Concord-Carlisle Joint School Committee Meeting - June 3, 2026

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[0:08] All right. Good evening. Tonight, the
[0:11] first order of business is to seat the
[0:13] new conquered Carile Regional School
[0:15] Committee to elect its officers and
[0:18] discuss other necessary appointments.
[0:20] After a call to order of the committee
[0:22] is made, I will request that the chair
[0:25] of the conquered school committee, which
[0:27] we haven't done yet either. We're a
[0:30] little out of order this year. We're
[0:31] just we know that for the seating of the
[0:33] conquered carile school committee and
[0:34] for the election of officers for the
[0:36] conquered carile school committee and
[0:38] the conquered school committee. Other
[0:40] appointments can be made um at that time
[0:42] if committees have worked out
[0:43] assignments. So let's first seat the
[0:45] conquered carile school committee. So, a
[0:48] motion will need to be made.
[0:52] I'm gonna Yeah, motion will be need need
[0:54] to be made to
[0:57] I'll just read it and then someone can
[0:59] move it. Recognize Andrew Herchek,
[1:03] Drew Maglozi, Sandy Perardi, Tracy
[1:07] Morano, Michael Williams as conquered
[1:09] members and Brian Wat and Lynette
[1:10] Kellaher as Carile members of the
[1:13] conquered Carlilele school committee. So
[1:15] move
[1:17] >> second.
[1:19] >> Congrats to Brian and Lynette for
[1:21] winning our election. Sorry.
[1:24] >> Congrats to the question mark.
[1:27] >> All in favor?
[1:28] >> I I
[1:31] >> So now nominations will be accepted and
[1:33] voted on for the chair of the conquered
[1:35] carile school committee.
[1:37] >> I move to elect Brian Wat as chair of
[1:39] the conquered carinal school committee.
[1:42] >> Second.
[1:45] I I wanted to say I've spent a lot of
[1:47] time on the campaign trail recently and
[1:50] particularly in conquered not in
[1:51] Carlilele I must admit and one thing
[1:54] stands out that there are some real
[1:56] challenges that we need to address
[1:58] social bias closing achievement gaps
[2:01] emerging technology in schools and I
[2:04] think we need to hold space for some
[2:05] really difficult conversations that call
[2:07] our community in. Uh, and therefore I I
[2:10] nominate or I move to nominate Michael
[2:13] Williams for chair.
[2:18] » Second.
[2:20] >> Yeah. Thank you, Michael. I think you
[2:22] have three qualities that make you an
[2:24] ideal leader. I think you have the time
[2:27] to do this. I think you have the
[2:29] commitment to create space for people to
[2:31] actually listen. uh and and most
[2:33] importantly I think you have the skill
[2:35] uh to bring focus and depth to the
[2:37] conversations we need to have. I don't
[2:39] think there are any quick fixes and
[2:40] these are not conversations most of us
[2:41] even want to have but I think we really
[2:44] need to have them. So thank you.
[2:46] >> Thank you. I think that's very important
[2:48] because in the past year and some months
[2:51] that I've been sitting here watching
[2:52] school committee meetings, Michael's the
[2:54] only person who hasn't repeatedly voted
[2:56] against equity on policy as it has come
[2:59] up. And I think it's very important for
[3:02] everybody at this table to consider
[3:04] equity when these policies are being
[3:06] voted on. Um it's not simply about just
[3:10] conquered residents or carile residents.
[3:12] These achievement gaps have existed year
[3:14] after year after year and we have to see
[3:17] why and we have to look at instituting
[3:20] framework to address these issues
[3:23] because they're not going to just go
[3:25] away if we don't make change. and the
[3:28] change is clearly needed because the
[3:31] numbers are going in the wrong
[3:32] direction.
[3:34] So, I've nominated Brian tonight. Uh
[3:36] Brian has served as chair of the Carwell
[3:39] School Committee for two years and the
[3:40] vice chair of the regional school
[3:42] committee for this past year. Brian and
[3:44] I worked really closely together on a
[3:47] bunch of projects. Um he represented the
[3:49] region on the financial audit committee.
[3:51] I think that his experience with
[3:53] negotiations and sharing meetings is
[3:55] going to be great for the region.
[4:01] I speak for myself.
[4:04] >> Go ahead. There's there's no chair right
[4:05] now. So, it's
[4:07] the chair.
[4:11] » I was drawn to my work on the school
[4:13] committee through my efforts to advocate
[4:16] for those whose voices have not always
[4:17] been heard and whose needs have not
[4:19] always been met.
[4:21] I've worked through the year to support
[4:22] educational excellence by focusing on
[4:25] meeting our students where they are and
[4:27] giving them the tools they need to
[4:28] succeed.
[4:30] By focusing on making our good schools
[4:32] better through honestly acknowledging
[4:34] our proficiency gaps and student
[4:36] achievement and advocating for policies
[4:38] and procedures that work to close those
[4:40] gaps.
[4:42] and by leading through thoughtful
[4:43] planning, open communication, and honest
[4:46] two-way engagement with all facets of
[4:48] our congregate community.
[4:51] As we struggle with the challenge of
[4:52] anti-semitism, bias, and racism, I press
[4:54] for supporting those agrieved in our
[4:56] community and educating those who have
[4:58] created harm. I've stood with citizens
[5:01] from conquered, Carlile, Austin, and our
[5:03] surrounding communities in support of
[5:05] our Jewish friends and neighbors.
[5:07] Whether it was the amenities building,
[5:09] the release of academic achievement
[5:11] data, cell phone policy, or our
[5:13] community's concern about tech advisory
[5:15] needs, I pressed for our committee to
[5:17] have a better, cleaner process and
[5:19] honest and open engagement with our
[5:21] community with clarity of thought and
[5:23] openness to honest feedback. I work with
[5:27] our committee to bring commitment to
[5:29] address bias, hate, and anti-semitism
[5:31] into our committee's goals. Last
[5:34] September, Andrew, you noted for the
[5:36] first time in recent memory, I pushed to
[5:37] establish specific, measurable,
[5:40] actionable, resultoriented, and
[5:41] trackable metrics and our committee's
[5:43] assessment of our superintendent spots.
[5:46] I'm well connected to our community and
[5:47] to our town government. I've built
[5:49] strong relationships with select board
[5:51] members, the land use working group, the
[5:53] MCI vision and master planning teams,
[5:55] municipal bodies who work whose work
[5:58] product will directly influence our
[5:59] schools. I actively support the bias and
[6:02] hate incident reporting work group that
[6:04] Sandeep sits on and I worked with others
[6:06] to have Carlos Hoy give us informed
[6:08] testimony to that body. Testimony that
[6:10] profoundly affected the work group and
[6:13] the flood board's deliberation on
[6:15] incident reporting in our community.
[6:18] This year Michelle McDougall and I
[6:20] argued for more public clarity in
[6:22] tracking academic proficiency in all of
[6:24] our student subgroups as a matter of
[6:25] educational equity. Aisha Lot and
[6:28] Michelle McDougall and I at several
[6:29] points during the past year pressed for
[6:31] more inclusive and respectful tone in
[6:34] our committee's deliberation,
[6:35] particularly considering issues of bias,
[6:37] hate, anti-semitism, and race.
[6:41] Through our combined efforts, a Medco
[6:43] update and a bias hate incident
[6:44] reporting workg group update has
[6:46] regularly been placed in our committee's
[6:48] meetings agenda so that our
[6:50] conversations on these matters is public
[6:52] and visible to the community that we
[6:54] serve.
[6:55] I was humbled and honored to be
[6:57] nominated by 13th Middle Sex State
[6:59] Representative Carmine Gentile and
[7:01] recognized by the Massachusetts Black
[7:03] and Latino Legislative Caucus as a
[7:05] change maker and exemplar of black
[7:08] excellence on the hill.
[7:10] As as Drew stated, we are in a unique
[7:12] and challenging time in our community as
[7:14] we work to demonstrate that everyone is
[7:16] welcome in our community, that every
[7:18] student has the right to thrive in this
[7:20] space, and that everyone has a place at
[7:22] the table. For these reasons, I feel I'm
[7:24] uniquely qualified to stand for chair of
[7:26] the Congre car regional school district.
[7:28] Thanks.
[7:30] >> All right. So, I'm going to be
[7:31] procedural here a little bit because you
[7:32] have two motions on the table, which
[7:33] isn't how it's supposed to be.
[7:35] >> Oh, apologies.
[7:36] >> No, anyway, I don't need to. This is
[7:40] why. So, I think I think we have to do
[7:43] the first motion first or amend it and
[7:46] not have two motions.
[7:49] Those of you with more
[7:50] >> rabbit rules experience I think we've
[7:52] dealed the first motion first.
[7:54] >> Okay everybody okay
[7:56] >> I'm not sure I fully follow you.
[7:58] >> You shouldn't have two motions on the
[8:00] table.
[8:00] >> Oh I thought you would nominate people
[8:02] and you could choose but
[8:03] >> it's because we did formal motions and
[8:05] not just nominations.
[8:06] >> I see.
[8:07] >> So the first one was a formal motion
[8:08] that was already seconded. So in the
[8:10] discussion phase you shouldn't you can't
[8:13] put another motion in. You should amend
[8:16] the first one.
[8:19] Yes, I move to amend it. And Michael, I
[8:23] guess you would
[8:24] >> I'll stand by what I say. I'll second.
[8:27] >> Thank you.
[8:29] >> So, now we're going to vote on the
[8:30] amendment,
[8:32] >> which is two people or
[8:34] >> No, now the amendment is Michael chair.
[8:38] >> Oh,
[8:39] >> right.
[8:39] >> Yes. And then we'll vote on that.
[8:41] >> I see.
[8:42] >> And if that passes, then Michael's the
[8:44] chair. And if it fails, we go back to
[8:45] the original motion. Right.
[8:46] >> We have to get our town meeting like as
[8:49] >> right.
[8:50] >> Oh, that's interesting. I see. More like
[8:52] town meeting.
[8:53] >> Um,
[8:55] >> there's one question I had about Brian.
[8:58] But I actually Brian, I'm just curious.
[9:00] Are you also the chair of the Carile?
[9:03] >> No, not as of today.
[9:04] >> Okay. I was curious who was the chair
[9:06] for the past year and I said to the
[9:09] Carile school committee at our last
[9:10] meeting, I will
[9:11] >> either chair Carlile or I'll go to the
[9:13] region. Not doing both
[9:15] >> again. And so we have a new chair now in
[9:17] Carile.
[9:18] >> Got it. That's what I was wondering.
[9:19] >> They just seated today.
[9:21] >> Yeah, that's right. I was like I was
[9:22] wondering what
[9:23] >> And I will say they'll be a little
[9:24] grayer if the next couple weeks just as
[9:25] we wrap up or hopefully wrap up the
[9:27] superintendent search because I was
[9:29] leading the charge on that. So I will
[9:31] chair a couple of those meetings just to
[9:33] get them across the finish line. But
[9:35] >> we do have a new chair.
[9:37] >> Okay, great. Thank you for clarifying
[9:38] that.
[9:41] Okay. So the vote is if you support the
[9:44] amendment which nominated Michael as
[9:47] chair.
[9:49] >> All in favor?
[9:51] >> I.
[9:53] All opposed.
[9:56] >> Nay. Okay. So that amendment failed. So
[10:00] now we're going to go back to the
[10:01] original motion which is the vote for
[10:04] Brian to be chair.
[10:07] >> Right.
[10:08] >> Yes. All in favor?
[10:10] >> I I
[10:12] >> All opposed.
[10:15] >> Yeah, I'm abstain. I'm not opposed. I
[10:17] think you're a wonderful person. I think
[10:18] you'll do a great job. Um, so thank you
[10:21] for being willing to do it.
[10:23] >> So, motion passes. So,
[10:26] >> motion passes.
[10:26] >> Are we switching now?
[10:27] >> Brian is going to be chair. Thank
[10:28] goodness now. So, I didn't have to do
[10:30] that.
[10:31] >> Switch box.
[10:32] >> It's always like the awkward like
[10:37] switching.
[10:43] Ryan, in a really odd moment as Carlile
[10:45] member, you get to see the conquered
[10:47] school committee chair.
[10:48] >> Let me do the chair or vice chair.
[10:50] >> I am very happy that I think first we're
[10:53] going to do um Yeah. So, first uh
[10:56] nominations have accepted and voted for
[10:57] the vice chair of the conquered Carile
[10:59] School Committee.
[11:01] >> I move to nominate Michael.
[11:06] » Repeat what I just said.
[11:09] Ditto for what I just said. All right.
[11:11] Is there a second?
[11:13] >> Second.
[11:14] >> All right. Um, so we have Michael for
[11:18] vice chair of conquered carile school
[11:19] committee. Um, is there
[11:21] >> time we debate amend that?
[11:22] >> You want to amend it?
[11:23] >> Okay.
[11:24] >> I'd like to nominate Tracy to be vice
[11:27] chair of the
[11:28] >> Okay. Is there a second?
[11:30] >> Second.
[11:32] >> So any the I'm sorry. Any discussion on
[11:36] the amendment?
[11:38] nominator. I'll say a few words. You
[11:40] you've led the the the region for the
[11:43] last year. Um I I think done an
[11:46] incredible job leading it as the you're
[11:49] the one I look to for all procedural
[11:52] kind of information. Uh you've gone to
[11:55] all the the the chair's breakfast,
[11:57] chair's meetings, bring a lot of
[11:59] institutional knowledge which I think is
[12:01] extremely important to retain on the the
[12:04] leadership council for
[12:06] Any
[12:10] other discussion?
[12:11] >> I I am I I too am deeply appreciative of
[12:14] everything you bring, Tracy. You're an
[12:16] amazing leader and you've really helped
[12:20] me get a footing. I'm still getting it
[12:22] quite honestly on the committee. Um, so
[12:25] thank you. And you helped fix my email.
[12:29] I I wonder you said you're not planning
[12:31] to run again next year, so this is your
[12:35] final year. Um my understanding is the
[12:38] vice chair is sort of like the
[12:39] understudy would move into the chair
[12:42] role in the subsequent year. Is that not I thought that's what you said
[12:46] about Brian.
[12:47] >> Well we have elections every year. So
[12:49] you mentioned every year.
[12:50] >> Sorry when you nominated Brian I thought
[12:51] you just said like he was the vice chair
[12:53] so he was
[12:54] >> so he's ready to take on
[12:55] >> he's ready. So, I worry that with no
[12:58] vice chair, who who would be ready next
[13:01] year to do the job is my own fear and
[13:04] concern about um having you do it again.
[13:08] Not that you wouldn't do an
[13:09] extraordinary job, but that's my only
[13:12] concern.
[13:13] >> I think the one thing I would say to
[13:15] that though is you also have the
[13:16] conquered chair and the conquered vice
[13:18] chair who
[13:20] >> you know are also getting that that
[13:21] hands-on experience as well.
[13:24] >> I see.
[13:27] I don't Yeah, I think some boards have
[13:29] that as a formal process. I've seen
[13:31] other boards where it's actually the
[13:32] other way around. Uh, whoever's
[13:35] chair then, you know, the next
[13:37] >> I think it really varies um board to
[13:40] board and Carile there's no
[13:43] >> rhyme or reason I will say. Um, okay.
[13:46] So, we have an amendment to for Tracy.
[13:49] Is there any other discussion?
[13:52] All right. So, all in favor of the
[13:54] amendment for Tracy to be chair, um, say
[13:57] I.
[13:58] >> Vice chair.
[13:58] >> Sorry, vice chair.
[14:01] >> Just like surprise you there. No, sorry.
[14:03] Vice chair. I'm so sorry. For the
[14:07] amendment for Tracy to be vice chair.
[14:09] All in favor say I.
[14:10] >> I.
[14:12] >> And opposed?
[14:15] >> Nay.
[14:17] >> Now a procedure question. So the
[14:19] amendment passed. Do we then vote it
[14:21] again?
[14:22] >> No.
[14:22] >> As amendment or
[14:24] >> that stands.
[14:25] >> Okay.
[14:27] Thank you. Um moving on. Um we will now
[14:32] do election of officers for the
[14:34] conquered school committee. Um and we'll
[14:35] start with the um nominations for the
[14:38] chair of the conquered school committee.
[14:40] >> So I'd like to nominate Sundep to serve
[14:44] as chair of the conquered public
[14:45] schools. Um over his first year on the
[14:48] committee he has brought a thoughtful
[14:50] and collaborative approach to the work
[14:51] that we do. Uh he has been highly
[14:53] engaged across our committees and
[14:55] liaison assignments and has developed a
[14:58] very strong understanding of our budget
[15:00] negotiation process and uh the broader
[15:03] district processes and has consistently
[15:06] approached issues with both preparation
[15:07] and perspective. Um, he also recently
[15:11] stepped in uh to chair for me in my
[15:14] absence a couple weeks ago and I think
[15:15] he did a really good job of of that
[15:17] meeting. I watched it afterwards. Uh,
[15:19] his ability to work collaboratively with
[15:20] our town partners combined with the
[15:22] clear understanding of our school
[15:23] committee's responsibilities will serve
[15:25] the committee and the district well. I'm
[15:27] confident that he will do an excellent
[15:29] job setting our agendas, guiding our
[15:31] work, and leading us on the um,
[15:33] conquered school school committee. Um,
[15:35] I'm grateful for your willingness to
[15:37] serve if you are. Um, and I'm pleased to
[15:41] nominate you as chair.
[15:43] >> Thank you.
[15:43] >> Is there a second?
[15:44] >> Second.
[15:46] >> All right. Any discussion?
[15:48] >> I move to amend and nominate Michael.
[15:52] >> I think I know how it's going to go, but
[15:55] um I I feel like I have to. He's a
[15:59] wonderful uh leader and I think no
[16:02] offense Sandy, but I I think Michael has
[16:05] a little bit more of what we need right
[16:06] now, but I know he'll do an excellent
[16:08] job if elected. Um but I stand by what I
[16:12] said before.
[16:15] >> Is there a second?
[16:16] >> Second.
[16:18] >> Okay,
[16:18] >> I think we can move right.
[16:20] >> Any discussion on the amendment?
[16:21] Michael, do you want to say any words or
[16:23] >> again I think I said everything at the
[16:26] outset and again I would just say this
[16:29] is unique time and it takes challenge
[16:32] for us to be able to look around and
[16:35] make certain that we're
[16:37] making it clear that everyone is welcome
[16:39] in the community that everyone has an
[16:41] opportunity to thrive and that everyone
[16:43] has a place to tape and that speaks for
[16:47] itself.
[16:49] >> Any other discussion?
[16:52] Otherwise, I will
[16:55] just a reminder Lena and I cannot vote
[16:57] on this. So, just to make sure
[16:59] everyone's clear, but um so we're now
[17:01] voting on the amendment for Michael to
[17:04] chair conquered.
[17:05] >> All in favor?
[17:06] >> I
[17:08] >> All oppose.
[17:09] >> I
[17:12] excuse me.
[17:13] >> Okay. Um so, the amendment did not pass.
[17:16] So, we're back to the original motion
[17:18] for Sandep. Any final discussion?
[17:20] >> Can I say a couple of words?
[17:22] >> Of course. Great.
[17:23] >> So, like everyone at this table, um, I
[17:26] have a story that shapes how I see the
[17:28] world and those experiences give me a a
[17:32] particular lens on what it feels like to
[17:35] be included and what it feels like to
[17:38] earn trust rather than just to zoom in.
[17:42] I don't really fit into neatly 20 box.
[17:45] Uh, and I think that's an asset. I've
[17:47] had conversations with folks across this
[17:49] table, uh, folks with many community
[17:51] members, and I've listened. Many of
[17:53] those conversations were not easy. They
[17:55] were difficult. Uh, but I haven't let
[17:58] those conversations push away what I
[18:01] hold as my core belief, which is that we
[18:04] have a a school system that we can be
[18:07] genuinely proud of. And precisely
[18:09] because we're proud of it, we should
[18:11] hold it, continue to hold it to an
[18:13] extremely high standard. And I believe
[18:16] in being, in the words of Dr. Carlos
[18:18] Hoy, a critical friend, honest,
[18:21] rigorous, and always acting in the
[18:22] interests of our schools and students.
[18:26] I've put in the work. As Andrew pointed
[18:27] out, I've been on the the financial
[18:29] audit committee, the the bias and hate
[18:31] supporting working group, the bargaining
[18:33] table. Uh I've shown it prepared. I have
[18:36] supported collective decisions and I do
[18:39] the unglamous work that's required for
[18:43] um it to be a successful committee. So
[18:45] that's not just a promise. It's it's a
[18:47] track record for what I've done in the
[18:48] last year.
[18:50] Whoever the committee chooses, I'm I'm
[18:52] committed to continuing that.
[18:55] >> Right. Thank you. Any other discussion?
[18:58] >> All right. Then all in favor of Sandep
[19:01] as chair of the conference school
[19:03] committee. I
[19:04] >> I
[19:05] >> I'm gonna vote I too.
[19:06] >> Right. Opposed.
[19:11] » All right. Um now nominations will be
[19:14] accepted and voted for vice chair of the
[19:16] conference school committee.
[19:18] >> Can I make a four before I move to
[19:20] nominate Michael Williams?
[19:23] Is there a second?
[19:25] >> Second.
[19:25] >> All right. Any discussion?
[19:28] >> I'll I'll amend that. like to nominate
[19:32] Andrew vice chair.
[19:34] >> Okay.
[19:36] >> Is there a second?
[19:40] » Second.
[19:40] >> Okay.
[19:41] >> Sorry.
[19:41] >> Let me say a couple of words. So, Andrew
[19:43] is one of the hardest working members of
[19:45] the committee. Much of it behind the
[19:46] scenes. Uh it's like a duck. A lot of
[19:49] the work, you know, does happen behind
[19:51] the scenes. Um over the past year, I
[19:53] believe he's demonstrated real
[19:54] leadership on the committee. navigated
[19:56] us through a a difficult summer, engaged
[19:59] with other committees around town, but
[20:02] what stood out to me most is something
[20:04] relatively small. If you look at your
[20:06] agenda, item 4A was added to the agenda
[20:10] to make sure that I met good
[20:12] representatives are not just uh have
[20:14] seen to the table but have voice. Uh
[20:16] adding that to the agenda, I think is a
[20:18] small thing, but that initiative
[20:20] reflects someone who thinks about whose
[20:23] voice is being heard and whose is not.
[20:25] What I value most about you is that you
[20:27] consistently seek out perspectives that
[20:29] are different from yours before forming
[20:31] a position. That's a quality I don't
[20:34] take for granted. We've disagreed a lot
[20:37] uh and I think that makes us a stronger
[20:39] team for the rest of the committee to
[20:40] leave.
[20:42] >> Thank you. Okay. Any other discussion?
[20:47] All right. So, we are voting on the
[20:49] amendment for Andrew to be vice chair of
[20:52] the Comfort School Committee. All in
[20:54] favor?
[20:56] >> Opposed?
[20:57] >> No.
[20:57] >> Nay.
[20:59] >> All right. Motion carries three to two.
[21:01] So, the amendment passes. Uh, thank you,
[21:03] Andrew. Thank you, Sundy. Now, moving on
[21:06] to the appointment of the school
[21:08] committee recording secretary.
[21:12] » I move to appoint Erin Higgins as
[21:14] recording secretary. There
[21:16] >> second.
[21:21] » All in favor? I I anyone opposed?
[21:25] >> Any abstain?
[21:28] Um
[21:29] >> thank you to her for doing all that
[21:32] >> behind the scenes.
[21:33] >> Um also, um need the appointment of a
[21:36] treasurer.
[21:38] >> I move to appoint Allison Brick as the
[21:40] treasurer of the Conquer Carell Regional
[21:42] School District.
[21:43] >> Second. Second.
[21:44] >> Perfect.
[21:45] >> It's that's easy now.
[21:47] >> That's easy.
[21:47] >> Yeah.
[21:49] >> Thank you.
[21:52] Okay. Any discussion?
[21:54] >> All in favor?
[21:56] >> I.
[21:57] >> Anyone opposed?
[21:59] >> Okay. Um and then I think the last order
[22:03] on here is just liaison assignments. Uh
[22:06] Tracy sent around the leazison
[22:07] assignments earlier today. Um we will
[22:10] work towards making those appointments
[22:13] at our meeting on June 16th. Um, what I
[22:17] would just ask is if there are
[22:19] particular assignments that you're
[22:21] interested in, if you could just let me
[22:22] know by next Friday, June 12th. Um, that
[22:25] will give me the the weekend before we
[22:27] meet to just review and and compile.
[22:30] >> Can I just ask you get that meeting?
[22:32] Brian, is that a problem?
[22:34] >> It shouldn't be. No, if you want to just
[22:35] give me feedback before Yeah,
[22:38] >> I'm already imagining your waste
[22:40] management leaison.
[22:42] Um,
[22:43] >> and yes, if there are any that you're
[22:45] particularly interested in, please let
[22:47] me know
[22:48] >> or I guess
[22:50] I'm interested in. Uh, sorry, Michael,
[22:51] what's the question?
[22:52] >> Just the date the 16th.
[22:54] >> When did you want to buy?
[22:56] >> If I could just get your interest by
[22:58] Friday the 12th so that I can have the
[23:00] weekend to review it.
[23:01] >> Are there any current assignments where
[23:03] people know for sure that they
[23:06] do not want to continue?
[23:11] I no not in a negative way. I just have a constant scheduled conflict
[23:16] making it to the CE a the conquer.
[23:20] I've had like such a hard time getting
[23:22] to the meetings at the time. So I just
[23:24] don't think I was being a very good
[23:26] leazison to them.
[23:27] >> Okay.
[23:28] >> So that's that's all it's not negative.
[23:30] It's usually noon on Fridays and I just
[23:32] happened to have a work meeting that
[23:35] often pops up the same Friday. So, I
[23:39] haven't been to many.
[23:41] >> Okay, that's good to know. Are there any
[23:43] others?
