001Okay. Okay. This is a live stream of the AMD Board of Education Communications Committee. My bad, I forgot to hit record. So, as a recap, we called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m. Present are members Carol Olade, Dana Lombardi, and Donna Schuster. We had a unanimous approval of the last meeting minutes from August 15th, and there was no request for public comment. We have moved on to item agenda number four, fall community forum planning. >> Thank you. >> Um, so forum um planning. Um, and maybe this is a good time to sort of um pause and sort of see how um um effective our um are. So, Jen um mentioned um that um you know uh the staffing about sort of the the bang for our buck and with the form, right? planning time,
002everyone's time collectively that goes into it and the turnout. And so, you know, I always ask myself or remind myself like what problem were we solving, right? And I think the problem was frustration or not being able to sort of have dialogue during our board meetings. And so we wanted to create a space for people to to be able to have that dialogue birectional dialogue. Do we think that that is still things change, right? Do we think that that is a still a sort of need or desire and people are still sort of clamoring and frustrated not getting a response to that um I think this is when we started doing um the uh the board chair's corner or the his the newsletter. So this was also an effort to respond to something to um
003questions that came up during meetings in a in a timely fashion and so people would have so I'll pause um I don't know Dana or Donna your thoughts on um where we are with the forum and and continuing andor entertaining um other ways or even saying maybe it's not maybe if that needed anymore. I don't know. Um, you know, it was sort of uh sprung on me to think about that. I I think it may be topic oriented. And so, Jen, what topics were were presented to you? you said by administration even though they you know >> so in a weird twist of irony um the one topic they said that they would love to do a forum on is parent engagement and involvement because it's so low at the middle and high school level.
004Yeah. >> Um but that's like you know and and and you know then and you know of course we ched so we got a lot of you know different suggestions on like volunteer opportunities, booster opportunities. Um their thought was to bring some of the parents who do volunteer and to sort of talk about the time commitment and what it involves and what they look for. Um we talked, you know, there there was some discussion on kind of the benefits behind that. Um, so that was sort of their that was their idea. Um, but we all sort of acknowledged it's kind of this weird uh catch 22 because it would require people who tend we're either going to get the parents who are already volunteering coming out and they're already doing a lot for us um
005the handful that are or we're going to get nobody because that continues to be a challenge for districts across the country. But anyway, that was sort of their original idea was kind of and and and sort of approaching it from, you know, it it does look a little different from the middle school to the high school um as kids gain more independence, but um but that was the one idea that they kind of sort of launched with and had some some tangible concepts of how we might be able to run that. So um you know >> around around engagement Jen >> do you see um like before COVID and after CO like what what was it like prior? >> Um I have to think it was probably about the same. I didn't know I I
006I was here for such a short time pre-COVID. I don't remember there being a higher level per se, but we did a few more kind of in-person community things that I have seen like sort of run by PTO's and stuff that have fallen off, but they've also been replaced by other stuff that's brand new. So, I I don't know if you know, we just sort of like kind of like kids, you trade off like this activity kind of falls out of favor and this one picks up speed and so you trade things off. I don't know that we see that much different postcoid per se. Um, you know, I I mean I used to and again I haven't been to a high school PTSO meeting in a while. I you know 20 would have been
007kind of an average number of parents to see when you think of a high school of 1360. That's not a ton. But there's also a lot of parents who are volunteering through athletic teams and individual sort of sports that, you know, we don't necessarily capture. I think people sort of forget about that. Um they forget about all the times and the amount of work that parents put into act. But but again, I just I guess I you know, there there's a lot we can share with families about how they can be involved. Um you know, and sort of the benefits for them, the benefits for the kids. Um you know, so but I I think we're probably about the same as we were pre-COVID. I don't I don't see that we had a huge change.
008Um, >> so I guess the next question is what type of engagement would would you like to see at the middle school and high school? Hang on, let me pull up the notes that we took. I just got to find them. All right, just give me one quick second or not because now I've lost it again. Um, okay. Um so like some of the ideas that they had um so family engagement and learning so practical strategies to support learning at home um which that one is a helpful one because we have sort of these different expectations from middle to high school as we get sort of more independence for the kids and where do you as a parent intervene? Where do you sort of say to your kids go to your counselors try these resources?
