>> Then we should be looking at taking over the fields on the other side of the building as well >> if people are playing contact sports there. But that's just I played soccer as a kid and I've had concussions. >> So, um, so I guess for there we will just expect more information once you've had time to layers with the city. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Um, member Webb, you ready for your next one? >> Um, I don't think it's more of a question. I think it's more of a comment just that we need to keep in the back of our brain when we do redo our bus contract with cosmecus tying in our late buses or if there's a way again maybe we need transportation to come visit us but to find a way to maybe make those smaller yellow buses work for late buses.
We want to thank all of you for your time tonight as we share this passion for our preschool in GPS and we would love to take you on a tour or to visit a preschool classroom to see any of our various preschool choices um that we have right here in GPS. You can reach out to any one of us.
It's it's not it's it's unacceptably high. So I I'm just other industries it's correlating that data but it's not there for medicine right now. And it's just more like and it's gonna be a contrarian take, but like you just have to sh it's a kind of spin on the Hangingham thing, right? Someone used AI and they got sued, but Johnny was failed by AI and that's why Johnny didn't get to this college and didn't do this. The information that was in that program was wrong. So your policy needs to also defend against those types of things because we're all jumping in the deep end that it's AI. >> What one fails you? fails the students, not their aptitude, >> but the information you ask. So, you just have to think about that. >> Yeah. And that's what the guidelines are really good where they they show that the human loop is important that someone has to vet what is coming out of it, right?
>> We do have there is a late bus cost in the existing contract. It's just a matter of whether or not we use it. So, it's it's in there >> because we had a charge for leap bus for $2,3240 >> from cosmascus or from >> that is correct from cosmecus literally stated on there. >> So, that's their contractual rate for a late bus. >> Correct. >> So, it's part of the contract. >> Districts go out for bus contracts. They add in late buses. Is there any way we can move that over to our yellow bus to our yellow buses? Do we know how many kids there are on the ride home from late bus? I think that's >> variable every day >> like doing the weather. >> You never know who's going to get on, especially a late bus. You need to have the capacity just in case everyone avails themselves of it, >> right?
Are there any questions? Sean, how did I do on time? >> I I do have a couple questions. Um one is I I really love everything that I've heard, especially um getting those outdoor toys and giving them opportunities to be outside and and push those gross motor skills. I was just wondering if you could tell me a little bit about We know that play is important for children and how are we using play-based learning in our preschools? >> Jill, I'm so glad that you asked that because play is a key foundation of what we do for students. Um but it's all about that intentionality. When you're playing with a child and let's say you've introduced vocabulary words um with some of our morning routines, with some of the books, how are we taking that vocabulary and we're transferring it let's say outside on a gross motor.
That like I'm not going to it to get answers um because I don't know what the answer is. Um and I don't I I can't just take its word for it. That's where the AI literacy comes in. I think about early on, you know, some of these models were trained by uh by Reddit posts. Yeah. >> Right. And if you're if you're basing your your knowledge base on Reddit posts, you might find out that Airbud would played in the NBA. Airbud's a golden retriever, right? Um and but one of the models spit out that there was an a famous NBA player named Airbud and he was in all these movies and all this stuff, but but that's where the AI literacy piece comes in. And and you know, it's funny to joke about it, but like in coming in a medical background, there's you if you're asking like these are my symptoms and this is what do you think it is?
And the late bus for, excuse me, sorry to cut you up. The late bus for the high and middle school is really running at the time where the vans, our own buses, vans are doing their elementary runs at that time. >> Yeah, that staggered time is a real thing.
So for instance, we were just reading a book of Peter Rabbit and there's the word mischief and we're we've teach the students what mischief means it gets into trouble. We're going to have a picture example. We're going to do a kineme or some kind of gesture to share that language with the child and then now we're outside and maybe something's happening and we're talking about how we're doing something and we might use that vocabulary when somebody's not making a good choice or getting into mischief with that or the kids are going to use that because maybe they're playing in the dramatic play and all of a sudden the the doll is all of a sudden it's going down. Oh, he's getting into mischief. He's climbing on the roof or he's not listening to his mommy and daddy. We're we're trying to use that vocabulary. It's really important and we can do that in that play opportunity.
