001Jem Yes. So moving forward this is generated by that download ascun do any yeah that's Wi She's trying to get Wii we have to do more restrictionsy. I'm just on the floor. C is your I'll take ownership. I was like, "Oh, it really was random. It was random. That's funny. I wouldn't have put it somewhere. I can't even thank you for the sweet thing. I was going to thank you. I just got my visitor parking for Stanford right now. You should just go park. Oh no, they want me to go back and get it tomorrow, that's too much." I was like, I didn't think about grabbing, really. Perfect. Welcome, everyone. Um, it is now 6 p.m., and I'm going to order the Sunny School Districts regular board meeting. Um, I see that all trustees are
002present. Uh, we are on to... Okay. Yes. Good evening. Zoom's interpretation feature will be used for support in English and Spanish. All participants in this call should select their preferred language by clicking on the corresponding language when the host activates the interpretation feature. This feature is located in the toolbar under the globe icon . The interpretation mode for this meeting will be simultaneous. Thank you for your attention. and collaboration. Three. Approval of the agenda. Any members of the public who would like to comment on this just to approve the agenda, please raise your hand now? Yes. I move to approve tonight's agenda. I propose to approve the agenda as such. One second. Any discussion? Everyone in favor. Please say I. And the table approves the motion. Let's move to item four, audience comments for the
003closed session. Today is the performance evaluation for the Superintendent Public Employee . If there are any members of the public who would like to comment on the closed session, please raise your hand now or submit a letter here in person. I see you, let's move to item 5, closed session. It's 6:02 pm. We're going to continue with the closed session. We'll be here for about 5 minutes. So we'll be at about 6:30 pm. Yeah. I don't know where it's been, but I don't know. Yeah. I was Like, you have it. Yeah. Okay . Okay, thank you very much. Thank you, it's 6:40 and we're going to continue with the meeting. As a reminder, this meeting is being recorded and will capture the conversations. All members are present and no decisions were made in the closed
004session. We move on to item seven with the Pledge of Allegiance. First of all, I want to thank you for this opportunity. I'm Manny Vigapado, the principal of Vargas, and it's my pleasure to introduce Noa, who is in first grade. Besides knowing the pledge, he's a very smart boy who is going to be an engineer, a scientist, an expert in the Armed Forces. He has a very, very bright future. Are you ready? I swear allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, which represents one nation before God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Next. Andrea Rivera. Andrea is one of the fourth-grade students. She is a leader on the school board, but she is also a transformative student. So she's going to lead the ground survey. Her daughter
005was Her part in the first class in Vargas history many years ago . And that graduated Vargas SMS and then Homestad High School. Then she set an example with her daughter, and here she is. The Sanibo School District is situated on the ancestral land and territory of the Muolone Tribe, who have peacefully honored and cared for this land for thousands of years. We recognize that all members of the Sanibo community continue to benefit from the use and occupancy of this land. We recognize our responsibility to learn from the wisdom of the Muolone people and to consider how we might work to right wrongs and move forward together honorably. Now we move on to item nine, reports. We're starting with student reports. There are no student reports tonight. You guys want to stand in front of
006the board? You guys can, awesome. Okay, ready. One, two, three. One more. One, two, three. Awesome. Great job. Thank you. Thank you so much. We move on to item nine, reports, 9A, student reports, superintendent's reports. Um, I want to start Recognizing the SIC Education Foundation for their very quick response, Sony Feed Young Mind raised $1,000 to provide food for our families. So, thank you for responding. We really appreciate it, and I know it's a big concern, not just at our level, but throughout the area, to see what we can do, collaborate, and help those in need. So, the link is there. Please follow us on social media to find out how you can support us. And I also wanted to share an update on the plan to support families with food. Yes, good evening everyone.