009Um then they talked about community connections and then um that was um highlighting partnerships with local organizations and businesses and then sort of using that as an opportunity to open up those discussions about how we partner with those communities. Um volunteer and mentorship opportunities. So how parents and community get members can get involved in that. Um and then um sort of uh transitions was one of them. And so um how parents can kind of be engaged in a students transition middle to high and then high to college. Um and then kind of our methods for parents school communications and how we try to keep families informed around or how families can be informed around what we're doing. So those were sort of the ideas we started to the buckets we were starting to generate sort
010of ideas from as to how we could run the forum and kind of who might sit on the panels if those were our topics. So, a couple of things. Um, one based on what you said, I think, um, the most interesting to me is, um, like supporting learning at home, like how can you sort of partner with, you know, your kids teachers or the school, right, to support learning at home and sort of what are the best practices at a age ages. Um and then on the other side, I I think that I think parent engagement in this district may and and many other districts may look different, right? So there are a lot of parents I mean the traditional >> things that we would see you know you know attendance at a PTSO meeting
011like they're not doing that anymore. They're they're certainly doing things like you know like like enrichment activities and you know um you know um connecting kids with opportunities. So I think that's happening and it's a bit different. I also think that because there's no I mean our we have aing district overall and I think the community that we have I think they don't feel like there's anything urgent for them to like step in when they feel it's urgent. They show up right a lot of a lot of community members show up at public comment. So I think that I I think that and I may be wrong but I think that people that parents families are busy. they think that things are going overall well. I mean, is everything nothing's perfect, right? Um, and I
012think that, you know, I think engagement just looks a bit different. So, I think, you know, we'd have to think in thinking about ways to engage them, like what does that look like and what would make people step away from busy schedule? Um, and is what we currently have enough or and do we need to add to it? Well, I was going to I was going to just say a few things. Number one, I think um it seems now that I'm not on the board, I got a year, two two years under my belt, I feel like the public comment has decreased tremendously and I feel like when there is a hot topic, people will that is what will make someone stop their schedule and come. And I think that the communication over the last
013two years has improved significantly from Jen's perspective as well as even the budget link that we now have being communicated which Jen I was going to ask too where where can we communicate that so that the general public knows about it more than just watching the meeting last night. So, I think two things. I think we should go down to one forum and I think we should do it in the spring. I think two is too many. I've seen a decent amount of them now. I attended one before I was on the board just as a parent and then we've had a few in between. I just don't think people are stopping to come out to these. They don't have the time and they're too busy. I think parents get involved with whatever their kids
014are doing. If it's theater, they're involved in that. If it's sports, they're involved with that. And they're involved, you know, they're doing fundraisers for these things. They're doing breakfastes for these things. They're doing >> pasta dinners. Like I feel and I and I now four years out, you know, four years of the high school, not only with my son seeing it, with all the other parents seeing how involved they are, how many things go on. So, I just think that it's got to be something major for people to stop now and say, "Hey, I got to go to this meeting at high school." So, I think I think we should do one form. I think it should be in the spring. I don't know, maybe it should be in the fall, but I think we
015should try to spring. And I think that we're doing a really good job of communicating things now, maybe better than ever. So, I feel like it's hard to put together a forum that's going to take up enough time to make these people come out and be on a panel and really accomplish the goal and also where can we communicate that link for the budget because people are >> asking already like, well, where can we, you know, can they tell us like about it and where to find it because I didn't watch the meeting and blah blah blah, you know. >> Yeah. So, that'll go into Paul's newsletter that we'll publish um that'll it'll sort that'll be sort of more at the end of the month after we've had the second meeting and we'll put out
016the newslet that'll be one of the newsletter topics at that point >> because I was actually thinking about and this is crazy but I don't even know if I can do it doing a letter to the editor in our town paper saying hey guess what all you people that are complaining about the budget you can look at everything right here you you can just click click Click and you can find it all out. That's what I was thinking about doing just because my argument is you hired me to be on the board of ed. You voted for me to be on the board of ed. You complain about the budget all the time. You want all these answers. I've seen two years of budget cycle go through. I've seen two rounds. Well, this year we