[23:43] >> That's by I would gladly do that one if
[23:46] you're
[23:46] >> Okay, I'll make a note of that.
[23:47] >> Great. Very informative. Just just the
[23:49] time for me.
[23:51] >> The only other thing is the CMS building
[23:53] committee has two more meetings
[23:55] including one tomorrow.
[23:57] >> So, we can we can fill it. There's two
[24:00] people on it, but it's going away pretty
[24:03] soon.
[24:04] Are you suggesting just continue with
[24:06] the current members till it's done?
[24:08] >> I mean, we can talk about we're
[24:10] literally um approving a couple more
[24:12] change orders on sprinklers and then
[24:13] we're done. So, okay.
[24:14] >> We can remove it.
[24:17] >> Add an additional leazison to this list.
[24:19] Uh the Mazio Donald Diving Center leas I
[24:22] would like to continue with that.
[24:24] >> Okay.
[24:24] >> And that's an one.
[24:26] >> Yes, that's that's on the list.
[24:28] >> That's on the list.
[24:29] >> I'd like to continue with the DEI
[24:31] commission.
[24:34] Okay. And again, if you can also just
[24:36] I'm making notes of these, but yeah, if
[24:37] everyone just wants to send them
[24:38] through.
[24:39] >> Um, one other one, financial audit
[24:41] advisory committee. I've been on it for
[24:43] two years at this point. Um, and while
[24:46] I'm happy to do it, I'm very conscious
[24:49] as a Carile resident where we're talking
[24:52] about the regional school district,
[24:54] which I have a stake in, the town
[24:56] finances, which no offense, but I've got
[24:59] less of a stake in, and then municipal
[25:02] life, probably even less there. Um, I'm
[25:04] going to suggest that it is somebody in
[25:06] conquered who um takes that up going
[25:09] forward.
[25:09] >> And we have had one person from the
[25:11] conquered committee do both. I think
[25:14] actually.
[25:16] >> Okay.
[25:17] >> So maybe I do you want me to check with
[25:19] Wendy and see if that's
[25:20] >> I can check with her.
[25:21] >> Want to check with her?
[25:21] >> Yeah. And what um what Tracy means is we
[25:23] have a representative from the conquered
[25:25] school committee and we have a
[25:27] representative from the conquered Carile
[25:28] school committee. So the question is
[25:30] does it have to be two distinct people
[25:33] just one person?
[25:34] >> Yes. Okay.
[25:35] >> So just I would just check with
[25:36] >> Yep. I'll check with her.
[25:39] >> All right. Any other questions on the
[25:41] assignments?
[25:43] All right. Uh, moving along then. The
[25:45] next thing we have is recognitions. I
[25:46] know the agenda says 6:30. Are we in a
[25:48] position to move forward?
[25:50] >> Are all the Sunrise kids here? Great.
[25:52] They're here.
[25:53] >> All right. Uh, would the Sunrise Club
[25:54] like to come forward up to the table?
[25:56] >> Yeah. Come on up. As they're coming up,
[25:58] I'll just um, you know, set the stage.
[26:01] So, the high school Sunrise Club, as
[26:05] some of you know, sponsored a Warren
[26:08] article among all the other things that
[26:09] they did this year um at Conquered Town
[26:12] meeting about composting.
[26:14] >> Here's
[26:15] >> Yeah, we'll get you chairs so you can
[26:16] sit here at the table.
[26:17] >> Yeah.
[26:19] >> About composting and making that more
[26:22] accessible.
[26:24] >> So, we asked them to come talk with you.
[26:26] They have some slides that I'm going to
[26:28] pull up here as I go.
[26:32] Why don't you start by introducing
[26:33] yourselves and I'll get your slides
[26:34] ready.
[26:36] >> Um, hi everyone. My name is Iana. Um,
[26:38] I'm in club.
[26:40] >> My name is Teresa.
[26:42] >> My name is Zoe. I'm a co-leader.
[26:44] >> Um, my name is Evan.
[26:47] >> Welcome.
[26:49] >> So, I'm gonna I this is the best I can
[26:51] do with your slides. I'm sorry I can't
[26:53] get them all the way in presentation
[26:54] mode, but I think you'll still be to go.
[26:57] >> Perfect. Um, so we first began working
[27:00] on this about a year ago. Um, Shelley
[27:02] Carlin first came to us with the idea of
[27:04] creating a composting warrant um,
[27:06] article. Um, we've worked on it since
[27:09] we've gone to a lot of different
[27:11] committees.
[27:12] >> Um, we've worked with organizations like
[27:14] Mothers Outfront and the Conger Climate
[27:17] Action uh, committee uh, to get support
[27:22] and feedback on the article. Um and we
[27:27] attended select board meetings and the
[27:30] town meeting um where we eventually got
[27:32] the article passed.
[27:36] Um in addition to attending all these
[27:37] meetings, we've done outreach like
[27:39] around the town and in the school. So
[27:41] we've handed out flyers to students like
[27:43] we had a big sale where we handed out
[27:45] flyers and we've also done outreach over
[27:47] social media.
[27:51] And then um so our initial motion was
[27:55] changed after a lot of the research
[27:57] we've done and through all the feedback
[27:59] that we've gotten from different
[28:01] committees. Um our final motion was
[28:03] basically urging the select board to
[28:05] request that the town manager
[28:06] investigator report to the board on the
[28:08] feasibility of adopting and offering a
[28:10] townwide rate um composting program.
[28:13] Essentially we asked the town to do
[28:14] research in regards to composting. Um,
[28:17] it was the result of a lot of research
[28:21] done by Shelley Carlin and everyone in
[28:23] the club. So, it was really great to be
[28:26] able to present there. Um, the next
[28:29] slide, please.
[28:32] Um at town meeting we received uh a lot
[28:36] of support from many of the groups that
[28:38] we um got support from and um I felt a
[28:42] lot of support speaking at town meeting
[28:45] and there's many other um informed
[28:47] citizens who are willing to support us.
[28:49] So that was really helpful.
[28:52] >> Okay. Zoom through all the the process
[28:54] in the middle of that.
[28:55] >> Yeah. And so we I passed by 2005 to 35
[28:59] and we made it through the conquered
[29:02] public public works offering a
[29:03] substitute motion. So we our original
[29:05] motion passed which is great. Um and it
[29:08] was really amazing.
[29:11] >> I have to say I was quite impressed with
[29:14] the work that you presented that evening
[29:17] meeting. I'm
[29:19] so glad to see you here. I applaud you
[29:22] all for the work that you've done. uh
[29:25] question. Did you were you able to uh
[29:27] work with FINCOM to look at the
[29:32] prospective financial
[29:33] >> Oh, financial committee. Um I believe
[29:35] they reached out. We're still it's been
[29:37] really busy just because finals and all
[29:39] that. We're hoping to definitely um work
[29:42] with them over hopefully before the
[29:45] school year ends, but if not, we're
[29:47] definitely going to reach out back when
[29:48] fall starts.
[29:50] >> Thank you for your effort and your job.
[29:52] incredibly incredibly well done.
[29:55] >> Certainly not easy either. It was a
[29:57] fierce debate. You maintained your
[29:59] poise. It was remarkable.
[30:02] >> I'm wonder hopefully this is an
[30:04] inspiration to other students and
[30:06] schools to bring uh articles to town
[30:09] meeting as well. I'm curious if you've
[30:11] heard of anything that might bubble up
[30:13] to to meet the same bar uh that would
[30:16] come to the town because it's great to
[30:18] have citizens even who can't vote to
[30:21] participate. Yeah, for sure. I know
[30:23] there are so many clubs at CCHS, it's
[30:24] hard to keep track of who's planning
[30:26] what, but I'm sure I'm really hoping
[30:28] that um if anyone else has an idea that
[30:32] about something that they could present
[30:34] a town meeting that happens because it's
[30:36] a great way to get the town involved and
[30:39] raise awareness awareness about
[30:41] something.
[30:42] >> I know Simon Catalo was out two weeks
[30:44] ago and met with two clubs while he was
[30:45] there. So, there's a lot of activity
[30:47] going on. Um, and I just want to be sure
[30:51] Becky Meeks is the um, adviser and we
[30:53] want to make sure she gets a round of
[30:55] appreciation for all the time and work
[30:57] she put in as well.
[31:04] » Couldn't have done it without Miss Geeks
[31:05] and Carlin and everyone else who helped.
[31:08] It was most definitely a team that
[31:12] >> um, I mean fantastic as you know
[31:14] anything forward to town meeting. I know
[31:16] how much effort is involved. you can
[31:18] relate better than most.
[31:19] >> Um, but can I'm just curious with this
[31:22] sort of behind you, um, thoughts on
[31:24] goals for for next year or other things
[31:27] that you're hoping to work on?
[31:28] >> We're really just hoping to build on
[31:30] this momentum. Um, to be honest, we're a
[31:32] pretty small group, so we're hoping to
[31:33] get more members and bring in more
[31:36] people to do more stuff. Um, we have LA
[31:39] this year, we also worked on the Mass
[31:40] Energize youth climate solutions
[31:42] project. Um, Ally Shepard, she isn't
[31:44] here today, but she sort of headed that.
[31:46] So we're hoping to make our impact like
[31:47] even bigger with that this year. Um it's
[31:50] basically just um a energy solution that
[31:53] you spread that committee. So we're
[31:55] hoping to use that to make it another a
[31:58] really big impact.
[32:00] >> Wonderful.
[32:02] >> That's great. Well, as someone who's
[32:04] also been up at town meeting when
[32:05] standing up in front of the microphone,
[32:06] you were totally poised and a complete
[32:09] professional and really I mean you
[32:12] should be really proud of yourself and
[32:13] you're off to college next year. Yes.
[32:16] So, I mean, don't have a junior.
[32:17] >> She's a junior.
[32:18] >> Oh, a junior. She's a junior. Okay. I
[32:20] was thinking you were a senior. I was
[32:21] like, "Wow, you're ready." So, um, it
[32:23] was just really great to see our
[32:24] students really using their voices in
[32:26] front of the town and for the whole town
[32:28] to hear what you guys have done this
[32:30] year. So, well done.
[32:31] >> Thank you. And we, it was everyone in
[32:34] the club was really did like all the
[32:36] work. I was just like the spokesperson.
[32:39] So,
[32:41] >> wonderful.
[32:42] >> Congrats. Thank you so much. Thank you
[32:44] all for coming.
[32:47] >> Last question. Is there any advice you
[32:49] would give to somebody else who was
[32:51] going to do this as well? What is the
[32:54] >> Okay. number one piece of advice you
[32:55] would give somebody if they were walking
[32:58] behind you
[32:59] >> in terms of just presenting this time
[33:02] meeting as a student. Yeah,
[33:03] >> I think the biggest piece of feedback is
[33:05] it's going to be a lot of work and
[33:07] you're going to have to like do a lot of
[33:10] meeting with different people, but it's
[33:12] definitely worth it because there's
[33:13] going to be people who will in groups
[33:16] who will have a lot of support for it
[33:18] even though it there's going to be most
[33:20] definitely setbacks. So, just get to
[33:22] town, get through all the meetings, all
[33:26] the re research and like setbacks and
[33:28] then get to town meeting and it's going
[33:29] to be great. So, yeah.
[33:31] >> Thank you.
[33:33] All right. Thank you.
[33:34] >> Well, thank you so much for coming out
[33:35] this evening. Definitely appreciate it.
[33:38] >> Thank you.
[33:39] >> Thanks very much. Have a great night.
[33:50] » All right. Um and next we'd both like to
[33:51] welcome the conquered education fund to
[33:54] come up.
[33:56] So before we get to that um yes given my
[33:58] position on the board of responsible
[34:01] from discussion on this topic.
[34:02] >> Okay. Thank you for that.
[34:14] » You need one more chair.
[34:15] >> You can grab one more
[34:23] check.
[34:25] fun.
[34:29] » Thank you so much for coming.
[34:30] >> Thank you for having us.
[34:35] I don't know if um everyone knows who we
[34:37] are. We're Cockard Education Fund. We
[34:39] raise uh raise money to help support the
[34:43] teachers and the students in uh funding
[34:49] new and innovative uh pilot programs and uh other things. Uh we we accept
[34:56] grants, applications from teachers uh at
[34:59] the at the school and um do a lot of
[35:03] hard work uh in raising the raising the
[35:05] money and then uh you know assessing the
[35:08] grants and and giving them out. And so
[35:10] this year we had had a great um grant
[35:13] season. We we received 31 grant
[35:16] applications which is a record for us.
[35:18] Was great. Um unfortunately we were only
[35:22] able to fund 17 of them.
[35:24] But, uh, fun fundraising is a little
[35:26] down across the board, I guess. Um, but,
[35:30] uh, but we we ended up, uh, raising, uh,
[35:33] granting just under $65,000.
[35:36] Uh, we have a nice big check for
[35:40] and it it uh it ranged in there. There
[35:43] were a few buckets that it it kind of
[35:44] fell into. There's mental health, uh,
[35:46] special education, uh, technology,
[35:50] um, you know, some of some of the it it
[35:53] was over all the different schools,
[35:55] CCHS, uh, CMS, the all of the, uh,
[35:59] elementary schools and, uh, uh, Ripley,
[36:01] CIP, uh, as well as well as the anchor
[36:04] program we were supporting. So, that was
[36:07] great to see to get, you know,
[36:09] applications from them.
[36:11] try to support the entire school system
[36:14] as as best we can. Um
[36:17] some of a couple of the highlights are
[36:20] um we uh we funded a sooth five pilot
[36:24] program that helps uh that will help the
[36:26] kids uh students at CMS while they're um
[36:31] doing research online and guiding them
[36:34] to uh good sources of of uh of news and information. Um and uh it's a a good
[36:46] one. There's a a AAC classroom support
[36:49] where we're helping um the the severely
[36:52] disabled kids uh
[36:56] communicate with uh other teachers and
[36:58] kids uh in and uh supplying them with
[37:02] technology that that will help them do
[37:04] that. Um there's a we're bringing in a
[37:09] sports psychologist for student
[37:10] athletes. Um, you know, the mental
[37:13] health I think is a a huge uh issue. Uh,
[37:16] >> and nutrition sorry. Yeah. And
[37:19] nutritionist. Um, and then we're we're
[37:22] uh, you know, helping support the the CI
[37:25] CIP gym equipment. Um, so they can get
[37:28] exercise when it's tough to get outside
[37:30] when when the weather's bad. So getting
[37:33] them active and immunicating is great.
[37:36] So um, just a couple of highlights. I'll
[37:38] keep it brief. I know you have a long
[37:39] agenda, but We just wanted to um say
[37:43] thank you for all of your hard work and dedication and and uh you know we're
[37:49] trying to do our little part but
[37:53] >> yes thank you very much
[37:54] >> and and my apologies I should have
[37:56] introduced everyone Greg Lagald Liz Kan
[37:58] Julia Elliott Linda Ferrari all members
[38:01] of the conquered fund board
[38:03] >> that's been around since 1993 so thank
[38:05] you for all the work you do
[38:08] >> thank you
[38:08] >> yes thank you indeed Anyone have any
[38:11] questions at all?
[38:12] >> I was going to say yes, we will do a
[38:14] photo. We also will vote to accept um
[38:17] >> Did you forget to vote to accept money?
[38:21] >> Um we will do that as well. But did
[38:22] anyone have any questions, any comments?
[38:26] >> I just want to thank them because I I do
[38:28] meet with them along the way and I got
[38:29] to see all the grants and um it's a lot
[38:31] of work and really hard decision making
[38:34] um to vet who to fund and who not to.
[38:37] So, we always try to as a district at
[38:39] least pass along to the principles the
[38:40] ideas and see what we can do to keep
[38:42] those percolating and make sure that
[38:44] everyone feels like they're really
[38:46] valued in the in the uh applications
[38:48] that they put in. But the combined
[38:51] fundraising efforts and then the vetting
[38:53] of the applications is an enormous
[38:55] amount of time and we're always grateful
[38:56] for all that CF does for us. They do so
[38:59] much on a constant level and they're
[39:01] there if we pick up the phone on a dime
[39:03] because something unexpected happened
[39:05] and that's been the case for all the
[39:08] years. So just a really important part
[39:10] of the school life around
[39:12] >> this year was especially challenging
[39:13] because as as Greg said we had so many
[39:15] amazing grants but we had to really like
[39:18] >> go back and be like okay was this
[39:20] innovative you know so we had to really
[39:22] sort of think about it because you want
[39:23] to say yes to everything
[39:24] >> and it's hard to and then we had to we
[39:26] you know over like three different
[39:27] meetings had to be you know all right
[39:29] let's go back to that and see
[39:31] >> and as as Greg also said you know
[39:33] fundraising has been um slowing down so
[39:36] we need to sort of think about more
[39:37] innovative ways bringing in money. So we
[39:40] can do that. But
[39:41] >> what are the primary means of
[39:43] fundraising?
[39:44] >> What are the primary means of
[39:45] fundraising at the moment?
[39:46] >> So in the past we've done a sort of
[39:48] large event kind of a gala. Um I feel
[39:51] like co not as many people are are
[39:54] wanting to you know attend big events.
[39:56] So that's that's one piece. I mean we
[39:58] still like to do that just more for you
[39:59] know people's you know awareness of what
[40:01] we're doing. Um a big sort of two big
[40:04] things that we do is we do it's called
[40:05] operation celebration or operation
[40:07] graduation where we have delivered
[40:08] balloons to the seniors um and they and
[40:12] an individual card to the seniors. So
[40:13] people will buy a balloon and a card. Um
[40:16] this year we started operation
[40:17] graduation where we're doing signs for
[40:19] the uh fifth graders and the eighth
[40:22] graders and that has been this year was
[40:25] our biggest fundraiser between the two.
[40:27] >> Those are great. Those are awesome. It's
[40:29] been really fun and it was sort of a a
[40:32] brainchild. You know, the the
[40:33] celebration was a while ago, but this
[40:35] year was sort of a brainchild between
[40:37] two of our members and they you know,
[40:39] it's just taken off and it's fun to go
[40:40] around town and and see all the
[40:43] different like you know, Willard and
[40:45] Throw and Alcott and the middle school.
[40:47] So, it's that's it's lovely. And then we
[40:50] do a raffle for it was a conquered ed
[40:51] fund uh parking spot and and who as a
[40:55] junior or a senior they know how that's
[40:56] a hot commodity.
[40:59] >> So that's a big one. So that and then um
[41:01] you know we've got other we're talking
[41:03] about doing an annual appeal. Um and as
[41:06] I said we do this event so and then
[41:08] sponsors have also been a big piece too
[41:09] but that's also sort of been trending
[41:12] downwards. So we're we're always open to
[41:15] new new and
[41:17] >> ideas. Do do you do look backs on your
[41:20] grants and and see just like at a high
[41:22] level like efficacy like how they were
[41:24] worded were they successful and does
[41:26] that guide you know your future
[41:29] like granting
[41:32] >> a bit we we try to get as much feedback
[41:34] as we can from the from the teachers um
[41:38] and and make sure that it the money was
[41:41] used and and program was forward and
[41:45] then you know if it's successful ful. We
[41:48] try to make sure they're uh talking to
[41:51] their principles and and Lori to to sort
[41:54] of pick that up as a ongoing thing if if it's appropriate.
[42:00] >> Um
[42:00] >> but we did talk about that as an
[42:02] opportunity as a board that that's
[42:03] something that kind of feedback loop is
[42:05] something that we could improve. Um I
[42:08] did get a we did get an email from um a
[42:10] thorough uh the librarian at thorough
[42:12] about the thorough family book club and
[42:14] the impact that that has made for the
[42:16] thorough school. Um so we really
[42:18] appreciate when they come back to us and
[42:20] acknowledge you know what we were able
[42:22] to enable for them. But I do think that
[42:25] feedback loop is one we can improve and we do let them know in their grant
[42:29] that like if it's a sort of pilot that
[42:30] this is what we're we're you know
[42:32] funding the pilot. But hopefully it will
[42:35] be such a huge success and it will be
[42:36] sort of taken but we can't continue to
[42:39] fund each year. Um you know we can't do
[42:41] it next year.
[42:42] >> It it's really hard because like what
[42:44] does success look like in grants? Is it
[42:46] like you know you know it's hard to
[42:47] measure.
[42:48] >> Yes.
[42:48] >> Well and I think that like the goal is
[42:50] always new and innovative programming
[42:52] and so some of the things like from
[42:54] >> way long ago um the engineering
[42:57] certificate came out of the ed fund.
[42:59] Rivers and revolution started at the ed
[43:01] fund. I just steam steam lab over here
[43:04] at Ripley. So there were really larger
[43:06] scale projects and then I did see the
[43:08] weather balloon at the high school and
[43:09] that was an ed originally it was an ed
[43:11] fund grant that they brought back again
[43:13] and that's just such a cool project
[43:16] where you can track where the balloon is
[43:17] going. They lost the balloon that year
[43:19] but the ed fund um might have bought it
[43:22] but then they found it and it was like
[43:23] where's the balloon and it was all over
[43:24] Facebook like who's see the balloon.
[43:27] It's really I mean we really are
[43:29] grateful for your partnership and for
[43:31] the dollars that come back to the
[43:33] district for things that we could not
[43:34] fund within the school budget. So we
[43:36] really appreciate that and wish you best
[43:38] of luck in your fundraising too.
[43:40] >> Thank you very much.
[43:41] >> So what I would like to do is let's vote
[43:43] to accept first so we don't forget and
[43:45] then we go from there. So um I will
[43:48] entertain a motion to accept the
[43:51] generous $64,732
[43:54] uh donation from CEF. So move
[43:57] >> second.
[43:58] >> All right. Any other discussion?
[44:01] >> And this is for both districts.
[44:02] >> Yes.
[44:04] >> Call out. All right. Uh all in favor
[44:08] >> for both.
[44:09] >> I for region
[44:10] >> for both
[44:13] >> and abstain. Thank you for the reminder.
[44:15] Um all right. Let's uh do a photo.
[44:18] >> Thank you.
[44:21] When is the window?
[44:47] » We'll circle around. All right.
[44:54] » I know. Sorry.
[44:57] » Really awkward.
[45:06] » Take a couple.
[45:16] » It's part of my office decor.
[45:19] They're all They're all out.
[45:21] >> Thank you.
[45:22] >> Well, they're stacked, but
[45:23] >> we can do better than
[45:31] » Sorry.
[45:36] All right. Um, we'll move on next to
[45:39] Superintendent and Chair's update as
[45:40] well as METCO update. Dr. Hunter, do you
[45:42] want to go first?
[45:43] >> Sure.
[45:45] I'm going to be very big picture and
[45:47] just mention a couple of very large
[45:50] scale topics. Um we graduated the class
[45:53] of 2026 on Saturday. It was phenomenal
[45:57] despite the weather. Um being inside has
[46:00] this intimacy and that's the pro. The
[46:02] con is not everybody in the family is in
[46:04] the room. Um but really just a
[46:07] phenomenal morning. Speakers, the
[46:10] students,
[46:12] I think it was just another really
[46:13] special morning. And um thanks Brian and
[46:15] Katie are here. So I'll just shout them
[46:17] out. It's a ton of work to put put all
[46:20] of that together and um it was very
[46:22] successful and a couple of our graduates
[46:24] or at least Evelyn's here. I don't know
[46:26] if Maddie came in but we actually have
[46:27] firsthand experience to hear in a few
[46:29] minutes. Um also I just wanted to
[46:33] mention that Q5 is coming up at the high
[46:35] school and I want to be sure all of you
[46:37] know what that means because some of you
[46:39] are newer members. Um, from June 12th to
[46:41] the 17th, there will be four days where
[46:44] we literally transform the high school
[46:46] into an experiential learning experience
[46:48] for students led by their teachers. So,
[46:52] months ago, they got a catalog of
[46:53] options. Teachers propose
[46:56] um workshops of what they want to. It's
[46:59] incredibly eclectic, which makes it
[47:01] amazing. And they're read leading things
[47:04] they're passionate about. Students are
[47:06] signing up for things they're passionate
[47:07] about. Many many of them are off campus.
[47:10] I was we were at the bus depot today
[47:12] with the drivers and they had to move
[47:13] their end of year celebration back
[47:15] because so many of them are going to be
[47:16] driving next week for Q5. They couldn't
[47:18] do it next week. Um it's just a really
[47:21] special time. We had re reinvented it
[47:24] last year. It had faded away COVID and
[47:28] took us a few years to get get it back
[47:30] and I think we all were a little afraid
[47:31] it might not come back and um last year
[47:33] it came back roaring. So we're just
[47:35] really excited. I don't think there's
[47:37] many places anywhere that can say they
[47:39] transform an entire high school into
[47:41] this sort of learning experience
[47:43] um for all students, freshman through
[47:46] juniors for four full days. So, we will
[47:50] be sure to report out, but it's a really
[47:52] exciting time for all of us to be
[47:54] anticipating it. The kids will do their
[47:56] finals and what a gift that's not how
[47:58] they end the year. They end the year
[48:00] doing Q5, which is a very different
[48:02] place to be as the year wraps up. So,
[48:05] just wanted to be sure we anticipated
[48:08] that with you so we can talk more on it
[48:10] as it plays out.
[48:11] >> Can I just say was reviewing the warrant
[48:13] last night like seeing some of the goat
[48:16] yoga miniature horses, amazing race, it
[48:19] was just fantastic
[48:21] >> to see some of the
[48:22] >> It does. It does live in the bills right
[48:24] now.
[48:25] >> The things we're paying for.