You can't go then to a doctor and say you're wrong. >> New version of WebMD. >> Yeah. Right. The web effect, right? Right. >> You cannot It's not there yet. Yeah. >> Mhm. >> And I remember, you know, talking to former colleagues in my old district about math. Um and and you know, they would joke. I was a social studies teacher and they would say, "Oh, the internet's taking over your job. You guys don't have anything left." Um and now that you know, we have things like photo math. You can take a picture of the math problem. It gives you all the step-by-step instructions on how to solve brainw the new division. I don't know, you know. So, if you guys make me a gem that's like, "How do you help your fourth grader with math?" That would be great. Just saying. >> Yeah. But to Kevin's point, I feel like that's such a big part of the curriculum discussion of when to question AI, >> right?
Is there any discussion about I know this has nothing to do with us but the staggering time with possibly AAL and the elementary schools. >> Well, I would say the staggering time has everything to do with you you being the school committee. I'm just wondering if that's something that, you know, I see when I go into AAL, a lot of parents picking up early their student because they're trying to get to the elementary school in time or late drop offs because they're, you know, leaving the elementary school um after drop off. So, I just I see some >> that might be something for the full committee. >> Absolutely. because we lost our staggered times when we lost ELT because two schools were on different times. The middle school was on a different time than the high school and you know that was a big run.
We're encouraging students to have interactions with one another and the research will say that we need to have 40 conversational turns per hour and that's what we're doing as a teacher to facilitate those conversations helping to facilitate those interactions which are key. >> All right, thank you so much. Appreciate it. >> And we really want kids to have that love for learning too. It just comes through play. Any other questions? >> I just had one question. Um I know you guys have recently expanded at a new couple schools like Greenfield Elementary and how do you guys make those decisions? Is there just like a need for additional building block you know from that from that schools or express need or how do you get to that? >> That's a great question. Um so for instance Brian Lockwood from Greenfield Elementary had reached out to me gosh back in August and said hey Don, I would really I've been talking to families in my community and saying and expressing I think I think we're ready to bring some preschool to have more preschool options and something we have advantage preschool but could we have something for the full day um families?
Because it's very easy to be like, "Okay, I'm just going to take this and and plop it here, but how do you become more critical about that?" And I think the more opportunities we give students, I had them, I said, you know, try to find a good poem about childhood from a published poet about um that would pair well with this published poem that we had analyzed. And they didn't. It would just make stuff up. Like it would just be like Bill Smith wrote a poem like I love childhood. And they were so mad. So I said, "So you have to fact check that." I said, "To like try to actually find that poem." And sometimes it was like Bill Smith's poetry world blog from the 80s. And I was like, "Okay." But, you know, if it's on the American Academy of Poets or Poets, you know, like so I try to teach them like similar to when I, you know, dating myself like learned Google, you know, like Google wasn't always right in the beginning either.
So yeah, Member Webb, I think that's something we need to submit to the full committee. Um, do you want to just send a request to the chair to put a discussion of staggered start and end times or do you want to have it tied into something? I mean, I don't really think it's I don't think our agenda has room for it currently, but I think for April, >> to discussing before next year school starts, but I don't think the reality of that's going to happen >> for the following year. Well, I think this is something we should be discussing for our 26 27 year even a 10-minute window change, especially to AEL. I mean, the other schools seem I have not heard anyone complain, but I do hear, you know, I'm at AEL frequently and I do hear parents I see parents there picking up their kid at 2:30 cuz oh, I have to get over to, you know, here.
And so we had a conversation. In November, we opened that up um to families, and really the families then tell us if that's what they're wanting. We're excited because we are expanding and adding Greenfield Elementary next year um with a Building Blocks preschool program. So again, when principals are trying to build their enrollment, um they look, we have conversations, we put that out to our family, to our community, and through that choice option, then they register. >> Great. Well, thank you so much, and I I really appreciate your presentation. I think that early childhood time is so important. I'm a Toy Box student myself, so I know how important it is, and um I just want to thank you and your staff. Thank you, guys. >> And I thought for sure you were going to ask me what my calendar looked like. Jesse, I will definitely make time to get you in a preschool classroom.
