1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:28,940 All right, we're going to open to the key, great elementary school configuration study open. The time is 6.4. Three, like I said, and we are holding a meeting at the Alpine School District Special Education Office, located at 350 North State in London. We will now open a hearing to receive input from the public with respect to the great configuration study of a kindergarten through fifth grade configuration for the elementary school in the tip of the Nova School District, taking effect in the 27-28 school year. Those who are signed up to speak have two minutes to comment. 2 00:00:28,940 --> 00:00:33,000 When beginning your comments, please remember to state your name and address for the record. 3 00:00:33,480 --> 00:00:37,000 We appreciate those who have taken time to attend and provide input. 4 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:41,640 The board will listen to and consider the comments received as part of its ongoing study and 5 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:42,680 decision-making process. 6 00:00:43,380 --> 00:00:49,840 First of all, first of all, we have Michelle Holer, Ben Dayama, Patnam, and the Lloydel-Johample. 7 00:00:50,820 --> 00:00:52,340 All I do is I forget to say my name. 8 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:53,220 Okay. 9 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,700 So Michelle Hager and I would continue. 10 00:00:57,060 --> 00:01:00,420 But my kids go to Pulitzer Elementary for the DOI program. 11 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:06,260 So my concern will be that they are missing out on a four-year immersion. 12 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,960 I grew up in Cherry Hill, and I did feel I dare. 13 00:01:11,700 --> 00:01:15,100 So at that point we had bull day, all the satisfaction immersion. 14 00:01:15,740 --> 00:01:18,160 I don't know when it changed, but it's now half day. 15 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:31,520 so that you're back in Spanish after English, and I just don't think with that configuration that five years isn't up to, to make it worth, you know, to commit them. 16 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:38,040 We also drive across town for that commitment, and we commit to secure them. I do a lot of research. 17 00:01:45,070 --> 00:01:52,710 Hello, my name is Patnam, I live in England, and I have my first daughter in actually two. 18 00:01:53,170 --> 00:01:59,350 Orchard, in the BL program, we don't want to start it in an argument here. 19 00:02:00,690 --> 00:02:05,010 Like she said, we make a commitment to the district. 20 00:02:05,650 --> 00:02:09,410 I actually have been more family-high to get closer to Orchard. 21 00:02:10,570 --> 00:02:13,350 And the orchard is not just for the DIY program. 22 00:02:13,550 --> 00:02:14,770 It's a fantastic school. 23 00:02:15,390 --> 00:02:20,690 The principal right now, Bowman, understands the needs of families like mine. 24 00:02:21,370 --> 00:02:25,850 I grew up in Mexico, so I'm at that thing to the American culture. 25 00:02:26,510 --> 00:02:31,390 I'm the only person here in the US that speaks Spanish to my kids. 26 00:02:32,190 --> 00:02:34,670 And this is not a plus program. 27 00:02:35,110 --> 00:02:35,970 It's not just for kids. 28 00:02:35,970 --> 00:02:37,910 that have up in those standards too. 29 00:02:38,430 --> 00:02:40,890 It's like my kids is half of their intensity. 30 00:02:41,530 --> 00:02:44,910 Just imagine one of your more loving kids, your grandkids, 31 00:02:45,110 --> 00:02:47,230 or a cousin, or someone that you know, 32 00:02:47,530 --> 00:02:48,910 that you can communicate with them, 33 00:02:49,470 --> 00:02:52,230 because you don't speak the language that they speak. 34 00:02:52,830 --> 00:02:55,350 And that's my case, in my little family. 35 00:02:55,630 --> 00:02:58,650 But just last week, I saw a kindergarten boy 36 00:02:58,650 --> 00:03:01,010 that only speaks Spanish for kindergarten, 37 00:03:01,790 --> 00:03:05,170 hopefully getting into the DLI program in North York 38 00:03:05,170 --> 00:03:09,650 or that in a Spanish lifetime, to get into the environment. 39 00:03:10,670 --> 00:03:13,330 The day that that kid goes to the real program, 40 00:03:13,850 --> 00:03:18,310 the next year, he will post so much safe in this. 41 00:03:18,850 --> 00:03:20,970 I do feel like a family in orchard. 42 00:03:21,410 --> 00:03:25,490 And not just orchids that are caps in a Spanish. 