Week of June 1st

UAI Staff News

Volume VIII

Issue 43

June 1st, 2021

Principal's Message

Wrapping Up and Incredible Year.  This has indeed been a year like no other.  As we enter into our cumulative work activities for the next few weeks, the goal is punctuate this year of pandemic learning, providing closure and time for reflection for our students and families.  

In addition, this month of June is also taking the place of traditional summer school.  Students who need to catch up on work in order to fulfill course requirements have June to do so.  Technically, they also have through January 2022 to do so, but we want as many as possible to finish now.  Teacher programs now have increased flexibility for outreach and support of the students with current NX grades in their classes.  

EOY Important Dates

Attendance:  All advisors are responsible for logging daily attendance by 2PM.  If you have not heard from one of your advisees by 10AM, please reach out to check in, make sure they are engaging in their assigned activity for the day, and mark them present.

NX Classes:  All NX classes proceed as normal through June 17th. 

NX Students not in NX Classes:  Teachers should be reaching out daily to students who currently have an NX in their class.  Encourage students to attend in-person if they can.  Work with students and families to analyze what support is needed for student, and then provide the support required to ensure the student successfully completes the course by the end of June.  June IS summer school for your courses this year.

Recruit for Summer FUN!  This year, summer school is about exciting, re-engagement into school.  Screens have a way of taking the joy out of learning, especially for those who struggled the most with remote learning.  This summer, we want to re-engage and re-ignite the love of learning in our students (and especially the ones who suffered the most during pandemic learning).  Please encourage all of your advisees to join summer FUN at UAI this summer!

• Week of June 1st
• 1.  Tuesday 01JUN - ALL GRADES - Math Cumulative Activity Day
• 2.  Wednesday 02JUN - All except 8th grade - ELA Cumulative Activity Day
• 8th Grade Tie Die at UAI 12PM-2PM & Grad Box Pick Up
• **  Thursday 03JUN - NO CLASSES - Full Staff PD Day (Brooklyn Queens Day)
• 3.  Friday 04JUN - 
• 8th Grade ELA Cumulative Activity Day
• All other grades - Advisory Check In (Get those Surveys done) and Small grps
  
  
• Week of June 7th
• 4.  Monday 07JUN - All Except 8th Grade - Science Cumulative Activity Day
• 8th Grade Cap & Face Shield Decorating via Zoom!
• **.  Tuesday 08JUN - NO CLASSES - Grading Day for Teachers
• 12th Grade Senior Awards Ceremony via Zoom!
• 5.  Wednesday 09JUN - All except 8th - SOC Cumulative Activity Day
• 8th Grade Meet Up at Brooklyn Bridge Park Roller Rink 10AM-12PM
• 6.  Thursday 10JUN - Grade Specific Assignments
• 6th/7th Grade - Advisory Circles @12:10PM
• 8th - SOC Cumulative Activity Day
• 9th Grade - PE Culminating Activity Day
• 10th Grade - Spanish Culminating Activity Day
• 11th Grade - Theater Culminating Activity Day
• 12th Grade Graduation Box Pick Up & Cap/Face Shield Decorating @ UAI
• 7.  Friday 11JUN - Grade Specific Assignments
• 6th & 7th Grade - PE Culminating Activity Day
• 8th Grade - Science Cumulative Activity Day
• 9th-11th Grade - Advisory Circles at 12:10PM
• 12th Grade:  PE/Health Culminating Activity Day
  
  
• Week of June 14th - Vaccine CAMPAIGN WEEK
•   8.  Monday 14JUN - Grade Specific Assignments
• 8th-11th Grade Adv. - VACCINE INFO ZOOM SESSION w/ Ms. Kiri @1:15PM
• https://zoom.us/j/98584370903
  Meeting ID: 985 8437 0903
  Passcode: 1DgPd2
• 8th Grade Baby Pics Guess Who & Trivia Zoom - Time TBD

