So, thank you. >> It is an open board meeting and everybody's able to stay. However, you're also >> we um Ms. um Browning, our uh chief communications officer, would like to take pictures of everyone. So, please check in with her before you leave. >> Good to see you. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Just do it all. >> Do it all. >> Something like that. >> That was great. That was great. >> And I like that it was athletics and >> I don't want to be associ with that. >> All right. Our kids never disappoint. Sir, >> I think I love the extemporaneous like I love the category. >> I know they're awesome. >> A couple other things almost >> so true. I have a close friend who went to South and was on Fox nontop about it. Yeah, >> one of my best friends, his kid was took state and humorous in Iowa this year.
Thomas was nice enough to kind of talk me off the ledge. And I guess um I have a problem with Thursday. I mean, believe me, the board being on the I'm on the board is my most important commitment, but I am also an officer in another organization, and we need the second Thursday of each month. And on those short months, I would I would have a conflict. Um I do remember that Monday was chosen because 155 has Tuesday, and it was felt that if parents had children in both districts, they may want to go to both board meetings. I don't know if that's still is as important with all you know, uh visual, you know, stuff as this was, you know, pre-TV, you know? So, um but um my feeling is I would not mind um any other day of the week but Thursday. I can jump in.
You want to say a few things? I just want to clarify that um yes, taking the opportunity, but I want to make sure it's clear that we're not financially assuming 100% cost uh being part of the region, um we got to appreciate Terry Stroh and 110 and our other local partners. They voted to uh agree that we could be the site location for this and making the investment. So, some of that regional money is actually the kickstarter funds that is is supporting Central getting this opportunity. Um and I I think it's a great opportunity that we take the chance to offer something new and unique here, uh and still allow it open to other districts as well, but I just want to be clear it's actually not 100% Central's money, which is also a good uh fiscal choice that we're able to partner with them and and move forward.
Any questions on that? So it's just that first establish a partnership. Yes yes mhm. Very good. >> C8 project update. So, we we're making some progress. We're We are pretty much on schedule. That The weather somehow has played a little bit of a factor, but for the most part we're on schedule. And the idea is to be done by August 1st with all of the projects. And so, I just have a a few pictures here that um I sent um that I wanted to share. But, we're we're making good progress, but right now we're to the point where once school is out and there are no students in the building, they can really really get some work done. And um Chris and Scott have been attending the meetings and our principals as well. So, if you guys want to add anything else, you can, but we're >> No, I think they're coordinating and doing a very nice job and Yeah.
Yeah, Thursday last week, I was able to take a group of 20 plus, maybe 25 20 25 staff members around the elementary. We basically just looked at the rooms that were available. I made it abundantly clear that no decision had been made, but I wanted to try plan accordingly to make sure that folks knew what was what what potential rooms and things were available, spaces were available. I made no bones about there are rooms that look just like a regular classroom, there are rooms that look a little bit different than that, but they could be used for other purposes. And so we walked through there. I felt like that was useful time. I think that people saw and had a chance to talk to me. But I again, you know, it it wasn't open for the whole world, it was open for teachers and staff.
What reports do we need? What data do we need? And so, I appreciate all the input from our administrators, our directors, and that. So, it's certainly it's certainly not been like a a 2-week process. Oh, I doubt that. Yeah. And it's also important to understand the difference between a student information system and the learning management system as well. So, the learning management system is is one in which the the teachers interact with on the regular. That's Schoology that's going to Google Classroom, right? Our elementary is all Google Classroom, and then at the high school we're like half and half or something. Didn't you say Mr. Beckman came from Harmony school? Is that right? That is correct. Yeah. And he got along well, didn't have any issues over there? I thought it was much easier than PowerSchool, in my opinion. Um The school district I came from is almost identical in size as here.
Okay. Thank you very much for attending. I think it's real evident the awards that our teachers and administrators get, value that we have here, seeing our students come forward and and it's just nice to be a part of EBSC. With that, is there any other business to come before the board? If not, I'd entertain a motion to adjourn.