43 00:03:26,390 --> 00:03:29,030 Also the kids that are learning from our kids, 44 00:03:29,510 --> 00:03:30,150 from our cultures. 45 00:03:30,790 --> 00:03:34,090 If you have seen orchards, they are involved in our cultures. 46 00:03:34,090 --> 00:03:41,250 with the whole community. They're taking us in. We're sharing with them. So, all that is in the table for Orchard. 47 00:03:41,590 --> 00:03:45,030 And I even live in Linden. I make, you know, that's right. And I'm very afraid. 48 00:03:45,890 --> 00:03:47,750 The W and the family are making that. 49 00:03:50,450 --> 00:03:50,770 Okay. 50 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:59,820 Hi, my name is Lydelle Johansson. I'm from Orem, and my kids go to Mountview High School, Lake Ridge, and Cherry Hill. 51 00:03:59,820 --> 00:04:05,360 And I am for keeping sixth grade in elementary school. 52 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:09,520 I look at it as a safe haven for all the things 53 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:10,660 that have already been said. 54 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,500 I also want to say thank you to the school board. 55 00:04:13,860 --> 00:04:16,720 There's so many hard choices and I have heard so many great 56 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:17,540 things about you. 57 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:18,200 Thank you. 58 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:26,280 I don't know if the studies will be published. 59 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,720 I'm interested to find out how the discussion ever got going. 60 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,420 through ninth grade into high school, 61 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:32,700 it's our high school's bigger, 62 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,640 and can all of a sudden take more kids. 63 00:04:36,020 --> 00:04:38,100 Are they gonna be putting buildings out back 64 00:04:38,100 --> 00:04:39,540 and paying more for that? 65 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:41,720 What's the real cost in long term? 66 00:04:42,420 --> 00:04:44,240 I assume a lot of this is going on, 67 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:45,900 just come down the money, right? 68 00:04:46,620 --> 00:04:48,780 We had a big district, 69 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:51,920 and we're gonna have to make some financial cuts. 70 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:56,620 Anyway, I do, I just really didn't plan on talking, 71 00:04:56,620 --> 00:05:03,400 but I wanted to say don't just move six grades up because ninth grade moved out and for all 72 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:10,940 of these reasons thank you for doing what's best for our kids and I'm interested in the study and 73 00:05:10,940 --> 00:05:17,560 for it to be sure that we do what's best for the kids. I also thought about well I can still look 74 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:23,660 from these guys what about DLA schools where we put multiple languages in one school, ALL schools 75 00:05:23,660 --> 00:05:26,620 schools where we just have all ALL kids in the school. 76 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:34,560 I loved seventh and eighth grade, I taught in provost school district, and I love just 77 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:39,580 having two grades, so they're not that big space between seventh graders and ninth graders. 78 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:41,320 But thank you. 79 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:47,820 Okay, we now have Seth Ricks, Ben LeBree-Mawson, and then Liz, can you? 80 00:05:49,100 --> 00:05:50,180 I am Seth Ricks. 81 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:51,420 I didn't know I signed up to talk. 82 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,780 I thought you don't have to sign in with the cut on the phone. 83 00:05:54,820 --> 00:05:56,440 No, I have no thoughts. 84 00:05:56,620 --> 00:05:57,360 I was a bit afraid. 85 00:05:58,060 --> 00:06:03,360 It's almost bearing regarding making our elementary's K through 5. 86 00:06:03,620 --> 00:06:07,180 So I need a discussion about solidations or programs. 87 00:06:07,860 --> 00:06:08,060 Yeah. 88 00:06:08,460 --> 00:06:09,080 What do you think it is? 89 00:06:09,460 --> 00:06:09,880 Configurations. 90 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:12,060 You were just thinking. 91 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:13,400 You were just thinking. 