Week of May 28th

Staff Picture on Tuesday at 3:15PM

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 37

May 28th, 2019

(11 HS Instructional Days Remaining)
(18 HS Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

The Final Lap.  Now that Memorial Day is here, June is just around the corner, and the checkered flag is waiving as we enter the final lap of the school year.   For the high school, there are only a few (10) instructional days remaining until we get to Final Exams (in class exams - no special schedule) on June 13th and 14th.  For the middle school, you have a few more (18) before Stepping Up and HS graduation (which will both be half days for kids).  This year has been super busy, very hard, and never had one dull moment.  As a result, we're all tired, BUT it did make the time fly!  As we gear up for the end, remember, it will go fast.  You'll be tempted to put things off (because you are tired), but that will only make it harder and more stressful.  Like the last mile in a marathon, dig deep and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  When we reach the finish line of our graduation on the last day of school, it will feel epically awesome! 

UAI STAFF PICTURE DAY.  On Tuesday 28MAY19, we are going to be taking a UAI Staff Picture on the front steps of the school.  Please wear your favorite UAI t-shirt or gear and report to the school front steps at 3:15PM.  We'll be using these pictures for special end-of-the-year events!

Staff Out This Week

• Tuesday 28MAY: UAI STAFF PICTURE DAY
• No One Planned Out

• Wednesday 29MAY:
• Joanna Out - SPED Liaison Meeting
• Rebecca C Out - AP for All PD

• Thursday 30MAY:   
• Megan Out - Graduation
• Annie Out - Professional Development with Ken

• Friday  31MAY: Final School Assembly 7th Period
• No One Planned Out

To Do This Week

Tuesday Outreach.   Please continue to use Tuesday time to contact any and all students who are currently failing your class. As a reminder,  for Promotion In Doubt records, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula. 

Important Upcoming Dates in the Last Few Weeks of School (Please let me know stat if I got any dates wrong!!)

• Week of 28MAY19 - 
• Monday 27MAY19 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday 28MAY19 - Thursday 30MAY19 - Normal School Days - no holidays or trips
• Friday 31MAY19 - 
• Last Assembly of the Year - NO Classes 7th Period
• Half Day for 8th Graders (dismissed after lunch) for 8th Grade Prom

• Week of 03JUN19 - 
• Monday, 03JUN19
• Global History Regents - No HIGH SCHOOL classes; 
• MS Classes are in regular session.
• Tuesday,  04JUN19 - Eid al Fitr (end of Ramadan) - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, 05JUN19 - 
• 8th Grade Field Trip to Holocaust Museum - No 8th Grade Classes; 
• Springfest @ 6pm
• Thursday, 06JUN19 - Brooklyn Queens Day - Chancellor's PD Day - NO CLASSES
• AM:  Uncovering Bias - Teacher Consultancies
• PM:  Preparing to Move
• 6th & 7th Grade Teachers pack classrooms with 8th gr teacher help
• 11th Grade Teachers pack classrooms with 9th & 10th gr teacher help
• Friday, 07JUN19
• No 7th Grade Classes
• 7th Grade College Trip to John Jay (Jake, Kristina & Christina' Advisories)
• 7th Grade Advisory Trip (Cherry & Megan painting field trip)
• Low Attendance 8th Grade Classes
• 8th Grade Trip to Dorney Park (35 Students)
• No 12th Grade Classes
• Senior BBQ
• Del's Retirement Party @5pm

• Week Four - Week of 10JUN19 - 
• Monday, 10JUN19 - Normal Classes, No Trips
• Tuesday 11JUN19 
• 7th Grade Trip to Roller Skating at Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Wednesday, 12JUN19
• Welcome New Students (6th & 9th) to Night of Stars
• Senior Awards Night
• Honor Roll Breakfast for students observing Ramadan
• Thursday, 13JUN19 
• High School Final Exams (in classes) Day 1; 
• Normal MS Classes; 
• 12th Grade Graduation Rehearsal @ 9:30AM
• Friday, 14JUN19 
• 8th Grade BBQ; 
• 12th Grade Graduation Rehearsal @ 9:30AM; 
• UAI Staff Party at 5PM

