Week of September 9th

UAI Staff News

Volume IX

Issue 3

September 9th, 2021

Principal's Message

First Day of School.  Tomorrow is our first day back to school for the 2021-2022 year.  In pre-COVID times, this day would bring a mix of sadness, excitement, anxiousness, and glee!  There is sadness in having to have to say "Sayonara, summer!",  but it's quickly followed by the excitement of beginning something new.  The anxiety comes from not knowing who our new students and families may be, but that is quickly accompanied by the glee of connecting with colleagues, friends, and former students once more.  

First days are always a mixed bag of emotions, but this year, the backdrop of returning for our first day is the landscape COVID.

This year we return from a year of isolation, quarantine, and screen-mediated teaching and learning.  Even for those of staff & students who were in-person for the last few months of school, that classroom learning was distant and screen mediated.

The yin-yang of our first day emotions are echoed in the yin-yang of our COVID emotions.  On the one hand, the anxiety of all the comes with COVID is strong and at the front of our minds, on the other hand, the liberation of finally being able to engage in teaching and learning fully and in-person is exciting and fully of joy.

Pause... Reflect...

The concept it is Yin AND Yang - not either or.  Last year, we had no option but to choose safety over joy.  This year, vaccinations and improved understanding of COVID have given us a way to work together to achieve both - COVID safety and Joyous teaching and learning.

Our journey this year will have bumps and corners around which it will be hard to see or know for sure what to do.   However, we do know that we are all in it together, and as we came together to thrive during pandemic schooling, I know that this year, working together we will not only survive & thrive - we will make incredible strides to becoming the educators we deserve to be and manifesting the school our children deserve.  Together, we can do it.

To that end, I want to share something from my principals' meeting last week. Superintendent Walsh (aka Fred) shared the vision and goals for our district.  In establishing the goals, he also shared a story about the first time he heard about Lessons from Geese.  This metaphor for our leader community resonated with me as very applicable to our own UAI family.  Hat tip to Fred for sharing his story so that I can share the same with you. Here are some lessons from geese that we can see alive and well in our own UAI school community:

• As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follows. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
• Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense a community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

• When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front of it.
• Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

• When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
• Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each others skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

• The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
• Lesson: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement is the quality of honking we seek.

• When a goose gets sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again. Then they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.
• Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong

This last year of pandemic school in the midst of own racial reckoning did not destroy us.  We stayed together through it all and our hurdles and challenges forged a new strength in our UAI family.  Together we will encounter countless hurdles, and together we will find the way to navigate them and find the joy and excellence in our teaching and our students' learning.  

I am proud and lucky to lead our amazing group of talented, committed, and loving professionals who are poised to capably lead our students and families through another year like no other.  It will definitely be another strange year - but with you all, it will be a year that we will end with loud cheers of pride and joy as we celebrate the growth and achievements of our students!

Welcome to 2021-2022, UAI.   Let's get started!

Committee Updates

School Committees for 2021-2022

On Friday, we will be reviewing committee accomplishments last year and the work for this year.  If you are interested in joining the work, please review the per session posts below.  The posting closes on Sunday, and committees will be selected and begin working after that.  Once they are up and running, you can refer to this section of the blog to follow committee updates.

Announcements

PD Agendas.  CLICK HERE to review the agendas for the first days of school.  During these two days, we will be reviewing the state of our school and goals for the year.  In addition, we'll be investing time in building strong foundations for the relationships that will sustain our community and our students & families throughout this school year.  Of course, we will also review school launch logistics and on both days, time is set aside for classroom setup and family outreach.  We'll have Panera breakfast on both days and lunch is on your own.

As a reminder to those who may be rusty- when you arrive, move your time card from Out to In and when you leave, stop by the main office to move it back from In to Out.

Staff Handbook and Emergency Contact Information. Please read the staff handbook prior to the end of the day tomorrow (09SEP21). All staff are expected to have read through the handbook and to have completed the "Staff Handbooks Sign Off & Emergency Contact Information" form by the end of the day tomorrow.

• Staff Handbook
• Staff Handbook Sign Off & Emergency Contact Information 

COVID Protocols.  Here is the link to the 2021-22 DOE COVID Protocols.  There are multiple layers of mitigating measures to minimize COVID transmission and severe illness or hospitalization.  No single measure will be sufficient to do this.  That is why both the DOE and the CDC have recommended enacting multiple tactics to maximize safety.  This year we will again have multiple layers of protection.

• VACCINATION. As a reminder, it is a requirement that all NYCDOE employees MUST be fully vaccinated by September 27th.  If you have not already done so, please submit your vaccine verification now.  
• To encourage vaccination among our eligible students and families, we are hosting a pop-up vaccination clinic at our school site.  

