Week of 25Mar

UAI Staff News

Volume XI

Issue 29

March 25th, 2024

Spring PTA Dinner.   This Wednesday, we are celebrating our PTA and families with a PTA dinner!  We'll be having food (from Bassett Catering) provided for all staff AND families who attend (because staff puts the T in P-T-A...well, you know what I mean!)...

We are trying to get as many folks in as possible!!  And we're also going to leverage the night to connect with families to get their feedback on the school environment survey.  Here are our response rates as of today....We still have some work to do!

We made a nice jump up from 75-ish family responses to 125 family response through the conferences.   THANK YOU for that!  (Btw- If you still have not yet completed your own survey, please do that before the end of this week.) We need to make a hard push this week and next to get as many of our community to respond as possible.  For this week....

We need your help with outreach.  Please email and/or text this INVITE to families.  They are welcome to bring up to 4 members to the dinner!  The night is aimed at providing families families with an overview of how UAI has been doing this year AND a chance to participate in breakout sessions of their choice.  

• College Overview - Learn more about the college process with Danielle & Tiffany.  Encouraged for our 10th & 11th grade Students!
  
  
• Theater Performance - Come watch our talented UAI Players (yes - I just coined that name ... yes probably may call themselves something way cooler...I just don't know what that is)... perform under the guidance & instruction of our own extraordinary Noelle!  ALL grades are welcome!
  
  
• MS Showcase Night - The MS Team is planning something special for our MS families!!  Please encourage our 6th & 7th grade families to come learn more about what their children are learning AND to celebrate their progress at UAI this year!

Please use OPW and Outreach time this week to invite families and encourage them to join us for a delicious dinner and fun meeting!

Our family engagement is so, so, soooooo important for the health and vibrance of our school.  No single person can make the connections strong.   This is something that we ALL have to do together.  Every little piece helps - every little call, text, and email helps.

Please help do your part this week to lift up UAI!  Reach out to families and invite them to some FUN!  It's a good call and spreading joy is core to what we do!

Important Upcoming dates

• Mon 25MAR24 - Last UA Staff PD on SEL
• Wed, 27MAR24 - UAI Spring PTA Dinner
• Fri 29MAR - Good Friday - NO SCHOOL
  
  
  
• Mon 01APR - Easter Monday - NO SCHOOL
  
  
• Wed 03APR - 08APR - Mock Regents & Benchmark Exams (1st-3rd - testing; 4th-7th normal)
• Wednesday 03APR - ENGLISH testing (1st -3rd period testing)
• Into Lit - Mock ELA Regents (will be provided)
• AP classes - Mock AP Exams (Teacher Made)
• Thursday 04APR - SOCIAL STUDIES Testing(1st -3rd period testing)
• GLO 2 - Mock GLO Regents  (will be provided)
• USH - Mock USH Regents  (will be provided)
• All other SS - Final MP3 Assessment (Teacher Made)
• Friday 05APR - SCIENCE Testing(1st -3rd period testing)
• LIV - Mock Living Environment Regents  (will be provided)
• EARTH - Mock Earth Science Regents  (will be provided)
• All other SS - Final MP3 Assessment (Teacher Made)
  
• Monday 08APR - MATH Testing(1st -3rd period testing)
• Alg 1 - Mock Algebra 1Regents  (will be provided)
• Geo - Mock Geo Regents  (will be provided)
• Alg 2 - Mock Algebra 2 Regents (will be provided)
• BMCC & AP Math - Final MP3 Assessment (Teacher Made)
  
  
• NOTES:
• The Benchmark AM schedule will be the same, starting 1st period instead of 2nd
• The PM schedule will be regular programming (and NO MAP testing)
  
• All breadth classes (Spanish, PE, Theater) should do MP3 final in PM or before these testing days)
  
  
• Tue 09APR - P/SAT Day - No Classes for grades 8-12 (8/9/12trips and 10/11 testing only)
• Wed 10APR - Eid al Fitr - NO SCHOOL
• Thu 11APR-Fri 12APR - MS ELA Exams (Grades 6-8)
• 6th/7th - Paper administration
• 8th - online administration - students pulled from classes in AM
• FRI 12APR - MP3 Ends
• MON 15APR - MP4 Begins and School Wide Teach In
• Mon 22APR -Tue 30APR - Spring Recess - NO School

