Sunday, November 24, 2024

Week of 25NOV24

UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 13

November 25th, 2024

Thank You. We are already almost done with our 3rd month of school, which means that we're almost a 1/3 of the way through the school year. So far, each of you has worked hard and given so much to our kids, their families and our school.

For Our MS Teachers - Phillan, Denyda, Freida, Sarah R, Fatima, Mike, Juelle, Bryanna, and AMNH Resident, Matt

Thank your for welcoming our newest members - our 6th graders - with your trademark warmth, structure, and intellectual challenge.
Thank you also for continually shepherding our 7th graders through their hormonally driven decision making and consistently taking each one of their missteps as an opportunity to learn and making a point to celebrate each one of their achievements.
Welcome Bryanna, Denyda & Freida to the team! Also, Welcome Matt! Thank you Juelle, Sarah, Fatima, and Mike for welcoming folks to the team and continually building camaraderie and collaboration. AND, Thank you Sarah for taking on the responsibility of working with Matt to onboard him into our profession and develop the skills & understandings needed to thrive in his first year on his own!
Many thanks to all the work that Aurora did for the beginning of the year. She is moving on to her next work chapter. I definitely appreciate all that she did while she was with our team and wish her only the best in her next venture!
Thank you Phillan for taking up the leadership mantle and being the sounding board, point person, and advocate for all things middle school! Your passion for our kids and their staff is so needed and appreciated!

For Our 8-12 Math Teachers - Brett, Jasmine, Sue, Amanda, and Judy

Thank you for taking on the challenging task of making the 2nd year of IM implementation work! There are no easy answers, and even the ones that we do find are sometimes not quite the best solutions - but your work and effort in continually pushing yourselves and each other to refine the curriculum to serve our kids the best is what makes you shine as a team.
Welcome to Brett & Jasmine and many thanks to Sue, Amanda, & Judy for welcoming them to the team!
Thank you Judy for always pushing each one of us to be our best version of ourselves. Your commitment to UAI and the math team is clear and we would never be able to surf the crazy expectation of the city and district without your steady hand! You are a rock AND you rock!!

For Our 8-12 Science Teachers - Thomas C, Camryn, Tom W, Mary, Liza and our AMNH Residents - Will, Jordan, and Cassidy

First - let me say I'm sorry before I say thank you. That Earth Science curriculum is doggy doodoo... and I'm sorry for that. Now let me say how much I appreciate each of you for digging in to figure out how to make it work and how to make it much, much better.
Thank you all for always being onboard to leverage up your individual practice. Whether it is using video or working alongside our AMNH residents - your ability to reflect on and grow practice consistent. That's such an important part of being the best for our kids - I really appreciate you all!
Thank you Liza for your leadership and support of the team. Juggling the launch and support of THREE brand new courses this year, with TWO being mandated by the district is tough! AND you manage the AMNH residents & partnership, are learning to program the school, and coordinate testing. Thank you. You're amazing!!

For Our 8-12 English Teachers - Sarah M, Crystal, Yasmeen, Patricia Gy, Laura, and Marsha

Thank you on for leading the herculean task of lifting up our student literacy and English Language Skills. You are not alone in the work, but you are leading all of us, and your efforts pay out dividends in everyone else's classrooms - thank you!
Welcome Crystal & Yasmeen to the team. Transitions from other teams into ELA isn't an easy move, but you both have dug in deep to learn the work and are clearly finding your footing to help our most needy students. THANK YOU!
Patricia & Laura - thank you for stepping above and beyond your classrooms to make our school an even better place for kids and adults! Thank you for taking on senior activities, Patricia! Thank you for leading our UFT chapter, Laura!
Thank you Marsha for leading the team and our Student Government this year. Your strength in creating strong and inclusive environments creates the strong foundation of trust that both our ELA and Student Teams need to thrive. Thank you!

For Our 8-12 Social Studies Teachers - Shan, JRob, Jake, Martine, and Kelly

Thank you all for taking on the behemoth task of getting our students to fully understand the world we live in and to help them uncover their own place in it that is too often erased from our history. Your commitment to continually center our kids in your content and your collective efforts to always push high level expectations around literacy and thinking is unparalleled in the city. Primary source learning is not only highly rigorous and historical best practice - but it is also the goal that the city has been pushing in Social Studies for years. Excellent work - and thank you!
Shan - thank you for your endless energy and passion for creating a rich and FUN community for our kids. Your work in student activities has been phenomenal this year. Thank you for stepping up, thank you for taking the lead, and thank you for making UAI that much better for our kids and their families!
Thank you Kelly for leading our Soc team!! Your work in bringing Student Work into meetings this year is blazing the trail for the rest of us. Student work is central to giving us an accurate picture of how effective our teaching practice is. Thank you also for stepping above and beyond your instructional work to do so many amazing things with our YLC, our schoolwide interventions, and our Equity team. Thank you!