[48:27] >> My final comments are really just to
[48:29] honor the retirees this year. Um we're
[48:32] celebrating them in many many forums
[48:34] right now and I just thought it was
[48:35] important to do that here. Um at the
[48:38] high school this year retiring we have
[48:40] Bob Wilder, Andrea Gillis and Mary
[48:43] McCabe and I can't not mention Joel
[48:46] Tracy who's been in the guidance office
[48:48] for almost 40 years. Um, at Alcott,
[48:51] kindergarten teachers Colleen Desmond
[48:53] and Gail Shatlash at Thorough, Wendy
[48:55] Marada, Jackie McKenna, at Willard,
[48:58] Hannah Matrius, and Cheryl Brandwine and
[49:02] Mr. Lucy, which some of you have already
[49:04] spent some time on. Um, and we're
[49:06] excited for all of them. So, lots of
[49:08] celebrations going on over the next two
[49:10] weeks and just wanted to be sure we
[49:12] recognize them here. I've heard so many
[49:14] of the stories over the as they've
[49:16] started to be celebrated and the impact
[49:19] these these educators who spend their
[49:21] most or all of their careers with us is
[49:24] really hard to capture. Um hopefully we
[49:26] send them off well and their next phase
[49:29] of life is what they want it to be and
[49:31] for them and not for others in the same
[49:34] level that they've been doing for all of
[49:36] us. So those are my highlights for
[49:38] tonight.
[49:39] >> All right. Um I don't know that I have
[49:42] any chair updates in the last 50
[49:44] minutes, but do you have anything?
[49:46] >> I do have a couple things. Um there's a
[49:48] chair's breakfast. So uh that is
[49:51] Wednesday
[49:53] 17th or sometime in that week. So that
[49:56] is Zoom only, but typically they do meet
[49:58] in person and they just want the new
[50:01] chairs to know when it is and start
[50:04] going to it or send somebody in your
[50:06] place. And what time is it? So that's at
[50:09] 8 o'clock in the morning. It's usually
[50:11] the I think it's the third Wednesday of
[50:13] the month. Um that was the first thing.
[50:16] At the select board meeting on Monday
[50:18] night, they put forth the town meeting
[50:21] calendar. Now there are a few different
[50:24] dates that were discussed and so I said
[50:26] I would bring it back to the school
[50:27] committee. There is now a Saturday
[50:29] preview meeting on January 9th. Um the
[50:32] tri board meeting with BCOM select board
[50:34] and school committee will be on January
[50:36] 11th. and we have a school committee
[50:38] meeting that week on January 13th. So, I
[50:40] did voice my concern of having three uh
[50:43] meetings that week for us and the
[50:44] professionals involved. So, I think that
[50:46] I would say to the chairs, if you could
[50:48] work with the chairs, the select board
[50:50] and kind of give some feedback back,
[50:53] that would be great. If anybody has any
[50:54] concerns on that, but I thought I'd just
[50:56] bring it to you guys.
[50:57] >> At the very least, we we can do it
[50:59] virtually some of them.
[51:01] Uh yes, you probably can. But the tri
[51:04] board is a little bit tricky because
[51:05] it's in the hearing room,
[51:06] >> right?
[51:07] >> Um and then lastly, graduation was just
[51:10] really amazing. U Brian and Lynette
[51:13] joined me and I mean all the speeches,
[51:15] Lori did a speech, Katie and Brian had
[51:18] speeches, we heard from the class
[51:19] president, Sierra, uh I think the Senate
[51:22] moderator Ley and it was just a really
[51:26] nice day to celebrate with all the
[51:27] families. Um, I think that the rain was what it was. But you know
[51:32] what? I they did a really great job. And
[51:34] big shout out to the junior parents who
[51:36] set up graduation. So that happens too.
[51:38] And all the custodial staff and all
[51:40] night live is happening at the same
[51:41] time. So it's really busy on the campus.
[51:44] And I think they just did a really great
[51:46] job. And just, you know, personally,
[51:48] thank you to Conquered and Conquered
[51:49] Carlo Public Schools because my kids
[51:50] have been here since 2005. And I've said
[51:53] it before, I think we've I've had almost
[51:55] 300 teachers and tutors and staff and
[51:58] everyone else and it's really been a
[52:00] wonderful experience pre-K to 12. So,
[52:02] thank you to all of you for everything
[52:03] you do. All of our principles, our
[52:05] administrators, our teachers. It's
[52:08] greatly appreciated.
[52:10] >> That's it.
[52:11] >> No, I do love graduation though. I am 0
[52:13] for two when it comes to the weather.
[52:16] So,
[52:17] >> you've only been indoors. So, indoors.
[52:19] >> So, rising seniors may want to force me
[52:21] out of town. Um, is there are any
[52:24] updates on the conquered side?
[52:26] >> Not since our last meeting.
[52:27] >> Okay.
[52:31] » Sean, do you have any?
[52:32] >> Yeah, the MECO staff is organizing a
[52:35] semiformal dinner for Saturday and the
[52:37] kids are really excited to get dressed
[52:39] up this Saturday coming and um they're
[52:42] going to give out some little awards to
[52:44] students and recognize the fifth graders
[52:47] going on to sixth grade. and all the
[52:49] kids are really excited for this event.
[52:53] Um, next Wednesday the Metco family
[52:55] friends are doing an ice cream social
[52:58] after school at Alcott. Um, with a late
[53:01] bus coming back. So, the kids are also
[53:03] excited for that because as we bear down
[53:06] on the end of the year, everybody is
[53:07] just like, let's do fun things and be
[53:10] done with school.
[53:11] >> So, you know, they're gearing up for
[53:13] that. And those are the two two big
[53:14] events on on the calendar coming up.
[53:18] All right, perfect. Thank you.
[53:19] >> Y
[53:21] >> um CCHS student update.
[53:25] >> So
[53:28] here you want to come forward.
[53:32] >> I don't see Maddie online.
[53:33] >> No, I don't think she's here.
[53:35] >> She sends her apologies.
[53:47] All right. And I think this is our last
[53:48] update for the school year, which is
[53:51] really crazy. And um I think we do talk
[53:54] about elections on our slides today, but
[53:56] um yes, that's to come. Okay, I'm
[53:58] joining the Wi-Fi. It is taking This
[54:01] takes forever to do these. Okay, let's
[54:03] move that window to the side. There we
[54:04] go. Okay. Um so, we wanted to start out
[54:07] talking about um the CC musical, which
[54:10] was 9 to5. I went to that. I had a few
[54:12] friends who were leads in the show and
[54:14] that was really great to see them, you
[54:15] know, their last show graduating. They
[54:17] most of them have been in all of these
[54:19] musicals and plays over the past four
[54:21] years and that was just like spectacular
[54:23] because they it was such challenging
[54:25] songs. I know a lot of teachers were
[54:27] there. I saw a lot of familiar faces,
[54:29] students, like the audience was packed.
[54:30] I think I went on a Saturday night and
[54:33] like there were no free seats. Like it
[54:35] was really great to see how sold out
[54:36] that was. And I mean, everyone did an
[54:38] incredible job, the leads, the ensemble,
[54:40] um costumeuming. It was really great.
[54:42] And I know they have a new director this
[54:43] year, so it's just really um exciting to
[54:46] see all that. And then also in that same
[54:47] kind of field of um music, like being
[54:50] musical, I think there's a lot of
[54:51] overlap with the students is there is
[54:53] the Coral Pops concert. I did not
[54:54] attend, but I heard a lot of great
[54:56] things about that. Um it's really lovely
[54:58] to see how, you know, musical our
[55:01] student body is. And then we also had
[55:03] kind of a lot of there's a lot of like
[55:05] wrapping up things or finals and things.
[55:07] And so along that um we have this moot
[55:09] court finals which I did moot court but
[55:12] I was out one of the first rounds but a
[55:14] few of my two of my friends or four of
[55:16] my friends um made it to the finals and
[55:19] so there's two teams um it was Brook
[55:21] Hosford and Sierra Fonte on one team and
[55:24] they just barely won over um Ely McMaro
[55:28] and Stephanie Lang and that was so great
[55:31] to I was about to attend but it was
[55:32] really amazing because they have like
[55:34] actual judges there and so a lot of them
[55:36] all four of them actually want to go
[55:37] into something with like law or
[55:38] government. And so to have that
[55:39] experience like really real world um was
[55:42] lovely and I think their case was really
[55:44] interesting. I think it was about like a
[55:46] cop and like some kind of like breaking
[55:48] in without or with a warrant but like it
[55:50] was it was very interesting. So I did
[55:52] read it out and then yeah
[55:56] week
[55:57] >> yes.
[55:58] >> Um
[55:59] yeah spirit week I don't know that
[56:03] really followed it this year. It's been
[56:04] hard to get to follow it, but I know
[56:07] that they did like the freshman colors
[56:09] and like the sophomore colors. I like
[56:10] when a lot of like the younger kids
[56:12] still do spirit week. I feel like
[56:14] seniors were kind of like done.
[56:17] >> I didn't even know that there was a
[56:18] spirit week. Sorry.
[56:20] >> Um but a lot of people did like there
[56:22] was like also like country verse
[56:24] country. So it was like country club
[56:25] country. That was a fun one. I did that
[56:27] one. But
[56:28] >> um yeah. Oh, and then also I think I put
[56:31] this one down just a moment ago because
[56:32] I saw it from my friend. there was the
[56:34] annual high school art exhibition which
[56:36] was really great because I saw that on
[56:37] Instagram um a few of my friends are
[56:39] like artists and it was really amazing
[56:41] because they were able to put up their
[56:43] art and showcase what they've done this
[56:44] year and then talk about it with other
[56:46] artists their families and I think that
[56:47] you know even me who I'm not like
[56:49] directly engaged with the art scene at
[56:50] CC and that was just like amazing and
[56:53] mind-blowing to see these people who I
[56:54] have like my site class with you know
[56:56] create this incredible self-portrait and
[56:57] it's like oh my gosh like I didn't even
[56:59] know you had this whole extra skill set
[57:00] so really cool to see that. I know
[57:02] there's also awards then. And then
[57:04] speaking of awards, um we both attended
[57:06] the junior and the senior awards nights,
[57:08] which do you want to talk about that?
[57:10] You attended that, right?
[57:11] >> I got the St. Lawrence University award.
[57:14] Um it's really nice to see everyone. It
[57:16] was also a surprise cuz you didn't know
[57:18] what award you were getting or who was
[57:19] going to be there. So, um yeah, it was
[57:22] just a really good experience and like
[57:24] seeing I was really excited for my
[57:25] friend Vivy because her sister goes to
[57:27] Twolane and then she got the two award
[57:28] and I like saw her face like light up
[57:30] when she got it. So, I mean it was just
[57:32] an overall really nice experience.
[57:34] >> And then senior awards, I remember last
[57:36] year being a junior and then seniors
[57:37] senior awards right after and I just saw
[57:39] the amount of people going into those
[57:40] award that awards ceremony. I was like,
[57:42] "This is crazy." And so this year as a
[57:43] senior, I was able to see all that and
[57:45] there are just so many people in the
[57:46] audience and even people who aren't
[57:48] receiving awards, they're friends.
[57:49] They're there supporting their friends.
[57:51] Um and so you get like the engineering
[57:53] certificates are handed out. um like RO
[57:56] Kappa, which is the social studies and
[57:58] honor society. Those um kids are honored
[58:00] there. And then you also have more
[58:01] individualized awards. So like um
[58:03] certificates of excellence in certain
[58:05] classes and then also um old like
[58:07] departmental awards and then you got um
[58:09] like principal awards and so um like
[58:12] Maddie Clancy and I were recipients of
[58:14] the superintendent award which was
[58:16] presented by Dr. Hunter and we are so
[58:18] grateful um and honored for that. Um so
[58:20] it's just really great. I think that
[58:21] really kicks off like the end of our
[58:24] really I mean we've already finished our
[58:25] classes but um really exciting to cap
[58:27] off the year with all that. So yes, um
[58:30] we also we added this last minute
[58:32] because you guys had just brought up
[58:33] when Sunrise Club came in um presenting
[58:36] you know articles to um the town you
[58:38] know Tom meetings and it I think someone
[58:40] mentioned the Simon Catalo like meetings
[58:42] and so I do know that last week or two
[58:44] weeks ago girl club um had a meeting
[58:47] with him to discuss I don't know what
[58:49] exactly it was but it was some kind of
[58:51] voting act or I don't know exactly what
[58:53] it was.
[58:53] >> You want me to fill that in?
[58:54] >> Uh free menstrual products.
[58:56] >> Great. There you go. in public places.
[58:58] >> Oh, and then I think I also saw the
[59:00] League of Women Voters coming in. Maybe
[59:02] it was the week after. That's what I'm
[59:03] thinking of. Yeah,
[59:04] >> they were all together.
[59:04] >> Um, but yes, Girl was really great with
[59:07] that. And then anyway, um,
[59:09] >> we also had our senior clap out, which
[59:12] kind of goes in the theme with, you
[59:14] know, all these senior events. I know
[59:15] we're going to be talking a lot about
[59:16] that um, recently, but that was great
[59:18] because I think last year was very
[59:20] informal and then this year I think it
[59:22] was a more formalized thing. Um, and we
[59:24] were able to just walk through the halls
[59:26] to see our teachers and our students.
[59:27] Some of us like my younger brother, I
[59:29] could see him in the hallway. Um, and
[59:30] that was really special. And then we all
[59:32] rounded out in a circle in the um, right
[59:34] be the amphitheater at the end of the in
[59:37] the other calf. And that was really, I
[59:39] don't know, sweet to just see everyone
[59:40] on your last day, last official day, I
[59:43] guess, of classes. Um, do you want to
[59:45] talk about prom?
[59:47] >> Yes.
[59:50] » I co-planned the pre-prom. We actually
[59:53] just got the photos from the
[59:53] photographer today. You see like the
[59:55] bottom um left and then right above the
[59:58] Duncan one. We had I think somewhere
[1:00:01] near 200 plus people come to the
[1:00:03] pre-prom. Um it was like it was the day
[1:00:07] was perfect. The venue was perfect. I
[1:00:10] mean I don't know. I love prom. It was
[1:00:12] my first time going. So we're at the
[1:00:13] Boston Park Plaza if you want to add
[1:00:16] anything else to it. But
[1:00:17] >> not really. Yeah. Really exciting.
[1:00:19] >> Food was amazing, too. I heard that
[1:00:21] maybe they broke the dance floor because
[1:00:22] there was so much dancing going on.
[1:00:24] >> The dance floor was broken.
[1:00:26] >> It was like after the course of the
[1:00:27] night it like started like splitting and
[1:00:29] then you'd like cut like I still have
[1:00:31] cuts on my feet from falling on the
[1:00:33] floor. Um but that did happen.
[1:00:36] >> Um people's had too much fun I guess. Um
[1:00:38] and then also I wanted to mention the
[1:00:40] shout out the CC student interns which
[1:00:43] you guys might have seen cuz I think
[1:00:44] they were all highlighted on the
[1:00:45] Instagram page I believe. Um, but just
[1:00:48] so cool to again see, you know, some of
[1:00:50] your students like passions you kind of
[1:00:51] didn't know about like, oh, that
[1:00:53] person's interested in dermatology or
[1:00:55] they want to be a police officer or um
[1:00:58] like I know there was like a really cool
[1:01:00] like, you know, business or a few
[1:01:01] businesses that were made and that's
[1:01:02] just like so neat to see these like
[1:01:04] passions from your like peers who you
[1:01:06] don't normally like hear about that side
[1:01:07] of them um in your classes. So anyway,
[1:01:10] very cool to have that showcased um
[1:01:11] during lunches. And then um just more
[1:01:14] senior things I want to highlight
[1:01:16] because it was literally the most
[1:01:17] amazing like past two weeks just really
[1:01:19] sweet capping everything off. Um we had
[1:01:22] all night live. I mean of course
[1:01:23] graduation which yes it was rained out
[1:01:25] but I think that was totally made up for
[1:01:27] and we had so much fun. Um it was really
[1:01:29] great, really busy. Um impossible to
[1:01:31] take pictures with friends and family
[1:01:32] but somehow I managed it. Um Maddie and
[1:01:35] I have a picture. I think our heads
[1:01:36] might be barely cut off but we have our
[1:01:38] picture in this slide. Um, and we were
[1:01:41] sitting in the front row, so we were in
[1:01:43] a lot of those little cute pictures. I
[1:01:45] think a lot of them are in the conquer
[1:01:46] bridge. Um, so kind of special to have
[1:01:48] that all. And we went to Kimbells, we
[1:01:50] went to Six Flags, um, we had a field
[1:01:52] day. Um, just lots of stuff going on and
[1:01:55] really amazing to everyone. Thank you to
[1:01:57] everyone who hosted that and planned
[1:01:59] that out um because it really made our
[1:02:00] last few weeks here at CC so special.
[1:02:03] And I can't believe I'm leaving it all,
[1:02:05] but um, we're really excited. Um, and
[1:02:07] I'm I know Maddie would say the exact
[1:02:09] same thing if she was here, but um Yes.
[1:02:13] Okay. Do you want to talk about the car
[1:02:15] things, which I can't talk about
[1:02:16] anymore.
[1:02:19] >> I'm feeling very quiet. Um, so girls
[1:02:22] lacrosse is um currently in their
[1:02:24] playoffs. They won their last two
[1:02:25] playoffs games and I think they're
[1:02:27] number three in the state right now. Um,
[1:02:30] there's still time to climb to the top.
[1:02:32] They haven't had that many games.
[1:02:35] See what else? There's the photo on the
[1:02:37] bottom right which was one of the recent
[1:02:40] games I was I think in the conquered
[1:02:41] bridge that Amy took and they're like
[1:02:45] mostly just wrapping up and they're
[1:02:46] going to start having their banquetss
[1:02:48] and do you
[1:02:49] >> Yeah, I know. Like my brother does
[1:02:50] baseball and they're having the banquet
[1:02:51] like as we speak. So, um I'm going there
[1:02:54] right after this to deliver cookies. Um
[1:02:56] and then we also have which I think is
[1:02:58] very relevant to this. We have the
[1:02:59] student senate and government elections
[1:03:01] which that includes the school committee
[1:03:03] um representatives for next year taking
[1:03:05] over both Maddie and my positions. Um we
[1:03:08] won't know about that until next week I
[1:03:10] think but yes those two people who are
[1:03:13] elected will join because we're doing
[1:03:14] this again next year.
[1:03:15] >> Yes.
[1:03:15] we'll join just checking we'll join
[1:03:17] Mark. Um so yes very exciting.
[1:03:20] >> Yes. And student government just had
[1:03:21] their elections also. So
[1:03:22] >> and those results are out now. Yeah.
[1:03:24] >> Yeah. Vice president and then um Alex is
[1:03:27] president. Abby Adams is another vice
[1:03:29] president. Treasurer Charlotte Jackson
[1:03:30] and um sector is Hannah Cohen.
[1:03:33] >> So exciting. In case you missed it, Mark
[1:03:35] is the vice president of senior club
[1:03:38] very slightly.
[1:03:40] >> Yes. I wanted to get it right. But so
[1:03:42] girls playoffs is there's another game
[1:03:44] tomorrow, Elite 8, and it's the last
[1:03:47] home game at 4:30 for
[1:03:50] so try and go out there. And then our
[1:03:53] upcoming things or I mean finals Q5. Um
[1:03:57] and do you want to say anything about
[1:03:58] those? But
[1:03:59] >> quarter five um I'm doing reboot your
[1:04:02] wardrobe and combat app boot camp which
[1:04:06] >> I'm actually excited to get my common
[1:04:07] app done and like have somebody help me
[1:04:09] with it cuz
[1:04:10] >> before summer I think it'll like relieve
[1:04:12] so much stress. And then I'm a little
[1:04:13] bit interested on your wardrobe.
[1:04:19] » Yeah.
[1:04:19] >> Um and then of course summer. So, we're
[1:04:21] really excited and um Maddie and I are
[1:04:23] going to be leaving to go to college um
[1:04:26] sometime in mid August for both of us.
[1:04:28] Uh she's going to Dartmouth. I'll be
[1:04:29] going to Georgetown. So, we're both very
[1:04:31] excited. She's studying history and I'm
[1:04:33] studying government. So,
[1:04:35] >> yeah. Amazing.
[1:04:36] >> Congratulations.
[1:04:38] >> Congrats.
[1:04:38] >> Thank you.
[1:04:39] >> Um thank you for all of the updates
[1:04:42] throughout the year. Um you know, as
[1:04:43] someone who does not have students at
[1:04:45] the high school or children at the high
[1:04:46] school yet, it's, you know, just good to
[1:04:48] get a sense of what's going on. So
[1:04:49] >> yes,
[1:04:50] >> definitely appreciate it. Wish you best
[1:04:52] of luck. Um Mark, thank you as always.
[1:04:55] We'll look forward to seeing you back
[1:04:56] here next year. I you know, it'll be
[1:04:59] August and September before we know it,
[1:05:01] unfortunately. Um did anybody have any
[1:05:03] questions on the updates?
[1:05:06] >> Mark, what are you doing this summer?
[1:05:08] >> Oh, the summer. Um I'll be going to
[1:05:11] Nantuckle with my friend. And then
[1:05:14] besides that, oh, I just got into this
[1:05:17] program that I'm doing with the MECO
[1:05:20] CEO. I think it's called Bridgewater
[1:05:22] something. Um, the application is due
[1:05:24] tonight. So,
[1:05:26] but I'm really excited. It's about
[1:05:28] something with like civic and like
[1:05:29] business related stuff. So,
[1:05:31] >> awesome.
[1:05:32] >> I'll spend four days at MIT, which I'm
[1:05:33] really excited about.
[1:05:34] >> Okay.
[1:05:36] >> How about you, Evelyn? What are you up
[1:05:37] to for the summer?
[1:05:38] >> Hopefully working so I can make money
[1:05:40] over college. That's the plan. I'm
[1:05:42] working on my wrist bay right now. So,
[1:05:44] yes,
[1:05:45] >> I might know somebody else doing the
[1:05:46] same thing right now. Agent lives in my
[1:05:49] house.
[1:05:50] >> Yeah. All my friends are all in the same
[1:05:52] boat. So,
[1:05:54] >> the best of luck.
[1:05:54] >> Yeah.
[1:05:55] >> Thank you both. Good luck.
[1:05:56] >> Thank you all.
[1:05:57] >> Well done.
[1:06:00] >> All right. We'll now move on to public
[1:06:03] comment. Uh just as a reminder, our
[1:06:05] public comment period will be a period
[1:06:07] of 20 minutes. Um, as a reminder, this
[1:06:09] is a meeting in the public and not with
[1:06:11] the public. So, the school committee
[1:06:12] will not be responding to any comments.
[1:06:14] If you're in the room and would like to
[1:06:16] make um public comment, please submit a
[1:06:18] blue form to meet and you'll be called
[1:06:20] on to speak. If you're on Zoom, you can
[1:06:22] use the raise hand feature. Called to
[1:06:24] speak, please state your name and
[1:06:25] address before doing so. Um, we will go
[1:06:29] every other starting with a comment in
[1:06:30] the room and then taking a comment on
[1:06:32] Zoom and each person has a time limit of
[1:06:34] three minutes. Um, I don't have any blue
[1:06:37] forms yet. Is there anybody?
[1:06:44] Thank you so much. Hi. I just uh Cynthia
[1:06:47] Ready 80 Hunter Ridge Road. I just
[1:06:49] wanted to bring the community's
[1:06:51] attention to the events this month for
[1:06:54] Concrete Pride. Uh they have worked so
[1:06:57] hard. um all the organizers, if there's
[1:06:59] anybody online who's more intimately con
[1:07:02] uh aware of all the events. I just know
[1:07:05] that this Saturday starting at 9ine
[1:07:07] there's a parade at 10:30 there's a flag
[1:07:10] raising um in downtown conquered and I
[1:07:13] think there's then activities for the
[1:07:15] rest of the day familyfriendly
[1:07:17] activities. So starting at 11 with a
[1:07:19] stage in the center of conquered so uh
[1:07:22] please spread the word. I think it's
[1:07:24] going to be not raining for once.
[1:07:27] So I think it's going to be a great day.
[1:07:29] It might be a little warm, but uh I
[1:07:31] think it's just they've worked really
[1:07:32] hard and it's quite a tradition now I
[1:07:35] think in conquered and uh so please uh
[1:07:39] join in. Come from Carlile. We'd love to
[1:07:41] have you. So thank you very much.
[1:07:44] >> Thank you Cynthia.
[1:07:47] >> Is there anybody?
[1:07:54] » All right. Um moving along then. Jen
[1:07:56] Morgan.
[1:08:04] » Little little something.
[1:08:07] >> Just remember to say your address.
[1:08:09] >> My address is 91 Riverside Avenue.
[1:08:13] Good evening and thank you for the
[1:08:15] opportunity to speak tonight. My name is
[1:08:17] Jen Morgan. My husband Rob and I are
[1:08:20] parents of three children at Thorough
[1:08:22] Elementary School. Our oldest is in
[1:08:24] fifth grade and will be heading to CMS
[1:08:27] this fall. First, we'd like to share how
[1:08:30] impressed we've been with Principal
[1:08:31] Sparks, who's here, which is so nice,
[1:08:34] and the entire thorough staff,
[1:08:36] especially in response to the recent
[1:08:38] fire. Two of our three children's
[1:08:41] classrooms were displaced. And it has
[1:08:43] been clear that an extraordinary amount
[1:08:45] of care, intention, flexibility, and
[1:08:48] hard work went into supporting students
[1:08:51] and families through a difficult
[1:08:53] situation. We are deeply grateful for
[1:08:55] such capable leadership and feel
[1:08:57] fortunate to be part of this special
[1:08:59] school community. So, thank you.
[1:09:03] That experience also highlights
[1:09:04] something we value greatly in conquered
[1:09:07] schools. When challenges arise, our
[1:09:10] district approaches them thoughtfully
[1:09:12] with students well-being at the center.
[1:09:15] As our son prepares to transition to
[1:09:17] middle school, we hope to see that same
[1:09:19] intentionality applied to educational
[1:09:21] technology and AI, which we know
[1:09:24] significantly impacts the learning
[1:09:26] environment and potential of our
[1:09:27] children.
