Okay, I think I might have found it. >> Found it. >> Yes, I did find it. Um, PO number 2026 1193. >> Whose name is on? >> Um, the name on it. Um the bill two of course is us and the shift to is Mike Budro. Oh we have a member of the public. Um welcome to the meeting. If you find you want to give public comment we are happy to reopen public comment. Just uh hit the raise hand button or drop a message in chat. >> Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. We're glad to have you. Okay. So, um, yes. Wow, that looks like a nice stove. Reading that description. >> You want to show it to Roland? You may recognize it. >> I think I'd like to see this stove, too, while we're at it. >> You're finding it. >> Yeah. Um, on the PDF, it's page 19.
>> Great. Thank you, Dr. Martin. Is that on? >> No. No. >> Now is it on? >> Mhm. >> Now it is. >> Now it's on. >> You're all in trouble. I was told that I could get 2 hours, but I'll try to refrain from that. So, good evening, Dr. McCord, members of the GPS governing board, um board president and cabinet, as well as to all of our followers out there online and behind me. My name is Dawn Koberstein, and I am the proud director of early learning, overseeing the preschool programming here in GPS. I have some key members of our preschool leadership team with me today as we share with all of you some highlights of our preschool programming. Behind me, I have um Julie Stockton, who happens to be the coordinator of our Advantage preschool program, our preschool evaluation team, and our DHH, the deaf and hard of hearing programming.
Like tons of jobs going away. So how do we just make sure they stay relevant and want to keep learning the new stuff? >> Yeah. our our thought process is that this is a 6 to2 document um and that we would have a separate document for elementary school students um similar for staff but separate for uh definitely separate and I think our nine best practices and our our district um vision and mission really help us challenge students and make sure that they're ready for those types of of things. I I mean I think about my own job didn't exist when I went to college. Um and I would imagine that there are going to be a lot of kids that are going to feel the same way and there are jobs that exist right now that won't because like you said because of AI. >> Yeah.
I am 80% sure it's not in the food service packet, Andy. >> Yeah, it's in the the first. >> Yeah, it's going to Yeah, it went to the high school. >> Oh, so it's going then if it's not in the kitchen, it's going to be in chef's room. >> Oh, yeah. >> There. >> Probably the culinary class at the high school then. But yeah, convection oven, air fry, and an induction range. >> Yeah. >> I don't know how to do all the things. >> Oh, there's >> So, there's a lab over there. I don't know if you're familiar with it. And um there's a my This is a guess, right? We'll get you the answer, but my guess is it's probably the main oven in there for chef. And then there are different stations in the room where kids can then. So there are some other I'll say more residential ovensish >> in the room so they can use different station.
We have Robin um Gift, who happens to be our preschool instructional specialist for Advantage. Next to her, there is Eric Dachtler, who happens to be our Building Blocks preschool program supervisor. Next to him happens to be Alana Victorowitz, who is our preschool instructional specialist over tuition preschool. And last but not least, Kelly Garrett, our early childhood behavioral coach. We are all delighted this evening to be here and we're honored to share with you our preschool vision, provide an overview of our preschool programming here in GPS, and highlight some of our celebrations in preschool, as well as outline some of our priorities. Our passion, their future. We are a team of cognitive engineers who have a passion for early childhood education as we build brains for our preschoolers, or should I refer to it, we lay that strong foundation for a child's future. We want to be recognized as the highest quality of preschool programming of choice by our families here in Gilbert Public Schools, or better yet, the entire East Valley.
>> So just being able to be nimble and make changes on the fly. Yeah. I think keeping that culture of constant learning and it's not just memorize this biology book and that's going to help you become a doctor. >> Absolutely. And I think to Brandon's credit is, you know, he's really pushed out like Desi has like this module like AI learning system, right? So he's pushed that out. I took a class on AI two years ago, like a grad class. It was sort of, you know, just getting my feet wet. But I think um the good news is that the admins in the middle and high school encourage us to try things. So, like I tried something with my seniors because like you said, my husband's in data analysis and people are, you know, left, right, and center losing their jobs. So, I had my poetry students use a gem, which is like a series of prompts from Gemini.
Yeah. So you have you can have >> 20 people in there. I'm making four kids at a station or something like that you know. >> Yeah. But I mean also just from what little I know about cooking that convection oven is going to bake faster than a conventional which is good when you've got limited class time and an induction range you're right up to temperature. >> It is. >> Yep. So, it is indeed the high school, >> right? And it's coming out of the the high school maintenance equipment repairers parts. >> That's where Mike charged it. >> Was it a replacement for something? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Again, I just found it a very strange thing that we'd be purchasing off Amazon. >> Culinary. It might be that they just had the better price. >> True. >> And delivery. >> Yeah. >> Um, one of my next questions is, um, I keep noticing a charge for Cassella.
