001All right. Now, we'll go ahead and get started at 7:07. If you could all rise for the pledge of allegiance. to the flag of the United States. All right, welcome everybody. It's exciting to see a room full of people and smiling. Thank you all. Uh, one quick announcement just for the board. I know the agenda says, but there is a mistype. We did not have an executive session tonight. A mistype from the previous meeting. Okay, that being said, Dr. Willlet, uh, invention convention students. So, we have a really exciting evening tonight. There's a lot of acknowledgements and thank you all for coming here. It's very exciting. Um, you were one of the best behaved classes I've ever heard because every quiet. Um, but uh, so we're going to start with students that have um, been
002part of the invention convention. I think Miss Estz is here. Would you like to introduce our our invention convention geniuses? So, yes. So, we have um, two guests this evening. We have Arya and I'm just g first names, Aria and Olivia. and they are actually two students who were selected at the state competition for invention convention last year to attend the US national competition which is going to be held in Dearborn Michigan with at the Henry Ford Museum in June. So they're here with us this evening to present their projects. Uh but I just just to reiterate the invention convention uh program is um available to all the students in grade six and it is supported through the science classes and Mrs. Sne was actually the um the girls teacher in sixth grade. So, Mrs.
003Slayman got them, you know, very prepared and ready and I've been working with them recently and uh to further develop their ideas and projects and I'm very proud of all the new things that they've learned including 3D design and 3D printing um to really um add on to and do a little bit more prototyping for their inventions. But I'm not going to tell you more. We're going to let them tell you about their projects this evening. So, who's first? So, they have to present to a group of judges at nationals. So, we are very um thankful that you were allowing them the opportunity to kind of do a dry run here with all of you today because we talked about how does it feel to be in a group of people and to be in
004front of, you know, um a large group we don't know and what what's it going to what's it going to be like? So, this is part of what they'll also add into their learning logs to reflect on the experience and what have they learned and what can they improve on when they go to mash. So, this is Olivia. Do you mind if she just has this table? So, put down some of your things. That's a regular [Music] is fresh off the track meet in Manchester. Hi, my name is Angel. I am in seventh grade and I go to TMS. Um, my invention is called the amazing anti-anxiety dog bed. It helps to relieve dogs from stress um and anxiety. I first learned about this problem when I realized my own dog and many other dogs
005around the world struggle with me. Um, when I was doing research for my invention, um, I found that about 72.5% of dogs have anxiety, about 25% of dogs have arthritis, and about 66% of pets are dogs. Um my invention is better than other inventions that also help to to solve the same problem because it uses um sensory stimul natural sensory stimulants instead of using drugs or chemicals. Um my invention works as it uses a lavender scented pillow. Um it has a flat to get into the velcro on the bottom. Underneath the first um layer of fabric is a heating cooling non-toxic gel pack which you can put into the microwave or the um freezer to make cold or hot. Um I found that when given when you put heat on dogs joints, it can help
006them with arthritis. So my invention can also help dogs with arthritis. Um underneath the first layer of foam there is a beach ball which represents an air mattress to give extra support and comfort. Underneath the air uh beach ball is a soothing sound machine which actually goes through the bottom layer foam and onto the bottom where the buttons are which activates the um soothing noise machine. So that when a dog goes to step on the bed and puts pressure onto the um buttons on the hard surface underneath the bed, it automatically plays the um uh soothing sound. Um for my first prototype of my invention, I had a lavender scented pillow, a heating cooling gel pack, and a noise machine. I did have this flap, but it was there was nothing holding it up, so
007it was just kind of moving around and very unstable. So, for my second prototype, I added Velcro onto the bottom of the bed so this stays up. Um, for my third prototype, I thought it'd be a good idea if the the dogs could have a chance to have more comfort and support. So, I added a air mattress, which at the time was a Ziploc bag. When I filled the Ziploc bag with the pump, um I found that it only held air for about five seconds. So for my um fifth prototype, I needed something or for my fourth prototype, I needed something that um holds air better. So I changed it to a beach ball, which is what is in my invention now. Um, for my fifth prototype, um, I don't have it right now, but
008I made a, um, container that holds the essential oils in the pillow so that if the dog were to eat the pillow, it wouldn't consume any of the, um, essential oils and would not get sick. Um, if I were to revise my prototype fabrics, I would want to make the material like the fabric on my dog bed thicker or more st um durable. So, I'd have fire hose, which I know um a lot of dog toys are made out of to last longer. But, I would need to test my fire hose. I would need to test if they can smell through the fire hose, feel through the fire hose, and um hear through the fire hose because those are some major parts of my invention. Um that's it. Thank you. So, our eachh honore tonight
009is going to receive a special talent eagle water thingy, which by the way is going to increase in value by at least three times once the terrorists kick in. Next joining us is our Hi, I'm Aria Dungbury and I'm a seventh grader at Tally Middle School. In my family, food isn't cooking isn't just something that brings us food. It's a way to connect, make special memories, and laugh. However, most of the food my family cooks tends to splatter, which causes burns. So, I decided to research the problem of burning their hands when hot liquid splatter. During my research, I discovered that about 480,000 people go to the hospital each year for scaldurn treatment. I also found out that about 300 children go to the hospital every day, two of them dying. As I was learning
010this, I realized that this was the problem I needed to solve. I chose to make the splatter shield stir because I wanted to make a solution that keeps the user safe while they cook without slowing them down. My invention does exactly that. A current solution for this problem on the market is a splatter guard, which is a lid with a flat screen. However, the splatter guard doesn't allow the user to do anything while the liquid splatters. Meanwhile, the splatter shield stir is in a dome shape and has an opening on the top. The user is able to cook and stir through the dome shape while staying safe from the splatter, unlike the splatter guard. My invention is simple and easy to use. All you have to do is put it like a lid on a
011pot and start cooking through the bowl. I used suggestions from my family, classmates, and teachers in order to make my very first prototype for invention convention. From there, I wrapped the metal handles in silicone so that they wouldn't get too hot. And I substituted the duct tape I used earlier to seal the metal shards in the hole with the thin metal strip. I tested this prototype by asking my mom to cook with it and seeing if any of the splatter got out and none did. For my new prototype for US Nationals, I shrunk the height of the dome so that and I got rid of this protruding metal rim so that the user is able to see their food clearly and it's not their view isn't hindered by anything. I also moved the handles up
012at a 45 degree angle so that when you're cooking on a lower pot, the handles wouldn't be too close to the frame flames. I changed the opening shape from a circle to a clover, which allowed the user to rest their spoon in there without it twirling around and also allowed the user to reach the edges of the pot. This clover shape was also still big enough to add small food items in like meatball and killies. I also made another version of the splatter shield stir with a different kind of handle. A singular handle that extends outwards like this. To make these 3D models that I've been showing you, I had to learn how to use a program called Tinkercat. I also learned how a 3D printer works and how to use one. I met with
013multiple experts in different fields like a burn specialist to help me improve the design and material aspects of the splatter shieldster. I also created an indepth survey on the design and functionality of the splatter shieldster using Microsoft forms. Along with the survey, I created a flyer that I posted on multiple different platforms. Out of the 27 participants in my survey, 24 said that said that they would buy and use the splatter shield ser if it was on the market and 25 said that they would recommend it to another person. Currently, I'm researching effective heatresistant materials that are better than metal and are easy to easier to clean than silicone. Once I decide that decide the materials I want to use, I will work with the machine shop at Yukon to manufacture my proto prototype for
014US nationals. I will also test the effectiveness of the new design. If that prototype is effective, then I hope to do a market value on it and hopefully patent its design. The splatter shield stir will help keep people safe in kitchens while they cook and it will also help reduce the amount of people visiting the hospital for scalburn treatment every year. Finally, it will also help keep the environment safe as it's made from longlasting and durable materials. Thank you for listening to Does the board have any questions for our I'm go ahead. I'll I'll say this is first of all, holy cow. That was amazing. We're all voted you both for I mean I looked at Miss Base over here after after the first presentation and I'm saying the same thing after the second one.