[1:09:29] Technology can be a powerful tool for
[1:09:31] learning, but how, when, and why it is
[1:09:34] used matters deeply. We are encouraged
[1:09:37] to see the district taking a closer look
[1:09:39] at educational technology through the
[1:09:41] upcoming assessment and we're hopeful
[1:09:43] that it will lead our school community
[1:09:45] in a productive and intentional
[1:09:47] direction. We are also excited about the
[1:09:50] work of the intentional tech coalition
[1:09:52] and fully support this group as we
[1:09:55] believe meaningful progress will come
[1:09:57] from strong partnerships between schools
[1:09:59] and families.
[1:10:01] We also believe that parents and
[1:10:03] educators share the same goal, helping
[1:10:05] children learn, grow, and thrive in a
[1:10:08] rapidly changing world. By working
[1:10:11] together, we can ensure that technology
[1:10:13] serves our students in ways that are
[1:10:15] purposeful, age appropriate, safe, and
[1:10:17] aligned with the values of our
[1:10:19] community. Thank you all for your time,
[1:10:21] your leadership, and your commitment to
[1:10:23] our children. Thank you.
[1:10:25] >> Thank you.
[1:10:28] >> I'll just check again online. Is there
[1:10:30] anyone who wants to make a public
[1:10:31] comment?
[1:10:34] All right. And I don't have any more
[1:10:35] forms in the room.
[1:10:38] So that concludes public comment. Um
[1:10:40] we'll now move on to the consent agenda
[1:10:42] where we have warrants a donation for
[1:10:45] senior week. Um as well as a CCHS trip
[1:10:48] to the White Mountains. Would someone
[1:10:50] like to make a motion to I guess first
[1:10:52] anything that needs to get pulled off
[1:10:53] from the consent agenda?
[1:10:56] >> All right. We accept the consent agenda.
[1:10:59] Okay. Is there a second? Second.
[1:11:02] >> Any discussion?
[1:11:04] >> Favor.
[1:11:04] >> I
[1:11:08] uh in terms of correspondence, I think
[1:11:12] it was two.
[1:11:15] >> Um we got correspondence related to um
[1:11:18] signage at the high school. Um and then
[1:11:21] we also had um signage sorry from the
[1:11:28] All right,
[1:11:30] moving on to discussion. Um, the first
[1:11:32] thing is the Maisy O'Donnell um dining
[1:11:34] center update and as you have been
[1:11:37] leaison.
[1:11:38] >> Yep.
[1:11:38] >> There I will turn over you.
[1:11:40] >> All right. Um, we welcome Sandy Smith
[1:11:44] who is joining us on behalf of the Maisy
[1:11:46] O'Donnell Foundation and we have Betsy
[1:11:49] O'Donnell who is joining us on Zoom from
[1:11:52] Bulgaria. So it's really late um really late and so they are coming to us
[1:11:58] to tell us a little bit about their
[1:11:59] project which are really looking forward
[1:12:01] to working with the O'Donnell Foundation
[1:12:04] the Maisy O'Donnell Foundation with the
[1:12:06] town with CC Pools. Betsy is currently
[1:12:09] president of CC Pools also. So I will
[1:12:12] turn it over to Sandy and Betsy. You
[1:12:14] guys can decide who goes first.
[1:12:16] >> I think Betsy you're you're up first.
[1:12:18] >> I am. So, I just want thank you, Sandy,
[1:12:21] and and thank you, Tracy. Um, you know,
[1:12:23] Kristoff and I just want to say once
[1:12:25] again how truly grateful we are for the
[1:12:29] support of the town in this initiative.
[1:12:31] Um, you know, really this has been a
[1:12:33] community endeavor to raise the money
[1:12:35] and the funds. And so, um, we greatly
[1:12:38] appreciate your help as we navigate
[1:12:40] these final last details. Um, and I will
[1:12:43] turn it over to Sandy who will walk
[1:12:45] through, um, those details.
[1:12:48] >> Great. Thanks very much, Betsy. And
[1:12:51] thank you, Tracy, for that introduction.
[1:12:53] I thought I might just give a quick
[1:12:56] rundown of what's happened since we were
[1:12:59] in front of you on August 20th last
[1:13:02] year. Uh we presented a conceptual
[1:13:06] design for the Maisy O'Donnell dryland
[1:13:10] training center, which would be attached
[1:13:12] to the Bey Center. At that point it was
[1:13:15] conceptual uh and we were delighted with
[1:13:18] the reception we got from the school
[1:13:20] committee. It was unanimous at the time.
[1:13:22] Uh and uh then our next stop was with
[1:13:27] the select board. We made a similar
[1:13:29] presentation to them on October 6th.
[1:13:32] They were unanimously supportive of the
[1:13:34] project as well. We asked the select
[1:13:36] board at that meeting if we could uh uh
[1:13:42] if we could run the project with a
[1:13:45] nonprofit organization as opposed to
[1:13:47] having the town uh build the build the
[1:13:50] project. And we did that for two
[1:13:51] reasons. One, uh we felt that we could
[1:13:54] do it for uh a lower budget and we felt
[1:13:57] we could do it faster. And the select
[1:14:00] board and town manager agreed um at that
[1:14:04] meeting. And so the uh town council then
[1:14:08] uh rendered an opinion that in fact we
[1:14:11] could we could do that because laws had
[1:14:14] changed since uh the original beauty
[1:14:17] center was uh built in the in the early
[1:14:21] 2000s. Um town council rendered
[1:14:26] positive opinion on October 24th.
[1:14:30] In November, we were actually able to
[1:14:32] revive the original CC Pools nonprofit
[1:14:35] organization with the help of Henry
[1:14:37] Dayne, who was on the original board of
[1:14:39] CC Pools.
[1:14:42] So, we had our nonprofit already
[1:14:43] basically in place, which helped uh
[1:14:46] tremendously. On January 16th, uh we
[1:14:50] signed a memorandum of understanding
[1:14:52] with the town uh which entrusts uh CC
[1:14:57] pools with the design and construction
[1:15:01] of the uh of the addition. And the
[1:15:06] memorandum of understanding is very
[1:15:08] specific in that the primary purpose uh
[1:15:12] of this addition is for the instruction
[1:15:15] and training of student athletes
[1:15:18] preparing themselves for participation
[1:15:20] in intercolastic and amateur competition
[1:15:23] and aquatic diving and related skills.
[1:15:26] That means the CCHS swim and dive team.
[1:15:30] So although it's attached to the BD
[1:15:33] center, this is for your this is for
[1:15:36] your students, all of our students
[1:15:39] primarily.
[1:15:42] uh on March 20th, we retained the
[1:15:45] architectural firm of Studio DSK uh to
[1:15:50] uh begin the design work and we're
[1:15:52] currently in the design phase of the
[1:15:54] project at the moment. Uh we're we're
[1:15:57] hoping to submit uh permit applications
[1:16:01] uh very shortly. Um
[1:16:05] and as you'll recall, the plan that we
[1:16:08] had last summer was to uh locate the
[1:16:12] addition in what I'll refer to as the
[1:16:15] lower parking lot. It's a small parking
[1:16:17] lot as you face the beauty center to
[1:16:20] around to the left and sort of down a
[1:16:21] level. Uh the attractive part of that is
[1:16:24] it's right through this. There's a wall
[1:16:28] there, very tall wall, 30 plus feet, but
[1:16:32] it's right adjacent to the dive well.
[1:16:35] And it makes absolutely perfect sense
[1:16:37] that that be the location. Um there's ve
[1:16:40] very little uh site prep that has to be
[1:16:43] done because the parking lot there is
[1:16:44] right at basically at the uh the pool uh
[1:16:48] pool level. Um so that's our current
[1:16:52] plan. Uh in order to execute on that
[1:16:55] plan however uh there are six parking
[1:16:58] spots there uh that are for a
[1:17:01] combination of uh staff parking and for
[1:17:05] delivery and service vehicles and we
[1:17:08] need to find a place to relocate those
[1:17:11] parking spots. Uh the special permit
[1:17:14] that was uh issued for the original BD
[1:17:18] center required a total number of 136
[1:17:21] parking spaces and six of those are
[1:17:26] those those six. Um in in considering
[1:17:31] the alternatives that we had uh we
[1:17:34] wanted to find a solution which
[1:17:39] uh had as little impact on the overall
[1:17:43] campus site both high school and BD
[1:17:46] center site as possible in terms of
[1:17:49] adding imperous surfaces. That's not a
[1:17:52] good thing. Uh so we're trying to avoid
[1:17:55] that. We're trying to do something that
[1:17:57] can be done fairly easily and where we
[1:18:00] can um we can uh not have to divert a
[1:18:05] lot of our resources into something
[1:18:07] other than uh our focus on building a
[1:18:11] first class diving facility for for our
[1:18:15] students. Um so we have come up with a
[1:18:19] proposal which uh if you could Drew if
[1:18:23] you could pass those around. Uh I have
[1:18:28] 12.
[1:18:32] » Um which involves uh your help.
[1:18:39] Um,
[1:18:43] let me get to my second page here.
[1:18:47] Um, we've identified
[1:18:49] uh locations on the uh CCHS campus where
[1:18:55] we would like to strike uh six
[1:18:59] replacement parking spaces.
[1:19:02] Uh the fir on the first page of the
[1:19:04] handout, you'll see an area up by the
[1:19:09] radio station, um the TV station, and
[1:19:12] it's near the loading dock for the high
[1:19:14] school. And there's a small little uh
[1:19:16] sort of cutth through area that has just
[1:19:18] enough spaces for three three parking
[1:19:21] spaces. Um
[1:19:24] and that's what we're showing on on the
[1:19:27] first slide here, the first picture.
[1:19:31] Um that gets us halfway. And then we uh
[1:19:37] identified an area on the access road
[1:19:41] into the high school campus from Walden
[1:19:44] Street. On the second slide, the town
[1:19:46] forest is right across uh to the right
[1:19:49] here on this picture. You see Walden
[1:19:51] Street coming across uh on on the right.
[1:19:54] And as you turn up and the be center
[1:19:56] parking lot, um, one of the entrance
[1:19:59] exits is there on the left, but we've
[1:20:03] got identified a spot for three
[1:20:06] additional parking spaces. Um,
[1:20:10] this would allow us to comply with the
[1:20:14] special permit that we need to comply
[1:20:16] with. Um, and as I said, it it it um
[1:20:21] it's it's been reviewed by both the
[1:20:24] police and fire departments. They're
[1:20:27] they concur this is
[1:20:31] a reasonable plan. Uh and uh as I said,
[1:20:36] the these six spaces will not disrupt
[1:20:40] any of the current student parking. I
[1:20:42] know all the student parking spaces are
[1:20:43] all numbered and uh we certainly didn't
[1:20:46] want to disrupt all that numbering. Um
[1:20:49] these can be numbered or not depending
[1:20:51] what what you want to do with them. Uh
[1:20:53] but it doesn't disrupt the current
[1:20:55] student parking. U it will have no
[1:20:58] impact on imperous surfaces at all. Uh,
[1:21:02] and as I said, it will allow us to
[1:21:05] devote all of our resources to building
[1:21:07] a a terrific uh uh diving facility for
[1:21:11] the town. So, that's the proposal. We
[1:21:14] would uh appreciate your support of that
[1:21:17] and that will allow us to move forward
[1:21:19] to the permitting process uh finish up
[1:21:22] our design work and move forward on with
[1:21:25] a permit application sometime in the
[1:21:27] next several weeks.
[1:21:30] Just to clarify, is this the only thing
[1:21:33] standing between getting to that next
[1:21:35] stage, getting to permitting?
[1:21:37] >> Well, it's certainly one of them. I
[1:21:39] mean, we we have to once we get this
[1:21:41] done and know that we've been able to
[1:21:44] find spots to to satisfy
[1:21:47] uh the requirements, uh then we can
[1:21:50] finish up the actual design work.
[1:21:53] >> But we we have, you know, we had a good
[1:21:56] head start on on that. uh uh because
[1:21:59] it's fundamentally a very similar plan
[1:22:02] to what we had last summer.
[1:22:04] >> So, has the timeline shifted at all?
[1:22:06] >> Sorry.
[1:22:06] >> Has the timeline shifted since uh we
[1:22:08] spoke last summer?
[1:22:09] >> Has the timeline shifted? Um
[1:22:13] that's an interesting question. Uh we're
[1:22:15] not really in control of the timeline.
[1:22:17] The uh the planning board and the zoning
[1:22:20] board really are going to determine what
[1:22:22] the what the timeline is. uh we we will
[1:22:25] have to we we hope to be able to submit
[1:22:29] um an application
[1:22:31] to them uh this month. Um and
[1:22:38] looking at their calendar, it looks like
[1:22:41] our first meeting opportunity with them
[1:22:43] would be about six weeks out from the
[1:22:45] time that we submit the application. Um,
[1:22:48] then there's a 20 or 30-day waiting
[1:22:51] period after they approve it for
[1:22:54] appeals. Uh, we'll wait for that. Uh,
[1:22:57] and then we would
[1:23:01] probably begin construction sometime in
[1:23:03] the early part of the fall be my guess.
[1:23:08] » Well, what a wonderful way to really
[1:23:10] honor Macy's life and to give a gift to
[1:23:13] the town. I mean, we're so grateful for
[1:23:15] the work that the foundation's done and
[1:23:17] for everyone that's contributed to it
[1:23:19] and we are definitely looking forward to
[1:23:21] partnering with the town to really make
[1:23:22] this happen.
[1:23:24] >> Thank Thank you. We promise you we'll do
[1:23:28] our best job to produce a, as I said, a
[1:23:32] first class uh facility that you and the
[1:23:36] town will be proud of. That's that's our
[1:23:38] objective. if you can help us with
[1:23:41] allowing us to stripe these six spaces,
[1:23:43] that'll be a huge hurdle that we will
[1:23:46] clear.
[1:23:47] >> So, what are the next steps?
[1:23:48] >> Yeah, so I've been involved in this for
[1:23:50] weeks now. So, we vetted these spots.
[1:23:52] It's totally fine.
[1:23:54] >> Okay.
[1:23:54] >> By the high school. Um, no impact really
[1:23:58] at all. In fact, some are already had
[1:24:00] parking.
[1:24:00] >> Yeah. Park and our maintenance team can
[1:24:04] stripe them tomorrow if you approve it.
[1:24:06] So, it's pretty straightforward if we're
[1:24:08] all on the same page.
[1:24:09] >> Okay. But we're not voting on this.
[1:24:11] >> Um, well, if it I think it we have one
[1:24:16] more meeting, but it might be best to
[1:24:17] vote on it tonight unless someone wants
[1:24:20] to wait till the next meeting,
[1:24:22] >> but it seems like to me it seems very
[1:24:24] straightforward and with the approval
[1:24:26] from police and fire and the district
[1:24:29] and everyone saying that this seems to
[1:24:31] be okay. I know we talked about um they
[1:24:33] had talked about putting additional ones
[1:24:35] all down that Walden Street, but now
[1:24:38] that's not gonna happen. So I feel like
[1:24:40] even from buses entering and leaving, if
[1:24:42] you've been on that campus during that
[1:24:44] time, this shouldn't have any impact on
[1:24:46] that.
[1:24:46] >> Okay.
[1:24:47] >> So people feel comfortable, I think we
[1:24:49] put to the vote.
[1:24:50] >> If I recall from the last time we
[1:24:52] discussed this, that was the only
[1:24:53] concern.
[1:24:54] >> There were six spots, three spots. And
[1:24:57] if police and fire is saying there's
[1:24:59] ample space from the intersection at
[1:25:01] Walden from the front, I don't see
[1:25:04] anything that should hold us back.
[1:25:06] >> I feel like this is the least we can do
[1:25:07] and we should approve it tonight and get
[1:25:09] them on their way.
[1:25:12] >> Seems like a no-brainer to me, too.
[1:25:14] >> All right. So, I I'll make a motion to
[1:25:16] approve the six parking spots as
[1:25:18] proposed at the meeting.
[1:25:20] >> Seconded.
[1:25:21] >> Any final discussion?
[1:25:24] » All in favor? I
[1:25:28] >> All right. Thank you very much. Thank
[1:25:30] you very much.
[1:25:31] >> Thank you. Thank you all so so much. We
[1:25:33] really appreciate it.
[1:25:37] » Okay. Um we will continue now to our
[1:25:41] school improvement plans. Dr. Over to
[1:25:45] you.
[1:25:45] >> Great. So we were going to reverse order
[1:25:47] here and start with the high school um
[1:25:49] and then make our way to middle and
[1:25:51] elementaryaries. So, I'm going to invite
[1:25:53] Katie Style and Brian Miller up to talk
[1:25:56] with you. Our plan is to um assume
[1:26:00] you've read them and highlight each
[1:26:04] administration is going to highlight a
[1:26:06] few pieces, but we really want this to
[1:26:09] be a dialogue um and not just sit here
[1:26:12] and lecture with you. We're cognizant of
[1:26:14] time and want to be sure it's a back and
[1:26:18] forth discussion and not just us talking
[1:26:21] with you talking with you but not at
[1:26:23] you. So Brian and Katie are here. I'm
[1:26:26] going to turn it over to them to kick it
[1:26:28] off and then we can discuss from there.
[1:26:32] >> Hey everybody.
[1:26:33] >> Hi
[1:26:34] to see you.
[1:26:36] >> Um okay so we are just going to choose
[1:26:39] two uh rows that we're going to talk
[1:26:41] about. So, first one we want to talk
[1:26:43] about is on the bottom of the first
[1:26:44] page, and it's talking about um
[1:26:47] expanding student driven learning
[1:26:49] opportunities, increase our
[1:26:50] understanding, understanding,
[1:26:52] engagement, and joy. Um that's something
[1:26:54] we're really looking forward to do.
[1:26:57] So, one of the ways we want to do that
[1:26:58] is we have been partnering with
[1:27:00] Levvenia, which is a um ed education
[1:27:03] consultant group for the past two years.
[1:27:04] They've been they've been amazing. It's
[1:27:06] taken us a little bit of time to find
[1:27:08] the right group to offer professional
[1:27:10] development for our staff, but they have
[1:27:12] really formed strong connections. Um,
[1:27:16] and they so it's just nice. They're not
[1:27:18] the one hit wonder. They many of them
[1:27:20] are on campus five or 10 times
[1:27:21] throughout the year. They know our
[1:27:23] staff's name. Our staff knows their
[1:27:24] name. They have a a real actual
[1:27:28] connection. Um, especially built over
[1:27:31] two years now. So, we really want
[1:27:33] they've been doing a lot of individual
[1:27:34] coaching with our staff, but something
[1:27:37] that we're looking to bring in next year
[1:27:39] is really look at strengthening our
[1:27:41] leadership team ability to do some of
[1:27:43] that work as well. So, three or four
[1:27:46] times over the course of the next year,
[1:27:50] bringing them in directly into our
[1:27:51] leadership teams. Um, the other thing
[1:27:54] that we are really looking to expand is
[1:27:57] or explore is our interdisciplinary
[1:27:59] offerings. Um I think many of you know
[1:28:01] what Twice Totales is.
[1:28:03] >> Yes.
[1:28:04] Okay. So we've always only offered
[1:28:06] that in first semester but we are
[1:28:08] offering it in both semesters next year.
[1:28:11] We're also expanding um
[1:28:15] uh offering AP environmental science and
[1:28:17] AP language in Rivers and Revolutions
[1:28:20] directly.
[1:28:21] >> So that will be a really cool addition.
[1:28:24] Um, and then also we've been talking
[1:28:27] with some of the ninth grade academy
[1:28:29] leaders about what opportunities might
[1:28:31] exist for um, within the ninth grade
[1:28:34] academy team structure. One thing you'll
[1:28:36] notice is that we have had a fourth goal
[1:28:39] for a long time about the nth grade
[1:28:40] academy, but we feel like we're doing a
[1:28:43] really good job at it and we just felt
[1:28:44] like we did. It doesn't mean we're not
[1:28:45] going to continue to keep it a focus,
[1:28:47] but it's not something that we felt like
[1:28:49] we needed a fourth goal in. But um this
[1:28:52] summer, some of our summer work is going
[1:28:54] to be about exploring the
[1:28:56] interdisciplinary opportunities that
[1:28:58] might exist in this academy model. So
[1:29:00] we're really excited about those ideas.
[1:29:02] >> Yeah. And just to um piggyback about
[1:29:05] Levvenia, um we're just really excited
[1:29:07] to continue that work next year with our
[1:29:09] English, social studies, math, and
[1:29:10] science departments. um the work that
[1:29:12] they're doing with our department
[1:29:14] chairs, getting into classrooms,
[1:29:16] observing with the chairs, kind of using
[1:29:18] that coaching model has been incredibly
[1:29:20] impactful and beneficial for all of our
[1:29:22] teachers. Um and really thinking about
[1:29:24] some of the transferable skills that
[1:29:26] they can use for students and um kind of
[1:29:29] shifting the cognitive load for for
[1:29:30] teachers and students. So um we're
[1:29:33] really looking forward to continuing
[1:29:34] that work with them next year.
[1:29:38] Can I ask a question about apes within
[1:29:41] um Rivers? Yeah. So, if you take Rivers
[1:29:44] first semester, you'll take first
[1:29:45] semester AP environmental and then
[1:29:47] you'll take either A or B block or
[1:29:49] whatever block it fits into second
[1:29:51] semester.
[1:29:51] >> Yeah. So, you can do it both ways.
[1:29:53] >> Yeah, you can do it both ways.
[1:29:55] >> Okay.
[1:29:55] >> You could take you could do like apes
[1:29:57] and rivers first semester and then do
[1:29:59] apes not in rivers outside of rivers.
[1:30:01] >> Yeah. Like it wouldn't necessarily have
[1:30:02] to be in a reblock cuz now you're no
[1:30:04] longer in rivers.
[1:30:06] >> Yes. So, um,
[1:30:08] >> and Twice Told Tales is over subscribed
[1:30:10] every year, right? So, this is a I mean,
[1:30:13] there's like a hundred kids every year
[1:30:15] that want it. So, I still don't know if
[1:30:17] we met all the demand
[1:30:19] >> for all the kids who Yeah. It's a great
[1:30:21] course.
[1:30:21] >> They they present here and we all wanted
[1:30:23] to sit up.
[1:30:25] >> Alex and Eric are amazing.
[1:30:28] >> Yeah. Okay. So, the next thing we're
[1:30:29] going to talk about um is on the last
[1:30:32] page, creating and promoting safe spaces
[1:30:34] where voices and needs of diverse
[1:30:36] students and their families are valued
[1:30:38] and heard. Um so we've had quite a few
[1:30:42] um new affinity groups pop up this year
[1:30:44] and something that we started to do um
[1:30:47] midyear was to bring together the
[1:30:49] leaders of those affinity groups so that
[1:30:51] they could have time together to talk
[1:30:53] about common themes, common challenges,
[1:30:57] um scheduling different things that they
[1:30:59] have coming up. and it's been really
[1:31:01] incredible um to have those leaders come
[1:31:04] together to kind of share, you know, the
[1:31:07] different things that their that their
[1:31:08] groups are doing. Um so that's something
[1:31:10] that we're definitely going to continue.
[1:31:12] Um we're our goal is to have at least
[1:31:15] one meeting um each quarter next year so
[1:31:18] that all the leaders can come together
[1:31:20] and just brainstorm um and share ideas.
[1:31:23] And um it was really cool to see just
[1:31:26] like after our very first meeting all
[1:31:28] the different affinity groups following
[1:31:29] each other on social media and talking
[1:31:31] about ideas for you know ways that they
[1:31:33] can incorporate their groups into fun
[1:31:35] Fridays and things that they can do
[1:31:37] together and promoting each other's
[1:31:38] events. Um so that's been really
[1:31:41] exciting to see and we're really excited
[1:31:42] to continue that work um with our
[1:31:44] student body next year. Yeah. Our
[1:31:47] student um reps came in and talked about
[1:31:49] how impactful that was and so it's great
[1:31:51] to see you guys lean into that a little
[1:31:53] bit more.
[1:31:54] >> Yeah. Yeah. We're excited about it
[1:31:55] >> and it's it's fun to hear the students
[1:31:57] talk about it and then you come in and
[1:31:58] talk about
[1:32:00] >> Yep.
[1:32:01] >> Well, we both mentioned it on Saturday
[1:32:03] as well. It was like
[1:32:04] >> we didn't really know that like
[1:32:07] >> we hadn't read Lor's. Lori hadn't read
[1:32:08] our
[1:32:09] >> You didn't get it done enough.
[1:32:12] >> And you can watch it on Minute Man Media
[1:32:14] if you missed it. I watch all my
[1:32:16] speeches there. Excellent.
[1:32:17] >> I know that uh I'm being led under the
[1:32:20] DI commission that the commission has
[1:32:22] interest in working with the student
[1:32:25] affinity groups and I've also heard from
[1:32:27] the student affinity groups that they
[1:32:28] want to work together not only with the
[1:32:31] other groups in the school but expand an
[1:32:34] envelope with other neighboring
[1:32:36] communities the like affinity groups. Is
[1:32:38] there any work going on toward that?
[1:32:40] Yeah. So, I know that our BSU has often
[1:32:43] had um potlucks with uh let's see,
[1:32:46] Bedford and Wakefield.
[1:32:48] >> Yes,
[1:32:48] >> I think those I think Wakefield. So, I
[1:32:51] and I know that our um Spectrum group,
[1:32:56] not only Spectrum, but a lot of students
[1:32:58] in Spectrum just went to a um LGBTQIA
[1:33:02] plus prom three a few Fridays ago
[1:33:06] >> uh held at Wuburn High School. So, I
[1:33:08] think that as the affinity groups become
[1:33:11] more um developed that I think right now
[1:33:16] some of them are just getting their feet
[1:33:18] underwater and trying to deal with
[1:33:19] navigating CC,
[1:33:21] >> but then they're ready like some of
[1:33:23] those groups have been around for a bit
[1:33:24] longer and are looking elsewhere as
[1:33:26] well.