92 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:14,200 Yeah. 93 00:06:14,780 --> 00:06:14,880 You were just thinking. 94 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:15,460 You were just thinking. 95 00:06:15,820 --> 00:06:15,900 Yeah. 96 00:06:17,180 --> 00:06:17,600 Okay. 97 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:19,240 Okay, I'll be back with everyone. 98 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:20,800 Okay, got a positive liberty. 99 00:06:21,460 --> 00:06:24,800 And then Liz, anybody else who wants to have any cake? 100 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:26,140 Just let me know if that happens. 101 00:06:27,580 --> 00:06:28,880 Okay, I'm fairly nervous. 102 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,820 I wrote it down and I thought it was pretty good. 103 00:06:32,260 --> 00:06:33,860 Not too so. I'll be rigid. 104 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:35,160 We get that data from the internet. 105 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:36,660 I'll take care of it. 106 00:06:37,020 --> 00:06:37,740 So bear with me. 107 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,940 So, I could be wrong but I don't know if anybody who has children 108 00:06:41,940 --> 00:06:42,740 works elementary. 109 00:06:44,790 --> 00:06:46,310 Sorry, children in elementary. 110 00:06:47,190 --> 00:06:53,830 So, I just want to encourage you to think back, remember how young, 10 years old, really, 111 00:06:54,430 --> 00:06:59,770 that's how old like a late summer birth thing would be, starting a junior high school. 112 00:07:00,910 --> 00:07:08,390 If that child has 80 ADD, like my side, then according to reading researcher, 113 00:07:08,390 --> 00:07:12,170 We have the emotional maturity and executive management. 114 00:07:16,170 --> 00:07:18,690 Oh yeah, I hope you're providing that. 115 00:07:18,890 --> 00:07:22,190 You just have to think about like not the ideal candidates. 116 00:07:22,670 --> 00:07:25,150 All birthdays, the mature kids, the world that are older, 117 00:07:25,490 --> 00:07:29,530 elementary school, like things about the kids with great birthdays, 118 00:07:30,010 --> 00:07:32,350 with ADHD, all lots of these seconds. 119 00:07:34,430 --> 00:07:38,830 So I think this is the direction you're like really. 120 00:07:39,350 --> 00:07:43,150 We're wanting the district to go, I just hope that you'll at least just move 121 00:07:43,150 --> 00:07:50,190 night and maybe announce that you want to move six up, but don't implement it 122 00:07:50,190 --> 00:07:53,030 for a couple of years. Again, we can adjust, they can hold back for some of our 123 00:07:53,030 --> 00:07:58,050 birthday's, we hear the kids that are, you know, have, like, it start all with the 124 00:07:58,050 --> 00:08:03,950 BDGs that are working hard to keep up with up here, are able to finish out 125 00:08:04,830 --> 00:08:08,710 elementary, like, under the terms they went into it thinking, and said, how 126 00:08:14,990 --> 00:08:22,150 I hope you'll consider that, and thank you so 127 00:08:30,340 --> 00:08:34,640 much for taking the time to listen to this today. 128 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:35,080 Thank you. 129 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:35,780 Oh, sorry. 130 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:37,180 Elizabeth Cannelli. 131 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:38,440 I've been north-oram. 132 00:08:38,580 --> 00:08:40,000 I have kids at Orchard. 133 00:08:40,380 --> 00:08:40,920 Can you? 134 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:41,920 Antibiotis. 135 00:08:41,980 --> 00:08:43,400 I have daughter who graduated from Orm. 136 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,400 So we're kind of all over warm and very, very invested in the school district. 