Week of June 3rd

UAI Staff News

Volume XI

Issue 35

June 3rd,  2024

Reflecting on an Incredible Year! As we launch into June, we are now most definitely in the final lap of the school year.  It's the perfect time to take a pause and look back on the year.

This year we truly brought our core values to life!

RIGOR:  We launched the year with a unified move to collective lift up our school and push it off the CSI list - WHICH WE DID!!!!!  Our CEP goals and core values drove us towards achieving our goals. Our collaborative work pushed each of us to be our best through lesson run throughs, shared planning meetings, shared benchmarks, instructional rounds, and analyzing student work to assess their learning our own  pedagogical effectiveness.

EQUITY:  Our students continued to exercise their voice and stand behind their beliefs. It was not perfect, as some also spread hate during that protest in October, but even that was a huge learning experience that made our community that much more strong.  Our RPET bravely led a a three-pronged approach to strengthen & elevate student & staff capacity so that our entire community grew in inclusivity & community cohesion & strength.

POWER:  Our students rose through the fall challenges to exercise their own power.  The YLC is on the way to DC at the end of June to compete for 1st place in the national Invent2 Prevent competition for their Bridging the Gap project.  Our Student Government has been working actively alongside our RPET to support the work of the teach in and they've worked to have input into school policies like lateness and lunch.  The resilience and persistence our students & staff demonstrated this year in the face of one of the biggest hurdle UAI has ever faced is evidence of how truly powerful we all are.

JOY:  This year our joy really shined through!  We had so much fun on Trips to DC, Six Flags, Upstate (to free the fishies), Camp Getaway (and so many more).  We celebrated events like Black History Month, Family Culture Night, Spirit Weeks, Awards Night, Prom (and so many more).  Even on the day-today, we just had fun in class with the endless stream of visitors that came to watch each of us being amazing and doing our best to show all those who doubted us exactly how amazing UAI is.

Your hard work and dedication is GREATLY appreciated, but more importantly, it has left indelible marks and memories with our students & families.  Your influence in their lives is bigger than you think, and lifting up these core values ensures that that influence is strong and positive as we help our students move through these early chapters of their lives! 

Important Upcoming Dates

• MON 03JUN -  PD in the Farm - Looking back on our Goals
• TUE  04JUN - Algebra 1 Regent Exam - no classes 8-12, regular classes 6 & 7
• THU 06JUN - Brooklyn Queens PD Day - NO CLASSES, Remote PD
• 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
• MON 01JUL - Summer School Staff Set Up Day
• TUE 02JUL - First day of Summer Splash and Summer Rising Summer School

Announcements & To Dos

Year End To Dos.  Please stay on top of your grades and gradebooks.  Keep them up to date so kids and families are aware of progress constantly.  Final grades for the year will be due on June 20th at 3PM.  IN addition, please put these three To Dos on your radar:

1. Final Outreach.  Please continue to reach out to students who are not yet meeting min requirements to pass your class for the year.  Please make sure that you enter your outreach for last week by 8AM on 03JUN.   Students should come in to work during regents week on the following days if they need extra time/help to meet your expectations.  You can find those days on the June Regents schedule.
   
   
2. UAI Pacing Guides.  All teachers will get 1 PD day to catalog a course for the year.  All courses will need to be linked into THIS DOC using THIS TEMPLATE.  The goal of cataloging your lessons for the year is to streamline capture the work that you've done for your classes this year in one place and to make the planning process for you (or whoever takes over the course next year) much more smooth.  To maximize our collective improvement, we have to stop reinventing wheels.  This is the first step!  You do NOT need to rewrite anything.  I'm just looking to take stock of what you did this year and put it all in one place.  Your lessons do not need to be perfect.  This is an organizational tool to help us expedite our improvement for next year!
   
   
3. EOY Checklist.  Make a Copy of the EOY Checklist for yourself.  This is a comprehensive list of things you need to do prior to leaving on June 26th.