Preschool truly is a pretty large department in GPS. We actually have 71 preschool classrooms that are spread across six spread across three campuses here in Gilbert and Mesa, and consisting of 116 preschool sections. That's considering that some classrooms have a morning section, afternoon section, and/or all day. In preschool, we have four distinct different types of program options. And we like to say this is our programs of choice. We provide a lot of choice for our families. And so, advantages are integrated preschool programming, while building blocks, K prep, and toy box are tuition-based preschool programs. And they reside strictly on the tuition of families. As you know, we have a dual language at Gilbert Elementary with our building blocks program. We have a steam program at Quartz Hill with our K prep, and we have gifted and advanced learning um focus at Ashland Ranch K prep.
Brandon helped me find a good one to plan a lesson plan for the class. It was fantastic. Except then when I said turn and talk to each other about your lesson plans, it planned the same lesson plan for pretty much all of them. But it was good. Like I was like think you know thank goodness I thought of this because I was like what if it's just doing the same one and so then one group was very different and it was because they said we want ours to be fun. We wanted to have a game and so I so the other groups I said okay so don't say fun and game because that's already taken but try and think about and so like perfect yeah not fun right so I think that was really helpful because I work in a building that like allowed me to do that you know and to not be like whoops because you know it could have been 12 lessons of the same thing but luckily I was thinking about it um and thinking well like what if it's just turning out the same lesson plan which is what it was doing.
Does that have to do with our composting? >> To who? >> Cella. Cassella is a trash company, but we also have we hold our trash account with W. What is it? WME W. >> Yeah, WM. But I keep seeing Cassella every single month as well. It probably would have been shortly after the stove because I write in order I go. Scrolling to find it. Scrolled too far down. So I have to scroll back up. Okay. The >> $225 Is that to remove technology? Old technology. Why that's that name aim is triggering that in me. >> No, one was for like a fouryard dumpster. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Fouryard FL weekly mist. Right. >> Is that for the compost? >> No. do have an answer on the ovens. There are those were three. It's three at about 1100 each. They are in Chef Yafy's room over there.
We also have full-day and part-day options, 5 days, 3 days, or 2 days a week for families. And then at this time, I'd like to turn things over to Julie Stockton and to Robin Gift, who are going to share with you some highlights of our Advantage Preschool programming. >> Thank you, Don. Good evening. Thank you so much for this opportunity to highlight our preschool programs. Um there's no place I'd rather be than starting my day in preschool. This morning I was able to go to Val Vista Lakes Elementary and Burke Elementary to be able to um take the pre-K students to the kindergarten programs in order to highlight that pave the path. Um the excitement was palpable. They were so just thrilled to be able to experience that little bit of time in a kindergarten program. So, I began my day exactly how I wanted to begin my day.
So that was like a really good example I think of Brandon helping me find the right tool, the kids using it and then the kid said, "Okay, so like if we were in college, the professor would know that we used AI if we did the same lesson." I said, "Right, so this is like a good, it wasn't really a hallucination, but it was a good check for them." >> Yeah. >> MIT has also partnered with Desi to they are have already created K to2 frameworks in terms of lessons of like this is what you can teach a third grade. This is what 11th graders should know and be able to do. this is what 12th graders I mean the minute they put that online it was history right >> yeah I think elementary school >> they committed to like keeping up with it so I think you know as we do our curriculum planning and our curriculum mapping and now that we have a curriculum coordinator coming on board um we'll be able to keep an eye on that and make sure that the kids are getting the various units plugged in to their required classes throughout >> yeah I think it's just staying nimble because to your point like anything that has been vetted through a system and comes out it's obsolete like you already don't need to learn that anymore And so how do we keep up with that?
And uh the prices were cheaper than the quick check they did locally and they have an account there. So, >> okay. So the question >> it's three just so you don't that's what confused me the one >> those three. >> Yeah because that means it's a institutional. >> So the question that we're on now is the Cassella waste services what that is and it's the fouryard FL weekly MISC at 225. >> Is that the high school? >> It is a high school. My guess is that's the composting. That's it. Yeah, that's my guess. >> It doesn't say. It just says weekly miscellaneous, you know, for the four yard rooms, >> right? Because that was separate than the traditional correct traditional dumpsters that would just pull regular trash at all. >> So, we're paying 225 a month posting. >> Oh, yeah. you're g you're going to pay um you've had we gave you all the numbers in the fall >> and that's just a pilot I'll use the word a pilot this year we did to go all in I'm going to give you top of my head right I think we said was around 20 to 25 if you do all the schools what the cost is with barrels you have to buy special bags you just can't use a regular trash bag they're decompostable bags you have to get emptied all the time then we're going to have pest management Mhm.