137 00:08:48,560 --> 00:08:52,500 We appreciate, really, truly appreciate you actually listening and taking, 138 00:08:53,460 --> 00:08:57,460 taking the time to try to help make this transition where we know there are going to be a lot of 139 00:08:57,460 --> 00:09:04,200 hard changes a little easier on all of us. I do have two things that I want to say in addition 140 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:11,760 to many of the other comments. I really hope that we will slow down and seriously consider 141 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:18,960 keeping 6th grade in elementary school. I feel like the transition between 6th and 142 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,200 7th grade, there is a world of difference just in the summer time that happens 143 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:27,960 after 6th grade before they start 7th grade. They are different kids at that 144 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:34,020 point than they are at the end even the end of 6th grade. I think that so many of 145 00:09:34,020 --> 00:09:38,620 the changes that they're going through are much better addressed in an 146 00:09:38,620 --> 00:09:44,720 environment where they are only interacting with a couple of teachers who know them, who 147 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:50,780 have known their siblings, staff that's known the family for a long time and where there 148 00:09:50,780 --> 00:09:57,460 is some memory in there to help these kids really grow up and transition that issues can 149 00:09:57,460 --> 00:09:59,760 be addressed for the whole child. 150 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:07,420 I hope that we are, as many factors as we have going into this, what really matters sports 151 00:10:08,260 --> 00:10:13,580 CLRI, you know, all these things, what really matters is a little bit of a full child, of every child. 152 00:10:13,860 --> 00:10:17,640 So we need to look at what is going to be best for the majority of the kids. 153 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:24,140 And I think, developmentally, most of these kids will benefit from staying in sixth grade and 154 00:10:24,140 --> 00:10:29,340 extra year. I also, I don't know if you were aware of this, but a lot of people had trouble 155 00:10:29,340 --> 00:10:35,480 accessing the survey over the summer, and were able to comment. And so I don't know that your 156 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:40,160 results for that study are completely accurate and many people were going 157 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:46,040 anyway it might be worth it to look into getting more results on that so 158 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:54,880 thank you. Thank you. I believe it's Tammy and then Amber and and the great 159 00:10:54,880 --> 00:11:01,250 children. Amber Schwartz and the Richardson. I can't be joining Hanson and I live in 160 00:11:01,250 --> 00:11:05,050 kids at Mount V. Lake Ridge and Cherry Hill. 161 00:11:05,750 --> 00:11:08,970 I have a unique position as a librarian at Cherry Hill. 162 00:11:09,430 --> 00:11:15,050 I get to see the kids from kindergarten up to sixth grade. 163 00:11:15,210 --> 00:11:18,570 It's really interesting to me that I can tell after spring breaks, 164 00:11:18,790 --> 00:11:19,890 always after spring break. 165 00:11:20,350 --> 00:11:22,250 The sixth graders walk into the library and I'm like, 166 00:11:22,350 --> 00:11:23,730 oh my gosh, you're Southern graders. 167 00:11:25,190 --> 00:11:28,950 Up until that point, they're still sixth graders. 168 00:11:29,170 --> 00:11:30,190 They're still elementary kids. 169 00:11:30,190 --> 00:11:34,410 It's really not, it isn't an almost probable difference after spring break when they walk 170 00:11:34,410 --> 00:11:38,090 in and they go, what, you grew three inches and that was okay, not with me. 171 00:11:40,250 --> 00:11:45,150 I'm off for kicking six graders in elementary school, and it's not, maybe not just because 172 00:11:45,150 --> 00:11:47,050 it would really mess up like I love the book's program. 173 00:11:49,310 --> 00:11:55,320 But this is Joey Hanson, what graders do if they've gotten six graders, don't have six 174 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,600 graders to help them battle? 175 00:11:56,920 --> 00:11:57,240 A girl? 176 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:58,800 Well, I am right now. 177 00:12:04,930 --> 00:12:11,610 And I also just wanted to, one of my other things is this extreme medieval fair, that, 178 00:12:11,870 --> 00:12:15,490 you know, my daughters looked forward to it for four older brothers forever, and it's 179 00:12:15,490 --> 00:12:18,970 then just based on the possibility of, like, well, I don't get this experience because 180 00:12:18,970 --> 00:12:23,790 all of a sudden I just have four classes a day, and we don't do things like this. 181 00:12:24,390 --> 00:12:30,490 My other thought that I wanted to actually start with is to express gratitude for all of 182 00:12:30,490 --> 00:12:34,990 on the word you have difficult decisions in front of you and I hope that you are receiving 183 00:12:34,990 --> 00:12:40,470 