For Our Breadth Teachers - Elena, Tom M, Roger, Patti, Noelle, and Pauline

To our team of folks who teach across all the grades in our school, thank you! Thank you for lifting up your significant load and bringing joy and support to each of kids in your Spanish, PE, Theater, and Learning Lab classrooms!
Elena, Tom, and Pauline - thank you for holding down upper class learning labs and helping them stay on track to study, get work done, and for our seniors - apply to college! (Thank you Elena!!)
Patti - thank you again for stepping up to hold Badminton club before school! Thank you to both you and Roger for taking on the planning and shaping of our health classes!
Noelle - you are a wizard at providing so many different opportunities for our students to step out of their shells and find their light. Your theater class is constantly engaging and I always see kids running to you class and being the last to leave the room - a clear sign that you are their favorite, too! Thank you for putting in endless hours to produce amazing theatrical events each semester. It's always magical and wonderful to see what you and the kids can do! Thank you!

For Our Daily Substitute Teacher - Mahjabeen, Sean, and Jermaine

Thank you each for returning this year to help us cover our classes when folks need to be out. You each work hard to cultivate relationships with our staff and kids. I cannot emphasize how appreciate I am for that. Having folks out can be extremely disruptive for kids, but because they know each of you, that disruption is greatly minimized, and their learning and achievement proceeds with minimized hiccups! Thank you!
Jermaine - that you for adding "Go To Class" to the UAI lexicon! Your bellowing voice sends kids skipping along when they hear it echoing from the stairwells. I miss it when you're not there, and I definitely appreciate your efforts to make sure our kiddos get to where they need to go!

For Our 8-12 Paraprofessionals - Adelle, Brenda, Janiya, Ebony, and Nora

Thank you for supporting our kids who need the most help in finding and staying on the right track! Your support and your pushing them to be their best selves is exactly what they need in order to learn to master their learning differences and develop the skills they need to succeed independently.
Brenda & Janiya - thank you for going above and beyond the role! Brenda, thank you for bringing order and organization to our hallways and bathrooms. Janiya, thank you for taking on the task of managing all our transportation!
Welcome Ebony and Nora to the UAI team this year! You bring both joy and structure into each of our classrooms and your students definitely supply you with an endless supply of challenges, but you each keep at it - trying to find the best ways for them to thrive! Thank you!

For Our Student Support Team - Jen, Annie, Jennifer, Tiffany, Jean, and Nicole (and Alaisha!)

Thank you to our student support team!! Our classroom folks push and challenge our students to academically thrive, and you all provide the redirection, soothing, and support they need to navigate adolescence and arrive at the beautiful young people they are when they graduate. Your work is subtle, can be incredibly rough and heartbreaking, always a little frustrating (because kids so often don't learn the first time...or the 18th time), but your work is essential to UAI realizing it's mission of helping students find their Power.
Tiffany, Thank you for stepping into the College Counselor role this year. Watching you grow and flourish in the work (in just 12 weeks) has been awe-inspiring! You took to the work like a fish to water and have a natural talent in the field. Combined with your skills in working with kids and families, you have rapidly managed to provide an excellent level of post-secondary support for all of our students and their families this year. I don't have enough words to show my appreciation - so, I hope a big heartfelt THANK YOU suffices!
Jen and Annie - thank you for leading the team and always being on top of making sure our kids are getting the best support exactly when they need it most!

