Volume: XIII

Issue: 24

February 9, 2026

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about student agency and independence. As I walk through classrooms and observe learning in action, I often find myself asking a simple but important question: How can we put more of the learning process into the hands of our children while still providing the structure and support they need to succeed?

Student agency is about more than choice for choice’s sake. It’s about helping students see themselves as active participants in their learning - learners who understand what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how they can take responsibility for moving themselves forward. When students have opportunities to make decisions, reflect on their progress, and problem-solve independently, they begin to develop confidence, ownership, and a stronger sense of purpose.

Independence grows when students are trusted with responsibility and supported with clear structures. This might look like students setting learning goals, choosing strategies or pathways to demonstrate understanding, monitoring their own progress, or engaging in meaningful reflection. These practices don’t remove the teacher’s role; rather, they shift it. Our role becomes one of intentional design, guidance, and feedback, creating the conditions where students can think, act, and learn more independently.

As we reflect on our practice, it’s worth considering small, deliberate ways we can continue to strengthen agency in our classrooms. Where can students have more voice? Where can they make decisions about their learning? Where can we step back slightly to allow them to grapple, reflect, and grow?

This might look like:

• Making learning intentions and success criteria clear, and regularly asking students to explain what they are learning and why

• Offering choice in how students engage with tasks or demonstrate their understanding 

• Involving students in goal-setting and encouraging them to monitor their own progress

• Using reflection and self-assessment so students can identify what they are doing well and what they need to work on next

• Gradually releasing responsibility by allowing students time to struggle productively before stepping in with support

Developing independence doesn’t mean removing structure or support. In fact, strong routines, clear expectations, and timely feedback are what allow students to take greater ownership with confidence. Our role remains essential. We design the learning, ask the questions that prompt thinking, and provide guidance - but we are also intentional about when to step back.

As we reflect on our practice, it’s worth asking:

• Where are students making decisions about their learning?

• Where could responsibility be shifted from teacher to learner?

• How are students being supported to reflect, adjust, and persist independently?

Thank you for the thoughtful and purposeful work you do each day. Small, consistent moves toward student agency will make a meaningful difference in helping our students become confident, capable, and independent learners.

UPCOMING DATES

• FEB11: Virtual Hiring Fair
• FEB12: PTA Dinner
• FEB13: Early Dismissal 2:20pm
• FEB16-20: Midwinter Recess
• FEB26: Black History Month Extravaganza

*All Student Engagement activities for the year will now be listed in this spreadsheet and on the UAI School Calendar! 

UPCOMING TRIPS

Trip Requests.  Here's the trip request protocol...

• Step 1:   Read the DOE FAQ on Field Trips
  https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/faqs-regarding-school-trips.pdf
• Step 2:   Get Pre-Approval from Kiri 
  
• Step 3:  Complete the Trip Form (ALL TABS)
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U3i3fgENVCpX6MA51r_1jsmxVavRm12-oaB9ieiNA8Q/edit?usp=sharing
• Step 4:  Share form (anyone with link can view) with Kiri

Upcoming Trips:

FEB10: Trip to NY Historical Society

FEB 12: HS Snow tubing

FEB12: Marvin's Room Production

FEB25-27: 7th grade overnight trip to Taconic Outdoor Education Center 

MAR04: 7th grade to Hamilton!

TO DO THIS WEEK

Black History Month Celebrations. This week the UAI BHM celebration continues - honoring the brilliance, resilience, and contributions of Black leaders, artists, thinkers, and change-makers past and present. 

Lunch Events: 

• Black History Month book giveaway - postponed until books come in
• Quilting project - will be hung outside the cafeteria and unveiled at the Extravaganza.
• Feb 10: 4^th period in 511 (8th) + 303 (11th) + 509 (12th)
• Movies - each Friday in 509

Black History Month Extravaganza

• February 26^th in the cafeteria
• Performances by Girl's Inc & Cheer & ELA poetry contest kids with galleries of student work from African History, AP African American Studies, & Art classes (maybe more - working with other staff still)
• Unveiling of UAI student quilt

Pep Rally

• Friday, February 27^th at 2pm

Support the Theater Troupe. The UAI Theatre Troupe formally invites you all to our winter play: Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson, February 12, at 1 pm and 5:30 pm in room 411. Tickets are pay-what-you-can donations, and all proceeds go to keeping our troupe afloat for future productions. 

