Um, and you'll kind of see those throughout this presentation. We really want to make sure we refine our systems to make sure that we are consistent with what we do. Um, we want to try to be as efficient as possible to make sure that our students get the most um bang for their buck and and throughout their academic day to get the most instruction they possibly can. And then align our school goals with the district initiatives because it's something that we really believe in that the district. we we we think that they're going in, you know, we're going in a really good direction. We want to make sure that our school does whatever we can to help support the district's initiatives as well. And then looking at that, we have our three main pillars. We have our student um safety and well-being. We have our academic achievement and growth.
You're good. Thank you for showing up. >> Yeah, >> but you were our favorite part of the meeting. >> Yeah, it's now going to be >> right. It's all downhill from here. >> Oh, sorry. Thank you for coming. >> We know he's the camera. >> Appreciate you all. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Oh my gosh. So sweet. Can we Can we turn that? >> I'm gonna miss that. >> You should. >> That's what I'm going to miss. >> I know. >> So, yeah. So, now it's your Okay. >> Yeah. Definitely definitely not putting more on approvals after that. >> Who did that? >> Talk about a buzz. >> That's a tough act to >> commission. >> All right. Between March 26, 2026 and April 8th, 2026, I Paul Kendall authorized by my signature payables in the amount of $572,14358. This includes general fund expenses of $478,8451, revolving expenses of $92,5855 and grant fund grant expenses of $1,5502.
Um, I have to be honest though, this really just feels like a massive win for the GMS team and I'm just this year's captain. There's so much good stuff going on at GMS and I am just one small piece. Um, every colleague that I work with just, you know, they work just as hard if not harder than I do on a regular basis. Um, we're really just it feels like I work in a very special place. It's like a family. Um, and I think that really starts at the top. When you have leaders like Michelle and Allan who make their staff feel supported and valued on a daily basis, it makes us all come to work every day wanting to show up for the kids and for each other. So, I just feel very grateful to work where I work. Thank you. >> Thank you.
There's so much good stuff going on at GMS and I am just one small piece. Um, every colleague that I work with just, you know, they work just as hard if not harder than I do on a regular basis. Um, we're really just it feels like I work in a very special place. It's like a family. Um, and I think that really starts at the top. When you have leaders like Michelle and Allen who make their staff feel supported and valued on a daily basis, it makes us all come to work every day wanting to show up for the kids and for each other. So, I just feel very grateful to work where I work. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. I look forward to joining you at that banquet in May. Excellent. So, now we are inviting up our student representative to give the student report.
And we hope you enjoy your bookmarks. Thanks so much. >> [applause] >> I also want to just point out something um when when Jackie said she's a teacher like she teaches classes during the day. And again, I think this is really during the ELT time, she does not have to do this. Like this is her time. She also works with we have times where she's able to work with teachers on, you know, projects or whatever maybe. But she takes the time to set up Google Forms so kids can sign up for these activities and runs them throughout the whole through throughout ELT. So, I I I do want to make sure that you you guys all we all know that she takes her time because this is something that she knows the kids get really excited about. And there are kids that are knocking the door, I know, to get in They don't get a chance to sign up for this one.
My oldest who goes to OCI often only tells me about what he is learning in PE and he loves that subject. It's the highlight of his day. As a parent and a teacher, I do not wish to see these cuts. The other concern I have is our numbers for our psych our psych to student ratios. I have a student who qualified for and received counseling this school year but then promoted out and now is in need of counseling again. I was told by the multi-tiered systems of support team that my student cannot return to counseling as tier two and tier three MTSS support is on hold due to the caseload that to the psych being too large on the psych being too large. What are we going to do next year if we fully cut three sped and psych positions? Is this closure going to remain in place?
So So I don't understand when you're saying have to do another RFP. Yeah, that's that's exactly what we have in place now. So that we have the job order contracting in place. We just need to issue new RFPs for the next cycle cuz you know they they are on a cycle you know every so many years you have to renew that. >> So the um when when it says that you folks discontinued it, why did you discontinue it then? >> We didn't discontinue it. We have >> So you you've constantly had this JOC in place so that people can come in and say I got this order. >> Yes, at least not a long waitlist. >> At least it's one since 2019. We have not stopped the JOC contract. >> Yeah, the contract ended but they didn't go out with the RFP. And so And so they've extended, extended, extended and then now they're saying it's because the changes, which is really not the changes.
