Week of 02NOV26

 

  Urban Assembly Institute of Math &                      Science for Young Women

2 November 2026

  

School Leadership Message.  

Happy Marathon Sunday to all participants and spectators! Short blog today - enjoy this beautiful day.

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Upcoming Events. See Master Calendar Here.  Trips, assessment days, evening family events, student engagement activities and more.  

• November 3: Election Day, remote school
• November 5: HS Science Benchmark
• November 5: 6th Grade to AMNH
• November 6: HS History Benchmark
• November 6: NHS Induction Ceremony, 9am
• November 7: Theater & Volleyball Clinics, 10am
• November 9: HS ELA Benchmark
• November 10: HS Math Benchmark
• November 10: End of MP1
• November 11: Veterans Day, no school
• November 14: Volleyball Clinic, 10am
• November 16: Grades Due by 3pm

Announcements.

Monday PD. ENL Groups are calling home to families this week! Please report directly to your assigned rooms after last period! All staff will meet back in the farm at 3:35pm for a mandatory SPED PD. 

Advance Evaluations Really Begin this Week. We were thrown off schedule by the NYSED visit - apologies! We really are coming this week. Please be prepared to share your lesson plan if we come to evaluate one of your classes - we are going to ask you for it! 

For the first round of observations we are going to be focusing our feedback on the following:

• Tasks are rigorous, on grade-level, and require students to engage in higher order thinking for the majority of the period.
• Students are engaging in discussion and teacher-to-student ping-pong interactions are limited.

Election Day Plan. We've received little guidance regarding Election Day this year but we know that some of the day must include live interactions with students. So, here is the plan.

• 8:30 - 8:45  Staff check in on ZOOM (link Passcode: 943126) & Review Family Outreach log 

• 9:00 - 9:15  Students log in to ZOOM with their 1st period teacher to complete mock learning environment survey form  (form completion counts as their attendance)
• This means all first period teachers on Tuesday need to create a ZOOM link with their DOE email and put it in Google Classroom for students to access.
• You will take attendance for your 1st period class ONLY based on who was actually in the Zoom. We'll overturn attendance for those who missed the ZOOM but completed the form later in the day.
• 9:30 - 11:30  Vertical Subject Team meetings (facilitated by IST leads)
• 11:30 - 12:30   Lunch    
• 12:30 - 2:50  All Staff complete mandated asynchronous trainings in WeLearn - see here for full list of mandated trainings & complete Chapter 408 Acknowledgement Form for all students with IEPs.

Family Outreach. Please log your outreach weekly, we need 100% compliance with this expectation.

Instruction & Curriculum Updates.

Benchmarks: Benchmarks start this week! Please review the information below & reach out to your IST for support, if needed.

• Schedule:
• Thursday, 11/5: Science
• Friday, 11/6: Social Studies
• Monday, 11/9: ELA
• Tuesday, 11/10: Math
• Logistics: 1 period during the regular class period
• Breadth teachers can select any of these days to give a benchmark, but it is NOT mandatory for elective classes
• Students should receive all accommodations (large text, extended time, read-aloud). Your team can decide if that means extended time students will get another ½ period to complete their exam OR if you will shorten the exam to 2/3 the length of the original. If you need read aloud space, please review the master schedule & coordinate with teachers on your team who are giving the benchmark for their class at the same time.

Instructional Rounds: 

      Thank you to all for a successful first cycle of instructional rounds! We uncovered valuable trends and worked together to refine our understanding of rigor and what it looks like in practice. Special shout out to all who opened their classes for these visits too. While these visits are not feedback-focused, if you'd like feedback, just email Kelly and Rosie.

     At the end of each IR, groups generated criteria for rigorous tasks and lessons. We are going to take the criteria from each group and consolidate it into one document to present to you at the November 9 PD. Departments will then further develop the criteria for their departments and generate examples and explicit teacher & student moves we expect to see in rigorous classes. 

     We know IR is a big lift but we appreciate all the time, care, and reflection you showed throughout the process. It's clear we have a shared vision of strengthening instruction for our students and we truly believe we're on the path to get there.

Course Grades: We are now almost two months into the school year - every teacher should have at least three graded assignments or assessments entered into the DOE Grades (OASIS) system. 

Chapter 408 Acknowledgement: All teachers must complete a Chapter 408 Acknowledgement form for all IEP students in their class. When IEPs are updated, a new form must be completed. Case Managers will now be reaching out to teachers after IEPs are finalized to share any updates in services & to remind you to complete a new Chapter 408 form.

Operational Updates.

• Please see here for our 2026-27 Staff Directory.
• All purchase requests must be made through this form for this year! 

School Culture Update.

Shout Out to Our Student Support Team!

A big shout out to our Student Support Team: Nicole, Jean, Alayshia, Jen, Tiffany, Jennifer and Emily!  I would bet that there isn't a single student in our building that this team doesn't know! And when you think about the fact that we serve students across grades 6–12, that is quite a feat.
I think that sometimes we underestimate just how much work happens behind the scenes to support our students throughout the school day. From mediating student conflicts and helping students regulate their emotions, to responding to teachers who need support with student behaviors and communicating with families when concerns arise, this team does so much to support our school community.

What I appreciate most about this team is the relationships they have built with our students. They know our kids, they understand their needs, and they are often the people students turn to when they are having a difficult day. The work they do is not always visible, but it is so important. Helping students work through conflicts, manage their emotions, and feel supported allows them to return to their classrooms ready to engage in learning.

Thank you to our SST for the work you do every day to support our students, teachers, and families. It does not go unnoticed!

REMINDERS

Lunch clubs and students upstairs. In order to reduce wandering during lunch, we need to tighten up our structures for non-cafeteria spaces. Moving forward, staff who hold clubs or test/study sessions must retrieve students from the cafeteria. Students will not be allowed upstairs without an adult.

Student of the Month. Our goal is to honor and recognize kids from all academic bands, diverse personalities, and varying stages of personal growth.
Whether a student is a top academic performer, someone who has shown remarkable personal improvement, a quiet contributor, or a classroom leader, we want to ensure every type of success and progress is celebrated across our school community!

Please take a moment to nominate a student who has demonstrated one of our core values: 

Power, Rigor, Equity, or Joy. LINK for NOMINATIONS

Family and Community Updates.

• We need more blue cards turned in! Please remind your students to submit their forms to the dean team.
• PTA/SLT calendar for the year is here.

Per session Postings: Please Use this FORM to apply.