•  Week Five - Week of 17JUN19 - 
• Monday, 17JUN19 - 
• Last day of classes for grades 8-12; 
• 12th Grade Grad Rehearsal and Prom Ticket Distribution; 
• Spanish Regents Administration [LOTE]; 
• End of MP6 
• Tuesday, 18JUN19 - 
• Regents Week Day 1;    AM Test: US History         PM test:  Living Environment
• Normal 6/7 classes
• Wednesday, 19JUN19 - 
• Regents Week Day 2;   AM Test: ELA                   PM test:  CC Algebra I
• Normal 6/7 classes
• Thursday, 20JUN19 - 
• Regents Week Day 3;   AM Test: Trans. Global    PM test:  Earth Science
• Normal 6/7 classes; 
• All Final Grades Due @3PM & MS Promotional Portfolios Due @3PM
• Friday,  21JUN19 - 
• Regents Week Day 4;  AM Test: Geometry          PM test:  CC Algebra II
• 7th Grade Trip to Coney Island/Luna Park; 
• 8th stepping Up rehearsal

• Week Six - Week of 24JUN19 - 
• Monday 24JUN19 - All staff prepare classrooms for summer and we close out in PD; 8th gr stepping up rehearsal; Normal 6/7 classes
• Tuesday, 25JUN19 - 8th Gr Graduation; 6/7 dismiss after lunch at 11:15AM
• Wednesday, 26JUN19 - HS Graduation; 6/7 dismiss after report card collection and report to LIU by 10:30AM; All staff dismiss after HS graduation (last day of school); some staff will remain at school to distribute final report cards to grades 8-11.

Student Support Services Update 

No Updates this Week. 

Per Session Posting

No New Postings this Week

 

Week of May 20th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 36

May 20th, 2019

(17 Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

Attendance.  Being away from students and out of the building means that our students receive instruction from people who are not their regular teachers (or depending on the quality of the substitute teacher, they receive almost zero instruction at all).  In some cases, our absences are necessary - like Professional Development and/or Professional Meetings that help improve our practice and/or are part of our responsibilities and duties.  In other cases, absences are unavoidable due to leaves, medical issues, or illness.  Finally, in some cases, personal business needed to happen during the school day, causing more absence.

Regardless of the reasons, our students are still sitting in classes without their regular teachers.  When this happens, it makes it that much harder for them to excel and achieve. 

As a math and science school leader, it seems appropriate to share the math.  This year alone there have been

• 536 Absences:  
• 258 teachers absent from work (coverage costs = $47,743)
• 168 Teachers/Staff at PD or meetings (coverage for 84 classroom staff = $15,542)
• 110 out-of-classroom staff absent from work (no coverage required)
• 233 Fractional Absences (partial day absences)
• People leaving early or coming late or leaving mid-day to return
• This also costs $$ but I'm still working on the analysis for this one

There are 180 schools days, and each of our students have teachers for 6 periods each day and there are 7 grades.  so 180*6*7= 7560 - which is the total number of periods our students are offered in the course of one school year.  Just counting the absences (536) and each teacher teaches 4 periods (536*4= 2144 periods of less than ideal or completely lost instructions).  That means (2144/7560) this year, our students have lost nearly 30% of their quality instruction due to staff absence.

We have to stop this.  We have to show up and be present and be there for our girls.  I know it's not easy.  I know things will pop up.  We only have 9 instructional days left this month, and even fewer in June.  All I ask is that we try to be here on time and everyday for our students.  Particularly for grades taking regent exams, these last days of instruction are crucial for them.  They need you.  You are the best teacher for them.  When you are gone, they feel it, and their achievement diminishes.   Even worse, they are presented with models of chronic absenteeism in the form of their teachers, something that cannot be underestimated as having a massively negative impact on their own attendance. 

Let's stop the slide and let's pull together UAI for our students, for our colleagues, and in a collective effort to end this school year the strongest one yet.  Make a commitment to yourself, your colleagues, and your students to be here everyday for the rest of the year.  To the extent possible, move appointments to after school or on days where there are no classes (like EID or Brooklyn Queens Day).  Get lots of rest and take care of yourselves.  We are in the home stretch and we can make this happen!

