Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Week of Sept 28th

UAI Staff News

Volume X
Issue 5
September 28th, 2022



Wrapping Up September.  Shanah Tovah! to all who celebrate Rosh Hashanah!  I do hope you all found time to rest, recharge, and celebrate this weekend!

It's hard to believe that in just a few short days, we will be wrapping up the first month of school.  As we enter into October and fully engage in the fall, it's important to remember to incorporate our UAI core values into the daily work we do.  As you move forward in your planning and work with out students and their families, think back to our opening day PD exercise where we thought of ways to make our core values come to life in our work.

Joy.  Over the last month, how have you centered joy in your work and with your students & families?  Looking ahead, what is one small move you can make to incorporate joy in your daily work.

Equity.  Equity of voice in the Classroom, Culturally Responsive & Representational Curricula, or incorporating Student Choice are all examples folks shared as things they would like to do to create equity in their work.  What did you try in September and what will you keep or change to secure equity in your work for October?

Rigor. Sometimes rigor is intellectual challenge.  Sometimes rigor is sustaining consistency in routine.  Sometimes it's a mixture of both.  Upholding high standards AND supporting students to successfully meeting those standards is the kind of rigor we expect to see in our classrooms at UAI.  Sometimes we succeed at doing this well, and sometimes we do not.  However, the rigor in our own expectations is that we always keep trying.  What will you try to push the envelope on rigor for the month of October?

Power.  Much of the beginning of the year is rooted in establishing routines and environments that create safe, equitable, and joyful places where students can feel ready and safe to take risks.  In order to meet challenges and step out comfort zones, students need to recognize that they have the power to be successful.  As we enter into the 2nd month of the year, push on power!  Help the folks with whom you work daily see their own power so that they can learn to cultivate it, shape it, and leverage it to continually grow and achieve their goals.

Joy, Equity, Rigor, and Power already weave through the work you do each day.  Across grades and classrooms that came through clearly in September.  Moving ahead into October, challenge yourself to see them daily in the choices you make and in the people with whom you work!  

Happy almost October all! 


Important dates. 

  • Thursday, 29SEP22.  UAI Curriculum Night 5:30-7:30PM
    • This will be virtual and this is one of the citywide Parent Conference nights for the year
      • Please send out a Save the Date message and share the link with families

        • https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81765931467

          Meeting ID: 817 6593 1467

          Passcode: UAIZOOM

    • All classroom staff need to have completed Course Syllabi to share with families
      • Please use the template to complete a syllabus for each course you teach, and then upload into THIS folder by EOD Friday, 23SEP22.  We will then be sharing this folder with families.  So, please make your syllabus shareable by adjusting the link to be "Anyone with link" can view.
  • Monday 01OCT -15OCT.  UAI Door Decorating Contest
  • Monday, 03OCT22.  Per Session Due 15SEP-30SEP Pay Period
  • Tuesday, 04OCT22.  UAI Field Trip Day
    • Grades 8-12 History Classes - Trips to the Met & to the movie Woman King
    • Grades 6-7 All Classes - Trip to see Woman King
  • Wednesday, 05OCT22.  Yom Kippur, NO SCHOOL
  • Monday, 10OCT22. Indigenous People's Day.  NO SCHOOL
  • Tuesday, 11OCT22.  Adams Street Campus Eagles Home Volleyball Game
  • Week of 17OCT22.  UAI Spirit Week
    • Monday, 17OCT22.  Pajama Day
    • Tuesday, 18OCT22. Color War Between Grades
    • Wednesday, 19OCT22.  90s Day
    • Thursday, 20OCT22. Rep Your Flag Day
    • Friday, 21OCT22.  Twin Day
  • Monday, 24OCT22. Diwali Celebration After School
  • Monday, 31OCT22.  Halloween - Costume Parade



Announcements & To Dos

Staff Handbook & Emergency Contact.  Please read and review the Staff Handbook and complete the Sign-Off Page ASAP.  The Sign-Off page for the UAI  Staff Handbook also includes your emergency contact information.  So, please complete that now!


