001Good evening. It's 7 o'clock and I'm going to call the Summer's Board of Education meeting to order at 7 o'clock. And please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay. So, uh before we get started, we we have five board members present. We have two members absent. Uh Carl Stevens is on one speaker phone. Kim Ratawitz is on the other speaker phone. So we are good to go. So I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Galloway for some special awards. Great. Thank you and good evening everyone. Uh first for our students from MBA Megan and Chase extremely proud of you, your hard work and
002your exemplifying leadership at such a young age. So well done. and Carolyn and Jonathan at the high school. Uh you guys are just rock stars. Um I've I've seen you uh in different spaces and you're representing your families well. You're representing our district well. So congratulations in advance. So at this point in time, I'll invite Principal Martell up to talk about your special award. So welcome everybody. Thank you for having me. The uh cave leadership award, student leadership award is one of our very top awards that we are able to give uh through MBA middle school. The high school also gives the award too. So there are two eighth grade students who are selected each year to receive this award. And the criteria includes that the students leadership skills should include a willingness to take
003on challenges, the capability to make difficult decisions, concern for others, the ability to work with others, a willingness to commit to a project, diplomacy, the ability to understand issues clearly, and the ability to honor a commitment. So the board is the board of education is part of CABE and uh each year we have the honor of selecting students to receive this award. And so our eighth grade teachers have an opportunity to think about all of the students that they have worked with over the course of the year. Megan and Chase, you were both selected. So Megan Malia Megan is a leader for her peers inside and outside the classroom. Megan comes to school each day with a positive attitude and is willing to help all of those she meets. Her dedication to her studies is
004unmatched. Megan is a person who is intrinsically motivated to excel not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities. Megan is a member of art club, games club, ski club, volleyball club, cross country team, and yearbook club. She is also a member of the NBA junior beta club, band, and chorus. She volunteers her time during the summer at the summer's public library by helping with the summer reading program. Megan's kindness to her peers shines through her interactions with them inside and outside the classroom. She is viewed by her peers as a leader in the way that she works with others and is kind and caring to all she needs. Congratulations, [Applause] May. Chase White. Chase White is committed to serving his school and community. He is an active member of our school community as a
005member of the environmental club, the intramural basketball, and the frog project. Chase, you'll have to explain later. He plays baseball and basketball and volunteers at the Summer's Playhouse. Most notably, Chase has started his own woodworking business, and he sells his creations online and at local craft fairs. Chase's peers look upon him as a leader and a model student, not just for excelling in academics, but also for his genuine attention and compassion. when interacting with his classmates. Chase is a well-rounded young man who possesses leadership qualities that help build a better school and community. I also like to say that I got to watch Chase present on a tour for the Cass Middle level school of the year. Chase got to present uh the science department to um uh the visiting committee and I was so
006impressed by the enthusiasm you brought to that presentation as well. So Chase, congratulations to you. [Applause] Thank you. Well done. Coming up from behind stage. All right. So I am Dr. Reckenberg from the high school. Um I'm going to start with with Jonathan. So it's with immense pride that I stand before you today to recognize an exceptional young leader from our school, the recipient of the 2425 Cave Leadership Award, Jonathan Greten. While I've had the pleasure of knowing many outstanding students in our school, Jonathan's leadership qualities have truly impressed both the faculty and myself. His nomination comes highly recommended by his teachers, particularly the class adviser and his honors geometry teacher who speaks volumes about his character and abilities. As the president of class of 2027, Jonathan has consistently demonstrated a proactive and responsible approach
007to leadership. He doesn't just participate, he initiates and drives progress. His teachers commend his eagerness to contribute ideas and more importantly his exceptional followth through on any tasks he undertakes. He consistently honors his commitments and sets a strong example through his dedication and willingness to embrace new challenges. One particularly compelling example of Jonathan's leadership in action occurred during a local fall fundraiser. He took the initiative to connect with the festival's organizers, meticulously gathering logistical and financial details, which he then clearly presented to his fellow officers and advisers. Beyond this, Jonathan designed and constructed the props for the fundraising game, secured the necessary resources like the tent, determined the prices of the strategies, and coordinated the event, staffing with his peers. This level of ownership and comprehensive execution is truly remarkable for a student leader. His
008involvement has been integral to the success of the class events throughout the year. What truly sets Jonathan apart in his ability to collaborate effectively with others, his fellow students, the other class officers, and our faculty. He possesses a mature and diplomatic approach yet remains focused on achieving goals both in his leadership role and as a dedicated student. He carries a quiet strength and self asssurance that inspires confidence in those around him even when faced with tight deadlines and multiple responsibilities. Jonathan remains calm and provides a steady presence making him a natural point of leadership in challenging situations. Furthermore, Jonathan is a consistent, high honor role student who operates with the highest levels of integrity and ethics. He is also known for his friendly and respectful demeanor. Based on the recommendations of our faculty and my
