Week of January 13th

 UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 17

January 13th, 2025

Final Week of MP2.  Sometimes the days and weeks seem to stretch on forever, and then you shake your head, blink your eyes, and boom - half the year is done!  This is the final week of the fall term.  As we wrap up the fall and pivot to the spring, it's important to make time to pause and reflect on the fall thus far.

• Joy, Relationships & School Culture.  Last week's activities which culminated in our first ever homecoming dance was a perfect example of how far we've come this year in spreading joy in our school.  So many thanks to Shan's stewardship and to Marsha, Patricia, Sarah, and EVERYONE who helped make last week so much fun (I know I'm probably forgetting some folks, but I don't have everyone's names who helped - nonetheless - you are also appreciated!!).   Similarly, the Middle School team has been working overtime to bring so many different joyful events to our youngest ones all year long!  On top of all of this, many more folks than in years past stepped forward to run after school clubs and give our students experiences and activities that they both want and enjoy!
  
  This year, the overwhelming majority of folks are working outside of their instructional responsibilities to enhance the culture and joy of UAI.  It has made the school warmer and the job a lot more fun.  Your work may never be accurately measured by a stat or an exam, but the work you do to breath joy into our community is resonantly felt every single day!
  
  
  
• Rigor, Challenge & Collaboration.  The Instructional Rounds and Learning Huddles we've done this past fall exemplify our community's commitment to pushing the envelope and trying to find ways to make sure that all of our students thrive.  We do not always have the answers, and some of our kiddos pose particularly challenging puzzles, but this year we have been moving steadily in tandem to test as many solution-ideas as we can.   
  
  We still have many hills to climb and scores & target rates to achieve, but we are finding ways to connect with one another so that we are not trying to solve these conundrums in isolation.  We are using our UAI hive mind to source answers and perspectives, and with our collective mind, I am excited to see what we're able to achieve this year! 
  
  
  
• Equity, Structures, and Community Connection.   Through all of our work, we are still working to make sure we move our practice with a lens on equity.  Our RPET has taken on two major tasks of lifting up cultures through celebrations and is beginning to take on building trust and strengthening community connection for the upcoming term.  By finding ways to level up our community interactions and cultivate more shared expectations, the RPET looks to work along side each one of us to find ways to make working together more inclusive, trusting, and as a result, impactful!  
  
  
  
• Power, Student & Staff Voice, Leadership, & Mission.  Finally, the most inspirational work of the fall has been the work that folks have done to lift up student voice.  Shan, Marsha, Sue, Amanda, and Kelly have done incredible work with student government, the Youth Leadership Council, and the National Honors Society this year.  Through this work, students have found ways to exercise their own self-determination and with the support of their amazing teachers, they are doing excellent work to give back to one another and to our school.  I'm getting a little choked up here just typing it!! It's absolutely beautiful work!  Thank you all!!

As we close out this last week of the fall, make sure to make your own time to appreciate your own personal achievements.  Share with your class your own reflections of the work they've done this fall and how that has impacted your class overall!  Time is never our friend, but creating space to celebrate our achievements is an integral part of making sure we continue to have them!  So, reflect, celebrate and get ready for an even more amazing spring term!

UPCOMING DATES

• MON 13Jan-FRI 17Jan - HS Benchmarks 2nd & 3rd period 
• Monday 13JAN - ELA
• Tuesday 14JAN - Math
• Thursday 16JAN - Science
• Friday 17JAN - Social Studies

• FRI 17JAN - MP2 Ends
• MP2 Ends for ALL students 6-12
• Grades must be completed and entered by 3PM on 23JAN
• NOTE: We cannot end the MP later for MS even though they have classes through the 24th. We need time to upload and review grades before the 1st day of the Spring term (28JAN) when their report cards will be distributed. MS benchmark grades will go into MP3.
  
  
• MON 20Jan - MLK Jr. Day, NO SCHOOL
  
  
• TUE 21Jan - FRI 24Jan - Regents Week
• Tuesday 21JAN -          9AM:  ELA & Earth Practicum    1PM:  Earth Science
• Also this is senior picture day for 8th & 12th graders
• Wednesday 22JAN -     9AM:  Geometry/US History        1PM:  Algebra 1
• Thursday 23JAN -        9AM:  Global                                 1PM:  Algebra 2 
• Friday 24JAN -             9AM:  Living Environment

• THU 23JAN - Grades Due
• All grades MUST be entered into GAMA no later than 3PM on Thursday 23JAN.  
  
  
• MON 27JAN - Chancellor PD Day
• Agenda Coming Soon - Remote PD Day
  
  
• TUE 28JAN - First Day of Spring Term
  
  
• WED 29JAN - Lunar New Year

TO DO THIS WEEK

• Review Benchmark Schedule in Class & Post on Google Classroom.   Please see the "HS Benchmark" Tab on the UAI Schedule to see the lists (you'll need to request access to see the lists or ask your ILT lead to share) and schedule for this week.  Please review the schedule with each of your sections so they know which room/proctor to go to.  The lists are also posted on the walls on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors.  Please also make sure to send messages home (you can use GAMA) to remind kids and families that benchmarks are major assessment grades and they cannot miss the exams or be late to school that day!  REMINDER:  there are no benchmarks on Wednesday, giving folks time for a break and catchup where needed. 
  
  
  
• Review Regents Schedule in Class & Post on Google Classroom.  Also, please make time to review the Regents Schedule.  As a rule of thumb, only 10-12 graders are sitting for exams.  If there needs to be a change to what students are registered to take, they should see Ms. Jennifer.
  
  If you have a 9th grader who wishes to retake, please sit down and talk to them to assess readiness.  Please do NOT send 9th graders to me or Jennifer.  They should talk to their teacher first.  If they are ready, then the teachers should reach out directly to Jennifer to get the student registered.
  
  
  
• Finish All other Grading and Update GAMA.  By now, all grading in your course except for benchmarks should be complete so that kids have an accurate idea of what their grade is going into this summative exam.  Please make sure to hit the refresh button in GAMA (TeachHub) so that those grades get pulled from your google classroom. If you need help, please reach out to your ILT.  
  
  
  
• Contact Homes of Kids who are not yet >80.  Before benchmarks, please reach out to all families of kids who have not yet reached the 80 mark in your class.  Let families and kids know what they should be doing to move the needle towards 80 (or actually get there if they can) by optimizing their performance on the benchmark.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Summer School Planning is Starting.  Summer school planning is beginning.  We will not be hosting Girls Inc and DYCD summer camp this summer, and our students who need an all-day placement can register for DYCD programs at the Montauk School this summer.   
  
  We are currently looking for folks who are interested in doing some enrichment work (6-12) this summer.  AND we will also have regents prep this summer.  If you are interested in working this summer, please complete THIS FORM no later than 14FEB.