Curriculum Night.  Our annual Curriculum Night is BACK!  We are in a post-COVID phase still, so this year it will be online. All staff are to join the zoom from 5:30-7:30PM. Here's the Agenda
  • 5:30PM - Welcome & Overview of the Night - Kiri
  • 5:35PM - PTA Meeting & Elections - Jen
  • 6:00PM - UAI Goals for the Year - Kiri
  • 6:10PM - An Intro to Google Classroom for Families - ILT
  • 6:20PM - Meet the Teachers
    • Breakout Room 1 (6/7th grade Families stay in Breakout Room - No Rotation)
      • Staff: Mike, Alison, Lillie, Phillan, Sarah R, Matthew, Wilma, Jen, Jennifer, Laura
      • Time: 1 hour - Introductions, Overview, Q & A
    • Breakout Rooms 2-6 (8-12th grade Families rotate every 12 minutes)
      • Breakout Room 2 - Math Teachers
      • Breakout Room 3 - Science Teachers
      • Breakout Room 4 - English Teachers
      • Breakout Room 5 - History Teachers
      • Breakout Room 6 - Breadth Teachers ((Spanish, Theater, PE) & Counselors & Deans
  • 7:20PM - Return to Main Room for Curriculum Night Wrap Up

In your Breakout Rooms, teachers & classroom paraprofessionals
  • Introduce themselves (Who are you, what's your contact info, what's something interesting about you?)
  • Introduce your course(s) (what will students be studying, and what can families expect in terms of classwork, homework, regent exams?)
  • Take Q & A if you have time. Please capture Q & A in a form or in the chat and tell families we'll get those answers to them if you can't answer all the questions in the time allotted.
Please CHECK THIS FOLDER to see if your course syllabus is there. This folder will be shared with families on curriculum night.

Attendance App Update.  So...through much back and forth... I *think* I made a breakthrough.  All codes *should* be popping up for period attendance this week.  If all goes well this week and next (we need to run through Monday & Tuesday, too), then we will depart from the bubble sheets.  

It has been an incredible amount of effort to bring this attendance app online.  PLEASE help us make this successful by taking attendance within the first 10 minutes of each class each day this week.  Thank you!


COVID Protocols for 2022-23.  It is the fall season, and sniffles & coughs are in full swing.  The DOE is no longer administering in-school testing.   This year, students and staff are directed to stay home only if they test positive for COVID - not if they are demonstrating symptoms (e.g  fatigue or coughing).  

If you or your students are experiencing symptoms, please take (or have them take) a rapid COVID test.  You can get these from the main office (or see Dai if they're none in the main office) For staff, please report any positive result directly to Kiri and then review your next steps with respect to time-keeping.  Students should also take the test home and take it with parental support.  Families should report to school (via advisor or directly emailing Kiri or Annie) with any positive result.

I fully encourage all of us to get the new booster shot as soon as possible.  Additionally, the DOE is no longer providing N-95 masks as part of the regular PPE allotment, however, if you prefer N-95 masks, you are certainly able to spend your UAI or DOE teacher's choice funds on a supply for yourself!




Student Password Reset.  With your DOE credentials, you should (may?) have access to reset a student's DOE password (you don't need the email - just a student's ID - which you can find on their schedule)

  1. Go to https://idmapps.nycenet.edu/passwordreset/(Open external link) and sign in with your DOE credentials. If you don’t have access, scroll down to the bottom of the page for instructions.
  2. Enter the student’s OSIS ID number.
  3. Enter a password for the student.
  4. Provide the password to the student. 
  5. When you give the password to the student, tell them to sign into the Student Password and Account Management tool(Open external link) and reset their password to something unique (if you gave them a generic password).
  6. Once they reset their own password and set up their account, they are all set and can begin accessing DOE digital learning platforms.


Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities (view all 2022-23 postings here),
please complete Per Session Application Form

19SEP22
UAI Teams & Committees.  Many different teams of folks work to move UAI forward in its work on many different fronts.  All staff are welcome and encouraged to apply to join!  Please complete the persession form above and email the team leader to apply.

Equity Team.   The equity team will continue to support staff and in creating a more just and equitable learning environment by reading texts that explore the root causes of inequities in regards to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etcMeets every other Wednesday after school beginning September 21st from 3-4PM. Rebecca is the Teacher Leader for this Team. Email Rebecca to apply. (rebeccac@uainstitute.org)

Attendance Team.  The attendance team will be tracking and intervening to support students with severe and chronic attendance issues.  Our goal is support our students and families to meet a 90% average daily attendance rate.  Freida is our Attendance lead teacher.  Meeting times are still TBD.  Email Freida to apply. (freidas@uainstitute.org)

Parent & Family Engagement.  This team will work to maximize our parent involvement and family engagement.  Members will meet up to one hour a week for PTA, School Leadership Team and Family Engagement activities.  Extra hours allotted for family engagement activities.  Jen is the lead for this team. Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