For Our Admin Team - Annie, Jen, Paula, Damaris

Thank you Paula for picking UAI this year! We are so lucky to have your energy, your smile, your work ethic, and your know how as an addition to our school operations team. Welcome to UAI and thank you!
Thank you Damaris for all that you do to support our main office and it's operations! I know you are like me looking forward to that sweet, sweet happy time that begins with an R - but for now, I am happy for the efforts and work you put forth to support the team.
Jen - you are doing amazing things in Recruitment this year. You are the energizer bunny that never quits and if the system was actually fair, I have no doubt that our school would be overrun with kids next year. Your work this year has been next level and epic (I know I'm not wielding that Gen Z/Gen Alpha lingo right but you get what I mean). Much LOVE and appreciation for all that you do, have always done, and will continue to do for our school, for our families, and for our kids. But most of all thank you for always being a sounding board and thought partner in bring UAI to where it is today, and for always being there for me.
Annie - I couldn't have picked a better #1 (and yes, you'll have to watch Star Trek to get that reference). I thank Emily everyday for pointing you our way, and I'm forever grateful that you picked UAI over AGL :-). Your calm strength and kid-centered leadership pushes all of us to be better and believe that we can be better. This year you've taken on operations as a total newbie and 3months in, you're moving like a pro - like it's been 30 years! You're amazing and I thank you for being so! Thank you for always pushing and challenging me, too. It's not always pleasant - true - I'm stubborn and I like to be right all the time so of course I'm not gonna like being challenged. BUT, the truth is I'm NOT always right (shocker, I know) AND I need people to push me because through that push I usually find myself with stronger, clearer, and better ways forward. Thank you for knowing that about me, and thank you for never giving up on pushing me to be a better leader for us all.

We certainly shouldn't save gratitude for the Thanksgiving week. It should be something that is constant. However, it often falls to the side as our work eclipses everything. But here we are. It's Thanksgiving..so let's make the most of it!

I invite you all to take a page out of my blog effort today. Think about those around you at UAI who have helped you, done some amazing work, or pushed our shared mission forward. Think about who inspired you or challenged you so far this year.

Reach out - send them a quick text, email, or stop by their classroom - share some kind gratitude.

Then...reach out again - to those who you don't always recognize and step into their shoes for a minute. Take another minute to reach out to them to connect and share appreciation

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Important Upcoming Dates

MON 25NOV - Native American Heritage Month Celebration
TUE 26NOV - 6th Grade Trip to the Met - Fatima, Denyda, Phillan, Bryanna chaperone
WED 27NOV - 2:20PM Rapid Dismissal
THU 28NOV and FRI 29NOV - Thanksgiving Recess
WED 27NOV - Senior Trip To Moana - Patricia & Marsha Chaperone
MON 02DEC -

Launch of UA Project Cafe - 205A and Farm Classes Relocated 9-11AM in Farm
First Girls Basketball Home Game vs. Achievement First @ 4:30PM in Gym

TUE 03DEC - AMNH Trip for 6th & 7th Grade
WED 04DEC - CUNY Visits UAI to see BTCM in action
THU 05DEC - Trip to African Diaspora Film Festival
SAT 07DEC - FAFSA Application Support AND MS/HS Open House Day
WED 11DEC - District Evaluation Visit (PPO)
THU 12DEC - Winterfest
FRI 13DEC -

UAI Theatrical Production of Rabbit Hole
UAI Staff Winter Celebration (Details TBD)

Upcoming JANUARY Homecoming Events

02DEC-10JAN - Homecoming Court Selection
06JAN-10JAN- Homecoming Spirit Week - Details to Come
08JAN (7th pd) - Homecoming Assembly (7th pd) HC Court Announced
09JAN (7th pd) - Homecoming Parade (thru UAI Halls)
10JAN - Homecoming Dance (7:30-10PM)

Announcements & To Dos

RPET hosts Native American Celebration. During 4th Period Lunch and from 3:00-3:30 the Equity Team will be hosting an celebration of Native American heritage through a variety of different activities and events to enjoy. Please come down at lunch or right after school to celebrate with students.

Thanksgiving Snack Luck. Thank you to Jasmine for launching our Thanksgiving Snack Luck!! Please sign up to bring something for Monday PD at 3:30PM. It's also OK if you forget to sign up - just bring something! I'm making a slow cooker beef bourguignon, but I don't have any bowls. If someone could bring bowls and spoons, that would be a great complement! (I'm also making cookies for the vegetarians out there!)

Learning Huddles. I will announce Learning Huddles during Monday AM Announcements (because that's private to UAI and this blog is public to everyone). If you have a student(s) that you need help thinking about how to support, please complete this Learning Team Huddle Nomination Form no later than Friday @3PM (preceding each week - I had said Sunday, but turns out - I need more time to coordinate).

Old Announcements That are still on the To Do list

[REPOST] Graded Assignments for MP2. Also on Friday, folks will have time to create all the assignments that will be graded for MP2 in GAMA (Grade and Messaging App). As announced at the start of the year, you should be telling students at the start of each unit what their assessments will be and which of those assessments will be graded and which will be aimed at helping the prepare for the graded assessments. In this same path, those graded pieces need to be in GAMA. This is the way that students will be able to see their grades. Staff will have MP2 to get used to transferring and updating grades (just like we used MP1 to get used to taking attendance and using GAMA). By MP3, we will be communicating with families & students that GAMA is our LMS (learning management system). So we want staff to be fairly fluent with it prior to that launch.

