Um to the commission, I do not have any pre-written comments from Jean this time, so you'll have to pay attention. But, [snorts] I'll scroll through slowly. Did Bill look at it? Bill, did you have a chance to look at these? Uh yes, I did. I had some stuff I found. I'm bringing it up. I can assure you I can't read that fast. I'll slow down. Mr. Ma That's right. Is that correct? That's correct. Tony Ma. Then it should be identified who Mr. Ma is. I'm not entirely sure his exact title, but I can >> he's an engineer. And says form um should be from. I would also I guess this is the first time you've mentioned their names. Um should identify their positions. says if clear cutting will be passed or prime meant proposed. I have changed it to if clear cutting is proposed during construction.
We have 16 different sessions across our three elementary schools and we have over 200 students who are participating and remember that's only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So we're looking forward to really gauging what the interest is, what the participation is, uh what the interest from our staff is and being able to provide these kind of additional support. But this is and I know you remember this. This is something that was really important to us and part and part of our strategic plan. And so we're looking forward to building off the work that has started this year. Uh I'd also add an ongoing our teachers have been engaged in CK our elementary teachers engaged in CKLA training that ver virtual training with amplify who is our provider and we're continuing to provide that ongoing support as staff move through this implementation year. So here we are looking at the end of the year in which at the elementary level we launched a brand new literacy resource and our teachers have really taken this on.
Met by Gianna Byron. Byron slows her down. Ball's tried to be feathered in. Agawam can't hold on to it. Julia Gray comes out of the net. She gets the ball over to McKechnie. McKechnie still with the ball over the 50. She'll get the ball over the restraining line, gets the ball up to Crimmins. Crimmins with only one. Crimmins goes by one, turns around, takes a shot, and Crimmins goes low far post. Emma Crimmins gets herself up on the board. It's Emma's fourth goal of the season. Spartans up 12 to 3 with 2:19 left in the second quarter. Pellegrino on the draw. This time against Rosaro. Balls restart, redraw. Pellegrino and Rosaro on the redraw. Second time this time Pellegrino gets called for false start. Rosaro gets it. Pellegrino quickly with a check a little high. Balls loose. Shuras comes up with it. Shuras to Stiletto.
That one time purchase of occupants was about 15,000. We had to purchase some other equipment to replace some equipment that we had for 30 or 40 years, but now we're not going to have to spend that 10, 20, 30,000 again. So, that's going to be in better standing the next fiscal year. There any other questions for Tyler? >> Thank you very much, brother. >> Thank you, brother. >> Thank you. >> Have to get some couple rolls of duct tape, I guess. >> There's no more on the motion to >> I'll second. Say I carries four to zero.
>> If I can read body language accurately from across the board, drones. >> Oh, I see you, Russell. >> Oh, there we go. Just a little to the left. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> Yay. So if there's any area here that we could align what we say with what we do on what what you are prioritizing is there any room for improvement? >> I mean definitely consent agenda. I think that sometimes when we pull those like especially this time, I mean, I know people have a right to pull like consent agenda items, but a lot of the times I don't I guess I don't understand why there aren't questions being asked before from either Mr. Man or even going to Miss CO and asking those questions and getting information before. Yeah, I I I want to note that it was a good dialogue for me to watch and witness from you as a team and I Oh, thank you.
>> Yes, so I have a letter here from uh Dr. Tony Sanders, who you now know, uh who is the State Superintendent of Education uh recognizing your excellent work for the year. So, we'll give that to you. You also receive a cord to go uh to recognize that and your very own plaque from >> [applause] [applause] [laughter] >> Thank you all for representing us at the state level. >> Thank you for having us. >> [clears throat] >> All right. Um we will celebrate our student board members in a little bit. There will be cake, but >> [laughter] >> um they have a little bit of work to do, one last run of uh student reports. So, who's up first this month? >> I'm going first. >> [laughter] >> Um so, good evening, everyone. Um as the year's wrapping up, everyone's very excited to finish the year strong.