Advisory Planning Team.  This team is charged with support Advisory Teacher teams in developing, planning and sequencing advisory course content.  This team meets weekly for 1 hour.  Jen is the lead for this team. Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

Culture committee.  This committee develops, plans, and executes students activities to put the FUN in FUN UAI.  (yeah that was terrible).  This team meets up to one hour a week to plan and supervise culture events that will engage students and families in activities that engage our community in lifting up and celebrating our students, staff, and families.  Jen is the lead for this team. Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

Website Maintenance & Social Media.  Our website and social media are two chief ways folks get information about our school.  If you have the skills and interests to bring some vavavoom to our public presence - you are most encouraged to join!  Up to one hour per week for this team.  Jen is the lead for this team.  Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

New Student Recruitment.  Middle School and High School Applications are about to kick off.  If you like to visit other schools and meet with families and potential students and you are interested in recruiting new students to our school - please join!  Hours are flexible.  Jen is the lead on this team.    Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

   

19SEP22
After School and/or Lunch Opportunities.  Do you have a special talent or interest that you want to share with our kids?  Are you interesting in running a club or class after school?  Please sign up for UAI after school by completing the per session form and emailing Kiri.  We are looking for someone to run our Stoked after school program and we also have a ton of keyboards and drums in case any of you have hidden talents out there!  All other interests are welcome.  We're going to launch UAI After school begins 18OCT22.  You can select the days/hours you want to work (but it must Mon-Fri and be between 3PM-5:30PM or during student lunch time.)

Clubs Available are:  GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), Black Student Union, Muslim Student Association, and Student Council, and any other clubs a teacher and/or student would like to start.

Selected staff member are responsible for recruiting students and holding weekly or biweekly meetings and reporting updates.   Final selections will be made in next week's blog after the posting closes. 

Per Session Job Posting  for the ELL Post Secondary Program:  Postsecondary Readiness for ELLs Program (PREP) operates as an afterschool enrichment program that provides postsecondary preparation activities explicitly for current English language learners ranging from career exploration




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Sunday, September 18, 2022

Week of 19SEP22

UAI Staff News

Volume X
Issue 4
September 19th, 2022



Settling into a Rhythm.  We've finished our first full week of classes, and we are all settling into the regular rhythm of the school year.  

Certainly this past week presented challenges - but then again, when students make choices that aren't the best, there will always challenges, and the fact that students making these kinds of choices is simply a part of the teenage landscape in which we all work!  

When I look for joy in the work we do, I don't look at the challenge - I look at the response to the challenge.  What does that look like?
  • Amanda planned a lesson that directly addressed one of the key learning gaps that get in the way of student success in math classes (order of operations).  With her students she normalized the work ("This will probably look familiar") and adjusted the rigor to meet students where they were so that she could bring them up to new levels of expertise.  As a result, no one felt bad about learning something they saw in 6th grade, and all of them engaged and successfully rose to the challenge.  I was happy, they were happy, and Amanda looked pretty joyful, too - and that was also great to see!
  • Jean met a challenging week with student behavior choices with a clearheaded calmness that ensured rapid response and quick reaction to the challenges.  With Annie's support, she is working hard to rapidly ramp up skills required in her new role, and her growth is moving quickly.  Moving from a classroom setting to a school-level setting is not an easy jump, but Jean is bringing her signature calm, persistence, and rigorous upholding of high expectations to herself, the kids, and our community.  I'm not sure joy is the word Jean would use to describe this week, but certainly she is doing powerful work!
We are seldom confronted with challenges that we choose or want.  But we always have to choose how want to respond.  This week as you settle into the rhythm of the school year, embrace the challenge as a powerful opportunity to leverage our core values.  Find your own path to making your work with our students powerful, equitable, rigorous, and joyous!  Happy 2nd full week all!



Important dates. 

  • Monday, 19SEP22  First PM PD day for all staff (See Q1 PD Dates)
    • 3:00-3:15PM - No Staff Circle this week (Must review Emergency Protocols!)
      • All staff meet in the Farm
    • 3:15-4:10PM - All Advisors
      • Review Plan for October
      • Divvy up Lesson Plan Writing for October
      • Work Time - Lesson planning for Advisory
  • Monday 19SEP-Friday23SEP Annie & Kiri visit classrooms to provide feedback on Danielson Domain 2D.  (See Q1 PD Plan)