[REPOST] Outreach. Lots of folks have not yet remembered to log their outreach so far this week. Please remember that you have until 3PM tomorrow. Folks who failed to log this week's outreach and last week's outreach will receive emails reminding them. You will receive a total of 5 warnings this year. On the 6th time you forget to log outreach, you will lose your privilege to conduct the outreach remotely. I really don't want to rescind that privilege and that's why I'm providing FIVE chances to get it right. Please make sure you are setting a reminder in your phone or calendar to log your outreach each week. You need to make sure this gets done.

1	Reminder Email #1
2	Reminder Email #2
3	Meeting with Kiri & Counseling Memo
4	Counseling Memo
5	Letter To File
6	Mandated to remain at school for 55min on Tuesdays to complete outreach

For these next few weeks, please make sure you are prioritizing contact to families of students who are not yet reaching our school goal of receiving >80 in your class. Please invite students to Office Hours on Monday to get extra help from you if needed.

Per Session Postings

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

Restorative Justice Coordinator - Filled: Sue Rissberger

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

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Week of November 18th

UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 12

November 18th, 2024

Parent Conferences. This week is our first set of conferences for the year. We will have conferences on Thursday night from 5-8PM and on Friday, 12PM-2:50PM. These conferences will be remote, and teachers can create their own zoom meetings (using free zoom or DOE zoom) or do phone calls. The building will not be open on Thursday night for calls, by you can opt to work in school on Friday to hold conferences.

As an FYI, through SBO, all of Friday will be remote. In the AM, we will be holding a remote PD on Learning Huddles (see below) and Setting up Gradebooks for MP2. In the PM we will have PM conferences.

As you prepare for these conferences, push yourself to lean into empathy and take on the perspectives of the families. For example, if you were in their shoes, what, and more importantly HOW, would you want to hear about your child's progress from your teachers. What would be motivating? What might be hard to hear?? What could possibly be taken as offensive (and for those - think of another way of saying it)?

We are working with other people's children, and as such we need to remember to communicate with families and students they way we would expect others to communicate with us about our own children (or families members).

Certainly, there are difficult conversations to be had, but when we center the best outcomes of our students, we connect with families who are doing the same thing. That is when we also form the strongest connections with our families and as a result we also generate a stronger net of support for our students - thereby by pushing them to success and making our instructional jobs easier.

Here are some nuts and bolts for Thursday & Friday

Conferences should be about 10-15 minutes in length. Use a timer for each phone call and if needed, make an agenda with times for call that you think may run over. Start each conference letting families know up front that the conference will be max 15min but that if they need more time, you'll call them back (and then set a time). You have a total of 5hrs and 50min of conference time PLUS 50min of outreach time this week. That's a total of 6 hours and 40 minutes. if you give yourself four 10min breaks, then you're still left with 6 hours - which mean you should try have at least 24 conferences this week.
Making Appointments. Reach out at least three times to make an appointment. First, send a text (you can use Teach Hub to text home). Then, have the kids call home with you. Finally if the text and the kids' help doesn't result in a successful appointment, ask Annie, Kiri, or Jen for support. Don't worry about trying to work around each other's schedules. Families will let you know if they are free or not. Have a couple of alternative ready for families so that you can easily make adjustments. Use prep time and Monday OPW time to make appointments this week. Please enter the appointment time and date for all required* appointments by EOD Wednesday.

* Required appointments are for any student who is not yet reaching the goal of having an 80 or better in all classes. Fall 2024 Family Conference Appointment Sheet
Stick to an Agenda and Set a timer for yourself!

2min - Hello and Connect (Hello, How are you?...Is this still a good time...)
2min - Talk about the student's work - the BEST things they do. Focus on Competencies.
Share the student's work (text or email pics)
2min - Select 1 or 2 key changes that the student can make in their work to improve
2min - Select 1 or 2 key changes in behavior or habits that can improve performance
6min - Q&A period - this is where you can ask directly for things (can you help her get to school on time...can you check HW every night... Ask to see the graded assignments (in draft or completed)
1min- wrap up and thank you!

Lean into our Values. Be joyous about their kids - even our most challenging kids have something to celebrate! Lean into rigor - parents & families want you to push kids to be better and they want to help you push their kids to be better. Draw strength from the power & equity in our work. These conversations are not easy - but they are necessary in order to put our kids in a position where they can thrive - and that is just & powerful.