[1:33:26] >> Yeah,
[1:33:29] >> a couple of questions about uh academic
[1:33:31] achievement. Um just says 95% retention
[1:33:35] of uh students in
[1:33:39] how far are we from that target?
[1:33:43] >> Um so dual enrollment we have no measure
[1:33:45] of because we've never done dual
[1:33:47] enrollment.
[1:33:47] >> Okay.
[1:33:48] >> Um so there's that.
[1:33:50] >> Um I think that we've made
[1:33:52] >> Can you explain dual enrollment for the
[1:33:54] committee?
[1:33:55] >> So I guess I should call it concurrent
[1:33:56] enrollment because that's really what
[1:33:58] it's called. So dual enrollment would be
[1:34:00] if our students went to Middle Sex and
[1:34:03] took courses at Middle Sex during the
[1:34:05] day. Concurrent enrollment will be
[1:34:07] students will receive CC but also Middle
[1:34:10] Sex credit but the course is taught by a
[1:34:12] CC teacher
[1:34:13] >> at CC So you could have kids in I don't
[1:34:18] know like
[1:34:19] >> psychology and Katie could be taking it
[1:34:23] for concurrent enrollment credit and I'm not or vice versa. Um, I think that
[1:34:29] we right now we have made a lot of
[1:34:32] progress recently about just getting
[1:34:35] these marginalized students into honors
[1:34:38] and AP courses and we've really started
[1:34:40] with 9th grade. So, it's hard to say we
[1:34:42] started 2 or 3 years ago with younger
[1:34:44] students. It's too it's really hard to
[1:34:47] just start with your 12th graders and
[1:34:49] say all of a sudden you're going to take
[1:34:51] the student is not really setting up a
[1:34:53] student for success. So I think this is
[1:34:55] the first year that we actually have a
[1:34:57] substantial number of students taking
[1:34:58] it. So it's hard for
[1:35:01] me to really give that data exactly but
[1:35:03] I think it's
[1:35:04] >> yes for sure.
[1:35:06] >> Um on a on a similar line right the
[1:35:10] enrollment in upper class courses by
[1:35:12] 10%. Is that the goal over the next year
[1:35:18] few years? I think that that is our goal
[1:35:20] for next if for this coming year like
[1:35:23] sort of when kids have registered for
[1:35:24] courses in a year from now. Okay.
[1:35:27] >> 10% more than a baseline right now.
[1:35:29] >> 10% more than now. Yeah.
[1:35:33] >> Let's just ask questions of a few more
[1:35:35] asking.
[1:35:37] >> But didn't you also have students that
[1:35:39] opted to enroll in some of your English
[1:35:43] electives versus like AP English? So you
[1:35:46] can have the goal, but some they might
[1:35:48] say, "Gee, I really want to take, I
[1:35:49] don't know, I'll make it up French
[1:35:50] literature instead of taking AP L and so
[1:35:54] that's going to happen, right? But you
[1:35:56] can still take it for honors credit."
[1:35:58] Okay.
[1:35:58] >> Yeah. And there's so many I mean, I'm
[1:36:00] sure you've seen the course catalog.
[1:36:02] There's so many amazing courses for
[1:36:03] students to choose. So, so it's really
[1:36:05] about, you know, preference and what
[1:36:07] they want to study and what they want to
[1:36:09] spend their time on.
[1:36:10] >> And I had somebody ask me like literally
[1:36:11] today, they're like, "Well, does it
[1:36:13] matter if you take AP or honors? like is
[1:36:15] there any difference? Like and people
[1:36:17] always worry about what colleges think
[1:36:18] of taking AP class versus an honors
[1:36:20] class and I was like personally I'm like
[1:36:23] it doesn't really matter like like take
[1:36:25] what you want to take and take what
[1:36:27] you're prepared for.
[1:36:28] >> Yeah. I think it's all about fit for a
[1:36:29] student and thinking about like their balance as a whole and their
[1:36:32] course load as a whole and what makes
[1:36:34] sense for them especially in their
[1:36:35] junior and senior years
[1:36:36] >> when they have more flexibility to
[1:36:38] choose classes that they want to be in.
[1:36:42] Um, I did have a question. I noticed um
[1:36:46] it said um grade 6 to 12 department
[1:36:48] chairs meeting to to collaborate. Um,
[1:36:51] and you probably know where I'm going
[1:36:52] with this. Where are the opportunities
[1:36:54] um for for Carlile if any?
[1:36:57] >> Yeah. So, we did so we've done this this
[1:36:58] year as well.
[1:37:00] >> It's uh Carlilele has absolutely been
[1:37:02] included. they don't have maybe it's
[1:37:04] less a department chair but there's
[1:37:05] certainly like a liaison from carile
[1:37:08] that they've been included
[1:37:10] >> in the discussions um
[1:37:13] >> so I think our goal is just to we
[1:37:15] started it this year and how I think we
[1:37:18] maybe did two or three
[1:37:19] >> our chairs love it they love you know
[1:37:22] streamlining and talking about the you
[1:37:24] know the vertical alignment so that's
[1:37:25] been exciting
[1:37:27] >> for sure
[1:37:28] >> so I think we're just looking to expand
[1:37:29] on that and
[1:37:31] just at least have it happen once a
[1:37:33] quarter.
[1:37:34] >> No, that's great. And especially as
[1:37:35] we're finishing our strategic plan where
[1:37:37] vertical and horizontal alignment from
[1:37:39] preK to 8 is going to be something we
[1:37:42] start on next year.
[1:37:43] >> Yeah,
[1:37:44] >> I think just great to hear.
[1:37:47] >> Did you go back to the dual?
[1:37:49] >> Oh, go ahead. The dual enrollment real
[1:37:51] quick. I love that you're committing to
[1:37:53] that and I wonder if there's any
[1:37:55] movement toward early college as well.
[1:37:57] typically is one of the best catalysts
[1:37:59] for low-income students to launch into
[1:38:02] college and complete uh not only saving
[1:38:04] them money but also getting them far
[1:38:07] along the journey to a degree. I'm
[1:38:09] curious if there's any uh momentum or
[1:38:12] thinking toward that in the future.
[1:38:15] >> Yeah. So, this is definitely this is new
[1:38:17] for us starting next year. So for us,
[1:38:19] like we're really excited about this and
[1:38:21] I think we'll see, you know, we'll see
[1:38:24] how our students do with it, how much
[1:38:26] they take advantage of it. I mean, I
[1:38:28] think that I think they're going to
[1:38:29] really like it for many of those
[1:38:31] reasons. Um, so I think anything to kind
[1:38:34] of think about the benefits for our
[1:38:37] students post high school, right?
[1:38:39] Earning credits and all those things is
[1:38:40] certainly something that we're open to
[1:38:43] um exploring and thinking about and will
[1:38:45] continue to. Do you imagine it'll have
[1:38:47] an impact on college enrollment rates?
[1:38:49] And I I know we have a very high college
[1:38:51] enrollment rate.
[1:38:52] >> Yeah.
[1:38:52] >> But I don't know actually what our
[1:38:54] college completion rate is of for
[1:38:56] students who graduate from conquered and
[1:38:58] I don't know if that is knowable uh or
[1:39:00] easily knowable.
[1:39:02] >> Not easily.
[1:39:04] >> Um yeah,
[1:39:05] >> we've talked about that. That's
[1:39:07] something that we Yeah, we don't we
[1:39:08] don't have great data on that. M
[1:39:10] >> um we just did an exit survey for our
[1:39:12] seniors and asked for their email
[1:39:14] addresses or personal email addresses
[1:39:16] for you know when they leave so that we
[1:39:19] you know as we think about how to
[1:39:20] capture more data moving forward we can
[1:39:22] reach more students
[1:39:23] >> but doesn't desi track like 16 months
[1:39:25] after but they don't track beyond
[1:39:28] >> yeah you'd have to do I think the best
[1:39:30] proxy would be 36 months national
[1:39:33] student clearing house data which is not
[1:39:36] >> it's not crazy expensive it's like $3 a
[1:39:38] student to buy that data. Yeah,
[1:39:40] >> but it's possible in theory.
[1:39:42] >> Yeah, I I I would posit I hypothesize
[1:39:46] that you would have an impact on it by
[1:39:48] the dual enrollment in early college uh
[1:39:50] initiative.
[1:39:51] >> Yeah.
[1:39:54] » Okay. Maybe I'll keep asking. Um go for
[1:39:56] it.
[1:39:57] >> The the multi-tered support uh it spoke
[1:39:59] about 9th and 10th grade. Uh is is there
[1:40:02] a reason why it's starting 11 to and 12
[1:40:07] >> I think that we certainly are we focus a
[1:40:09] lot with our screeners and things with
[1:40:11] our um reading screeners and math
[1:40:13] screeners towards the younger grades and
[1:40:15] I think just building that foundation in the ninth and tth grades has been um
[1:40:20] really beneficial to our students as
[1:40:22] they get to 11th and 12th grade. I think
[1:40:25] it's certainly we certainly provide
[1:40:27] students with the supports that they
[1:40:28] need. It's just we're not necessarily
[1:40:30] looking at the whole grade um at once.
[1:40:33] >> And I think if we're doing a good job at
[1:40:34] ninth and tenth, right, we're sort of
[1:40:36] pulling back those services,
[1:40:37] >> right,
[1:40:38] >> as we can getting them ready for
[1:40:41] whatever looks next
[1:40:42] >> and increasing their independence. Yeah.
[1:40:46] >> Um in diversity and retention.
[1:40:52] » Yes.
[1:40:53] Um, do you have
[1:40:56] numbers of what the attrition has looked
[1:40:58] like in recent years? Because it spoke
[1:40:59] about uh trying to
[1:41:05] um develop recommendations for increased
[1:41:07] retention.
[1:41:09] Is is that a problem or
[1:41:12] >> No, we've actually been doing a really
[1:41:15] nice job um hiring more diver more
[1:41:19] diverse faculty
[1:41:21] in a year with riffs. That's
[1:41:24] challenging.
[1:41:25] Um but I think that it's certainly on
[1:41:28] our mind every time we've made a hire
[1:41:30] and they've been incredible. We've made
[1:41:34] good steps forward.
[1:41:37] Thank you.
[1:41:40] I have a question. This is certainly not
[1:41:43] the sum total of all you're doing it,
[1:41:46] but sometimes the things that appear on
[1:41:47] the list are the most important, but
[1:41:49] it's the things that just miss. I'm
[1:41:51] curious, is there one or two things that
[1:41:53] just miss being on here that you know,
[1:41:57] um,
[1:41:58] you know, not hit you?
[1:42:03] Um, for me it's I mean I think it's
[1:42:06] definitely shows up in the both the
[1:42:09] inclusive culture and the um
[1:42:13] second strand about well-being, but it's
[1:42:15] about like how do we ensure all students
[1:42:17] have a strong sense of connection and
[1:42:18] belonging.
[1:42:19] >> Yeah.
[1:42:20] >> Um to me
[1:42:22] that's super important. I don't know how
[1:42:24] you can like begin to learn well if you
[1:42:27] don't feel like that you show up to a
[1:42:29] school where people know who you are.
[1:42:31] Um, so I think that that's always our
[1:42:34] challenge to take a place where 1,200
[1:42:36] kids and 200 to 250 staff show up every
[1:42:39] day and make it that kids
[1:42:43] like that it feels smaller and kids feel
[1:42:45] known and that they've found their
[1:42:46] space.
[1:42:46] >> Yeah.
[1:42:47] >> So that
[1:42:48] >> there's so many little things that we
[1:42:49] all do dayto-day that won't end up right
[1:42:51] like in our school improvement plan, but
[1:42:53] that mean so much to students and to
[1:42:56] educators in the building. So
[1:42:58] >> yeah,
[1:42:58] >> I appreciate that the answer, the
[1:43:00] honesty. It's hard to leave things on
[1:43:02] the cutting room floor.
[1:43:04] >> And um
[1:43:06] >> yeah, I'm interested in where we can go
[1:43:08] on that very topic. That's an important
[1:43:10] one.
[1:43:10] >> That's true.
[1:43:11] >> Yeah.
[1:43:13] >> Is there anything you need from us in
[1:43:16] particular as you pursue the things that
[1:43:18] are listed for next year's school
[1:43:21] improvement plan?
[1:43:22] >> I just I'm so grateful that our students
[1:43:24] can come here and talk about so many of
[1:43:26] the great things that they're doing. I
[1:43:28] know that recognition means a lot to
[1:43:29] them and they love that time. So, thank
[1:43:31] you. And if we can continue to have them
[1:43:34] come back to school committee next year,
[1:43:35] um I know that goes a long way. So,
[1:43:38] thank you for that.
[1:43:39] >> Yeah. No, we're super grateful. I think
[1:43:41] that we absolutely appreciate your
[1:43:43] support and it is felt from us and our
[1:43:46] staff. So, thank you.
[1:43:47] >> Thank you.
[1:43:48] >> Well, thank you. Thank you.
[1:43:52] » It's fun hearing the students talk about
[1:43:54] the last two weeks because it's been
[1:43:55] such a whirlwind.
[1:43:57] I WAS SITTING OVER THERE getting
[1:43:58] Cheerios
[1:44:01] 9 to five. I go that felt like I was
[1:44:02] like
[1:44:03] >> I thought it was 3 months ago
[1:44:05] 3 weeks ago.
[1:44:07] >> Yes, that feels like a long time ago.
[1:44:08] >> Like a lifetime.
[1:44:09] >> Thank you so much. Thank you.
[1:44:10] >> Thank you.
[1:44:12] >> Will we continue to middle school now?
[1:44:14] >> Yeah. So Mr. Cameron comes along which
[1:44:16] this is the only So you'll get gentler
[1:44:18] on him because he has partner
[1:44:22] Molly our comfort dog.
[1:44:26] Good to see you, Will.
[1:44:29] >> Uh just a very quick shout out uh to Mr.
[1:44:31] Houseman. We got 18 staff right now in
[1:44:33] DC, about 200 kids.
[1:44:35] >> Yes,
[1:44:35] >> they're in the hotel room preparing for
[1:44:37] dinner dance uh in the hotel. I'm sure
[1:44:40] they're watching on their devices.
[1:44:44] Um and as quickly as that, I'm very
[1:44:47] proud to share that counterprogramming
[1:44:50] that um with the group that's staying
[1:44:52] back from DC. For the first time ever,
[1:44:54] the state asked our middle school uh to
[1:44:57] come to the DCU center to do some
[1:44:59] showcasing of the civics uh action
[1:45:02] project that all eighth graders do
[1:45:04] throughout the Commonwealth. So that
[1:45:06] happened this week with the group that
[1:45:08] stayed back, a small cohort went to the
[1:45:10] DCU center. Second time this school year
[1:45:12] where the stadiums asked us uh to
[1:45:15] showcase and model. So
[1:45:16] >> wow, that's great.
[1:45:17] >> Special.
[1:45:18] >> I might have stayed home my eighth grade
[1:45:20] DC trip and it wasn't like that. It was
[1:45:22] very nice. That was the 80s though.
[1:45:26] >> All right. I am here to highlight some
[1:45:28] important foundational work um in tier
[1:45:31] one that's being uh focused on this
[1:45:35] school improvement plan. Uh very
[1:45:37] briefly, tier one um is the foundational
[1:45:40] work that all students have access to
[1:45:44] and strong foundational work that is
[1:45:46] done in the mainstream classrooms.
[1:45:49] uh quite frankly if you have strong one
[1:45:51] strong tier one instruction happening in
[1:45:54] SEAL focus
[1:45:56] then all your data improves and all your
[1:45:59] data source um you can have the best
[1:46:02] special education and intervention
[1:46:03] programs in your school but if you don't
[1:46:05] have strong tier one it will fall and it
[1:46:08] will falter so underneath the two
[1:46:12] objectives of multiple path to success
[1:46:15] and well-being and mental health I'm
[1:46:17] just going to briefly share some of the
[1:46:20] focus um that we had at this school year
[1:46:22] which launched us um to these two new
[1:46:25] goals. So the entire district um did
[1:46:28] some work very important work with
[1:46:30] Danisa uh Jackson Dr. Jackson around UDL
[1:46:34] which is universal design for learning.
[1:46:37] >> Uh there are two areas that are
[1:46:39] highlighted in this school improvement
[1:46:40] plan. One is tier one instruction um and
[1:46:44] making sure that all of our teachers in
[1:46:46] the mainstream classrooms are giving
[1:46:49] choices to students and have multiple
[1:46:52] paths to success for our students. Um
[1:46:55] and that UDL work um is again aligned
[1:46:59] very strongly with tier one objectives.
[1:47:03] The way in which we're going to be
[1:47:05] monitoring that work um and supporting
[1:47:08] the teachers is through professional
[1:47:09] development and uh what we already have
[1:47:13] in place with with is which is um some
[1:47:17] monitoring of data that we do um almost
[1:47:21] every other month. We do that at the
[1:47:23] team level, the grade level team level
[1:47:25] and then we do that as a student support
[1:47:27] team of administrators, guidance
[1:47:29] counselors, school psychologists and
[1:47:31] nurses about once a week as well. The
[1:47:34] data points that we measure um is
[1:47:36] through pair which is an SEAL assessment
[1:47:39] that all the students take um through
[1:47:41] Renaissance Star Math, Renaissance Star
[1:47:43] English um and of course MCCAST as well.
[1:47:47] We've been fortunate enough, as I
[1:47:48] mentioned just minutes ago, um to be
[1:47:51] recognized by the state um in closing
[1:47:53] some of the gaps that we've had at the
[1:47:55] middle school. Um but we are really
[1:47:58] committed to the strong tier one work
[1:48:00] and UDL priority that we have in place
[1:48:04] which gets us to underneath uh
[1:48:08] well-being and mental health some work
[1:48:10] that we're doing um through an
[1:48:12] initiative um called PBIS. PBIS is
[1:48:16] behavioral positive behavioral incentive
[1:48:19] supports or systems. Uh the middle
[1:48:22] school wrote a grant say five years ago
[1:48:26] um through the conquered ed fund that
[1:48:28] provided all of us with these pouches
[1:48:31] um and school story gift cards. Um it is
[1:48:35] aligned with our school values of
[1:48:37] compassion, motivation and
[1:48:39] self-awareness.
[1:48:41] We're really focused, which is the
[1:48:43] tenant of PBIS, in making sure that we
[1:48:46] are shining the bright light on what is
[1:48:49] essentially the 99% of kids and their
[1:48:52] amazingness
[1:48:54] and how well um they behave and focus on
[1:48:58] their academics. Um and we're looking to
[1:49:01] make sure that there's an exttrinsic u
[1:49:04] focus on those areas by all of us
[1:49:08] walking around with pouches have school
[1:49:10] store gift cards attached to them. Uh we
[1:49:13] started this work about 5 years ago and
[1:49:15] part of the grant that was submitted to
[1:49:17] conquered ed fund was curriculum in the
[1:49:20] area of teaching the kids about
[1:49:23] compassion, teaching the kids about
[1:49:25] motivation and then the one that's a
[1:49:27] little bit more nuanced, self-awareness.
[1:49:30] Um we've packed a lot in our advisory
[1:49:32] program and I feel like that education
[1:49:35] of those three uh core areas, those
[1:49:38] three core values have gotten lost a
[1:49:40] little. So, we're looking to recommmit.
[1:49:43] Uh, educators, you know, when we start
[1:49:46] out with something and we're new to
[1:49:48] something, I think we're really good at
[1:49:50] being intentional about it and then
[1:49:52] sometimes we forget every four years
[1:49:54] there's a new group of students in front
[1:49:56] of us that don't have that foundation.
[1:49:59] So, uh, under well-being and mental
[1:50:01] health, you see that we're looking to
[1:50:04] recommmit ourselves, um, to the good
[1:50:06] work of PBIS. The way we're going to
[1:50:09] monitor that is we're really looking as
[1:50:13] a school to get a cadence um with the
[1:50:15] panorama survey data. Um we really feel
[1:50:18] like you know we've had the panorama in
[1:50:21] place for a couple years. Um and we
[1:50:23] don't necessarily have but we will next
[1:50:25] year through the school improvement
[1:50:27] goal. You know any sense of what group
[1:50:30] is looking at it? What group is
[1:50:32] monitoring it? what group is looking at
[1:50:35] areas of growth and areas of needs
[1:50:37] improvement that we might have and how
[1:50:40] is all of that panorama data tied to the
[1:50:43] school improvement goal. So those are
[1:50:45] two quick highlights that I wanted to
[1:50:47] share. U both I feel like are paralleled
[1:50:51] in the work Denisa Jackson um and UDL.
[1:50:58] » Thank you.
[1:50:58] Anybody have questions?
[1:51:04] » Thanks. Thanks, Justin. The the the
[1:51:08] I'm recalling the 2024 25 and the most
[1:51:12] recent panorama data um and specifically
[1:51:17] the area looking at sense of belonging.
[1:51:20] Um I recall numbers 24 25 or low this
[1:51:24] year some recall is 38%
[1:51:28] number where the uh
[1:51:32] families concerned about that the school
[1:51:36] saw or understood their child's culture
[1:51:39] and their child's background with those
[1:51:42] two numbers prior was 19%. How can you
[1:51:46] speak to tracking over time and looking
[1:51:50] to grow that number?
[1:51:52] >> Sure. That was the parent survey.
[1:51:55] >> Uh
[1:51:57] the student sense of belonging was
[1:51:59] actually quite high this past one, but
[1:52:01] I'll answer the question focused on uh
[1:52:04] the families. There is mention um
[1:52:07] underneath the skull of doing more work
[1:52:10] partnering with families. Um, you know,
[1:52:14] I'm not sure if you've ever heard, but a
[1:52:16] lot of educators who are intentional
[1:52:19] about doing work such as this, if that
[1:52:22] work is not shared and partnered with
[1:52:25] the families, um, we have very little
[1:52:28] hope. Um, so we've been really more
[1:52:31] thoughtful and deliberate in the
[1:52:34] playbook work this year. um and sending
[1:52:37] home, you know, I think five or six days
[1:52:40] before the scenarios that we're doing
[1:52:44] with, you know, gosh, all I can say is
[1:52:46] a, you know, a packet of how we're
[1:52:50] asking parents to review the scenario,
[1:52:53] you know, the questions that are going
[1:52:55] to be asked of the students by the
[1:52:56] student leader. And all of that was a
[1:52:59] lot of work behind the scenes. Um but
[1:53:02] we've seen a shift very positive shift
[1:53:05] this year in the playbook. Um and we
[1:53:08] really contribute that shift to that
[1:53:10] partnering with the bands. Um I go back
[1:53:14] five years ago when we received um that
[1:53:18] grant from conquered ed fund in doing
[1:53:20] the PBIS work. Again, we were teaching
[1:53:25] the core values in our advisory program.
[1:53:29] Um, but I can't actually recall any sort
[1:53:33] of work or communication that was being
[1:53:35] done with families. Um, and I think
[1:53:38] that's the piece that's really
[1:53:39] highlighted here. And the that was
[1:53:42] really highlighted in the work that we
[1:53:44] did with Dr. Jackson as well when we
[1:53:47] kind of brought together a sense of
[1:53:50] frustration that you know um when we hit
[1:53:54] panorama uh data that we seem like PBIS
[1:53:58] our core value should have grown but
[1:54:02] we're seeing it stagnant or we're not
[1:54:04] seeing growth um and we were like you
[1:54:07] know we need to do more um and bringing
[1:54:10] the families in um listening to them but
[1:54:13] also sharing with them, you know, the
[1:54:16] instruction and foundational work that
[1:54:18] we're doing with their kids and asking
[1:54:19] them to do it at home.
[1:54:22] >> Um,
[1:54:22] >> so do you mind if I add something?
[1:54:24] >> Of course.
[1:54:24] >> So, um, on the on the playbook
[1:54:27] initiative, um, anecdotally, I I know my
[1:54:30] family's been one of the ones that have
[1:54:31] reached out to you with, you know,
[1:54:33] questions and comments about the the the
[1:54:35] content uh, that was, as you mentioned,
[1:54:38] like a week before
[1:54:41] uh, actual training in the classroom.
[1:54:44] you've been responsive to that. I know
[1:54:45] anecdotally
[1:54:47] other friends of mine who have kids in
[1:54:49] playbook initiative reached out, you've
[1:54:52] been responsive to the comments. So,
[1:54:53] thank you for that. It it definitely
[1:54:55] helps. I appreciate that. Um, you know,
[1:54:59] the other thing that, you know, I think
[1:55:02] we still haven't solved um is, you know,
[1:55:07] we're a school that communicates a lot.
[1:55:09] you know, and all I'm doing right now is
[1:55:11] saying we're going to communicate more.
[1:55:14] Um, and the saturation that I think
[1:55:17] happens in our community and I'm a
[1:55:20] parent myself. You know, when I toggle
[1:55:22] over to my personal email, the number of
[1:55:25] emails that are highlighted in bold that
[1:55:27] I haven't opened from my own daughter's
[1:55:30] school, uh, it can be quite alarming.
[1:55:33] Um, so I get that as well. you know,
[1:55:35] attending a music concert, you know,
[1:55:38] last week at middle school. I really
[1:55:41] think we need we can start using
[1:55:43] audiences like that, you know, um, as
[1:55:47] one grade level band was moving off and
[1:55:49] another grade level band was kind of
[1:55:51] transitioning in, I was imagining that
[1:55:54] could be a time where, you know, a
[1:55:57] student leader gets on a mic and said,
[1:55:59] you know, says something about the
[1:56:00] playbook.
[1:56:01] >> Yeah. um because that is I think where
[1:56:04] we have to start getting creative um and
[1:56:08] you know what I'm mentioning right now
[1:56:10] which is a place where some families
[1:56:12] feel a little bit overwhelmed. Um, so as
[1:56:15] much as it's a goal here to communicate
[1:56:19] more often um, and better, I think we
[1:56:22] need to be creative in in the methods
[1:56:24] that we do that.