007An update, a new development. Well, first of all, I want to thank the team that has worked with the city and Mr. Slayon. We appreciate their work responding to support our families during the holidays. You can also see that there is information about Mr. Slayon. In addition to the student support team, he has worked with social workers, community outreach, and different food banks. We distributed the survey to assess the food needs of families. We have also distributed food boxes during the holidays, and We need to assess what we need. Also, we have two dates in Bishop to provide food, to distribute food to families in partnership with the Sen Education Foundation. We will also be able to give gift cards to families. And finally, in an effort to support families with external resources, we have
008updated our list of local agencies, not only for food, but also for any other resources they may need during the holidays. And that concludes my report. Now, any questions for the survey that was released? That was to a particular group, right? It will also be released to other families who may not be on the list. There are three ways to do this. We use, Mr. CFI, help with, the indicators of socioeconomic disadvantage, that is, as a similar qualification for other services. We also provide services with temporary attractive care and we also have a community outreach team that knows many families in this context. Four efforts, the families that qualify due to socioeconomic disadvantage, But it also has a broader reach than just the families who will need support, because food insecurity is something that often
009goes unnoticed. So, there will be a general communication in case they need it. Yes, what Dr. Din Esada mentioned. That will be published for everyone. Not yet, because we have three versions with more and more resources. So, that will be published throughout the district. That is, someone who might not be in the immediate reach of others, but is in this situation, will receive a notification that all of this is available. That is, if they need help, the superintendent's message will have information, but also a physical flyer with a QR code. That is also available to all families. It's in every school; every social worker has one too. That would be like if a family isn't on the list, who didn't receive the email, but they can fill out the survey there and they will also
010receive a box. So they would have to go; anyone could go on the school staff, the principals, but families tend to go to a trusted adult if they need it. If they don't come to the office. So, that's why we 're approaching it this way, but throughout what I've described, we want to focus on using the resources we have available to really support them. If I can suggest something, maybe a poster, because maybe people don't know how to ask or know that it's available. And the second question is, what about deliveries during the pandemic? Many of us moved. So I wanted to ask if such a system would be available because there are people who don't drive during the day. Yes, there are volunteers signing up to do the strategizing, and most of the social
011workers who will be doing the deliveries, and yes, because Sony Miro only has about 30 families who depended on that, and right now they don't have a community outreach coordinator. Yes, Mr. Isa and Ms. Guzman, but both social workers are also supporting this. They also received more information because they don't have this assistant; they have the list, the phone numbers, and they're making a lot of calls to contact families. Thank you. If I understand correctly, during the deliveries, I mean, it's because before, during the pandemic, some children, or So, they could take it home, and also with the deliveries, that's through Second Harvest, once a month, or because during the pandemic we did a lot more. This is in addition to the Second Harvest twice a month that we're doing. That 's like an extra
012distribution on the Monday or Friday before the holidays and on Mondays during the holidays in Bishop, and also those distributions. Second Harvest contacted us to ask if we'd like to add more. So it looks like they will have volunteers. They wanted to do weekly distributions until the holidays. They did n't want to do it at the school plants because there are 200 families here, and it worked very well, but we did say if we could add Wednesdays until we can. That's for errands. As for nutrition, we're planning to put together boxes that would provide food for 9 days. This is starting November 21st. So, 5 days that they won't be in school, but also the two weekends on either side of the holidays. That's the first plan during that first Vacation. We're also planning to
013prepare for the December holidays. So, during those two weeks, we're looking at how we can provide hot meals and do something hybrid where there are hot meals, but also things to pick up when needed. We 're all coordinating the details, but those are the plans for now, but we will be ready to feed families by the 21st. And briefly, Benesa Scobar, the coordinator Diana Johnson, is the social worker in Bishop, and Armando is on Armando's team. They took charge of this and raised the bar with their enthusiasm, their work, their dedication. So, a phenomenal job they did after, I mean, since your last meeting. The sooner we can announce this, I mean, it's very important right now because many people, well, if you need services, can talk to us. We can connect you with services.
014Well, I don't need services, I just do n't have money for food, or you don't want to get involved in that. We do want to support you, but maybe you're not ready, but you just want to know if you don't want to get involved. They can pick up a box of food, and that's like the first step in building trust. One more thing, some schools do some additional events. Education, that money is going to be used for... Yes. Oh, they donated gift cards today. Oh, this was through the social workers as well. Those are gift cards to buy food. It's to help them before our divisions, and it's like a pilot program for something that might happen in December. I mean, the gifts, I mean, we want to give them to the right people, but
015no more, I mean, no more, ideal for families who do n't want to buy their own food. Yes, there are two... [unclear:] They have canned food, and when we talked to Second Harvest, they said they couldn't increase the donations. The logistical impact is very overwhelming, and they can't always prepare the food before distributing it. So, we can either do that or spend all that money right now. So, there are two food distributions, I mean, in response to Second Harvest, and we don't want to overwhelm them. During the pandemic, they were doing that, and then... distributing their own food. I think that's something instead of us doing something on a large scale. Thank you. Now, the board members' reports . I want to start, I mean, busy with work, but I finished my Master's in Governance.