Your work in connecting to families is critical to the success of our students.

THANK YOU!!!

Important Upcoming Dates

THU 21NOV - Evening Parent Conferences 5-8PM (remote)
FRI 22NOV - Remote PD Morning (8:30-11:00AM) - NEWLY APPROVED!!
FRI 22NOV - Afternoon Parent Conferences 12:00-2:50PM (remote)
MON 25NOV - Native American Heritage Month Celebration
THU 28NOV and FRI 29NOV - Thanksgiving Recess

Upcoming JANUARY Homecoming Events

02DEC-10JAN - Homecoming Court Selection
06JAN-10JAN- Homecoming Spirit Week - Details to Come
08JAN (7th pd) - Homecoming Assembly (7th pd) HC Court Announced
09JAN (7th pd) - Homecoming Parade (thru UAI Halls)
10JAN - Homecoming Dance (7:30-10PM)

Announcements & To Dos

Staff Shout Outs. At Consultation Meeting this week, there were questions about whether or not Shout Outs should continue. I shared out a survey last week to get a gauge on folks are feeling, but only 5 folks had a chance to complete it. Please take a moment to complete this super fast survey on Shout Outs. The ILT will use this survey data to decided what next best steps are for Shout Outs.

Learning Huddles. If you have a student(s) that you need help thinking about how to support, please complete this Learning Team Huddle Nomination Form no later than Sunday @3PM (preceding each week). On Friday, during our PD, we'll go through the protocol and hold our first of the Learning Huddles.

Graded Assignments for MP2. Also on Friday, folks will have time to create all the assignments that will be graded for MP2 in GAMA (Grade and Messaging App). As announced at the start of the year, you should be telling students at the start of each unit what their assessments will be and which of those assessments will be graded and which will be aimed at helping the prepare for the graded assessments. In this same path, those graded pieces need to be in GAMA. This is the way that students will be able to see their grades. Staff will have MP2 to get used to transferring and updating grades (just like we used MP1 to get used to taking attendance and using GAMA). By MP3, we will be communicating with families & students that GAMA is our LMS (learning management system). So we want staff to be fairly fluent with it prior to that launch.

[REPOST] Celebrating Native American Heritage Month. This year, the Equity Team expanded the work begun with last year's teach-in to continue to educate and celebrate cultural diversity. The after school Diwali celebration was strong, but we didn't reach as many as we had hoped. Making some adjustments, the next event will be celebrating Native American Heritage! The Equity team will be hosting activities during HS lunch and after school at 3PM in the cafeteria for MS to educate and celebrate Native American Heritage. All staff are also welcome to join!

[REPOST] School Calendar. Folks have been asking about a school calendar. There's always been one!! Check out the bottom of THIS blog post!! We'll start adding trips onto the calendar. We cannot post kids names because this post is public, but you'll be able to see who is leading the trip and where they are going (and when). Also, as an FYI, we don't have any 5-day weeks until December! Then, it's 3 weeks and boom, 2024 is done! Time is flying so be sure to savor it!

1	Reminder Email #1
2	Reminder Email #2
3	Meeting with Kiri & Counseling Memo
4	Counseling Memo
5	Letter To File
6	Mandated to remain at school for 55min on Tuesdays to complete outreach

Per Session Postings

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

Restorative Justice Coordinator - Filled: Sue Rissberger

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

Monday, November 11, 2024

Week of November 12th

UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 11

November 12th, 2024

Taking Stock. Now that Marking Period 2 is fully launched and grades are in (mostly - there are a couple of holdouts (please finish those today ... uploaded to GAMA and then Transferred to STARS), it's time to take stock of who is meeting our goal (>80), who is almost there, and who needs some wrap around support.

From an initial look through MP1 grades - 64% of all grades are >80, which means the majority of our kids are literally making the grade in most of their classes, already! For the first 40 days of the year with a brand new goal of reaching >80, that is a strong start! Almost 2/3rd of our kids are on track! Given that the vast majority of our students arrive with many gaps in their learning and as a result some have even developed many behavioral hurdles to mask the gaps, the work that each of you have done to lift up our kids to this point has been amazing AND inspiring! I always say that UAI is a gem of a school, and that is because our dedicated and talented staff really know how to bring out each student's sparkle!

That work is not easy, but it is so important. Take a moment to take pride in the successes and triumphs of the first marking period. Your students, in large part, showed up and showed out for mp1, and your planning & pedagogy, love, connection and care made that happen. That achievement is so important for so many of them, and so necessary for their ongoing success this year.