  • Monday 19SEP-Friday23SEP Elevate Boot Camp in 10th/11th Grade Labs (7th pd)  
    • College Level Study Skills for UAI 10th & 11th graders (taught by near peers in college)
      • All LL meet in regular rooms, Elevate Facilitators come to you.  
      • All SETTS/ENL small groups meet in 205C
      • ALL Staff - please actively support the Elevate Facilitators to make sure all students are engaged and learning to master these study skills.
  • Friday, 23SEP22 IPC First Draft Goals are due.  Please submit via this FORM
  • Monday, 26SEP22 & Tuesday 27SEP22  Rosh Hashanah Observed - NO SCHOOL
  • Thursday, 29SEP22.  UAI Curriculum Night 5:30-7:30PM
    • This will be virtual and this is one of the citywide Parent Conference nights for the year
      • Please send out a Save the Date message and share the link with families

        • https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81765931467

          Meeting ID: 817 6593 1467

          Passcode: UAIZOOM

    • All classroom staff need to have completed Course Syllabi to share with families
      • Please use the template to complete a syllabus for each course you teach, and then upload into THIS folder by EOD Friday, 23SEP22.  We will then be sharing this folder with families.  So, please make your syllabus shareable by adjusting the link to be "Anyone with link" can view.


Announcements & To Dos

Broadway Arts Starts This Week!  Thank you all for supporting our students to opt into Broadway Arts Elective classes.  These will be courses that are credited (for high school) and students will be pulled from Learning labs/Lunch Periods to join.  Courses begin this week.  Click here for BAE Roster and Schedule.  Please let students know they should begin reporting this week!  Emails will go to them, too, but not all kids are checking emails regularly yet.

Join the Equity Team!  This year the equity team will continue to support staff and in creating a more just and equitable learning environment by reading texts that explore the root causes of inequities in regards to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc. We will use these readings as a foundation to interrogate our practices in order to create a more safe, inclusive, and equitable school.

We will meet every other Wednesday after school beginning September 21st. If you’re interested in supporting the staff in this process please email Annie (anniea@uainstite.org) or Rebecca (rebeccac@uainstitute.org) explaining why you would like to work with the Equity Team this year.


Attendance App Update  I knew it when I said it in PD last Monday... I totally jinxed myself and spoke too soon.  The DOE Attendance App is up and running, but there are still some kinks that we are working out.  I know that several of you have said that you do not have access to take attendance.  Here are some quick checks
  • First - if you co-teach a class, please check with the co-teacher.  Right now, the DOE has programmed it so that only one teacher can take attendance.  
  • Next- please make sure you are logging in with your DOE credentials (yes you have to use the annoying code that shows up on your phone, but you can also have it emailed to you FYI).  If your DOE email is not working, you will not be able to use the app.  
  • Finally - if none of that works, please submit your problem using this form (apologies for another form, but I can't track all the emails, and I need a single place to catch these problems so I can run through them with the attendance folks).  Thank you all!

Student Password Reset.  With your DOE credentials, you should (may?) have access to reset a student's DOE password (you don't need the email - just a student's ID - which you can find on their schedule)

  1. Go to https://idmapps.nycenet.edu/passwordreset/(Open external link) and sign in with your DOE credentials. If you don’t have access, scroll down to the bottom of the page for instructions.
  2. Enter the student’s OSIS ID number.
  3. Enter a password for the student.
  4. Provide the password to the student. 
  5. When you give the password to the student, tell them to sign into the Student Password and Account Management tool(Open external link) and reset their password to something unique (if you gave them a generic password).
  6. Once they reset their own password and set up their account, they are all set and can begin accessing DOE digital learning platforms.

Program Updates.  So the DOE remote desktop (the program that allows me to make program changes from home) was down all weekend - which means I totally missed my commitment to get all rosters settled before this week started.   I'm going to clear out my calendar for Monday to prioritize this and commit to finalizing all shifts by the end of Monday!  I know how disruptive this - so MANY MANY apologies for the delay. 


Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities (view all 2022-23 postings here),
please complete Per Session Application Form

19SEP22
UAI Teams & Committees.  Many different teams of folks work to move UAI forward in its work on many different fronts.  All staff are welcome and encouraged to apply to join!  Please complete the persession form above and email the team leader to apply.

