And that way for that Wednesday, we can send as meeting minutes, not mean meeting materials for the full committee, both a package of all of the warrants since the last one and a little cover sheet of anything that stood out >> or any questions we have. >> I like that. >> So, okay, we should probably do we want to make a motion to do this to get approved by the full committee? >> Yes. Um, let's figure out the wording of this motion. Um, I guess it would be to move to have the budget and finance committee have a standing meeting the Wednesday before the full committee meeting to discuss the warrants assemble all of the warrants. I'm sorry. >> What I have is to have a budget and finance meeting. I'm gonna say prior. >> Yeah, the Wednesday prior to >> prior to the >> prior to having a hold on, I'm getting lost in my sauce now.
to have a budget and finance meeting prior to a full >> So, the week before the full >> I don't want to put a day on it because I want to be like if we all can't make a one. >> Oh, good point. Good point. We >> there were also potentially that because city schedule and they they're having time. >> I think I I don't think we're going to be like lucky I think >> example $6,000 a month to cut the grass at the high school. >> $2,991. >> Give me a break. Exactly. So So what I'm saying to you is some things hit you right in the face when you see those numbers. >> You have a budget and finance meeting prior to the well you say what what do we actually not trying to sound weird but like the full school committee meeting >> the full committee >> full monthly >> yes meeting >> because I suppose we could do it as late as and still include the meeting materials for the >> to present >> uh to discuss the warrants and assemble a cover sheet of >> questions Okay.
>> To have a budget and finance meeting prior to the full monthly meeting to present the warrants and questions to the full committee >> and that way we can give them to the >> Did you want to change that wording? >> I think I do want to change >> that's fine. I was just wanting to I wanted to use the word present like we're going to present them with the warrants which it kind of means >> but it sounds like we're presenting at our budget and finance rather than so I think it's the so it's the meeting the week prior to discuss the warrants and assemble a presentation >> the week prior wait to discuss >> and assemble presentation discuss our >> I understand findings. >> No, you're going to tell me it again. My brain's fried. >> It's a Monday. >> It is indeed >> to have a budget and finance meeting prior to discuss >> discuss the warrants.
>> Yep. and assemble our presentation for the full committee. And the presentation will basically be a cover sheet of our questions and anything that stood out. >> Let me read it back again because I like to read things 17 times to people. I feel like I'm still missing something. to have a budget and finance meeting prior to discuss disc prior to discuss the warrants assemble our presentation for the full committee. So, prior to the full committee meeting, >> I have that in >> Okay. When you read it out loud, I did >> to have a budget and finance meeting prior >> to the full committee. >> Say monthly. >> Yeah. Say monthly. >> Sorry. Sorry. prior to the monthly meeting to discuss the warrants. >> As the then assemble our presentation to assemble our presentation for the full committee to the full committee. >> Okay.
Who would like to make this? >> Hold on. Then assemble our presentation to the full committee. >> So moved. >> Okay. We have a motion. Uh, do you want a second or want me to? >> You can second. I totally re read it. Um, >> okay. >> All in favor? I >> Okay, it passes. We can move on to the next item. Um, which is our last actual item and that would be the goal and budget priorities. >> We need to So, one of the three of us, >> one of the three of us will still be signing. >> Okay. We We didn't want to put that in here. Well, that's already a given because we already voted at the full committee. Then >> I just can see >> I am going to share screen from my laptop. >> I love it. >> So that we will have what we're talking about here.
>> Okay. >> Which because I've got it as the working document here as opposed to the PDF that you have. So we can just quickly go through this and then call it a day. So, going through, we have our overview here. Um, I'm going to just go to the places that we flagged last time first. Uh, because we had for curriculum and instruction to support anti-bullying programs. Question for Roland. What is in place already? How do we support it? Is this something we need additional support and funding in? >> Right. you asked for um a meeting at the meeting, an updated school committee and I know Stephen would >> we had talked about that. >> Okay. So, do I guess the question is do we keep this as a budget priority for next year to support anti-bullying programs? >> Absolutely. >> I would love a brief >> brief top of your head.
>> Yeah. So I think part a lot of the work right now is happening at Federal Street in the restorative practices pilot the learning pilot. A lot of work is happening there. We invested in training active bystanders at the high school level. There were 30 students who were trained last year who were delivering lessons to students in some of the younger grades at the high school. Um that's all based on well it's not like bullying training active bystanders or creating bystandership is a preventative to bullying probably being more proactive rather than waiting for something to happen but also teaches students how that they could intervene in a situation without necessarily getting themselves involved or putting themselves in danger. Um, I know Newton has had a guest speaker come in thanks to the PTO at Newton. Um, and I know Federal Street, Newton, the middle school, and Discovery are looking at um, another bullying presentation potentially for the fall.