Um, I think the more we experiment with it, the more students in real time will see, oh, that just made up the title of a poem and a poet that doesn't exist and I have to do another step because that poem doesn't exist anywhere or it exists somewhere, but like it's not really what my teacher's asking for. Anything else? I feel so far behind. So, thank you all because now the information is super highway. I've crashed. I'm on the offramp. I don't know. There we go. >> It has passed the far. >> Yeah. It's it's it's not good. Okay. So, superintendent comments. >> All right. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Um, first I want to thank Brandon for coming and Gretchen and the team who worked on this and Denny for for spearheading the work. Um, >> thank you so you know, and I'm just so impressed that you came up with a model that's adaptable, you know, and can move forward regardless of what happens.
And even though I know as a parent that I can pick up my kid from elementary until 3:10, they don't necessarily they think they need to be there at 2:50, which is a great great thing. >> Well, yeah. Just because you can pick up at 3:10 doesn't mean that your anxious kindergarten is going to be okay sitting there for 20 minutes. >> Correct. >> Right. and the process of getting everybody out of a building safely and into the right car or bus takes 20 to 25 minutes as somebody who does that. >> But we are getting a little bit off topic of our subcommittee. So, I guess member Webb, would you like me to submit this item to the chair for full committee or do you want to because I'm happy either way. >> So, it would save us money to go to staggered times.
You've got to see it in action. It's one thing to say about an outdoor classroom. I'd love for you to be able to experience that, the um rich um play that's going on, the conversations the students are having with one another, and the intentionality that the teachers are having with the things that they're doing in the classroom and with the students. It's really making a difference. >> Hey. There I am. Hi. Uh keeping us on our toes tonight with the mics. Um my one question Well, I have two questions. The first one, how is your attendance when it comes to the preschool parent programs and the parent university? Do you get a good outcome parents' end? >> We actually have In fact, um it's been increasing um over the years. We're having at least, gosh, 20, 25, 30 families. I know um we're expecting um 25 so far that are registered for tomorrow evening of families coming to our our event tomorrow night.
Um, and I love that you're starting. I remember we had a PD, I think, two or three years ago, and it was, you know, uh, a speaker in the auditorium and the teachers in the audience, and it's like, how many people think you're using AI is cheating? And it was like 80% of the faculty. And now I love that we've turned the question to not like if >> are you using it, but how are you using it? Um, so lots of progress and thank you to our pioneers and to our leaders for making that happen. >> We have 83 MCAST tomorrow. So I got to get the Jolly Ranchers. >> Thank you very much. >> Um, okay. Um, I also want to just do a little celebrating. Um, you know, Denny and I continue to visit classrooms. Um, side story, Denny and I in our world of teaching and learning get to visit classrooms and and be on the ground where the magic happens.
I believe I I mean I don't know if it would save us money to go to staggered times, but I think it would possibly alleviate some stress that some of our parents do have to feel that end of the day pressure. >> Okay. But we probably shouldn't discuss >> I am more than h I again I want to say I clearly said this was not >> the right place to discuss this. Um, I I can submit an email. >> Okay, great. And if you find yourself short on time, you can feel free to kick it my way and I'll get it to the chair because it is something to discuss for the full. >> Um, okay. Any other questions?
So it's something um that we've been pleasantly surprised. Parents are asking for it. Um the nice part is when they come to the first one, they're like, "Can you do more? Can you have one once a month?" And I'm like, "Okay, I'm I'm not trying to kill my staff here. Um but um they're eager for it. Um after all, kids aren't born with a an owner's manual and I think all of us are trying to do the very best for our children and we just need some support out there. >> Yeah, I know as a teacher, one of the things that's missing that we have no control over is what happens at home. So it's good to see that um we're actively doing things to try and get families involved. Um the other question I have kind of tied so I was one of the questions I had written down was the retention rate for kindergarten.