016Congratulations. It was a very nice weekend. We did a lot of activities. I'm going to hand in my activities. One was a trap at Shelter. All those kids are students. There were also board members, assembly members, and supervisors who were present; they helped hand out candy so everyone would have a nice time. The next day was Day of the Dead. We had an event, and we decided to collect food there. Many of them were very excited during our meeting on Thursday. Oh, it was a very nice time for the kids. I also did other things to celebrate Day of the Dead. And I'm going to hand in the rest later. Thank you. Most of you know that my grandmother passed away this week. That's what's going on . Hi. Oh, I also did a lot
017of activities. Oh, I went to the San Ibeo Educational Foundation meeting, which I've been busy with. Um, I've also been knocking on a lot of doors and visiting a lot of businesses. Oh, I went to visit a kindergarten in Cherry Chase, Vargas, and Alice, so we could go to all the schools with Dr. Watson. We're seeing how the other schools are approaching this play-based model. There were two exciting things. One was a lunch with the county board where we talked about the budget, and it was very interesting to be able to connect with other districts in the area and to be in community with other board members. And one thing I attended today was a class by a group called Great School Works, so we could have more space for learning and growth. Oh, and
018they were talking about risk versus danger, because it's important that everyone is safe, but not as safe as possible, so our students can take some risks. We have to give them a little bit of uncertainty. And that's something very interesting to me, and I think it's a difficult thing for everyone. We have to talk about executive functions. Oh, and all of that is part of being able to Learning how to manage oneself. And that was very interesting, and I would like to be able to compare it in the future. I also went to a seventh-grade class that was doing a unique plague simulation, and it was a lot of fun. It sounds great. The plague simulation seems like a lot of fun. I just wanted to reiterate that November 16-26 is Homelessness Awareness Week, and
019I would like to thank everyone at the community services and the educational foundation because those gift cards are going to make a big difference to families living in their cars or families who don't have enough to cook for. I think that's fantastic because it's going to give a lot of dignity to those families. Oh, also, what FL was saying about Trucker Treat. Everyone here contributed, but there were also trucks and vans from our district, as well as the teachers' union and the classified union. And there was really a lot of representation at the games and activities. The kids had a lot of fun. I'm also going to hand in my activities, but there are two things I wanted to mention. Trustition Bruster and I just finished... Go to all the TKs in the district. And
020I also wanted to thank Mr. Ishara for guiding us and giving us more information about certain times and the world of Chique. It was really fantastic to be with those 4-year-olds, to be able to talk with them and see how they explore. I think Chique is a very good addition to our district. I'm glad we have it. Oh, the other thing is, when I walked to SMS to volunteer, I crossed the street and there were a lot of students and someone was singing, but like someone was singing to themselves, and I turned around and there was a little girl from SMS, and she was singing like this. My child wasn't using headphones or anything, she was just singing. I said, "Okay." It reminded me of when I went to the library, there was a little
021girl who was waiting for her mom and she was drawing because she had the time, and this little girl was just singing. Oh, I thought it was so sweet. It reminded me of that age, so I loved it. And then I'm going to hand in my comments. Thank you. Now we come to 9D. The comments of The San Iveo Educational Association. We would like to hear from the San Iveo Educational Association. If there is anyone representing you online, please raise your hand. No one. 9D. California School Employees Association. We would like to hear from you. Is there an official representative online? Please raise your hand. No one. And the San Iveo Educational Foundation. I see we have an official representative here in the room, please come to the podium. Thank you. Good afternoon. I am
022here first to hear all the things from the district, but I also come with a check for 9,000, which is the last amount of our scholarships. Um, as I said, it will be the last of these scholarships, but we do think there will be another $100,000 coming to you. This is for math olympiads, assemblies, field trips, more plays, for example, we are going to see Frozen and Lakwood. And right now all All 10 schools have received support from the fall grants, and we are very proud to be able to support all of these schools and their students to provide opportunities where they are and make school more fun for them. I also wanted to share about what's coming up mid-year. We're going to have some special projects this year. Today, we're going to work on
023what we presented at our event , which is about going beyond the classroom. We're going to work with and talk to the schools to tell them about this opportunity to learn beyond the four walls of a classroom. I'll have more information on that later. Also, in this final round of support, we're going to contribute to the library renovation. We're very excited about the plan to receive newer literature books , but also nonfiction books, for example, science or social studies books, because it's particularly important that we have new books. So, we also contributed money for that and will continue to contribute. Oh, and finally, we've heard a lot today about the opportunity to provide food assistance. We really appreciate all the faith and trust you have in us. We rely on ourselves. So it's important that
024we can be flexible enough to help. So far we've raised over $8,000 and we've only just begun. So thank you so much to everyone who's listening and who has already supported us. Our goal is $8,000. As Director Sen told us, we've already provided, I think, $2,000 in gift cards today alone. So Many thanks to the district and staff throughout the district who are helping us organize this so quickly. It's fantastic. And what a beautiful example of collaboration. Thank you so much. Now we have reached item 10, public comment. This portion of the agenda provides an opportunity for members of the public to address the board directly on any matter of public interest, but according to the provision of the Brownx government code 54954.2a 2 a and point 3. It does not allow action to be
