Week of May 25

                                                           

Volume: XIII

Issue: 38

May 25, 2026

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

It was a busy week! Between Parent-Teacher Conferences, Senior Prom, and the 8th grade trip to Six Flags and the HEAT, there has been a lot happening across the building - and the pace is not slowing down anytime soon. The next several weeks will continue to be filled with events, celebrations, trips, and end-of-year responsibilities that can make this time of year feel especially hectic for both students and staff.

While all of these experiences are important and meaningful parts of the school year, it is critical that we continue to keep our focus on instruction and student preparation. Regents exams are now just a few weeks away, and our students need structure, consistency, and purposeful academic support more than ever.

Please continue to prioritize strong classroom routines, clear expectations, and opportunities for students to engage in meaningful Regents prep. Whether through review activities, practice questions, writing tasks, small-group support, or targeted feedback, every opportunity for focused practice matters. Students benefit greatly from predictable classroom environments during busy periods like this, and your consistency helps keep them grounded and academically focused.

I also recognize that this stretch of the year can be demanding for staff as well!!! Thank you for your continued flexibility, professionalism, and commitment to supporting students through all of the moving pieces that come with May and June. The work you are doing each day is helping our students stay on track and build confidence as they approach their exams and the finish line of the school year.

Let’s keep the momentum going and finish the year strong.

IMPORTANT DATES

• MAY25: Memorial Day, no school
• MAY 26: Culture Day, rapid dismissal 2:15pm
• MAY27: Eid, no school
• MAY28: Senior Awards Breakfast
• MAY29: Spring Play
• JUN12: 8th Grade Prom!
• JUN12: Last day of Girls Inc programming
• JUN18: Kiri's Retirement Party!
• JUN19: Juneteenth, no school
• JUN23: 8th Grade Graduation!
• JUN25: 12th Grade Graduation!

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

UPCOMING TRIPS

• MAY28: MS Brooklyn Cyclones Trip
• MAY29: MS CUNY Explorers Visit 
• JUN01: 6th Grade trip to MET
• JUN02-03: Senior Overnight trip to Villa Roma
• JUN09: 7th Grade trip to Jewish Heritage Museum

Trip Form.  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U3i3fgENVCpX6MA51r_1jsmxVavRm12-oaB9ieiNA8Q/edit?usp=sharing

TO DO THIS WEEK

Remaining PD Dates.  Only three more Mondays (plus June 4th).

• June 1: Lynn Jeudy facilitates last SEL PD
• June 4: AM Outreach & Worktime, Roadmaps training (for some), PM Review Proctor Expectations and Regents Schedule, ENL Groups feedback review
• June 8: CEP Goals
• June15: CEP Goals

Outreach & Tracking for MP4.  Thanks to all who have linked in their tasks lists, we are still missing a few so if that's you, get it linked ASAP.

By now you should have sent a copy of the task list home to FAMILIES in your outreach. Again, see below for instructions on that:

Create and Link a document here that lists the exact tasks that the students must successfully complete in order to pass by June.  This task list will be what students work on during summer school should they not complete by the end of June.  As a reminder, students who are not yet passing will be required to attend school every day during Regents week to work one-on-one with you for the help they need to successfully finish.  

Culture Day Plan. As a reminder, UAI's RPET, Student Activities, and Student Government teams are hosting Culture Day on Tuesday, May 26^th during periods 4-7. The adjusted schedule for the day is below with additional links & info for each period. We'll review this on Monday's PD but please reach out with any additional questions!

Periods 1–2: Regular class schedule for all students.

Period 3: Grades 8–12 will have regular class & Grades 6–7 will have learning lab to ensure the whole school can eat together next period.

Period 4: Lunch for all grades

• Catered lunch with food options from different cultures
• SGA run activities for AAPI month
• Music & dancing!

Period 5: RPET Activities in Classes

• All students attend their regularly scheduled classes.
• Teachers run an opening circle and then select (or have kids select) the activity for the rest of the class. RPET students have created THIS DOCUMENT with explicit directions for the circle and lesson plans for each activity. As a heads up - any tab without an emoji is still in development but will be completed by May 19.
• Any student performing in the assembly should report to the gym at 12:45 and no earlier. We want to ensure they get to participate in the circle too. A list will be shared by May 22.

Period 6: Culture Day Assembly

• All students (except performers already in the gym) report to their regular 6th-period class. Students will be called upstairs for the Culture Day Assembly shortly after.
• So far, the assembly will include two Bengali dances, a Mexican dance, an Afro-Carribbean inspired dance and the step team. The assembly will end with a multicultural fashion/show parade. We already have 14 countries/cultures represented but want to add more! Please encourage your students to sign up by emailing Kelly or going to 507 after school any day. Staff are more than welcome to participate too!!

Period 7: Early dismissal at 2:15 PM. Girls Inc. will begin immediately following dismissal.

Regents Lists are Posted. Students are being directed to ask their classroom teachers about their questions/concerns. If you notice there is an error, please submit the change request form on the staff google classroom (and attached Here).

If you have any questions about regents lists, you can also reach out to your PAG (formerly ILT) member for clarification! 

June Final Exams. We’ve updated the UAI Pacing Calendar to reflect changes caused by Regents Days on June 9 and 10. Below is the revised final exam schedule by content area. Teachers may choose whether or not to give a final exam. If you do, please administer it on the assigned date so students aren’t overloaded. All finals should fit within one class period, and there will be no modified schedule.

• June 5: ELA
• June 8: Science
• June 11: Social Studies
• June 12: Math & Breadth

UPCOMING TEST DATES.

• NYESLAT - See here for the tracking spreadsheet
• Regents: 
• June 9: ELA
• June 10: Algebra II
• Week of June 17

REPOSTED ITEMS

Shippy Grant. The Shippy Foundation will once again be soliciting proposals for Teacher Passion Projects from UA Schools. Grants will be awarded for up to $5,000 per teacher project. Applications from multiple teachers from one school are allowed. 

The Shippy Foundation is interested in making smaller grants directly to teachers and staff who are committed to improving student learning, increasing student engagement, and codifying and disseminating their work so that others may benefit.

Please submit your proposals here by June 5th. You can find the link to the proposal template in the overview section of the Google Form. 

Dream Squads. The Office of Multilingual Learners is accepting applications for new “Dream Squads,” which are school-based teams focused on creating more welcoming and inclusive environments for multilingual and immigrant students and families. Dream Squads are made up of 3 or more staff members in different roles (teachers, counselors, parent coordinators, administrators, etc.) who work together throughout the year to develop and implement strategies that better support immigrant and first-generation students. The initiative includes professional learning sessions, coaching support, and the creation of a school-wide plan focused on inclusion and engagement.

For more info please reach out to Emily Payamps. Applications are due May 22, 2026. If anyone is interested in learning more or potentially participating, here is the application link:

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8732621/Dream-Squads-Application-SY-26-27

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!

Summer School Application. On March 25, NYCPS began accepting applications for summer staff roles for K–12. If you've expressed interest in working this summer, staff should apply through the Summer Online Application Tool by April 30. Note that applications submitted after the deadline will be marked late, waiving the applicant’s retention rights, where applicable. 

PER SESSION POSTINGS

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

NYSESLAT grading. We have over 100 writing samples to grade (each kid writes 3x) so need your help! If you're interested and able to support NYSESLAT grading for per session, please email me ASAP. We will hold our first grading session on Tuesday, May 26th from 3-4:30pm and decide as a team when the next session will be since all exams must be scored by June 5. Any licensed teacher can score exams, and we will provide training on the 26th to ensure you're comfortable and ready to do so!