So are we keeping track of bullying data like how many reports are being we keep track of attendance data like you know yes are we also the state >> okay um okay so how does this sound to support anti-bullying programs continuing the work in the restorative justice pilot at Federal Street School as well as continuing our active bystander preventative program and anti-bullying presentations based on individual school needs suggest a friendly >> of course >> growing the work from bedro street because we're looking perfect wonderful perfect edit okay so does that handle that one for us so then scrolling down um the next area uh the Kate to force science I had that email from Stephen that it was happening in grade but is on hold grades K4 through now, but it's further down the road. So, I think the answer is we cut that line uh with K to for science for now because it's not feasible for the next year.
It's something that hopefully year after next we'd be looking at. Is that accurate? >> I would hope the year after. I think we've really focused in on the literacy piece and we feel strongly that students don't have that strong foundation in literacy aren't >> how are they going to read the science material >> some of the other >> content areas or more curriculum comment and not um >> I know at one point I was talking to someone else about possibly having like a STEM cart which would be like a great little introduction. I don't know if we like that could be like a grant possibility thing. >> I mean, I know we do have some STEM stuff. >> So, >> yeah. And we do have it's not science curriculum, but we buy licenses for mystery science. So, students K through four can get into mystery set.
So, there is some exposure, but I think >> we all know time is challenge >> put into the curriculum for literacy. Okay. So, I guess my question for my subcommittee members, are we okay with cutting the this highlighted line about K4 science for this year? >> Yep. >> The yellow one or the blue one? The blue one? >> The blue one. Okay. Cutting that for this year knowing that it is still in the works. >> Want to cut it or we just want to write revisit or >> Well, because this is specifically for the FY27. Uh we to because we're basically this question is are we financially investing in this year and the answer is no. >> No. >> Okay. The next one which I'm proposing cutting uh because Stephen spoke with Dave Messing and while this is still a priority that requires some reinvestment uh Dave Messing felt that this could be checked off the list the budget priority list.
So are we good cutting that off? >> Absolutely. >> Okay. In that case, I can just accept. >> I like deleting. >> I like this delete concept. >> Okay. Now, here is something else that we needed to work on. Um because we needed to work on the phrasing for what we were trying to say. It's about the movement towards full year science and social studies. But I think we >> in seventh grade we have full science and social studies. We don't have fifth and sixth. >> Roland was our hero. He did this. Since that >> we do. I know we do. >> We have full science and social studies for seventh grade. Full year. >> Correct. >> Yes. >> Full year. >> Correct. Delete that sucker. Roland did that. >> I don't know. No, it was planned or woranned. >> How could I find a So, in that case, so we've got the full year science back.
What about social studies? >> It's not all of GMO. It is. It's all wonderful. There's a scheduling glitch somewhere. >> Okay. So, the other >> that's where your class sizes up. So, >> they're a little bigger. >> Yeah. The classes there all year, >> you get a full year. >> Okay. >> ELA, they're smaller. >> I mean, as as a parent, I will say I did kind of appreciate the half year because I feel like they got more time with at the fifth grade level. I was worried about our state goals, but I know this >> Well, I was worried because I mean these kids need science. More science is more fun. >> How about some civics? >> Hey, there is a field trip planned to the Boston Science Museum. >> Okay, but the next half of this is the restoration of foreign language instruction at GMS.
Is that something in the cards for this year for the next? Probably not. >> There's some foreign language going on now. Yeah, I wouldn't say it's like Spanish one or French. >> You hear me say some, >> right? I think it >> exploratory languages say exploratory like language and culture >> language world language. >> So it's basically incorporated in that full year. >> It's an enrichment. No, >> it's not. It's not. >> No, it's standalone. >> No, it's it's not incorporated social studies. It's a standalone. >> That is awesome. Does every child get it? >> No, I don't I don't think so. >> I'd have to look >> the curriculum. >> Seventh grade was focus. >> Was it offered to everyone? >> No, seven. >> Um, no. >> Offered to everyone in seventh grade? >> Yeah. I'm just curious. >> I believe >> it might have been the fun part when you as you know when you get to be in seventh grade and then even in high school to choices to be made whether you are going to take something or maybe you need private violin lessons, right?
