No matter what happens in the system, they get one day older. >> So >> other thoughts, reflections? This is a pretty powerful document for you to keep nearby and I I'll I'll do my best to collect to connect back to what I've observed over the last couple of months. Anyone else? I was just going to say this is a good um tool for analysis on government accountability. Uh was just trying to think of tying it to your governance case study. Like we can say we're the representatives of the community and we, you know, are stewarding this vision that we think the community wants for our schools, but we can say, "Oh, well, we get elected every four years. That's our checks and balances. That's our Um, oh, they're saying, "Yeah, we're doing a good job." Or, "No, we're not." But the only other time we can check ourselves is with a tool like this, saying, you know, we're walking what we're what we're talking.
I came from a school that didn't have cell phone policy before this year, and learning about how people had it before or how people didn't have it, it was really interesting to see their perspective on it. I realized that my perspective is having it like newly [clears throat] implemented was way different than people who had had it for years and who had experienced problems with it already. But, I feel like that this year that we implemented it, we saw a lot of positive growth at least in my classroom. I was able to see how we were able to connect more when we weren't on our phones 24/7. And so, it was way easier to see the different perspectives, and I thought that was a really neat perspective of this. And then, two was the preparation. We talked a lot about the different kinds of preparation that different schools give us.
So, the um expected expenses of 686 does not include any adoption. So, then in 27, we are going to adopt uh I think science. Can't really remember. But And so, that's in there. Um and then you'll see that it goes down in um '29 again, and that's the year, I'm pretty sure it's PE. Um and it doesn't cost as much. But, that's where those, you know, cuz the other expenses, you know, aren't going up, you know, a large amount. So, I just wanted to point that out. If you're looking at that, that's where that percent is. Um So, and I just want to put a plug in for the curriculum person because though she can make those projections because we have a schedule. We have a schedule of the curriculum materials, which is something that before, you know, our principals had to keep a handle on, and it's nice to have a corporation person do that.
Sometimes we have lay coaches that aren't in the school, so they're going to have study tables before practice um to help help with these kids, their study habits, their grades, make sure they're getting in enough time uh because athletics obviously is already going to take a lot of their time, right? So, they're going to need some time to do some studying as well, and maybe get help from some of their friends, some of the coaches, things like that. Our coaches are really here to push them along, right? To help them succeed. Uh they're going to set goals for academic all-city. They're going to set some, you know, some kids are going to struggle just to pass. Well, our coaches are there to help them, right? Some kids have higher goals. They want to get a 4.0. Our coaches are going to be there to to help hold them accountable, push them along, and do anything possible to uh help them along the path to get their academics in.
Um any questions for me? I'd say one of the the awesome things that uh Chris and his team does, um a lot of other schools and their IT department will actually send off a repairs. They won't even bother with trying to fix them. Um and that's one thing that his team does. They will they will tear those apart and try to fix those in-house to get the computer back to the kid quicker. Um which is which is awesome and it also saves our families from some money of of shipping all all these out. So, you know, thank you to your team for that. Yeah, definitely speaking on that, too. Um you know, we're able to do We don't really have anything on the outside. So, we're a one-stop shop. If we're pulling cable, if we're, you know, setting things up. So, it's a nice because all of the work We're doing all the work within the corporation.
>> Yes. So once they have reached a 4.2 to um proficiency um and that's a composite. That's an average of their speaking, reading, listening, and writing. Um they will test out they will no longer need those daily minutes. You know, by the time they're at that level, they need one um period, one block of of English services per day. Um but we still need to monitor them. So after they have tested out, we still monitor them for four years. >> Okay. >> Um and the way that that looks is we're still going to track how they're doing. We're still going to track how they're doing. we're still going to see how they're doing throughout. Um, so I have them on a list and then we'll say, "Hey, how are they progressing in their classes? We'll have meetings about them to see how they're doing to be able to follow that data along the way." >> Dilia, I mean, thank you community.
If they understand themselves what that detail is going to be helping or hindering them. Well, hopefully uh we'll have something to review uh in preparation for the meeting in 2 weeks. And it's been how long since how how all the com- all the committees all that stuff, how long has this been out there? Well, we've been meeting since I believe May March 2nd, I think was our first hearing for this. So as far as that information that we need, uh I think that we've I think we've been pretty clear, at least from my perspective, as to what we are expecting. Um so we can't do anything about that other than tell them what we need and hope that they provide it for us. Am Am I thing is well, I was just going to come up and and say um they've gone through other committees, planning board, um zoning, the redesign committee, and all that.
