Week of March 8th

UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 32

March 8th, 2021

Principal's Message

Academic Reset and Rethinking Learning Loss.  Recently the Biden Administration sent a decision to states stating that state exams must still be given.  Purportedly, the federal approach is to require testing of in-person students only.  I still really don't know what that means.  The NYS Regents will be meeting on March 15th to provide clarification, but they are continuing to pursue full waivers of ALL regent exams in August and June.

For UAI, we will support and actively encourage middle school families to opt out of the Middle School exams which are slated to start in three weeks.  For both middle and high, only eligible in-person students will be allowed to take the exams (I'm still awaiting guidance on that one).  I wish I had concrete information to give you a definitive plan, but I can say definitively that NO UAI student will be required to take any state exam this year.  They will neither be prohibited nor mandated.

Much of the rationale for giving these exams is so that governments can have an assessment of COVID learning loss.    But perhaps instead of focusing on where we are NOT, this is a great time to begin to consider where we should be GOING.  Here's an article tweeted by Pedro Noguera, now Dean of the USC School of Education, but a person I have idolized since he was my professor in college. In  "It's Time for an Academic Reset", Professor Alan Schoenfeld speaks to the need of resisting a return to "normal" learning and a rethinking of what learning should be focused on upon our return to the school building.

Don't Forget To Scroll To the Bottom to See This Week's Per Session Postings

Birthdays This Week

No Birthdays this Week!
If you have a Bday this week, I don't have it on my calendar!

Shoot me an email so I can add it!

Student Birthdays

Sunday, 07MAR21:  Tamiya P (10)

Tuesday, 09MAR21: Tawanda (12), Tanae (09)

Wednesday, 10MAR21: Charlotte M(09) 

Thursday, 11MAR21: Louanna (12)

                                                   Friday, 12MAR21: Aleah J (12)

UAI Committee Updates.  Please see updated dates for Spring 2021 Staff Meetings.

Staff Circles Committee  (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) No new updates this week.  The latest agenda and minutes from the last Circles committee meeting are here for your review.

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC agendas & minutes are always open for staff access.  SRC Subcommittees Scheduling and the Hiring Committee have launched into their work.  On Monday, the SRC plans to review outcomes and deadlines for these two committees and for the COVID lessons learned committee.  

The Equity Team (Suzannah, Nina, Elana, Kelly, Phillan, Annie, Nakita, Rebecca C, Damon, Ms. King (Kianna’s mom), Ms. Barnes (Alyssa’s mom), Ms. Martuscello (Veronica’s mom), Kianna King, Emily Payamps, Jerlai Tyner, Jamilah Alshawish, Salia Naschel).  Equity Team Meeting Minutes. The Equity Team met with Joy Nolan of the Mastery Collaborative to learn more about mastery based grading.  She shared these resources

• recording of one of the spring sessions we offered on mastery for remote learning, and here are resources that we shared out:
• https://bit.ly/MasteryMovesRemote Teaching Moves for COVID-19 Remote Learning from MC
• https://bit.ly/MasteryGradingRemote Grading Strategies for COVID-19 Remote Learning from MC
• Other Resources
• Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain,
• Deeper Competency Based Learning and this related resource 
• www.competencyworks.org, which has lots of coverage of NYC mastery in this list. 
• Mastery Collaborative also maintains a blog where you could check out local flavor. 

>>TO DO<< Family Conferences Next Thursday & Friday.  Our Spring Family Conferences are just around the corner.  These conferences are an opportunity to connect and check in.  Please review the Advisory Family Conference Checklist and begin to schedule your family conferences during Advisory Outreach this week.  You should have all of your family conferences scheduled in THIS DOCUMENT by next Monday, 15MAR21.

>>TO DO<<  Post Grades Weekly. Please review the UAI grading policy and make time in your week to grade and provide feedback to students each week.  Grades should be posted weekly, as a reminder.

