UAI Staff News
October Reflection & Sustaining Momentum. We’re deep into October, and I want to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work you’ve all been doing. These early weeks are where we set the tone for the year, and your effort is paying off. Classrooms are running smoothly, students are engaged, and we’re starting to see those seeds of growth take root. But as we all know, the work doesn’t stop here—it’s time to reflect and make the necessary adjustments to keep that momentum going.
Classroom Reflection: Fine-Tuning the Engine
You've all mostly got the attendance & phone habits down [THANK YOU!]. Your class routines are in place and the dust is settled (for the most part!). It’s a good time to pause and check in: How are things really going?
Emotional Support Domain (Joy & Power): Take a look around your room this week or take the brave step to film a class this week! Self-assess and be fair & honest! A Positive Climate is a precursor to healthy learning. Joy is an essential part of the learning process. Are your students still smiling, laughing, and excited to come to class? As we dig into heavier content, remember that joy fuels learning. What’s one way you can keep that positivity alive as the workload increases? Celebrate the real big wins and recognize the hurdles kids overcome to get there!
Teacher Sensitivity & Regard for Adolescent Perspectives feed student belonging and classroom power. Are students, asking questions, taking risks, and staying curious? If things are feeling a little flat, consider what small changes might reignite that spark. How are you making space for student voices - their questions, their inquiry and their creativity? Sometimes it’s a simple shift in how we frame a question or how we encourage a different perspective. Sometimes something as small as you using a question or following a curiosity that came from the students can be the shift needed to level up the quality of your learning environment.Rigor & Equity: Where are students feeling challenged? How do you know they're feeling challenged? Are they meeting the expectations you’ve set, and/or is there an opportunity to push their learning more? Reflect on whether the rigor in your classroom is balanced with the right support—especially for those who may need an extra push or a different approach. Equity is about seeing accurately what our students are capable and ready to do, understand where they need to be, and successfully plan and execute experiences and lessons that get them there.
Sustaining Our Momentum
We’re at a point where the initial excitement of the school year can start to wear off. This is when consistency and reflection really matter. The routines and relationships you’ve built are strong, and with a few thoughtful adjustments, we can keep that momentum going. Challenge your assumptions on what kids can or cannot do, and remember to BE the scientist. If you are unsure, get curious! Try something different approaches or strategies to see what happens.
Keep leaning on each other, sharing what’s working, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support. We’re all in this together, and I’m excited to see how we pull together to end this first marking period strong!
Important Upcoming Dates
- MON 21OCT - Kick off to CUNY Application Week
- MON 28OCT-MON 04OCT - 1st Benchmark (in Subject Classes - no special schedule)
- MON - 28OCT - ELA Benchmarks in ELA Classes
- TUE - 29OCT - SOC Benchmarks in SOC Classes
- WED - 30OCT - SCI Benchmarks in SCI Classes
- THU - 31OCT - Halloween (regular classes, no tests)
- FRI - 01NOV - Diwali - NO SCHOOL
- MON - 04NOV - MAT Benchmarks in MAT Classes
- THU 24OCT - First UAI Instructional Rounds (Details to come)
- FRI 01NOV - Diwali - NO SCHOOL
- MON 04NOV - End of Marking Period 1
- TUE 05NOV - Remote PD Day (Election Day) - No Classes
- WED 06NOV - Marking Period 2 Begins
- THU 07NOV - Grades due at 3PM
- FRI 08NOV - MP1 Report Cards Distributed in 7th Period
- MON 11NOV - Veteran's Day - NO SCHOOL
Announcements & To Dos
CUNY Application Week KickOff! This week in learning labs, seniors will begin their applications to college - starting with CUNY schools. ALL UAI Seniors apply to CUNY schools as an option in the post-secondary plans. They may not end up there, but they will each have a CUNY school in their back pocket as a secure an viable option for their post-secondary pathways! Please encourage and celebrate each of our seniors. They are not only navigating the newness of applying to college, but they are also surfing the trepidation of their biggest unknown, yet - life after high school!
[REPOST] Keep Promoting UAI Clubs. UAI Clubs launched officially on Monday, 07OCT24. Announce them in class, push kids to get involved - emphasize the importance of extracurriculars and activities OUTSIDE of the classroom. Colleges & jobs look to see what activities kids are in to evaluate them as potential candidates for their university or business. Yes, they get this info from the counselors AND yes, we all need to put this on repeat so that it sinks in to their brains! Here's what you can do
- Print this out and hang it on your classroom door: UAI Clubs
- Please let Jen know if your club is missing
- Make an announcement at the start of each class this week to promote the launch of clubs.
- Clubs are great resume builders for jobs and college - remind kids of that!
- Highlight how awesome the club teachers are and that this is a great chance to learn more about them in a new way!
[REPOST] Save the Dates to Celebrate. Celebrating our students and our staff is core to the health of our school! Our central mission at UAI is the success and achievement of our students. One pathway to that goal is through building the efficacy, sense of belonging, and pride that our staff has in your work at UAI. That sense of worth and value is built both through achieving targeted student outcomes and in recognition of those achievements and efforts!
I was chitchatting with Paula the other day, and she was sharing some ideas she & Judy had had about raising up our colleagues. At the same time, I had already been thinking about creating our UAI calendar of the days to celebrate our people!! And since there really are no original ideas anymore - I googled and found this handy calendar! I've plucked the days celebrating people out of this calendar to create our own for the 24-25 school year.
- September 2024
- 17SEP24 - National IT Professional's Day (we missed this - so moved to October 17th!). This is the day to celebrate JASON's Amazing work with our school!!
- October 2024
- 02OCT24 - National Custodian Day (we missed this too - so moved to October 22nd for this year). Let's celebrate Carlos, Harry, Junior, & Mr. O!
- November 2024
- 21NOV24 - National Substitute Teacher Day. Let's celebrate Jermaine, Mahjabeen, and Sean!
- February 2025
- 03FEB-07FEB - National School Counselor's Week. WOOHOO to JJR, Tiffany, Jen, AND our Deans (who do a lot of our counseling) Jean, Alaisha and Nicole... AND to our interns, Lara, Carlene, and Emily
- April 2025
- 03APR - Paraprofessional Appreciation Day - Time to appreciate Juelle, Bryanna, Aurora, Adelle, Nora, Ebony, Janiya, and Brenda!
- 07APR-11APR - National Assistant Principal's Week - Give it up to ANNIE!!!
- 20APR-26APR - Administrative Professionals Week - Many Thanks to Paula, Damaris, and Tracey!
- 21APR-25APR - Aterschool Professionals Week - Whooping it up for GIRLS INC!!
- May 2025
- 02MAY - School Lunch Hero Day - Give thanks for our amazing cafeteria staff
- 05MAY-09MAY - Teacher Appreciation Week - Big Ups to ALL of our amazing teachers!
- 07MAR - School Nurse Day - YAY for Nurse Cole
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