the grace and the goodwill and the gratitude that you deserve for the decisions you are making 184 00:12:40,470 --> 00:12:46,190 because any decision you make there will be someone that is unhappy with it but I hope you feel 185 00:12:46,890 --> 00:12:52,830 the support you are making difficult decisions on behalf of our children and I really appreciate 186 00:12:52,830 --> 00:12:59,470 that you are looking in a very thorough way I feel that you are looking for the best thing for our 187 00:12:59,470 --> 00:13:03,150 kids you're studying to have real-life schools you're studying to have good 188 00:13:03,150 --> 00:13:06,730 opportunities and do a language two seconds but thank you. 189 00:13:13,740 --> 00:13:14,500 I was a little 190 00:13:14,500 --> 00:13:17,400 nervous when we said Amber for the other one but I can't read your last name 191 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:22,980 was like oh yeah I just want to start by saying I believe in the resilience of 192 00:13:22,980 --> 00:13:29,540 our children I know that they can handle my name is Amber Schwartz and I'm an 193 00:13:29,540 --> 00:13:31,580 or on my children tend to or on elementary. 194 00:13:32,420 --> 00:13:33,920 And I just want to say that I believe 195 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:35,360 in the resilience of our children. 196 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,140 I did school in Illinois in Texas, 197 00:13:38,460 --> 00:13:40,900 so I did the more standard K through five, 198 00:13:41,100 --> 00:13:42,500 six through eight, nine through 12. 199 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:44,000 And it was fine. 200 00:13:44,340 --> 00:13:46,740 There were no major concerns my life didn't fall apart. 201 00:13:46,980 --> 00:13:48,400 However, I am still in favor 202 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:51,200 of keeping sixth grade in elementary school. 203 00:13:53,220 --> 00:13:55,680 If we do, if the studies result 204 00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:58,580 and your hearings result in changes needing to happen 205 00:13:58,580 --> 00:14:02,660 from your perspective, I am also the recruitment of what another mother stated 206 00:14:02,660 --> 00:14:07,580 of giving us a couple of years before it's enacted because knowing in advance 207 00:14:07,580 --> 00:14:12,200 helps children rather than being thrown into it, you're going next year to a 208 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:14,960 different school and you're expecting or you were going to have the middle of these 209 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,860 and now you don't. If you're given a couple of years to adjust if a change does 210 00:14:18,860 --> 00:14:24,840 need to be made, that gives teachers and students and parents a period to address 211 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:29,440 their concerns and how things come up. However, Colorado just didn't change it. 212 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:38,140 I love, my son is in first grade, and we participate in the Ornamentary play, and he has been 213 00:14:38,140 --> 00:14:42,580 helping for three years, including the airport and start school, because my husband does 214 00:14:42,580 --> 00:14:46,920 the light. And so he comes and just becomes really good friends with all the stage crew. 215 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,360 And the mentorships and friendships he has made with the older students is incredible. 216 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,000 They all know his name, they reach out to him when he walks in the hallway. 217 00:14:55,460 --> 00:14:57,100 They love him and he loves them. 218 00:14:57,580 --> 00:14:59,980 And it's really hard for him to be in school because he just doesn't... 219 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:21,380 He's an introvert, and he's feeling very overwhelmed, and having those friendships have been incredibly beneficial to him. I believe that elementary school is very fun and positive while middle school is kind of rough. And keeping our students another year and not fun and positive environments helps both them and the younger students that look up to them for friendships. 220 00:15:39,060 --> 00:15:44,840 I'm Richard Johnson, I live in Orm and I'm the grader at Jerry Hall Elementary. 