•   9.  Tuesday 15JUN - Grade Specific Assignments
• 
  
• 9th-11th Tech Collection Day for These Advisories
• Brodie, Cassandra, Emma, Rebecca C, Tiffany
• Danielle I, Nadine, Rachel
• Damon, Joey, Suzannah
• 12th:  Senior Picnic Meet Up and Yearbook Signing Brooklyn Bridge Park @12PM

• 10.  Wednesday 16JUN - Grade Specific Assignments
• 9th-11th Tech Collection Day for These Advisories
• Christina, Marni, Nina, Rebecca F
• Elena, Elana, Jean, Nakita
• Danielle R, Judy, Tom
• 12th Grade:  Final Advisory Circle

• **.  Thursday 17JUN - NO CLASSES for 8th-12th
• 6th/7th Grade Advisory. - VACCINE INFO ZOOM SESSION w/ Ms. Kiri @1:15PM
• https://zoom.us/j/98584370903
  Meeting ID: 985 8437 0903
  Passcode: 1DgPd2
• **.  Friday 18JUN - NO SCHOOL- JUNETEENTH!
  
  
• LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL - No classes for grades 8-12th (Regents Week)
• 11. Monday, 21JUN - 
• 6th/7th Advisories at 12:10PM
  
• Mon/Tue In Person staff - clean out classrooms, lockers, mailboxes
• We're cleaning out ALL lockers & mailboxes & closets.  
• Secure & Label everything you do not want tossed.
• 12. Tuesday, 22JUN - 
• 6th/7th Advisories - Asynch (take attendance)
  
• Mon/Tue In Person teachers - 8th Graduation Assignments for All In person staff
• See email from Kelly & Team for assignments
• 13.  Wednesday 23JUN
• 6th/7th Advisories at 12:10PM
  
• Wed/Thu In Person staff - clean out classrooms, lockers, mailboxes
• We're cleaning out ALL lockers & mailboxes & closets.  
• Secure & Label everything you do not want tossed.
• 14.  Thursday 24JUN
• 6th/7th Advisories - Asynch (take attendance)
  
• ALL In Person staff - 12th Graduation Assignments for All In person staff
• Mon/Tue staff DO come into UAI on Thursday 25JUN for Graduation
• See email from Kelly & Team for assignments
• Optional Staff Celebration at Randolph Bar
• Details TBD - but come and celebrate the end of the year after graduation ceremonies - purely voluntary!
• 15.  Friday 25JUN
• Last day of school
• Remote ONLY
• Final Staff Meeting at 9AM
• Final Advisory Circles for All students at 11AM
• Then - ENJOY YOUR SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

Birthdays This Week

Brodie, Tuesday 02JUN

Student Birthdays

Monday, 31MAY21: Giovanna (11), Jayla (8)

Tuesday, 01JUN21: Fatehia (11), Omaima (11), Kayla R(6)

Wednesday, 02JUN21: Jade (11), Sukanya (9), Shazia (6)
              Thursday,03JUN21: Ceceily (12), 

Friday, 04JUN21: Kaya (10)

Saturday, 05JUN21: Destiny (12), Shaniah (8), Zipporah (6)

Committee Updates

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

Staff Circles Committee  (Members: Annie, Jennifer, Juelle, Marsha, & Nakita) See agenda/minutes here. No updates this week

School Restructuring Committee (Members: Annie, Courtney, Jen, Kiri, Laura, Marsha, Nadine, Nina, and SarahM).  The SRC agendas & minutes are always open for staff access.  No Updates this week

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).    The Equity Team met with the principal from Williamsburg High School of Arts and Technology to gain insight on their journey towards mastery-based learning.  Also, we are excited about our last two teach-ins this year:  Tuesday, June 1st will be about the massacre in Tulsa on its 100th anniversary and on Thursday, June 17th we are hosting a teach-in for Juneteenth.  Lastly, we have been planning our final PD for the entire staff on June 3rd.  

Announcements and To Do

NYC School Survey.  We are still short of our goal to meet uur Fall 2020 survey numbers (which were 305 students,  85 families,  and 29 staff).  Take a look at this SHEET to see which of your students & families have completed the survey.  Please reach out this week to get at least 3 more students and families to complete by Friday.  

