Week of May 23rd

UAI Staff News

Volume IX

Issue 32

May 23rd, 2022

Final Week of May!  This is the final week of May and it is the LAST 5day teaching week of the year.  

• Next week is a 4-day week (Memorial Day)
• The week after is another 4-day week (Brooklyn Queens Day)
• The week after that is Regents Week (some 7th graders will be taking the Earth Science Regent, so NO 7th graders will be in attendance on 15JUN an 17JUN for the Practicum and Exam testing.
• The week after that is another 4-day week (Juneteenth)
• There is not week after that- it's just one last day with students and the last staff day is remote!

We're almost there!  I know we're all exhausted and the kids are feeling it too.  But we are all ... almost...to the end!

We are working hard to keep smooth operations.  However, last week, we averaged a LOT of staff attendance issues.  Whenever we have that many subs and coverages, student behavior becomes challenging across everyone's classes.  To help, Jen, Annie, and I are stationing ourselves in the hallways to complete our work, which includes meeting with teachers, families, kids, and zooming!!  

However, we all need to take part in this final push to the end of the year.  For the remainder of the year, please make it a point to

• End your classes on time so you can stand at your doors to welcome in the next classes
• If you are assigned Hall Duty, please report to Annie for your assignment at the start of your period
• Please do NOT send out more than one student at a time from your room - for any reason.
• Please do NOT send students out of your room (for any reason other than absolute emergency) during the first or last 10 minutes of class.

The end of every year brings student anxiety and stress to new levels for so many different and varied reasons.  These last few years have been extraordinarily uncertain for all of us, but in particular have had enormous impact on our students.  Increasing structure and creating predictable patterns (in classrooms and halls) will help our students self-manage and help all of us to create a stable, smoother end to the school year - which is a thing for our entire community.

Commit to the small acts - being at your doors and starting and stopping classes on time will do A LOT to support the school climate this week.  Additionally, we will have out-of-classroom staff on hand this week and posted in halls and stairwells to continue supporting our students as they transition.

This is our last 5-day week of normal instruction.  Let's make it the strongest one yet!

 

Important dates this month & next.  

• Monday, 16MAY:  Full Staff Meeting in the Library at 3PM
• Scheduling Committee Report Out
  
  
• Mock Regents: Please Review the Mock Regents Schedule
• Monday, 23MAY:  Algebra I Mock Regents 12:10-2:50PM
• Tuesday, 24MAY:  Science (Earth/Living) Mock Regents 9:00-11:10AM
• Thursday, 26MAY:  ELA Mock Regents 9AM-11:10AM
  
  
• Monday, 23MAY:  Full Staff Meeting in the Library at 3PM
• Scheduling Committee Report Out
• SOC & MATH Teams report to rooms to complete Regents Exam Grading
  
• SOC - Report to Room 507
• MAT - Report to Room 511
  
  
• Monday 30MAY:  Memorial Day
• No School
  
  
• Wednesday, 01JUN:  USH Regents Exam Day - NO CLASSES
  
  
• Monday, 06JUN:  Final Full Staff PD
• Final Circle Committee Report
• Final Hiring Committee Report

• Tuesday, 07JUN:  Correction to Calendar - we DO have school!
  
  
• Tuesday, 07JUN:  Final Day of Regular Classes for Seniors
• Senior Course Tracking Document
• All teachers who have a student that is currently failing but NEEDS to pass the course in order to graduate have received direct communications from Kiri.  All Advisors have been copied.  Any senior who is passing as of today will be assumed to be passing for the year unless teachers talk to Kiri to let her know otherwise.
  
  
• Thursday, 09JUN:  Brooklyn Queens Day - Remote PD Day
  
  
• Tuesday, 14JUN:  Last day of classes grades 9-11
  
  
• Thursday, 16JUN:  High School Graduation at 11AM @ City Tech
  
• 6th & 7th grade student & teachers will attend!!
• Exact schedule TBD
• Exact Assignments for all staff TBD
  
  
• Week of 15JUN-24JUN:  Regents Week - Regular Classes for Grades 6 & 7
  Here are the exams we are giving:
• Wed 15JUN:  
• 9AM:  ELA Regent Exam
• 1PM:  Living Environment Regent Exam
• Thu 16JUN:
• 9AM:  ALG 1 Regent Exam
• Fri 17JUN: 
• 1PM:  EARTH SCI Regent Exam
• Tue 21JUN: 
• 9AM: GEOMETRY Regent Exam
• 1PM: LOTE Regent Exam 
• Wed 22JUN:  
• 9AM:  ALG 2 Regent Exam
  
  
• Friday, 17JUN:  Last Day for Teachers Going on Vacation!
• Must Complete End of Year Exit Sheet Prior to End of Day
  
  
• Monday, 20JUN:  Juneteenth - NO SCHOOL
  
  
• Tuesday 21JUN:  Middle School Portfolio (ELA/MATH) week begins (Schedule TBD)
  
  
• Monday, 27JUN:  Last Day for Students 
  
  
• Tuesday, 28JUN:  Last Day for Staff (Remote Day!!)

