Week of April 1st

UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 26

April 1st, 2025

MP3 Ends ... and our Final Lap of 2024-25 Begins.  This Friday, the 3rd Marking Period Ends, and MP4 begins on Monday, April 7th.  We are getting ready to start our final lap of the 2024-25 school year.   As a reminder,  this year, all of our marking periods are independent.  Student's final grades for the year are a straight average of all four marking periods togther.

So this final marking period is the last chance for a fresh start for kids.  It is the most important MP for them to ramp up their current achievements OR pivot behaviors and choices to end the year strong.  

The most important thing you can do as their teacher is to show our children that you will never give up on them.  Some kids are amazing and always find the ways to do the right things to shine and flourish.  Those kids are amazing!!  That's easy to see.

Then there are the ones who are comfortable in mediocrity.  They may be scared to try or they fear the risks that come with trying and failing.  So, they settle into the meh and are satisfied with achieving the bare minimum.  But they are young and so full of so much potential.  They need someone (AKA - YOU) to show how much they can shine and how amazing they truly are.  They need you to show them you have their back, and that the risks they take will result in some amazing outcomes - and even if they don't - YOU are there to catch them if they stumble.  You got them - and they need to feel that from you.

Finally, there are the ones who just cannot find their way to the good decisions.  It could be a wide variety of reasons - but the common denominator to all of those reasons most often is the lack of a strong, positive relationship between you and them and/or you and their home.  It's not easy for these kids, which in turn makes it more challenging for you.  However, that only means you need to other pathways to reaching them and their families - and more often than not, that pathway starts with simply showing them both (families and kids) that you care.

So, for this final marking period...I challenge us all (yes me included!) to put down the feelings of judgment and frustration that may have built up through the long march through March.  Shake off the stress and disappointment of failed efforts or misaligned attempts. 

Breath in the opportunity of a fresh start and take in the subliminal messaging of the nature around you.  Spring is here.  With each new bud you see on the flowers and trees, remember they came from slumbering plants.  Similarly, every single one of our students who may have not been making the best choices or performing at their peak has the same opportunity to pivot and redefine themselves for a strong end to the school year.  The one and absolute only constant about working with kids is that they are constantly changing, evolving, and growing.  That is what's amazing about them.  They are literally becoming a new person every single day. 

So, take that opportunity to help them see their own potential.  Reset and recharge them to learn from their past mistakes and bad choices.  The next few months are filled with opportunities AND finish lines.  It's important that they see that and see the possibilities of their success through your eyes.

• This week Wednesday, 02APR - the last HS Benchmarks of the year begin.  They may not be ready, but that's why we practice.  These are the test runs for the real exams in June.  It's important for them to try their best now so we can see where they need the support in order to be truly ready for June.
  
  
• There are 16 Days until Middle School Exams Begin.  Middle School has been doing a PHENOMENAL job in preparing students to do their best and to develop both resilience and persistence in the face of the upcoming middle school exams.  Our incoming students and 7th graders have had their challenges, but impressively, they have all been pushing themselves to be the best version of themselves!  Keep at it!! Those tests are hurdles, but the real win is our students reinvestment in themselves!
  
  
• There are 21 Days until AP Exams Begin.  Students who decided to challenge themselves by taking the class have already won!! Those kids who have chosen to take on the next challenge of the exam are even pushing themselves harder!  Taking that risk is a win in and of itself, and pushing themselves to study and prepare to shoot for the highest score is just another win they can add to their belts.  Go for it!!!!
  
  
• There are 43 Days until Regents Begin.  Students NEED to be studying OUTSIDE of class for these exams. That message has to be on repeat for the kids. In addition to these mock regents, folks also need to be ramping up the assessments (regents based) to show kids where they are performing.  Kids need this information to know they need to study outside of class.  Give them those opportunities to practice.  They do not have to be performance assessments - but they do need to inform kids of how they are progressing to being ready for June.  Help them help themselves by giving them the assessments needed to show them what they do and do not know.
  
  
• There are 55 Days until the Last Day of School.  Students have 55 days to take advantage a a fresh marking period start and end the MP with their strongest performance yet.  Help them make sure to take each day as a chance to shine.  Help them leverage the quickly waning number of days to their utmost capacity!