• SCREENS.  Complete the Health Screening and Present it to School Safety or UAI entry staff when you arrive to the building.  In addition, your temperature will be taken upon entry. 

• MASKING. Masks are required to be worn at all times in the building.  I know that some of us have gotten into the habit of unmasking in front of other unvaccinated adults.  It was summer, there weren't that many of us.  It was a bad habit.  Moving forward, we need to model good habits for our students and develop good mask discipline for ourselves.  Please wear your mask at all times when you are in building spaces with others.  If you are eating lunch in the building with others, please make sure you are at least 3' away and not facing one another while you eat.  
  
  
• DISTANCING.  Maintain physical distancing.  At all times, the goal is to keep at least 3' between you and other individuals if you are in the same vicinity for 10 minutes or more (or an accumulation of 10 minutes or more - so like a few minutes here...a couple of more minutes later...)

• AIR FILTRATION.  Our building has two measures of air filtration specifically targeted to mitigate COVID transmission.  The first layer, our main protection is our building filtration and air flow.  Our building has been fully inspected and equipped the the MERV-13 air filters.  The added layer is at the classroom and office level.  All offices and classrooms have been equipped with room air filters (two per classroom and one per office).

• COVID TESTING.  The DOE will randomly test unvaccinated individuals bi-weekly for COVID-19.  Vaccinated students and staff will not be tested.

• SANITATION.  Each classroom is equipped with anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitizers to help staff and students maintain clean work spaces, shared materials and clean hands.

• QUARANTINE.  In the event there is a positive case in a classroom, individuals who are at least 12 years old and 

• VACCINATED staff and students, and 
• not showing symptoms will continue to attend school in-person. Out of an abundance of caution, these individuals are encouraged to take a COVID-19 test 3 to 5 days after exposure.  

• showing symptoms OR with a verified positive COVID test will be directed to quarantine for 10 calendar days. Students will have access to remote learning while quarantining.  We are still awaiting explicit attendance guidance and work expectations for NYCDOE employees. 

• UNVACCINATED students
• regardless of them showing or not showing symptoms will be directed to quarantine for 10 calendar days. Students will have access to remote learning while quarantining.  On day 5 of their quarantine, students can take a COVID-19 test, and with a negative result, return to attending school in-person after day 7.

• PODS.  For our youngest students in 6th & 7th grade who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, they will continue to travel in podded cohorts.

So, it is true that any single one of these layers have holes.  No one mitigating strategy is sufficient.  This is a metaphor for our work too.  No single one of us is sufficient to achieve our collective school goals.  Only together, as a community can we reach our objectives.  Similarly, only a community of mitigating measures can maximize health and safety for our school.

COVID Data.  The data table below is from the NYC COVID data site.  Here you can see the rates of vaccination by age, borough, and ethnicity.  (At UAI, for our high school - our students are 11% AAPI, 56% Black, 18% Latinx, and 12% white, which is really our kids from the middle east).

Looking at this data, we can expect similar numbers of vaccinated students in our classrooms.  Last year, we had all of the above mitigating factors without vaccination.  Last year, we had almost a full semester of in-person learning with zero vaccines for students and low rates for staff (which increased as the spring semester progressed).  

This year is different.  This year 100% of our staff is fully vaccinated (or will be by 27SEP), and looking at the data below, we can see that significant numbers of our students are also fully vaccinated.  Vaccination remains the most effective means of protecting against serious illness or death from COVID (notice how I didn't say catching COVID).  There will be breakthrough infections, but the likelihood of vaccinated folks with breakthrough infection ending up in the hospital is still miniscule.

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To Do This Week

Classroom/Office SetUp.  All staff charged to work collaboratively to setup offices and classrooms so that they are ready for student learning on Monday, 13SEP21.  Our custodians are spread thin as they are being pulled by multiple folks in multiple places.  So, where possible please work together to move items, but do so carefully so as not to harm yourself or your colleagues. Also, 

• Please do not scratch the floors.  If you want to move heavy furniture, use sliders.  Either purchase your own or use cardboard to place under the feet of heavy desks or corners of shelves to push furniture.  Please lift desks and chairs to move (or purchase felt feet - remember you get $250 in reimbursable UAI teacher choice).

• Please do not leave anything in the hallways.  If you need any furniture moved out of your classroom, please place it by the door and label it for removal.  I will ask custodians to check the classrooms each night for furniture removal. 
  