Committee Updates

Scheduling Committee. The scheduling committee is currently working on making sure students meet pre-requisites for required courses.  They will be presenting their work to staff next Monday 23MAY to provide folks with a progress report.  You can see the agenda and notes here.  

The Hiring Committee.  Our next fair is On May 24, 2022.  Please SHARE OUT THIS FLIER to anyone you know who may be looking for a job in teaching next year!   

• You can always view our notes and decisions on THIS DOC. 
  
  

Equity Team. Please complete the survey that Joey sent out. The com.  Agenda

Circles Committee.  No Updates this week

Consultation Committee.  Next meeting is TBD -  at 3PM in room 403.  See consultation committee notes.   

Instructional Leadership Team. Mock Regents dates have been set (see below for details).  Also, all teachers with formal observations should be meeting with their ILT leader to prepare for their final observations with Kiri & Annie.  Committee Notes and Agenda

Announcements

Regents Exams.  The NYSED has ruled to expand the appeals process to all students.  Now, ALL students who sit for a Regent exam this year or next year and score between 50 and 64 will be eligible for an appeal.  In a low-score appeal, students are able to satisfy exam graduation requirements with a score between 50-64.  

In short, it has been absolutely verified that it will be very easy to pass the exams this year.  ALL students should sit for their associated regent exam because ALL students have the ability to satisfy graduation requirement with a minimum score of 50.

Students are always able to retake exams for higher scores, but this expansion is for a limited time only, and will ONLY apply to students who sit for exams this year or next year.  So, please share this news with students and encourage all students to sit for regents that they have not yet passed (or been waived out of).

Monday Full Staff Meetings.  On Monday, we will once again meet in the library to continue our work to build up our general community connections.  This will continue each Monday for the remainder of the year.  For the upcoming Mondays, here are the topics of the meetings.

• 23MAY - Scheduling Committee Update & Regents Grading
• Math Team Reports to Room 511 to Grade Short Response ALG 1 Mock
• Social Studies Team Reports to Room 507 to Grade Short Answer USH Mock
• 06JUN - Final Staff Circle Report & Hiring Committee Report
• DESSA Rating
• 13JUN - Regents Schedule Review for HS Staff - No meeting for MS Staff

Small Group Instruction.  All small groups are launched MP4 Small Groups.  No one escalated any problems in outreach to me!  I am currently going through grade books to see how students are performing.  For grades 8-12, this is the final week of new instruction before we begin our final PowerUp period.  Please make sure all grades are up-to-date by this Friday at 3PM.  

 

Staff Picnic. Our first ever Staff Family Picnic was this Saturday, May 21st at 11:30 in Prospect Park. It was loads of fun on a beautiful hot summer-like day.  Many folks were not able to make it, but for those who did, we had an absolute blast!!!   Many thanks to Juelle, Jen, and Elena for organizing.  

 

To Do This Week

PAY ATTENTION TO THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTS
This is the stuff that requires your attention AND it's stuff you need to do!

Do Small Group Outreach.  All teachers with small groups must call families on Tuesday to let them know that small groups will launch on Tuesday.  Please update the form  HERE once outreach is complete.  If you have any issues or problems with outreach, please contact Kiri directly!  

Please Celebrate Our Students.   Our Student Awards Ceremony is in two weeks and we still need nominations...Please take a minute to nominate a student!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HF3Ys2wgJOz0pl3yzUIMFvkcMqizRaDK-m30qv1vp6o/edit#gid=0

Per Session Postings

Please complete THIS PER SESSION INTEREST FORM and email Kiri to let her know that you are applying for a per session position.

School Organization.   We are now ready to begin organizing stuff! Dai will be supervising all efforts, but I've appointed chiefs of certain areas to work with her.  

Science Supplies Chief - Liza with Team:  Judy, Tom, Sarah R, Nina, Phillan

Student Schwag Supplies Chief - Kelly with Team:  Jen, Elena, Aisha

2022 UAI SUMMER Camp.  

Staffed: 

1. Jenetta (Summer School Coordinator, Social Justice Course) - Staffed - Social Justice Course
2. Kelly (Summer School Coordinator, Regents Prep Coordinator) - Staffed (Summer/Regents Coordinator)
3. Jelissa (SYEP, Student Recruitment) - Staffed - SYEP coordinator, Student Recruitment
4. Adelle (Student Recruitment) - Student Recruitment
5. Freida (Summer Arts Elective) = Staffed Summer Arts Elective
6. Nina (Regents Prep) - Staffed - Regents Prep
7. Nicole (SYEP, Student Recruitment)- Staffed - SYEP Support,Student Recruitment
8. Juelle (Student Recruitment) - Staff Student Recruitment
9. Brodie (Summer School Administrator) - Staffed - Summer School Admin
10. Shana (STEAM Summer Elective) - Staffed - STEAM Summer Elective
11. Rebecca (Pottery with a Wheel)- Staffed - Pottery
12. Olympia (Creative Writing) - Staffed - Creative Writing