025taken on an item that is not on the agenda, only allowing three minutes per person and 20 minutes for public comments. Speakers are asked to provide their name and affiliation to be included in the record. So that's for anything that doesn't appear on the agenda. If anyone would like to comment, please raise your hand. There's nobody here now. We've reached number 11. The consent agenda. Any item on the consent agenda is subject to review and discussion before being approved by the board. If necessary, anyone can be removed. Aquitado para acción aparte. The audience may address the table regarding any item on the agenda. If we have two cards, they are two public comment cards on the consent agenda and we can say from the public uh 11 a1. Is there anyone in the online audience
026who would like to comment if they want to talk about anything on the consent agenda? I don't see anyone. First we'll look at Dian. We need to have a motion, right? Because they're going to make a comment and then we decide with a motion whether we're going to remove a cute item. We don't have many comments today. Welcome. It has 3 minutes. Good afternoon. I am one half of the communications team. I want to thank the district for almost two years of working in partnership. I would especially like to thank Lía Wilson because we have collaborated for more than 10 years. Elia is one of the hardest- working and most productive people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She is professional and committed to using strategies, because I really appreciate our collaborative
027relationship. I think it's important to talk about some things. The first time is the cost in our entire cost of the things we do, but yes, the volume has increased . So all this work is beyond what we had approved. Here is a list of all the work we have done from July to October. Please note that everything in blue is beyond the projects we are contracted to do. We also have everything that was in the contract paid under the table. As you can see, we have produced much more work beyond what we have scheduled, including videos and support for events under the superintendent's direction. We also did it faster, especially for 11 of the 12 videos we had planned. We completed the entire recording for nine of the videos in just the last month.
028According to the agenda, costs have risen and are no longer sustainable, but we have not increased prices. He could have decided to continue with those costs, but just give us less work. They also say they will save $5,000 each year, but the contract described is $000 higher than our contract for the same services. Of course, the district is free to choose who it works with, and I truly hope that their new collaboration will be as long as ours was, and that we can find opportunities to talk and work together in the future. Now we're going to talk about Teresa Wilson. I am Teresa Wilson. I am the co-owner of Light House Blue. I'm not here to discuss the termination of our contract, but I wanted to talk about some data in the spirit of collaboration.
029We started consulting with you 12 years ago and it has been an honor to work with Alía. Our business relationship started much earlier. I was president of the first, smaller foundation and I also helped to raise funds and secure scholarships for a community center. We have worked with six superintendents over many seasons of the district's evolution. Our relationship has always been based on trust, and that hasn't changed. According to our contract, our hours are divided annually into 12 months, and there is also flexibility. for each month and in the past that contract has always worked. When Dr. Crossw arrived, he had a very good vision for communications, and that's great, but it requires a lot more of our time each day. In August we met to present an adjusted plan and started to do more
030work when we thought it was going to be presented to the table in August. When that did n't happen, we started to complain, so that we wouldn't be paid for the work we had already done, so that we could continue or not be paid for the work we had already done, but that in the future we would have less. But at no time have we worked without transparency or direction. It matters to us, and for our reputation, that you understand that. Thank you so much for listening. It has been an honor to be part of this team. And please know that this is my community. I have lived and worked here for over 60 years and I am very proud of our schools. Tayan and I will continue to advocate for the work that is
031happening here and we wish you and everyone associated with the district success. Thank you so much. table. Let's continue with the consent page. Yes, I would like 11 B4 because we need more time to talk about the smart table. We have a motion to test the consent agenda. Would anyone else like to remove one? So motion to continue without 11 B4. Second, I do it and it's time for discussion. So if I have a question. according to the comments. So the new company is going to cost us $0,000 more for the same work, so I'm curious. It's not going to change how I'm going to vote, but I wanted to be sure about that. That way I can give you the contracts. So for the lighthouse it's 68,000. Does it feel like it's the same
032amount of work or is it going to be more? It is comparable to the work we are doing now and what we will expect in the future. I do n't really want to go into detail, but the new company has a larger team, including graphic design, and they also work with several districts, so they may have more ideas from other things they've done with other schools. Correct? Ready to vote? Everyone in favor, say yes. The president votes to pass the consent agenda. We arrived at item 12, review and action eh to test the scope and proposed option two of the Cherry Cheese modernization project and I don't see anyone here, Mr. Even. Good afternoon. We're doing all the work behind the scenes. It is an extension of what we presented during the last meeting. We