When someone forgets their rosin, having their back means give them yours. Maybe you and your stand partner laughed off of a stake, even reminding them to play. No matter the problem, I know I can count on my fellow orchestra peers. Orchestra not only gives me a place where I feel like I belong, but also a place where we help one another. One of the things that is going to stick with me from middle school is orchestra and how it makes me feel. I plan on continuing orchestra in a high school because to me orchestra is more than a class, it's a family. >> Thank you everyone. And now we would like to end our presentation tonight with a performance that the seventh and eighth grade orchestra gave at the concert of How to Train Your Dragon. Play open. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.
Whitworth kicks it loose. Whitworth misses the tomahawk chop. Gets the ball over the restraining line. Gets the ball over to Parsons. Parsons behind the net to Illingsworth. Illingsworth goes through one, takes a shot and keeper makes a save on that one. Good job by Agawam keeper making another back-to-back good saves. Now Agawam will try to work it from deep in their territory. Larocque gets the ball over to Stiletto. Just picked off by Parsons. Parsons running in just one more defender. She tries to do a little split dodge. Gets the ball knocked away, picks it up. Parsons still with the ball. Gets ball over to Crimmins. Crimmins to Illingsworth. All the way out to Marino. That ball gets loose. Can Hannah Eddy get over to pick it up? Ball still loose, still on the ground. Ball's kicked away. Agawam comes up with that ball. Agawam picks it up, quickly gets the ball over the other side to Pazinski.
So, and if you have any questions, please uh please let me know uh as as we go along. Uh 961 deleted, policy GA personal personal goals, priority objectives. 962, policy GB general personnel policies. 963, policy GBA equal employment opportunity. Regulation GBAR equal employment opportunity. Exhibit GBAE equal employment opportunity. 964, policy GBAC Indian preference in employment. 965 deleted, policy GBB staff involvement in decision making. Uh policy 966, policy GB EA staff ethics. Regulation GBEAR ethics and code of conduct. New exhibit GBEAE ethics and code of conduct. Policy 967 GBEAA staff conflict of interest. Exhibit GBEAAE staff conflict of interest. Uh policy uh number 968 >> [screaming] >> policy GBEE staff conduct deleted. Regulation GBEER staff conduct. Deleted deleted exhibit GBEE staff conduct. Uh 969 GBEEB staff conduct with students. 970 GBEE C gifts to and solicitations by staff members. >> [clears throat] >> 971 GBEC drug-free workplace.
And so a K12 budget um hopefully I think in best case scenarios is called harmless. That that means we we see no reductions in the funding support that's that we're getting. But uh time will tell as as that process at the legislature still goes, you know, still gets debated. And then in July, we'll officially have to adopt the budget before uh July 18th. And that's just uh to meet the statutory requirements.
So, yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's the importance of why we wanted to help you be able to codify what it is that you're actually spending your time on. Um and and I lessons learned from the national coaching team. I I'll I'll be vulnerable and honest with you that this portion you notice that we're doing it towards the back end of your work in three years. We are now doing this in the first second month with boards that were beginning to coach new boards because there was a disconnect between board members that leaned in and learned and grew and move fast and then those that maybe didn't chose not to have the time to, you know, family work, all those kinds of things because at the end of the day, you're volunteering for your role, right? So we saw a disconnect and so now uh we're looking to address that and not and kind of have that in the forefront that way you as a team as a collective team not only the board but also the leadership team becomes very very conscious and aware that time is the most precious valuable um thing that you have and how we spend it says a lot.
I know that at South, there was an amazing internship program that we have developed about how you can go to different places, and if you reach out, we can help you get to the place you want to be. I know that I am exploring different connections into the mayor of Darien and how we can help be parts of our community that we didn't really see before. And so, many different schools talked talked about the preparation of after high school and how there are so many student-led programs, too, leading into that leadership that you would have to need after high school. And then lastly, belonging. We talked about belonging just like Samira, but we talked about the little bit more specific aspects. So, many schools had cultural cultural of Well, cultural affairs, and so they talked about how different cultures were able to melt, and I know that we love having those clubs at DGS, too.