Staff Out This Week

• Monday 20MAY: 
• Juelle out - Personal Business
• Meaghan out - Personal Business
• Marni out - Recruitment Visits to new 6th grade Admits

• Tuesday 21MAY: 
• Meaghan out - Personal Business

• Wednesday 22MAY:
• Kiri Out - Superintendent's Principal Meeting
• Natalie Out - Sustainability Field Trip
• Tom Out - Sustainability Field Trip

• Thursday 23MAY:   
• No one - let's try to make this a day of 100% attendance for everyone!!

• Friday  24MAY: 
• Joanna Out - Professional Development - Test Coordinator PD
• Tom Out - Personal Business

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  This Monday's PD is changed.  The last LDC PD will happen with our LDC team in room 305, and teachers on the SLT will meet in 145 for the last SLT meeting of the year.  Everyone else, you'll have Independent Work Time.  We'll all meet in Room 409 to begin the PD with the reading of the blog, and then we'll split up into our respective assignments.

That means we have to bump our Bias work one more time.  We'll continue our work around developing strategies for combatting the negative impact of implicit bias in our classrooms.  Several teachers have volunteered to present their own dilemmas in small groups using the Consultancy Protocol.   Through the use of this protocol, teachers will collaboratively investigate dilemmas in which bias may be playing a part and support the presenting teacher in developing perspective and strategies for addressing the dilemma.  This will take place on our next (and final PD time of the year, June 6th, BQ day). 

Tuesday Outreach.   Please continue to use Tuesday time to contact any and all students who are currently failing your class. 

As a reminder,  for Promotion In Doubt records, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula.  

Important Upcoming Dates in the Last Six Weeks of School (Please let me know stat if I got any dates wrong!!)

• Week One - Week of 20MAY19 - 
• Normal Week - no holidays or trips.

• Week Two - Week of 28MAY19 - 
• Monday 27MAY19 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday 28MAY19 - Thursday 30MAY19 - Normal School Days - no holidays or trips
• Friday 31MAY19 - Last Assembly of the Year - NO Classes 7th Period

• Week Three - Week of 03JUN19 - 
• Monday, 03JUN19 - Global History Regents - No HIGH SCHOOL classes; MS Classes are in regular session.
• Tuesday,  04JUN19 - Eid al Fitr (end of Ramadan) - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, 05JUN19 - 8th Grade Field Trip to Holocaust Museum - No 8th Grade Classes; Springfest @ 6pm
• Thursday, 06JUN19 - Brooklyn Queens Day - Chancellor's PD Day - NO CLASSES
• Friday, 07JUN19
• No 7th Grade Classes
• 7th Grade College Trip to John Jay (Jake, Kristina & Christina' Advisories)
• 7th Grade Advisory Trip (Cherry & Megan painting field trip)
• Low Attendance 8th Grade Classes
• 8th Grade Trip to Dorney Park (35 Students)
• Del's Retirement Party @5pm

• Week Four - Week of 10JUN19 - 
• Monday, 10JUN19 - Tuesday 11JUN19 - Normal Classes, No Trips
• Wednesday, 12JUN19
• 7th Grade Trip to Roller Skating at Brooklyn Bridge Park
• Welcome New Students (6th & 9th) to Night of Stars
• Senior Awards Night
• Honor Roll Dinner for students observing Ramadan
• Thursday, 13JUN19 - High School Final Exams (in classes) Day 1; Normal MS Classes; 12th Grade Graduation Rehearsal
• Friday, 14JUN19 - 8th Grade BBQ; 12th Grade Graduation Rehearsal; UAI Staff Party at 5PM

•  Week Five - Week of 17JUN19 - 
• Monday, 17JUN19 - Last day of classes for grades 8-12; 12th Grade Grad Rehearsal and Prom Ticket Distribution; Spanish Regents Administration [LOTE]; End of MP6
• Tuesday, 18JUN19 - Regents Week Day 1; Normal 6/7 classes
• AM Test: US History         PM test:  Living Environment
• Wednesday, 19JUN19 - Regents Week Day 2; Normal 6/7 classes
• AM Test: ELA                   PM test:  CC Algebra I
• Thursday, 20JUN19 - Regents Week Day 3; Normal 6/7 classes; All Final Grades Due
• AM Test: Trans. Global    PM test:  Earth Science
• Friday,  21JUN19 - Regents Week Day 4; 7th Grade Trip to Coney Island/Luna Park; 8th stepping Up rehearsal
• AM Test: Geometry          PM test:  CC Algebra II

