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!

[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 .