015Wow. That that when I just heard you talk about market value and patenting, it threw me off. That was amazing. So, um I'll say this, somebody in the back of the room, I won't I won't make a big fuss about it, who runs an awesome club called Des. That would be Mrs. Bridge. And uh and uh it it I mean everything you've practiced in I don't know how long what's the timeline been on this. How long have you been working on these on these projects? Two years. Well, they started in the sixth grade in science all the way through now. Wow. Then they did their school competition and from there um participants were selected to compete at the states and then at states there were judges from all over the place and then these girls
016were selected for Holland to go to US national. That's amazing. That's amazing. You you are exceptional and I can't wait for you to get to high school so you can get dec so well. Well done. Well, you should know too, we've had other there are other students actually in this room that have also participated invention convention, but we also have a current eighth grader who um is actually one of the awards she received at states where this was the were the services of a patent attorney and she is currently has two patents in process and that whole process is completely uh pro bono by the attorney for her work and she was recognized at nationals for different things as well. But so we've had a lot of success with the invention convention. It really starts
017with the grade six teachers and you know Mrs. Sleman is here has been a real um you know force behind that and and moving that program forward. And I know sometimes people get really like this is too hard and honestly it's it is but it's the rigor and it's pushing kids and reaching for you know more and doing better and learning how to you know go through a process and a long-term commitment. And yes it's hard but yes it's really worth it too. And I want to just I mean offer my congratulations not only but to both of you that your projects are amazing both of them but but also to the the parents and the teachers and the mentors. You know it's what what thrilled me listening was not just the invention but the
018changes that happened in between the thought process. How do I make this better? How do I change what I have to to advance it? And then to get up here and stand in front of all these people and present in such a professional manner, it is amazing. It doesn't happen either. But thank you to all of you. Missing take a picture with the honor here again. Why don't you stand right here? Mr. There we go. Turn a little bit. Turn a little bit. Everybody good? Everybody ready? All right, we're gonna do it on three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Good job. when just missed was talking about Miss Leman is also just for a minute. Thank you for all your efforts. So, our next uh our next exciting um honories of the evening were
019young ladies that had uh written essays for women's history month. So, as as you may know, March is women's history month. Our sixth graders participated in a women's history essay contest to write about important women in Connecticut history and how their contributions affected the nation and them personally. The students not only took a lot of time to write the essays, they went through a large revision process and Senator Gordon is here to honor them uh and it was part of a opportunity Senator Gordon made available to us in the school system. So thank you Senator Gordon. I don't want to take that from here and honor them. I don't want to necessarily want to read the names because I'm sure you're going to be introducing them or your search orders. Sure. It's great to see
020a big crowd here tonight. So, but I want to thank the board of education and superintendent for letting me crash your party and present the awards. This is as a senator. This is the fun part of my job which is to recognize people's achievement including student achievement. Uh and it's I wish that we could do even more of that or recognizing the wonderful things that get done. But this is for women's history month and we asked people if they wanted to write essays uh highlighting important women in Connecticut history. And I'd be remiss if I didn't call out one special woman in Connecticut history which is my wife. who lets me not be at home at night so I can be here, enjoy this. So that's how I've stayed married for 27 years is to
021thank her. But it is great just not to recognize all the achievements that women have made in Connecticut even before we became the state. Uh but for students to learn about that history, write about that history, share that history. I've read all the essays and they're wonderful. I wish I could hire them for my speech writers. you do a much better job than what I write. But this is a recognition, a state citation on behalf of the state of Connecticut. So each one of the ones who I'm going to read their name, you are now in the history book notes somewhere in the archives of Connecticut. Uh but the these are official recognitions. Uh but I would like to welcome up if I can have out when I read your name, come on up. I'm
022going to read one citation. I won't read all four. They're all the same wording, but I I'll give you a citation. So, the first one is Jenna Lopez. If you want to come on up Sanchez, which I did not know about her, but you're welcome to come up here, but it was wonderful to hear about uh about her history and contribution to Connecticut. I'll have you. This is an official citation if you want to hold it. Stacy Olivar, you wrote about Sarah Harris. And I'll mention after I get out the citations just a quick uh sentence about each one of these notable women. We have Brooklyn Stanley. I need something. Keep that there for you. I am a doctor, but I don't know if I can make you better. and Natalie Bur. I'm just going
023to quickly mention and I do have it written down here so I can make certain I got it right that Maria Kan Sanchez is notable for a Puerto Rican American educator and civil rights advocate. a number of civil rights advocates that people have written about. Sarah Harris is also known to be a civil rights advocate. Prudence Crannle, which we hear a lot about here in Connecticut, an educator and a civil rights advocate. And then Ela Graasso, who has the honor of being the first woman governor of Connecticut, and I'm sure as we move forward in the history of Connecticut, will not be the only uh female governor that we'll have uh in Connecticut in Connecticut's future. But I'll read one of the citations uh and then happy to uh let everybody congratulate you. So this
024is on behalf of the state of Connecticut, the general assembly, and this is on behalf of me, state senator, but also the rest of the pollen delegation, representative Tim Akert, Representative Tammy Nio, and be it hereby known to all that the Connecticut General Assembly, and I add this part in, which is the state of Connecticut, hereby offers its sincerest congratulations to each one of you in recognition of participation in the Women's History Month essay contest. Your well-written essays on important women in Connecticut's history and how their contributions to the state and to our country affect me and all of us truly captures the importance of leadership, determination, and trailblazing spirit. We commend you for your commitment to academic excellence and best wishes for continued success in your studies and future endeavors. The entire membership extends
025its very best wishes on this memorable occasion and expresses the hope for continued success which I know each one of you will do moving forward given on this day April 23rd 2025 it's signed by the president prom of the senate senator looney the speaker of the house Matt Ritter and the secretary of the state Stephanie Thomas and to prove that this is official even a gold seal I don't know if it's real gold, but it is a gold seal. So, so more than happy to present it to each one of you. So, I think see if I have these in order. This light is yours, right? And Stacy, congratulations on a job. Very well. Well, You want to be guys want to be in the picture or we'll do a picture with you guys. All
026of you did a phenomenal job. I was having great. We can have them all come in if you guys wanted to come in or you guys want to come take a picture of the [Music] very much so. Right about one second. Come on in. lift you up. I'm going to lift you up. Congratulations. Oh, wonderful. Okay. My cousin All right. Okay. All right. So, our our next honores tonight are from our DECA. As you know, Daka is an amazing organization in our school system and it's led by amazing teachers, Lynn Bridge and Lori Hisbet. I'd like to bring up Lenbridge to uh introduce our honores tonight for DECA. Also, uh, Senator Gordon will be giving our DECA honores a connotation as well. You good evening everybody. I'm happy to be back with my amazing DECA
027kids. And I also want to say to these upcoming students, the innovation challenge winners as well as the young essay writers, DECA in high school. Congratulations. Um, as you know, DECA has been a club here for 13 years at Talin High School. We have gone from being having no idea what we were doing at our very first competition to being one of the top three clubs in the state. Uh we have numerous state presidents, one of them on your board as well as one in your audience up and coming as well as various board members that were part of the state DECA organization. We have 60 to 80 students in the club every year which is amazing for an afterchool club. 60 to 80 students every year. Some years, one year right before co we
