Week of April 21st

UAI Staff News

Volume XII

Issue 28

April 21st, 2025

Welcome Back!  Welcome back from the Spring Break everyone!  I hope you were able to rest, recharge, and spend some solid quality you-time to celebrate our completion of the hardest lap of the year - that February-April break stretch through March!

This last marking period is all about circling around our kiddos and giving them all the love and support, challenge and guidance, and encouragement & helping hands that they need to stick their landings and end the year proud of their efforts & achievements.   Some kids have been on the right path all year long and have achieved great things.  Others have had their fair share of obstacles that threw them off their way.  For these folks, some of them were able to find their way around those hurdles, but others continued to stay on their personal struggle bus.  Finally, there are some kids who still have not managed to grab on and find their rhythm through school.

Regardless of the pathway, each and everyone of these students our OURS.  They our OURs to cheer, OURs to cajole, OURs to challenge, and OURs to hold.  So for this marking period, as we bring all the threads together to neatly tie up the year, it is important to remember our role is setting OUR kids up to realize their best efforts and best achievements for the year.  This is the final marking period, and with that come their final performances, assessments, and tests of the year. 

Our job is to work together to make sure our students are ready and situated to realize their very best potential!

Let's go UAI!! We are ready to wrap up the year, and wrap up strong! 

UPCOMING DATES

• Monday 21APR-Friday 25APR - Administrative Professionals Appreciation Week
  
  
• Monday 21APR - Monday PD - Testing Orientation and MP4 Failure Tracker
  
  
• Monday 28APR-Friday 02MAY - Assistant Principal Appreciation Week
  
  
• Wednesday 30APR-Thursday 01MAY - NYS MS ELA Testing (grades 6-8)
  
  
• Wednesday 07MAY-Thursday 08MAY - NYS MS ELA Testing (grades 6-8)
  
  
• Wednesday 07MAY-Wednesday 14MAY  - AP Exam Testing Week
  
  
• Thursday, 15MAY- Honor Roll Celebration, Evening Parent Conferences
  
  
• Saturday, 17MAY - New Student Welcome
  
  
• Monday, 19MAY - Smile Dental Visit to UAI
  
  
• Monday 26MAY - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL

• Remaining PD Dates
1. 21APR - P/SAT and MS testing orientation
                - MP4 Failing Outreach/ Modified Huddles
2. 28APR - SEL PD with UA
3. 05MAY - Teacher Appreciation Celebration
4. 12MAY - SDC PD - Academic Playbook Session 2
5. 19MAY - SDC PD - Academic Playbook Session 3
6. 02JUN - Last Huddle of the Year
7. 09JUN - Regents Week Orientation
8. 16JUN - Grading Time for All/Room Set up for Testing
   
   
• Upcoming Staff Appreciation Dates
• 05MAY-09MAY - Teacher Appreciation Week

TO DO THIS WEEK

Tracking Students in MP4.  MP4 is the final marking period of the year, making it one of the most important.  Outreach and clear communication this marking period is incredibly important and critical.  to prepare for that, we're going to modify our Huddle time this month to set up prepare for outreach for each of these three categories of students during your weekly 55 minutes of outreach and your in-person communication with kids in your classes.

We'll be reviewing these expectations in PD on Monday, and then you'll have time to work on putting together the information and planning your outreach for MP4.  We'll be using THIS DOCUMENT for Outreach tracking in MP4.

As a reminder, this year, each marking period stands alone and then all four marking periods are averaged together for the final annualized grade that will go on student transcripts.  This MP, outreach will center on the following categories of kiddos.

• Celebrating the 80+ winners! -   There are kiddos who have been doing so good all year long that even if they tanked MP4, they would still meet the goal of >80 (but of course, we won't let them tank!!).  So, make sure to call home and express your pride & joy in their achievement and work, and share with the home the specifics about what their achievements have been and why they are so impressive.  Make sure to center our school values of Rigor, Joy, Equity, and Power as you articulate their success!!
  
  
• Pushing to 80 - Next are the kiddos who could still get there.  If they buckle down and really apply themselves and get the help and support they need for MP4, these kiddos could make the school goal of earning >80 in your class.  BUT, they need to know what to do = specifically and explicitly.  You have to meet with them and talk with their families and together, we can all collectively make a unified push to get these kids to land successfully at the school wide goal!
  
  
• Tracking those in danger of failing - Finally, there are kids who have stumbled and had their share of missteps.  We need to have special eyes on these little ones.  Be super clear now with both them and their families about what needs to be done in order to minimally pass for the year (65).  Whatever students fail to complete on this list will be what they are assigned to complete in summer school. 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

• NHS Mental Health Awareness Week (Guest Post from NHS & Amanda/Sue)
  The National Honor Society is excited to be hosting Mental Health Awareness Week from May 12 to May 16, culminating with our participation in the NAMIWalks NYC + Mental Health Street Fest on Sunday May 18th, the nation's largest mental health event. 
  
  We'd love your help in making it a meaningful, engaging, and uplifting experience for our students. Each day of the week will feature fun, low-cost activities that promote self-care, mental health awareness, and connection among students. We’re planning lots of activities for the week, including a gratitude wall, make-your-own stress balls, and a raffle on Friday!
  
  To help make this week a success, we are kindly asking for support in a few key ways:
  
  We need a few people who are willing to host/supervise students during middle school and high school lunches this week for some activities (like a quiet/relaxation space, a board game lounge, a movie room, etc). If you're open to hosting, we’ll coordinate setup, supplies, and location – you just provide the supervision.
  
  We’re also trying to source supplies from our community as budgets have closed. We’re mainly looking for: 
  
  
• Photo booth props (fun glasses, signs, boas, etc.)
• Stress ball materials (balloons, flour/rice, funnels)
• Painting or art materials (markers, paper, paint, brushes)

One of the main ways we will be raising money is through a raffle held at the end of the week. We are looking for donations of all sizes for the raffle, things like gift cards, small self-care items, snacks, school spirit gear…anything! I will be using this as an opportunity to clear out some new, never-opened puzzles from a bygone puzzle phase, so anything students may enjoy is welcome! 

 

We’d also love your support. We will be walking on May 18th as a team and would love anyone who is available to come join us in person. Learn more about the walk here. We have a fundraising goal of $500 and would also appreciate your support in helping us meet (and exceed!) our goal. You can donate here!  

 

If you’re able to help with hosting or donating any of the above, please fill out this quick Google Form by Thursday April 23nd,  so we can organize everything smoothly. We truly appreciate your support in promoting mental wellness in our school community.

Thank you for all that you do!

Amanda & 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 30APR.  We still have openings - so go ahead and apply if interested!