Um and so you can see at the end of 2030 we would have um 3.6 million in the referendum fund which would not support 32. Cuz we're at we're needing 6 million 6.2 in um 31 without any cuts so that would be assuming we don't reduce any staff. This is everything status quo. Um So I wanted you guys to be you know have information too. So, we have time to make a plan, you know, either either way. And then, do you do you foresee even if we have the referendum fund renewed, do you foresee any need to follow attrition then reducing staff by that method? I I think we I think we do need to look at that. I I I think I'm hearing you say how are you asking how heavy I would look at attrition? Yes. Yes, I would say heavy. And I say that because to me, >> [laughter] >> it's it's [clears throat] not very prudent to keep excess staff when we when we don't need to because some some of those staff and services, the counseling services, the school resource, those those programs that we need we need those to stay and when we have um courses that we we can't support and if somebody's resigning, then we're not, you know, we're not dealing with livelihoods, we are just being prudent.
And we want these coaches to have those relationships. And I think the other reason is coaches are going to have to hold kids accountable, right? And And that's not always easy, but when you have that relationship with a kid, it makes it a little bit easier to hold them accountable cuz they have that trust in you also. And so, I think it does start at a at an early age, and we do need to get our coaches involved more in these you know, these uh feeder schools, whether it's elementary school, middle school, and building those relationships before they actually get to the high school. And I noticed lacrosse was in there. So, is that still club or is that varsity yet? And if it's still club >> the girls lacrosse is actually an emerging sport with the IHSA. Boys is still a club. Okay. Do Do you project So, the girls It hasn't grown quite like they thought it would.
And then on Friday, Toms Coffee is coming in uh in care of Mr. Mikulich and Mr. Schager. We thank them for that. We also have a inner organization within the school, small group of teachers who always leads our our culture activities, our our wacky Wednesdays and all that stuff. Uh Sarah Morgan, Sarah Ivarone, and I'm sure there's a few others. Uh but they've planned some really nice things for our teachers this week, too. So, we we want to recognize them. Questions? Comments? Thank you all. >> [laughter] >> All right. So, May is busy for high school students. Um this past weekend, I hope each of you had the opportunity to see Mean Girls. Um it was a incredible weekend of our students showcasing their abilities, their their Thespian side of of school, and it was phenomenal. It's great to see them out there. I love that um every play that we've had, it's been packed every single night.
How could we um have them access that curriculum just by using different strategies in the classroom? So it's really good to hear like because a part of a lot of the part of the DESIE requirements for teachers is that they have some level of SEI endorsement. >> So so even a general the general classroom teacher has an understanding of SEI strategies to get their license right and so administrators as well. So everyone has some understanding they may not be there dayto-day but they have some understanding around some strategies and I just recently learned some strategies too. going to take a wonderful course. Um, [clears throat] and so it really helps us to to delve deeper. And then I firmly believe that, you know, for a child to succeed, it's the school, the community, and then families. So, how are families engaged and supported in just like supporting their child's learning journey cuz many of for many of them, they don't have the language acquired either.
Um actually, it's 229. That hearings should probably be bearings. >> I think that's all I had. There was a place where uh Mr. Atkinson left the meeting. I didn't see did he come back? >> No, that was the the night that I had to um take care of some other business. >> Okay. I came back but not to this meeting. Okay. If if if you had come back to the meeting it wasn't in the minutes so I just wanted to double-check. >> to make sure that it was that I left the Yeah. And it's looking like all the votes correctly do not have you listed as well. Yeah, they changed from 6-0 to 5-0. And then the the last uh page and or two is uh documents. Do I hear Do I hear a motion to accept the April 13th, 2026 meeting minutes as discussed and amended?
they've committed to it. We're seeing that work paying off in our classrooms. Um, I would also just add that the way that we've structured our uh PD, meaning during the day, the way that our teachers are now able across the district to participate in virtual professional learning at the same time. So whether you're a fourth grade teacher at the Quinn or at the DLO or at the Potter, you still have a schedule that allows for that kind of professional learning to take place during a certain part of the day where you you can all work together. And again, I thank our teachers for and school leaders for the work on this. Um but and and going along with that, next week marks the fourth of our five early release day professional development strands. As you remember, that came out of some conversations, the ongoing conversations with staff across the district where we had moved away from it, but we put it back into place for this year.
