Monday, August 26, 2024

Week of August 26th

UAI Staff News

Volume XII
Issue 1
August 26th,  2024

Welcome Back to the 2024-2025 School Year! It's hard to believe that we are once again getting ready for another school year!!  This year will be UAI's 19th year!!!  For the first time, UAI really is older than all of her students - LOL!!

This first blog will only be a prep blog, so get ready for lots of information!  Look ahead to next week's blog for the kickoff to the year's message and vision/mission for this year!

Here are the highlights for today's blog:

These early prep days are exciting as we make a lot of moves to prepare for the first day of school!  I'm getting super excited and I'm really looking forward to seeing you all in person again!!!

WELCOME BACK!!!



Important Upcoming Dates

  • TUE 27AUG-THU 29AUG - Classroom Set Up & Course Planning
  • WED 28AUG - 10AM-12PM New Staff Orientation
  • TUE 03SEP24 - First Day for All Staff - PD Day
  • WED 04SEP24 - 2nd Day for All Staff - PD Day
  • THU 05SEP24 - First Day of School for All Students
  • THU 26SEP24 - IN PERSON Curriculum Night 5-8PM


    Announcements & To Dos

    Welcome & Goodbyes.  We have some turnover in our staff over the summer.   
    • Farewell Friends!!  We've had some folks move on from UAI this summer. We wish them the very best in their next chapter and will miss them dearly!!
      • Danielle H - after many months of effort, Danielle finally found a place in a Long Island school district.  Her multi-hour commute changed to a couple of minutes and she now has more time with her two little ones and family.  Good Luck Danielle!  You will always be a member of the UAI fam- we'll miss you always!
      • Matthew - Matthew & his husband have decided to move out of NYC.  This had been a decision long in the making and this summer they pulled the trigger and are making the big move upstate.  Many, many thank yous to Matthew for all his work with our school!  You'll always be part of UAI and we'll miss you too!
      • Joanna - Joanna has also decided to leave UAI this summer.  She is moving to a larger school in Brooklyn and will be bringing her talents and abilities to a group of amazing students!  Good luck Joanna - we'll miss you and please do come for visits!  You'll always be part of our tiny school family!  
      • Dru - Many congratulations to Dru!! Dru was offered an Assistant Principal position at an elementary school in Brooklyn.  This is an amazing opportunity for an amazing teacher!! 


      • As a reminder, we also had to shrink some staff from last year in response to falling enrollment numbers.  A mix of excessing and transfers happened at the end of last year.
        • Jelissa (Counselor), Lia (ICT ELA), Kaitlyn (ICT Math), and Dai (School Business Manager) were on the list for excessing, but happily all of them have found new positions or have new roles with the DOE!  Best of luck to each of them in their new roles!
        • Yasmeen was originally on the excess list, but with all the movement over the summer, we were able to find a way to keep her!  YAY Yasmeen!! WhooHooo!!!
        • Alexis and Danielle I. transferred to other schools at the end of the summer!  Alexis has moved to a new school closer to home, and Danielle has elected to join an old principal friend (of hers & mine!) to help him strengthen his college advising for his new school.  Best of luck to both of them in their new schools!


    • Welcome New Staff!  This year we have three new staff joining UAI
      • Brett Holcombe - 8-12th Math.  Brett is a new teacher coming to us from Ohio.  He has some teaching experience in Ohio, and is really looking forward to working with us this fall!  Brett will be teaching Alg 1 and Alg 2.  Welcome aboard Brett!

      • Denyda Joseph - MS Math.  Denyda joins us as our newest MS math teacher.  She comes with elementary school experience and will be a big help in supporting our students and the team in filling in those gaps that still persist from COVID!  We look forward to a wonderful year with Denyda!!

      • Jasmine Nguyen - 8-12Math.  A longtime IM Algebra 1 teacher from MS 915, Jasmine joins us, returning from living down south for a few years.  We are lucky to have found a teacher with her experience, particularly IM Algebra experience, on the New Teacher finder, and we're really looking forward to welcoming her to UAI!  Welcome Jasmine!

      • Paula Charles - Secretary.  We are looking to bolster up the support in the main office budgetary restraints forced us to lose Dai, our business manager.  Paula comes to us from another DOE school and she comes with a lot of experience and systems knowledge in pupil accounting, payroll and purchasing!  We look forward to the extra support


    Classroom Set Up & Course Planning.  All classroom staff are invited to come into UAI Tuesday, 27AUG through Thursday Aug29 from 8AM-2PM to set up classrooms and meet for planning for a max of 12 training rate hours.   Save your receipts.  Full time classroom teachers will be reimbursed up to $250 for classroom materials.  FYI, all classroom materials for which you are reimbursed will become the property of UAI and the NYC Public Schools.

    Please make sure to grab your time card and to clock in and out in our main office!  If you are planning to come in, please complete this Per Session Interest Form.  