Announcements & To Dos

2024-2025 Preference Sheet.  Please take a moment to complete the UAI Preference Sheet for next year.  This is your initial plans for next year.  If you're not sure, you can indicate that.  If you think you are sure, but your mind changes, you can always come and talk to Kiri, Annie, or your ILT person to let us know.   We will begin programming for next year very soon.  Please complete this sheet by Thursday 28MAR24.  Again, if you're not sure - that's ok.  There's a place at the end of the survey where you can indicate some of your thinking if you'd like to share!  If you ARE sure - thank you for letting us know! It really does help us get things ready for next year!

UA SEL PD with Student Government.  Last Monday, I met with Student Government (both HS and MS).  We reviewed the data (298/391 students responded) in the survey the administered (that I posted in the blog a few weeks ago).   

In particular, they were worried about the results that showed a lack of teacher empathy & capacity to understand student perspectives...or at least communicate their understanding and empathy with students clearly.

They (Manal, Aya, Sky, & Yelani) did an amazing job articulating their concerns, but most impressive was their commitment to want to improve things for both teachers & students.

They wanted to work with staff during PD and we coincidentally had our final UA PD (which is focused on SEL skill application).  So, members of our student body will be joining us on Monday to help all of us deepen our capacity to communicate clearly and effectively with our students, empathize, and take on perspectives of the folks we work with most closely each and every day!

These skills - our ability to see things from another's point of view, genuinely empathize and understand that point of view, and communicate back our understandings and needs - in the light of that point of view - these core SEL skills are things we all need to (1) be ready to effectively engage with our Equity Work and (2) improve our impact in the classroom.

On Monday, we'll be working with our own resident experts - our students - to find ways of improving our practice even more!

Here are those data points that we hope to address

• Perspective Taking:  If kids don't understand, how well can we see misconceptions from their perspective and reframe our instruction to clarify confusion?
• Empathy:  When students are not feeling happy, how do we show that we care?
• Communication:  Kids are in their learning phase...they will inevitably need help to truly master skills and topics.  How well do we communicate expectations around asking for help (i.e. say things in win-win ways that land for both the kids (audience) and you (the communicator)

New Time Clock.  There have been some glitches that we're working through with the new clock.   Please continue to make sure that you are clocking IN and OUT of your per session activities.  As a reminder, Annie is the only person to sign off on your time card if you do not clock in.  You must see Annie within 24 hours if you forget to clock in or out of your per session activity.  Clocking in and out of per session activities is REQUIRED.

<<Repost>>. RPET Work.  The RPET is planning three major experiences for our community this spring.  They will be (1) A schoolwide teach in, (2) A series of PDs for staff around SEL, and (3) A series of staff equity circles.  The RPET is planning a more detailed workshop for our January 29th PD to review each of these in detail and to get staff feedback on each.  Here's the draft PD calendar for the rest of the year.

• March
• 25th:  SEL PD for All staff (#4 of 4) - with UA!
  
  
• April
• 1st:  Easter Monday - NO SCHOOL
• 8th:  All Staff Prep for School Wide Teach In
  (Educating ourselves about Antisemitism & Islamophobia)
• 15th:  All Staff Prep for School Wide Teach In. (TEACH IN on April 16th)
• 22nd:  Spring Break - WOOHOO
• 29th:  STILL Spring Break - DOUBLE WOOHOO
  
  
• May
• 5th:  Staff Equity Circles - TBD
• 13th:  Staff Equity Circles - TBD
• 20th:  CEP - Revisiting our Goals & Planning for Next Year - Planned by ILT
• 27th:  Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
  
  
• June
• 3rd:  Staff Equity Circles - TBD
• 10th:  Staff Equity Circles - TBD
• 17th:  Regents Week Proctor Prep - Planned by Admin

<<Repost>>. Gearing Up for Summer School.  We still need more teachers to teach summer school!  Please think about signing up!  If you can't commit to the whole summer, which part can you do? Please sign up soon as posting for summer will need to go up soon!

