Week of February 28th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 25

February 28th, 2019

(71 instructional days remaining)

Announcements

Welcome Back UAI!  Welcome Back from February Break.  Hopefully you were all to get some well-earned rest and relaxation and/or you were able to do some work to get ahead for our next block of instruction.  Or perhaps, you are that superb person who managed to do both!  Whatever your specific case, we are all back at it on Monday!  This next stretch between February and April break poses a unique opportunity for a long and virtually uninterrupted instructional block running up to state exams.  Take this advantage in the calendar to make the most of building your students' capacity and intellectual growth.  We haven't had this many consecutive days of instruction since the school year started.  This is the period where we can really build up some great momentum as we push off into the end of the year.  Here are some important dates to keep in mind

• March 7th & 8th:  Middle School Benchmarks, Early Dismissal for MS Students ONLY.  All students lunch at 11:15 and dismiss at noon.  All MS teachers will grade benchmarks in the PM.
• March 22nd: Marking Period 4 ends
• March 25th:  Marking Period 5 begins.
• March 27th:  P/SAT Day for 10th and 11th graders.  All 9th and 12th grade students and teachers should plan field trips for the day to clear the building for 10th and 11th grade testing.
• March 28th & 29th:  High School Benchmarks and Full School Student Led Conferences. Regular day for MS on the 28th, and half day on the 29th.   Half day for HS both days, teachers grade in the PM. [Note the calendar change was approved by the NYCDOE]

[Repost] Teacher Passion Projects.  The Shippy Foundation is funding teacher passion projects for all Urban Assembly Teachers.  Check out the RFP (request for proposal) here.  The application is due March 1st. 

Updating What Ready to Learn means at UAI.   As a reminder, we are forming a committee to update UAI school rules.  This committee will meet after school on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00 in Rm 409 to discuss collected feedback, recent research, and goals for UAI's Ready to Learn Policies and expectations for their implementation.  Also remember, even if you cannot make that time, your voice still matters.  You can 

• share your thoughts in person with me, Annie, Jen, or Brodie 
• share your thoughts in this anonymous survey.  
• share your thoughts by leaving a note (typed or handwritten) in one of our mailboxes in the main office.  

Also as a reminder, we cannot abandon the rules while we revisit them. Until we have a fully approved and improved system in place, the current system needs to stay in place.  Please continue to enforce school rules and expectations for being ready to learn. 

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  To make room for our March not Madness PD month, this Monday's PD will be grade team time for PLOPs and Grade Team Meetings again.  We will begin PD together in Room 409 for staff-wide announcements with everyone.  Please sit by grade teams.  Then, after, teams will meet to complete PLOPs and when finished,  go through grade-team driven agendas.  As a reminder, we are back to normal Tuesday outreach this week.

Teacher Attendance.  Let's face it.  It's a truth as old as time.  Whenever students have a substitute teacher, they just don't learn as much as they do with their usual teacher.  When you are absent, you are missed!  Each year the DOE provides teachers with 10 days to cover any sick or personal business.  If you have missed 5 or more days this year and/or you have been late (or left early) 5 or more times, you'll be getting an email from me to let you know your current status.  At any point you can check your CAR on the NYCDOE payroll portal .  If you feel that there is an error, please see Nancy ASAP so that we can correct it.  With this stretch of almost uninterrupted instruction ahead of us, this is the time to be in the classroom to make the most advances with our students.  Try to schedule your appointments outside of school hours, and remember to rest up and take care of yourself so that you can be at school healthy and happy!  Remember, if you have to call out or call in late, please call my cell at 917-776-0460.

March NOT Madness.  CLICK HERE to see the results of your March NOT Madness PD assignments.  To the extent possible, everyone got their first or second choices.  We needed everyone to participate in the Survey Focus Group so adjustments were made to ensure that.  Also, there was not enough interest in the Book Club nor the Staff Circles, so those two were cut.  If you have any questions, please let me or Annie know as soon as possible!  Please take a moment to complete this Teacher Survey so that we may prepare the Survey Focus Groups. 

Student Support Services Updates

Per Session Opportunities

Join the Hiring Committee!  Alison, Marsha, Phillan, Danielle Ro, Nina, Nadine, Rebecca F. Rebecca C., Megan, Kelly, and Jamie are all on the hiring committee.  If you submitted interest and don't see your name on this list, it's likely that I missed your email!  Just send me another one and I'll add you on.  Our first meeting will be on Saturday, March 9th at 9AM.  We will orient you and train you to prepare for our first hiring fair which will be from 10-12 on March 9th.  Also, save the date for March 23rd.

We Need Dance Chaperones for the March Dance.  Please email Jen for details and she will confirm your selection for chaperone.