    For Classroom Set-Up
    • Creating a Warm & Welcoming Environment
      • You are welcome to decorate your classroom the way you see fit!  
      • Please mind these Dos and Don'ts
        • DO NOT tape anything on the front of the doors
        • DO NOT to fully cover the windows on the doors
        • DO NOT place any excess furniture or trash in the hallways.  If you have extra furniture, please try to find a home for it in another classroom or label it to move to the locker room on the 5th floor.
        • DO NOT dispose of any materials or textbooks.  Please find them a new home with another teacher OR continue to store in your closets.  We have limited storage space in our school, leaving us only with classroom storage closets as our only option.
        • DO NOT use nails or tape anything else that damages the paint on the walls.  Folks have had success with command strips or Blu Tack.  You can use your $250 reimbursable money to purchase these!
        • DO fill the room with subject matter decorations & supplies
        • DO make the room warm and welcoming
        • DO make a folder outside of your room for your attendance sheets
        • DO visit the general supply closet (across from 145, our main office) for any materials you might need
        • DO set up desks in groups.  We believe in collaboration and discourse.  Rows inhibit this, so please set the desks up so that students are encouraged to work together.
      • Please check your furniture and technology.  All rooms should have
        • A cart with 25 chromebooks
        • A document camera and projector
        • At least 28 student desks & 28 student seats.  Most classes are 25 students or fewer, but we do have limited storage for furniture in our school.  So, please try to find a use for the extra desks (e.g. resource station...independent work site...conference site..etc)
      • Please check in with Annie in room 301 if you have any needs for your classrooms.
    • Here are the Room Assignments:
      • Classrooms
        • B31 (JJR/Alaisha), B43 (Fatima), B45 (Dyneda/Freida),
          B49 (Sarah/Phillan), B53 (Mike)
        • 147 (Tiffany), Gym (Patti)
        • 205C (Thomas), 205F (Tom & Mary)
        • 303 (Sarah M), 305 (Elena), 307 (Patricia & Crystal),
          309 (Marsha & Yasmeen), 311 (Jake), 315 (TomM)
        • 403 (Jasmine), 404 (Laura), 405 (Brett & Judy),
          407 (Amanda), 409/411 (Noelle), 415 (Liza)
        • 503 (Roger), 507 (Kelly & Martine), 509 (Shan), 511 (JRob), 515 (Camryn)

      • Offices
        • 145D - Tiffany (Dai's old office)
        • 145 - Janiya, Tracey, Paula
        • 201 - SBST Team (Irina et. al)
        • 301 - Annie.  
        • 304 - Girls Inc. 
        • 401 - Kiri
        • 402 - Staff Lounge
        • 508 - Jen
        • B35 and B57 - Counseling/Pull Out Rooms
    For planning
    • Prepare your Pacing Guide & Course Syllabus.  Both of these documents will be due at the end of Wednesday, 04SEP.   Please make sure your links are set to "Anyone with the link" can "View".    Please use these templates.  Please plan at least 2 weeks of lessons to give yourself a strong start to the year.




    Moving to the DOE Domain.  This year we will be officially moving out of the UAI Google Domain and under the NYC Public Schools domain.  We'll be rolling out the details next week in PD, but for now, here are the big To Dos
    • UAI Staff Google Classroom. We'll be using a Google Classroom for staff to manage our communications and resources this year.  You will need to sign up for the UAI Staff Google Classroom. 
      • Join using your DOE profile - 
        • Login to your DOE profile on Google
          • Go to the top right corner of your Chrome profile and "Add" (at bottom)
          • Use your doe email (e.g ksoares@schools.nyc.gov) to log in 
          • Select "Google Workspace Account"
          • Login to your DOE account.  If you forgot your password or it needs to be reset, go HERE to do that first.
        • Once you are logged in copy this invite into the profile (and hit enter) to join the classroom.
          • https://classroom.google.com/c/NzAzNzYxMTc4NjQx?cjc=6kx2p35

    • ALL 2024-2025 Work MUST be under DOE profile.  This year, all of your work needs to be done in your NYC DOE profile.  If you are returning staff, you can share your old files to the DOE, but you need to make copies and transfer ownership to the DOE drive.  Any information containing student information (names, personal identifiable info (eg. grades, gradebooks, emails, DOB, address, etc.)) MUST be stored under the DOE profile and cannot be on the UAI Google Drive any longer.  Please make sure all of your work is on the DOE servers by doing all of your work under the NYCDOE domain (aka doing all your work in your DOE profile)


    Final Schedule.  The schedule is almost finalized!  Liza did an amazing job in her first full run through the program!!  WOOHOOO LIZA!!!!!!   We're working through the final pieces today and tomorrow and will release the program on Wednesday!



    Staff Handbook Review.   Please review the Staff Handbook and make sure to Sign Off that you have reviewed it by the End of the Day on 03SEP24.  This is also your emergency contact information, so please make sure to complete this ASAP.



    First Days' Agendas.  We are meeting with the ILT tomorrow to finalize the PD Agenda for the first two days of school, so please stay on the lookout for that information (which will be posted in the UAI Staff Google Classroom).    Both days will be 8:30-3:20PM.  As per Union Contract, all Staff PD days (so also in November, January & June), all PD days are 6 hours and 50 minutes.  Breakfast will be served on Tuesday at 8AM (optional) and lunch on Wednesday will be provided. 





    Per Session Postings

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

    Classroom SetUp and Planning.  12 hours total.  All Classroom Staff (Teachers & Paras) are eligible.  Tue 27-29Aug . 




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