Week of 07SEP26

 

    Urban Assembly Institute of Math and                                Science for Young Women

07 September 2026

School Leadership Message

And we are off!  I am incredibly excited to welcome you to the 2026-27 school year. The launch of this year brings with it a fresh start and a new chapter in UAI's story. I am honored to work alongside you all as we build off the successes of the past 20 years and re-establish our community as one rooted in love and excellence.   

Our focus this year will be intentional and sustained. Over the course of this week's professional development you’ll see how our new instructional vision will serve as our anchor, how we will support and prepare every staff member for success, and how updated clarity around our leadership structures will guide our work. Equally important, we’ll make time to connect with one another and start to build the trust that we know will drive our community forward.

We are about to start a 180-day marathon. I am incredibly proud to begin this journey with each of you, and I hope we enter it knowing that the work ahead will not always be easy, but it will always be worth it. There will be moments that challenge us, moments that energize us, and moments that remind us exactly why we chose this work. Through all of them, we will continue to come back to what matters most: our kids.

This year, I ask each of us to bring our best, to give one another grace, to hold ourselves and each other to high expectations, and to never lose sight of the amazing students who walk through our doors each morning. They deserve a school filled with adults who believe deeply in their potential and who are willing to work together to make that potential a reality.

Here’s to 180 days of Rigor, Power, Equity, and Joy - and to building a UAI that we are all proud to call home.

Bring your running shoes ;)

Upcoming Events. See Master Calendar Here.

• This year we are centralizing all activities on one master calendar.  
• Trips, assessment days, evening family events, student engagement activities and more will be listed and linked for all to access. 

September:

• 08-09SEP - All Staff Opening Day PD, 8:30-3:20p
• 10SEP - First day of School!
• 11SEP - Clubs Fair during lunch
• 14-18SEP - Spirit Week
• 21SEP - Yom Kippor - no school
• 24SEP - In-person Family Conferences, 5-7:30p
• 25SEP - PTA Breakfast with Admin, 9am

Announcements:

• This week we kick off the school year with two days of full staff PD on September 8-9. 
• Both days run from 8:30-3:20p, per contract. 
• The building will close at 4pm this week (there is no flexibility around this)

• September 8: Day One Agenda
• 8:00 AM  -  Optional Breakfast & Coffee (provided by UAI)
• 8:30 AM  -  Introductions & Connecting
• 9:15 AM  -  Principal’s Address
• 9:45 AM  -  State of the School SY26-27
• 10:15 AM  -  Break
• 10:30 AM  -  Science Of Reading Context & Purpose
• 11:30 PM  -  Lunch (provided by UAI)
• 12:30 PM  -  Review Staff Handbook & Chancellor's Regs
• 1:30 PM  -  Subject Teams Meet 
• 2:30 PM  -  Classroom Set-Up & Sexual Harassment training

• September 9: Day Two Agenda
• 8:30 AM  - Community Builder
• 9:00 AM  - What is Productive Struggle?
• 10:15 AM  - Break
• 10:30 AM  - Teams Meet
• 11:30 AM  - Lunch (Campus lunch provided by school cafeteria)
• 12:30 PM  - First Day Logistics
• 1:00 PM  - Building Relationships
• 1:30 PM  - Classroom Set-Up 
• You are welcome to decorate your classroom the way you see fit! Please mind these Dos and Don'ts:
• DO NOT tape anything on the front of the doors
• DO NOT to fully cover the windows on the doors
• DO NOT place any excess furniture or trash in the hallways. If you have extra furniture, please try to find a home for it in another classroom or label it to move to the locker room on the 5th floor.
• DO NOT dispose of any materials or textbooks. Please find them a new home with another teacher OR continue to store in your closets. We have limited storage space in our school, leaving us only with classroom storage closets as our only option.
• DO NOT use nails or tape anything else that damages the paint on the walls.  Folks have had success with command strips or Blu Tack.  
• DO make the room warm and welcoming - fill the room with subject matter decorations & supplies
• DO make a folder outside of your room for your attendance sheets
• DO visit the general supply closet (across from 145, our main office) for any materials you might need
• DO set-up desks in groups.  We believe in collaboration and discourse!
• Please check your furniture and technology - all rooms should have:
• A cart with 25 Chromebooks.
• A document camera and projector.
• At least 25 student desks & 25 student seats.  Most classes are fewer than this but we do have limited storage for furniture in our school.  So, please try to find a use for the extra desks (e.g. resource station...independent work site...conference site..etc)
• Please check in with Kelly and Rosie in room 401 if you have any needs for your classrooms.