221 00:15:45,940 --> 00:15:52,460 I am Stanley Taylor, favorite of keeping stakes straight in elementary school for a few 222 00:15:52,460 --> 00:16:02,960 reasons. One of them is recess. We still need time to play. I believe that games and having fun 223 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:16,180 of us learn and learn how to be fair and develop our mind. I also think there are some programs 224 00:16:16,180 --> 00:16:31,220 in sixth grade like the medieval fair, especially earlier, that the graders can miss out on if they're going to middle school in sixth grade, because that's not in middle school. 225 00:16:32,660 --> 00:16:45,400 And these things that are for 6th graders, they're well down in for 6th grade and it's 226 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:53,620 not, it's 6th graders that are currently in this grade, can't do those things in 6th 227 00:16:53,620 --> 00:16:53,820 grade. 228 00:16:54,340 --> 00:16:58,820 They miss out on things that they would have gotten otherwise. 229 00:17:11,890 --> 00:17:16,210 So we got Britta and then Greg and then John Kruziala here at Final. 230 00:17:17,350 --> 00:17:20,350 Hi, I'm Britta Harper and I live in Orem. 231 00:17:20,750 --> 00:17:23,650 And we actually just moved from Colorado this last year, 232 00:17:23,770 --> 00:17:25,710 so little first or second year in the school this year. 233 00:17:26,130 --> 00:17:30,210 But I grew up in Arizona where I didn't know this wasn't a normal configuration 234 00:17:30,930 --> 00:17:33,610 because we had K through 6, 7, 8, 7, 9 through 12. 235 00:17:34,150 --> 00:17:37,410 And I felt like this shorter junior high was really good 236 00:17:37,410 --> 00:17:40,470 because it's kind of this adjustment from elementary school 237 00:17:40,470 --> 00:17:43,530 but then learning how high school works, 238 00:17:43,710 --> 00:17:44,670 but you're not quite there yet. 239 00:17:45,130 --> 00:17:48,450 I have a fifth grader, so this would affect her next year. 240 00:17:48,570 --> 00:17:49,830 She goes to put her own mentoring 241 00:17:50,410 --> 00:17:53,410 and she is one of those really young fifth graders. 242 00:17:53,650 --> 00:17:54,610 She's barely 10. 243 00:17:55,170 --> 00:17:58,930 She will be barely 11 going into junior high. 244 00:17:59,410 --> 00:18:00,490 And she with that, 245 00:18:00,650 --> 00:18:02,570 she also still really loves to play with toys. 246 00:18:02,790 --> 00:18:04,730 She's still a little kid in a lot of ways. 247 00:18:05,270 --> 00:18:08,170 And I feel like keeping the elementary kids 248 00:18:08,170 --> 00:18:12,350 the six readers there, it allows them to be okay with being little kids a little bit longer 249 00:18:12,350 --> 00:18:18,270 and that they're okay playing with toys, growing up a little bit in ways that not being forced 250 00:18:18,270 --> 00:18:22,950 to be big. I don't know. They saw the new choice during the video, but being told that you're not 251 00:18:22,950 --> 00:18:27,110 allowed to play with toys, that happens that you get older and that you're around older kids 252 00:18:27,110 --> 00:18:31,670 and healthy to preserve that little bit of childhood, especially for those younger kids. 253 00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:49,140 I'm Greg Marchion. I'm from the 10th few neighborhood in Orem. I'm sorry for my voice. I'm 254 00:18:49,140 --> 00:18:55,920 holding on to the weather. I have one son who is attending orchard elementary right now. 255 00:18:56,120 --> 00:19:02,140 He is not anywhere near the point where this question would affect him directly in the next year if that 256 00:19:02,140 --> 00:19:10,400 change were to happen. However, he and I have something that we share which is that we both have 257 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:16,560 early summer birthdays. I have a little bit of a different experience. I went to, I went to 258 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:21,260 most of elementary school in Minnesota. At the time, I don't know if that's still the case, 259 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:30,220 they had a K-36 system in my school district. I also in Minnesota, a lot of people hold their kids 260 00:19:30,220 --> 00:19:37,500 back for the purposes of football, which means that I went in and sometimes that's one to two years 261 00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:46,000 held back before they entered school. I went into kindergarten with kids who were two years older than me. 262 00:19:48,120 --> 00:19:51,520 Now I don't think that's the case. I don't think that's something I would see in the library any time. 263 00:19:51,520 --> 00:20:01,800 I don't think we have that same fur bird, but I do understand that my son is going to go into sixth