Week of January 16th

UAI Staff News

Volume IV

Issue 19

Week of January 16th, 2017

This Week's Memories

This quote comes from his student paper in 1947, "The Purpose of Education".  

In it, Dr. King also states:

To save [us] from the morass of propaganda... is one of the chief aims of education.
Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false,
the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction. 

As we enter into the final week of Obama's presidency and gear up for the first week of Trump, it is important to take pause today, a special day for an amazing man.  It is important to take stock of who were are and why we work with our students and their families.  It is important to know that what we choose to do is the work that needs to be done to preserve the good that still persists in the world and to empower our girls to make manifest the change our world so desperately needs.

I choose this work because I believe in bringing equity to our world.  I believe education is the way to achieve this.  I believe working with students who need the most support is the place to effect this change.  I am honored to work with so many of you who share my mission and vision.  I am lucky to have such amazing thought partners in this work.  It is hard; it can be grueling; but everyday, I know it's worth it because it's the right work. 

Celebrate today and tomorrow we will get right back into it!

To Do's for this Week

[MONDAY, 23JAN17] Full Staff PD. Continue working on your summative assessment that we began in last week's full staff PD.  We will be using these assessments in next week's PD so please have the final product uploaded to the folder that Colleen shared last week.

[TUESDAY, 24JAN17] Prepare for end of the semester. Marking period 3 ends Tuesday, 24JAN17.  All grades are due on Friday, 27JAN17 at 2:30PM.  Ms. Jennifer will be producing report cards on 30JAN17 which will be distributed on the first day of the Spring term on 31JAN during 8th period.

[MONDAY 30JAN17] Preparing for 30JAN PD day.  We are gathering data to check in on our progress towards school goals.  In preparation for a data share back with staff on the full staff PD day, we're asking three things

• Parent Survey.  Please email (or text) this link:  https://goo.gl/forms/jpDsZdUbLP28C6u62 to your advisee's parents.  Please ask them to complete the survey by Friday.  You are more likely to have valid contact than Skedula (although it is also going out that way too).  We don't expect large returns, however, if you can confirm that at least two parents completed this survey, we'll have a good sampling for our data check in.
• Teacher Survey.  Please take a few moments to complete this survey.  Please take a few moments to complete this survey now.
• Student Survey.  We are planning on giving students their survey during a class on Monday, 23JAN (prior to seeing Hidden Figures - see below)

[UPCOMING] Black History and Women's History Months.  February and March are just around the corner. UAI will kick off Black History Month with a celebration of African American Women who have helped shaped our nation and made advancements in such fields as science & technology, government and community service.  We have a series of fantastic events to get us going:

• [21JAN17] NYC Women's March.  Suzannah, Mara and Ilyana have been working together to organize a school group to go to the NYC Women's March this Saturday.  Please do reach out to them to find out more!  On Wednesday, we will be hosting a poster making party after school for the March.
  
  Unfortunately, our trip passes don't work on the weekends.  So, we are looking for metrocard donations to help students travel from home to school, and then, to and from the march (3 rides).  If you plan to donate, please buy a pay-per-ride metrocard and leave it with Mara by Friday.   Your help would be greatly appreciated!

• [23JAN17] School Viewing of Hidden Figures. Kree JUST secured 300 tickets for our school to see Hidden Figures!  Thank you to Kree and Girls Inc!!!!  Save the date for Monday.  We are currently working on details with Kree.  We will be emailing you all shortly with the plan!
• [30JAN17] Door Decorating Competition. Ms. Kree and Girl's Inc are working hard to help get student volunteers assigned to each classroom to assist teachers in completing door decorations. We will start this work the week of January 30th. For questions, please reach out to Ms. Kree or Ms. Jen C.
• [03FEB17] February's Family Friday.  Ms. Kristina & Ms. Marsha are planning a celebratory event to have their students show off their written work with their families for our Family Friday (which occur the first Friday of every month) in February!  Thank you Kristina & Marsha for your hard work in getting our parents in to celebrate our girls' academic achievements!
• [15FEB17] Winterfest.  Our annual celebration of After School activities and display of students arts and artistic talent will be on Wednesday, 15FEB17.  Please join us in celebrating our girls in the gym from 6-8PM.
• [17FEB17] Black History Month Assembly.  We will be having our next full school assembly on Friday, Feb 17th.  This will be a slightly early assembly to accommodate a staggered rapid dismissal for the building (SLJ and AIL are dismissing early on Friday).  The Assembly will begin at 1:30 and we will rapidly dismiss at 2:15PM.

SEL Updates

Friday, 30JAN17 - No Naming Calling Day 

Ms. Lauren, Ms. Jennifer and  Ms. Jen are planning an amazing lunchtime activity for our middle school girls to celebrate kindness and community. The Day will be entitled “No Name Calling Day”

 Middle School Students during lunch will be working on creating a “Kindness Quilt” which we will display on the third floor.  Please feel free to join them at lunch (10:30-11:20) in the cafeteria. The more the merrier!  Lauren and Jennifer will also be teaching an SEL class this week to support the No Name Calling Day mission.

While this day is aimed at our youngest students, it's an opportunity to offer our older students perspective and leadership. Please promote this day in your classes, and encourage our older UAI girls to support the work of our youngest ones in making strong efforts to spread kindness. Spreading kindness and building community in the smallest ways build a foundation of a strong school! Eradicating name calling - even those used in jest - is the first step.

Add this calendar to your own!  See that little "+" sign in the bottom right hand corner?  Click on it to have it show up in your personal google calendar!

Per Session Posting

SECOND POSTING - In case you missed last week!

Regents Prep.  If you are interested in offering regents prep sessions to students beginning this week, please email Val ASAP.  Unfortunately, we can't do Saturday sessions now (although we will have them in the run up to June).  After school only (or during lunch or before school).  Please let Val know your schedule and provide her with the list of students with whom you will be working.  Regents prep hours are flexible and will be available to staff through 1/23.  Teachers must have a minimum of 5 students to have their per session hours approved.  So, please do make sure you understand that these positions require that you are reaching out and recruiting students.

STEAM Brunch and Resource Fair.  We are looking for 2 staff members for 3 hours (9-12) on 21JAN17. Lunch will be provided by girls inc (chipotle).  Activities are at 20 minute intervals. For more details they can see Kree. To sign up, see Ms. Val.