017had our own little sessions that Carol ran and that I ran. Nobody showed. Two people came to my meeting and they're on like the Republican Town Committee, so they knew about the meeting and you came out to Orange and did your spiel. Nobody questioned one thing. So, I feel like it should be put out there immediately. This is where it is. This is where you can find it. So, now go through it and maybe now if you have a gripe about something, come to these meetings and talk about it. So, I know that was a little off topic, but I just think that it should be commu in since we're in the communications meeting, people should know that they can find that link. >> Yeah. So, that that's definitely in in Paul's newsletter. Um, I
018can also push it out through our school Facebook, which does have some people who do reposting as soon as >> that Facebook page gets a lot of action. got everything most things I needed to know on about going on in the last four years I found on that Facebook. That's a great page. >> So, um so yeah, our our website social media person's been on her honeymoon. So, when she gets back, I will uh have her get on to that. >> I think that'd be awesome. >> Yeah. >> So, Jen, it the budget that um the new budget book that we were shown last night that is currently live, right? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So it's under board of ed under budget under 2526. >> Yep. >> Where what Terry walks you through is exactly
019that was our live website. >> Okay. Right. So it is there. It's just under budget under So you just find it where you'd find the budget under the board of ed. >> Yeah. >> But what do you guys think about one form? I I mean I think it I think it would be so a I agree there's been way less public comment like and this was the response to we get 25 people with public comment and you can't talk back to them so let's have a forum so we can have that dialogue. So I think those two do go hand in hand. I think there's perhap I don't know that there's a level of expectation, but we've been pretty vocal like we're going to host a forum and we're not afraid to talk to you
020and we're going to create this space where we can have dialogue. So I think taking that away just and saying we're done probably doesn't play out well for our community. So Dana, I think sort of a dial down to one, see how it goes. And and and again, maybe we'll see where we are. Maybe it's topic focused, like you said. Maybe it's, you know, one thing that sort of drives people out. Maybe we take the brave step and just make it an open public forum where they can have a conversation with us. Um I I I you know, I I guess we'll sort of kind of gauge where we are as we get closer to a date. Um you know, I' I Well, let's think about the timing. Um because I I don't necessar I
021I still am reluctant of but I don't mind doing it but of turning it into just a conversation around the budget because we have so many hearings and meetings that are budget specific. >> Be a budget conversation. >> Yes. So I'm thinking timing wise we'll we'll want to look at something. Maybe it's it's it's um I don't know. We'll have to think about it because if we do it in March or April, which is kind of when it's the nicest time to do it because the weather's nice, you're not going to get a snow day. It's not the end of the year when everything's busy. Budget is all anybody's talking about. So, let's just kind of ponder a good timing for it. Um, and maybe we don't make it a Monday because, you know, although
022everything else is built around Monday, it's being board meetings. So, um, but yeah, let's I think that's kind of the thought and we'll and let's see what happens with that. So, Jen, I do the idea that you had around um parent engagement, but I like the idea of also even having conversations around transitioning because when parents are transitioning from the elementary school into Amity and then also you know the expectations in seventh and eth questions even around how the schedules are built, why we have teams u I'm I'm talking about the middle school. Somehow somehow I always feel that the middle school gets kind of left out. People just sort of take it for granted. But there's a lot people don't understand. Like uh people didn't know that they could wave their their their child
023up and I think that the administrators believe everyone knows but they don't know. So I I think what we can do again we may take that brave step and just have it a very open forum and what questions you have bring them. >> But the thing too is I feel like you guys have your nights you have the nights for new student transition nights I forget what they're called and it's not what they're called but I went to all of them. So when they when you're going from kindergarten to elementary school to middle school, middle school to high school, you have nights devoted just to that. And there's another super super attended. They're they're well attended. >> Yeah. But not everybody's but still even those who attended Dana, they didn't know that they could uh
024wave their their child. >> What is wave your child? I don't even know what that is. >> Like well you know ask actually >> so we're we're really off topic of >> right but community forum. >> Right. Right. No, I can understand that. But this but here here's a great here's a great example. So if you think that your child should be in a higher level class, this is when we have the um uh leveled classes, but for one, for an example, math. So right now we still have several leveled classes and you can wave your child when when you are in I believe it's in power school. So how to do that? And you know, we I've known parents who have done that and then completely just it just switches their child's schedule automatically.