So, that's that's where that need and that request is coming from that Kevin had talked to you about for a few years, Ezra has talked to you about, we you know, we've discussed. So, that's because you've got multiple students across grades and right now Doolittle is where we have the most need for our newcomers. I mean, my concern at the high school level, obviously, is a newcomer with the course load and the you know. Yeah. Very much so. Well, [clears throat] also gets scheduled into ESL class that Amy teaches, so she does push-in, she coordinates with teacher and they do an ESL class, but it's um it can be a lot for Yeah. >> [clears throat] >> Um so, as we mentioned earlier, you know, our approach to our instructional work is really grounded in that asset base mindset and high quality instruction. And we're really starting to see a strong alignment with different building thinking classroom strategies, with universal design for learning and with a continued focus on student engagement and discourse.
That's my mom and dad over there. who have always pushed me to do my best and take opportunities that lead to growth and self-improvement. And lastly, my public speaking teacher because without her, I don't think I would have the confidence to say this speech right now. Thank you, Mr. Ram. It is truly an honor to accept one of Stevenson's highest recognitions, the student success story award, nominated by Mrs. Kelly and Miss Mangelerti. Today, I want to share my journey through high school and how Stephvenson's environment has allowed me to grow and prepare for what comes next. People often ask me how I'm able to confidently approach adults or speak up in class. And the truth is that confidence wasn't always there. It's just something I developed over time. As a child, I was naturally outgoing and academically strong. But during during junior high, something shifted.
And our middle school sixth through eighth grade focus is on critical evaluation, bias, accuracy and reliability assessment, future thinking, predictions about AI, societal impact, and advanced ethics, environmental impact, data ownership, and media literacy. This past summer, we also created our parent FAQ document, which can be found on our AI page on every school site. Important to note, students only have access to district approved AI tools on their iPad. This includes Magis School AI, which is built for education and allows teachers to monitor student usage. Magischool AI has SAPA and SIP copa agreements, which safeguards the collection and usage of student data and does not use district data to train its AI model. This is also true for staff usage of Gemini, Google's AI tool as well as Canva. The majority of student usage in Magic School are for custom chat bots and image generation like I demonstrated in last year's technology presentation where you were students in my Magic School class.
Okay. >> And he did a whole >> hoping for a short little like standup comic. I thought he would have all full of like double meaning our family's like sent us all a recording of his literal. >> I always try to throw a math joke in whenever I can whenever I'm But the acorn >> preparation for life. >> Yeah. Really for anything. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. But Karen, I don't know. She has so many stories. >> All right. Shall we continue? >> Yes, we shall. >> Okay. I'm going to have to remember that one. >> Student perspective. >> Being amazing and getting recognized. >> So, I'll go ahead and get started. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um, so again, it's amazing to see so many students here getting celebrated. Every time it happens, I get excited to just see like familiar faces. And I just think again, it's an incredible opportunity to just recognize everyone's hard work, dedication they put in, and I'm just very thankful that I get to be a part of this.
I also dislike Monday as our meeting night and have disliked it the whole time because Monday is super hard for me, too. And so, I'm often coming off the same kind of day the admin's talking about with just the emergencies that pile on my desk. And by Monday night, sometimes I walk in here and I feel like I don't have a whole lot left in my brain. So, I don't know that I have a preference between Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but I would also not be sad to see Mondays go. Okay. My turn? Yeah. Okay. I do want to thank you for bringing this to the board's attention, how difficult it is for admin. Especially after all of these years, why didn't you say anything? Um that being said, I do feel like if we're going to talk for me, I I plan things around board meetings as well.
So, that would be the only thing I would clarify. Can I ask you just in in like a 30-second, you know, overview of the aviation program, where you see this growing over time here? Yeah. This is pretty fascinating. Yep. Um the goal was is not to mislead uh our students in the wrong direction, is to actually open up their eyes to maybe career fields they're not considering. Aviation is one of them, and the the wider spectrum of aviation. This is not just for pilots. While we are starting with kind of an aviation and drone uh setup, the goal is actually including aviation maintenance and and communications and all the other aspects that go into aviation. Um and so this is just the beginning, and hopefully, you know, I don't know, 5, 6 years from now, we have a kind of a a full-blown uh start on a multiple paths and careers within the aviation field.