033are asking that you approve option two for the proposed scope of the modernization project. I'm here to answer any questions you may have. Could you really tell us a little more about the recommendation? So our recommendation is that you approve the scope and proposal of option two of the Cherry Chase modernization project . After reviewing the presentation, if we have a person who would like to talk about this ETM. Michel Eugene, if you are online and want to talk about this, please raise your hand, but you can come up to the podium. Now I'm speaking only as a member of the public and a volunteer, and I couldn't be there last time, but I did review the proposal and the presentation, and I just wanted to give you some feedback on the terminology process to
034help you, and it's the idea of creating places to create learning spaces outside of the outdoors. Uh, but what's in the proposals are n't learning spaces, they're benches and cherry trees. There are spaces between the parts of the buildings with the classrooms, and I know it's not attractive to just have pavement, but that's used for walking between classes. There are activities available during breaks and lunch. I believe we don't really need to have benches and spaces and trees in that space. I don't think it's going to be a good use of the funds. I would like you to think more creatively about what those spaces between classes could look like. Ah, it could be that they paint the pavement a little to make it more attractive. I love everything else about the windows and everything
035else. Ah, but for option two there will be a two-story building that I love. You've had a lot of success, but they talk about having a learning space and it sounds good, but they're never going to use it for outdoor learning. It would be better if we could divide things up. What does that space need? What does the district need? What do they mean when they talk about an open-air learning space? And then she says there's a garden where the portable building used to be, and the children always ask me, "Miss Michel, what is this space for?" I said, well maybe someday I might see a building, but they leave it open and say it's going to be a garden and I always think, oh, it's going to be, I'm going to have a bigger
036garden, but it hasn't happened. Any online comments? There's no one here, so we need a motion before we can discuss. I would like to approve the recommendation for Cherry Chase. Me second. Comments. Yes, thank you Michel for your comments. It is an extension of what we started discussing last week about these outdoor learning areas . Oh, and it's also connected to the class I attended, and I'd like us to be more intentional about our outdoor learning spaces. So perhaps depending on the second and third grade standards there is a lot of potential to use the garden, but we can have that intention when planning and also when we communicate with the community members who clearly care a lot about the school, it would be a very good opportunity to continue building that relationship with our
037neighbors and have that high level of trust while we are going to modernize. Does anyone else want to comment? Yes, I do love option two, but that garden in front and that garden next door, I mean, we have to think about it holistically and I want to see improvements in that area because, well, if we're going to build, how much is it going to cost? 45.5 million. I think we can concentrate on this idea of, well, that garden that Mr. Houser loved working on . It was their classroom because it was close to both gardens and there were many volunteer opportunities as well. But imagine from another perspective what we could do with a truly extreme learning space . It's an opportunity for a director who is very interested in science and steam. So, there
038is already art on campus with mosaics and tiles and murals and that, but there is a great interest in art and science. So I ask that this be included in the scope. And another thing I want to say is that two-story building has, I mean, one side faces a street, right? It is oriented in such a way that the outdoor learning area is also visible, but it also faces the street, so there is a kind of fence where there is trash, that would be something internal to the school or another exit. The images that you see as shapes are yet to be determined, but the next step will be the design. I think design. Yes, yes. In other words, design and then build. Then we can talk about that. I 'm taking notes, I mean,
039public color, which is Michelle's idea of using paint. to create joy. So, that impressed me a lot. Perdín. And I also think that, I mean, we've talked to the city about public art on our campuses and they do have money where professionals do their work, and it's like a balance of public money that we might be able to access. So, thinking about, well, if we have a garden, and like, where could we put some public art on our campuses? And also lastly, because we are approaching this idea of or this community school model, the area is very, very central. So, something that is missing in Chery Chase that we would have to implement in that community school model. But they do agree with me about the public area, the open space, I mean, it's something
040for all of us, right? And also let's see if we can create a team without artificial turf. The natural play spaces and everything that's very intentional are very exciting, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the whole development. Anything you'd like to say about the color? Now, now is the time. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops. Right now it's like the main phases, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how things will actually progress. Right now, the learning space is open. It's already aligned with our goals, and we'll get more answers when we see more designs. For now, it's really just an idea. So, if we approve option two, we can say that we also want these gardens integrated or included in the design. Yes. Yes, sure. To make it clear the
041scope that was taken into account and estimated, it was based on what we have done in the past with free area learning, but we can also think more about what this learning could be, right? Then in the next phase we can talk about this more, ensuring that some of these things are designed, and then more pricing, and see if it fits within the scope, and if not, we'll ask for another approval to be able to incorporate different things. In other words, we're just at the very beginning, but your comments and sports are very important to help us get the whole project started. More ready to vote. Everyone in favor, please say yes. And the motion is approved. Well done , Cherry Chase. We have topic 13, a discussion topic 13 to programs and performances of