Equity Team.   The equity team will continue to support staff and in creating a more just and equitable learning environment by reading texts that explore the root causes of inequities in regards to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etcMeets every other Wednesday after school beginning September 21st from 3-4PM. Rebecca is the Teacher Leader for this Team. Email Rebecca to apply. (rebeccac@uainstitute.org)

Attendance Team.  The attendance team will be tracking and intervening to support students with severe and chronic attendance issues.  Our goal is support our students and families to meet a 90% average daily attendance rate.  Freida is our Attendance lead teacher.  Meeting times are still TBD.  Email Freida to apply. (freidas@uainstitute.org)

Parent & Family Engagement.  This team will work to maximize our parent involvement and family engagement.  Members will meet up to one hour a week for PTA, School Leadership Team and Family Engagement activities.  Extra hours allotted for family engagement activities.  Jen is the lead for this team. Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

Advisory Planning Team.  This team is charged with support Advisory Teacher teams in developing, planning and sequencing advisory course content.  This team meets weekly for 1 hour.  Jen is the lead for this team. Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

Culture committee.  This committee develops, plans, and executes students activities to put the FUN in FUN UAI.  (yeah that was terrible).  This team meets up to one hour a week to plan and supervise culture events that will engage students and families in activities that engage our community in lifting up and celebrating our students, staff, and families.  Jen is the lead for this team. Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

Website Maintenance & Social Media.  Our website and social media are two chief ways folks get information about our school.  If you have the skills and interests to bring some vavavoom to our public presence - you are most encouraged to join!  Up to one hour per week for this team.  Jen is the lead for this team.  Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

New Student Recruitment.  Middle School and High School Applications are about to kick off.  If you like to visit other schools and meet with families and potential students and you are interested in recruiting new students to our school - please join!  Hours are flexible.  Jen is the lead on this team.    Email Jen to apply (jenc@uainstitute.org)

    
12SEP22
After School Professional Development.  Shortly, we will be launching Thursday after school professional development sessions.  These sessions are open to all staff, and will be training rate per session.  You do not need to apply - simply show up to the sessions you wish, and you'll get paid (provided you submit your per session correctly!). Stay tuned for the Thursday PM offerings.

UAI Testing Team.  We are looking for 1-3 people to support UAI testing.  This team will be responsible for Coordinating, planning, and executing all tasks to successfully execute:
  • AP & P/SAT Testing - March P/SAT exams, May AP Exams
  • Middle School Testing - April/May MS Math & ELA Exams
  • Interim Assessment Testing - DRP, MAP Math, and DESSA - three times a year
  • Regents Exam Testing - January & June Regent Exams




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Sunday, September 11, 2022

Week of Sept 12th

UAI Staff News

Volume X
Issue 3
September 12th, 2022



Best First Days!  The first two days of this school year were two of the best school launch days I've ever experienced.  Many of you shared that same feeling with me during school and during our Friday meet up at Randolph (which was also an amazingly awesome time).  

I chalk up all of the success of those first 48 hours to each of you.  We all at UAI are, indeed, all rowing in the same direction to bring our young folks the best learning experience and environment that they need and deserve.  Each of you worked so hard to set up classrooms - making them as warm and welcoming as possible.  All of you greeted our kiddos with smiles and joy as they returned to school.  While many complained about new policies with phones and learning lab - each of you worked your best to hold students to our shared, rigorous expectations.  It was not easy at times, and it is still very much a work in progress, but together our shared consistency will weave a pattern for kids that will be easier to adapt to than buck.

I am particularly looking forward to the next two weeks.  Often September is chunked into many short bursts of days.  This year, we have the gift of two full weeks of instruction before the Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur breaks.  This is the perfect opportunity to lay strong foundations for routines that create equitable and powerful learning experiences, and experiences that bring both rigorous thinking and joy in classroom connections and community. 

Thank you to each of you for bringing your best these first two days of school!  Can't wait to see what you have in your plans for the weeks to come!


Important dates. 

  • Monday, 12SEP22  First PM PD day for all staff (See Q1 PD Dates)
    • 3:00-3:25PM - Staff Circle with ILT Leads
    • 3:30-4:10PM - All Staff
      • This week's Announcements
      • Attendance Application Review
      • Per Session Application Review
      • Mandated Reporter Responsibilities
      • Learning lab updates
  • Monday 12SEP-Friday23SEP Annie & Kiri visit classrooms to provide feedback on Danielson Domain 2D.  (See Q1 PD Plan)

  • Monday 12SEP-Friday23SEP Elevate Boot Camp in 10th/11th Grade Labs (7th pd)  
    • College Level Study Skills for UAI 10th & 11th graders (taught by near peers in college)
      • All LL meet in regular rooms, Elevate Facilitators come to you.  
      • All SETTS/ENL small groups meet in 205C
      • ALL Staff - please actively support the Elevate Facilitators to make sure all students are engaged and learning to master these study skills.
  • Friday, 23SEP22 IPC First Draft Goals are due.  Please submit via this FORM
  • Monday, 26SEP22 & Tuesday 27SEP22  Rosh Hashanah Observed - NO SCHOOL
  • Thursday, 29SEP22.  UAI Curriculum Night 5:30-7:30PM (Save the date - Details to come!)