• Week Six - Week of 24JUN19 - 
• Monday 24JUN19 - All staff prepare classrooms for summer and we close out in PD; 8th gr stepping up rehearsal; Normal 6/7 classes
• Tuesday, 25JUN19 - 8th Gr Graduation; 6/7 dismiss after lunch at 11:15AM
• Wednesday, 26JUN19 - HS Graduation; 6/7 dismiss after report card collection and report to LIU by 10:30AM; All staff dismiss after HS graduation (last day of school); some staff will remain at school to distribute final report cards to grades 8-11.

Student Support Services Update 

Per Session Posting

No New Postings this Week

 

Week of May 13th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 35

May 13th, 2019

(22 Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

Happy Mother's Day!  This is gonna be a super short post.  Not gonna lie - it's Mother's Day and my family has asked me to stop working.  I'm sneaking this post in during shower time!  Happy Mother's Day to all you Mothers/Mother-Figures at UAI, and Happy Mother's Day to all of your own mothers and mother-figures!

Staff Out This Week

• Monday 13MAY:  AP BIO Test & Geometry Benchmark
• Nina out - Personal Business

• Tuesday 14MAY: DRP Testing Begins in English Classes
• Nina out - Personal Business
• Kiri out - UA Instructional Rounds Visit
• Joanna out - IEP Teacher Training

• Wednesday 15MAY:
• Lauren Out - Professional Development

• Thursday 16MAY:   
• Brodie Out - Professional Development
• Damon Out - Military

• Friday  17MAY: 
• Damon Out - Military
• Natalie Out - Personal Business

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  This Monday we'll continue our work around developing strategies for combatting the negative impact of implicit bias in our classrooms.  Several teachers have volunteered to present their own dilemmas in small groups using the Consultancy Protocol.   Through the use of this protocol, teachers will collaboratively investigate dilemmas in which bias may be playing a part and support the presenting teacher in developing perspective and strategies for addressing the dilemma.

Tuesday Outreach.   Please continue to use Tuesday time to contact any and all students who are currently failing your class. 

As a reminder,  for Promotion In Doubt records, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula.  

Student Support Services Update 

Per Session Posting

No New Postings this Week

 

Week of May 6th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 34

May 6th, 2019

(24 Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

College Match Day!  May 1st was National College Match day in which our seniors committed to their future colleges and universities.  The Class of 2019 has some pretty special outcomes including matching to schools like Barnard & Columbia.  Most significantly, our college advisors, Ms. Doris & Ms. Danielle worked hard with our students and families to match our young women to schools that best fit their skills, financial capacity, and interests!  Congratulations Class of 2019, and congratulations to Ms. Danielle and a special shout out to Ms. Doris who successfully completed her first year as a college counselor!

Staff Out This Week

• Monday 06MAY:  
• Judy out - Algebra for All PD
• Phil out - Personal Business

• Tuesday 07MAY: 
• Amanda out - Personal Business

• Wednesday 08MAY: Mock Regents Day One
• Rebecca F out - Personal Business

• Thursday 02MAY: Mock Regents Day Two  
• No One 

• Friday  03MAY: Mock Regents Day Three
• Jamie out - LINCT PD

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  This Monday will be our penultimate grade team meeting for the year!!  We will all meet in room 409 to do the following

• Complete the 2019-2020 Preference Sheet if you didn't already do so.  We will be using these preference sheets to launch our end-of-the-year conferences which will begin later this week.
• Complete the End of the Year DESSA (so please bring your laptops to PD)
• Review the Summer School/Repeater Lists for the grade

Tuesday Outreach.  As a reminder, Thursday May 9th is our next parent conference.  Please use Tuesday time to contact any and all students who are currently failing your class.  Please use prep time this week to update Skedula so that families and students have access to their performance data in your classes.  When you contact home, here are some points to address with their families:

• How is there attendance to class?
• How well are they participating in class, what can be improved?
• How well are they performing on class assessments?  What can families do to help?
• How well are they doing on class assignments?  What can families do to help?

As a reminder,  for Promotion In Doubt records, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula.  