009own observations of his leadership within the school community, I wholeheartedly endorsed Jonathan as the key leader for SHS. [Applause] Let me give you two. Can't take the other one. All right. Our second recipient is is Carolyn Castinguay. So again, um with immense pleasure and deep sense of pride that I stand before you to celebrate another exceptional student. Uh Carolyn is truly an outstanding young woman who embodies leadership in its most comprehensive form, making a significant impact within the walls of our school and in the wider summers community. Her nomination for this prestigious award is one that is that I wholeheartedly endorse. What immediately stands out about Caroline Carolyn is her level of responsibility she has embraced as a student representative for summer's board of education. For a high school sophomore to actively participate by offering
010insightful perspective perspectives and representing the student body with maturity, poise speaks volumes about her leadership capabilities and her commitment to our educational community. Her communication skills and keen social awareness make her an invaluable voice on the board. However, Caroline's leadership extends far beyond the role of the board of education. She demonstrates remarkable dedication and discipline as an enthusiastic member of our indoor and outdoor track and field and cross-country teams. Her commitment to those demanding activities showcase her abilities to set goals, persevere, and work collaborative collaboratively as a team. Furthermore, Carolyn actively contributes to school leadership through her involvement in the student advisory council, offering valuable student perspectives on schoolwide initiatives. Her organizational skills and commitment to service are further evident in her role as secretary in the Interact Club, an organization dedicated to community service.
011And speaking of service, Caroline's dedication to giving back is truly inspiring. She's devoted countless hours to volunteering with esteemed organizations like the Rotary Club and the Summer's Education Foundation, as well as enthusiastically supporting numerous school sponsored events. What is particularly impressive is that Carolyn manages this extensive array of commitments while maintaining a rigorous academic course load and consistently achieving high honorable status. Carolyn Castile is a remarkable young leader who enriches our school and the summer's community in countless ways. Her maturity, her commitment, her service, her engagement in school activities, and her academic excellence make her the perfect recipient for the Cave Leadership Award. [Applause] Thank you and congratulations. Well, job well done. Uh so this would be the first moment if you want to students if you want to leave and do homework or get
012ice cream before we transition to the invention convention. and parents, thank you for what you're doing for your sons and daughters. Thank you. Thank you. Oh boy. Did you guys know that you're rock stars right now? That's cool. Right. That That's cool. So students, I want you also to know I'm very very proud of you. You worked really really hard on your projects and this is just a moment when we can encourage you and celebrate you and get to know and understand what gave you the ideas for your project and how your experience was with the invention convention. So re relax and enjoy this moment. We're all proud of you. I'll turn it over to you. Good evening everyone. I'm Lynn Ericson. I'm the K5 STEM instructional leader and this is my second year in
013the district and I can't say I'm just so proud of these students. But I want to tell you a little story how we got started. So in October 103 grade five Summers Elementary students became inventors. They started off with a problem or several problems could have been a family problem or a problem of their own or maybe something that they were passionate about. They came up with at least one idea with a backup plan in case their first one did not work. They then found several solutions. From that solution, they created a blueprint. They researched various websites including patents. So they learned all about the steps of what it takes to get a patent and they researched on Google patents. They developed a prototype. They tested it. They revised it. They got feedback. Maybe things
014didn't work out. They might have tested and revised several times. So everything that they did was part of the engineering design process. On February 27th, we had judges that represented TTM Technologies, several engineers from there, a board of ed member, coaches, staff, business owners, state STEM leaders, and retired educators that had the very difficult job of finding six inventors to move on to the Connecticut State Invention Convention. It was not an easy process because we had amazing inventions that solved problems like unorganized cabinets, sun in your eyes while you're a passenger in the car, ornaments that break from the Christmas tree, video games that a student wanted to be less violent, and many, many more amazing inventions. So, our six student finalists represented Summers Public Schools at the 2025 Connecticut Invention Convention State Finals. These
015students were the top 4 and a half% of Connecticut inventors, representing 430 K through 12 inventors from around the state. I would like to introduce to you our inventors and what they invented. So, we're going to start off with Michaela Stelada. So, Michaela, go ahead and tell us what your invention solves and a little bit about how it works. So, my invention solves soggy cereal that many people have in the morning for a problem or something. And how my invent how my invention works is you press this top button and a square lid should open up at the top. Then you can pour milk. And when you tap it again, it should close. And if you get a bowl of dry, take a spoonful. If you pull this button, opening should come out and dispense