Um our focus aligns with the district's continuous improvement plan non-negotiables. As we continue to focus on student outcomes, this year we have intentionally prioritized the use of Foundations pre-K as well as I Ready foundational skills to strengthen early literacy and math. Through consistent daily routines, students are exposed to the same vocabulary and strategies. Um and this helps build confidence and support long-term success. And I want to emphasize early long-term success. So, that they hit Although they're hitting the ground running right in preschool, but then really and truly they're hearing and seeing the same things when they walk into that kindergarten program. We recognize that all students grow at their own pace and have unique strengths and needs. But and by providing intentional, supportive instruction, we ensure that every student has access to meaningful learning experiences and the opportunity to enter kindergarten prepared and ready to succeed.
I know Boston just partnered. I think they're rolling out a AI curriculum. I have no idea if it's what what's uh involved in it, but just yeah, keeping on top of it and not waiting for like the mandates that come. There's good technologies that we're seeing and again safety and security first. But >> I also wonder if that's less like here's the curriculum that we're going to teach and more like guided learning. How do we learn together? How do you learn from each other? Like probably like coding was in the '9s, right? The kids are probably going to lead all of us in a lot of ways, right? >> Have have the kids signed anything to acknowledge the updated policy? So, if there's run into an issue like governance where they kid up using AI inappropriately that there's sort of an understood a mutual understanding that they understood the the guidelines, the principles.
>> as well. That'll have to happen. So, >> yeah, I know that. >> Should should that go through, right? >> Yeah. I spent eight grand. Get rid of flies. >> Yeah. So, member web, are you satisfied with the answer to this question that we're thinking it is? >> I'm satisfied. I just I keep getting caught up when I keep seeing two different trash companies in our builds and don't know if it would be cost effective to move everything over to Cassella or everything over to Waste Management or if Waste Management isn't doing the compost because it's not something they do. >> I'm assuming Waste Management is on a bin list for the state >> as is Cassell. They both is Cassell. >> Okay. and Cassell is like literally eating up smaller companies. >> Okay. >> That get you another answer on that. >> I know.
Oops, I went the wrong way. Right here shows some of our our state data as we are accountable to our families and to our district to show growth in our students. We are also accountable to the Arizona Department of Education, the state of Arizona. Right here this data was from fiscal year 2025 and um this is um uh showing the whole child um the all five areas of um development. So the first outcome is positive social emotional skills, knowledge and skills is also cognitive and um communication, and the functional behaviors which um encapsulates um growth and fine motor as well as adaptive um self-help skills. And as you can see over 80% of our students who entered below age expect expectations increased their rate of growth within age expect expectations or beyond by the time they exited the program. As you can see that is well above the state average.
>> Yeah. So, it's in it's already in the academic integrity policy. I think I probably I think we probably said generative AI tools because we were reading it last year. >> Um so I think that they already signed off on that in the student handbook. >> Kids have >> Yeah. >> And I I know too as a a high school parent I'm you know in the first day of school always signing things and I know that individual teachers have especially in the humanities have started to build it into their expectations. >> Yeah. Yeah. So I don't just say to the kids like oh you signed it you know but I think embedding a discussion about it. >> No it's great that there's individual sign up. I was just curious if there was ever a situation where the kid would say, "I don't I didn't I didn't know about this." >> Totally.
I mean, Mike is really good at price checking between the two of them because he's and I have, you know, done negotiations with the waste management because of issues we've had regarding their timing of their ability to come in under schedule and stuff. So, >> you mean like drive a trash truck onto a school during playground hours >> or during drop off or pick up and they're done? Yeah, >> I guess the the question I have is about landscaping. So, the landscaping for the district, who's getting it and how does that all happen? I guess >> it was a big we were we were going to do it on our own, but then >> Okay. >> the uh >> Laura Phelps at the time, the procurement officer said, "We do citywide bidding." So, it's all part of >> whenever they go out to bid, they do include ours.
>> Research from organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics highlights the negative effects of excessive screen time for children ages zero to five, including its impacts on language, attention, sleep, and social emotional development. In response to that, we have launched a reducing screen time initiative this year bringing together educators and therapists to review research, discuss screen time with the community, and provide families with practical strategies such as our monthly family calendars that focus on engagement. Families receive a monthly calendar from their teacher, they participate in activities, and they return the calendar with the activity marked off and are entered to win a prize that Lakeshore has generously donated to us. We have some of our winners up here on the screen, and this um calendar is across all of our preschool programs, and we have had about 100 families participate in this so far.