>> Mhm. Yeah. How how So, do we have our I'm just talking about expenses, I guess. You may be able to address it like the fuel costs, you know, how how high they went. Are we Are we Do we have lot on hand, or is that something that cuz I know we have storage tanks, but >> Right. I don't really know how much we have on hand, honestly. Something we can talk about later. >> Jennifer, yeah. Yeah. Because yeah, we normally only get fuel like two to three times a year. >> That's what I figured. I'm I'm hoping that we have enough to >> [laughter] >> get through the get us over the hump. >> That's a good point. Yeah. It's $5 a gallon. I know. Yeah. And back to the local sources in '29. So, basically that is a a result of SEA 1.
Uh Attendance we obviously knows is probably one of the number one factors in academic success, right? If you're not in class, you can't achieve your goals. So, our coaches are there to push, you know, attendance also. If you're not there in in class, you can't play either. So, obviously our coaches uh selfishly even they're going to push the attendance as a priority. And then lastly, we want to recognize these students, right? I mean, academic All-City, academic All-State, those are just as important as as getting All-State on the football field or on the basketball court. So, we want to praise those kids as much as possible and show them how much we support them. Uh last winter we had 158 athletes receive academic All-City. What that means is they received a varsity letter and their GPA was 3.5 or higher. So, 53% of our varsity kids that participated in winter sports had a 3.5 or higher and received a varsity letter.
We're not having to hire it out. So. Okay. Thanks, Chris. Thanks, Chris. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks. All right. Next Excuse me. Next we have the principal update. Uh the building principals will update the board on their respective buildings. So, who wants to go first? You got voted there. See that? >> [laughter] >> Okay. We'll start out with some highlights here. Um um about the staff. So it is staff appreciation week in our district and in our buildings and that includes thanking everybody. The teachers, the paras, the maintenance people, the food service, clerical. I mean, everybody works so so hard to just make our buildings go for the kids and we're so appreciative. So we're having a little Oregon Trail fun at the elementary school. That's our theme this year. Um we did last week as a staff we kind of stepped into kind of our school improvement thing that we'll be really tackling next year.
We're here with Celia Sakowski with our first inaugural te with Dr. Z. Um, and you know, there's so many things that we're learning as a district, but one thing we want to do is tell our narrative and talk about the programs that we offer and from the experts in the field and and have the opportunity to delve in. And so, if you're listening right now, we're talking we just talked about delving into understanding the multilingual the MLE program in districts. Um, and we're going to transition in this segment to talking about what supports for English language learners and deepening our understanding of just the supports that you and the educators do um for families. And so kind of make that visible and talk about the the tangible in it. Um, and again, I am just it's very hard for me to sit here and act like just a host when I know a lot, but it's it's even better to just hear it again from you.
It's been up for over a year, almost 2 years. Well, that's true. But But they made the choice to not do And I'll get to you in a second, Preston. They made the choice to not do their application to the ZBA and to the Conservation Commission concurrently, meaning at the same time. Um So, we could have had this application, had they chosen to file with us at the same time as the ZBA. That would have been a year ago, but they chose not to. We don't have any control over that. Go ahead, Preston. Preston. Preston. You've been recognized by the speaker. Unlike some of the other boards and commissions, like the Planning Board or the ZBA, we do not have a hard clock of when our decision needs to be done. So, if the applicant is slow in getting us the information we want, then we are equally slow in getting the response.
What's up? Mary, pass that down to please. Thanks for coming. >> I just wanted to make sure we got everyone's names that performed tonight. On violin, we had Gabriel Archinbalt and we had Miles Jordan. On violin 2, we had Brenda Dos Santos and Kylie Imbo. On the viola, we had Devin Lamb and Isaac Parsons. And on the cello, we had Claire Kelly Taylor Hill. And on the bass, we had Hannah Zter. I don't know if you have any.
Pazinski turns around, goes by one, just her and Gray. Pazinski Pazinski will get a some type of call against Byron. So this time Pazinski will be taking an 8-m attempt. Puzinski goes in up over Julia Grace's head to get her seventh goal of the game, cut the Spartans lead down eight to two. First quarter scores, Jenna Byron had a goal, Beckwith had four, Parsons had one, Illingsworth had one, and Ava Pellegrino had one. That was Puzinski. Puzinski had it. First quarter goal was for Agawam was Rosario. Giovanni and Moreno on the draw. Ball is up. Giovanni comes up with it, quickly getting the ball over the restraining line, kicks it up to Goodrow. Goodrow back to Giovanni over to Rosario. Looking to play a little two-man, maybe. Giovanni with the ball. Throws it deep into Goodrow. Goodrow turns around, tries to get the ball to Finn Mahoney.