I think the meetings have been very beneficial because when they see problems, they discuss it and they address it versus That's the pool. going through it. And I think that's been a big problem with past projects. And Tech Talk being the project manager, that's their job that they're looking out for us. The pool um Yeah, they've been working on that and it's covered really well, so they didn't have to drain the pool. And they got a double door in there so they could get them in there easier. >> there. Yeah. Um the cafeteria at Otterbein, the dining space hasn't started yet. >> Okay. But, they did take the bleachers out and they did take the divider wall out so that they can get in there and and get to work on the gym floor as soon as school's out. That brick matched really well. I'm like you can't even tell it's an addition whatsoever.
And so I wanted to make sure that that went about that we had that opportunity. I I went back through the the minutes again from the notes from the public work session and I heard repeatedly comments about transparency about the project process, making sure we are listening. I wanted to make sure that people know that we're hearing that and we're trying and that and that we are trying to figure out ways to do this. Whatever the decision is, we want to make it in a logical manner. And then the last thing I want to talk about was just a little bit about the referendum. In the notes, it did not appear that there was a overwhelming push to to look at referendum, although it was not ruled out. I feel like we need to do some more investigating of that and I am sitting Kim, what day is that?
Uh but yeah, so we've used Harmony, or they used Harmony, should say they no longer there. Uh for I think 6 years now. And they switched from PowerSchool. Good. Um In my opinion, the best part about it is that their help desk is in this state. So, there was a couple times there were issues, but it was fixed within, you know, an hour or two because there's always somebody there that you can get in touch with pretty quick. I would say that would be the thing that I liked the most about it. It was easier to use, easier to navigate. I thought the setup was much easier to find information you need as a staff member, whether it be for discipline, for grades, for finding out what students need in each of their classes. Ooh, attendance, thank you. All of that the setup was much I thought much easier.
Um you know, one of the key takeaways though is that when we think about the work that our multilingual learners are doing in class, it's not just it well, it's not something different. It's not they don't have the same grasp of the English language as their peers, so we're just going to give them something, you know, below grade level. They're still accessing the same rigorous grade level material with strategic just-in-time scaffolding. And our focus moving forward is really building that consistency and building that shared understanding of what that looks like in practice across every level and across every classroom. And professional learning, you asked about professional learning and nothing happens, you know, with this unless we work with teachers and unless we all collaborate to make this instruction happen and plan for it. And one of the things that we're looking at in terms of our vision and where we want to improve the most is to um look at ongoing training and collaboration around things like the Kelp rubrics and the Kelp standards, rather.
I began to question my place in the world and that mindset followed me into high school. I became more closed off um struggled with self-confidence and honestly didn't know how I'd fit into the expectations around me. And at times I felt lost and unsure of what I had to offer. What changed was being in an environment that made me feel like I was going somewhere. Through extracurriculars and support systems, I started to rebuild that sense of direction. Getting involved helped me to discover my independence while my student support team helped me take advantage of academic opportunities like summer courses that gave me flexibility during the school year. Over time, I became some sorry, I became someone more grounded, more confident, and more willing to advocate not just for myself, but for others. I went from trying to figure out every possible outcome to learning how to move forward with the ones that are meant to unfold.
Staff are using custom assessment tools in Magic School AI as well as tools for instructional and student support materials such as text rewriter, text translator, and social stories. They are also using the integrated AI tools found in the Google Workplace Suite. This summer, the AI task force will reconvene to make revisions to our guiding documents, including updating and expanding our AI literacy lessons. We will also continue to brainstorm more ways to integrate AI training and usage usage examples into existing professional development and meeting structures. Some upcoming bigger ticket technology items include the following. Our office staff desktop computers are due for a replacement this coming year with an approximate cost of $80,000. We are now in year two of our student iPads, which means we have one more year with them. As a reminder, we sell all our used iPads after and after three years of usage, they are still in great demand with our resellers.
And as a district, we can again um applaud uh our students and community for being so incredible. Um, so as we get closer to the end of the year, everyone's excited, a little bit stressed. Um, there's a lot of things as we saw tonight, there's a lot of things going on both academically and with activities. Um, everyone's focused on finishing the year strong, also maintaining the expectations we have set throughout the year with both attendance and academics. Um, for activities, uh, this past weekend we had our Adams family musical. I got to see it on Friday and it was honestly amazing. um you could really tell how much dedication and care went into it and it was just amazing to see everyone thrive in their respective roles. Um we also had state testing for the freshman, the sophomore and the juniors and the seniors got a very long weekend which I'm personally not complaining about.