Week of JAN12

                                                           

Volume: XIII

Issue: 20

January 12, 2026

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

As we move further into January, the pace has definitely picked up. With benchmarks now underway, the marking period quickly coming to a close, and Regents week approaching, these next several days are especially important for helping students stay focused and confident in their learning.

One key area of focus this week is ensuring that all students clearly know their Regents exam schedule including dates and times.. Please take time to review schedules with students, answer questions, and reinforce expectations so there are no surprises as Regents week begins. Clear communication now will help reduce anxiety and ensure students arrive prepared and on time.

In addition, the Student Support Team is actively meeting with seniors who still need Regents exams for graduation to ensure they understand their schedule, feel prepared, and are connected to the supports they need. Your continued communication and collaboration around these students is greatly appreciated as we work together to set them up for success.

This week is also a critical opportunity to check in on student progress, address lingering gaps, and encourage students to stay engaged through the final days of the marking period. Small moments of encouragement, clear expectations, and strategic support can have a big impact on student outcomes.

As a reminder, MP2 ends on January 16, with grades due January 21. Please continue to reach out if students need additional academic or intervention support - we are here to help.

Have a great week ahead.

UPCOMING DATES

• JAN16: Pep Rally
• JAN16: Last Day of MP2
• JAN19: MLK Jr. Day 
• JAN20: 8th & 12th Grade Senior Portraits
• JAN21: Grades DUE - 3pm
• JAN26: Staff PD Day (no students)
• JAN27: First Day of Spring Term
• JAN30: Senior Slumber Party

*All Student Engagement activities for the year will now be listed in this spreadsheet and on the UAI School Calendar! 

UPCOMING TRIPS

Trip Requests.  Here's the trip request protocol...

• Step 1:   Read the DOE FAQ on Field Trips
  https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/faqs-regarding-school-trips.pdf
• Step 2:   Get Pre-Approval from Kiri 
  
• Step 3:  Complete the Trip Form (ALL TABS)
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U3i3fgENVCpX6MA51r_1jsmxVavRm12-oaB9ieiNA8Q/edit?usp=sharing
• Step 4:  Share form (anyone with link can view) with Kiri

Upcoming Trips:

JAN14: Theater Trip to Marjorie Prime on Broadway

JAN16: GSA trip to Lesbian Herstory Archives

JAN21: MS Snow tubing

JAN28: Art trip to the Whitney

FEB10: Trip to NY Historical Society

FEB 12: HS Snow tubing

FEB25-27: 7th grade overnight trip to Taconic Outdoor Education Center

 

TO DO THIS WEEK

Student Perception Survey. It's that time of year again. This week we need to administer the Panorama survey. This survey gathers students’ feedback about their school experience, focusing on school climate, relationships, and learning conditions. Please keep an eye out for an email from Kelly reviewing instructions on, and schedule of, the survey administration.

January Regents Schedule. The schedule is complete - please check here and reach out to Kiri with errors you see!

Students and Snacks. Across all grades the snacking is beginning to interfere with instructional time. This week on several occasions students were late to class (or using needing a snack as an excuse for lateness) and it's becoming problematic. We are asking that no snacks be given out or sold to students until 2:50pm. If a student is in dire need of food at any point, please reach out to the deans and they will support the student. Thank you for understanding. 

HS Benchmarks. Testing continues during periods 1-2 on the following dates (EXT Time students continue testing during third period). See here for the schedule.

• Monday JAN12: ELA
• Tuesday JAN13: Social Studies

HS MAP Dates. Grades 8-12 will take MAP during the weeks of 27JAN (Math) and 02FEB (ELA). 

MS Benchmarks & MAP.

• MATH MAP: JAN 12th-13th - Done during class time along with any make-ups
• Math Benchmark: JAN14th - Benchmark schedule 
• ELA Benchmark: JAN 15th - Benchmark schedule
• Make Ups for both tests will be done on JAN 17th with Phillan proctoring 

REPOSTED ITEMS

Food Pantry. We are still going strong! In order to keep the momentum going, we are still looking to stock our shelves with the following items.

• All non-perishable food items: Shelf-stable milk, flour, sugar and spices, coffee and tea, baby food, bouillon cubes, instant oats, instant mashed potatoes, etc. 

RPET SURVEY. Please help out the RPET by completing (it will take less than 5 minutes) this Restorative Justice Survey for our community - all staff can respond. The data will help support our RPET goals (currently peer mediation). It's anonymous, and created by Peer Connect who supports our school (and district schools) with trainings for peer mediation, tier 1 community building, tier 2, etc. 

Upcoming PD Dates. Looking ahead, below are the topics for all of our PD for January

12JAN - Academic Playbook

26JAN - Remote PD - Launch of Round 3 SL-IEP

Student Profiles are visible in OASIS. Click here to view students' academic, attendance, schedule... you name it, it's here - this is your one stop shop for all student info!

Purchasing Requests. In an effort to better track and streamline purchasing, we ask that you fill in this form for all purchasing requests. You can find the form on our staff Google Classroom as well.

PER SESSION POSTINGS

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

Seal of Civic Readiness Posting:

We’re seeking staff members to support UAI’s work with the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness, a project-based designation that counts as a +1 Regents option for graduation. Team members will meet monthly to monitor student progress, review submitted artifacts, and develop supports that ensure all students—especially SWDs and ELLs—have equitable access to earning the seal.