028even got over a hundred and these students come every Thursday after school 30 45 minutes after school where they practice their presentation skills as well as we've been putting a little bit of emphasis on those test taking skills as well. Okay, because that all of the students that compete at DECA, whether they are part of a team of two people or individuals, they must take a hundred question test and then they get in front of the judges where they have to pitch their ideas. So it is innovation challenge but in an instant they are given a case study and they need to present. So, we took uh we had 66 students in the club this year. We took 39 students to the state competition that wanted to compete and out of those 39 we had
02915 that finished in the top five in their category. So, we're looking at a 45% hit rate and we have eight students that are going on to the international competition Friday morning. So, we leave Friday morning for a week. It's a six day trip. Um I have with me tonight we have four seniors, five juniors, three sophomores, and a freshman that have all placed in the top five. And some of those will be heading to nationals. I would like to turn it over to our president of DECA right now, Wy. Wy is going to be heading to the international competition for the second time. She'll give you a little bit about what DECA is and what it means to her. And it is notable to say that Wilie last year came in fifth six in
030the world. Love to say that six in the world uh for apparel and accessories marketing. I'll come over here. Good evening members of the board. My name is Wily's honor and I am serving as the current president of Taland Deca as well as an incoming Connecticut DECA state officer. These past two years, DECA has transformed my high school experience. As president, I've had the privilege of leading a passionate team of students in organizing competitions, community service, and professional development events. We've grown not just in numbers, but in confidence, creativity, and collaboration. Now, as a state officer, I'll be working with students across Connecticut to expand DECA's reach and impact, helping others discover the same leadership potential that I have been fortunate enough to develop here in Holland. I want to thank our school staff and
031this board for supporting DECA, as it is not just a club, but a launchpad for future leaders. Thank you. If it works for you, I can have them come up, introduce themselves, the category that they competed in. Okay. So, Michael, good afternoon everyone. My name is Michael Wiggins and I've been Taland Deca for about two years now and I'm going to go for four years as a senior and I really do love how DECA had shaped me especially in high school. In the first year I didn't know what I was doing half the time. So I had to take advice from as many people as I could. Like last year it was I believe Josh Reed, Sulong, and Wily over there who helped me especially during states because she had the same time as me
032and it was the best time ever cuz she gave me so much advice right before my um role play and I feel like it helped me a lot especially with the support I was giving beforehand. And this year I did try harder to say the least. I got top five in states, which I feel like is pretty good. It's not six in the world, but five. Oh, I got top five in the world for marketing communication. Sorry. And yeah, it was really good this year. I loved the talking with all these DECA members from across the state. Uh my new friend Trevor, which I found in the line of lunch, he was a really amazing guy. Goes to Middletown. Yeah. And I really do just love going to DECA every Thursday, connecting with my friends,
033trying to grow as a person, and also improving on how I can perform at competitions and in presentating in general. Like Danny over there, he's a freshman and he is one of the best freshman I have seen do perform in role plays and just in academics in general. He's been a very amazing member and I'm glad to have him in DECA and I'm glad that he got top five as well. As you heard, Danny is a freshman. Just joined back in already in the state. Good afternoon everyone. Senator Gordon, thank you for having me. So my name is Danny and I competed in retail merchandise and marketing. So as a freshman I came in, everyone was very welcoming and the meetings were very well structured and they really helped develop my skills. Definitely picked up
034on a lot of business vocab from my first year and really learned how to think on the fly through these cases. As you get the case, you get 10 minutes to prepare an entire presentation and then from there you get 10 minutes to present with questions included in that. So that was a very interesting experience for me through states like Michael over there. We actually came back from a different competition yesterday, the JA innovation challenge and we won second in the state for that as well along with Wily's team that got first in the state for that competition as well. So DECA has really helped me prepare throughout business and has really helped launch me into business, give me that experience early on. Thank you. My name is Will Murphy. I uh get in personal
035financial literacy. This is my first year in DECA. I'm a junior and I just I really feel like it like helped prepare me. It helped show me like what like business is all about and it helped like helped me decide that business is one of the things I want to pursue like later in my career and into college. Hello everyone. My name is Michaela the Chico and I competed in DECA this year. Um, this was my first year coming back since freshman year. Um, I think that I've been able to gain so much experience from being part of DECA. Not only in the business aspect, but in general. I feel like my presentational skills have been so like so much better. And I honestly do feel like the um experiences that you get in DECA,
036not only from the business perspective, but from social socially as well. I've met so many incredible people, so many talented people, and it has really just changed how I present, how um I view DECA, how I view business. Um I'm extremely grateful for this opportunity. And um I was I came in fourth for um buying and merchandising this year in states. Um, and again, I'm just so incredibly grateful for all the opportunities that I've been able to get from this incredible club and from the incredible people that I'm able to work with every Thursday. Thank you. Hi, my name is Kayla House. I'm a junior and a first year DEA member. I was partnered with Michaela in the state competition for buying merchandising. We placed fourth, which is pretty good for our first year. I
037am not interested in pursuing business my career. But even despite that, I think this club has given me so much in terms of presenting, performing under pressure, learning to work with others, and ultimately I think has prepared me a lot in for college career and life in general. Thank you. Good evening, board. Hello, Senator. Thank you for having Tal and Deca here tonight. We really all appreciate it. Um just a word on behalf of DECA. It's really a great opportunity. It's given me some great experiences. Really elevated my um pres presentation skills um confidence. And a shout out to Wily, Miss Nesbet, and Miss Nesbit and Mrs. Bridge. Uh I would not have been able to get third for automotive services marketing if it were not for you guys. So, thank you very much. Um
038have a wonderful evening. Hi, my name is Ryan Herd. Um, I am a secondyear member in DECA as as well as a sophomore. Um, I competed in business services marketing and I was awarded second. So, lucky for me, I will be able to compete at the international competition in Orlando this Friday. Um, DECA has been an amazing experience for me. I've learned presentate present presenting skills um public speaking skills as well as just critical thinking skills and these skills will not only help me with college but as well as life and becoming a better person and being able to communicate with others. I'm very thankful for all the members here. Um they've really supported me throughout my journey and they are truly the reason I am able to compete at internationals. Hello, my name is
039Maline Capser. I'm a senior at Talent High School and a fourth year DECA member. Um, this year I got second in the state with food marketing services, so that was fun. It was my first time placing at states. Um, I'm not going into business at all in college, but I think that DECA has definitely helped me a lot with my public speaking. Um, freshman year I would have never been able to stand up in front of a room of people and say anything and I definitely recommend it to anyone. Um, yeah, I wouldn't regret going into DECA. Thank you. Hi, my name is Cecilia Ree Jarro. I'm a sophomore at Ton High School. Um, I joined DECA as a freshman and honestly I had no idea what I was doing that entire year. In the
040spring, I decided to run for DECA officer. After making it, I worked with my team of fellow officers and really gained strong friendships with these fellow people. I ran a community service project that incorporated all of the town's community. and I felt like this was an amazing way to bring DECA into our town and make it a better community for everyone else. I placed first in business services marketing this year and I'm hoping to do well in ICDC. I honestly cannot thank DECA enough, Miss Bridge, Miss Nesbet for all the opportunities that I have now and in my future. Thank you. Hi everyone, my name is Ashi Shaw. I'm a senior at Talmouth High School and I'm a fourth year DECA member. I compete uh with in sports and entertainment marketing with my partner Audrey