016milk onto your spoon. If you let go, it should close. So we don't want soggy cereal. That's awful. Thank you, Michaela. [Applause] And then we have Lucas Karen. Go ahead and introduce your project to us. My project is um say like you have you're holding something and you're opening a gate like your baby gate. Then I thought of this because I have a little nephew that I'm like try to open up the gate but it's a little bit too hard. So [Applause] this now Thomas Enzo Mazzolei, he could not be here tonight, but he invented motor mouth brushing. And we're going to just play a very quick bit of his video. Ready? So, while we're waiting, Enzo solved the problem of having to be able to see plaque in your mouth, being able to see
017the back of your mouth. So, it's a toothbrush that has cameras in it and then that information is then sent to the dentist. My invention name is the problem I solve for people. Hi, I'm Tom and I'm a doctor. Come with me to learn about my Hi, I'm Thomas. My inventory name is mouth brush. problem I solve with people who don't know how important it is to brush back mers. My invention is a toothbrush with cameras in it and it has a floss on it. So the cameras can see plent. Okay. Okay. Thank you. I paused it. All right. Nice job. And then we have Lily Jagger. Go ahead, Lily. My invention solves baby sea turtles getting my invention deal is really long, so I'm just going to put long story short. A mother sea
018turtle will come up and lay her eggs and a and a sea turtle rescuer will put a dome here so like it doesn't get like all like ruined and stuff when they're ready when this when these baby sea turtles are ready they'll put the dome down and put fabric fabric over the dome so the so the light doesn't get like attracted to them. The baby sea turtles look all around to the to the water and there's net under them so the crabs can't get them underneath and they will go back into the water and I hope to raise that population [Applause] and Brooklyn Nukemara could not be here tonight but she her invention I need in my house my closet It has a bunch of fitted sheets that are in a giant ball. So, her
019invention solves that problem of being able to fold your sheets so that it's nice and neat and organized instead of a giant ball. So, unfortunately, Brooklyn couldn't be here tonight, but her board is here and all of her work. Then, we have Julie. Oh, I'm sorry. We have Julie Cobjack. Hello, my name is Julie Kak. My invention is called the Easy Tech Store. As you can see just by looking at my invention, you can tell that I'm very passionate about recycling. The EasyTy trash floor goes into a vault above your trash and recycling bins and and there you put the trash in at the top and there's material sensor. The trash goes past. It sorts the trash based on material. So if it belongs in the recycling bin, it tilts the side of the recycling.
020but belong in the trash. It sits to the side of the trash. I created my invention because I saw a lot of kids in my school putting things that belong in the trash into the recycling bin and things that belong into the recycling bin into the trash. I got really frustrated by this. So, I created the easy cheesy trash. Make the world a better place. Easy cheesy trash. [Applause] So, our students sat for about an hour and a half to listen to all the Connecticut Invention Convention Awards. And I want to congratulate all of you because first of all, I understand that you didn't all get an award, but to me, your award is just you doing everything you did through this entire process, representing Summer's public schools in such a respectful and honorable way.
021You are an amazing inventor and human. you took the time throughout the entire hour and a half to clap for every single student that got an award. That is extremely respectful and I commend you all for doing that and I commend you all for supporting each other as well. So, congratulations all of [Applause] you. Before I move on to awards, I do want to congratulate our 103 grade five inventors because before they started, they were not an inventor and now they are. They have a lot to be proud of and they have a lot that they could still carry on and maybe use some of their inventions throughout their life. So I appreciate their creativity, passion, enthusiasm and all the work that they did and including all the grade five teachers that supported this entire
022program. It takes a village 100%. And thank you to all the judges as well. So now we're go on to awards and Thomas Enzo Mazzolei received the Tel A innovation and integration award and his award from Tel A demonstrates a young inventor that has exceptional creativity in combining various technologies to yield a new solution. So, I'd like to congratulate Thomas [Applause] Enso. And next, I'd like to congratulate Lily Joerger. Lily is moving on this summer to a virtual national competition. She's going to be part of the US Innovator Challenge. This is by invitation only. Lily will be competing amongst the top students from around the nation that are leading invention education. So Lily will be submitting her work to judges. Then she will find out if she's selected to compete against other students in a
023virtual judging competition. If Lily is selected, she has the potential to move on to globals. Congratulations, [Applause] Lil. So, I just would like to thank you all for your time tonight. These students have so much to be proud of and I also want to thank you all for the support and allowing this invention program to happen. It really has been a huge success and like I said, it takes a village. Thank you for your time. [Applause] I just would like to thank North Central News. They took the time to put students to recognize our student inventors. So, I'd like to give this stuff to Thank you, Lynn. Students, congratulations to you. Job well done. Parents, this is your opportunity to either stay with us or a short break. Thank you for coming. figure she inventions.