Announcements & To Dos

Initial Planning Conferences.  Over the next two weeks, all teachers will be meeting with their point people (Kiri, Annie, Jen, or ILT leader) to discuss goals for the year around our key Danielson Indicators (2d:  Classroom Management, 3c: Engagement in Learning, 4e: Professional Growth & Development).   All non-teaching staff will also be making goals around these areas, more directly related to their roles (see next week's blog for that form!).


Attendance App Update  The DOE Attendance App is up and running.  It launched on Thursday.  A few staff have already begun playing around with it and using it.  It turns out that the DOE did something GOOD (and in TECH!!).  This App is very easy to access and use.  All you need to do is Log into TeachHub using your DOE credentials, and click on the Attendance App.  If you are not able to see your rosters, please let me know!


Cell Phone Policy & Learning Lab Expectations.  We are all still working with students around the Cell Phone Policy and with strongly establishing Learning Lab Expectations.   
  • We are all in our Cell Phone training period.  The kids will not like it, BUT if we have a united front and are consistent TOGETHER, then they will more rapidly adjust.  Please remember, if you do not uphold the policy you actually contribute to the difficulty in transitioning kids into this new habit of having their phones away during learning time.  Please open each of your classes this week with a reminder of the cellphone & electronics policy - ask all students to put phones off and away and to take out earpods/headphones and store them away.  Maintain consistency and high expectations in your ask.  Give them time to follow the expectations, as Joey mentioned during our PD opening- two minutes, and then subtly and respectfully follow up with students who are still not yet following the policy.
  • Learning Labs.  This week, learning labs had a STRONG start!  It is not easy, but you all did it!  The resistance is strong in the young ones, but just like cell phones, consistency among ALL staff will ensure that this norms take root.  10th/11th grade labs will be departing from norms this week to engage with Elevate and learn some key study skills.  All other learning labs (and 10/11 when Elevate completes) should continually reinforce the Learning Lab expectations daily.  Remember learning labs are 
    • Silent.  Please do not make exceptions - certainly not for these opening weeks.  The more we all have the SAME expectations and have fidelity to the norms, the easier it will be for all of us to help students learn and adjust to Learning Lab norms.
    • Independent.  When they raise their hand wanting to work with another student, explain that this is the only time in the day they can learn to be independent.  It needs to be valued and protected as independent time so that kids become stronger learners. 
    • Working Time.  All staff should begin assigning homework and fluency exercises this week that students can work on in Learning Lab.  Math & ELA teachers, please update THIS DOC with fluency and independent reading resources that Learning Lab teachers can use with students.  

Advisory.  This week's advisory continues to center on community & relationship building.  Please continue your wonderful work in creating a warm and welcoming space for our students.  Additionally, please review the announcements below.  Also linked below are the lessons for September.
  • Announcements for Advisory
    • Program Change Requests - Please have students complete THIS FORM to request changes.
    • Please help students reset their passwords to the DOE accounts if they cannot login.
      • THIS SITE may work for you. If it doesn't reach out to Annie to assist.
      • Go to the "Student Email Tab" on the UAI Schedule to find a student's email.


Program Updates.  I am working on processing student program updates as they come in from students, and still balancing classes (as our rosters settle).  For this week, I will include a link to all student programs that will be updated each morning.  You can open that link and search for a student's name to find their schedule.  For rosters, you *hopefully* will have daily updated rosters via the attendance app.  If that doesn't work - I'll share out a new plan.  In the interim, if a student comes to class who is not on your roster, please ask them for their program to verify their enrollment in your class. 


Review IEPs in SESIS.  You should be able to see your students with IEPs in SESIS, now (use DOE credentials).  All staff should review their students' IEPs to best understand their learning differences and needs.  Please make it a priority to use your prep time to review your students' IEPs this week.   If you need help navigating SESIS, please reach out to your ILT lead or Kiri/Annie/Jen. 

Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities (view all 2022-23 postings here),
please complete Per Session Application Form

12SEP22
After School Professional Development.  Shortly, we will be launching Thursday after school professional development sessions.  These sessions are open to all staff, and will be training rate per session.  You do not need to apply - simply show up to the sessions you wish, and you'll get paid (provided you submit your per session correctly!). Stay tuned for the Thursday PM offerings.

