Week of March 7th

UAI Staff News

Volume III

Issue 25

Week of March 7th, 2016

UAI Celebrations

Congratulations AGAIN to our Lady Eagles!     Coach Elana and our varsity girls basketball players have made it to the Semi Finals.  Their next game is against the undefeated #1 seed East Harlem Pride (250 Bedford Park Blvd W, Bronx,10468) at 7PM.  We don't often get to celebrate school spirit.  So, when times like this come along, we should definitely take the opportunity to celebrate UAI and our Lady Eagles.  So, let's all show support by wearing our Adams Street Campus or UAI School gear to support our Lady Eagles and give them the boost they need to make it to the finals!!

Congratulations Class of 2016!  To celebrate their successful submission of their college applications, the seniors went on a bowling trip on Friday.   June is only two and a half months away, and it is so exciting to usher yet another wonderful class on their way to graduation, college, and beyond!

10th Annual Sonia Kovalevsky Day.  Ten years ago, I wrote a grant with my dear friend and one of the original members of the school's planning committee, Cathy O'Neil.  This grant was to the Association of Women in Math to host our first Sonia Kovalevsky Day with Barnard College.  SK days are particularly aimed at getting more women excited about math.  Sonia Kovalevsky was a mathematician.  The day has taken root, and has occurred every year for the last 10 years.  This past Friday, the math team worked with Barnard staff to execute a beautiful, engaging day for young women from all grades.  For the first time in a while, the middle school joined high school girls at Barnard.  It was great to have them all together again, and it was a fantastic day for all.

Announcements 

PPO Visit Number Two.  Deputy Superintendent Richie Cintron will be back to visit UAI for the 2nd Principal Performance Observation.  One of the major things we'll be looking at is student engagement and formative assessment, both in the mini-lesson and throughout the period.   Here's the feedback from the last visit if you'd like to read the details.  On Thursday, 10MAR16, please be sure that

• All of your classes are in formats.  We're definitely getting there!  LC structures are much more prevalent this month and I can see students settling into LC patterns and routines.  
• Formative Assessment and Student Engagement.  Many of you already do many of these things all the time.  I'm not asking that you reinvent the wheel this week. I'm asking that you plan to have these best practices in play on Thursday.  Be sure that all of your formats have planned engagement activities and formative assessments
• Mini-Lesson Examples (Timed CBM at end of lesson - exit ticket; Turn and Talks; Answering Questions (e.g. holding up 1, 2, 3, or 4 fingers to select an option); Mini Whiteboard use (e.g. writing questions/summaries/answers and then holding up the whiteboard)
• Work Time Examples (Self-Check Quizzes, Intention Sheets driven my diagnostic data/conference goals, etc.)
• Unison Examples (using the record to record student interactions and following into student breaches, Timed CBM to answer a breach at the end of Unison)
• Conference Examples (following into student responses to identify quality breaches, facilitating students to create SMART goals, revisiting past goals and progress data)
• Share Examples (Timed CBM to answer Regents/NYS Middle School exam questions related to the share, self-check quizzes, summaries of presentation, etc.)

Student Led Conferences and Benchmarks are next week.  Next Thursday and Friday we will be on our Benchmark Schedule, and all of UAI will be conducting Student Led Conferences.  Please take a moment to review expectations and tips for SLCs here.  High School teachers and Middle School teachers who have been at UAI prior to last year (which is everyone except Erick K., Matthew, Natalie, and Sursattie) have experience with SLCs since we were all on an SLC structure prior to last year.  High School Grade Team Leaders have already shared resources and best practices with Middle School Grade Team Leaders.  Please do reach out if you have any questions or concerns.  Click here to refresh your memory on the Benchmark Schedule

Decision Making REPOST.  The lessons and article that I passed out during Monday's PD are designed to help you teach kids to make better decisions.  If you choose not to use the lessons, then DO plan another means by which you are 
(1) Getting kids to PAUSE and REFLECT
(2) Develop a Thinking Routine that guides better choices.  As a reminder,  urgency is a useful tool (but don't lean on it too much or they will freak out).  Urgency must be coupled with achievable results.  For example, focus on what can be achieved by the end of the period, or the end of tomorrow, or the end of the week.  Structure their urgency using your intention sheets and concrete, measurable goals.

• Urgency Tools:  In 10 classes, Marking Period 4 ends next Friday (11MAR16) and Student Led Conferences follow the next week (17MAR16 and 18MAR16).  Students will need to be able to show and talk about the work they do in your classes.  In 15 classes, students will take Benchmark IV (the last benchmark and predictive testing for the Middle School).  Students need to focus their efforts in class to push their growth and performance on this next litmus test.

Teacher To Dos

Bulletin Board Update.  Please take time this week (e.g. using your PD period that we're not using because we don't have Pods this month) to update student work in bulletin boards.  In addition, take time to organize your classroom environments.  Again, we're not reinventing the wheel.  We are updating and tidying in preparation for visitors.

Important Dates

• Monday, 07MAR16. PD Topic:  Jamie will be introducing two Ed tech tools so please bring a laptop or a tablet. One tool can be used for mini lessons and the other is a new STEM and career readiness multimedia resource you can use right away in your classroom.
• Friday, 11MAR16.  4th Marking Period Ends
• Monday, 14MAR16.  5th Marking Period Begins
• Wednesday, 16MAR16. MP4 Grades are Due at 3PM
• Monday, 14MAR16. PD Topic:  Staff Share OR Developing Goal Directed Behavior thru the Conference [Grade Team Time follows]
• Thursday, 17MAR16 and Friday, 18MAR15.  Benchmark 3 (This will be MS Predictive)
• Monday, 21MAR16. PD Topic:  Staff Share OR Using Active Listening Skills during the Lesson [Grade Team Time follows]
• Thursday, 24MAR16.  Women's History Month Full School Assembly (1:45-2:30PM) followed by rapid dismissal
• Friday, 25MAR16.  Good Friday, NO SCHOOL
• Monday, 28MAR16.  PD Topic:  Staff Share OR Disagreeing without being Disagreeable during Shares [Grade Team Time follows]

• Monday, 04APR16. Pod Cycle IV Launch [Grade Team Time moved to Tuesday]
• Tuesday, 05APR16 thru Thursday, 07APR15.  Middle School NYS ELA Exam
• Wednesday, 13APR16 thru Friday, 15APR15.  Middle School NYS Math Exam
• Friday, 15APR16.  5th Marking Period Ends
• Monday, 11APR16. Pod Share 1 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 18APR16. Pod Share 2 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 18APR16.  6th Marking Period Begins
• Wednesday, 20APR16.  5th Marking Period Grades Due at 3PM
• Friday, 22APR16.  5th MP Progress Report Distributed 8th Period
• Friday, 22APR16.  Poetry Slam Full School Assembly 1:45-2:30PM
• Monday, 25APR16 thru Friday 29APR15 - Spring Recess, NO SCHOOL

• Monday, 02MAY16. Pod Share 3 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 09MAY16. Pod Reflection - Grade Team Meetings moved to Tuesday
• Monday, 16MAY16. Pod Share 4 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Monday, 23MAY16. Pod Share 5 of 6 and Grade Team Meetings
• Tuesday, 24MAY16.  Grade Teams meet Tuesday
• Monday, 06JUN16. Pod Share 6 of 6 and Pod Share Prep - Grade Teams meet Tuesday

For All UAI School Important Dates, please add "UAI School" calendar to your google calendars.

Per Session Posting

NO new postings

SLCs
PPO Visit #2
March Dinner
Saturday Recruitment
Saturday School
Resilient Scholars
Teacher To Dos