Final Parent Conferences Thursday, May 9th.  This final parent conference session will be structured like traditional parent conferences with teachers meeting with their classroom students (rather than their advisees) from 5-8PM.   Advisors and classroom teachers have been reaching out to families of parents who are failing classes, and we will be sending home targeted messages based on MP5 grades.  Please make sure you are prepared to hold meetings with students and their families to explain how students have progressed through the year, and what families can do to intervene and support student learning in this last marking period. 

Student Support Services Update 

Per Session Posting

8th Grade "Prom".  We are looking for chaperones to chaperone the 8th grade "Prom" in our gym from 5:30-10PM.  If you are interested, please contact Jen for details.  The number of chaperones will vary depending on the number of students who RSVP.  Please reach out to Jen by the end of the day on Friday May 17th.  

 

Week of April 29th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 33

April 29th, 2019

(29 Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

Washington DC.  Just before the break, Kelly, Danielle, and Judy took a group of juniors (with a smattering of seniors and sophomores) o a trip to DC.  The group got to visit a wide variety of sites and engaged in a lot of different learning opportunities in our nation's capital.  Getting out of the city to experience the larger world is such an essential piece of helping our students grow.  Many thanks to Kelly for planning and coordinating such an amazing opportunity for our young women.

Ishrat impresses Generation Citizen. Class of 2020 Ishrat Jahan was asked by Generation Citizen to be on a panel with Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams, and the CEO of Generation Citizen, Scott Warren during the break for a small event for their donors and Board. She answered questions from Scott and the audience and spoke passionately about the importance of youth participation in politics while also educating the panel about why young people often feel disenfranchised in our political system.  Almost every person in attendance expressed how impressed they were with Ishrat’s passion and engagement and commended UAI for helping develop her voice and confidence. The GC staff even approached Ishrat about applying to be on their Board of Directors when she turns 18. 

Facing History Grant Winners.  Natalie, Joey, Rebecca, and Kelly applied to Facing History for their In-Depth Grant and won!  Facing History is an educational support organization that provides resources and professional development for schools and teachers as they work to make history come alive for their students and develop their moral responsibility as citizens in our global culture.  This grant provides our teachers with both resources and PD opportunities to help our UAI teachers!  Great work team!

Our very own LINCT Presenter.  Nina was selected to present at the First Annual LINCT Exhibition for Teaching and Learning.  At the Inaugural LINCT Exhibition, educators and students across their 92 partner schools will showcase their work, and our very own Ms. Nina will be one of them!  LINCT (Lessons in Navigating College Transition) provides curriculum and professional development support for our 11th and 12th grade Math & ELA teachers to help our students be college ready.

Welcome Back Val! Val Binyard has been on leave since October 2017.  She is returning to UAI on Monday!  As an assistant principal, Ms. Val will be supporting our discipline team, providing teacher supervision support, and providing instruction for our self-contained students in the middle school.  We welcome you back Ms. Val!!  We'll introduce her to everyone during PD after school.

Staff Out This Week

• Monday 29APR:  
• No One

• Tuesday 30APR: 
• No One

• Wednesday 01MAY: NYS MS Math Exam, MP5 Grades are Due
• No One 

• Thursday 02MAY: NYS MS Math Exam  
• No One 

• Friday  03MAY: MP5 Report Cards Distributed, 7th Grade Trip
• Kristi - Personal Business

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  This Monday will be our next session on understanding bias in our classrooms.  We will be continuing the work we started before break.  We'll all meet together in 409 at 3PM. Here's the plan.  For this Monday, we'll begin by reading the chapter I gave you last Monday on "Warm Demanders" from Delpit's Multiplication is for White People.   You'll have time to refresh your thinking about the chapter as we use a protocol to structure our discussion of the text.

• Monday, 29APR19.   Strategies to Limit the Impact of Bias in the Classroom
• Monday, 06MAY19.  Monthly Grade Team Meetings and Planning for May 9th Conferences
• Monday, 13MAY19.  Planning to Limit the Impact of Bias in Our Classrooms Part I
• Monday, 20MAY19.  Planning to Limit the Impact of Bias in Our Classrooms Part II

Tuesday Outreach.  As a reminder, May 9th is our next parent conference.  That conference will be focused on meeting with students who are failing as of MP5.  MP5 ended before the break and grades are due on Wednesday at 3PM.  Report cards will be distributed during last period on Friday, 03MAY19.   Please use Tuesday time to contact any and all students who are currently failing your class.  Please use prep time this week to update Skedula so that families and students have access to their performance data in your classes.  When you contact home, here are some points to address with their families:

• How is there attendance to class?
• How well are they participating in class, what can be improved?
• How well are they performing on class assessments?  What can families do to help?
• How well are they doing on class assignments?  What can families do to help?