UAI Testing Team.  We are looking for 1-3 people to support UAI testing.  This team will be responsible for Coordinating, planning, and executing all tasks to successfully execute:
  • AP & P/SAT Testing - March P/SAT exams, May AP Exams
  • Middle School Testing - April/May MS Math & ELA Exams
  • Interim Assessment Testing - DRP, MAP Math, and DESSA - three times a year
  • Regents Exam Testing - January & June Regent Exams

06SEP22
After School Opportunities.  Do you have a special talent or interest that you want to share with our kids?  Are you interesting in running a club or class after school?  Please sign up for UAI after school by completing the per session form and emailing Kiri.  We are looking for someone to run our Stoked after school program and we also have a ton of keyboards and drums in case any of you have hidden talents out there!  All other interests are welcome.  After school begins 19SEP.  You can select the days/hours you want to work (but it must Mon-Fri and be between 3PM-5:30PM)


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Monday, September 5, 2022

Week of Sept 6th

UAI Staff News

Volume X
Issue 2
September 6th, 2022



Ready, steady, GO!  Tomorrow we officially launch the 2022-2023 school year.  Like I'm sure many of you feel, I am feeling both anxious and excited!  
 
Most of all, I am really looking forward to having our entire staff back so that we can connect and align in our shared goals of bringing our students the highest quality learning experiences that they both dearly need and most certainly deserve.

These last few years of COVID have been hard on us all, however, this fall is the first fall since COVID broke that I finally feel UAI is back on course.  We have mastered the firehose of information that we were required to learn to ensure we had robust COVID safety protocols in place.  We also know more about the learning gaps - both academic and social emotional- that the mandated periods of isolation and missed school days created.  These last few years have left us with a depth of knowledge and skills that we never knew we would need, and that will only serve to enhance our skills in teaching & working with our students.  

While we certainly did not choose the challenges COVID brought to us, we have all benefited from the lessons learned.  Equipped with our new skill sets AND with our old ones, we finally have both the circumstances and the capacity to truly hit the ground running!

Equally exciting is the promise of seeing all of our students again!  On Thursday, our kids will arrive experiencing the same anxiousness and excitement that we all feel.  There is a giddy joy to starting new things.  This is probably one of the best things about working in schools.  Each year we get to experience the first day of school giddiness - and as you prepare for tomorrow and Thursday, I encourage you to hold on to consciously release the anxiety that bubbles in that giddy excitement and instead, push yourself to embrace the joy that awaits!

Ahead of us will be a year of challenge, and it will also be a year that we conquer, work around, or just survive each challenge as a cohesive unit, aligned in pursuit of our goal to bring Equity, Rigor, Power, and Joy to the work we do for our kids and their families each and every day!

Welcome to what I hope will be the best year yet at UAI!!!



Important dates. 

  • Tuesday, 06SEP (8:30AM-3:20PM).  First Day of School for all Staff (PD Day).  
    • 8:00AM Breakfast (from Panera - Optional)
    • 8:30AM All staff report to room 205L (The Farm, formerly known as the library)
        • 8:30-11:30AM - AM PD
          • 8:30AM - Welcome and Principal's Address - all staff
          • 9:25AM - Opening Staff Circle - all staff
          • 10:15AM - Equity Restorative Practice
            • Deans, Classroom Staff & Counselors
    • 11:30AM Lunch on UAI (From Potbelly - all staff invited in room 205L) - all staff
    • 12:20PM Meet in Teams all staff
      • 12:20-2:00PM - PM PD
        • Grading Policy Review, Planning, and Google Classroom Setup
          • Room 405 - Math Team, 
          • Room 415 - Science Team
          • Room 507 - Social Studies Team
          • Room 309 - English Team
          • Room B53 - Middle School Team
        • Initial Meeting & Prep Time
          • Room 303 - Deans & Counselors
        • Initial Meeting & Work Time
          • Room 145 - Operations Team
    • 2:00PM -3:20PM Classroom Setup (Classroom Staff) and Work Time (all other staff)
      • A few reminders
        • Please don't drag furniture and scratch floors (stick something that alleviates the friction under the feet/corners of heavy furniture eg. cardboard, cloth)
        • Do not throw out books
        • Do not put things in the hallways other than trash.  If not trash, please put aside in your room and work with your peers to find it a new home.  Complete this form to let the entire school community know that you either NEED or NO LONGER WANT something that is in your assigned room(s). 
  • Wednesday, 07SEP (9AM-3:50PM).  Professional Development Day for Staff
    • 8:30AM Breakfast (from SLJ in the Cafeteria - Optional) - and yes! It IS a later start!
    • 9:00AM All staff report to room 205L
      • 9:00AM-11:45AM - AM PD
        • 9AM - Community Building & Review of School Handbook and General Staff Policies - all staff
        • 9:20 AM - Learning Lab Setup - Classroom Staff
          (all other staff - meetings & work time for rest of day)
        • 10:15AM - Classroom Protocols - Classroom Staff
    • 11:45AM Lunch on your own!
    • 12:30PM- All Classroom staff report to room 205L for PD on Advisory
    • 2:30PM-3:20PM Classroom Setup
      • A few more reminders
        • All hallways MUST be clear of everything except trash
        • No furniture or Books can be left in hallways
  • Thursday, 08SEP.  First Day of School for Students
    • All students will have Advisory 1st period.  Programs will be delivered in Advisory, and students will follow regular schedules starting 2nd Period.  
    • We'll have Advisory 1st Period for both Thursday & Friday (09SEP), followed by regular program afterwards.
  • Other dates.  
    • Mon 12SEP.  First After School PD Day 3PM in 205L
    • Mon 26SEP & Tue 27 SEP.  Rosh Hashanah - NO SCHOOL