• By EOD September 9th, please review the attached letter IEP Provider Notification of your responsibilities regarding students with IEPs, including the requirements under Chapter 408 regulations. Once you have reviewed the letter and have been provided with the list of your assigned students with IEPs, please complete the acknowledgement form.
  By completing the acknowledgement, you are confirming that:
• You have reviewed and understand the requirements outlined in the letter.
• You understand your role and responsibilities in supporting students with IEPs.
• You understand the applicable requirements under Chapter 408 regulations.
• You acknowledge your responsibility to implement and follow the required procedures.

Instruction and Curriculum Updates.

• See here for our Master Schedule!

• Intervention Updates
• Students were identified for ELA, Math or Regents intervention based on spring screeners (MAP, iReady, STAR) or June assessment data (MS Exams or Regents Exams). See info about each intervention program below
• ELA: 6th-7th graders are programmed for 4 days of ELA Intervention a week; 8-10th graders are programmed for 3 days a week.  
• Math: 6th-9th graders are programmed for Math Intervention 2x a week. We're part of a district Think Tank and have created a program that combines SEL support with explicit math instruction. 
• Regents: Students who failed a SS or Science Regents will be scheduled for Regents Prep within the school day. Due to Math and ELA intervention, we cannot program ELA or Math Regents prep within the school day. Once we get into October, we will be looking for teachers to host Math or ELA Regents Prep during lunch for coverage pay. Keep an eye out for the posting later this month!
• All staff programmed to provide these interventions will be onboarded during Team meeting time on September 9th!

• See here for the updated Pacing Guide template. It includes all testing & key calendar dates. 
• Please make a copy before editing & share to your co-teachers & Kelly, Annie, and Rosie by EOD 09SEP!

Operational Updates.

• Please see here for our 2026-27 Staff Directory.
• All staff who need will receive technology, keys and elevator passes on the first day of PD.
• Teachers will also receive general classroom supplies on September 8th.
• Purchases are paused for now - until more money is released in our budget we are unable to complete purchases deemed non-essential. 
• All purchase requests must be made through this form for this year! 

School Culture Updates.

First Days Circle Scripts: 

• Please find optional first day(s) circle scripts here. They are inspired and modeled by the circle we had for Culture Day last year, and written as welcome circles as we get to know or see our kids the first days. You are welcome to use them or make a copy and revise them as you like! There are full-day and half-day options for Thursday and Friday. 
• Please reach out to Sue (srissberger@schools.nyc.gov) if you have any questions. 

Family and Community Updates.

• This past week a Welcome letter was sent to all families outlining some important information including: first day logistics and reminders, distribution of IDs, schedules and lockers, cell phone policy, outside lunch policy, and more...
• Our PTA/SLT calendar for the year is complete, please see here for more info. Our goal this year is to drastically increase family involvement and attendance at school events!
• Our first PTA meeting is scheduled for September 25th - 9am breakfast with Admin. 
• The first day for Girls Inc after school programming will be Monday, Sept. 14th. In addition, Girls Inc has hired a new after school Program Director - Soukeyna Abbott  - sabbott@girlsincnyc.org

Persession Postings: Please Use this FORM to apply.

• Senior Activities Coordinator: Organize and plan all senior activities for the full year including: hoodie design, yearbook, senior trip, senior BBQ, prom, graduation. 
• 40 hours of persession.