Uh just want to be sure that was clear to the public. And Dr. Gman, >> super. Thank you. It's good to see everyone. It it actually is very nice being um down here. spacious and there's no not many people here but it's spacious and I want to thank Mrs. Cortell for bringing such a tremendous audience uh this evening and some tremendous students and I look forward to hearing her report this evening. Uh later on in the evening I'll be presenting the superintendent's annual report. So I'm going to keep my comments very brief right now. Um, I also want to remind the board of education in the community that on Thursday is the referendum at the community center. I also have had the privilege the past few weeks to attend a wonderful uh band concert. I want to thank Mr. Shadler for uh presenting at the band concert for the the high school and and honoring with an award and the the middle school uh band concert that I was able to attend last week in the course concert was was wonderful.
How do we do this uh better and if possible cheaper but at the very least at the same cost? So um we've de devised a plan to meet those goals through assigning a full-time assistant principal at each of the four elementary schools to again sustain the professional development, coaching, data analysis, intervention planning, general support at every elementary school. Now, um, what we're doing here is basically taking Kim's principal position and turning it into an assistant principal position at Barnum. Right now, we have 6 assistant principal at Barnum, 04 assistant principal at Norton. But again, we have growing elementary enrollment, the demands are increasing. We've found this to be an intervention that supports student growth. So, the plan is to rather than have Kim at um that position at at Barnham, we're going to replace that with an assistant principal. That being said, like I said, we still need to focus on our early childhood uh program and we need that's very niche knowledge.
Many are proudly wearing academic regalia signifying their high school academic achievements. In the class of 2026, 231 seniors are graduating with academic honor or distinction. With those students wearing a multicolored blue, green, and white academic cord, please stand. this group of 57 students has earned a 3.75 to 3.99 cumulative grade point average and are designated as honor graduates. Please join me in congratulating them for their academic accomplishments. [cheering] [applause] You may be seated. With those students wearing an academic medal with blue, green, or white ribbon, please stand. We have 60 kum laad members of the class of 2024 [cheering] who have earned between a 4.0 and a 4.19 GPA. We have 49 Magnaum LA members who have earned between a 4.2 and 4.39 GPA. And we have 65 Sumakum Laad members who have earned a GPA of 4.35 to 4.8. 839. Please join me in recognizing this group of fantastic scholars.
Um, what is your goal or where are you guys planning for your senior trip if it's in the air? >> Um, we're planning to go to uh Hawaii. >> Yeah, >> there you go. That's a good goal. Any other board members have any comments for the class? Miss Vance? >> Um, I just want to say that you're off to a good start. So keep continuing to move forward in that manner and get as much as uh as you can possible um students to come to your fundraisers to donate to to be there for you. So it does take a lot and it it is hard but to see that your fundraisers already have total 2,935 is great. So that means you're off to a good start and just keep doing that. I just keep continuing to move that spirit forward. Yes, >> Mr. Diaz. Sorry, >> President President, members of the board and members of the community.
The behavioral interventionist will support inschool suspensions and assist with administrative duties at the junior high. And I would just like our football coach to come up so we can embarrass him maybe. your sister. >> He does have uh his his mother is actually on the board here and she's so proud of that little granddaughter that u we're glad both of them are here. >> Can I just add one thing? >> So, this was posted on the agenda this week and Alex came to me and he go he goes, "Am I a head football coach and strength conditioning or am I now a behavior interventionist?" cuz I don't know about that. >> I was nervous for a second. >> Well, we're excited for you. This is a new big step in your life and we're excited. Any board member have a comment or uh >> question.
>> What was your favorite part of the trip? Uh, I think my favorite part was the Holocaust Museum. It showed a lot of um, it showed how a lot of people had to live back then and it was very sad, but it was also like nice seeing that uh, people like seeing it was it was nice just seeing that like it's not it's not like that anymore. But yeah, and I also enjoyed the FBI because show scary. I think my favorite part is probably the spy museum because like they had a lot of interactive things we could use and it helped us like learn about what spies did along the way through the years and uh the u was very interesting and educational because with the like camps we actually got to see how people were really how bad the Nazis were. I think that was interesting.
