A lot of what we're going to be doing is off the computer, um and really getting to bridge some um topics with literacy, um into students coding a program to tell the ending of a story, right? So, normally you hear of um uh uh um literacy is is not really in science or mathematics. But with this entire unit, students are going to develop interactive stories on their devices with multiple different plots. And so this allows students to tell stories in a myriad of ways and um get to creativity, but also computational thinking. So that's third grade. In fourth grade, they're going to be studying computer systems through the human brain. So um our our entire body is a computer system. You know, our brain's telling us what to do. It's telling me to do this with my hands. I'm not sure why, but it is.
What are you doing to as a district to ensure that you're not only adhering to your budget guidelines and trying to get yourself out of the $6 million deficit? How are you going to ensure the safety of our students by implementing detailed safety emergency communication guidelines? because I could not find anything on the website, on the district website or the school website, even on California's website. It just says in a timely manner. What does that mean? If it was your child, how would you feel? How would you react? Thank you for the time. >> Thank you for voicing your concerns and we'll follow up after the school board meeting. All right. So, next up on our agenda is report 10A, um, January 28, 2026, district professional development presentation. Dr. Mccur, if you'd like to introduce this presentation. Sure. Tonight we have Miss Ortiz. She's going to be um giving us an overview of our professional development day that happened on January 28th.
And it was very fun. We learned how to MIG weld, um arc weld, and gas weld. And me personally, gas welding is my favorite. Um and we welded a bunch of hearts like that together and stuff. And then we would did more advanced sculpturing. Like that's a pig. Um and that's basically what we've done all year. I really like this ITEC 3 program. I'm really glad that we we had the opportunity to pursue more advanced um ITEC programs such as this. And I really appreciate Mr. Bill cuz he's my favorite teacher I've ever had. Yeah. All right. Thank you guys. That was awesome. Good job on the presentations. Um now we are moving on to the Superintendent's Awards for our school site. So, I'll start with our classified individual. Um so she's amazing. She does all the extra stuff. Like there always these people at schools that you don't have to like ask to do extra things.
Go ahead. Sorry. Thank you. Okay. Um, good evening to one and all. My name is Donnie Varen, a middle school teacher. Allow me to address you dear audience as I introduce to you the grade 8 superintendent student of the month awardee. I have some questions for you, dear friends. and indulge me please. And um kindly raise your hand if anybody here experienced kindness from other people and you felt it and it was good. >> Wow, we have a lot. Thank you. Thank you so much. Have you ever encountered someone who doesn't have to raise his or her voice to send her message across? Oh wow. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Thank you so much. You are Thank you. Thank you so much. As teachers and parents here, have you been inspired by a student or a child of yours who knows who shows rather who shows her interest and enthusiasm in learning?
>> Yeah. >> No, you need more than that. >> Yeah. It's a good solution. >> It's a good It's a good long-term solution. It's not a bad thing. >> We wouldn't suggest anything different. And we don't the school and we don't have the ability to tear it down and start over. I mean we don't we don't it's not an option. So this is the best solution for that long term. We were trying to be as conscious as we because of the cost building up there. >> Right. >> What's the what's the longevity of the walls building structure without doing it? >> Yeah, that's what I'd like to do too. Like >> how much more cracking are we going to have? >> It's when was the gym originally built? >> 59. I wasn't alive. >> I didn't see it. >> So, you've seen the cracking that's happened over that time.
And I know that that can really frustrate people and you know they they want to know and why can't you just tell us but what I try to ask people is think of the role returned and if it were your child who were in the middle of a disciplinary incident would you want the school to go out and discuss that with everyone who wants to know? Uh usually they'll say well no I don't want that. Uh but we have we have to apply that equally to all of our kids. So people say, well, what's you know what happens if you violate this federal privacy law? Well, interesting enough, our courts, our federal courts have held that there is no private right to file lawsuit based upon a FURPA violation. that there is one little small thing that the federal government can do and that's called re revoke our federal funding.
He better be. All righty. Go. >> So Yoshi's going to jump off. So we're on our third character and they're on their second character. >> Okay. >> Mhm. Think of it like uh six stalks to eight. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Six stalks to eight. So So let's see how Deacon can do it. I'm excited to see how he counter picks cuz he definitely cuz he was definitely chosen for a reason. I want to see like what what he has what he has in store for this Yoshi. All right. Yeah, but like I said earlier, trying to build up those percentages and stuff dodging a down throw and a forward air. Nice. >> Yeah, plenty plenty of moves. Right. Does a dash attack and up air. >> Oh, that was sweet. >> That was pretty sweet how Deacon managed to air dodge at the last second.