024She has she has an apparatus that you can get one. Yes. Not a personal. It was It was incredible. I said, "Yeah, I need one of those, too." All right, we got two minutes. Okay, I think we'll move on. So, we'll take a motion to approve the minutes. Slow move. All right. From Shane and a second from Derek. Any questions or comments? All those in favor? All right. Thanks, Cameron. One abstension for Carl. and I'm going to turn it back to you for your report. Great. Thank you. And once again, good evening. I'll start my update um with a briefing about the board of selectman meeting uh that occurred on May 1st. The board of selectmen voted affirmatively to bring the reconvening of the SCS building committee to a town meeting. And that meeting will
025take place this Thursday, May 15th, at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The outcome of that meeting will inform our actions moving forward with the project related to if summer work can occur, if it's possible, and also if student relocation is possible or not. So soon as uh I understand the direction um that's going to come out of that and especially after the first building committee meeting, I will further inform uh parents and staff. I just want to let the community know that uh SCES, MBA, and SHS, all three schools are working to host another viewing of screenagers to share information with the community about the impact of cell phones during the instructional day. We have uh been talking about it all year and you know, anecdotally uh we share back and forth about the negative
026impact of cell phones during the school day. You know, we've talked about off and away. We've talked about uh phones only during lunch, but you know, um it's specifically during lunchtime when kids are on cell phones and not interacting with each other. So, that's lost time that they're having with with their peers. So, I just wanted the public to know um on May 20th at 5:30 at the high school auditorium will be another viewing of screeners. We did have um Mr. Scott Driscoll come several weeks ago. He's an internet safety expert. He's a retired South Windsor police officer and I saw him year years ago uh give his presentation. He came to Bloomfield when I was a principal. So, he's wellversed in this on his job as a police officer. He was actually in the
027internet crimes division. So, he came once. Our turnout wasn't great, but he already agreed to come back. I think the information that he provides uh and and arms parents with is helpful um because you know you've given your son or daughter this computer and open access to to this world that some of us never had to think about or navigate. So uh we will continue to inform parents and engage parents as we move forward in this process. We also we've taken very strategic steps to ensure the safety of our buildings on campus. Our SRO's are connected to all of our buildings. We go to safety and security meetings um at the Capitol region which is held in West Hartford. So I know parents sometimes are concerned about their ability or inability to connect with their
028uh students in real time. Just letting you know that we're working also to inform parents about the safety measures that are put in place if something happens and parents ability to access their children when they need. So I do we did hear that that is a concern for some parents. So that conversation will be going on at the same time. Uh next I wanted to um just note that we were awarded uh the Carl D. Perkins grant uh for $49,000 almost $50,000 to support tech uh education at the high school which further bolsters um our CTE pathway for our students. You know, there's college, there's a workforce, there trades. So, we're we're working on all three lanes and this will help out a lot with uh equipment that they need. I was looking at a
029video earlier today on the virtual welding machine. Had some really exciting rock music to it to, you know, excite kids to want to engage or explore, you know, because that's part of what high school is, trying to figure out what I like to do, what I think I'm I'm good at. And we, you know, everyone's not going to go to college, everyone's not going to go to the military. So, we we're just trying to be strong in all three ways. Um, and lastly, I'll just give you I wanted to note that uh our own Ken McCarthy is being inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame at uh an event in Long Island in October. So, you know, that's just another accolade for him. I can't say enough about his um professionalism and I was talking
030to him maybe a week or two ago about his love for his town cuz he's a town resident about his love for being an educator and about his love for being a coach. So he's a top-notch individual. And that will conclude my update pending any questions. Any questions? Okay. Thank you Stephanie. Mine is quick to me. Um not uh not much change. The only change to this or the biggest change to this report is the transfers that were approved at the last board meeting are recognized in this report here. Um so that's why the budget adjustment column has quite a few numbers in it and that's just moving some money around. Um I believe at the last meeting I also let you know that we are expecting um for our May deposit of excess cost