041and we are going to the international competition this Friday and we will be competing in school-based enterprise since we're the school store managers. So, we'll be competing on behalf of the school store and I decided to join DECA once I saw what the club was about and realistically I just saw that they got to go to Disney. So, but after I think I did learn that it was a lot more than that. It's about leadership and connections. And through the connections that I've made, I I got one of my best friends, Jacqueline Sterling, who has graduated and she began the National Business Honor Society. And this is the first year that we're implementing it and I'm have the honor to say that I'm the first president of it and we are completing our community service
042project in a couple of weeks, which is super exciting. Thanks, My name is Audrey Macauen. I am a thirdyear DECA member and the vice president of our chapter. I compete with my partner Ashley Shaw in sports and entertainment marketing where we got fourth place and we will be competing at nationals in schoolbased enterprise. Um, being able to run the school store through DECA has been such an amazing opportunity. I've run it this semester. I'll be running it last semester. I love being able to really find that entrepreneurial sense within myself that I would not have been able to find without running the school store. You know, I still would not say I loved business. It's hard to even say I would like this, but I do like talking and I like and I like talking
043to people. I like talking. I like talking about things. I to talk and if you like to talk, you can go. When you know how to talk, you can do anything. When you know how to communicate, you can do anything. You can't know how to communicate without getting that experience. DECA gives you that experience and I wouldn't have gotten that from any other place. So Deca has absolutely changed my perspective on being a listener, being a learner and being a talker. And that's Hi, my name is Sophia Cunningham. I'm a I'm an outgoing state officer for Connecticut DECA. I got I came in first for hotel logic management. I'm sort of a four-year member. My freshman year, I didn't really do anything at DECA. I just joined cuz in eighth grade orientation, all you hear
044was join DECA, join DECA. And you guys should totally join DECA. It really is as amazing as people hype it up to be. um sophomore year and then on Mrs. Bridge really pushed me to compete and it was amazing. I've gone to nationals all three years I've been competing and it is truly an amazing experience. We see really right now that like there's not many social skills going on and that people they're not communicating as like frequently as they once were. Um DECA really changes that you meet people from all over the world like we meet kids from China, Minnesota, um Wisconsin and it's really amazing even Delaware. crazy. Um, and for all these like new people, you meet so many different perspectives and truly you gain public speaking skills. Mostly you just need people
045skills which you really need today. Um, but truly like DECA, it changes your life. It's not just some like hyped up club. It's amazing and I feel like everyone here has attested and can attest to that. And it's more than a club. It's a really great environment of people where you can learn and grow and maybe even like during your past competitions you get lucky enough to have a board of event member judge you. That was pretty awesome. Um so yeah, you just get so many amazing skills from DECA and like my freshman year I didn't really want to go into business at all. I kind of want go some rural college like out in the west me out of that. But after DEA I'm going to a business college which is pretty cool. So
046yeah, DEA really like impacts you in every part of your life. Thank you. So, I do want to bring up one more thing. You have met all of our DECA members starting with Wily, our incoming state officer, ending with Sophia, our outcoming state officer. But last night, as Michael brought up, we had Michael, stand up, Michael, Danny, we had Cecilia, we had Lizzie, we had Ashby, stand up a second. Uh, we went to the Junior Achievement Innovation Challenge last night. It was statewide. There was multiple I think there was five like you had to compete to get into the state final. It was held at Quinnipak University. U Michael, Danny, and their partners Savannah came in second place. Uh, so they did amazing. And then uh Wilsy and Ashri and Cecilia came in first place
047and were awarded a $92,000 scholarship a piece. Wow. Quinnipak University. So turn it over to you. Thank you. Two things. Don't forget to leave without second to I didn't I didn't bring water bottles, but next time I should especially nice blue ones. So I get the honor and privilege to give each of you a state citation. And I can tell you after listening and watching each one of you present, uh, you certainly embody what I've learned about DECA, which is future leaders and entrepreneurs of Connecticut and of our country. I wish that I could say I did something as great as you guys did when I was your age, but I think back then I was taking a lot of fun science after school clubs and finding creative ways to avoid cheer. So very impressive
048for what you guys did. Uh and we can use you at the capital. So anytime you want to fill in for me, I'll take a day off and we'll be in good hands with each one of you. So phenomenal what you guys uh did. I won't leave each one of the citations because we'll be here all night. Uh but uh I'll read uh uh one of them. It applies to all of you and then I'm happy to I'll call your name. I don't think these are in any particular order. happy to present you the official citation, but this is from the state of Connecticut, the general assembly, which is the Senate and the House. And this is on behalf of myself, Senator Jeff Gordon, Representative Tammy Nuio, and Representative Tim Aker. and be it hereby
049known to all that the Connecticut General Assembly and the state of Connecticut hereby offers its sincerest congratulations to each one of you in recognition of your award and your achievement at the DECA competition and sounds like there's going to be even more achievements and awards coming up in the in the future from what I'm hearing. Your creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm and your professionalism made a strong impression and represent all in community and our state of Connecticut very proudly. The Connecticut General General general assembly is honored by your achievement and I also going to add very impressed by your achievement and the entire membership extends its very best wishes on this memorable occasion and expresses the hope for continued success given on this day April 23rd 2025 and each one is signed by President Pro Tim
050Looney Speaker of the House Ritter Secretary of State Thomas and yes indeed each one does carry the gold seal to make official. So happy to congratulate each one of you and give you the um citation. So Ashby watercoo Sophia Cunningham. Uh Audrey, you you did a very good job speaking. So if you ever want to break my record of three hours straight, I definitely can. because I don't want to break that record that I Michael Wiggins come on over here if you want. Uh hope I apologize if I mispronounce any of these things. Danielic Thank you. You want to jump on over John? Bill Murphy Lion. Now what happened not least. Very very impressive achievements that you guys were able to do. Very proud of what you've done. Now, do we have to do pictures
051holding up the water bottles alone? Someday Nike will be, you know, your sponsor. Very good. Stay on that. So, our our last honore tonight is um somebody very special. All of you are very special, but very special to me and to the staff here and to the students at Tom, sorry, Ten Schools. Um, I've actually known this individual for many, many years. I know of her humble beginnings at Wellington Pizza. Another product placement for donations. She was amazing then, making amazing things happen at Wayne Pizza. She has since been making amazing things happen for the town public schools. We're so lucky tonight to be able to uh finally honor her in the way that she deserves. Um, she has won the excellence in social studies award from the Connecticut Council of Social Studies, which is
052no small thing because they're very picky people and they selected her. So, it's incredible. Also, thanks to Miss Hickey who also nominated her for this. So, I'd like to introduce you to Tiffany Reynolds who is our honore tonight for getting this award and have Miss Hickey say a few nice things about only been a principal at TMS for about just over a year and cares about and Tiffany stuck out from the start as someone who had a contagious laugh. Um, would let me know if I was saying the right or wrong thing by some looks. And when you're in her classroom, the students having fun while learning. It's always student centered. Her big focus this year has been on inquiry. And I think the best thing about going into Miss Reynolds classroom is that the
053students aren't like, "Is this right? Is this right? Is this right?" They're focused on the inquiry aspect of learning. They're not focused on the claim or the end result. Um, but the way that she teaches is testament to the fact of the more you find out, the less you actually know. Like it opens up more doors of what you can now look into in terms of inquiry. And I think that's amazing. Um, she doesn't just impact TMS just in one of our inservice days, she actually led a district-wide um PE on inquiry on divergent thinking, lateral thinking, the metacognition behind the thinking. And that's what we want to model for students that what are you thinking about? Why are you thinking it? Where are you moving forward? Not just a did I get it right.