Um, these kiddos started in August. Um, and this is only our third year ever doing the contest. Um, and we've qualified for state for two years. Um, and our team was first place in the area that then qualified for state. So, our participants are Alli Briggs, Ryland Smith, Dylan Smith, and Joel Bllelock. And then our senior team that was 12th high in state was Michael Briggs, Ashlin Dryden, who I don't think's here, Abby Ferguson, and Laney Alexander. Our other state team is Ben Copelan. Kaylee Scott and Aiden Scott. Do you want to get welding up there next dom? Okay. Um and then we are able to take um a team of juniors and seniors are our senior team they call it and then freshman sophomores are junior teams for welding. Um and our coach was Ryan Lamb this year and he did a phenomenal job and Abby Ferguson um who whipped them into shape.
and suddenly did he just wanted to insert it into the record just hoping nobody noticed and then and and submit that to the Commonwealth Court. So she has to fight that. These are the things that we're we're dealing with legally and uh it's it's been impossible essentially. So after eight years of fighting, one of the other cases that was very well represented, uh, the Povatch case, they had great legal representation and ultimately in the Commonwealth Court after they got beyond the PUC court, which was really going nowhere. The Commonwealth Court kind of ruled there was never a mandate to begin with, and that was that was what we needed to hear. And you were being told that it is required for you to take these smart meters on your home. That it was mandated at the state level, >> mandated, but a seventh grader could read the language of the law and and read it was it was optin language.
Um Yep. And then, I also did a feedback survey um to families. So, this is just a highlight of um some of the feedback that we got from families. Um so, um families reported strong engagement and they felt that they had meaningful connections with their children through the different activities um that we offered. Um they viewed the event as being well organized and welcoming um and highly engaging for their students. Um and some of the highlights they had were the activity stations, the creative theme, movement based fun, um, and just the strong, um, staff support. Um, and then some feedback they had for us of how we could maybe refine future events, um, was to, um, really look at some of our areas like the calf that had a craft areas if there's way to, um, spread those out, maybe utilize our library area, and then kind of adjust some timing and flow with that just because especially in the after noon when there was more classes, um, just trying to handle all of their logistics cuz we also had to like get people out so the buses could get in.
The boys basketball team lost to Boston United in the first round of the MIAA state tournament, finishing with a record of 15 to 16 or six, sorry. The girls team lost to Lennox High School, finishing 10 to1. Ice hockey made the Sweet 16 after beating Boston Latin Academy 4 to0 in the round of 32 and then losing to Wilmington 4 to3. The boys track team went 5-0 and won their league. Congrats. The girls went 4-1. Great seasons by all of our teams. French club French club and Spanish club co-hosted the 30th annual Taste of World Cultures on Tuesday, March 10th. Taste of World Cultures is a celebration of language and culture which featured a buffet dinner donated by local businesses and performances from ghs students and community groups. Drama club. The secret garden will be performed on March 27th and 28th in the auditorium. The story is geared towards all ages, but especially children.
The girls team lost to Lenox High School finishing 10 to 11. Ice hockey made the sweet 16 after beating Boston Latin Academy 4 to 0 in the round of 32 and then losing to Wilmington 4 to 3. The boys track team went 5-0 and won their league. Congrats. The girls went 4-1. Great seasons by all of our teams. French Club. French Club and Spanish Club co-hosted the 30th annual Taste of World Cultures on Tuesday, March 10th. Taste of World Cultures is a celebration of language and culture which featured a buffet dinner donated by local businesses and performances from GHS students and community groups. Drama Club. The Secret Garden will be performed on March 27th and 28th in the auditorium. The story is geared towards all ages, but especially children. We hope that the elementary schools will be able to enjoy a performance on the morning of Friday, March 27th.
Um right? So they're going to be exploring the human body, but also connecting that to how programming and computers tell the computer what to do when you do certain thing with it. Um and they're going to be doing that through um studying what happens when a child gets a concussion and how the brain starts kind of messing up its signals a little bit. One of the great things about this unit is it also has not only meets our portrait of a graduate, but it also has segues into many of the academy programs that we're running, right? So to try to get kids a little bit earlier and earlier thinking about what opportunities are going to be ahead for them. The fifth grade unit is very exciting. I'm excited about this. It is all about robotics. You should know by now that last year we had our robotics team from Danbury High School finish second in the world championships for Vex robotics.
Uh it sounds seems like a long time ago, but it just was right around the corner. So hand it over to Miss Ortiz. >> Thank you very much. Good evening everyone. Welcome and nice to see you. Um again, this is our January 28th district PD day. This was for all staff members. It does seem like a long time ago but um great professional development. Um the structure of the day that we had uh the morning was broken into two options. Option one was that all staff this was not just uh teachers but it was uh classified as well. Um all staff was able to pick an all morning session which uh consisted of an 8 to an 11 session. The other option was to choose two 1-hour sessions and 15 well hour and 15 minutes each. Um the afternoon was split as well. Uh the afternoon we had our kinder through 2 grade.