025They don't even have to call anybody. They can just do it that way. Uh parents, it was not this this summer, but the summer before who didn't know. And that was important because specifically at you know at Beecher the elementary school um one of the teams didn't have two teachers from end of September to maybe on or around January like 14th or something and that's why it was important to them and those parents didn't know that that they could do that. So that's why I'm saying so maybe it's not always a new topic Jen but maybe it is you know even transitioning and how much engagement should you should you know how much support and how many how much can parents actually reach out to the school and contact them they they may not know
026how much they should be involved other than parent night. >> Yeah. Again we have to be careful too though because remember you're representing the board communications committee. We want to make sure we stick to sort of board topics and not operational ones because to Dana's point, the operational meetings are what the principles would run. But it's also getting near six. So I hear right now we don't have a rush for a fall community forum. So we can sit on topics and revisit this next month because we don't have to have something ready for November. >> Um but before we have to adjourn, PTO outreach updates. So, um, just so that you know where I am with this, um, I have the contact information for the middle schools. Um, I drafted a potential letter for Carol
027to send. Did you get that? >> Um, no, but I may have missed it, so I'll look. >> Um, just double check. If not, I'll share it again. Um, and I'll I'll easily get the high school contact. It's Mr. Hower wasn't there the day I asked everybody, so he sort of missed that message. Um, I did meet with the BOA superintendent last week, um, and asked for their help in getting that information. I haven't heard from them, so I'll follow up. Um, but nobody was sort of opposed to the idea and understood that it was kind of in response to questions that they had already asked for. And as soon as I have those, what I what I'll probably do is I'll I'll build kind of a distribution list and then regularly um Carol either
028you or I can send Paul's newsletter as just an amity update to please share with your PTSO members as you feel fit and then we can build that other letter that I drafted of an opportunity to go visit and speak with them >> and and maybe that becomes the replacement for the community forum. Maybe just having that opportunity for parents to have one-to-one interactions, maybe that changes the communication process, but that's where we are right now. >> Aren't those PTO meetings typically in the mornings though? >> Uh, no, not necessarily. It depends on the school. >> I think uh the Bethany Middle School is >> Yeah, Bethany tried to actually support parents. So like as soon as they do drop off to kind of be able to be available and go right from drop off
029into the meeting, have the meeting and then carry on with their day before they go to work. So yeah. So they're they're actually very convenient and and you know and and most board members honestly if you have kids, you're already you can go to those meetings. You don't need to be on communications committee to do it. So, um, but but yeah, but we'll um I'll get all that information together and I'll try to get that a problem and try to get it by the end of the week, Carol, so that you have that. >> No, I think that sounds good. And I think if we can attend one in per like the new and attend one a year and just sort of report back, we can divide like who goes where. Um, I think that
030would be like a great step for this for this committee. So, um we're at 606. Um anything else on um PTO con PTSO connections? >> No. Uh Jen, when is so when is our next meeting? >> Um so it'll be the Tuesday after the next regular board meeting. So that is going to be October 7th. seventh. Okay. >> Yep. >> Okay. I don't have I don't have any middle school commitments that night. >> All right. >> Not yet. >> Okay. Okay. Not yet. >> If there's uh if there's nothing else, um I'd like to uh call us to adjourn. Um do we need to vote or >> Nope. You can adjourn with no objection. >> Okay. All right. >> Okay. >> With no objection. >> All right. Thank you for nominating me. I appreciate it.
031>> Thank you. >> Thanks everyone. Have a good night. Yeah. Thanks.