Week of January 5th

UAI High School Staff News

Volume II

Issue 20

Week of January 5th, 2015

Announcements

Chancellor's Visit.  Over the break, Chancellor Farina reached out and requested a visit to see us!!!  In particular, she is interested in seeing how we use Learning Cultures to teach into writing across the curriculum.  There is so much writing happening across all grades and subjects.  There is a wide variety of genre (e.g. Spanish info-graphics, DBQ essays, Lab Reports, poems, creative writing pieces, and math problems).  Genre Practice, while still a work in progress for us, still elevates the variety and rigor of written products our students are engaged with across the school.  The formats work in tandem to support reading, writing, and content/skill acquisition within the subject areas.  While she may be expressly looking to see how we teach writing, she will get quite an experience in seeing how you guys use Learning Cultures to do so much more!  She'll be visiting on Tuesday, 13JAN15.  Please make sure you guys are all here and ready to show our chancellor how awesome you are!

Regents Preparation & Work Out Plans.  In two and a half weeks, our upper classwomen will be retaking their Regents exams and for some of our juniors, they'll be taking the English exam for the 1st time.  Students and teachers often ask me, when are we going to have Regents prep?  Now with the introduction of Work Out plans, regents prep should be an integrated component of each and every regents-ending class.  Regents prep isn't something that happens in a situated time period, rather, regents-prep should be an on-going, ever-present component within your classroom.

It's important that teachers teach into this idea with students and provide our students with resources like regentsprep.org or studyisland that directly support exam preparation.  Students have the misconception that the regents are separate from the course and that they should prepare for the exams separately from their work in the course.  In order to correct this misconception, teachers need to plan explicit lessons that teach into this concept and show students how best to use these test prep resources (and other workout plans) to help support their individual study plans.

Attendance and Calling Home.  It doesn't always feel like it's making a difference, but it IS making a difference.  Last year, our high school attendance was <90% putting us at the bottom of our peer group in this category.  Year-to-date, our average attendance is about 92%, leap-frogging us to the top of the heap.  The only change we've made between this year and last is having teachers call home!  So, even if it feels like you're getting nowhere, please keep it up.  A collection of small efforts IS having great impact.

As a reminder, the new teacher's contract put more time into your day, expressly for outreach to the home.  This year, we've taken that time (40 minutes) and spread it over the days in the week so that you have 8 minutes per day to call each and everyone one of your advisees who does not make it to 2nd period on time. 

There is some confusion on this.  To try to be more clear, here's what you should do

• If a student does NOT make it to advisory at all, check her 2nd period attendance.
• If she is marked P, do not call home
• If she is not marked anything or if she is marked late or absent, CALL HOME.

Here are some examples of things to say when you call home

• Good morning, I'm calling to check on <student>.  She didn't make it to advisory and is not yet in school.  Is she coming in today? 
• Good morning/afternoon, I'm calling to let you know that <student> was late to school today.  She didn't make it to advisory and she arrived late to school by <period>.  Please make sure that she is on time tomorrow.
• Good afternoon, I'm calling to let you know that <student> wasn't in school today.  Is she feeling ok?  Do you plan to send her in tomorrow?  

This is the 6th or 7th time that I've had to address the staff on this issue this year.   Put a calendar reminder in your cell phone so that it prompts you to call everyday.  Do something that helps you remember to fulfill this professional responsibility!  Again, when we pay attention, this gets fixed.  This will be the last time that I remind people informally.  From here on out, individuals will receive formal letters to file to remind them to fulfill their professional responsibility in calling home.


Chancellor's PD Day.  We will be meeting with the other Learning Cultures High Schools at Green Careers for this PD day.  Julie, Kerry, and I are really looking to our teachers to take the lead and share input into what they would like to do on this day.  In order to best plan this day with our PD leads & coaches, we really, really, need your input. So please, fill this out now?

Important Dates

• Monday, 05JAN15 - Full Staff PD
• PODs Share Out
• As in December...PODs will meet to prepare a share out of what they've accomplished in their intervisitation to date.
• Admin Announcements
• Electronics Policy
• Hallway Presence
• Use of the Behavior Reminder System
• Social Norms Talk Revisited

• Monday, 05JAN15 - Eagles Home Basketball Game vs. John Dewey HS 4:30-6PM
• Wednesday, 07JAN15 - Eagles Home Basketball Game vs. Sunset Park HS 4:30-6PM
• Friday, 09JAN15 - Homecoming Dance
• Monday, 19JAN15 - MLK Jr. Day and Kelly D's Birthday
• Wednesday, 21JAN15 - Eagles Home Basketball Game vs. Westinghouse 4:30-6PM
• Thursday 22JAN15 - Friday, 23JAN15 - Benchmark III Exams (Fall Finals)
• Friday, 23JAN15 - Marking Period Three Ends
• Friday 23JAN15 - Eagles Home Basketball Game vs. John Jay Campus 4:30-6PM
• Monday, 26JAN15 -  Thursday, 29JAN15.  Regents Week
• Friday, 30JAN15 - End of Fall Term, Regents Rating Day - NO CLASSES
• Monday, 02FEB15 - Chancellor's PD Day
• Wednesday 04FEB15 - Last Regular Season Home Game for the Lady Eagles 4:30-6PM

Per Session

Homecoming Dance Chaperones.  The seniors are organizing a homecoming dance.  It is scheduled for this Friday, 09JAN15.  However, that said...they have been experiencing some organizational challenges.  Provided that they can get this off the ground by Friday, I will need to have at least 5 DOE chaperones.  Per Session if from 6-10PM.  Positions are filled on a first come first serve basis.  Reply to kiris@uainstitute.org as soon as possible!