054Um that's real teaching teaching that Matab mission of the thinking about thinking. Um staff were vastly amazed at what she taught them. So she's already impacting students in other classrooms and other schools as well. And then something that really sets Miss T uh Miss Ren apart would be her deep commitment to equitable outcomes. So, she really just believes that I'm going to meet every single individual student where they're at and I'm going to support them as much as possible as a whole student academically, socially, behaviorally, everything. And all of the students when you walk in, they're, "Hi, Mrs. Reynolds." They're so excited to learn from her. Um, it's an exciting classroom to be in and it's excellent teaching. So, you have an unwavering commitment and you deserve all of this recognition. So, thank you. I'd
055like to say um I'm very lucky I I did meet Walt way before I was became a teacher. He actually met me I was in college educator thing and I was trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life. Um and I went back to school. I had a degree in economics and I said no way am I sitting in a in this world and I wanted to make a positive impact and my whole life I always said I just want to do good things for people and uh originally I wanted to become a politician and I wanted to fight for children's rights and then I said I'm not going to be good at that because I do make faces and people can read my face pretty easily. Um but and
056then I decided my sister was going to become a teacher and then I decided to become a teacher and I paid through it wage through wage paying well used to come in with his little kids in car seats and I used to wait on him and his wife and his children back in the day and he said hey if you need a sub job come on in and I knocked on his door and that's how I ended up in Holland. been here for 15 years and I hope that I get to retire in this district. And with that being said, I'm looking in the room and like I'm getting goosebumps because my former student is sitting on this board. Um, my other former student is sitting on the town council, you know, which is blowing
057my mind because it's really weird and full circle because in my mind, Jaden, I still see the seventh grade version of you and the the 12 penmanship. I know what your handwriting still looks like in my mind. same as Ash. So, it's really kind of interesting in Wilies as well. So, it's very interesting. Um, but congratulations to all of you guys for all of your success. I'm so proud of you. Um, I just want you to chase your dreams and I want you guys to make the world a better place. So, I hope I helped a little bit on that journey. I hope I continue with Olivia on that journey. Uh, whatever I could do. So, thank you and um, yeah, thanks Miss Hickeyi for all your support. And you know, I have to say
058this is crazy coming for me because the new teacher evaluation plan has allowed me space. Um, it has allowed me space to explore the things that I want to do in the classroom. Um, Walt, board of education members, please pass that on to the other Cape members, pass that on to the other boards. Um, the change has been good. It's helped me. It's made me able to explore the things that I'm passionate about, the things that I've wanted to do in my classroom that I have not had the chance to explore. Miss Hickey has offered me the support um to encourage me to do that. So, I appreciate it. So, do you have any questions for any of the honores tonight or anything you'd like to throw out there as a board? I just I
059want to say congratulations ML from the words that Miss Hickey and and Dr. Willlet have said, you know, as a as a board member, I'm thrilled that you're a member of our staff. As a parent, I am so excited that my daughter may one day have a chance to your classes. Thank you for everything you do and the passion that you give to our student. Two things, one, two things. Number one, something stuck with me. Uh, Matt, Michael, Michael, you were speaking a little while ago that I'm going to get to Miss Reynolds. No, no. Um, no. No. And you said something along the lines of my first two years, I was asking for advice off the wall. I was asking for advice, but don't stop. Don't no matter how much you think you know,
060don't stop. That's that's I was fortunate and Mrs. Bridge knows quite a few who to have a lot of mentors who who who one of them walked me into Mrs. Bridg's room my freshman year and said, "This is going to be, you know, your one of one of your one of your next DECA students." and and you know even after he graduated I kept I kept bugging him I kept you know I kept you know not pestering him but you know poking hey Matt do you have a little you know do you have a little what did you do here and so so it just made me think and I I'm just so proud to gosh that's a really that's really really cool that you you sort of acknowledged your you know willingness to take
061advice from other people and and not just you know go along one way of thinking but well there's a few ways I can go about this so so Well done to all of you. This is I mean I never get sick of seeing DECA. I I think I've made that very clear over the last however many years. Um I never ever ever ever if we could do this every meeting I would have you guys come in here at every meeting. So So to Deca, I mean holy cow, you got me shaking over here. Like congratulations. You guys are awesome. And then Miss Reynolds um had in seventh grade modern world geography. Modern world geography. Um, and everything you were just saying, Miss Hickey, about, you know, the all the students getting, you know, excited to
062go and miss. Oh my gosh, that was that was that was the same case back I don't want to do the math as to when that was, but it was the same case back then. And it's it it goes to show, you know, not just having those skills now, but the fact that those skills have have sort of been constant throughout those last I don't know however many years um is a testament. And so, you know, I can't thank you enough personally, but again, sort of to what the chairman Holt said, you know, sitting in on this side. Don't take that weird sitting on this side. Um, I have after these last four years, I have a deep sense of gratitude for the both of you, Miss Estz, I see you back there. Miss Nisbet,
063Mrs. Bridge, any other staff, Mr. Swanson, I see you over there. Any other staff on a politician? No, no, no. So, um I I I again just I I I wish all of you could get acknowledged in in in some sort of way every year. I mean, this is um this is tremendous. So, thank you, Miss Reynolds, for everything you do. So, well done. Well done. You want to get a picture with Sure. Uh second yes bottles we You want to say something? Oh, of course. I always want to say something. Um, so first of all, this is this is one of the main reasons. I mean, this is the reason why I'm going to the board of education, and this is what Talon makes Talon so great. Um, my face hurts from smiling tonight.
064Um, I see these administrators and and staff members that have impacted my family personally, and I see some faces, some that I've known since kindergarten, preschool. Um, and I see, you know, our sixth, seventh, eighth graders, and our high school students. We have the futures right here. And this is what it's all about. So, I just appreciate everything that you all do for our students. you're amazing. Um, and DECA, I mean, I can't go to sleep without thinking about DECA because of what Jaden said about DECA. So, um, just what it's what these clubs and what these educators and what these extra activities that you guys are doing to help build your education and make an impact. Um, the future is bright and it's here tonight. So, thank you and congratulations everyone. I would just
065like to congratulate everyone in the room. Amazing job and representing Taland and we're so proud of all of you and teachers and students alike and just the mentorship and the camaraderie and so forth is is amazing to see and it's really nice just to have kind of a a positive vibe here in the room tonight. So, congratulations to everyone. As we close in the guise of the the shameless plug to the students, the skills you're learning both writing and speaking and presenting and organizing and as somebody mentioned, these chairs up here are waiting for you. Okay? That you absolutely are the leaders not only of our future but of our presence. you know, Audrey as a student rep or Jaden as a a recent graduate, all her. Yeah. Okay. But but my point being your
066your community, your state, your your country, your world is ready for the skills that you already have. So, thank you. So at this point in the evening the purpose has been to award you and honor you not to drag you through a painful threeh hour 4 hour meeting. So at this time if you would like we could take maybe a five minute re uh you know just break for a second allow you to all to stand up and gracefully you know head out so you don't have to do it at once so it's not like we have a wonderful patriot you're still recording right all right we have any additions to the agenda Right. Seeing none, no minutes to approve. Public participation. Members of the Talon Board of Education welcome the members of the public
067to share their thoughts and ideas at this time. When appropriate to do so, members of the board and the administration may respond to comments during points of information. However, in consideration of those in attendance and in an effort to proceed in a timely manner, follow-up discussion may need to take place outside of the meeting setting. Those in the room would like to speak, make yourself known. If you are online, raise your Zoom hand and we will call. As always, begin with your name and address for the minutes. Going twice. Clothing, public participation, correspondence. Uh, no emails came in. bunch of information and this is something that can be talked outside of the meeting and whatnot but I think something to consider we were chatting over here it's something to consider you know in future meetings
068and whatnot you know the good feeling that just brought me that's not going anywhere you know but then we get into you know whatever is coming next and and I completely understand because we need to get to um something to consider moving forward is some sort of around this time of year some sort of acknowledgements based meeting where you know we're sticking true to you know acknowledging the students and the staff and whatnot. Um, and and giving them that sort of that sort of dedicated time, something along those lines. So, again, that's a 2026 summerish springish problem now. But, um, something to consider. I just wanted to get it across because I think it's a great idea. I think it's, you know, let's give them that spot. So, that's all an acknowledgement only meeting. Bingo.
