UAI Staff News
Volume VI
Issue 39
June 10th, 2019
(3 HS Instructional Days Remaining)
(More than 3 MS Instructional Days Remaining)
(More than 3 MS Instructional Days Remaining)
Announcements
June Check In. Yesterday, someone gave this to me at the start of a meeting to ask us to check in. I'm not gonna lie. I said, I am solid three, but after the staff party on Friday, I'm hoping to move to that guy in 2. Knowing how hard each of you work, I think a fair number must be feeling like #3, too. I totally get it!
This is an emotional career. We all put our hearts and souls into our work each hour of every day. When we win and kids thrive, there is no better feeling of accomplishment and worth. But we aren't yet winning every day. So, when we miss the mark, we feel it in our core when our students fall short. We are definitely on the right path, but we feel the growing pains as we continue upward on the journey. But I want to take a moment to center us on Picture 2 or Picture 4. I want to take a moment to smell our roses and appreciate our achievements as we sail into the last few days of the year.
Community Satisfaction is at an all time high! Our recent school survey results show that our
This is an emotional career. We all put our hearts and souls into our work each hour of every day. When we win and kids thrive, there is no better feeling of accomplishment and worth. But we aren't yet winning every day. So, when we miss the mark, we feel it in our core when our students fall short. We are definitely on the right path, but we feel the growing pains as we continue upward on the journey. But I want to take a moment to center us on Picture 2 or Picture 4. I want to take a moment to smell our roses and appreciate our achievements as we sail into the last few days of the year.
parents, students and teachers are increasingly satisfied with the work we do. By survey results, we have improved in ALL categories on our Learning Environment Survey with our biggest jumps in Collaborative Teachers & Effective Leadership. We are working well together as a team!
School Instructional Foci. Our focus on Look-Fors in student thinking, and Effective Circulation with Assessment & Feedback has had an incredible impact on our teaching and classroom instruction. Overall, our Danielson ratings in Domain 3 were up, with particular increase in quality in student discussion and student engagement - leading to significantly improved overall teacher observations. In short, more students were asked to think about more challenging tasks. Because they thought more, were challenged more, and asked to do more our classrooms were on fire this year!
Student Achievement. Our classroom instruction and elevated quality of teacher thinking & planning about student thinking and learning led to increased performance. The Middle School cut scores are hot off the presses. Overall 92% of our middle school students met the cut score (i.e. met minimum requirements for promotion) in ELA and 90% in math. A typical year for UAI is in the mid 80s for both. So, even though we don't have the final scores yet, the preliminary data looks amazing! In addition, student performance on the Global Regent is strong. We don't have their curved scores, but many of our students scored 4/5 on their essays and about 75% of them are on track to pass! In addition, May predictive regents show increased passing rates across the board. When you're in the weeds (like now), it's hard to appreciate the impact of all the hard work you've done. Take a step back and breath it in. We're well on our way to excellence!
Our Work Around Uncovering Implicit Bias has been Scary but Brave. As the adults in our community, we took a brave step into examining and uncovering our own implicit biases That work culminated with consultancies that had teachers working together to help one another honestly confront hidden biases and strategize to protect our students from them. It was a first step, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and this work and these structures will continue into the next school year. Next year, we will enter into this work as the second cohort of the work that Paul Forbes began with us in March. I'm excited to bring his work and our consultancies together so that we can create classrooms that ignite the passion of all of our students.
Social Emotional Learning and Resilient Scholars. Our work with Social Emotional Learning and our partnership with the Urban Assembly's Resilient Scholars program has garnered UAI some great attention. UAI presented at conferences in Albany and here in New York around our work in integrating social emotional learning with counseling goals and our work with integrating literacy into the work of social emotional development. Special shout outs go to Ms. Marni, Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Cassandra, Ms. Lauren and Ms. Jen. Because of all the work they do, they brought some sunshine to UAI and put us on the map!
Student Celebrations. In addition to SEL, our clubs and other student achievements have put UAI's mark on the world. Congrats to Tom and Nina on the UAI's Running Club 3rd place finish last week's race! Congrats to Tom and the Green Team for their stellar work with the Hydroponic Farm.Congrats to Ms. Vanessa and all the Girls Inc Team for celebrating our students talents with the Guitar Club, Spice Steppers, Homework Help and so many, many more program. The list of student achievements - particularly with our College Office and all over the school goes on and on. Take a moment and find the victories within your own UAI story, share it with a colleague or friend, and revel in the awesomeness of which you were a vital part this year.
I've been on a Queen and Freddie Mercury kick lately. It must be all the karaoke I've been doing. To quote him, we at UAI are the Champions!
Important Upcoming Dates in the Last Few Weeks of School (Please let me know stat if I got any dates wrong!!)
School Instructional Foci. Our focus on Look-Fors in student thinking, and Effective Circulation with Assessment & Feedback has had an incredible impact on our teaching and classroom instruction. Overall, our Danielson ratings in Domain 3 were up, with particular increase in quality in student discussion and student engagement - leading to significantly improved overall teacher observations. In short, more students were asked to think about more challenging tasks. Because they thought more, were challenged more, and asked to do more our classrooms were on fire this year!
