UAI Staff News
Volume XI
Issue 32
May 13th, 2024
Moms are our first teachers. They take us immediately from birth to teach us how to live - to eat, to sleep, to snuggle, and to trust. Moms are the ones who build us up when we're feeling low, and they're the first ones to take us down when our heads get too big. Moms are the first to teach us about unconditional love - where there is no mess up so big that we would ever lose their love, nurturing, and respect. Moms blaze the path through which we all find ways to believe in ourselves.
As a mom, it's nearly impossible to see yourself in the same way that you see your own mother. As a mom, at first, you live in perpetual fear of doing something wrong every single moment. And then, after a million mistakes, you realize, that with all things there is no one right path to parenting - we do our best to love, nurture, and guide. We never give up, and then on days like today, your child reminds you why it is all worth it.
Teaching is not that far from mothering. It's parenting adjacent. Similarly, our greatest teachers live in our memories, revered, inspiring, always loving, and always understanding of our mistakes and celebrating our accomplishments. As teachers, it's hard to remember that we fill that role for our students and to remember that what they need most is the same thing that we valued most - unconditional love and support through all of our ups and downs.
It's May - and even though they say April is the cruelest month - May is the hardest for teachers and students alike. It is the last mile of a long run, the last hill on our way up the mountain, and the last flight of stairs on our way to the top of the castle. We're all feeling the fatigue AND we need to make it a point to take a break - and a breath - and pause to remember who we are in the eyes of our students and what they need and what we want them to have as we pull this year to a close.
It's May - and even though they say April is the cruelest month - May is the hardest for teachers and students alike. It is the last mile of a long run, the last hill on our way up the mountain, and the last flight of stairs on our way to the top of the castle. We're all feeling the fatigue AND we need to make it a point to take a break - and a breath - and pause to remember who we are in the eyes of our students and what they need and what we want them to have as we pull this year to a close.
Much love to your mothers and mother figures today! Much love to you who ARE the mothers (and mother figures)! And MUCH, MUCH appreciation to all of you who are parenting adjacent with each of our students. Make time to take stock and take a breath today to appreciate all and celebrate the wins!
Important Upcoming Dates
- MON 13MAY.
- NYSESLAT Testing Begins - Day 1 of 3
- AP Testing Continues - AP PreCalc (8 students)
- MS Make Up Testing Continues
- UAI Staff PD - Staff Circles
- TUE 14MAY.
- NYSESLAT Testing Continues - Day 2 of 3
- AP Testing Continues - AP Lang (37 students)
NOTE APAAS exam moved to 24MAY to avoid 8 hours of straight testing for kids - MS Make Up Testing Continues - Last Day
- WED 15MAY.
- NYSESLAT Testing Continues - Day 3 of 3
- THU 16MAY.
- NYSESLAT Testing MakeUps (through 24MAY)
- 12th Grade Prom
NOTE AP Bio exam moved to 23MAY due to Prom Conflict - FRI 17MAY.
- AP African Amer. Trip to the Met
- MON 20MAY.
- School Wide Teach In
- MON PD - Staff Circle - Teach In Debrief
- TUE 21MAY.
- MS Trout Release Trip - Be Free little fishies!
- WED 22MAY.
- UAI Cultural Celebration 5:30-7:30PM
- THU 23MAY.
- AP Testing Continues - AP Bio (4 students)
- PM Parent Conferences - 5PM-8PM (Remote)
NOTE - there are no afternoon conferences in May - just Thursday Night
These conferences are focused exclusively for students who are not yet meeting CEP grade goals (>75 in your classes) - Please Make Sure you have contacted families via email, text, or call at least 3 times PRIOR to these meeting and you've logged it into the outreach log
- FRI 24MAY.