Monday June 3rd PD. Looking back on the year also means looking back on our goals.  In Monday's PD and during Remote PD time on June 6th, we'll be looking back at our CEP goals to review how we did towards achieving those goals.  We will also be revisiting them for next year and adjusting the goals and action plans from the learnings we glean from our reflection.  In preparation for the PD on Monday (which will be in the farm at 3:30), please take a moment to review this year's CEP goals.

Literacy:  All Students Learn to Read Well.

(District Goal; Improve ELA Exam Pass Rates)

        UAI:  By June 2024, students reading on or above  grade level will improve (on MAP)

For ALL - 8.5% (total of 20%) 

For SPED - 8% (total 8%) 

For BLACK Students - 8% (total of 15%)

Supportive Environment:  All students are physically and emotionally safe.

(District Goal; Attendance improved, Supports improve, Suspensions decrease)

UAI:  By June 2024, behavioral occurrences in transition grades (6, 8, and 9) will 

For ALL - decrease 10% for All (to 60% 

For SPED  - Decrease 10% (to 30%)

UAI:  By June 2024, the percent of students feeling connected to the community will 

For All - increase by 10% (to 70%) on NYS LES

Graduation Rate:  All students have high-quality academic experiences.

(District Goal;  Improve Graduation & NYS Math Exam Pass rates)

UAI CEP:  By June 2024, student performance on MS Math & Algebra I regents                                        exams will improve by:

    For ALL:    7% more MS students will score >3 

                     average score on ALG 1 regent will improve to 65

    For SPED:  Avg. score on MS will improve to 2.4 (up 0.4 points) 

                 avg. score for Algebra 1 will improve 9 pts (to 65)  

 

NOTE:  Grad rate is will be 94% overall (100% for ENL & 83% for SPED)

College & Career Readiness:  All students graduate college & career ready and have a strong plan and pathway to economic security.

(District Goal;  Improve 9th Gr Course Pass Rate & Course Rigor)

 UAI CEP:  By June 2024, the percent of students having >75 GPA will improve

    For ALL:   9% (to 75%), 

            For SPED:  7% for SPED (to 43%)  

            For ENL:  9%  (to 75%) 

 

NOTE:  96% of 9th graders earn >10 credits; 97% of students enroll in adv. courses

Families:  All districts & schools are more inclusive and responsive for parents and families.

(District Goal;  Improve Family engagement in surveys & email & more families choose UA/CUNY)

UAI CEP:  By June 2024, there will be an improvment of families reporting that 

they have participated in a school meeting (+ 10% to 75%)

principal/school leaders offer regular opportunities for feedback (+5%) 

school leaders work hard to build trusting relationships w/ families (+5%) 

<<REPOST>> June Regents Schedule.  Please review the June Regents schedule for your own programming, and for student lists.  As an FYI, this program is still being built, and if you have any conflicts, please reach out.

Because we have so many more teachers and paras available during Regents testing days, our need for sub paras and sub teachers is significantly less.  So, some of our subs will not be called in for Regents Testing days.  You can also review the lists with students.  This schedule is still being finalized, so please do reach out to Kiri & Liza with questions or concerns! As an FYI

• Any student who scored >50 on an April mock exam is automatically registered for the June exam.
• Any HS student who is in a course that terminates in a regent exam (GLO, USH, 10th ELA, LIV, EARTH, ALG1) is automatically registered for that regent exam (even if they don't score>50) unless they have already met their graduation requirements in the exam area (e.g they already have a social studies regent exam).
• Anyone who is not automatically registered for the exam MUST get teacher recommendation. (So, e.g. all GEO and ALG2 test takers are teacher recommendations).  

<<REPOST>> Grading Policy Reminder.  As a reminder, our grading policy has shifted a little bit this year.  Check out the "LOWEST FINAL GRADES" tab of the MP4 Outreach Log

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.  On the "Lowest Final Grades" tab you can also see the MIN MP4 Grade that students need to pass (>65) for the year.

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.