Each summer, we have two separate programs:  Summer Splash and Summer Regents Prep.  In Summer Splash, we recruit teachers to teach their passion!  We look for folks who are excited about something - anything really - that will engage students and get them to learn in non-traditional ways.  Alongside completing required work for credit recovery, we offer explorations in art, music, history, and activism have peppered the program over the last few years.  Here are some examples that we've had in the past:

• Partner Run Programs:  Girls Inc Summer Camp, Occupy Summer School  & The Octavia Project
• UAI Teacher Courses:  USH and Comic Books, Digital Design, The Science of Beauty, Job Club, Ceramics, Visual Art, STEM in Dance, and many more

At the end of the summer, we pivot back to traditional studying for the August Regents exams.  

Summer School Positions (2 Positions):  

• Summer School Coordinators:  Kelly & Pattie
  These two people folks coordinated summer school last year (and Kelly, many years prior).  They are returning to the position this year.
  
  

• Summer Splash Teachers (5 Positions) - 16 days * 4hrs/day = 64 hrs
• Sarah R - Woodshop 
• Roger - PE Elective
• Amanda - Something Cool with Geometry (two weeks)
• Sean L. - Social Studies Elective
• Igor - Art Elective
• Camryn - Columbia Summer Science Camp
• We're STILL HIRING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!
• 
  
• Summer Regents Prep Teacher (5 Positions) -
• Joanna - Math  
• We're STILL HIRING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED!
• 
  Up to 59 hrs (depending on Regent Exam needs)
  8 days * 4hrs per day = 64 hours PLUS 3 Regents days (8AM-5PM  - estimated)
• Mon 05AUG-Thu 15AUG
• 8:30AM - on site Prep time
• 9AM-12PM - 2 1.5hr sections of class
• 12:00-12:30 - remote prep time

*(note - hours may be less if fewer sections needed due to low enrollment - min 15-25 per section)

Per Session Postings

For ALL per session activities, please complete Per Session Application Form"

Summer School Posting (closes 30MAR or until all positions filled).  It's that time again!  We are starting to launch our plans for Summer School.  If you are interested in working summer school, please email Kiri and be specific about what you're interested in doing and how long you are interested in working (and yes, you can work in multiple roles and in both Summer Splash and Summer Regents prep!  

Each summer, we have two separate programs:  Summer Splash and Summer Regents Prep.  In Summer Splash, we recruit teachers to teach their passion!  We look for folks who are excited about something - anything really - that will engage students and get them to learn in non-traditional ways.  Alongside completing required work for credit recovery, we offer explorations in art, music, history, and activism have peppered the program over the last few years.  Here are some examples that we've had in the past:

• Partner Run Programs:  Girls Inc Summer Camp, Occupy Summer School  & The Octavia Project
• UAI Teacher Courses:  USH and Comic Books, Digital Design, The Science of Beauty, Job Club, Ceramics, Visual Art, STEM in Dance, and many more

At the end of the summer, we pivot back to traditional studying for the August Regents exams.  

We are looking for

• Summer School Coordinator (2 Positions):  These two people would work collaboratively to recruit teachers and create, plan, and monitor summer programming for Summer Splash and Regents Prep (and Regents).  These two roles would be responsible for the day-to-day operations of summer school and would liaise with other summer programs to make sure all programs being hosted at UAI receive what they need and all programs run smoothly. Summer School Coordinators report to AP Annie or Principal Kiri (or building Admin if they are on vacation).
  
  
• 20 flex hours per person (now) for program planning and staff/student recruitment
• 10 hours 02JUL & 03JUL for summer school orientation and prep for summer launch
• 96 School Hours 8AM-1PM Mon-Thu 08JUL-15AUG (24 days *4 hrs/day)
• 8:30-900 -Breakfast Coord. (Dean will supervise - you'll be point person)
• 9:00-12:00 - Classrm Coord. (support teachers where needed)
• 12:00-12:30 - Lunch Coord. (Dean will supervise - you'll be point person)
• 27 Regents Day Hours 8AM-5PM (3 Regents Testing/Grading Days)

• Summer Splash Teachers (5 Positions) - 16 days * 4hrs/day = 64 hrs
  
  
• Mon 08JUL - Thu 01AUG
• 8:30AM - on site Prep time
• 9AM-12PM - 3 1hr sections of class
• 12:00-12:30 - remote prep time
  