AND...because we are working in a public school and our work is never done (nor ever easy), we also need to rally behind those who fell short this MP, and figure out what works and what they need in order to shift gears and succeed.

The best way to lift up the ones who are falling behind is to come together. Many hands make lighter work, and we work best at UAI when we work effectively together. With student choice, we lost the structure of grade teams in the high school. The middle school still has them, but high school can't have a team meeting structure while accommodating for student choice. However, there is a way to have both.

Last year we used OPW time for office hours to support students. We can still have this structure AND flexibly use that time to hold meetings with staff of students who are struggling in multiple classes. Staff will be able to submit names for weekly "Learning Team Huddles" (thank you ChatGPT for the Name). During these huddles, teachers of the same student(s) will meet to discuss students strengths and needs and to align practice and goal-setting to provide wrap around support for the student. Counselors, Deans and Admin will join the meeting to support & facilitate. The goal is to have all adults working collectively to create coherent and sustained messaging and support for the student so that they can turn their performance around and end MP2 strong!

We have only 7 Monday OPWs until the end of MP2. So, there will be multiple student names listed each Monday. Staff will have the option to select which one(s) they attend. If they do not wish to join any, then it's Office Hour or self-directed OPW time.

If you have a student(s) that you need help thinking about how to support, please complete this Learning Team Huddle Nomination Form no later than Sunday @3PM (preceding each week).

Important Upcoming Dates

THU 21NOV - Evening Parent Conferences 5-8PM (remote)
FRI 22NOV - Remote PD Morning (8:30-11:00AM) - NEWLY APPROVED!!
FRI 22NOV - Afternoon Parent Conferences 12:00-2:50PM (remote)
MON 25NOV - Native American Heritage Month Celebration
THU 28NOV and FRI 29NOV - Thanksgiving Recess

Upcoming December Homecoming Events

02DEC-18DEC - Homecoming Court Selection
16DEC - 20DEC- Homecoming Spirit Week
Details to Come
17DEC - Alumni Day (Events TBD)
18DEC - Homecoming Assembly (7th pd) HC Court Announced
Homecoming Game (4:30 PM) HC Court Announced
19DEC - Homecoming Parade (thru UAI Halls)
20DEC - Homecoming Dance (7:30-10PM)

Announcements & To Dos

Staff Shout Outs. Thank you to Patti & Roger. Did you know that everyday, Patti & Roger manage classes of well over 34 kids in a perfect dance of movement and learning. They end three days a week with our endlessly energetic 6th & 7th graders and each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they corral those hurricanes of hormones and somehow masterfully manage to get them engaged in warm ups, games, and learning! In addition, they also make sure so many of our young ones understand the key health issues that impact their changing bodies. They are the only two in the building who teach every single one of our kids, and Patti shows up extra early to make sure our kids have fun in their badminton club! Thank you Patti & Roger!!!

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month. This year, the Equity Team expanded the work begun with last year's teach-in to continue to educate and celebrate cultural diversity. The after school Diwali celebration was strong, but we didn't reach as many as we had hoped. Making some adjustments, the next event will be celebrating Native American Heritage! The Equity team will be hosting activities during HS lunch and after school at 3PM in the cafeteria for MS to educate and celebrate Native American Heritage. All staff are also welcome to join!

Homecoming. Shan and the amazing student activities team is planning an eventful Homecoming week. The kids are getting very excited and the energy around homecoming in getting ready to build. Please help lift up this fun week by promoting it in your classes with kids. You can print out this flier and hang it in your classroom window!

School Calendar. Folks have been asking about a school calendar. There's always been one!! Check out the bottom of THIS blog post!! We'll start adding trips onto the calendar. We cannot post kids names because this post is public, but you'll be able to see who is leading the trip and where they are going (and when). Also, as an FYI, we don't have any 5-day weeks until December! Then, it's 3 weeks and boom, 2024 is done! Time is flying so be sure to savor it!

1	Reminder Email #1
2	Reminder Email #2
3	Meeting with Kiri & Counseling Memo
4	Counseling Memo
5	Letter To File
6	Mandated to remain at school for 55min on Tuesdays to complete outreach

Per Session Postings

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

Restorative Justice Coordinator - Filled: Sue Rissberger

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

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Week of 04NOV24

UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 10

November 3rd, 2024

Digging Deep. It's November at UAI, and MP1 is almost complete. The last of the first round of benchmarks are tomorrow and MP1 ends tomorrow. Our start-of-the-year honeymoon is pretty much over, and we are all settling in, and the kids are settling into their teenage selves! Frustrations flair as kids' learning gaps meet high expectations, and classroom staff are working harder than ever to meet kids where they are, push them to the next level, and do all the work necessary to bring our school and our community forward.