Um the behavioral impact that we have seen has been so positive with students um improved classroom management, with their participation rates because they're engaged. Um you know, you've got um your lawyers who like to be busy bodies. We've seen a lot of interest in our male students um who get that hands-on experience rather than again just sitting and listening to a library book which has a lot of benefits as well. But the engagements with our littles, our our older kids and our male students, we have seen they are just all in and they love it. To my next point with the extended learning, a lot of our kids, they are choosing to bring their power university projects out to recess. I'll be walking out there uh you know monitoring basketball as always, but I'm going you guys what are you doing? We're building on a roller coaster, Miss Stevens from uh from our our How are you class?
>> All right. Good evening, Madam President, Madame Clerk, members of the board, Dr. Wyman, and of course, Miss Judy. Um, it is an honor to uh step in tonight and uh present these Blue Apple awards on behalf of the transportation department. As I was sitting there waiting for this opportunity, I I was thinking about the notion that as a former building leader, when you walk into a campus, you know that it's really the receptionist and the secretary that holds that place together. They're the ones that know everything and they make sure everything is taken care of. Outside of the building, I think it's our transportation folks. Um, talk about behind the-scenes heroes. These are people who make sure that our kids get there safely every single day. Uh, those details matter so much. Um, so I'm really excited to get to honor a couple of the folks from our transportation team tonight.
So, thank you. All right, we're going to move on to our information item. We have our classroom spotlight. Santa Cruz Elementary, Miss Reinhardt. Good evening, President Coutree, Dr. Lopeman, governing board members. I'm Stephanie Reinhardt, the proud principal of Santa Cruz Elementary School. I'm here to present our classroom spotlight highlighting literacy foundations in Miss Brett Abramson's kindergarten classroom at Santa Cruz. Let's see. Okay. This aligns to the MUSD strategic plan. Goal one. Every student graduates prepared to create, innovate, lead, and succeed with a focus on the foundations of reading in kindergarten and 100% of students on grade level. This also aligns to the MUSD portrait of a graduate. By incorporating all the attributes, we are preparing our students for their success on the road to graduation. Our need to focus on foundational reading skills has been an ongoing conversation within our primary grade levels for several years.
>> Maybe I I don't see it that way personally because because like I said earlier, the Ice Climbers are pretty hard to play. But since Deacon is so good at keeping both of them alive, he can use he can use each other's he can use both of his characters mallets to really rack up the damage. >> Now, does does Deacon's damage he took in round one? Does that damage carry over into >> That does not carry over. Only the stocks lost carry over. So, you could be at over 200%, but if you do not lose that stock, you start the next round at 0%. So that's just another incentive to uh >> to keep your stocks in check. All right. So it appears I don't really know why they're changing the stage. The stage doesn't change until like they uh until they actually win the round, you know, take out their four, you know.
And then staff recruitment and retention. And each one of uh our staff members here tonight will kind of hit on each one of those pillars. So something that um really proud of is the way our staff has come together as a team. We have a very large staff compared to some of the elementary schools, a little over 90 staff members. So it's we're really proud to say that 100% of our staff has um taken part in a whole school initiative or activity, which that takes a lot of collaboration and teamwork because it 90 people to get into one goal is not easy. Um, but proud to say that our staff has accomplished that. Really proud of the way they've come together. So then looking at our house program, we've talked about our house program before. It is we have eight houses. Our slogan is eight houses, one family.
Finally, I authorized payroll in the amount of 1,516,82349. >> Thanks, Paul. Of course I >> Next up, we have the superintendent report starting with APS assuming the field rentals from the town's DPW. So, I I want to give a brief update here on what our process has been. And as you know, it ties into um our goals as well or my goals in terms of of the um the the taking over of the rental properties of of the Ashlin public school fields. And and really what I'm presenting to you here is is a an outline of how we got to where we are. how how how did we get here today and what are the next steps in the journey of of actually taking control of the fields um that that are currently under uh DPW's purview in terms of the rental but also the maintenance etc.
All right. I look forward to joining you at that banquet in May. Excellent. So, now we are inviting up our student representative to give the student report. Thank you, Lauren. Okay, starting off strong with student council. Student council will be hosting a fancy formal wear giveaway on Friday, April 10th, right after school for GHS students only. And then again on Saturday, April 11th from 11 to 1 for all high school students looking for something formal to wear to prom or to another fancy event. We collect items year round. So if you have something you'd like to donate, please drop it off in the main office during school hours or at the Greenfield Garden Cinemas evenings and weekends. On April 29th, student council will be hosting the WASC spring conference, gathering students from all across Western Mass to discuss and improve students leadership qualities. The conference will run all day.
