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

Per Session Postings Now Closed