They just magically are already there or even better in her case she creates new things that help out our kids and just kind of does them. Um she tutors kids after school to help them out. She helps in our summer school program. Um she probably gets tired of me asking her to get a teaching license so that she becomes a teacher because she's just an amazing educator. Um she does so much on our school and the most I think the greatest characteristic of this individual is that the kids absolutely love this woman. Um she cares about them deeply. They know that and they respond to her in a way that other they don't respond to other people. Um she's extremely talented and we are very very lucky to have Mercy Reese at our school. Thank you. >> Okay, on to our certificated individual. Um So, I'm pretty lucky I get a chance to go speak at Chico State to kids who want to become educators and inevitably one of the questions I always get from the students is what are the characteristics that make up the best teachers?
Thank you. Thank you so much. Have you experienced somebody helping you even without without you asking for it? Have you experienced that? Oh wow. And you truly appreciated the gestures, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. Look around you, my friends and colleagues. Most of you raise your hands with the questions I profounded. The experience of kindness, humility, perseverance and the zest for knowledge left a left a mark in your heart. Those are the qualities of Germany and she is making her classmates and teachers feel same here in school. So join me in acknowledging the greatest superintendent student awardee, Germany proof. Mr. President, we have a special additional special celebration. Um, that was incredible. That was awesome. to say um before we recognize our 12 historic trends setters from our student council here at Aaho High School. Two of them will be make share some comments of what it meant to them to participate in this February 6 high school ethics forum at the UVA Elbert College of Management in Tucson.
So, it really depends on whether you know how how things are acting on that water infiltration and just over time. I mean, it's just unknowns, but you've seen the cracking that's happened that long and then even undetected up above the ceiling. Um, portion of that was how it was constructed, but a portion of that is just location and what's happening below and beyond everything. we can see. So, there's really no way of saying what the longevity of that would be, but you've lasted long. So, there's some of that that you know, you have taken down a ceiling piece that was probably doing something but but very minimally um on your your ceiling plane or the walls. Um so, we're kind of in uncharted territory for taking that down and knowing what what can happen. And that's the one unknown is that ceiling. While it's not structural, it's an architectural element, but it was a metal ceiling offering some level of rigidity just below that truss level.
So that's pretty big deal. Um I can honestly say in my years of working with schools over the last you know more than two decades that uh I've never had a school have their federal funding revoked over FPA violations. Um, I have seen administrative complaints filed with the US Department of Ed, which is the one that would look into any kind of alleged Furpa violation, but our schools take that very seriously and they make sure when it comes to your kids that we are safeguarding their individual information and not going out and disclosing that to everybody. And we certainly don't want our schools to be losing their federal funding. that can be pretty significant for uh for a lot of schools. So that is the reason why um also I will tell you that there are times in disciplinary matters that we have to handle individual students in different ways and there could be an array of reasons for that.
Down throw. Oh, going to wait for the Yoshi to come down. And I guess that makes sense. Oh, and does an up air. That's awesome. Okay, shielding that. He's only at 58%. So, he might be a he'll probably be able to um he'll probably be able to um to take out the Yoshi without losing another stock. And speaking of stocks, that number at the top is our stocks. And as you can tell, it's a pretty funny number right now in terms of stocks. It's a Yeah, it's a pretty funny number. All right. Oh, he's doing what's known as a zero to death, which is basically a combo that takes someone from 0% to death. >> Oh, wow. >> They're very hard. >> Okay. >> Yep. So, Deacon is playing the ice climbers. And there are two different ice climbers. There's the main one and the co-main one.
Our uh senior participants are Abby Ferguson and Carson Brainstutter. We also had Will Ule on that team who's not here. He's still recovering. And then our um freshman sophomore team is Ben Copelan, Bo Fizzy, Jeffrey Spicer. and Vincent Fagan. >> That's it. Pictures. Exactly. Stay It's done. >> Really well. She's always prepared. Yeah, >> let's do it. >> So, next we'll go on with the Riker's Ridge Elementary School presentation. Ask Jackie Thirstston to come up. >> Kind of Good evening. I have Nicole Laurig, our counselor with me that's going to help me present. I am Jackie Thirstston and I am the proud proud uh principal of Riker's Ridge Elementary. I can get my slide. Oops. Hold on. Here we go. So, now we're going to talk about some celebrations that we have. Um, I'm not going to go through all of these, but um, we participated in the Junior Gardener Club with the Purdue Extension and the Madison Community Garden Project.