UPCOMING DATES

• Tuesday, 01APR - Friday 04APR.  Celebrating our Paraprofessionals!
• Tuesday 01APR - Breakfast for Champions!! (in staff lounge, room 402)
• Wednesday 02APR - Gift for our UAI Treasures - small gifts of appreciation (in lounge)
• Thursday 03APR - Lunch for these Lovely Professionals! (in staff lounge, room 402)
• Friday 04APR - Words of Wonder - messages and appreciation notes from the UAI staff!
  
  
  
• Wednesday 02APR.  Celebrating Arab Heritage Month & In-Person Conferences (per session)
  
  
• Wed 02APR - Mon 07APR.  HS Benchmark Week (No MS Benchmarks this round)
  ABSOLUTELY NO HIGH SCHOOL TRIPS WILL BE APPROVED DURING BENCHMARKS
• Wed 02APR - Social Studies 
• Thu  03APR - Science
• Fri    04APR - Math
• Mon 07APR - ELA
  
  
• Friday, 04APR.  
• Senior "Slumber" Party.
  
• MP3 Ends
  
  
• Monday, 07APR - MP4 (final marking period) begins
  
  
• Wednesday, 09APR - MP3 Grades are due IN GAMA by 3PM
  
  
• Friday, 11APR - MP3 Report Cards Distributed during 7th period.
  
• Friday, 11APR - @ 2:20PM - Rapid Dismissal for the Spring Break
                              (Girls Inc After School is still ON!
  
  
• Mon 14APR - Fri 18APR - Spring Break - No School
  
  
• Monday 21APR-Friday 25APR - Administrative Professionals Appreciation Week
  
  
• Monday 28APR-Friday 02MAY - Assistant Principal Appreciation Week

• Upcoming Staff Appreciation Dates
• 05MAY-09MAY - Teacher Appreciation Week

TO DO THIS WEEK

Family Outreach.  USE OPW time on Monday and your 55 minute Family outreach time on Tuesday to please reach out to families to

• Invite them to celebrate a delicious dinner with wonderful activities to learn about Arab American Heritage on Wednesday night from 5-8PM. 
  
  
• Connect with families of your students who are thriving in your classes
  
  
• Connect with families of your students who a stronger partnership between home and school to correct their current trajectory in order to end the year strong.  EVEN if you are not able to attend in person on Wednesday - please invite families to join in on the dinner and activities and the chance to connect with their child's other teachers.  

Please send texts, emails, and make calls.  Yes we'll be contacting them A LOT, but we really want them to come.  So, it's ok to show our excitement!! Be proud that we are reaching out because we are wanting to see them!! We want to show families how open and welcoming we are!!

Did you visit anyone last week?  Did you see SEL or Academic Strategies in Action?  If yes - you go YOU!!!  Try to do one more visit before the spring break if you can!!   If no, really push yourselves to try the SEL strategies and visit one another's classrooms to see those strats (or others!!) in play.  These intervisitations are not going to fall naturally into your hierarchy of tasks.  So please, make sure you make it a priority in your to-do list this week to get in there to see a colleague.  

The face-to-face connectivity is a critical piece of glue that will bring our community more tightly together.  It is 10 minutes out of your week for such an incredible impact on our school and on your own practice & experience at the school.  It's is well worth the effort - just this little bit will go a loooooog way.  So, please make sure to get in there this week if you haven't already done so already!

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

In your classes this week.  Please read the following to your students this week. Also, please print and share the flyer. and please post to your Google Classrooms.

• "Hello students! UAI is starting peer mediation. You will see this flyer [pictured here] around the school in which you can request a peer mediation. Peer mediation will be conducted by students who were trained to mediate. This is designed to support smaller conflicts that can be resolved by peers instead of adults, however there will always be an adult in the room. Deans and counselors will determine if students will mediate OR if the mediation will be run by deans and counselors, as usual. If you have any questions please ask Ms. Sue."
  
  

  
  

PER SESSION POSTINGS

FOR ALL PER SESSION JOBS:  You must apply by completing THIS FORM

REPOST:  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 11APR.  We still have openings - so go ahead and apply if interested!