  
• Summer Regents Prep Teacher (5 Positions) - Up to 59 hrs (depending on Regent Exam needs)
  8 days * 4hrs per day = 64 hours PLUS 3 Regents days (8AM-5PM  - estimated)
• Mon 05AUG-Thu 15AUG
• 8:30AM - on site Prep time
• 9AM-12PM - 2 1.5hr sections of class
• 12:00-12:30 - remote prep time

*(note - hours may be less if fewer sections needed due to low enrollment - min 15-25 per section)

After School Clubs.   If you are interested in running an after school club, please complete THIS form by EOD TUESDAY 26SEP23  AND submit the Per Session Application Form.  Clubs are slated to start next week.  Clubs must have a steady roster of at least 8-10 students per week in order to NOT be cancelled.  Rosters & Attendance lists MUST be submitted with per session time cards.  If your club goes three consecutive weeks with less than 8 students, your club will need to be cancelled (so that we can optimize funds for other uses - so sorry...wish we could fund everything all the time, but unfortunately, we don't have endless sums of funds).  After school sessions can be 3-4PM or 3-4:30PM or 3-5:30PM (teacher's choice)up to three days per week.  So per session hours can range from 1-7.5hrs per week).  Posting Expires 10OCT23.

Please continue to help promote your after school clubs.  Please make sure you are getting a reliable group of at least 10 students.  Help our after school classes get off the ground! - I will be collecting final rosters on 30NOV - you have additional time to recruit!!

• Black Student Union - Joanna & Pauline (Rm 411) - Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-4:30
• Arts & Crafts Club - Tiffany & Jennifer (Rm 311) - Mon/Tue/Weds - 3-4:15PM
• Theater Production Club - Noelle (Rm 315) - Tues/Thurs/Fri - 3-5:30PM
• Student Government - Sue, Marsha, Phillan, and Girls' Inc's Kassi (Rm 309) - Tuesdays - 3-4PM
• Youth Leadership Council - Kelly  (Rm 307) - Tuesdays 3-4PM
• Photo Club - Tom(Rm 205F) - Wednesdays 3-4:30
• Cheer - Mary & Lia - Various days depending on Game Days
• Anime & Art Club - Adelle & Francis (Rm 409) - Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-5PM
• Running Club with Camryn (starts after the marathon is over)
• Dance Club - Girls Inc - Room 503
• Students Against Racism & Bias Club - Jelissa (Rm 305) Tuesdays & Thursday 3-4PM
• Muslim Student Association - Laura (Rm 404) TBD
• GSA Club - Amanda - Rm 407

PSAL Supervision.   Posting Expires 10OCT23. PSAL Games are starting up soon. Please submit the Per Session Application Form if you are interested in supervising student spectators.  Hours vary depending on games.  Each game (basketball or volleyball) is usually 4-6pm (is) so each supervision session is about 2hours.  Staff are welcome to sign up for as many games as they'd like.  Please see UAI calendar or PSAL website for game dates. Duties include making sure

• students remain safe and orderly during games
• only eligible students are admitted to games
• all students fully dismiss from the building at the conclusion of the games

CSI Planning & Supervision.   Posting Expires 10OCT23. This posting if for supervision per session to plan, supervise, monitor and coordinate extra improvement efforts to address UAI achievement gaps and improve student performance in target metrics.  Activities include analyzing and reviewing data, planning and executing professional development experiences to improve staff performance, analyzing and editing video footage to improve teacher lesson execution and lesson implementation, and supervising out of school activities - including recruitment, staff planning, and after school activities.  Hours vary per week depending on task and work completed.  Hours range 1-7.5 hours per week.

Classroom SetUp.  All classroom staff are invited to come in to set up and plan for up to 10 hours all together any day this week Monday-Friday 9AM-2PM.  Staff must clock in AND out each day, and cannot be in the building after 2PM.  Please adhere to guidelines set out in the blog post above.  All Staff MUST also apply to this position by completing the "Per Session Application From" - see link above.  [Posted 27AUG23] - Posting CLOSED and JOB is over.