Student Achievement. Our classroom instruction and elevated quality of teacher thinking & planning about student thinking and learning led to increased performance. The Middle School cut scores are hot off the presses. Overall 92% of our middle school students met the cut score (i.e. met minimum requirements for promotion) in ELA and 90% in math. A typical year for UAI is in the mid 80s for both. So, even though we don't have the final scores yet, the preliminary data looks amazing! In addition, student performance on the Global Regent is strong. We don't have their curved scores, but many of our students scored 4/5 on their essays and about 75% of them are on track to pass! In addition, May predictive regents show increased passing rates across the board. When you're in the weeds (like now), it's hard to appreciate the impact of all the hard work you've done. Take a step back and breath it in. We're well on our way to excellence!
Our Work Around Uncovering Implicit Bias has been Scary but Brave. As the adults in our community, we took a brave step into examining and uncovering our own implicit biases That work culminated with consultancies that had teachers working together to help one another honestly confront hidden biases and strategize to protect our students from them. It was a first step, but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and this work and these structures will continue into the next school year. Next year, we will enter into this work as the second cohort of the work that Paul Forbes began with us in March. I'm excited to bring his work and our consultancies together so that we can create classrooms that ignite the passion of all of our students.
Social Emotional Learning and Resilient Scholars. Our work with Social Emotional Learning and our partnership with the Urban Assembly's Resilient Scholars program has garnered UAI some great attention. UAI presented at conferences in Albany and here in New York around our work in integrating social emotional learning with counseling goals and our work with integrating literacy into the work of social emotional development. Special shout outs go to Ms. Marni, Ms. Jennifer, Ms. Cassandra, Ms. Lauren and Ms. Jen. Because of all the work they do, they brought some sunshine to UAI and put us on the map!
Student Celebrations. In addition to SEL, our clubs and other student achievements have put UAI's mark on the world. Congrats to Tom and Nina on the UAI's Running Club 3rd place finish last week's race! Congrats to Tom and the Green Team for their stellar work with the Hydroponic Farm.Congrats to Ms. Vanessa and all the Girls Inc Team for celebrating our students talents with the Guitar Club, Spice Steppers, Homework Help and so many, many more program. The list of student achievements - particularly with our College Office and all over the school goes on and on. Take a moment and find the victories within your own UAI story, share it with a colleague or friend, and revel in the awesomeness of which you were a vital part this year.
I've been on a Queen and Freddie Mercury kick lately. It must be all the karaoke I've been doing. To quote him, we at UAI are the Champions!
Important Upcoming Dates in the Last Few Weeks of School (Please let me know stat if I got any dates wrong!!)
- Week Four - Week of 10JUN19 -
- Monday, 10JUN19 - Normal Classes, No Trips
- Tuesday 11JUN19
- 7th Grade Trip to Roller Skating at Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Wednesday, 12JUN19
- Welcome New Students (6th & 9th) to Night of Stars
- Senior Awards Night
- Honor Roll Breakfast for students observing Ramadan
- Thursday, 13JUN19
- High School Final Exams (in classes) Day 1;
- Normal MS Classes;
- Friday, 14JUN19 - UAI STAFF PARTY
- Chancellor Carranza Visits UAI
- UAI Staff Party at 5PM
- Week Five - Week of 17JUN19 -
- Monday, 17JUN19 -
- 8th Grade BBQ;
- Last day of classes for grades 8-12;
- 12th Grade Grad Rehearsal and Prom Ticket Distribution @2PM;
- Spanish Regents Administration [LOTE];
- PD for all HS Teachers - Regents Schedule Review
- End of MP6
- Tuesday, 18JUN19 -
- Regents Week Day 1; AM Test: US History PM test: Living Environment
- Normal 6/7 classes
- Wednesday, 19JUN19 -
- Regents Week Day 2; AM Test: ELA PM test: CC Algebra I
- Normal 6/7 classes
- Thursday, 20JUN19 -
- Regents Week Day 3; AM Test: Trans. Global PM test: Earth Science
- Normal 6/7 classes;
- All Final Grades Due @3PM & MS Promotional Portfolios Due @3PM
- Friday, 21JUN19 -
- Regents Week Day 4; AM Test: Geometry PM test: CC Algebra II
- 7th Grade Trip to Coney Island/Luna Park;
- 8th stepping Up rehearsal
- Week Six - Week of 24JUN19 -
- Monday 24JUN19 - All staff prepare classrooms for summer and we close out in PD; 8th gr stepping up rehearsal; Normal 6/7 classes
- Tuesday, 25JUN19 - 8th Gr Graduation; 6/7 dismiss after lunch at 11:15AM
- Wednesday, 26JUN19 - HS Graduation; 6/7 dismiss after report card collection and report to LIU by 10:30AM; All staff dismiss after HS graduation (last day of school); some staff will remain at school to distribute final report cards to grades 8-11.
Per Session Posting
No New Postings this Week
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