042the secondary schools that we have at Sunivel Middle School and Columbia Middle School, the secondary schools. In both schools, sixth and eighth grade students can participate in band or music and dance. In addition, students enrolled in those programs also have more time for dance. All students are, I mean, all are welcome. without considering their experience. Everyone has the option to participate starting in sixth grade, and if they don't have much experience, then they start at the sixth grade level. Their idea is to really develop and create that passion in music and dance. That is, to expose them to different opportunities, local events, local concerts, art and music festivals. It is also an opportunity for her to expand her knowledge, explore music, and for some students it is a chance to stay involved in school or
043do something a little different at both schools. Losantes have participated in the Anaheim band competition for many years, and that's a great opportunity for students to participate. And as a result, that has typically happened every two years instead of every year, because it is very expensive and requires a lot of fundraising and planning time. In my communication with the directors this year, we have been talking about starting this up again so that there is more opportunity to participate in these community events. The other emphasis on travel regarding that competition in Anahim is that we have a plan to improve and expand our programs, and it can be very expensive. So I think we're at about 5,000 and 8,000 no more to maintain our current programming at both schools, and both programs are focused on equity
044and access and ensuring that resources are available to all interested students with an opportunity for enrichment, participation, and involvement. That's kind of an overview of what we're currently doing with this. We have a new teacher at Sun Med School. She started with us last year, but she's already in her second year in the district and is a teacher in Sanido and Colombia; they have the same teachers. It's like a general description. I can answer your questions right now and continue the conversation you're having. We asked for some public comments. If anyone online wants to talk about this topic, please raise your hand. We have also invited Mr. Lawrence Fam to the podium here. I am Lam. I have two daughters in Sun Middle and one in a tenth grade who's all cherry and everything. Everyone
045loves music. I have, I'm going to tell the story from a student's perspective. When my youngest daughter was in kindergarten, they had an after-school program and they had all the instruments, and we could do whatever they wanted. My daughter, who 7 months earlier saw the high school band and was amazed. I wanted to play every instrument and play it. And from this moment, well, here are the basics and I taught him, but I also realized that not every family has the resources to do private lessons. A band and orchestra is a group of students who get together, learn together, and play together to make music, right? Then, my oldest daughter, something happened to her in 2020 and she doesn't know exactly what happened to her and I think it broke a lot of things, including
046the music program that unfortunately the Civil school district wasn't the same, even when I was at Civil Mig, I mean, it took a lot of effort and in 2023 I accompanied my two guides to a music festival in Anaheim. Then she was able to talk about students from Colombia, her own school, and the number of children playing had dropped quite a bit, they played very well and I said, "Well, they're relaxed." Two years later, my two daughters have already done this and the orchestra won first place, and the choir also won third place. Third place is a very great success. So the point is, I think we need to support them not only at the high school level, but also in elementary school, right? To do it, that is, to develop that interest and with
047Homestad. And she was also in the parade, that is, she fulfilled her dream because the school supported her, gave her the opportunity to see what is available with music and she took advantage of it. Someday there will already be children, that is, maybe they've seen the band and they'll say, "I want to do this." We have to give them the opportunity to do that. Thank you for listening. And they also need to update the awards. They are very tall. Thank you. Anyone online? Yes, we receive many letters on this topic. Does anyone want to start the discussion? Three of my daughters are already in university, but they all started in bands in Colombia. Colombia Mos School. I remember in sixth grade they had a really fun show where they tried out different instruments to see
048what interested them, even if they had no experience. So, there was no Enahim in sixth grade, but there was in seventh and eighth grade. Yes. And many of the children were able to do it. We did a lot of fundraising and helped students raise funds if they couldn't or didn't have plans to attend the trip. And everyone who wanted to go did go. But I hear now that it's every two years and that's not right. Well, in seventh grade they won't go to high school and they can't go in eighth grade. Music is very important; it helps the brain develop and helps children, making them more intelligent and helping them socially. Being part of this group, and as a parent, being part of this group of parents also helps them on a personal level. These
049meetings with the children, playing music and competing, and also going to Disneyland are very important. And last year Colombia Merusco was able to, I mean, they did the performances and a student was the president and played at the spring concert. He was simply saying that it was a matter of miscommunication, not aligning schedules, transportation, and how the district should plan the schedules of both schools in advance so that they have time to sort things out and transportation is guaranteed. In other words, there were many failures, ensuring that the children have a way to participate and get there so that both schools can attend every year and have that opportunity to perform. Orchestra and choir are very important too, and as the gentleman said, it would be great if we could have this in elementary schools
050starting young. Yes, both of my children made music. My son, before going to Disneyland, well, the pandemic has passed, and Daniel, when he went, the program started again. So, no one, no one left and then they did the orchestra and the band and no more playing and then the local visits. So, it was a little disappointing. I remember that at the beginning when Gabriel, at the time there was a program at Stanford and one thing that was, I mean, very attractive was that the music program was supposedly the best. And they, I mean, they went there at School because there was a good music program and now there are more options at Colombia School. People were complaining, and well, now they have more options, right? The theater, the musicians, the choir. So, in other words,