We're all a little bit tired.

Today, is the NYC marathon (go SHAN!!...and if others are also running today, you go too - I just didn't know!!). I've never run a marathon, but I do know what it is to push yourself to new limits and to dig deep just when you think you're done to finish and achieve the goal.

Thousands of folks who sign up to line up in the wee hours of the morning on what must be a very cold Verrazono Bridge. They have been training and some have so many years of experience in these endeavors. All those years don't make the task any easier - just more predictable. They know when they get tired, they know how to pace themselves to conserve energy, and they know when to dig deep to get up that hill or push to the finish.

We may not all be running a marathon today (GO SHAN!!), but we do all know how to plan for the long haul. Many of us have the years and experience to know what the year can hold for us, and we just have to remind ourselves that while we may know what is to come, it doesn't make what is here any easier. Kids are still going to push, challenge, and stretch our limits, and we will lean into our wealth of strategies, training, and experience to dig deep and meet them at that hill and at the finish.

One of the strategies I've seen runners use is running in groups. This tactic allows the runners to share the burden of pacing, and motivates everyone in the group to push and support each other. When runners run in group, they run faster, and can better conserve energy. They take their individual goals and work collaboratively so that all can achieve. Ultimately, it is a race, so the pack will dissipate at the end, but as they move towards the ultimate goal, runners who run together perform better.

For us, we have a shared goal - to make sure our kids have the power to achieve their dreams and goals, that we have rigorously challenged them to be prepared for whatever they encounter or choose to do after graduation, and that we have instilled within them a strong value of equity and joy so that they are equipped to bring our world into a better place. There is no single winner at the end of our journey. There are many if we do it right. So, for us at UAI, we dig deep to run in our pack so that we all find a way to win together.

In the weeks to come, turn to one another at UAI to find ways to uplift each other. Hold each other up and be accountable to one another in the shared work we do. Someone may trip up and drop the ball. Reach out and find a way to help. Some folks are stronger, more experienced and seasoned than others. Step up and take point from time to time, but also make it a point to show the way so that our newer folks learn the ropes and take on more chances to take the lead on their own.

I am proud to say that there isn't a single person at UAI who isn't working hard to make our extraordinary school the best place for our extraordinary kids. Of course we don't always agree on the how, but we all definitely agree on what we're trying to do, and that is making all the difference.

Welcome to MP2 everyone! Dig Deep and before you know it, the Fall will be over!

Important Upcoming Dates

MON 04NOV - End of Marking Period MAT/SCI Benchmarks in MAT/SCI Classes
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
THU 21NOV - Evening Parent Conferences 5-8PM (remote)
FRI 22NOV - Remote PD Morning (8:30-11:00AM) - NEWLY APPROVED!!
FRI 22NOV - Afternoon Parent Conferences 12:00-2:50PM (remote)
THU 28NOV and FRI 29NOV - Thanksgiving Recess

Announcements & To Dos

Staff Shout Outs. Thank you to ALL the staff who showed up on this 3-day weekend to help run our first STEM Recruitment Fair on Saturday! Many thanks to Annie & Jen for spearheading the efforts to organize everything, and many, many thanks to all the teachers (I hope I get everyone - Judy, Liza, Sue, Kelly, and Noelle). THANK YOU!!!! (and I pre-apologize if I missed anyone!)

Monday PD, Benchmarks and End of MP1. Math & Science benchmarks will happen in Math & Science classes on Monday. MP1 ends on November 4th, and grades are due at 3PM on Thursday November 7th. MP2 begins on Wednesday, 06NOV. For PD on Monday, teachers should work together to grade (regents style) the following benchmarks: Algebra 1, Biology, Earth Science and USH, GLO, and ELA (if not already done). Once these exam are completely graded, please use any remaining PD & OPW time to work on MP1 grades. We'll be going over how to transfer them into GAMA and into STARS during Tuesday's PD

Tuesday Election Day PD. Here is the agenda and zoom link for tomorrow's PD. As per contract, PD days are 6 hours and 50 minutes. Tuesday's PD will be from 8:30AM-3:20PM. The goals for tomorrow's PD is to