grade at 11 years old. 264 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:09,780 And, as many people have said, 11 years old is still a childhood age. 265 00:20:09,980 --> 00:20:11,760 It is not a teenager age. 266 00:20:13,100 --> 00:20:21,320 He is going to, like other parents have said, need time to get outside and play and move. 267 00:20:21,580 --> 00:20:23,020 He has ADHD as well. 268 00:20:25,100 --> 00:20:30,900 He is an exceptional student in terms of academics, but he needs that flexibility 269 00:20:30,900 --> 00:20:38,420 that comes with elementary school and I'm not so concerned about whether or 270 00:20:38,420 --> 00:20:44,340 not kids grow up fast or slow, but I am concerned about the way that we require 271 00:20:44,340 --> 00:20:48,820 them to sit at a desk for some hours in middle school. 272 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:51,940 John Kirk. 273 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,200 John Kirk, I live 274 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:58,480 over in the middle of elementary area. 275 00:21:01,220 --> 00:21:02,780 So you know I've listened to twice I 276 00:21:02,780 --> 00:21:06,400 of just for this one, but we'll sprinkle in some things that are related to the middle school 277 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:13,020 and kind of inherently corporate by some others. I found it interesting in the University of Michigan's 278 00:21:13,020 --> 00:21:17,920 monitoring the future study, and I'm going to be familiar with that. They found that all the forms 279 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:24,560 of substance in alcohol abuse, at least doubled from 683. And so that's, I think, is a critical time 280 00:21:25,860 --> 00:21:30,980 in the bottom right line, not prime, is I am in favor of keeping sixth grade in elementary school. 281 00:21:30,980 --> 00:21:32,280 I was quite sure I had told about this, 282 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,500 but reflecting a lot of things in my life, 283 00:21:35,360 --> 00:21:38,280 I was bullied quite a bit as a child, 284 00:21:38,820 --> 00:21:44,840 and it went from that to really, really, really bad line up, 285 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:45,360 so great. 286 00:21:46,660 --> 00:21:48,700 I was beat up several times. 287 00:21:48,820 --> 00:21:50,400 I was literally canned, 288 00:21:51,340 --> 00:21:53,760 and other terrible things happened to me, 289 00:21:53,940 --> 00:21:57,880 and I'm concerned about the lesser supervision 290 00:21:57,880 --> 00:21:59,520 that occurs in halls in the junior high, 291 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,520 as opposed to in the state for small environments in elementary school. 292 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:10,560 When I was in seventh grade, I was propositioned by an eighth grader and I can't to reflect 293 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:14,600 some of the concerns about sexual circumstances that sixth graders were planning to self-stand 294 00:22:14,600 --> 00:22:15,620 in an earlier age. 295 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:21,540 Dual immersion, regarding that, the extra year I think is absolutely critical if you take 296 00:22:21,540 --> 00:22:30,120 get rid of 16% or 17% of the dual immersion learning experience from both the Spanish language learners 297 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:34,880 or I assume those who do not speak English and English is a different language and go 298 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:41,540 in the other direction. The extra year, the extra 17% is really huge as they are accelerating 299 00:22:41,540 --> 00:22:46,260 as opposed to when my son went into junior high. You don't have those same opportunities as 300 00:22:46,260 --> 00:22:50,580 have to be additional your recess as I had been mentioned. And lastly I'll just 301 00:22:50,580 --> 00:22:54,880 take the level of fund that exists in elementary school allows for better 302 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:59,260 opportunities for the six graders to embrace and accept the cards. 303 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:03,180 Thank you very 304 00:23:03,180 --> 00:23:07,640 much to everyone who's provided comments. I will now close the public hearing regarding 305 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,040 the 15th grade elementary school concatenation. 306 00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:14,900 Now...