Announcements & To Dos

Program Review.   I have to own that when I named the program as "Final" I ended up being super misleading.  My bad - and apologies!!  The truth is, each year a school's program is never really final until the school has actually been in session for a few weeks and we've had a chance to see who is actually attending and we've had a full run through to knock out all the kinks that we may have missed in program set up.   

This year, we've been surfing some last minute hurdles - more than usual, but nothing unmanageable. In the last few days, we've had some staffing shifts AND some enrollment changes.  So, I've had to close out some ICT sections and move some teaching assignments around (largely based on balancing class sizes and maintaining (to the extent possible) student requests.   Individual programs have been impacted.  Please make sure to check to see if yours has changed!


CLICK HERE to see the program and class lists.  I renamed it to UAI Schedule 06SEP22 - which is much less confusing.  Please reach out to Liza (lizab@uainstitute.org) and Kiri (kiris@uainstitute.org) if you see any mistakes or have questions about your program.  


Transition to DOE Gama.  We are still working on transitioning to the new DOE Grading, Messaging, and Attendance platform (which I think they're calling GAMA - Grades Attendance & Messaging App).  The Grading component has some glitches that will not be fixed by the start of the term, so for the Fall at the very least, we will using Google Classrooms under the UAI domain (aka - using your UAI gmail account).  Attendance will be manual for the first two weeks (see WiFi Upgrade below).  The goal is to transition with the least amount of stress and confusion as possible.  So we will step slowly but smartly with adopting this new system.  They just released training for the system last week - which is way too tight a turn around for learning how to master the systems and launch the school year!  So rather than jump into chaos - we're gonna adopt the slow and steady tortoise strategy to win the DOE GAMA race.


WiFi Upgrade.  The DOE DIIT (Dept of Instructional and Information Technology) has scheduled our building to undergo a WiFi upgrade beginning at 3PM on Tuesday.  They *say* that everything should be ready to go and functioning by the first day of school, BUT all staff should plan to do internet independent activities for the first two days of school - just in case things do not go as planned - as can often the case with all things DOE.  That means that Attendance for the first two days of school will be on bubble sheets and google excel sheet (which we will share out during the Advisory PD on Tuesday afternoon).  




Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities (view all 2022-23 postings here), please complete Per Session Application Form

06SEP22
After School Opportunities.  Do you have a special talent or interest that you want to share with our kids?  Are you interesting in running a club or class after school?  Please sign up for UAI after school by completing the per session form and emailing Kiri.  We are looking for someone to run our Stoked after school program and we also have a ton of keyboards and drums in case any of you have hidden talents out there!  All other interests are welcome.  After school begins 19SEP.  You can select the days/hours you want to work (but it must Mon-Fri and be between 3PM-5:30PM)

22AUG22
Classroom Set Up.  Open to all staff - all staff automatically approved - Just show up to work (and don't forget to clock in and out). A maximum of 10 hours (per session training rate) is approved for pay (though you are welcome to work beyond that if you wish - but any time over 10hrs is volunteer!)

Planning Time.  Open to all staff.  Stuff will receive up to 5 hours (per session training rate) to individually plan for the opening lessons of the year in their classes.  

ILT Team Planning.  Each ILT team department (ELA, Math, Science, SocStds, MS) will have 60 hours to work with their teams.  These team meetings will be in addition to teacher planning time (teacher training rate).   

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