Build classroom staff capacity in the Emotional Support Domain, particularly around Teacher Sensitivity & Regard for Adolescent Perspectives
Provide time for staff to bring Pacing Guides current (i.e. at least 1 week planned in advance) so that all classroom staff, co-teachers, and planning partners have sufficient advanced notice to effectively support/deliver instruction for our students with IEPs, and English Language Learners.
Zoom Link

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81765931467
Meeting ID: 817 6593 1467
Passcode: UAIZOOM

Agenda

8:30-9:30 Welcome, Icebreaker, and Overview of the Day
9:30-11:00 Do you see what I need? Cultivating Social Awareness through Perspective
Taking, an PD by Urban Assembly's Danielle Reece & Lynn Jeudy
11:00-12:00 Lunch
12:00-12:30 New State College & Career Metric
12:30-3:20 Team Meetings & Work Time

1	Reminder Email #1
2	Reminder Email #2
3	Meeting with Kiri & Counseling Memo
4	Counseling Memo
5	Letter To File
6	Mandated to remain at school for 55min on Tuesdays to complete outreach

[REPOST] Club Attendance & Per Session. Please remember to clock out for clubs that end after school, and to clock in for clubs that begin before school. Lunch clubs are prep-period coverage (not per session). Please remember to take attendance on the Club Attendance Form. You need this completed prior to having your per session approved. We are aiming for all clubs to have at least 10 kids, so please try actively to recruit. If there is fewer than 10, don't stress for now, but clubs that end up having fewer than 3 students will likely not be continued for the spring.

[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!

Everyone at our school has a hand in the organization that is built to launch our students into bright futures. Highlighting their work and achievements is central to celebrating our folks and their efforts in pushing our entire school and our students to achieving our goals.

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.

Here are the special days in which we plan to pause to celebrate those special folks who do their best in their role to push forward our collective goals!

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
14FEB - National School Safety Office Day

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

We're still working on the logistics of how we will celebrate folks. To start, a face-to-face thank you or note of appreciation or a short written note via email or dropped in a mailbox will be enough! For those who want to give more (for gifts like lunch or a special gift), standby for suggestion donation and collection plan!! I'm going to circle back to Judy & Paula for ideas on that one!

Fundamentally, when we all make it a point to lift each other up, our spirits are enriched, and our students benefit! When our cups are filled, we have much more to give, and our kids need our best selves in order to rise up to smash down barriers and obstacles that stand in the way of them becoming their best versions of themselves!

Per Session Postings

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

Restorative Justice Coordinator

POSITION:

TITLE SOUGHT: TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, SCHOOl COUNSELORS, PARA PROFESSIONALS

JOB POSITION: SCHOOL BASED Restorative Justice Action Team Member

NYCDOE OFFICE REQUESTING THIS POSITION: OFFICE OF SAFETY AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (OSYD)

LOCATION: In Person at UAI

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Licensed and appointed NYCDOE TEACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, SCHOOl COUNSELORS, PARA PROFESSIONALS. Actively working as a Restorative Practitioner in NYC DOE

SELECTION CRITERIA:

Demonstrated knowledge of or willingness to learn pedagogical best practices in Restorative Practices (RP) and RP Implementation
Demonstrated prior training/professional development in Restorative Practices, or willingness to attend this school year.
Demonstrated ability or willingness to successfully support authentic youth-adult partnership
Excellent communication skills
Preferred Successful completion of Restorative Practices Tier 1 Training
Recommended by your school’s administration to be a member of the team

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: (All of the below duties are to be performed with the support of your OSYD hired SB-RJC)

Approximately 4 staff member(s) per identified school will be hired under this posting to:

Participate as a member of the school’s Restorative Justice Action Team (RJAT) OR Restorative Practices and Equity Team (RPET)

Developing short term and long term SMART goals for the team to support the growth of the school’s restorative culture
Attend all RJAT meetings and work collaboratively with the Team to develop extensive tools, systems, structures and practices to support school wide implementation of restorative practices
Work with the team to completes the OSYD-provided RJAT/RPET Action Plan

WORK SCHEDULE:

November 2024- June 2025 | Monday- Friday and weekends as needed, 7:00-21:00. Schedules will vary, up to approximately 80 hours. Schedules and total hours are dependent on assignment, but may not exceed 25 hours per month. WORK CANNOT START BEFORE THE APPLICATION DEADLINE. THE DEADLINE MUST BE A MINIMUM OF TWENTY (20) SCHOOL DAYS AFTER THE POST DATE. Hours up to, but not limited to the approximate number of hours listed. Additional hours may be granted upon the approval of the hiring manager.

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