- NYSESLAT Testing Finishes - Last Day of MakeUps
- AP Testing Continues - APAAS (26 students)
- MON 27MAY - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
- THU 30MAY -31MAY - Senior Trip (12th Grade)
- Upcoming June Dates
- TUE 04JUN - Algebra 1 Regent Exam - no classes 8-12
- THU 06JUN - Brooklyn Queens PD Day - NO CLASSES
- MON 10JUN - Math MAP Testing - 2nd & 3rd Period (8-12); 4th/5th Pd (MS)
- This counts as the final exam for all math classes
- TUE 11JUN - ELA MAP Testing - 2nd & 3rd Period (8-12); 4th/5th Pd (MS)
- This counts as the final exam for all ELA classes
- WED 12JUN - Science & Spanish Finals (in regular class periods)
- THU 13JUN - Social Studies, Art, Comp Sci, Health, PE Finals (in regular class periods)
- FRI 14JUN - Regents Week Begins
- MON 17JUN - Eid Al Adha - NO SCHOOL
- WED 19JUN - Juneteenth - NO SCHOOL
- MON 24JUN - High School Graduation
- TUE 25JUN - 8th Grade Stepping Up
- WED 26JUN - Last Day of School
Announcements & To Dos
Outreach & Discipline of Empathy & Presuming Positive Intent. As human beings, we have evolved to have a very refined and developed capacity for identifying problems and issues. This is an evolutionary trait that catapulted us to the top of our food chain and led us through surviving the dinosaurs. The easiest thing for us to do is identify things that are wrong. It takes attention and intention to be disciplined enough to look for strengths and take the time to understand the strengths in others and how to leverage those strengths for positive change.During outreach this week, you are working explicitly with students who are not yet meeting your course goals (>75). There is an endless litany of things that students have not yet done correctly. The challenge this week is NOT to take easy path of listing all the wrongs and communicating that out. The challenge is to root out all the rights and find ways to encourage, inspire, and motivate students and families into changing maladaptive behaviors and choices so that students can reset and find pathways to improvement, and hopefully ultimate success.
So, the next time you find yourself listening to or engaging with a colleague about how bad, annoying, disappointing someone (or even something) is (or has been), be the person who disrupts that talk with the point of trying to find at least one genuinely true strength about that same person, or thing/situation.
So, the next time you find yourself listening to or engaging with a colleague about how bad, annoying, disappointing someone (or even something) is (or has been), be the person who disrupts that talk with the point of trying to find at least one genuinely true strength about that same person, or thing/situation.
Our world is not black and white - and we as people are not perfect either. So, what's certainly true is that if there are mistakes and weaknesses in a person or situation - there also must be achievements and strength. Give equal air time to both - and lean into strength to motivate achievement.
TO DO: This week's log - please reach out to families to describe student strengths and log it into the outreach log for MP4.
Update GradeBooks. Please use your prep time this week to make sure your gradebooks are up to date. We are using SyncGrades gradebooks to track student progress and make plans for summer school and graduation. At this late stage of the year, we need your help in being super on top of your grading so that we have the most up-to-date information to share with families.
If you have an 8th or 12th grade student in your classes that you believe will ultimately fail, please reach out to Kiri/Annie immediately. Those families are being met with now to let them know that they will be mandated to summer school and cannot participate in June ceremonies.
If you forget to let Kiri/Annie know, we cannot effectively do our job to prepare families and students. Your communication is essential. Please make sure to be on top of your grades!
Save the Dates. As we will every year, we will have training rate per session set aside for all folks who want to come in next year to set up classrooms and get a jump on planning.
For ALL per session activities, please complete Per Session Application Form
Save the Dates. As we will every year, we will have training rate per session set aside for all folks who want to come in next year to set up classrooms and get a jump on planning.
<<REPOST>> Grading Policy Reminder. As a reminder, our grading policy has shifted a little bit this year.
CHANGE: Each marking period is now independent of the others. So MP4 is a separate grade from MP1, MP2, and MP3.
CHANGE: We are still annualized, so grades need to be cumulative. So, the final grade for the school year is an average of all four marking periods.
SAME: The lowest failing grade we use (anywhere) is a 55. We do not use zeros or grades less than 55 to indicate failure.
NOTE: It is possible for a student to fail MP4 but pass for the year, depending on how strong their grades were for the other three MPs. Conversely, if a students failed 3 marking periods, they would have to have very strong MP4 grades to even have a hope of passing. For example
A student who failed MP1, MP2, and MP3, could technically earn a 95 and pass for the year (tho that is super unlikely, given that they failed for the whole year) - technically possible (because the average of 55, 55, 55, and 95 is 65), but very unlikely (because a student who missed the entire year likely lacks the skills and knowledge to meet course standards)
Conversely, a student who did well for MP1-MP3 cannot fail if they failed MP4. If you think of it holistically, the student showed mastery of skills and content for 3/4 of the school year. Something must have happened to have them end up failing MP4, but that doesn't erase their earlier achievement and course competencies. (the Average of 95. 95, 95 and 55 is 85).
Then of course there are all types of cases in between these examples. If you have specific questions or want a thought partner to talk about how to best handle a specific case, please reach out to your ILT lead, co-teachers, or supervisors!
Per Session Postings
For ALL per session activities, please complete Per Session Application Form
NO New Activities at present
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.
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