<<REPOST>> Summer Rising.  We have the opportunity to return to school better, and that first opportunity is with our summer programming.   It will be a long path back for our students to return to remembering what in-person school was really like, and we want summer to be the first taste of remembering that school can be fun and yes, it's cool to love learning!  

Please also announce in Advisory and Talk it Up as an opportunity for students!   

For now, all programs are in-person.  We really want kids to come into the building and re-experience how much fun in-person learning can be.  We may have remote options...but that is still very much TBD.  In Person learning is the priority.  It will be safe (all existing protocols in place AND have weekly testing).  

We have three summer offerings for students.

Octavia Project:  A summer STEAM camp for Middle School students (female/female-identified/non-binary) focused on developing their creative inquiry through STEM projects with creative lenses.   In addition the Octavia Project incorporates near-peer leadership opportunities, guest speakers, and leadership development throughout the summer program. This program is open to all current 6th-8th graders and incoming 5th graders.  Visit the Octavia Project to Learn more

PLEASE CONTACT MARSHA for directions on how to apply.

Girls Inc Summer Camp:  A summer empowerment camp for Middle School Students (female/female-identified/non-binary) focused on developing our young people to become Strong, Smart and Bold!  This summer's programs will be "Girl Boss" focusing on financial literacy, "Wellness Lounge" focusing on developing SEL skills, and "Summer Sports" which will be an exploration in various outdoors activities.  In addition, Girls Inc is planning a wide variety of trips, speakers, and career exposure activities. This program is open to all current 6th-8th graders and incoming 5th graders.  
PLEASE CONTACT MARSHA for directions on how to apply.

Schools for Kids by Kids:  This homegrown summer seminar program was developed and will be taught by UAI staff.  In this program, students will be invited to research and study how schools are currently structured, rethink how schools should be structured, abolish the structures that should no longer be there, and create an action project to make the changes they would like to see. You can talk to Rachel, Judy, Joey, or Nakita to learn more about the work!  This program is open to any current 8th (or incoming 9th) through 12th grades

SIGN UP.  https://forms.gle/ERx4r8F9RucKMZyA7

MP4 Log of Support. Continue working on the MP4 Log of Support.  For ALL students who have an currently NX in your class, please log your daily outreach and intervention efforts for the month of June.  If you are unable to reach or connect with a family or student, all staff are expected to reach out to Annie/Kiri/Jen for additional support.  We will work to connect you with the families or students.

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.  

Per Session Posting  There are several curriculum development opportunities for summer per session.  Please submit your interest via the Per Session Interest form and email Kiri. ELA & Other course offerings will be made available based on budget availability. FY 2021-22 budgets release in about two weeks.

1. NEW POST: English. I want to finalize course scope and sequencing - work that we began touching upon PRE covid this July. Primarily, I want to finalize course text titles, benchmark expectations, and materials lists by July 15th. All ELA and SPED/ENL ELA folks are invited to apply. This would be about 10 hours of work, all zoom, with a mix of meeting time and work time as determined by team. There is also an additional five hours for up to three team leaders of this work that will be selected based on their experience in the classroom, demonstrated expertise in a range of works, and depth of understanding or requirements for global assessments like the NYS Middle School exams, HS ELA Regents, and AP Lang, and Lit.

2. Social Studies.  We need to build a course on African Studies - centering the cultures & histories of Africa in the study of Global History.  This will be a Global History Course for students, leveraging the NYS Global History standards involving the study of African cultures, histories, and achievements on the world stage.  Teachers selected for this Social Studies Course Planning will receive 40 hours to study & develop teacher mastery of African history and to plan and create

1. A Course Overview & Syllabus, with Course and Unit Objectives

2. Detailed Overview of first two units - with daily objectives, rubrics, and assessments.

3. Narrative Lesson Plans for all of of the first unit

2. Math & Science.  Posting Closed Applied: Nina, Nakita, Jamie, Rebecca F Staffed: Nina, Nakita, Jamie, Rebecca F

Please CLICK HERE to indicate that you’ve read all the blogpost for this week.