Reopening Program Changes. The Middle School reopened for in-person learning on Thursday, 25FEB21, and resulting from that were several program changes.  I know that you have all weathered so many changes in this year of uncertainty.  Please know that changes are happening out of the need to have workloads equitably distributed and to address the idiosyncratic needs of individual students and their families.  Here are some of the factors that are in play right now

• Opted into Blended. In November, the last chance for students to opt into blended learning occurred, but we never had a chance to make those final changes at that point because schools shut down.  As we reopen, we are now implementing those changes, resulting in shifts to advisories to honor students and family selections and rebalance advisory numbers as a result.  The shifts in relationships are challenging, but I am working directly with advisors to get input on those shifts to minimize those challenges.
• Opted into Remote. Students who attended blended learning last week are changing their minds and moving to remote.  The closing of an advisory due to the positive COVID test may have additional impact this week, so more changes may follow.
• Offering Four Day Instruction.  We are trying to offer four days of instruction to all students who want it, and we are actively encouraging students who are struggling in remote learning to take advantage of the offer.  At the same time, we must attend to COVID needs any find ways to minimize the number of different people these students are exposed to.  As as result, some staff program switches are being made.  I am working directly with those involved to put those into effect.

That said, I know that all these changes are rough on all of you.  I am trying to move a few pieces as possible to attend to student needs and maintain workload equity.  The Spring 2021 Program reflects these changes as they happen.  I do ask for your patience as I field changes coming from families and my work with individual staff.  The goal is for this program to be final, final by this Friday 12MAR, when all changes will be then uploaded into STARS and Skedula.

HS Reopening.  There has been no official word on HS Reopening from the DOE, but many rumors and news outlets are circulated Monday, March 22nd as the opening date.  Just as with Middle School Reopening, staff can expect some changes to occur in advisories and program assignments as we reopen the high school.  

Two New Periods for Celebrations.  Additionally, you will all see two new periods added to your program.  "Community Celebration" periods are directly aimed to support your mental health and well-being.  During these periods, take the time to reflect on the successes you have had in the week preceding your assigned periods.  You are not expected to produce anything, simply reflect and be ready to share your stories of celebration with your Grade Teams (at the Team meeting following your assigned periods) and/or during your check ins with Kiri/Annie.  This is your time to find the nuggets of achievement that definitely exist in many places in your work.  The challenge is to use this time to focus on the what went well only.  You have the rest of the week to consider what needs to grow, use these periods to expressly reflect on your glows of the week.   As a result of these program changes and because folks are returning to in-person teaching, you may lose your co-facilitators/co-facilitating assignment.  Please reach directly to Kiri if you have specific requests about changes!  

Hiring Committee and Demo Lessons. The Hiring Committee began their work in interviewing new candidates for the upcoming school year.  The committee will be reaching out to Advisors to host demo lessons the week of 15MAR21.  The demos will occur on NON Elevate coaching sessions.  If you have something particular happening on given advisory day, please reach out to Annie to let her know!  Otherwise, we will assume you are good to host a demo, and the committee will reach out to you directly to let you know when a demo lesson will happen in your advisory.

2021-2022 Staff Preference Sheet.  On Friday, the SRC Scheduling Subcommittee released next year's Preference Sheet which is due on next Friday, March 19th.  I just realized that we didn't actually ask the question "Do you plan to return?"  If you already completed the survey, we'll assume your answer is Yes.  If that is incorrect, please re-do the sheet with the appropriate responses.

Peer Mentoring Program.  As Laura mentioned in our Friday meeting, there were an outstanding number of applications from students to BE mentors, but they still need staff recommendations for students who could benefit from having a peer mentor. Please:

• Enter the names of students who would benefit from having a peer mentor by completing this Peer Mentorship Teacher Recommendations form.  

• Please also talk o the student you are recommending. This is designed to be a supportive program and an encouraging one.  By communicating directly with the student about the program, you are helping lay the seeds of success.

Per Session Postings

To Apply for any of the following per session opportunities, please COMPLETE THIS FORM and email the appropriate point person listed in this posting.  

NO New Postings this week

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