069Correct. Bingo. I'd like that. every other one. How fast do you want to meet? Every Well, if we need to throw a special meeting together, we throw a special but but I think the idea the premise of, you know, let's give them the let's give them the the the respect of, you know, you know, if and if we're done by 8:30, we're done by 8:30. But it it the the premise is that made me feel really good and and it's, you know, it's hard to transition into this stuff after that. So, uh so that's all that's all that's all. Anybody else? Yeah, I I don't think anyone disagrees with you, Jaden, that what we just did is all of our favorite part of why we serve on this board. So, I think everyone's in agreement
070with you that that's something that we should seriously consider doing. Anybody else? All right. Student representatives report. All right. It has been a while since I was doing this on your level. So that takes some getting used to. All right. Miss Bridge kind of stole my thunder with the junior achievement innovation challenge, but the state championships for that happened yesterday. We sent two teams of Holland. One team Ash Bishaw, Cecilia Ree Gyro, and Wily Zer. The other Danny Terasuk. Uh Michael Wans and Savannah Davis. The first team came in first place, second team came in second place. first team each won a scholarship worth $92,000 if they choose to attend Quinnipak University, which is absolutely amazing. I want to give a little shout out. That was my team. I chose to go to work instead.
071Uh so missed out on that, but it is truly truly so special. So much fun. It was a really great day uh and or night. Moving on. Prom tickets. Full tables were sold on Tuesday. And today they sold tickets for groups of four or more people going to prom. And everyone else can buy their tickets tomorrow. And tomorrow is the last day to buy prom tickets. So if you want to go to prom, all of you, I know you all want to go to prom. It is due tomorrow. I know my tickets were already bought. There's like a group leader that for each group that is sent off to buy all the tickets gave her $100. It's off my hands. Where did the event at? Uh it is at the Aqua Turf this year. Um
072so it was at the Aqua Turf last year as well. Bit of a drive. Beautiful venue. Uh used for weddings. Wish it was like 30 minutes closer. Not in my control. Um moving on even more back to business. ICDC. Let's get a little dancing moment. We're all going to dance. Greeny dancing. Not dancing. So ICDC uh is the international competition for DECA. This year it is held in Orlando, Florida. Um we are leaving 10 to students are leaving on Friday morning. This time not at 4:00 a.m. instead at 700 a.m. Very nice. Um, it is a six day fun zone. It is absolutely a blast. You We will be going to Disney. We'll be going to Universal. We'll be going to citywalks and restaurants and a lot of fun stuff. But embedded deep within that,
073we are going to be at conferences, competitions. We're going to be taking tests. We're going to be networking, meeting people, getting little pins. That's my favorite part. We have a big pin trading day. Um, it is absolutely a joy. It is so much fun. Everyone comes home with something different and we usually come home with a winner or two or three or four or five and hope we do aim to do that again this year. And finally for the high school, there is a speaker coming in for a special Eagle block on Monday uh to talk about the dangers of drunk driving, especially during prom week. We really like to focus on the dangers of drunk driving and irresponsible decisions during prom week. So, a speaker will be coming in documenting their experience with that
074uh and why it's important to think about that before making any decisions on comment. Any questions? You I'm sorry. Go. Oh, I have a qu I just would wonder how come you have to have like a group to get a prompting like why isn't it open to everyone from the get-go? So, uh it is open to everyone. It's just the first day uh is only for big tables just to make sure that we have the amount of tables that are set. So those are blocked off and then there are groups of four or more uh and those tables will usually be combined. And then on Thursday if you want to go into if you want to just give your ticket individually if you want to do it with a group of two uh you can
075do so. It's just to make sure that we have people sitting together who want to sit together first and then we can make sure that we have enough tables for everyone else. I wanted you to expand on that. Um the drunk driving. What is that again? Can you repeat that? So, a speaker is coming in and she's going or they're going to be uh talking about not only their experience with drunk driving, um but how it impacts people, uh the dangers of it, why people do it. Um and it's been happening for a few years. It's a very impactful presentation. It's very emotional, but it serves a great message. Um, we're lucky enough to have not have many dangerous situations of that, especially last year, we didn't. So, it's uh it's a really good important
076presentation. It's uh for seniors and juniors only. Um I unfortunately will be missing it this year because I'll be at Universal. No. Um but no, it's a fantastic presentation. Very important, very timely. Um, and it's pretty great overall. Thank you. Thank you. Um, as much as I would love to hear about solar panels, uh, Miss Bridge, as you probably saw, assigned No, I know. I mean, like in the back when she was already there, I know that's Mr. uh she assigned me a lot of homework and you know I think that it is so impactful what we do here. I also think it's so impactful that I don't not do the homework and get yelled at by Mrs. Br. So fair enough. So thank you all very much. Best of luck to you. Maybe I'll
077sit here again. I only have like three meetings left before I leave forever. Keep going. When's there student council last? Is it that at the end of the school year? Yeah, let's do some luck. Audrey, good luck. Have fun. Enjoy it. Yeah. All right. Committee and the liaison reports communication. Uh we had a meeting today set a few um uh summer schedule shored that up. Uh it's on the website and uh we talked about a u notice that's going to go out. We're just reminding people to vote. Um years past a little reluctant to do so, but the the notice is just going to go out not to sway things one way or another. similar to kind of what the town council and the town's been doing and just letting people know uh when the
078vote is to hopefully get more people out to vote because the it's been so dismal for who knows how many years. So just going to be a straight go and vote on this day and provide a few links to the town's web page and the budget page. That's about it. So there'll be two one next Monday and I think the Monday then before election day or no election day. So that's what's going on there. Curriculum. We met today. Um we as well shared up summer schedule, but we also had a discussion about um specific to the high school the the scheduling and why we do the four block schedule as opposed to six or seven 45 minute periods. And you know we talked about the uh the study that was done in 2016 18 2018
079and what the results of that study were um and why we are choosing to uh utilize the type of scheduling that we currently have. Is that study in the folder? It is. It is. Yeah. On the BOE dash. Yes. At the bottom. That was it. Okay. Uh we met today. Um Lee talked about the use of school facilities, the fees for in town folks and out of town folks and what that looks like. Um we had some class references in for a few towns, Avon, North Brford. Um so Dr. Wood is doing a few more uh communities spec specifically our neighboring communities. So to make sure that we are when people are using our facilities, we're not losing money there. Um, but we're also ensuring that we're keeping up with increasing costs that we incur.