051both are great and one isn't better than the other. We need to equalize the services. I do n't like the idea that just because it's done there, we're not going to do it here. It 's not fair to anyone. We have to secure the services and offer them wherever possible in both high schools. And ensuring there are enough options and classes, i.e., choir, orchestra, symphony, band, theaters would also be great. My only question is that there are staff directions that, I mean, what is the purpose of this discussion? I put it on the agenda because I know that for things to happen in the spring, like open doors and spring concerts, they have to start planning now. So last year I said let's discuss this and then we wanted collaboration between schools. so that both
052schools would have access to the community center, and I received an email from a gentleman who mentioned that they were going to reserve for this spring, and it's just a matter of reserving. on our end. The director said he had booked them, but there was no indication whether Colombia was invited or if they were scheduled to attend. So, I thought it would be a good idea to have this discussion, but also the idea of doing it every two years. I think we talked last year about doing it every year. The parents I've spoken to from Colombia, like Elven, who has experience in fundraising, have always found a way to do it every year. And the deputy head of the high school district said that we should support the students on the trip to Anaheim because
053there are 500 or 600 students and to commit to the band is an active, but it's a year-round class. You have to commit for the whole year, but they had goals, they got more involved, they had these experiences of competing at a national level and this exposure to a new environment. Those children don't go on other excursions. It's because we do n't have a shared experience in high school. So, what I wanted to do as a board, if there was an agreement to provide this opportunity, is to have them play together in the spring and emphasize and highlight this to the community of their families. In other words , transportation is the only thing that costs money, but we as a community should support, that is, provide this time to practice, to get there. Um,
054I spoke with Director Iwasaki and he told me that the time we spend practicing together, like three or four sessions, uh, SS joint practice, like three or four times, is part of the district, and we provide transportation and a schedule so that they can have that time together. He says that's the most valuable thing. So, listening to the parents, they mentioned that the experience in the theater was very positive for their children, I mean, it's a professional stage. And if it were a way to reserve the space, the date, some music festival, I mean, we have a festival and we already do a few shows. So, the idea would really be to celebrate the work of our students, create this as a routine, and then with Anaheim, that competition in Anaheim, well, pre-pandemic it was
055every year, it became every two years because that was the preference, but we can, as if my question would be, as my request, say that we are going to go every year, but that the district gives us the option. It's more about all the effort and time needed to raise funds. In general, parents and students enjoy this opportunity, but if there is work, I do n't know. Ah, yes, it's best to do it every two years. I would like it to be an annual goal for students, an annual opportunity. Thank you. I wanted to know more about the fundraising, who does it. So it would be great if we had additional information for you so you can know what the costs are. and how much families are raising, and also exploring what we can do
056differently in the future. So I went to my first SMS concert in the spring of last year. Oh, it was very nice. Ah, okay. Like three musicians who were playing together and changing configurations, and sometimes the students would come up to conduct their peers, and it was a very powerful experience. They also did it to me during the open house. and they were outside. Oh, I really enjoyed being able to hear them. I do think we need to look at our music programming so that we can close that opportunity gap. Ah, maybe they can't get particular opportunities or they don't go to Cherry Chase or Cumberland and don't get the chance to play. band instruments, thinking about equity. I believe it is our responsibility to raise the funds to close that gap. And how can
057we do it, who can we collaborate with? Music education is so critical to education in general, and it can be a shared purpose with many students, and I would like to see a more comprehensive music program in the district. I'd also like to see what we can do together. I worked at Magusman. And all the students played an instrument in fourth and fifth grade and in high school they went every year. It was truly an outstanding and memorable experience for the students. There was a lot of joy. I believe that students in San Niveo should also have that opportunity like those in Mount Viw. Yes, it 's a very similar demographic and socioeconomic profile that can be replicated. Okay, thanks for that summary of the purpose. So, if I understand correctly, you'd like us to
058give you feedback about Disneyland and the spring thing, which we want to explore; it's not a specific address, just feedback. Correct? I also wanted to reiterate the idea of a spring concert as an opportunity. So, in theory, going to Disneyland every year seems fine. I know there are pros and cons, and for the spring concert, if both schools like the idea of doing it together, then I'm completely in agreement. But if one of the schools wants to do something on their own, then I don't want to force them. But if both schools agree, then I'm thrilled. And what they had said was that we want to make sure there is fairness. I personally wouldn't want to let one of the schools decide not to do it because we only have two high schools. I can