>> Thank you, Lauren. >> Okay, starting off strong with student council. Student council will be hosting a fancy formalware giveaway on Friday, April 10th, right after school for GHS students only. And then again on Saturday, April 11th from 11 to 1:00 for all high school students looking for something formal to wear to prom or to another fancy event. We collect items year round. So if you have something you'd like to donate, please drop it off in the main office during school hours or at the Greenfield Garden Cinemas evenings and weekends. On April 29th, student council will be hosting the WASC spring conference, gathering students from all across Western Mass to discuss and improve students leadership qualities. The conference will run all day. Kaden Viek will be campaigning and running for the regional board secretary position. Keycl Club. During the month of April, KeyCL Club will focus on community service and picking up litter.
They're so upset. And I said to one cuz like, "You just got to be quicker. You see You see that that name in the email? You got to click on it quickly and and and go for it. But I this has been something I think that's brought We talk about those skills or soft skills if you want to say at times and things that kids are doing that kids don't do enough without technology. And when Jackie first brought this to me, I said, "This is this is absolutely perfect." So, I still haven't gotten in there to learn how to sew, but I that is on my thing this summer. My grandmother would be very very proud of me if I can do something like that. So, I just want to make sure that everyone knew that. Thank you. We appreciate you giving us the time.
I find this to be concerning as a teacher who is already being subjected to violent behavior issues this year. Um our support admin and psych staff are already stretched thin and are constantly unable to answer calls for help due to being in meetings or working with other students. I was under the impression from the previous board discussion that we were overstaffed in the psych department. If students are not able to reenter into services, overstaffing does not appear to be the case. I urge this board to reconsider the current cuts and ask what else can be done. Um thank you. Thank you. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE MEGAN HAGGARD. >> [laughter] [clears throat] >> HELLO, I've never done this before but I have some concerns. Uh my child is in fourth grade classroom in this school and has been subjected to violence, bullying, intimidation, and threats from another student all year and even with the limited psych interventions that have happened, it's still ongoing and I worry that further cuts will allow this behavior to escalate.
And so And the people told me that in fact they had the RFP already to go. It was ready to go and it didn't go. Okay, so I get this information. So I hear your excuses but really you know people that were there said it was ready to go and you folks somebody didn't pull the trigger. So isn't it regularly done so that you do have this on an ongoing basis so you don't have to constantly do an update? Because it seems like it's the same process. >> Yeah, it's on it's on a cycle and so we have the contracting in place. We issued a few RFPs and we have others in line that we do. You know, it's capacity there's a lot of these ones that we have to issue. >> So what was changed then if if you do it on an ongoing basis?
And so they're extending their learning and they're enjoying this um design, this innovation as a thing to do at recess. And so that's something to celebrate that our students have more things to do at recess in that collaborative creative space. Um and then last um we can demonstrate success. It's a little bit harder to show parents the growth and a library class or a technology class, but when they're building projects, we can have things to display. We have things to post on social media to tell our story of these amazing projects that are being built. Um the parents love coming to band concerts, orchestra concerts. We've got projects display throughout the hallways. Um our students are also um cheering each other on when we do um kind of tours throughout the school and kids can see the other projects that other grade level bubbles are doing and they're like, "Oh, I can't wait to build a greenhouse next year." Um so it's really fostered a community of excitement with the students.
Um, the first recipient, Karen. Uh, Karen is was chosen to receive the Blue Apple Award for her dedication to the community and district. As one of the trainers, Karen specializes in our special education transportation where her strengths and abilities shine. She has enhanced safety awareness within the transportation team by training new drivers to ensure they have a full understanding of how to serve students with special needs, whether on special education or mainstream routes. Karen adapts quickly to changes without complaint and consistently steps in to assist in any emergency. Her commitment and professionalism make her an invaluable part of the team. Congratulations, Karen. You are truly a shining star in the transportation department. >> All right, Karen. you get this lovely blue apple and then every month we stand here and say don't drop Now, it's impossible to teach people how to be safe on a bus if the bus isn't running.