080Um, but I will say it was quite eye opening with how often we utilize all of our facilities from Birchro TIS, the TMS auditorium, the ths auditorium, the gymnasiums were huge. The Dr. Willlet has a calendar. There's not a day that's not something that something's happening in our facilities after hours. whether it be out of town folks or in town folks, dance clubs, scouts, sports, wrecks, all that kind of stuff. So, we're looking at that to make sure that we can stay afloat and have it be balanced with the cost that we put into it. And just just as a plug, Mr. Stava, who is our facilities director, has revolutionized how we track and process building use. Um, so you know what they're referring to is I referred to a program called FMX and uh
081Mr. Savas helped us move into the 20th century with that and he's uh helping compile some data for the future as well for us to discuss with respect to um you know perhaps how we might want to modify our building charges based and the human hours that go into the work around it and the resources that you know put into it both energy and otherwise and all of that. So, our facilities are used more than you can possibly imagine. I'm watching the nodding going on out here. There's a lot in it. Sorry. No, you're good. Uh, FFC. Yes. Sorry, I'm remote again today. I got in uh from a work trip at 3:00 this morning, so I'm thriving still. um FFC, no update from last month, but we um have a planning meeting coming on
0825:14, Walt and myself. So, if there's anything uh anyone would like to discuss in our next meeting on May 21st, please let us know and we'll get that uh included into this one and or the next agenda if we can fit it in. So, nothing else. know it's going to disappoint everybody especially Bill but I have no chair person report okay uh Dr. Will it superintendent report item K1? So what I'd like to do tonight is um present to you as we discuss uh some information about our social emotional learning programs in the town public schools. And to help me do that tonight from left to right we have Tom Swanson the principal at Birch Grove. Um Celeste Estz who's a teacher Celeste yes right there teacher at TMS. Um Alyssa Hickey is our principal
083of Tom Middle School. and Jennifer McLaren who is our all-around amazing PAR educator champion and uh and just amazing politician too. I've seen some pictures from many powerful people. So I do know I was going to hit up Jeff Gord. I'll wait till I see Senator Lumi next week. So So you know she's got connections. So the teacher it's par lobby day at the legislative building there I think. So Uh, so we uh we're going to give you a fly over of the social emotional learning program. Um, what I I do want to first apologize for where the comma is in in there. I don't know what I did with that, but I'm sure I violated some Chicago manual style rule, but I'm going to give you just a fly over introduction to SEAL just
084to make sure everybody understands what we're talking about here and then I'll hand it over to the to the experts and the people that are in the trenches actually making the amazing things happen in our schools with respect to to social emotional learning. So I shared this um this very brief uh just kind of introduction that's a dense paragraph but essentially um we use two kind of foundational um research and evidence-based practices for our social emotional learning program and the first is the Yale ruler program. The second is really we we base a lot of our work in castle. The Yale ruler program um helps uh a framework gives a framework to school systems for helping organize how we approach it. And you know ruler is the terminology that EL uses for recognize, understand, label,
085express and then regulate emotions. really at the at the base level, it's about making um our young adults and our children more capable of recognizing an emotion in themselves and then finding an appropriate way to both identify it and then express it and beyond that actually act strategically to approach the work and what they have to do with a knowledge of um how their emotions are impacting their own decision- making and behavior, you know, and that is an extremely useful skill. Um there's a uh research in the you know outside of school world from uh Bradbury and Greavves. They published a book called EI 2.0. It's a widely used business book um about the business world and how important it is to have emotional intelligence and be able to function in that way and recognize
086and regulate your own emotions in very difficult and complex situations. And so that's really what the school system is engaging in is um getting the kids prepared not only for math, science and so on, but being able to walk into that meeting and you know create that rocket when there's complex interactions between people and you have to get teams together and make things work and you can't be so upset by something that someone says that you respond in a way that is not going to, you know, benefit the rest of the group. So taking that at a macro level in the work world and bringing it into schools, it helps kids behave better, act better with each other and it helps actually everybody in the context, adults included, um also you know behave in the
087most productive way possible for everyone involved. So basically the the links that I provided there are also um going to be in the folder for the board of ed. You can take a look at those later. But I just wanted to give you a very very brief p fly over that it really helps with empathy with decision- making. Um the definition really is just about teaching them to emotionally manage themselves and establish relationships act appropriately with each other. It improves academic outcomes. It's been shown to do that. It reduces behavior issues. It provides a better basis of stronger mental health possibilities for kids. uh you know ruler as an acronym is just recognizing the emotions understanding causes and consequences labeling emotions accurately expressing emotions appropriately and regulate regulating their emotions effectively there's many benefits and
088those benefits are researchbased and widely understood in our in our field but also as I mentioned outside in the business field in the general world general generally in the world as well um it does result in better academic performance and better inter relationships. Um, just another kind of aspect of it, this I think castles, the five core competencies are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision- making based in evidence, evidence-based work on how to develop that in kids. Creates a positive school environment, increases student resilience and empathy, improves interpersonal relationships between students and staff and even the broader world. And it's that long-term academic and personal um you know success elements are opens up the doors for that for kids. Um and that's why it's so important to do and that's why we
089do it as a foundational element of our programming. Okay. So I wanted to just give you that pretty quick fly over and then kind of let each of the individuals here speak to how it plays out in their school. So we have elementary representation and then you know and we secondary representation tonight and we can also you know over time the invite others in from the high school and so on to to talk to it there because it's across the whole district but um they they were kind enough to make themselves available tonight. So I I wanted to you know honor their uh you know their levels and we can talk to any other level along the way. You may remember some of you that TMS sponsored a instructional rounds onCL last year which was
090amazing and done extremely well thanks to Missiki and um everybody there. So they've all done various amazing things and we'll hear a little bit about it tonight. I'll start with Tom Swanson just to kind of give us a quick fly over of um all the great things happening at Birch Grove and then we'll go to Miss McCclardney. We'll jump kind of over to talk about the things she's doing in the classroom. We'll go then to Miss Hickeyi to talk about what's going on at middle school and we'll wrap up with Miss Estate to talk about the teachers perspective on it as well at that secondary level. All right. Excellent. Well, thank you very much. That was a great fly over to get me started. Uh so at Birch Grove, um this is um certainly an
091opportunity for us to put on my glasses so I can see a little bit getting older. Uh so but it's a great opportunity for all students in our school to participate in a program that kind of unites us together. Common vocabulary expectations uh all the way from the little guys and three-year-olds to the older guys eight years old. So it's really a great framework and it ties right in with many of things we're already doing in the school. Uh we have grow expectations that we're doing throughout the building. We have expectations, common expectations that we're doing wherever you are in the building, whether you're in the hallway, you're on the bus, you're in the classroom, you're outdoors, you're indoors. Um because it's all learning. It's all um we have the youngest learners, so they're all
092learning it together uh with their with their teachers and all staff in our building. All staff have the opportunity to unite us. So, Mrs. McLaren is going to talk a little bit about uh keyboarding, how she found a way to integrate it into our keyboarding time. and the students have um in our master schedule. There's time allotted in our building schedule for classrooms to uh conduct a lesson uh with our staff with our students each day. So they build it in and then they have it go across a week and what they're working on. Uh this is year number two for us uh year one for students. Um so it's been a great opportunity. The other thing that you know Mrs. McLaren and I were talking a little bit about is it there's a really
093nice through line for students as they go through the years. So we're starting at age three and then age four and then kindergarten. By the time they get to the middle school, you know, they've got, you know, they've got that those skill sets that they've been working on throughout the years. So uh we see that as a benefit having a program here in town. Also, when all of you came to visit our intervention services, that allows us to employ uh additional opportunities for students to reinforce when they're in intervention services or when they're in special education services because uh learners that are participating in uh intervention and special education often need more opportunities for that growth mindset uh and to develop their resilience skills and many things that we do want to work with our
094students to support them in their growth. The power of yet you haven't quite got it, but you're going to get it. And working on that mindset, which all kind of ties right in with um every day on the morning announcements, I uh will introduce our we'll have our um announcers. We have student announcers that come and do the morning announcements and they say where they are checking in on the mood meter. Now, the mood meter is something that Miss McLaren will talk a little bit more about. She actually did give me one. Mrs. McLaren gave me a little one that she'll show off. But uh the mood meter talks about I think you're all getting one too, but I don't want to take away all Miss McLaren's uh what she has to say. But uh