Stiletto kicks it over to Mahoney. Mahoney looking to start up the offense. Gets the ball over to Shuras, over to Rosaro. Rosaro does a roll, dodges with her and the goalie. Shoots ball just wide. Nice little move by Rosaro. Balls loose. Rosaro and Giovanni, they're they're leading scorers with Rosaro with 10 goals and Giovanni with 12 goals. Shuras with the ball, gets the ball over to Rosaro. Rosaro over to Mahoney. Mahoney behind the net to Goodrow. Back to Rosaro. Rosaro tries to turn around and go around. Tries to flick it back to Goodrow. Goodrow back all the way up to the top to Dibella. Dibella met by two Spartan defenders. And looks like Dibella got hit with a charging call. Kylie Marino comes up with it. Goes by one. Marino gets the ball over the restraining line with 45 seconds left. Gets the ball over to Peltier.
There they are. So, yes. Um you're right, board member Ayers. uh and and notice that there's there's uh and madam vice president this is an area where I have heard you say that you know this is why we want to encourage you to visit with the superintendent you know get your questions answered sounds like maybe if there was a gap we can begin to close that gap with having this conversation because it's not until a board becomes aware as a team um and I think you also mentioned it like you got to go through a cohort You got to lean into this. You got to chew on it. You got to wrestle with it. And you got to learn and grow as one board member. Now we have the opportunity for you as a team to become very hyper aware of where it is that you're actually spending your time.
Um, so this the seniors last full week of school. So, Tuesday, May 12th is the last day and then Sunday the 17th is graduation. Um, but still everyone's still focused on activities, uh, projects, tests, all of that is still wrapping up. Um, I've noticed that even in the last few weeks of the year, messaging continues to be strong. Students are encouraged to be in class everyday on time and stay engaged. Um, we continue to see student accountability through the phone and scanning policy. And even if teachers don't necessarily require you to have the phone on the pouches, um, it's still not a problem in classrooms and students continue to show those good habits. Um, for activities, so students who achieve, um, those expectations are being rewarded with things like food trucks, which we had, um, a few weeks ago. And there's also a raffle for headphones for attendance that, um, Mustang Way leaders is, um, doing for the whole school.
So, like, for instance, um at the high school right now, I think there might be a a teacher who might be uh resigning or want to do a half day and coincidentally, we don't need her services all day long because and so, that is a good way to do it without [clears throat] riffing. And is that kind of a result of the declining enrollment? It is and and some of it's declining enrollment and some is what courses they're taking, but it is a direct to the declining enrollment. We look at kindergarten and yes, but there's so many offerings and you have a small student population. You may have three kids in this class and four kids in this class. Right. >> But Yeah. >> have if a teacher one teacher's doing this one, one teacher's doing that one, I mean, do, you know, how can we can do that?
>> Okay. But uh so, I mean, it's it'll stay as an emerging sport. At some point, the IHSA is going to have to make a decision whether it's 2 years from now or 3 years from now what they want to do with it. You know, Chris, it's funny you brought that up because I asked Paul Nardi, right, commissioner, the same question. You know what he told me? The the number one sport that was growing that he thought would be sanctioned next for for here. And so, I think we need to uh look at that as well. And that is coming, yeah. Uh the other thing is that one thing we didn't mention that we have gone over we go over about every meeting is our athletic facilities. And I think we are through Steve Sheller's help and and our administration and our superintendent is supportive of making sure that our student athletes have quality facilities to play at.
Um I just now know that we need a bigger auditorium. Um but May fix uh tomorrow is uh band concert at Weinberg at 7:00 p.m. Uh May 9th is prom. So, if you feel like cutting a rug and coming to Valpo University, um join join our juniors and seniors um at Valpo for some some fun festivities. Um next week, we have our freshman, sophomore, junior, senior awards during the day. Uh May 20th is our scholarship night and of course leading up to the big day June 5th. Um as of right now, weather permitting, it will be outside at Community Field. Um be a great opportunity just to get out and celebrate our seniors. Um their their schooling from K to 12 has been phenomenal. They've done a phenomenal job and really this is a night for them to celebrate and definitely look forward to kind of celebrating them and and letting them kind of enjoy the night and then send them off with uh well wishes.
>> So, we have the multilingual parent advisory council that meets once a month. Um and so we meet monthly online um and the parents come and they it's an open space where parents could we have topics that we cover um from an agenda but then we give them time to share what their struggles are where they would like support. Um it could be something like um they wanted um a time to meet more students that speak their language. You know, maybe their their child is lonely and they would like to create a play group or maybe a reading group at the library in town, right? It could be something like that. Or maybe they their child needs more support in math and we need to provide an afterchool program for these families.