As a reminder,  for Promotion In Doubt records, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula.  

Final Parent Conferences Thursday, May 9th.  This final parent conference session will be structured like traditional parent conferences with teachers meeting with their classroom students (rather than their advisees).   Advisors and classroom teachers have been reaching out to families of parents who are failing classes, and we will be sending home targeted messages based on MP5 grades.  Please make sure you are prepared to hold meetings with students and their families to explain how students have progressed through the year, and what families can do to intervene and support student learning in this last marking period. 

Student Support Services Update

No updates this week!

 

Week of April 15th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 32

April 15th, 2019

(31 Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

Deputy Superintendent Visit.  Our visit with Deputy Superintendent Debbie Afanadour was a good one!  While we didn't get any specific feedback, yet, she was generally impressed with our classroom practice, our school community, and our growth and achievement.  The work we are doing around bias was particularly aligned to the goals of our Affinity Superintendency.  Being able to share the work we've done all year around this was a particular high point.  One particular piece of feedback that she left with us was how impressed she was with the teacher team meeting with Zach, Suzannah, and Kelly.  They did an amazing job showing how we think about and approach lesson planning.  Many thanks to all we visited (I'll be sharing individual feedback with you guys in emails)!  Many thanks to everyone who put their best on display for that day!

Spring Break is Almost Here.  By Thursday, we will have completed 40 uninterrupted days of instruction!  It was a long 8 weeks, but we did it!!  When we return from break, May will be upon us, and before you know it, we'll be out for summer!  This Thursday we will be doing a rapid dismissal at 2:20PM.  There will be no after school on Thursday.

Staff Out This Week

• Monday 15APR:  
• No One

• Tuesday 16APR: 
• Kiri Out - UA Principals' Meeting

• Wednesday 17APR:  
• Danielle Ro, Kelly P, and Judy - Trip to DC
• Brodie leaves early - LEAP PD
• Jennifer JR out - personal business

• Thursday 18APR: 
• No One

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  This Monday will be our next session on understanding bias in our classrooms.  We will be continuing the work we started last Monday, integrating the feedback we got from folks to incorporate more time for discussion.  We'll all meet together in 409 at 3PM. Here's the plan

• Monday, 15APR19.  Understanding the Impact of Our Biases in Our Classrooms
• Monday, 29APR19.   Strategies to Limit the Impact of Bias in the Classroom
• Monday, 06MAY19.  Monthly Grade Team Meetings and Planning for May 9th Conferences
• Monday, 13MAY19.  Planning to Limit the Impact of Bias in Our Classrooms Part I
• Monday, 20MAY19.  Planning to Limit the Impact of Bias in Our Classrooms Part II

Tuesday Outreach.  May 9th is our next parent conference.  That conference will be focused on meeting with students who are failing as of MP5.  MP5 ends on Thursday, and report cards will be due the Wednesday we return.  Please use Tuesday time to contact any students that are currently failing your class.  Please use prep time this week to update Skedula so that families and students have access to their performance data in your classes.  When you contact home, here are some points to address with their families:

• How is there attendance to class?
• How well are they participating in class, what can be improved?
• How well are they performing on class assessments?  What can families do to help?
• How well are they doing on class assignments?  What can families to do help?

As a reminder,  for Promotion In Doubt records, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula.  