I know there is a snow tubing trip that day and attendance might be low, so anyone who can make it, please consider coming to either performance so our kids feel the love! We have been working on the play since September, and the kids deserve a full house. 

RUN TIME: 1 hour 10 mins. 

Early Dismissal Friday. All students will dismiss at 2:20pm. Please be sure to have students put chairs on desks prior to leaving from last period. Also be sure to throw out any food items you may have in your room or the teachers lounge!

REPOSTED ITEMS

Plan for Ramadan. Thanks to Sarah R and the MSA for coming up with this plan! Students in grades 6–12 will be able to join the Ramadan Club (prayer space) daily during 4th period in Room B49. To participate, the student leaders are asking that interested students:

• Attend a community norms–setting meeting this Tuesday, February 3rd, during high school lunch
• Complete the Google interest form

Since Ramadan begins during break, the Ramadan Club will officially run from Monday, February 23rd through March 19th. Students understand that the prayer space will only be available during 4th period (HS lunch) in line with Chancellor’s regulations. Interested students will sign in using the official UAI club attendance sheet, and the room will open at 11:30 a.m. for wudu and set-up. Room B49 works especially well for this purpose, as it has plenty of space and includes six sinks, so students won’t need to use the restrooms to make wudu.

Sarah R will serve as club advisor, and will be present in the prayer space daily. Ms. Sue, Ms. Mayisha, Ms. Fatima, and Ms. Phillan have also generously offered to help support when they are available, given the high level of student interest.

Prepping for Summer School.  It's that time again!  We are starting to launch our plans for Summer School.  If you are interested in working summer school, please email Annie and be specific about what you're interested in doing and how long you are interested in working (and yes, you can work in multiple roles and in both Summer Splash and Summer Regents prep)!  

Each summer, we have two separate programs:  Summer Splash and Summer Regents Prep.  In Summer Splash, we recruit teachers to teach their passion!  We look for folks who are excited about something - anything really - that will engage students and get them to learn in non-traditional ways.  Alongside completing required work for credit recovery, we offer explorations in art, music, history, and activism have peppered the program over the last few years. 

At the end of the summer, we pivot back to traditional studying for the August Regents exams.  

We are looking for

• Summer School Coordinator (2 Positions):  These two people would work collaboratively to recruit teachers and create, plan, and monitor summer programming for Summer Splash and Regents Prep (and Regents).  These two roles would be responsible for the day-to-day operations of summer school and would liaise with other summer programs to make sure all programs being hosted at UAI receive what they need and all programs run smoothly. Summer School Coordinators report to Annie (or building Admin if she is on vacation).

Students and Snacks. Across all grades the snacking is beginning to interfere with instructional time. This week on several occasions students were late to class (or using needing a snack as an excuse for lateness) and it's becoming problematic. We are asking that no snacks be given out or sold to students until 2:50pm. If a student is in dire need of food at any point, please reach out to the deans and they will support the student. Thank you for understanding. 

Food Pantry. We are still going strong! In order to keep the momentum going, we are still looking to stock our shelves with the following items.

• All non-perishable food items: Shelf-stable milk, flour, sugar and spices, coffee and tea, baby food, bouillon cubes, instant oats, instant mashed potatoes, etc. 

Student Profiles are visible in OASIS. Click here to view students' academic, attendance, schedule... you name it, it's here - this is your one stop shop for all student info!

Purchasing Requests. In an effort to better track and streamline purchasing, we ask that you fill in this form for all purchasing requests. You can find the form on our staff Google Classroom as well.

PER SESSION POSTINGS

FOR ALL PER SESSION JOBS:  You must apply by completing THIS FORM 

Summer School.  We will not be hosting Girls Inc and DYCD summer camp this summer, and our students who need an all-day placement can register for DYCD programs at the PS46 this summer.   

We are currently looking for folks who are interested in doing some enrichment work (6-12) this summer.  AND we will also have regents prep this summer.  If you are interested in working this summer, please complete THIS FORM