[1:56:25] >> Can I
[1:56:27] >> The movie trailers are oftenimes the
[1:56:29] best part of the movie when you've got a
[1:56:31] captive audience.
[1:56:33] Sorry, Michelle. Um, may I ask how will
[1:56:36] you execute the uh tier one instruction
[1:56:41] for the students that are scoring low on
[1:56:43] the ELA and the math MCCAST? How how
[1:56:46] will that get pulled out and how do you
[1:56:48] see and envision that um
[1:56:54] just
[1:56:56] being you know scaffolded for the
[1:56:58] different students in the middle school?
[1:57:00] >> Sure. I I think it's through, you know,
[1:57:02] first I, you know, I want to give credit
[1:57:04] to the middle school teachers. You know,
[1:57:06] most of them have had what I'm about to
[1:57:09] say for years, and it's as much as, you
[1:57:13] know, really championing them, um, and
[1:57:16] making sure that they're modeling for
[1:57:20] each other. Um, so you know the world
[1:57:24] language teacher, the art teacher, the
[1:57:26] English teacher who has a student in
[1:57:29] their class who is struggling, you know
[1:57:32] what a lot of schools do, what some
[1:57:35] parents do, you know, is they race right
[1:57:40] past that classroom teacher and they're
[1:57:42] talking about assessment, you know,
[1:57:44] special education assessment, whereas
[1:57:47] good tier one slows all of that down.
[1:57:50] And you mentioned the word scaffolding.
[1:57:52] So I think it's in an area that the
[1:57:55] classroom teacher recognizes,
[1:57:58] you know, this project that I've been
[1:58:00] assigning now for 12 years doesn't
[1:58:03] really have much choice in it. And I
[1:58:05] don't know how many of the students
[1:58:07] really connect to it or have a sense of
[1:58:11] identity with it. So I wonder if there's
[1:58:14] a choice board that I can offer that
[1:58:18] gets this project off of technology and
[1:58:21] then gets you know calls back you know
[1:58:24] the the you know 1982 and you know doing
[1:58:27] a diarama you know and I think there's
[1:58:31] so much research out there and so much
[1:58:33] data out there that suggests that no
[1:58:36] matter the path that a student takes if
[1:58:40] they take something that sparks sparks
[1:58:42] their curiosity and their interest and
[1:58:44] that they can connect to and that's when
[1:58:46] they're going to feel success. Um so I
[1:58:49] think it's a matter of really making
[1:58:51] sure that the teachers just know that
[1:58:55] those are different ways that students
[1:58:57] can be successful. Um and again having
[1:58:59] the teachers model for each other.
[1:59:02] >> You're welcome. to follow on that. Um,
[1:59:05] looking back at our subgroup um
[1:59:10] numbers for the math, um, is there
[1:59:14] anything that we can that we need from
[1:59:17] us in terms of better supports? for
[1:59:19] instance, uh uh
[1:59:23] sort of breaking out some of the
[1:59:26] specific math support from uh assistant
[1:59:30] to math or anything like that.
[1:59:33] >> I you know Lori's going to laugh because
[1:59:36] >> you guys are killing me with the what do
[1:59:38] you need
[1:59:40] >> and I sit here wonder what I'm going to
[1:59:42] hear in a minute.
[1:59:44] >> Thanks for taking that text.
[1:59:48] Don't give me any more trouble.
[1:59:52] >> Um, no. The reason why she's going to
[1:59:53] laugh is because I I find a way every
[1:59:55] year to share, you know, I think in this
[1:59:58] question, you know, we made a pretty
[2:00:03] significant shift in our master
[2:00:04] schedule. um now maybe six years ago
[2:00:08] where all of the core teachers
[2:00:13] are enrichment teachers and
[2:00:15] interventionalists.
[2:00:17] Um, and I can't stress enough how
[2:00:20] significant that is at the secondary
[2:00:22] level because at the secondary level,
[2:00:24] the content gets harder and your special
[2:00:28] educators that again, schools and
[2:00:30] parents rush kids who are struggling too
[2:00:33] often to special educators who, wait for
[2:00:36] it, have only a special education
[2:00:40] license.
[2:00:42] So when you have a master schedule that
[2:00:45] offers your core teachers the
[2:00:47] opportunity to be in front of groups
[2:00:50] that you're looking to really grow that
[2:00:53] data. Even students who are doing well,
[2:00:57] we are responsible for growing their
[2:00:59] data as well. Um and those teachers hold
[2:01:04] that license in the area that they need
[2:01:07] to grow in. then that right there is the
[2:01:11] recipe. You know, that's the secret
[2:01:13] sauce. Um, and quite frankly, students
[2:01:17] want to reconnect with that teacher and
[2:01:21] see them in a different way for a second
[2:01:24] time in that school day. And that is
[2:01:26] what our master schedule is offering. So
[2:01:29] instead of a master schedule where the
[2:01:32] bell rings and a student who is
[2:01:34] struggling and was rushed to special
[2:01:35] education and they go to a special
[2:01:36] education class,
[2:01:39] the bell rings and all of our students
[2:01:41] are going to an enrichment block. We
[2:01:44] just call it simply enrichment.
[2:01:46] But you know about a quarter of them are
[2:01:49] going to an intervention class that they
[2:01:52] still call enrichment. and it is with
[2:01:54] their teacher that they've seen second
[2:01:57] period and it's all of a sudden sixth
[2:01:59] period and that relationship is often
[2:02:02] getting stronger. Um it's almost like
[2:02:05] having a real instructionally
[2:02:10] focused um afterchool program built into
[2:02:13] your school day. Um, and if you know
[2:02:16] anything about extracurricular or after
[2:02:18] school, if your teachers and educators
[2:02:20] are leading it, the kids see you in a
[2:02:22] different light and that connection,
[2:02:24] that sense of belonging that I have an
[2:02:27] adult in this school just grows so
[2:02:30] mightily. So, I think it's just a
[2:02:33] continuation of supporting that master
[2:02:35] schedule um, and supporting the three
[2:02:37] teams that
[2:02:38] >> it took us years in the budget to build
[2:02:40] that years. this this committee these
[2:02:43] positions have really done that work
[2:02:45] over time.
[2:02:46] >> Yeah. You know, Lori and I came into a
[2:02:49] two building model where all three
[2:02:51] grades had just two teams. Um and there
[2:02:56] was slightly more students then. So
[2:02:59] think about that paradox. Um we have
[2:03:03] found a way to take two team or three
[2:03:06] grades that just had two teams. We
[2:03:09] brought three teams to each grade and
[2:03:12] that offered up that opportunity for
[2:03:14] that enrichment intervention block which
[2:03:17] I will dare say if you look at the
[2:03:19] special education numbers and the cost
[2:03:21] of special education at the middle
[2:03:23] school um and even five years from now
[2:03:26] all of that should be lowered because of
[2:03:28] this important work.
[2:03:30] >> Thank you.
[2:03:31] >> Um
[2:03:32] >> I need to ask him one more.
[2:03:33] >> I want to make sure we get on to
[2:03:34] elementary because we've been waiting.
[2:03:36] So final question Drew.
[2:03:38] >> Sure. Yeah. Final question. Um, I found
[2:03:41] myself saying amen and hallelujah to
[2:03:43] most of what you put on here and I want
[2:03:44] to double click on one thing which I
[2:03:46] love and also I want to ensure that um,
[2:03:50] it's having the intended outcome which
[2:03:52] is grading for equity and I love that
[2:03:54] you encourage students to retake up to
[2:03:57] an 85. I think uh, productive struggle
[2:04:01] is one of the most meaningful ways to
[2:04:03] help someone make leaps and bound gains
[2:04:06] in school. Uh the question I have for
[2:04:09] you is do we track who is taking
[2:04:13] advantage of this and when because it is
[2:04:15] often times the students with the least
[2:04:17] helpseeking behavior that uh are left
[2:04:20] behind by by measures like these which
[2:04:23] are intended to create equity but
[2:04:25] sometimes can inadvertently cause
[2:04:27] inequity where the high achieving
[2:04:29] students with the parents that are going
[2:04:31] to uh poke and prod them but maybe the
[2:04:34] students that don't have the same
[2:04:35] resources at home uh are not necessarily
[2:04:38] taking full advantage. And I'm curious,
[2:04:41] are we aware of who and how often these
[2:04:44] things are getting used and um and are
[2:04:48] we making sure that they're they're
[2:04:49] equally distributed among the students?
[2:04:51] >> Excellent question. Um this, you know,
[2:04:54] our retake practice that's been now in
[2:04:57] our school improvement plan for a couple
[2:04:59] years is aligned with um our flex block.
[2:05:03] Um it is not a passive, you know, come
[2:05:07] to my classroom before the first bell to
[2:05:10] retake this. Um in fact, we're very
[2:05:13] intentional in not doing such a thing
[2:05:16] before the first bell or after the last
[2:05:19] because of equity and access. Um
[2:05:22] instead, and it happened to me today, I
[2:05:24] had a great plan for my advisory group.
[2:05:26] >> Yes,
[2:05:26] >> I have nine kids that I see every
[2:05:29] morning. every Wednesday is an extended
[2:05:32] advisory block. Um, and I forgot to
[2:05:34] check my spreadsheet of how many of them
[2:05:37] were being pulled by teachers to retake
[2:05:40] something.
[2:05:41] >> Mhm.
[2:05:42] >> Um, so like I did attendance and all of
[2:05:44] a sudden I had three kids in front of
[2:05:45] me. So I think this is answering your
[2:05:48] question. Um, you know that goal is tied
[2:05:52] to our teachers are calling the kids in
[2:05:56] during the school day.
[2:05:57] >> Appreciate that. to say, you know, you
[2:06:00] have this opportunity. You know, we're
[2:06:02] looking for mastery here. You can get up
[2:06:05] to an 85. Let's take advantage of this.
[2:06:09] >> So, you know, we're looking to build
[2:06:11] self- advoc advocacy. We even teach the
[2:06:13] kids how to write an email to their
[2:06:15] teacher about such things, right? Um,
[2:06:18] but at the same time, we're not leaving
[2:06:20] behind the kids who don't have the pets
[2:06:24] who are like, "You need to email your
[2:06:26] teacher and ask her if you can take this
[2:06:28] retake tomorrow." Instead, that teacher
[2:06:31] has a list that's sent out to advisory
[2:06:34] saying, "Here are the kids who have the
[2:06:36] chance at the retake. Send them to me."
[2:06:39] I I my hope for you is that in the
[2:06:42] future years there is a smart goal
[2:06:44] around the percentage of students who
[2:06:45] qualify for a retake that take advantage
[2:06:47] of it because I think it would be
[2:06:49] illuminating and would hopefully rally
[2:06:52] more teachers to be as proactive as what
[2:06:54] you describe. Um because until it's 100%
[2:06:57] it's probably not enough.
[2:06:58] >> Y
[2:06:59] >> thank you.
[2:06:59] >> Yeah, appreciate it. Thank you. Thank
[2:07:01] you all.
[2:07:04] >> So as they come up I have an
[2:07:05] introduction to make so the elementary
[2:07:07] folks should come up. um incoming
[2:07:09] Willard principal Stephanie Nephew is
[2:07:11] here. So, we wanted to use tonight to
[2:07:15] let you all get to to meet Stephanie. A
[2:07:17] couple few of you have because she's a
[2:07:19] Willard parent a Willard principal and
[2:07:21] you are parents there. Um as don't ask
[2:07:25] her any questions.
[2:07:28] >> Matt's here to still take the questions.
[2:07:31] um they have worked collectively as we
[2:07:34] have the past few years on the
[2:07:35] improvement plan with some school
[2:07:36] specific things but it's been a really
[2:07:39] big goal of ours and the synergy
[2:07:41] continues to build across the three
[2:07:43] schools um for all those same reasons
[2:07:45] you just heard about tier one it's
[2:07:46] really really important all the kids at
[2:07:48] all three schools are getting the same
[2:07:50] experience and it's not dependent on
[2:07:51] school or teacher or any other other
[2:07:54] piece so I'm going to let them talk on
[2:07:56] the things they want to highlight
[2:07:57] welcome Stephanie
[2:07:58] >> thank you very much
[2:08:00] >> thank you she's been here all day. So,
[2:08:02] she's we're testing out your stamina at
[2:08:04] 8 o'clock at night right off the bat.
[2:08:07] So, I'll let them pick the highlights
[2:08:10] they want to share and then you can talk
[2:08:12] about them.
[2:08:13] >> Right. Hi, everyone. Uh, so I'm going to
[2:08:16] highlight a couple of things from
[2:08:17] strategic objective one. um our school
[2:08:20] improvement plans are are very similar
[2:08:22] for the reasons that that Lori just um
[2:08:25] shared is that we've worked really hard
[2:08:26] to create that alignment and ensure that
[2:08:28] we're not implementing new curriculum in
[2:08:30] one building and not in the other. Um I
[2:08:32] think before I jump into some specifics,
[2:08:34] it's probably helpful to frame where we
[2:08:36] are because you'll notice um that quite
[2:08:39] a lot of what we that that we outlined
[2:08:42] this year is continue the work. So we
[2:08:45] are like one, two, maybe three years
[2:08:47] depending on the initiative into some
[2:08:49] really big initiatives. So between EEL
[2:08:52] and open circle and responsive classroom
[2:08:54] like these are really big undertakings
[2:08:55] and they're all um in the beginning
[2:08:58] years and so almost everything on our
[2:09:01] school improvement plan this year is
[2:09:03] continuing work that has been started in
[2:09:05] the past couple of years and going
[2:09:07] deeper with what what we've done. So I
[2:09:09] just wanted to frame that a little bit.
[2:09:10] Um, a couple of things that I want to
[2:09:12] highlight from strategic strategic
[2:09:14] objective one. First, I don't think we
[2:09:16] could come to this meeting and not talk
[2:09:18] about EEL. Um, so a a huge part of our
[2:09:22] work next year is going to be furthering
[2:09:24] the work that we've done with
[2:09:25] expeditionary learning. Um, I I like
[2:09:29] know it's not the purpose of this
[2:09:30] meeting, but I just like our teachers
[2:09:32] have done such an amazing job with such
[2:09:34] a big undertaking this year. um it's
[2:09:37] been really like a joy and a privilege
[2:09:39] to support them and watch them with this
[2:09:41] undertaking. Um and we feel really like
[2:09:43] we're in a really good place to move
[2:09:45] forward into year two. So with respect
[2:09:47] to EL um the work that we're going to be
[2:09:50] doing is twofold. So teachers who didn't
[2:09:52] implement this year because it was
[2:09:53] optional in the first year. Um they are
[2:09:56] going to be in what's considered cohort
[2:09:58] 2. Um and they are going to be
[2:10:00] implementing for the first time with the
[2:10:01] expectation of just get through it as
[2:10:04] best as you can. um we will be working
[2:10:07] to support them with the added sort of
[2:10:09] the the advantage of having done it once
[2:10:11] already. So they have lots of colleagues
[2:10:13] who have done it once already. Um and so
[2:10:15] a big part of next year is supporting
[2:10:16] cohort 2 in EL implementation. For
[2:10:20] cohort one the big shift which will be a
[2:10:22] big shift um is doing all four of the
[2:10:26] modules. So for this year, the
[2:10:27] expectation was do as much as you can.
[2:10:29] Make sure you do three modules, but we
[2:10:31] know that first year completely changing
[2:10:34] your sort of approach. Um you're you're
[2:10:37] going to like you're going to go slower
[2:10:39] than you normally would. Um for next
[2:10:40] year, the expectation is that everyone
[2:10:42] is doing four modules. Um and then the
[2:10:45] other piece that's going to be new is
[2:10:47] that um we're really going to be looking
[2:10:49] closely at the embedded the assessments
[2:10:52] embedded in EL to make sure that those
[2:10:54] are driving instruction. they
[2:10:55] administered them this year. Um, but
[2:10:57] without know like if you administer an
[2:10:59] assessment and you still don't really
[2:11:00] know what's coming next because you're in the middle of implementing for
[2:11:04] the first time, it's hard to use that
[2:11:06] data and say, "Well, here's here's what
[2:11:08] I would change because you don't even
[2:11:09] know what you're about to do." And so
[2:11:10] that is all different for next year. So
[2:11:12] next year, um the two big things that
[2:11:14] are going to be different for people in
[2:11:16] cohort one, um are getting through all
[2:11:19] four modules, which means we'll be
[2:11:20] hitting all of the standards, um and
[2:11:22] then also really using those embedded,
[2:11:25] um assessments. Um I think the other
[2:11:30] piece to highlight um so for a couple of
[2:11:34] years now, we have been using um dibbles
[2:11:38] to guide our instruction. Um we imple we
[2:11:41] started implementing it uh universally K
[2:11:43] through five two I want to say two years
[2:11:45] ago. Um before that we had just been
[2:11:47] using it in in the primary grades. Um
[2:11:50] and so teachers are getting really um
[2:11:52] skilled at using it using that data to
[2:11:54] drive their instruction. And so what I
[2:11:55] think we have to do now um is find the
[2:11:59] balance uh and if this is a structural
[2:12:02] um this is structural work but working
[2:12:04] with the master schedule to ensure that
[2:12:06] the work that Dibbles drives which is
[2:12:09] the small group instruction and the
[2:12:10] found teaching of the foundational
[2:12:12] skills um that there's a balance for
[2:12:14] that with um sort of the competing need
[2:12:17] for a really large literacy block for
[2:12:19] the EL piece. And so we are working to
[2:12:22] figure out how to fit all of that in um
[2:12:24] to make sure that we have space in the
[2:12:27] schedule for EL for the um small group
[2:12:31] uh you know skills-based instruction and
[2:12:32] then also for um for our MTSS supports.
[2:12:37] Um and and we I think it'll be an
[2:12:39] iterative process. I think each year
[2:12:41] we're trying a few new things to see how
[2:12:43] they work. Um and we'll be doing that
[2:12:44] again next year. Um
[2:12:47] and then I think the other piece that is
[2:12:51] probably worth highlighting is that a
[2:12:52] really nice consequence of EL this year
[2:12:54] has been really increased collaboration
[2:12:57] um across the schools and even within
[2:13:00] the buildings. So for the first time
[2:13:01] this year I think we've all experienced
[2:13:04] um teachers voluntarily observing each
[2:13:07] other and opening up their classrooms um
[2:13:09] and saying sure come see me do this.
[2:13:11] What is a language dive? Come watch me
[2:13:13] do a language dive and tell me how it's
[2:13:14] going. Right. Um and so I think our our
[2:13:18] goal for next year is to really
[2:13:19] capitalize that on that and continue um
[2:13:23] helping to support teachers to rely on
[2:13:25] each other um in addition to all the
[2:13:27] professional development that we will
[2:13:29] continue to provide from the district
[2:13:30] level but really um making sure that
[2:13:32] those opportunities continue um uh and I
[2:13:36] think that's a priority for all of us.
[2:13:38] Um,
[2:13:39] I will pause and move on to and move on
[2:13:42] to I really could talk about EL for a
[2:13:44] very long time. I really enjoyed it this
[2:13:46] year. Um, but quickly
[2:13:48] >> go ahead.
[2:13:50] >> Good evening. Thanks for having us.
[2:13:52] >> Yeah, we cleared out the room. I guess
[2:13:55] >> they're all watching online.
[2:13:58] >> Um, Lori mentioned it, Naomi mentioned
[2:14:01] it. It feels good that every time we
[2:14:02] come as an elementary group, the the um
[2:14:06] school improvement plans get a little
[2:14:07] more cohesive,
[2:14:08] >> right? And that's that's intentional.
[2:14:10] That's thanks to the work of Lori and
[2:14:12] Shelley as well. Um and as Nomi
[2:14:15] mentioned, it was a great opportunity
[2:14:16] with implementation this year
[2:14:18] >> to collaborate a ton, not just the three
[2:14:20] of us, but the teachers in our buildings
[2:14:23] observing in other buildings working
[2:14:24] together. Um and they find a ton they
[2:14:26] find a ton of value in this. So that's
[2:14:28] something we're going to leverage moving
[2:14:29] forward.
[2:14:31] So, I have a uh objective two,
[2:14:33] well-being and mental health. And um
[2:14:35] it's timely because um May was mental
[2:14:39] health awareness month, right? Um and
[2:14:41] you noticed uh our partners at the CF um
[2:14:46] made some commentary about the
[2:14:47] importance, Brian Miller as well. So,
[2:14:49] you'll see some lines throughout. uh
[2:14:52] really important to us um raising
[2:14:55] awareness um reducing the stigma and
[2:14:59] supporting uh both our children uh as
[2:15:02] well as our adults. Um sometimes we
[2:15:04] forget about the the the teachers
[2:15:08] >> and student success is is tied um to the
[2:15:11] well-being of our of our teachers. So
[2:15:14] really important um that we're doing um
[2:15:17] we're doing that work. When a teacher
[2:15:19] comes to work every day feeling seen and
[2:15:22] heard and valued and well taken care of,
[2:15:25] um they can create the type of classroom
[2:15:27] environment where all of our learners
[2:15:29] thrive, uh relationships flourish, um
[2:15:32] and and students can do their best
[2:15:34] learning. Um so that's that's a huge
[2:15:37] priority for us um this was this year
[2:15:39] and the work will continue on um to next
[2:15:42] year.
[2:15:44] Um so uh something that uh uh we were
[2:15:48] intentional about this year was the
[2:15:49] panorama survey. Uh we we
[2:15:53] did a survey for students, for families,
[2:15:55] and for staff. Um earlier in the fall,
[2:15:59] we took some time with our leadership
[2:16:01] teams and with our full faculties and
[2:16:04] really dove into this data, right? Um we
[2:16:07] analyzed it. We did some protocols at
[2:16:09] our faculty meetings um and discovered
[2:16:12] what what what's working and what what
[2:16:14] are some growth opportunities for us as
[2:16:15] a staff. Um just off the top of my head
[2:16:18] uh the staff at least from Plurau and
[2:16:20] I'm sure at Alcott and Willard as well u
[2:16:23] feel a tremendous sense of community
[2:16:25] within the schools. Um but you know
[2:16:28] staff uh burnout um and teacher stress
[2:16:31] is always is something that we need to
[2:16:33] make sure we monitor. Um, one of the
[2:16:35] ways we're we're approaching this is we
[2:16:38] were able to pull together an ad hoc
[2:16:40] wellness committee of volunteers about
[2:16:43] seven or eight teachers who stay after
[2:16:44] school um and and look at the data and
[2:16:47] talk about ways we can be um we can
[2:16:49] think creatively about implementing
[2:16:51] things for staff opportunities to get
[2:16:53] together to build culture and community
[2:16:55] um as a group just to keep morale and
[2:16:58] culture high. We've done things like um
[2:17:01] uh coffee and treat cards during a a
[2:17:03] busy parent teacher conference day. Um
[2:17:06] you know, little notes of appreciation,
[2:17:08] bulletin boards that honor all the hard
[2:17:09] work and respect the hard work. We um
[2:17:12] and we're including our ESPs, our
[2:17:13] education support professionals. I got
[2:17:16] that right.
[2:17:16] >> You got it. Yeah,
[2:17:17] >> you did.
[2:17:18] >> In this as well, because they're often a
[2:17:20] forgotten group, I'll say um and we're
[2:17:22] working hard just to make sure whatever
[2:17:23] we do, we're including them in in that
[2:17:25] conversation.
[2:17:26] um we hosted a a breakfast for them uh
[2:17:29] last week where we just got a chance to
[2:17:32] um sit down together and talk about
[2:17:34] what's working for them, what's
[2:17:35] stressful, what barriers we can remove
[2:17:37] as a leadership team. Uh it was and it
[2:17:39] was wellreceived.
[2:17:41] Uh we also connected with Helen down at
[2:17:44] Conquered Flower Shop and we were able
[2:17:47] to take a group of teachers down there
[2:17:48] and do a a class on flower arranging
[2:17:51] which is interesting.
[2:17:54] It's fun.
[2:17:56] Um so and then just to sort of uh pivot
[2:17:59] over to what we're doing around and
[2:18:01] Naomi mentioned it the open circle work.
[2:18:03] So this is our social and emotional
[2:18:04] learning uh our tier one our universal
[2:18:07] program. A lot of teachers had had
[2:18:09] training in the past. We sort of um um
[2:18:12] the the organization went defunct and
[2:18:15] then they revived it. Uh the new program
[2:18:17] is very similar to the former one and
[2:18:19] the majority of our teachers I would say
[2:18:20] have had some level of training um uh
[2:18:23] which was great. Uh, so we're continuing
[2:18:26] to identify those people and get them
[2:18:27] the professional development they need
[2:18:29] while at the same time um identifying a go-to person within our buildings, a
[2:18:36] point person who can like a train the
[2:18:37] trainer model who's had substantial
[2:18:39] training who can come in, work with the
[2:18:40] teachers, plan, prep, go into
[2:18:44] classrooms, model or co-e uh which has
[2:18:46] been really helpful. um you know knowing
[2:18:49] that EL was was a big undertaking this
[2:18:51] year I said we're going to have a a soft
[2:18:53] roll out for for um open circle but the
[2:18:56] teachers have really embraced it and
[2:18:58] these lessons are working quite well. So
[2:19:00] lessons are 30 minutes once or once or
[2:19:02] more a week and they're integrated right
[2:19:04] into the morning meeting the beginning
[2:19:06] part of the day uh where they're
[2:19:08] learning um the lessons are designed to
[2:19:10] support things from self-awareness um uh
[2:19:15] relationship building problem solving uh
[2:19:18] emotional identification and regulation
[2:19:20] really important skills. The teacher can
[2:19:22] follow the scope in sequence or pull
[2:19:24] lessons as needed based on the needs of
[2:19:25] the class which is which is great. Um,
[2:19:28] and it's really nice. They always leave
[2:19:30] a a one seat open for a guest that comes
[2:19:33] in.