Mackin. >> [snorts] >> And we were able to communicate like have that full cycle with our administrators in terms of figuring out how best the ca- our new our new literacy coach could work with our existing literacy coaches to provide support to those schools and those all their K-3 teachers. And our goal really was to prioritize weekly coach support for all kinder through third grade teachers at those high-priority schools. And so, we were actually able to create a model with three district literacy coaches to ensure that every single kinder through third grade teacher in our district received coaching support. Um in terms of specifically at those Excuse me. In terms of across the district, 70% of those K-3 teachers met meet weekly with a coach, and then the remaining 30 meet monthly. And so that's something that we also added, which was for all of our campuses, not just those priority campuses.
>> [applause] >> Aiden, how many years have you been playing tennis? Eight? What grade are you? You're a 10th grader. So, you've got two more years to bring home state championships after this one. Is that right? Hopefully. No, that's the Yes, just the answer is yes. Well, I I I didn't play tennis for a reason because I'm I'm not very good at it. But, um I know that it's a very, very difficult sport, very disciplined sport, and uh we just want to congratulate you on becoming state championship state champion in 2A tennis. Congratulations, and thank you for being here. >> [applause] [applause] >> And now we come to athletics. Um this is the portion we have junior high athletics and they run seasons the you know basically four seasons throughout the year and um there's a ton of participation at all of our junior highs and they travel back and forth and it seems like all the time we recognize high school sports.
Uh but we didn't need to use the money for those items. Instead, we used those funds from the surveys that our students took uh to purchase bike bells and certificates for students who participated. Uh so that was a wonderful thing. Uh and for me personally, it was really seeing kids kind of get back to the basics. I was really surprised to see how many students showed up in spite of the rain. Uh we had grandparents, we had parents. Uh everybody showed up and persevered. Uh we just thought it was just a great way to encourage healthy habits and help our kids feel safe riding in a community that doesn't have a whole lot of sidewalks. They don't really get afforded the opportunity to do such. But we saw a lot of courage and perseverance, all those things kind of, you know, uh ingraining in them.
But even if so if we don't do this even if the kids who pay for lessons won't be able to participate in the concert at the end of the year or any other concerts because or in a band they're not actually part of the band. That's like that that's my I appreciate this, but I I'm I'm very worried that if we cut something and then the first meeting after the budget that passes, we immediately added it back in. I don't think that's a good look. I'm totally I'm okay with It's not even 0.6. It's even 0.1. We might have cut that to that point and fine. Frankly, I didn't think about it. You know, I mean, we were 0.1, 0.2 here and there and trying to make it all work. I mean, $7,683, maybe we could have, but But also, what is the priority for the school?
Um just want to let you know we have our art show openings at Cherburg Primary School. Our art show at K Intermediate School, our choir concert at the high school's coming up on May 20th. Our CIS grade four concert is the 26th. We have curriculum committee meeting on the 27th. Kenton High School honor celebration is the 28th in the board of education walkthrough at Cherrybrook is on the the 28th. Also, if you're ever looking for an event to attend, the the month of May is the time to do it because there's always something happening at our schools. So, I know Claudia did the calendar for you. So, for staff appreciation week and they uh we're just very fortunate. I know the motto is teacher appreciation week, but we have the the motto here in camp that it's a staff appreciation week. It was just a wonderful week.
As I've said before, um there's a lot of special ed interface there and there's a lot of early childhood uh work that is focused on three, four, and five year olds. So, um we currently have a position at Cheshire High School where the library media specialist is retiring. A social studies teacher in Cheshure High is being appointed to that position. She applied, was selected, and is being appointed to that position. So, what I'm proposing tonight is rather than fill that high school social studies position, what we're doing, uh, what we're proposing is to, um, create a teacher leader position at Barnum to, uh, really be the point person for the hundred students that are there and the the, uh, group of teachers and and IAS that would work in concert with the Barnum district leadership, with Christina Sherwood, with Azra uh in supporting those kids.
[applause] [cheering] You may be seated. If you are wearing a red cord, please stand. We have 117 seniors who earned straight A's in both semesters of their senior year. Please join me in congratulating these young [cheering] people. >> [applause] >> All right, if you if you have a purple cord, remain standing. We have 48 students who earned straight A's for all eight semesters of their high school careers. Please join me in congratulating these outstanding scholars. [applause] Thank you. You can be seated. At our soaring eagle celebration, curricular department selected 90 students in the class of 2026 to be honored for excellence in specific academic areas. Each of these students is wearing a blue collar and a pin. Will all department award winners please stand and be recognized. [cheering] >> Thank you. You can be seated. In your program, you will find a list of honor chords and their corresponding honor societies.