059imagine it as if it were a stage for the entire district. So if Vargas has a choir, they could also come to make it a stage for the whole district, but the high schools are the ones that really have the programming, but we could also present other groups. I remember when Evelyn came, one of her ideas was that we could have a celebration for all art and music and we could all come together for a festival and this could be the beginning of that. As the state of the district, we had that inaugural event or the 2023 event that Mr. Lan mentioned; the teachers knew each other and had confidence, but we had an expectation. This is something that is an opportunity to explore, to try. Why wouldn't we? So, I would like the institute
060to explore this, not say, "Oh, well, if you want, what would we have to do to support that kind of effort?" Maybe it would be too big to do without the district's support to help the band, move the instruments, a bus to transport the kids, and have to schedule in advance and organize all of that. But there might be a way. I think part of the problem is that we have new directors for music. So they would have to coordinate an event like that, and it's a lot. Maybe it's not something a new teacher in the district wants to do. So I think instead of telling schools they can say they don't want to do it, maybe the district should ask what they need, what that communication aspect is, and how we can support them
061by letting them know they're going to work together, practice together, and travel together. I think music education is very important, and it's critical to give people a space to showcase their talents. We've heard of kids who have gone to Anaheim and come back and feel We're very connected with many SMS or CMS schools. And if you think about it, all the kids go to science camp and then they cry because they have to leave their friends from the other elementary school and then they won't see them again until middle school, and it's very sweet, but it's those connections in the district before they go to high school. I think it would be a very good opportunity, especially for middle school, but if other schools also want to participate or if they want to have an
062art presentation or something similar, it's a very interesting thing to explore, especially if we've already reserved the community center for that week. Evely. So we're talking about Anaheim and planning for spring. In the description here, it also mentions equity of access. So this would be the time to talk. For example, if a student wanted to take math, but they also want to take music, how could they do that? If music is a year- round class, is there a possibility of doing it, or do they only have to take math if they can't take it for geometry or additional math? What we're doing right now is, we want to see what's possible and what is n't. There are a variety of needs, but we also have a certain number of classes we can offer depending on
063the staff we have. So that's part of what we're looking into, and we hope to have more details soon. The answer is yes, I have experience working in a high school, right? The students were taking geometry in high school, so we could find a way to offer those classes at different times so they can take any class they want. Members of the public who would like to continue this can send an email. If we receive an email from one of the band parents— there are many parents at a Freemont High School event— we can continue this discussion. It wo n't be the only time we talk about it. Our kids go to Homestead Freemont, especially the marching bands. We also have other schools that aren't in San Juan, and we want our students to be
064in the same position as others. That means comprehensive programming from TK so that when they graduate, these districts can continue to shine. My friend's daughter, who's in the marching band at Mountw, would like to be in Freemont. I would too. I was in the band in Freemar and I loved seeing my daughters. Oh, it was a great feeling. I was also in Freemont and we had the 30th anniversary meeting, so all the parents were there and we were at the school and my daughter was there too and I was walking and now I'm here and both my daughters are in the band. So it's a feeling I'll never forget and we're going to get more information from the district and we're going to continue with this. Anything else? Uh, the next thing is to talk
065about the upcoming meetings and close the session. So this is our opportunity to talk about the next meeting. We want to talk about the time, so I think we should review the email I sent you about the next meeting. So if we have this opportunity now, well, the funeral is on the 21st. We're going to have a dinner the night before. Oh, but it's not going to be a regular meeting, so I couldn't possibly miss it , but it's a governance meeting and one of the most important ones, but I sent you an email. I don't know if there's a possibility We could change the date or do it earlier. I know it didn't work for you, Evelyn, because you work. So, I could do a short session if it's possible to adjust it. It's
066my day in Pleasant, and I can't come earlier. We can do it. It's scheduled for Thursday the 20th because we don't have the meeting on the 21st, and that works because if we had it, we would have had to cancel it. No, it's still on the calendar, it seems. I think we removed it from your calendar, but it's on ours. The night before, I guess it's not going to work because there's going to be that meeting, unless nobody was going to attend. And the one on the 21st, we have to remove it, so we do n't have a meeting on the 21st during the day. It's just going to be a governance meeting with just us. So, we're going to do the self-evaluation, we're going to do the superintendent's evaluation , discuss that. We're going
067to talk about planning for the coming year and the responsibilities for the coming year. It could be another night that day, Wednesday. So, Isabel, we're not going to Go to the other meeting, we would just come here. That would be fine, yes, whatever you want. And it's available. If we can do it on Wednesday, we need to plan to move it to Wednesday the 19th. I'm available after 2. I can't do it after 2. It has to be before 2. On Wednesday morning I'm going to teach that we can do it on Friday. It's not that Friday is the funeral. We can do it on Wednesday, but she ca n't. Uh-huh. I can't do it. Yes, your children are the priority. At 6. No, that's fine. At 6. So the next meeting will be at
0686. Thank you all. So the next meeting will be on Wednesday, November 19th at 6 pm and it will be a governance meeting, so it will be open to the public. It 's 8:20 now. If there are no comments, we'll adjourn. Thank you, thank you all.