[2:19:33] >> I got to be the guest Friday.
[2:19:36] >> Yeah, that's fun.
[2:19:37] >> Really inviting. Um, and so it's got a
[2:19:41] great flow to it. They gather, class
[2:19:43] gathers, introduce the topic,
[2:19:47] regulating emotions, for example. Um,
[2:19:49] there's an interactive component where
[2:19:51] there's some role playing which gets
[2:19:54] interesting to watch. if you saw that
[2:19:55] but um there's always a an opportunity
[2:19:58] to share with each other um and then the
[2:20:02] important thing is the reflection at the
[2:20:03] end. The students reflect and then have
[2:20:05] the opportunity to apply with feedback
[2:20:07] um as they move forward. So that's work that's ongoing that we'll
[2:20:12] continue to focus on for next year. Um
[2:20:15] in terms of MTSS support, some kids we
[2:20:17] know just like with reading need need
[2:20:18] something a little bit more need need a
[2:20:20] double dose. Um and then we really bring
[2:20:23] in our our the experts, the mental
[2:20:25] health team. So we piloted something
[2:20:28] this year whereby um you know, we're
[2:20:30] using our data to identify and build
[2:20:32] that out. We're looking for a screening
[2:20:34] tool that works uh really well at
[2:20:36] getting us the data we need. Um we also
[2:20:39] have teachers who are our experts.
[2:20:40] They're with the students all day who
[2:20:42] now have an opportunity to um to attend
[2:20:45] an open office hour with our mental
[2:20:47] health team. they can go raise a concern
[2:20:50] about a student and have that
[2:20:51] opportunity to talk um with the mental
[2:20:53] health teams, our school psychologists,
[2:20:54] our guidance counselors, our BCBA, um
[2:20:57] the administrative team as well, engage
[2:21:00] in a a a discourse and hopefully leave
[2:21:02] with some strategies and tools um that
[2:21:05] they can use right away. That's the most
[2:21:06] important thing to a teacher. What can I
[2:21:08] use right away to help support this kid?
[2:21:10] Um so that's working well. We're looking
[2:21:12] forward to building that up uh next year
[2:21:14] as well.
[2:21:16] Uh and then I guess lastly just touching
[2:21:19] upon objective four uh the innovative
[2:21:22] environment. We're all doing something a
[2:21:24] little bit different in terms of
[2:21:25] building and um a facility and and and
[2:21:28] our campuses. We are excited to be
[2:21:32] moving into phase two of our playground
[2:21:35] project. U I feel like this has been a
[2:21:38] project that been working on for three
[2:21:40] years. Uh which has been great and a lot
[2:21:42] of fun. Um, and we're also looking
[2:21:44] forward to tying a a ribbon on it. Um,
[2:21:47] so phase two bids are due, I think, next
[2:21:49] Friday. Um, and we're looking forward to
[2:21:52] hopefully breaking ground and finishing
[2:21:53] that up some point this summer, early fall. And this is an area, too,
[2:21:59] just in terms of innovation. U, we've
[2:22:01] got our our swings and our climbing
[2:22:03] structures and the monkey bars and all
[2:22:05] that great stuff. Um, a climber that's
[2:22:07] very very tall. if you haven't seen it
[2:22:08] yet. Um the kids are really enjoying it.
[2:22:11] But that's not for all kids. Some kids
[2:22:12] just like to be out in nature. Um you
[2:22:15] know, exploring and engaging in
[2:22:17] imaginative play. So this um I think
[2:22:19] this fits the bill for that. I'll say
[2:22:22] shout out to Brian for the collaboration
[2:22:24] with Carlile. We modeled a lot of what
[2:22:26] we did after what you guys did was
[2:22:28] really helpful. We're excited to bring
[2:22:31] that to a close and um you know see the
[2:22:35] benefits for generations to come.
[2:22:38] Um, our green space will be open next
[2:22:40] year. Our soccer fields will be open.
[2:22:43] Uh, and was the last facility project?
[2:22:46] Oh, yeah. We're rebuilding
[2:22:47] >> the fire.
[2:22:47] >> We're rebuilding the 94 wing.
[2:22:53] » Oh, yeah.
[2:22:54] >> Yeah. It's that was not a great call.
[2:22:57] Uh, Monday evening. First it was Mario,
[2:23:01] our head custodian, and then Ron
[2:23:04] Hullinger SRO. So those are not two
[2:23:06] calls you want to get back to back.
[2:23:08] >> And then the superintendent.
[2:23:09] >> Then the superintendent.
[2:23:11] >> So um you know it was amazing. Uh as we
[2:23:16] were there we called put about 100 staff
[2:23:18] members Lori together the next day.
[2:23:20] >> Yeah.
[2:23:21] >> Developed a a plan within an hour or
[2:23:24] less.
[2:23:25] >> And then for the rest of the day watched
[2:23:26] a 100 staff members moving
[2:23:29] >> 10 classrooms. 8 to 10 classrooms.
[2:23:32] >> Pretty extraordinary. It was a sight to
[2:23:34] be to behold. So we talk about community
[2:23:36] and support and teamwork as the very
[2:23:39] definition of that for sure.
[2:23:42] >> Thank you Justin.
[2:23:43] >> Yeah.
[2:23:44] >> Adding more.
[2:23:47] >> And so we agreed we try to be concise
[2:23:49] and I don't think you got the memo.
[2:23:54] » Did you notice he always goes last?
[2:23:58] >> We make him go last. Yeah. because he's
[2:24:00] sorry to follow.
[2:24:03] >> Well, I am going to miss you. I miss all
[2:24:04] of you and thank you for the opportunity
[2:24:05] for speaking tonight. Um it's uh uh my
[2:24:10] honor to talk to you about uh uh our
[2:24:12] strategic goal number three and
[2:24:13] inclusive culture and I'm going to
[2:24:15] highlight the work that staff is doing
[2:24:17] together uh within building across
[2:24:20] building and uh from uh senior
[2:24:23] leadership uh to u to impact the ability
[2:24:27] of our teachers to do their best work.
[2:24:29] And when our teachers can do their best
[2:24:30] work, students benefit, right? So, first
[2:24:33] uh the work of the DEIB leadership um
[2:24:37] which Andrew Namichi working very
[2:24:40] closely in each of our buildings working
[2:24:42] with our leadership teams. So our
[2:24:44] leadership teams are overlapping with
[2:24:45] our DBI u um leads to ensure that we are
[2:24:51] having uh cultural competency as a um a
[2:24:56] thread that is woven through our day and
[2:24:59] is present especially when we have times
[2:25:02] of crisis. So this past year when we had
[2:25:05] times of crisis when uh we were uh
[2:25:09] doubling down on our work uh to combat
[2:25:12] anti-semitism the work that occurred uh as a district was led by um uh the
[2:25:21] superintendent and by Shellyley by
[2:25:23] Andrew but then the work that occurred
[2:25:25] in the classrooms was driven by the DEIB
[2:25:29] leads within our leadership teams in
[2:25:30] each of our buildings. So case in point
[2:25:33] when we had facing history and ourselves
[2:25:36] in um it was impactful, it was important
[2:25:40] uh it was timely. It was well executed.
[2:25:43] What we needed to do for elementary
[2:25:45] school is to take these important uh
[2:25:49] issues and make them digestible and
[2:25:51] ready for staff to use in the moment.
[2:25:54] Right? So, our staff always want to do
[2:25:56] things well. And so, we were able to
[2:25:58] leverage um a speaker who Andrew and I
[2:26:01] had visited. Uh he he spoke to us when
[2:26:03] we went into a conference in Boston and
[2:26:06] it was specifically for our elementary
[2:26:10] uh grade teachers. And this is where we
[2:26:13] all came together. Now, again, you heard
[2:26:15] it from Justin before uh Dr. Hunter and
[2:26:18] I we came the same year. We were siloed,
[2:26:21] very much siloed nine years ago. and the
[2:26:24] fact that now we can not only have one
[2:26:26] plan but have moments in which we need
[2:26:29] to act with urgency and do so
[2:26:31] effectively when we gather all our staff
[2:26:34] together I think is a testament to the
[2:26:36] leadership but also the work of um
[2:26:40] senior leadership people like Nimichi
[2:26:43] the the leadership teams within our
[2:26:45] building to work again dovetailing all
[2:26:47] that work um additional um I would um we
[2:26:53] meet regularly um with uh across
[2:26:56] buildings as u the DEIB leadership team.
[2:27:01] Um another area that I'd like to stress
[2:27:03] is the work that our new special
[2:27:06] education administrative teams are doing
[2:27:08] is phenomenal.
[2:27:11] >> In the past, um boy, everyone did their very best. We have earnest,
[2:27:16] hardworking, caring, compassionate,
[2:27:19] professional staff that do their very
[2:27:21] best. But boy, when you put um others,
[2:27:26] if you add additional members of the
[2:27:28] staff who help facilitate and structure
[2:27:30] purposeful conversations,
[2:27:33] kids benefit. So the transitions that
[2:27:35] have been occurring this year, right?
[2:27:38] Before they were good, now they're
[2:27:40] exceptional. Right? Where every child,
[2:27:42] as we say every single day, every child
[2:27:44] is known as an individual and as a
[2:27:46] learner. And it's difficult to give our
[2:27:49] children up to the next school. It
[2:27:50] always is. No matter no matter how well
[2:27:52] it's being done, we feel even better
[2:27:55] today for the work that those people are
[2:27:58] doing because those students are that
[2:28:00] much better prepared for success in the
[2:28:03] next step, right? And then we recognize
[2:28:06] with that comes the confidence that the
[2:28:07] parents have, right? And the parents
[2:28:09] anxiety is lessened. So when parents are
[2:28:12] feeling good about things, the kids will
[2:28:14] feel good about things which and that
[2:28:15] engenders greater depth of relationship
[2:28:19] and trust between home and school. So um
[2:28:23] kudos to and thank you for that was a
[2:28:25] support that was a budget ad that you
[2:28:26] made. Thank you is paying dividends. Um
[2:28:30] also want to uh say the work that the
[2:28:33] staff has already done um to welcome,
[2:28:37] support and acclimate uh Stephanie. So
[2:28:40] Stephanie has already been in um and um
[2:28:43] the staff is looking forward to working
[2:28:44] with her today. Long day, right? We met
[2:28:47] once before then today. Stephanie met
[2:28:50] with uh staff starting at was it I staff
[2:28:53] at like 11, but she reached out to the
[2:28:57] PTG to meet with the PTG today. Right.
[2:29:00] So masterful work on Stephanie's part
[2:29:04] and part of our plan to ensure the
[2:29:06] greatest opportunity for success of
[2:29:08] Stephanie. Everyone is 100% confident
[2:29:11] she's going to be a great great lead of
[2:29:13] Willard. Um, today we were on on the
[2:29:15] bus. You know, Stephanie knows the the
[2:29:17] importance of greeting each child in the
[2:29:19] morning and saying goodbye every
[2:29:20] afternoon, right? So, we get on the bus
[2:29:22] and you know, as we do and I said to my
[2:29:25] friends on the bus, "Hey, my friends,
[2:29:27] I'd like to introduce you. This is Miss
[2:29:29] Nephew from the back of the bus." No, I
[2:29:31] said, "No, this is your new principal."
[2:29:33] Back of the bus. Kids goes, "Hey, MISS
[2:29:35] NEPHEW, HOW YOU DOING?"
[2:29:38] HE WAS ON HER interview
[2:29:41] and he was beaming with cry.
[2:29:44] So again, it's not everywhere where you
[2:29:46] have uh constituencies that truly are
[2:29:50] heard and valued. So it's a very
[2:29:53] difficult interview process. We all
[2:29:55] know, we've all done it. But boy oh boy,
[2:29:57] when the the kids feel valued and the
[2:30:00] staff feel valued and the parents feel
[2:30:02] valued and this right, well done. And so
[2:30:04] I'm quite confident that things are
[2:30:06] going to move forward very well and very
[2:30:08] well supported for Stephanie as she
[2:30:10] moves. Um the work that uh the concrete
[2:30:15] ed fund was u trumpeting today we
[2:30:18] benefited at Willard. We're going to
[2:30:20] have a Willard garden after all these
[2:30:22] years right which is spectacular. Um
[2:30:25] there's a a garden at Alcott and
[2:30:27] Thorough. And why is it so important?
[2:30:30] Now, we've done we've we've always
[2:30:32] tapped into um our our bird watches.
[2:30:35] We've done our works, as you know, in
[2:30:37] the curriculum in kindergarten looking
[2:30:39] at trees and seasons, all the rest. But
[2:30:41] to have a garden, think about the work
[2:30:44] that you've done where you're learning
[2:30:46] something and it doesn't end when the
[2:30:48] lesson's over, right? That's great
[2:30:51] teaching. That's great learning. It's
[2:30:53] the motivation for you to continue to
[2:30:54] learn. So within EEL, as Naomi
[2:30:57] referenced, um where when we have an
[2:31:00] outdoor um classroom like the garden
[2:31:04] that we will have, we tap into e modules
[2:31:08] that include in kindergarten, trees and
[2:31:10] weather. In first grade, birds need our
[2:31:13] help. In second grade, the secret life
[2:31:15] of plants and pollinators and in third
[2:31:17] grade, water usage. Right? So it's real
[2:31:21] life application of what they're
[2:31:22] learning. uh high quality text that
[2:31:24] they're accessing and ready to
[2:31:26] demonstrate mastery in many different
[2:31:29] means, one of which can be within the
[2:31:32] garden setting. So, we're very excited
[2:31:34] by all of that. Um, one bit that we've
[2:31:37] all been working on is our playground.
[2:31:40] I'll end with that. that uh the one one
[2:31:42] of the action items moving forward will
[2:31:44] be to begin the process of reconsidering
[2:31:47] what's out there uh ac accessibility for
[2:31:51] all right and it's getting older it's 17
[2:31:53] years right as we know um that things
[2:31:56] start to go at some point and just as
[2:31:58] our chiller went this spring which is
[2:32:01] fine everyone's rallying to it
[2:32:04] >> surprised Brian and Katie didn't bring
[2:32:05] up the lack of
[2:32:06] >> there but I tell you but it takes that
[2:32:09] the sense of community and um and uh
[2:32:14] mutual um
[2:32:17] willingness to persevere, right? Um I
[2:32:21] won't ask anyone whether they had AC in
[2:32:23] their uh schools when they were
[2:32:25] children. This guy didn't, you know, on
[2:32:28] bombing bombing Long Island, right? U
[2:32:33] » talking
[2:32:35] inch.
[2:32:36] >> All right. Right around the corner.
[2:32:37] Yeah. So we
[2:32:39] turn our pillows over at night, right?
[2:32:41] Right. When it was hot. So um so
[2:32:45] the the building is super
[2:32:47] wellmaintained. And one last call out.
[2:32:49] I'm doing a little bit of you right now.
[2:32:50] Just running on is
[2:32:57] » is the support.
[2:32:58] >> Leaving these two to the end was a big
[2:33:00] mistake.
[2:33:02] >> I understood the assignment. I picked
[2:33:04] your thing and I talked about them. No,
[2:33:07] just again the the support of uh all the
[2:33:10] staff within the building um our our
[2:33:13] facility staff, our drivers, our kitchen
[2:33:16] staff, every single day, every single
[2:33:19] one of them has a meaningful impact on
[2:33:21] all of our students and um it's not
[2:33:24] every district that still retains those
[2:33:26] important people, right? Um so kudos to
[2:33:30] all of you and gratitude to all of you
[2:33:32] for having this culture and this
[2:33:34] environment where that's important
[2:33:36] because it is important and it is
[2:33:38] important for teaching and learning and
[2:33:39] the success of our students. So thank
[2:33:41] you I guess questions.
[2:33:44] >> Yeah let's just maybe a couple
[2:33:45] questions.
[2:33:47] See, we could have more than one per
[2:33:50] mention to go by break, but in case we
[2:33:53] did not. Um, I think the goal across uh
[2:33:56] the the DV goals was hiring and
[2:33:59] retaining I think 20% of staff by 2025.
[2:34:04] Um, were we tracking that? Are we did we
[2:34:06] meet it or John?
[2:34:09] >> We do track it for sure. Um, did we meet
[2:34:13] it? What I'm finding is the tracking
[2:34:14] gets complicated when attrition happens
[2:34:17] for reasons that aren't about us. It's
[2:34:19] we're relocating or whatever. So, we're
[2:34:21] still mastering the data tracking. Um,
[2:34:24] they're having the same challenge. We
[2:34:26] were riffing people and so the hiring
[2:34:30] piece is a different discussion this
[2:34:31] year,
[2:34:33] >> but
[2:34:34] I I will this I guess a good challenge,
[2:34:37] but um we don't have much since we set
[2:34:40] that goal. We've had very little
[2:34:43] turnover. Um, like this year is the
[2:34:46] most. So I I have two people who are
[2:34:48] retiring. It's the most turnover I've
[2:34:50] had in I want to say three years. And
[2:34:51] because of
[2:34:53] >> rift I did like I didn't actually post
[2:34:55] for those positions because they because
[2:34:58] people were rift not rifted but um there
[2:35:00] was movement in the district. Um, it's a
[2:35:03] good not having really high retention is
[2:35:06] a good problem to have, but it it's um
[2:35:08] we're not I haven't posted for a new
[2:35:10] teaching position in a couple years.
[2:35:13] >> That wasn't just teachers, right?
[2:35:16] >> That goal um staff
[2:35:19] >> it Yeah, I mean we al Yeah,
[2:35:21] >> it's a good question, Sandep. And we
[2:35:23] post a lot of our pos all of our
[2:35:25] positions on school spring. That's our
[2:35:27] hiring platform. And I'm just having a
[2:35:29] conversation with Andrew and Nimichi,
[2:35:31] you know, how do we how do we broaden
[2:35:32] that because not everyone go uses that.
[2:35:35] >> So Andrew has a lot of ideas and is
[2:35:37] creative about spreading uh and
[2:35:39] broadening the the candidate pool and we
[2:35:42] do use two other networks um
[2:35:45] >> uh that Andrew has identified that has
[2:35:48] generated leads of diverse candidates.
[2:35:50] Exc
[2:35:53] did you have a question?
[2:35:54] >> I do have one question which is the
[2:35:56] plans being so similar baly the like
[2:35:59] unique strengths of each of your schools
[2:36:02] and your own leadership. So I was
[2:36:04] actually wondering if you would be so
[2:36:06] kind and generous as to share if there
[2:36:09] is anything from one another and be
[2:36:11] succinct as possible that you admire
[2:36:14] most and hope wish you could acquire
[2:36:18] from their culture or operations at
[2:36:19] their school. you know each other so
[2:36:21] well and sometimes you can see each
[2:36:23] other's superpowers better than even
[2:36:24] your own. So I'm curious if there are
[2:36:27] things you admire about one another uh
[2:36:29] or their schools or how they operate
[2:36:31] that um you wish you could absorb.
[2:36:35] >> I can start
[2:36:37] >> please.
[2:36:37] >> Um great question.
[2:36:40] >> I think there's so many things that I
[2:36:41] could say. I feel like I learned so much
[2:36:43] from well even sitting here I was like
[2:36:46] oh office hours for my mental health
[2:36:48] staff like that that's a really great
[2:36:49] idea. Um, but I think in terms of the
[2:36:51] like leadership style or like uh I think
[2:36:54] Matt is a phenomenal storyteller and I
[2:36:57] think that's really important in this
[2:36:58] role and um you know I I think that's something that um I would aspire
[2:37:05] to a little more detail oriented and
[2:37:07] like get it done and obviously I took my
[2:37:10] two points and spoke to them and they
[2:37:12] followed
[2:37:13] >> I follow I follow really good at
[2:37:15] following directions. know what they
[2:37:16] need to like it.
[2:37:17] >> But but I think like the storytelling
[2:37:20] aspect is actually really important in
[2:37:22] this job and um it's something it's
[2:37:24] something that I really appreciate and
[2:37:25] will miss even if it's late and you talk
[2:37:28] for a long time.
[2:37:30] >> It's a great question, Drew, and about
[2:37:33] each of them. I sometimes go from A to B
[2:37:36] without Laurest sometimes without
[2:37:38] thinking about all the things in
[2:37:39] between. Um, and Naomi is great about
[2:37:43] slowing down and asking all of the
[2:37:45] important questions in the moment. It's
[2:37:47] like sometimes, come on, come on, come
[2:37:49] on. But in the end,
[2:37:52] >> in the end, it it
[2:37:53] >> oh boy,
[2:37:59] » someone the plan is always better off.
[2:38:01] The students are always better off as a
[2:38:03] result of your thoughtfulness.
[2:38:05] >> Um, and uh and and Matt coming in. um
[2:38:08] has been such a a tremendous mentor uh
[2:38:12] every classroom every day.
[2:38:19] » Um I would echo, you know, uh what I
[2:38:22] admire um most about Naomi is her
[2:38:26] humanity. um that um in a complex uh
[2:38:31] world with lots of needs, she always
[2:38:34] sees the student and then will will
[2:38:38] develop an an action plan that is so
[2:38:41] thoughtful uh with deliverables that she
[2:38:44] stakes to right and has great success.
[2:38:49] >> It's a really really nice question.
[2:38:52] Um, and then Justin is um the just the
[2:38:56] lifeblood of the school. When you're
[2:38:57] with him in the building, uh, the staff
[2:39:00] brighten when he arrives. The kids all
[2:39:03] know him. Um, he knows the curriculum in
[2:39:05] and out. Um, he has an effervescence
[2:39:10] and a positivity that is second to none.
[2:39:13] So, um, you know, we I think we probably
[2:39:16] complimented each other and I'm quite
[2:39:18] confident that, um, Stephanie will jump
[2:39:21] right in and just be such a great new
[2:39:23] member of this team. Um, that will this
[2:39:26] team will continue to thrive with
[2:39:29] Stephanie's inclusion as we we say to a
[2:39:32] great question before and I should have
[2:39:34] whenever we interview for someone we
[2:39:37] always say who will make us better
[2:39:40] >> who will make us better. So to replace
[2:39:43] me, right, doesn't make the district
[2:39:45] better. It's to see who where my gaps
[2:39:49] are and what we need more of. And in
[2:39:52] Stephanie, now you have someone who
[2:39:54] fills my gaps and makes this team
[2:39:56] better. So I'm really excited for her to
[2:40:00] come and we look forward to uh finishing
[2:40:03] out the year very strongly. But thanks
[2:40:04] for your question, T.
[2:40:05] >> Thank you.
[2:40:06] >> Yeah, just I will finish it up by saying
[2:40:08] thank you so much for coming. We really
[2:40:10] love having you. This is my favorite
[2:40:12] meeting of the year. Um because we get
[2:40:14] to see you interact with each other and
[2:40:16] you know I've been around for a long
[2:40:18] time and the schools were not always
[2:40:20] this um cohesive at the elementary level
[2:40:22] and it was like oh buy a house at this
[2:40:24] school because your kid will learn to
[2:40:25] read at this school. That is no longer
[2:40:27] the case. So I really appreciate um the
[2:40:30] collaboration between the three schools
[2:40:32] and then even you know prek to 12 like
[2:40:34] watching all of that and the leadership
[2:40:36] team. I mean, this is something that
[2:40:38] it's a bird's eye view into our schools
[2:40:39] every single day. We wish you the best
[2:40:41] of luck with Teddy, Matt.
[2:40:43] Congratulations. Enjoy retirement. We
[2:40:45] welcome Stephanie.
[2:40:47] >> Thank you, Justin. Naomi, it's really
[2:40:49] great.
[2:40:50] >> Thanks, Tracy.
[2:40:52] >> Thank you all.
[2:40:57] » All right. Um, moving on. So, we've got
[2:41:00] five more things that we want to talk
[2:41:02] through tonight. So,
[2:41:04] >> exact session. We got three and a half
[2:41:06] hours.
[2:41:08] >> Um, handbook.
[2:41:10] >> Yeah, I think we can do this at a high
[2:41:11] level because there's not that many
[2:41:12] changes. Um, I was going to project, but
[2:41:16] thank you. Take care. Thanks, guys.
[2:41:17] Thank you.
[2:41:18] >> The only thing I'd ask you, and we're
[2:41:19] not voting tonight, so you have time to
[2:41:21] look at it. We tried to really call out
[2:41:22] what was different logistical stuff that
[2:41:26] is clear. Um, we have to align the
[2:41:29] policies that are in here, the ones that
[2:41:31] are in here that are changing with the
[2:41:33] DOJ piece next week. So those are just
[2:41:36] partnered up. And then really the piece
[2:41:38] to look at is the AI piece which Shelley
[2:41:40] gets all credit for and the the
[2:41:41] committee she's been working with that
[2:41:43] we really wanted some breath and depth
[2:41:46] to at least a starting point for AI
[2:41:48] which I don't think I need to go through
[2:41:49] tonight but um you could see that's one
[2:41:52] of our major areas of change this coming
[2:41:54] year.
[2:41:55] >> Will we be having a sort of in-depth
[2:41:58] discussion on the changes at our second
[2:42:00] read or you do that now?
[2:42:04] Um, were there particular ones that you
[2:42:07] want to have a in-depth conversation
[2:42:08] about?
[2:42:08] >> Um, you know, I think Sandy, you and I
[2:42:12] had questions about um, ACR, AC, and
[2:42:16] GIC.
[2:42:18] >> Those policies are on the next agend.
[2:42:31] » Yes. Just to clarify, we'll yeah,
[2:42:32] >> we had the first reading on those in
[2:42:34] May.
[2:42:35] >> We will be voting on those at the June
[2:42:38] 16th meeting. The handbook will
[2:42:40] reference what we approve on June 16.
[2:42:43] >> Got tricky. Yeah.
[2:42:44] >> Yeah.
[2:42:45] >> Um and if you recall, like we
[2:42:49] had said in May, we're going to adopt
[2:42:52] the DOJ recommendations
[2:42:54] to make us compliant and then make sure
[2:42:56] that we're continuing that conversation.