Let's give him a another big round of applause. It takes a lot of energy. You did great. Um, being as a president, your first time doing it. I You are doing great. Thank you all for your leadership. Hawaii is a great goal. Use it for your advantage. Remember that's not uh an entitlement. That's something that you earn. Use it and set some goals. Continue uh keep doing what you're doing. I want to also give another applause to the uh applause uh to our sponsor for uh showing the the the path and the way and for our our our school principles and leadership um for making this happen. I am very proud of you guys. Aloha. I'll see you guys. Aloha. Um, and Tam, thank you. Let's give him a final round of applause for the leadership. >> Thank you. >> All right, we'll continue with this evening's agenda.
No, Jack. >> I I would like to say something if that's okay. Um, you know, as we move forward with Blueridge with the pursuit of excellence, um, we interviewed a lot of folks and there was one person that really stood out. I'm excited for the future of the blue of the Blige football team. I'm excited with the link to the past and I think we got the right person who's going to be leading our team for the next generation of Yellow Jackets and I think we're going to do some amazing things. He did ask me if he was going to be given some grace from if he the expectation was a state championship. My answer was yes. The expectation is a state championship, but we're more concerned about the process because not all of our kids are going to play in the NFL, but all of our kids are going to be members of the community.
And the the ferris wheel was also really cool. Like we can see a lot at least get a really good view of the of cities. And I think that was like one of the cool parts of the trip. Same with the Vietnam memorial because like if you have like siblings or friends from that siblings or uncles that were in the war, you could possibly see them on the wall. I got I got to find two of them from that. And the uh the Air Space Museum was really cool, too. You can see progression of how they advance technology for flying in space museums. >> So, Ethan mentioned that we went to the Ferris, we went to the National Harbor. So the days are packed full of tons of educational things, but at night we do try to always throw in something fun for the kids to have, something to look forward to.
And then in terms of our four priority campuses, we were able to establish a a schedule where 90% of our K-3 teachers who were at those four focus high priority schools received weekly support from a coach. And then the remaining 10%, the reason they were not receiving weekly support from a literacy coach is because they were already working closely with one of our other content coaches, which could have been um our student support or math or science or language acquisition. So, the main trends or topics that our literacy coaches have been working on working with working on teach we're working on with our teachers are um really supporting those site-based initiatives that are focused on literacy, and a large majority of the work really has been supporting teachers with getting that tier two instruction going, which is really small group instruction. And so some of that support that coaches provide is around the logistics of how do you schedule it, how do you move kids around the room, how do you support that independence, how do you select the materials, and then the that they're that kids are using independently.
So we decided a couple years ago to make sure that we recognize uh some junior high athletes and so we created the junior high athletes of the year. And this year on the female side of it uh McKenna Shumway from Mesquite Junior High is female athlete of the year. >> [applause] >> How are you? >> I'm good. >> Good. Are you Are you in eighth grade? >> Yeah, I'm in eighth grade. >> She's um what's your favorite sport? >> Track. Do you play any other sports? >> Yes. >> And name them. >> Soccer, softball, basketball, track, swim. >> Wow, that's a lot. When do you sleep? >> I I sleep >> That's the best answer I've ever heard from somebody up here.
Just don't give up. Some of them really struggled. Um but a lot of volunteers who helped to um encourage students as they were struggling along the way. So we rode them there and then we rolled them back. Uh and then we put out a survey and have asked parents some things they thought maybe we could do differently in addition to our staff who showed up to help. So I'm not going to keep talking. I do have a video here that kind of captured the day. It's about two minutes long. So take a look. My name is Mayetta Ali and I am the assistant principal at Mooney Elementary School. Today we hosted our inaugural bike buzz here at Mooney Elementary where we invited our families, students, faculty, and staff to participate in a fun bike ride to and from school. and it helps them to understand how to be safe in their communities doing something so very simple.
Would the school want to take that $7,000 and use it? Maybe the school thinks that it would be better used. Like who are we to say where that $7,000 should be used? We're the school committee that determines the budget, but we're also the ones that help protect the education for students. So in prior meetings, I did voice the thing that I don't think cutting arts is good for children's social and development, right? And their their mental health. And so, you know, we have the adjustment counselor which helps their mental health, right? We have tutors which help, you know, their academic health. Um you know, I think one year swinging the cost like other expiring costs or even just the $7,638 so it would allow that one at least one hour of joint time for Boylston kids to practice on their own and then come together and you know, try to play as a band.