Or trumpet lessons, things like that. There's only so much time for uh exploratory electives in that sense. So, in terms of this um Stephen said it really well, it is not a truly a Spanish one class >> in that sense. And if that's what the committee was looking for, we are not delivering that. But if we you want us to, then obviously I I'm of two thoughts here because I think that we absolutely do need a return to a full Spanish class. However, I don't think we have the money for it for next year. >> Would it be like could it um I'm just trying to like could it be an elective after school? Would we have someone >> if we could offer it and then somebody would write like we'd have to >> have a teacher pick us up >> like a stipen type of >> do it right.
>> Yeah. I'm just throwing it out there as a thought process. >> What if we say to support and what would be a good way of describing what we have now? >> Inte Well, we call it integrated arts. They're exploratories learning about new things, languages. We used to have sewing, we used to have shop, we used to have at the middle school, we even had a radio station on this floor. >> So we would want to write exploratory >> to me it's an exploratory. They get exposed to it and they get to choose which ones they want cuz not let me tell you as somebody >> exploratory opportunities, >> not all children want to take Spanish one. when you have a hard time reading English and then you're still learning English to put them in a Spanish class is really um they'll do anything to get out of it.
It's like the kids who don't want to go into gym, you know. So, I think choice I mean there are kids who love to learn new languages um but the research is that should be happening in K1 not in middle school, >> right? and your your high school foreign language teachers would tell you that right this is not a theater program. >> So we're not trying I'm not trying to mislead you. We all know that >> they already have that. >> Yeah. >> If Cludier was here, she would be like >> she would not like Well, this would not be right. This is not feeding people into. So, so take Spanish too high school. They cannot as a result of this. >> To me, if it's an exploratory, they could do two weeks of sign language. They could do a little bit of every language, how to say good morning, >> you know.
Um, >> so how would this be to support exploratory integrated arts, especially offering opportunities for foreign language introduction with a long-term goal of the restoration of foreign language instruction at GMS? How about to support explorative continue supporting because >> yes because we that includes banned everything to continue supporting exploratory integrated arts and opportunities for exploring world cultures. How about that? Instead of foreign language, you're also talking culture >> because it's not a people read that they think they're getting Spanish one. I mean, that's really and that's what we used to do. >> Languages and cultures introduction, >> but we're not offering middle school world foreign languages. >> No, we're not. It's the introduction. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, uh, >> but we're only offering Spanish, >> Spanish, a little bit of Spanish and a little bit of French in seventh grade. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Years ago, we tried to find something.
>> So, you're just kind of giving them like a taste of both. So, that way when they get to GHS, they do have some >> Spanish one. Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah. They cannot go to Spanish too. >> No, no, no. That's what not what I'm saying. What what I'm saying we are offering is like >> a foundation, a baseline. >> What if we change >> take a try before you buy >> the wording especially offering opportunities for foreign cultures and languages? exposure. >> Yes, it's more of an exposure. >> So that is more accurate to what we are doing and so we are continuing to support it. Oh, wrong button because my >> life every day >> there. And I need to get rid of that ink. I'll do that later. >> And we can go ahead. >> I mean that's a touchy one. That is a touchy one which >> I'm thinking city.
Okay. I have to think both sides of the Okay, >> so at city council this was ugly because oh you're going to cut a Spanish teacher at the middle school and so everybody cried and everybody was like whatever and then the city council found the money to put the Spanish teacher back and guess what the Spanish teacher wasn't put back. So I think that is really uh going to bring up some really hard questions which we should kind of say that's why it's the word foreign language I think we stick with exploratory less is more because if in a document like this less is more if they offer Spanish and they're lucky enough to have a Spanish teacher that's the other thing right because they quit and then you don't have anybody so and then you put a sub in there who doesn't know Spanish.
So, I'm just saying what we try to offer in Greenfield is a strong exploratory program. Um, >> I I think foreign language. >> Yeah, I was good there. Um >> that was the thing like the challenge for us as a public institution a public school is like we can't be everything to everyone as much as we might try and >> like I love and I'm have like some worries about like digital literacy computer science especially in our younger grades and >> but I know there's been a push recently like for the the arts so they have music they have art they have fizzed they >> but that doesn't leave a space for some of that so some of the digital citizenship stuff level gets worked in during like health and PE because that it's fallen into those standards. >> Okay. So we have two questions here.