  
• Please do not TAKE any furniture without asking.  If you need furniture, please visit other classrooms and spaces and ask the persons who are in those rooms if they have anything you can use.  Please DO NOT JUST TAKE furniture.  Have a conversation (via in-person, text or email exchange) with the folks who are in that room (names of room assignments will be hung on the doors) before removing any furniture from that room.
  
  
• Students Chairs are spaced 3' apart.  Use the floor tiles as guides.  There should be 3' between the center of the chairs.  Avoid setting up chairs where students are facing one another.  Side-by-side is ok, but directly facing and 3' apart not so good.  If you're confused, come find me or Annie or Jen.  We'll pop by to give some advice.
  
  
• Decorate with Representation & Inclusivity.  As you prepare your classrooms for learning, please make sure you are creating warm and inviting classrooms that show students that we know who they are and that they are valued.  What we choose to display illustrates what we value.  Show our students that they are valued by creating displays and signs that respect, celebrate, and represent our learners and their rich diversity!
  
  
• Please NO microwaves or refrigerators in classrooms or offices.  So, at the end of this week, I'll be doing a walk through with custodians to check all offices and classrooms (and closets) for microwaves and refrigerators.  Please do not install them in your offices or classrooms this year.  Please use the ones provided for you in the teacher's lounge in the main office.  Custodians will remove any microwaves and refrigerators from classroom and office spaces this year, if they find them while cleaning.

Tasks to complete this week.  In addition to PD and preparation for week one, all staff will have several tasks to complete tomorrow and Friday in addition to setting up classrooms and work spaces.   Time will be allotted for the following:

Advisory Calls Home.  All Advisory Staff will work in grade teams to create advisory groups this year.  Also, advisors will be expected to contact advisees using this checklist to provide students the information they will need to be ready for the first day of school.  

Course Descriptions.  All Classroom teachers will need to complete student-facing course descriptions and upload them into the UAI Course Catalog.  Teachers will receive support from instructional leaders in their subject team meetings to do this. 

Per Session Postings

• Posting Closes 12SEP21: 
  Equity Team:  Last year the Equity Team worked to revamp our school grading policy (which we will review next week in PD).  As we return, we know that our School Discipline issues will require the same depth of study and reform in order to ensure equity in how we address behavior issues at UAI.  So, we are moving the grading work to an Instructional Leadership Team (see below), and this year Rebecca will lead the Equity Team to study UAI School Discipline.  Courtney & Jelissa will also be on the committee (because our deans are centrally involved with school discipline), in addition to these three, we are looking for at least two more teachers, two students, and two parents.  
  
  This committee is a per session position for teachers.
  If you are interested in joining the Equity Team, please email Kiri and click here to apply 
  
  
• Posting Closes 12SEP21: 
  Instructional Leadership Team:  The Instructional Leadership Team will have the following members pre-selected to the team by Kiri & Annie.  These folks were all pre-selected because they each have demonstrated strong capacity in their instructional planning, work well with colleagues in elevating instructional practice & student performance, and have shown strong leadership skills in their work on teams and committees. Pre-Selected Are:  Phillan (SPED), Nina (Math), Nakita (Science), Kelly (Social Studies/ENL), and Rachel (ELA).  These teachers will be working with Kiri and Annie to continue the work required to support our move to mastery based grading and to provide support needed for staff to develop the skills and knowledge required to successfully implement mastery-based grading policies.
  
  This committee is a per session position for teachers. 
  If you are also interested in joining the Equity Team, please email Kiri and click here to apply 
  
  

• Posting Closes 12SEP21: 
  Circles Committee:  Last year our Circles Committee worked to help develop staff understanding of anti-racist/anti-bias strategies, and to help us build relationships among staff.  Nakita will lead the Circles committee work along with Jennifer and Juelle.  This year, circles will meet monthly to continue to support our school community relationships and continued ABAR work.  
  
  This committee is a per session position for teachers.
  If you are interested in joining the Equity Team, please email Kiri and click here to apply 
  
  
  
• Posting Closes 12SEP21: 
  School Culture Committee:  The school culture committee is charged with creating activities and events that celebrate students achievement and make school FUN!  This includes organizing virtual assemblies (no in-person gatherings this year), coordinating student of the month selection, announcement, and celebration, Spirit weeks, and collecting student opportunities both in and outside of school (e.g. after school clubs, volunteers opportunities, special classes or experiences, etc.) and communicating with and recruiting students to these opportunities so that they can continue to build out their learning experiences outside of school.
  
  We are recruiting 1 staff person from each grade-team for this role (so that we have a person on each grade team to streamline communication).
  
  
  This committee is a per session position for teachers.
  If you are interested in joining the Equity Team, please email Kiri and click here to apply