Student Support Services Update

 

Week of April 8th

UAI Staff News

Volume VI

Issue 31

April 8th, 2019

(36 Instructional Days Remaining)

Announcements

Next Superintendent Visit.  Our next MPPR Superintendent Visit is on Wednesday, April 10th.  Debbie Afanadour is our new Deputy Superintendent (Richie became Superintendent himself last year).  This will be Deb's very first visit to UAI, so we definitely want to show our best.  For Wednesday, please

• Plan Student Look Fors.  Prepare a narrative lesson plan that highlights your best work in preparing for and demonstrating your own thinking around student thinking.  At this point in the year, the graphic organizers and worksheets aimed at supporting student thinking should be minimal and almost gone.  Let the student thinking shine on Wednesday
• Leverage Student Discourse:  Turn and talks and think pair shares maximize student participation in class discussions.  Use prompts that require discussion, not prompts that ask kids to identify facts.
• Make students Apply New Knowledge to Learn it:  For Wednesday, structure your lesson to maximize thinking time.  Increase the amount of time students have to apply factual understanding. For example, plan to have them actively use their own individual thinking to understand a text to learn (take two minutes to read an annotate this text) new information.  Then use a think pair share to have them apply it to expanding new thinking. 

• Plan Intentional Circulation. Be intentional about your circulation (who are you going to first and later and why).  Also plan your feedback to students as you go.  Before you send them to work, tell them what you are going to be looking for as you circulate and tell them what your expectations are for high-level thinking.  Your feedback then should be targeted at supporting them to get to that level of thinking.  

Last Push for Parent Surveys.   This is the last week for the surveys!  If you haven't done so already, talk to your advisees in class and get them to bring their parent's survey in to school!  We're still pushing to get to at least 60% response rate.  Big shout out to Tiffany who has been sharing her family's submission rates!  Thank you, Tiffany.  If anyone else has success, please do share.

Penultimate Marking Period.  We are into the 5th marking period which ends on April 18th.  With the change of SLC, this made the 5th MP short (just 19 days).  Grades will be due Wednesday, May 1st.  Report cards will be distributed to students on Friday, May 3rd.  The May 9th Evening Parent Conferences will be prioritized for students who fail a 5th MP class.  The year is rapidly coming to an end, and that is simultaneously exciting and stressful!  Here's the breakdown:

•  9 instructional days until Spring Break
• 11 instructional days until the NYS Middle School Math Exams
• 16 instructional days until Mock Regents (all kids in regents classes sit for Mock Regents)
• 30 instructional days until the June 3rd New Global Regents Exam
• 35 instructional days until High School Final Exams
• 36 instructional days until June Regents Week begins
• 38 instructional days until Middle School Final Exams
• 40 instructional days until 8th Grade Stepping Up
• 41 instructional days until High School Graduation and the Last Day of School

Staff Out This Week

• Monday 08APR:  
• No One

• Tuesday 09APR: 
• No One

• Wednesday 10APR:  Superintendent Visit
• No One

• Thursday 11APR: 11th Grade College Overnight Trip
• Doris & Danielle out - 11th Grade College Trip
• Brenda out - personal business
• Joanna out - personal business

• Friday 12APR: School Assembly last period
• No One

To Do This Week

Monday PD.  This Monday we will be kicking off our UAI series of PDs on continuing the work we started this year around uncovering bias.  Inspired by the Perception Institute and Paul Forbes, the PD committee has been working on Fridays to select texts and plan experiences to take the next step into uncovering our own biases.  We'll all meet together in 409 at 3PM. Here's the plan

• Monday, 08APR19.  Uncovering Our Own Biases
• Monday, 15APR19.  Understanding the Impact of Our Biases in Our Classrooms
• Monday, 29APR19.   Strategies to Limit the Impact of Bias in the Classroom
• Monday, 06MAY19.  Monthly Grade Team Meetings and Planning for May 9th Conferences
• Monday, 13MAY19.  Planning to Limit the Impact of Bias in Our Classrooms Part I
• Monday, 20MAY19.  Planning to Limit the Impact of Bias in Our Classrooms Part II

Tuesday Outreach. All classroom teachers should be reaching out to families of any student who is failing their class every week from now until the end of the year.  This is a shift from advisor outreach and a shift to classroom teacher in preparation for the May 9th Parent Conferences (which concentrate on failing students, not SLCs).  This weekly outreach should be updates on student progress.

• How is there attendance to class?
• How well are they participating in class, what can be improved?
• How well are they performing on class assessments?  What can families do to help?
• How well are they doing on class assignments?  What can families to do help?

As part of our Promotion In Doubt due diligence, we need to document our interventions.  Your contact home is part of that intervention.  Please make sure to enter your outreach into Skedula.  

Student Support Services Update