031that was reduced by $23,000 just based on what would the available funding and the additional funding that the state approved in this uh legislative session was kind of like an emergency approval. We expect that sometime in June. We're hoping for early June. Um and I will just divert you know whatever we get um I'll divert those invoices to the town. they'll pay for those. Um, and that will reduce our expend expenses in the operating budget. Um, but other than that, there's there shouldn't be any major changes between now and the end of the school year. Um, again, we're purchasing what we need. Um, taking care of some things that, you know, always pop up at the end of the year. Um, especially as school winds down and we realize, oh, this didn't work and we
032need to get this working for graduation or um any of the the promotions um at the other schools. Uh, so those things kind of pop up, but other than that, just getting through to the end of the year. Okay. Any questions, comments? I think we're good. Okay. Okay. Opportunity to add or delete agenda items. All right. So, we'll move on to a motion to accept the consent agenda from JT and a second from Shane. All right. Any questions on that? Or the uh this is also the second posting for the waiver of tuition for non-resident students. So, all those in favor of consent agenda, I I Okay, that's unanimous. All right. No old business or new business. So, committee reports curriculum. Uh we met this evening and discussed the summer activity, summer reading. Um and
033it will be up on the website in the close future and we will meet again on June 9th 5:30 to 7. Okay. uh policy. Our next meeting is on Tuesday, May 27th, and I'm going to put it right now at at 6:00 uh once we get the agenda. We we may start a little bit later, but right now we'll say 6:00. Uh planning and finance. Kim, um we do not have any meeting scheduled currently. Um, obviously we'll see how the town vote goes um and go from there. And I'm sure Stephanie, will we have a meeting in the summer for budget transfers? Uh, yes, in probably the very end of July. Well, if we have July's meeting, I might be able to get it done then, but definitely the August meeting. Okay. Okay. Because we
034only have the one meeting in July and and we may not have the year closed out by that meeting. So So probably August is August. Okay. All right. Uh Carl, so we're in negotiations. Uh we're on hold at this time. So no meetings plan are scheduled. I think we've got agreements in place with all the um all the bargaining units. Okay. Uh building committee Mike is not here. So, um, any board members that want to be there for the meeting this Thursday at 7:00 at town hall, they'll vote on the resolution, um, to appoint technically appoint the building committee. So, that will probably be, I assume, a brief meeting. So, um, next, Kate Crack. Um, any report for the foundation? Uh, no. I'm not getting any updates from, uh, the Springfest just yet. They do
035have a meeting actually on Wednesday. So, okay. There hasn't been a meeting. All right. Will you be able to go to the meeting? Uh, that is questionable. I I can go. I don't hear the grants. Oh, yeah. Yeah. They're rolling out grants. Are they presenting the grants? Yes. Got that email as well. So, it looks like they'll be presenting grants and that'll be under review on Wednesday. Okay. All right. All right. And the advanced calendar, if you took a look at that, um, we do have the referendum on May 20th for the town budget. That's from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. And we know how important every vote is. So, and other date, graduation, June 12th. We all got a letter in the mail or you should have received it. I know I got mine.
036And if you can let the high school know soon whether or not you're going to be there. It doesn't sound like it would make a difference, but it does. just because this is the front row and if they they'll take the sign down that's reserved for a board of ed member and it will be given to someone else. So and our names are in the program. I don't know what we didn't mention that last year but technically it's the diplomas are given from the board of education that's why we are in the program. So be great to have everybody there. All right. Audience to citizen, staff, students. You are you are it. Yes. All right. All right. Having none, we will take a motion to go into executive session. Okay. I move that the board
037enter into executive session to review the superintendent evaluation form and invite Dr. Galloway into executive session. All right. And a second to the motion from JT. All those in favor? I I All right. That's unanimous. And so I will adjourn the meeting at 7:39. Thank you for coming. All right, we are back in public session at 7:47 and now we will take a motion to adjourn the meeting. So move from Jan and a second from Shane. All those in favor? I Kim and Carl and Kim and Carl. Uh motion passes. Okay. So the meeting is adjourned at 7:48.