[2:42:59] So the question the question was when
[2:43:01] are we having that discussion now or are
[2:43:02] we going to have it on the 16th? That's
[2:43:04] that was my question.
[2:43:05] >> We're not have we're not going to have
[2:43:07] it tonight. We we have the second read
[2:43:09] on the 16th. So
[2:43:13] » everything just has to align. That's why
[2:43:15] this is
[2:43:16] >> so policies on the 16th
[2:43:19] >> before we vote the handbook.
[2:43:21] >> Yes.
[2:43:21] >> Technically yes.
[2:43:22] Yeah. because then
[2:43:23] you'll have the policies and the
[2:43:25] handbook in
[2:43:28] >> and between now and then I'm going to
[2:43:29] get you Brian and Katie are working on
[2:43:31] there's a few CCHS specific things that
[2:43:33] we need to in consolidating the book a
[2:43:38] couple years ago we just there's a few
[2:43:39] CCS EHS things we need to reference that
[2:43:43] they're pulling together this
[2:43:44] >> okay did you have edits that you sent
[2:43:47] through
[2:43:48] >> No I didn't have edits but I when we I
[2:43:51] saw they were up and they were in the
[2:43:54] packet.
[2:43:55] >> Discuss it bigger.
[2:43:58] >> Yeah. I didn't realize they made it into
[2:44:00] the packet. I think
[2:44:02] >> Yeah, I I think they're on next week.
[2:44:04] >> They're on the next agenda
[2:44:05] >> because we were going to do one meeting
[2:44:08] with all of this in it. Clearly, this
[2:44:10] meeting needed to be split into two,
[2:44:12] which is
[2:44:13] >> and so all the policies and a few more
[2:44:15] town things will be on the next meeting.
[2:44:17] Yep.
[2:44:18] >> All right. Anything else with the
[2:44:19] handbook for right now?
[2:44:24] All right, we'll move on then to adas
[2:44:27] working group updates.
[2:44:28] >> So, um we haven't had a meeting since
[2:44:31] the last update that I gave, but we're
[2:44:35] in closing stages of that working group.
[2:44:37] Um presenting to the select board on the
[2:44:40] 22nd. Uh we have a meeting coming up
[2:44:42] next week. Um and just to put the
[2:44:45] finishing touches on the presentation
[2:44:48] that we're going to make to the
[2:44:53] question for you. Is there I know when
[2:44:56] Paul presented the chair presented to
[2:44:58] the uh DEI commission there was sort of
[2:45:03] as an aside that there was going to be a
[2:45:05] hearing formal hearing thing.
[2:45:08] >> I did not know that happened. So I I did
[2:45:13] not attend the the DI on this meeting
[2:45:15] >> he he had mentioned that then and uh I
[2:45:19] guess the other point I would want to
[2:45:21] make uh since March when we've had this item as Sandy pointed out this body
[2:45:28] is going to cease to exist in June 22nd.
[2:45:30] >> Yep.
[2:45:31] >> But our issues advice and I hopefully
[2:45:33] they'll diminish but they're not going
[2:45:34] to go away. Again, I bring up that we
[2:45:37] should consider updating the focus to
[2:45:40] look at what's going on in our school
[2:45:42] campuses and perhaps change the item
[2:45:44] name to make certain that we hold this
[2:45:46] talk about bias climate across our
[2:45:49] campuses going forward.
[2:45:52] >> I appreciate that.
[2:45:54] >> I agree. I agree. I think it would be
[2:45:56] helpful to continue talking about it.
[2:46:00] >> So, yeah, I've been asking since March
[2:46:03] and
[2:46:06] like to have some determination on.
[2:46:11] » Um I hear you. I don't have any
[2:46:13] immediate um determination at this
[2:46:15] point, but um
[2:46:17] >> something that we can discuss as a
[2:46:19] commit.
[2:46:23] Do you want to I mean
[2:46:27] I'm wondering as we are putting together
[2:46:30] our um you know as we're
[2:46:34] working over the course of the summer
[2:46:35] and working through through goals if um
[2:46:40] >> I don't know necessarily has to be a
[2:46:42] goal. I'm asking for something to be a
[2:46:45] standing item for us to discuss a
[2:46:48] standing item on our agendas going
[2:46:50] forward. That's what I've been asking
[2:46:52] since March. Can Can I share my thoughts
[2:46:54] on it?
[2:46:55] >> Yeah.
[2:46:56] >> I things on the agenda I I believe
[2:47:00] should be items that we discuss and then
[2:47:02] we move forward to the next one. As you
[2:47:03] rightly pointed out, I don't think these
[2:47:05] are issues we'll uh ever get done
[2:47:08] addressing. So I I I don't again if if
[2:47:13] it's a let's say
[2:47:16] semianual update on climate culture,
[2:47:19] we'll look forward it. But it's a
[2:47:20] standing element just to say
[2:47:23] we're still tracking this. I don't
[2:47:26] necessarily see the value in it.
[2:47:29] >> Well, there are other things other than
[2:47:31] ordinary business meetings, Sandy, that
[2:47:33] could be vehicles for getting into this
[2:47:36] topic as well. Could be a working group,
[2:47:38] could be a forum, could be something
[2:47:42] maybe outside of an ordinary business
[2:47:44] meeting. Is that what you're getting at?
[2:47:45] Where it would have a sort of timebound
[2:47:47] focus where
[2:47:49] we would open in a more wholesome way
[2:47:52] than perhaps a 10 minutes can on a
[2:47:55] bi-weekly basis would even
[2:47:58] begin to approach which I agree with
[2:48:00] you. We want to make progress but how do
[2:48:02] we make progress in the best way
[2:48:04] possible? Is that sort of
[2:48:06] >> no
[2:48:06] >> like having it be a forever thing is
[2:48:09] hard I acknowledge but also having it be
[2:48:12] and that never is also hard to make
[2:48:15] progress. I also not what I said. I said
[2:48:17] let's let's have
[2:48:18] >> Oh. Oh, sorry. I misunderstood you.
[2:48:20] >> I said let's have periodic updates
[2:48:22] instead of every meeting
[2:48:26] >> regional meetings since we had made a
[2:48:29] point to make this something at the so
[2:48:31] we'd be at our regional meetings and
[2:48:32] also if I look at what our agreement
[2:48:35] was, we're supposed to be assessing our
[2:48:37] incident of bias uh timely at least over
[2:48:41] the next 12 months through June of 2027.
[2:48:45] That's part of the agreement that we
[2:48:46] signed. U
[2:48:49] is that correct?
[2:48:49] >> No, I'm the I'm the one who has to do
[2:48:51] that. I've been charged with that by the
[2:48:52] DOJ to do that
[2:48:53] >> and we shouldn't
[2:48:55] >> I'm not saying that. I'm just saying
[2:48:56] that I'm the official review of the
[2:48:59] incident because I have access to the
[2:49:02] >> agreed
[2:49:02] >> private information.
[2:49:03] >> Agreed. And again, we're not necessarily
[2:49:06] in private information. This is just
[2:49:08] sort of again a request to look at the
[2:49:13] what's happening in our camp in our
[2:49:15] across our campuses over time as
[2:49:20] suggested in our DOJ agreement and
[2:49:23] something I've been asking since March.
[2:49:26] >> So, and I do think it's a good idea to a
[2:49:28] periodic review. I agree with you,
[2:49:30] Sandep. Um, I can't think of an item on
[2:49:33] our agenda in the past few years that
[2:49:35] we've had on every single agenda except
[2:49:37] for this one because you requested it
[2:49:39] and I made the commitment for the rest
[2:49:40] of this year to put the hate and bias
[2:49:42] working group on. And now I think that,
[2:49:45] you know, maybe the chairs will discuss
[2:49:47] it together and figure out how we move
[2:49:50] forward and and what should it be every
[2:49:52] meeting? Should it be quarterly? You
[2:49:54] know, how we're going to do that. So
[2:49:56] maybe that's for you guys to decide over
[2:49:58] the summer. Um yeah that's that's good
[2:50:01] feedback I think yeah if we do it every
[2:50:05] meeting it might feel preuncter and
[2:50:08] >> be performative
[2:50:10] >> performative
[2:50:10] >> yeah
[2:50:14] >> so have to be performative unless we
[2:50:17] look at it that way
[2:50:19] >> if if we do something with that it'll
[2:50:20] feel like us checking the box saying
[2:50:22] we're doing this things are done right
[2:50:25] >> my kids are still in the schools they
[2:50:27] have to deal with these issues every
[2:50:29] Right. So, so let's take tangible steps,
[2:50:31] tangible actions instead of putting
[2:50:32] something on the agenda and saying our
[2:50:34] problem is done. We swoop at it. Let's
[2:50:36] move on.
[2:50:37] >> Yeah, we definitely don't want to do
[2:50:38] that. I don't think anyone's proposing
[2:50:40] that.
[2:50:41] >> Definitely not.
[2:50:42] >> I think that will happen if we keep
[2:50:44] doing it every
[2:50:47] we nothing happened in the last two
[2:50:49] weeks.
[2:50:49] >> Well, maybe I think we're down a rabbit
[2:50:52] hole, which is like I'm curious in your
[2:50:54] estimation, what is the thing that would
[2:50:56] be most productive to have happen? You
[2:50:58] say
[2:50:58] >> I stated that
[2:50:59] >> regular updates but updates on from from
[2:51:03] the administration to us
[2:51:05] >> but is there something more we could do
[2:51:07] and simply listen
[2:51:09] >> talk to the community?
[2:51:10] >> Yeah. Well, there we go. Maybe there's
[2:51:13] something Well, that would be something
[2:51:14] like a forum perhaps.
[2:51:17] >> Well, that that's a different
[2:51:19] discussion.
[2:51:20] >> Yeah, for sure. It's a different
[2:51:21] discussion.
[2:51:21] the hate and bias discussion
[2:51:23] >> is your hate and bias working group um
[2:51:26] do they have a recommendation coming out
[2:51:27] on how to disseminate information? Um
[2:51:31] yes. So I mean that'll be the dashboard
[2:51:35] >> the dashboard
[2:51:35] >> that we'll present on the 32nd.
[2:51:37] >> Okay.
[2:51:39] >> And again that speaks to the town. It
[2:51:41] does not speak to what's happening in
[2:51:43] our going back to the agenda.
[2:51:47] >> And I do think you know we do have to be
[2:51:50] careful of how much we're dipping into
[2:51:53] the operations of the schools because
[2:51:54] you know if we really look into it we
[2:51:56] have one employee and that is our
[2:51:58] superintendent. Right. And so I think
[2:52:00] that the operations of the schools
[2:52:02] happens amongst as we listen tonight the
[2:52:04] leadership team and all of them talked
[2:52:06] about you know belonging and culture and
[2:52:10] um performance like we're hearing all of
[2:52:12] that through our administrators. So I
[2:52:15] think I just think we need to careful
[2:52:17] about like we may want to talk about it
[2:52:19] but it might not be our role to actually
[2:52:21] talk about it every meeting. And I have
[2:52:22] noted the select board has um they
[2:52:25] started with having anti-semitism on
[2:52:27] every single agenda and that's now moved
[2:52:30] off of the agenda. So, you know, I just
[2:52:33] think we have to be careful and and I
[2:52:34] think it's for the chairs to decide how
[2:52:36] often um and and what we're looking to
[2:52:40] hear because it isn't our role as school
[2:52:43] committee to listen to what's going on
[2:52:44] in our campuses, but we don't have a
[2:52:46] role in what to do about what's
[2:52:48] happening in our campuses as a
[2:52:50] committee. I think this is a nuance
[2:52:51] problem which is about the semi-p
[2:52:53] permeable membrane between the campuses
[2:52:55] and the community which is where we sit
[2:52:59] like we are in this unique third space
[2:53:01] as a committee and as elected officials
[2:53:05] and for sure we have to enable and
[2:53:08] empower the administration to kick butt
[2:53:10] and I think we have a fiduciary
[2:53:12] responsibility to the community as well
[2:53:15] um to really create the most vibrant
[2:53:17] atmosphere for the students and it it's
[2:53:19] a trick tricky one. It's really tricky.
[2:53:21] I don't know the answers, but I do know
[2:53:24] a performative refunctery thing is not
[2:53:26] it. I concur. And putting it all on
[2:53:30] Lor's shoulders. Well, you have strong
[2:53:32] shoulders, Lori, is also not fully it. I
[2:53:35] think there's something we need to
[2:53:36] absorb uh responsibility for ourselves.
[2:53:40] And I I don't know what that is, but it
[2:53:42] would be I think it would be a
[2:53:44] worthwhile discussion uh among this
[2:53:47] group to figure out what that could be.
[2:53:49] and and and perhaps the answer is we
[2:53:52] don't know or not now but I I I I would welcome that discussion
[2:53:58] together. I think it would be fruitful.
[2:54:01] >> Okay, I want to table it here. I want to
[2:54:03] give this some thought. I do like
[2:54:06] chatting with Sandep as the chair and um
[2:54:10] >> yeah,
[2:54:12] let me just think about
[2:54:14] >> by all means it's not going to happen in
[2:54:15] the next meeting. That's for sure.
[2:54:18] um mostly not.
[2:54:20] >> Um let's move on though to technology
[2:54:22] use in schools.
[2:54:24] >> Yeah, I just wanted to give you some
[2:54:25] updates on the work I've been doing and
[2:54:27] the team has been doing and it's in its
[2:54:29] infancy, but the plan is evolving. Um so
[2:54:32] there's I think two big buckets that
[2:54:35] we're growing here much because we had
[2:54:38] already started the path and partly
[2:54:40] because we hear the community interest.
[2:54:42] So, Shelley's going to run a district
[2:54:44] technology committee next year, which is
[2:54:46] the staff side of the house, just like
[2:54:47] she's doing math or any review work that
[2:54:51] she needs to do. Um, that'll that'll
[2:54:54] answer the questions that you've been
[2:54:55] hearing. We'll do the data work. I
[2:54:57] don't, you know, I'm not promising
[2:54:58] exactly what I can have for you in the
[2:55:00] fall. We might need teachers here to
[2:55:02] really do it. So, we're going to do what
[2:55:04] we can over the summer. Um,
[2:55:07] the second bucket is to meet the need to
[2:55:11] I guess sort of what you just described
[2:55:13] like bridge the community and the
[2:55:15] schools. And I think for me, one of the
[2:55:17] things I've been craving over the last
[2:55:19] couple of months is this topic has come
[2:55:21] up is just making sure that we're
[2:55:22] talking from the facts. Um, so, you
[2:55:25] know, we're going to create a a
[2:55:27] technology committee that is just like
[2:55:30] the sustainability committee or the
[2:55:31] anti-semitism coalition. Those have been
[2:55:34] very effective forums for us with a
[2:55:36] mixed representation, not a huge group,
[2:55:39] mixed representation of parents,
[2:55:42] teachers, students, administrators, at
[2:55:45] least a a school committee rep usually.
[2:55:48] Um, where we really just have these
[2:55:50] in-depth discussions about what we're
[2:55:52] all what we're doing and what we're all
[2:55:56] envisioning and that becomes the
[2:55:58] feedback loop as we all build those
[2:56:00] visions. um and it's been very effective
[2:56:02] in a number of situations. So, I've
[2:56:05] committed to that um a few times next
[2:56:07] year. I was able to meet with um the
[2:56:10] leads of the intentional technology
[2:56:13] coalition. Still getting their name
[2:56:15] down. Um Monday with Shelly and Angel
[2:56:18] and Matt came over and we agree on a lot
[2:56:21] of things. I think just really important
[2:56:23] to keep saying that um we have the same
[2:56:26] goals, the same um hopes and desire for
[2:56:31] balance and um we want to partner. So we
[2:56:34] I think the third leg of that is just
[2:56:36] continuing that leadership conversation
[2:56:38] across platforms with them and um it was
[2:56:41] a great start the other day. So we're
[2:56:43] going to get this all packaged into a
[2:56:46] master plan. um it will be some of the
[2:56:50] things that have been said in public and
[2:56:52] the concerns and questions the community
[2:56:54] has. But I mean and for us the AI is
[2:56:56] still the driving force. Um we because
[2:56:59] we put a little bit in the handbook
[2:57:00] doesn't mean we have feel like we have
[2:57:02] this figured out at all. And I don't
[2:57:03] know if there is a place to get figured
[2:57:04] out but we're not really
[2:57:07] comfortable with where we are. The
[2:57:08] teachers aren't comfortable. The kids
[2:57:10] are looking for direction. Um so we want
[2:57:12] to really hone in on that. Um, so that's
[2:57:15] just a first place. You'll hear a lot
[2:57:17] more as the summer and the fall comes
[2:57:18] with where that's all going to go. It'll
[2:57:20] certainly be in my goals. Um, and I
[2:57:22] think trying to evolve all of that into
[2:57:25] a package is is the goal.
[2:57:26] >> And were they receptive to the group,
[2:57:28] the intentional technology group,
[2:57:30] receptive to meeting a few times a year?
[2:57:32] >> Oh, very great. Very great. Okay.
[2:57:34] >> Yeah.
[2:57:35] >> Could I add something more on your
[2:57:36] plate? So, so the the the technology and
[2:57:39] the AI policies around it,
[2:57:42] I I think those need to be revisited a
[2:57:44] lot more rapid rate. Sure.
[2:57:47] >> Yeah. Totally agree.
[2:57:49] >> Yeah. So, we'll put that on the list of
[2:57:51] the package. Yeah.
[2:57:53] >> Yeah.
[2:57:55] >> Yep.
[2:57:57] I almost feel like they have to write
[2:57:58] written in a Google doc you can change
[2:58:00] all the time because it's moving so
[2:58:02] fast. Yes.
[2:58:03] >> Yeah.
[2:58:04] >> Anyway, so that's the brief update. A
[2:58:06] lot more to come.
[2:58:07] >> Thank you. Did anyone have any follow-
[2:58:08] on questions on that?
[2:58:10] >> Good.
[2:58:12] >> Too many to fit in the timeline.
[2:58:15] >> I'll take that as a no. Uh
[2:58:18] non-union uh increases.
[2:58:21] >> Yeah. So, you want to
[2:58:23] >> we just need to we just need to vote
[2:58:24] this.
[2:58:25] >> You just need to vote the 3% for all
[2:58:27] non-union raises that you've discussed.
[2:58:30] >> Executive.
[2:58:31] >> So, I'm just going to formally make a
[2:58:32] motion if that's is that okay with with
[2:58:34] you. if I just make the motion and then
[2:58:36] we've discussed we discuss it.
[2:58:37] >> So I move that um
[2:58:40] >> we approve 3% cola for all non-UN
[2:58:44] personnel and market adjustments as
[2:58:47] discussed.
[2:58:49] >> I'll second. All right. Discussion.
[2:58:54] » No, it's one number, but you guys put a
[2:58:56] lot of work into getting that. So thank
[2:58:57] you.
[2:58:58] >> Yeah, that's a very way good way to say
[2:59:00] it. And truth.
[2:59:02] >> All right.
[2:59:02] >> And this is for both districts.
[2:59:04] Oh, so we have to do a vote for both.
[2:59:06] >> For both.
[2:59:07] >> Yeah. Okay. Um, all in favor?
[2:59:10] >> I
[2:59:12] always
[2:59:13] >> It sounds really awkward, but
[2:59:15] >> it's better when it's a roll call,
[2:59:16] though. So, um, I think that was
[2:59:19] >> You can decide to do a roll call.
[2:59:21] >> Not for this. Not at 859.
[2:59:24] Um,
[2:59:27] if you watch the May Carlile School
[2:59:29] Committee, you'll see when I did do a
[2:59:30] roll call in person. Um, you don't take
[2:59:33] that lightly. Um,
[2:59:37] >> amenities building.
[2:59:40] >> I'm gonna throw this to Bob. He just
[2:59:41] wants to give you a status update on
[2:59:42] where the project is. Uh, we're working
[2:59:44] with Gail Associates, the design
[2:59:46] engineering firm, to go out to bid. It's
[2:59:48] been posted in the required state
[2:59:50] website. Um, and so bids will be due
[2:59:54] July 17th. Um,
[2:59:57] there's part of that is because there's
[2:59:59] filed sub bids because some of the work
[3:00:02] of subcontractors will be more than
[3:00:03] 25,000. So you you're required to have
[3:00:06] filed sub bids and you have to wait for
[3:00:08] the contractors to to see that
[3:00:10] information incorporated into their
[3:00:12] bids.
[3:00:15] so July 17th would be the date. At the
[3:00:17] same time, I'm also um conducting a it's
[3:00:20] called an RFS. It's specifically for
[3:00:22] OPM's request for services. Our retired
[3:00:26] facilities director had been serving in
[3:00:28] this role. uh Russ former former
[3:00:30] facilities director Russ Hughes. Um he
[3:00:32] kind of gracefully
[3:00:34] stayed on for a year after he retired,
[3:00:36] but it's it's gone on now and he's he's
[3:00:40] ready to disconnect from the district.
[3:00:42] So it was kind of doing a favor to
[3:00:44] extend it, but the multiple the long
[3:00:46] timeline it took to get it approved. Um
[3:00:49] you know, he needs to stop now. We're
[3:00:50] going out to do this RFS to select a OPM
[3:00:54] firm that'll just help with the last
[3:00:55] phase of the project. Russ helped with
[3:00:57] the design portion of the project and so
[3:00:59] they'll help with the construction
[3:01:00] portion. That's um required um for
[3:01:03] projects over a million and a half
[3:01:04] dollars. So um you know it's more cost
[3:01:07] effective to do it with a district
[3:01:09] employee, but at this point in time we
[3:01:11] feel like um at this point in the
[3:01:12] project be a little bit less costy since
[3:01:14] the last phase and we'll we'll get some
[3:01:16] good companies to apply. Um so that's
[3:01:20] it. I think we're um we're in decent
[3:01:22] shape. I mean, um, it'll be starting the
[3:01:24] work in the summer and we expect it to
[3:01:26] be, uh, to go through the winter and
[3:01:30] hopefully be, um, and then we expect to
[3:01:31] be done in the spring.
[3:01:34] >> So, is there anything you're going to
[3:01:35] need from the school committee over the
[3:01:37] summer as you're getting the the bids in
[3:01:39] >> um, we typically ask the school
[3:01:41] committee to approve the bid award? Um,
[3:01:44] I can check to see through our policies
[3:01:47] if it's allowed for you to
[3:01:50] designate that to us.
[3:01:53] usually also just call a quick meeting.
[3:01:55] >> I think I'd rather do that just so
[3:01:58] have a chance to ask any questions.
[3:02:00] >> And I will need you to approve the OPM.
[3:02:03] Unfortunately, that timing is not going
[3:02:04] to be great.
[3:02:06] >> It'll probably be a virtual meeting and
[3:02:07] >> Okay.
[3:02:08] >> Can we do both at the same time, do you
[3:02:09] think?
[3:02:10] >> No.
[3:02:10] Okay. Right.
[3:02:11] >> And you won't have that before our June
[3:02:13] 16th meeting.
[3:02:15] >> Actually, I need to think about whether
[3:02:16] I could do it at the same time because
[3:02:18] the OPM probably could wait for us to
[3:02:20] award the construction. I I can think
[3:02:22] about that. Um I'm not sure. I need to
[3:02:25] think I need to figure out whether
[3:02:26] that's allowed.
[3:02:28] >> Okay.
[3:02:28] >> We'll try to do it if it's possible.
[3:02:30] >> I mean, if it's calling a fiveminute
[3:02:32] meeting in July, like I will I will do
[3:02:34] it based on the three years leading up
[3:02:36] to this. So
[3:02:38] >> cameras off.
[3:02:39] >> Yeah.
[3:02:40] >> But we also have the thorough nature
[3:02:41] space. Well, that's concrete uh public
[3:02:44] schools. So um there are some projects
[3:02:46] that we typically would bring to you if
[3:02:48] they're formal bids to approve.
[3:02:50] >> Okay. Concrete nature space is another
[3:02:51] one that's not on the agenda.
[3:02:53] >> Just
[3:02:53] >> Yeah, we're just gonna have to let you
[3:02:55] know when we need to bring you in.
[3:02:57] >> Zoom makes it doable.
[3:02:59] >> Exactly. Any amenities, building
[3:03:01] questions,
[3:03:05] » right?
[3:03:06] >> Thank you. Exciting.
[3:03:07] >> Yes. Good to have all those votes passed
[3:03:10] and uh can move on to the next piece.
[3:03:12] >> Oh yeah, it did pass in Carile. asked
[3:03:15] and I will say it passed unanimously cuz
[3:03:17] it was at that point in town meeting
[3:03:19] where I voice nobody said
[3:03:22] >> I bet if it was clickers it would have
[3:03:24] been different but we were just like
[3:03:26] >> 10 o'clock we got to wrap this up
[3:03:30] >> um the cell phone vote come the same way
[3:03:33] >> one vote
[3:03:34] >> I know it's my fault
[3:03:36] >> all right um can I have a motion to move
[3:03:37] into executive session
[3:03:40] >> Oh shoot
[3:03:41] >> um
[3:03:42] >> yep
[3:03:43] >> okay I move Oh, go ahead. You have it. I
[3:03:45] can't read it. Go ahead.
[3:03:46] >> That the conquered school committee and
[3:03:47] the conquered car regional school
[3:03:49] committee enter into executive sess
[3:03:51] session under purpose three of open
[3:03:53] meeting law to discuss strategy with
[3:03:55] respect to collective bargaining with
[3:03:56] the K through2 administrative assistance
[3:03:59] K through2 maintenance and the CTA ESPs.
[3:04:02] One second.
[3:04:04] >> Wonderful. Um any discussion
[3:04:07] otherwise this is a roll call vote.
[3:04:11] Uh her check I
[3:04:13] >> Kellaher I
[3:04:16] >> Morana I
[3:04:18] >> Wat I
[3:04:21] Right. Thank you everyone.