-6pm (is) so each supervision session is about 2hours.  Staff are welcome to sign up for as many games as they'd like.  Please see UAI calendar or PSAL website for game dates. Duties include making sure

• students remain safe and orderly during games
• only eligible students are admitted to games
• all students fully dismiss from the building at the conclusion of the games

CSI Planning & Supervision.   Posting Expires 10OCT23. This posting if for supervision per session to plan, supervise, monitor and coordinate extra improvement efforts to address UAI achievement gaps and improve student performance in target metrics.  Activities include analyzing and reviewing data, planning and executing professional development experiences to improve staff performance, analyzing and editing video footage to improve teacher lesson execution and lesson implementation, and supervising out of school activities - including recruitment, staff planning, and after school activities.  Hours vary per week depending on task and work completed.  Hours range 1-7.5 hours per week.

Classroom SetUp.  All classroom staff are invited to come in to set up and plan for up to 10 hours all together any day this week Monday-Friday 9AM-2PM.  Staff must clock in AND out each day, and cannot be in the building after 2PM.  Please adhere to guidelines set out in the blog post above.  All Staff MUST also apply to this position by completing the "Per Session Application From" - see link above.  [Posted 27AUG23] - Posting CLOSED and JOB is over.