095this is the mood meter that Dr. Willow was talking about. And so the way it it represents is that you know if you're feeling really excited and energy and uh high energy then you're in the yellow. If you're you know you're calm but things are going great you're in the green. If you're like really angry, you know, then you're in the red kind of fits for that, right? And then the blue maybe not going so well, you're having a tough day. So, and then there's all vocabulary words that attach to the blue beater. So, every day our student announcers will announce what color they are and use a vocabulary word how they're feeling. Some say, "I'm chill, I'm excited, um, you know, happy, looking forward, you know, all different ways." I tend to say, Miss
096McMar's going to say it. I'll say that I'm checking in on the yellow today and I'm very excited. Um, and because I'm really excited about the day. Uh, one day I did say, "Hey students, I'm checking in on a red today. It's going to be indoor recess. I'm not going to be able to get out." And they were like, "Who said it?" You know, and teachers are like kidding around with me and they're like, "You're always in a yellow." I'm like, "All right, well, I'm going to be in a different color." Or I'll say like, "I'm chilled today. I'm green." You know, I'm checking in on the green on the mood meter. So, just another way to get it out there. get the students doing it um and show that energy. Um you know, some
097of the things that you'll hear Mrs. McLaren talk about how she integrates it in one of her lessons. Uh but it's a great resource, you know, for students to attach their feelings and their emotions uh to how they're feeling and using the vocabulary with ruler. The one thing that we do find that students are coming into the school system and their behaviors are increasing. Now, they're not very good communicators as young uh learners, and so they act out, but you know, going through using a ruler uh framework, it allows us to attach words to their feelings, and hey, you have a big emotion. You're showing this and and so it allows us as teachers and practitioners in the building to do that. So, and it's a common way for all of us. Uh so, that's
098a resource that we've been using. Also, uh like Dr. Dr. Will was saying, it allows students to become able to solve problems on their own. You really want them to be able to become independent towards resolving conflicts and especially I was talking to our preschool teacher today, Mrs. Merzac, who's a teacher of the year. Uh, and she does an amazing job with our little three-year-olds. Uh, and she's teaching ruler like every day and she's getting them going and, uh, and she talks about how she wants to facilitate them to be able to solve disagreements at three years old. and so you know and they're trying to share and so it's it really she uses embraces it quite a bit. Um so and it works quite well and deescalating because oftentimes students might tantrum over something
099or get very upset and it allows them to develop coping strategies as they work through this uh as Dr. Willie is saying some of the conflicts that they have. Um and so we also look to kind of tie it into the work of the portrait of graduate you know as to skills and disposition. So it allows us to build that framework as we're moving towards that supporting students. And Mrs. McLaren is going to talk a little bit about how we use it with literature and t you know and then so you can kind of infuse it through the building uh through the classroom and wherever you are. And that's really something that's been helpful u and then really building on that vocabulary. You know learners need to hear it over and over and over again
100and it allows us to help. Um couple things here. This is something that we give out to parents and I can you know share this with you. Um, and it talks about what Dr. Will was saying, recognizing, uh, what each of the uh, acronyms scan for. Um, and then here's a little mood meter. So, depending on where you're feeling, you check in on the mood meter. Um, and then, and we tell them it can change, you know, depending on where you are at that moment in time. Uh, so that's something here. And then a little mini one that Mrs. McMario talked about. And then here's another little handout that talks about ruler. So, you're welcome. I can pass it around a little bit. And, um, so we have that. And then we also have if
101we have um student has a disagreement sometimes that happens u and so we work through it and particularly as a administrator in a building it allows me to work through with students at a conflict whether it was on the recess or or in the classroom or somewhere and we'll go through it's called a blueprint conference and it gives them the framework with the visuals. Our teachers made this um and it's wonderful and we have an assembly on it. We show the students how to go through it. We role play it. Uh many of our staff members have been doing it. I was in one of the videos acting it out and Mr. Keith was there with me and you know we So you kind of go through it. What are you gonna do? It's like
102watching brothers clues with you. Melissa is gonna give you a whole different perspective. But yeah, this is what we do with the little guys. Yep. We teach them how to take a deep breath, you know. And so this is the meta moment here. um and then what happened and then you kind of go through the conflict. Why do you feel that way? And so all classrooms have this that helps them and they get through the conflict resolution. So I can pass these around today as well. Look at them. Uh and then talking about, you know, expected choice, unexpected your apology, how you going to solve the problem. Uh so these are great that we have. You know, how you feeling now and what how you going to handle this? And so it's been really it's
103been great. How am I going to apologize? So it it takes some scaffolding like they just don't do it right away. So, you got to practice it and you hope by the time you at the middle school they've got it down. But, uh, with the little guys has a lot of repetition and practice. So, uh, that's something that we do quite a bit. Um, we do have an amazing team that Mrs. McLaren's on and several of our other staff members that work very closely together. They come together uh, regularly and they look at the ruler lessons and they try to infuse it to make it, you know, seamless for the teachers. So, when the teachers go to implement it, it's, you know, they can go with it. and we look to see if there's anything
104that needs to be tweaked at all and this team's been doing for the last couple years been doing a really nice job with that. So, and then I had mentioned that we do uh grade level assemblies uh to support our students. So, you know, thank you to Dr. Willlet in supporting this and helping us at Brooks Grill, but this is something that we've been really excited about giving us that framework. So, I don't want to take all Miss McLaren's thunder, but I will hand it over to Miss McD Mr. McLaren and I need these two. One of my favorite pieces of advice that Mr. Swanson gives me has the new kindergarten families coming in. Let the win. Yes. Like when you're playing shoots and ladders, it's okay. You can win. Like get the kids used
105to, you know, maybe winning sometimes, not winning sometimes, and then, you know, expressing themselves. I uh I I learned that personally um from the the nights that I went to the Birch Grove. And first things first, it's not going well. Uh so I we have some practice this summer for sure. Uh I have never let uh I've never beaten my daughter at anything and it's going to be a rough transition for me over the next like two months, but it was heartbreaking. So thanks so much for that. But it will help us in the long run. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. There's that. All right. I am Jen Mclarney. As you heard, I'm a pair educator. My current role is as keyboarding facilitator at Birch Grove, which means I see every kindergarten, first grade, and second
106grade student. Um, I am a special. I'm like gym, art, and music. They come to me and we do keyboarding. Um, this year we implemented with our ruler program that every other week I would do a ruler lesson. um the ruler lessons I do I've I am on the district ruler committee. I'm also on the building ruler committee and we create these lessons. So um Dr. Will is going to help me flow through these lessons. So you would come into the keyboarding lab every other week. We would say we're it is time for our emotion word of the day. The emotion I chose to bring tonight. We're going to go quick though is worried. And we're going to talk about what it looks like to feel worried, how it sounds, how our bodies feel. A
107lot of kids don't understand that. Um, as an adult, if someone asks you how you are, you're going to say, "Fine. I'm fine. I'm okay. I'm fine." No matter what you're truly feeling, you're going to chances are say, "Fine." It's really hard to identify your true emotion. Um, I have an app on my phone that chimes in with me about three times a day, and it's really hard not to kick, click, okay, because you really you it's hard. Try it. Um, So, the word we're going to do today is worried. So, we talk to the kids about where it would land on the mood meter. I have larger mood meter in my classroom than this. And we talk about where we think it's going to be. Hint, the the first screen is red, so they
108know right off the bat it's going in the red. The moon meter exes your um your energy level and your pleasantness. So, up and down is your energy and across the bottom is your pleasantness. the x and the y axis and we talk to them how it can change through the day. So you could skip over that slide. So we talk about how it's going to feel, how it's going to work. Does anybody know what worried means? We start talking about a little bit. There's usually a literature piece that goes in with the lesson. So ruler in its program from Yale has assigned a book list for every emotion. And we usually as a committee we go through and decide if the book is a great book to use or not. We go through the
109book. We talk about the book. How can you tell that Wembley is worried? Can does Wembley have any clues that shows that she is worried? And we go through the whole book. Talk about it. Ask them if they've ever felt that way. Talk about one more because we're not going to watch the story. Go ahead. and we talk about we talk about the book you can keep going and then in the classroom so I support the lessons so I do a feeling word of the day the teachers also touch on this lesson so sometimes the kids are like we already did that word and I'm like but that's okay we're going to talk about it again um is there another screen that has strategies keep going so then we do a pretend session so the
110last the last screen was a pretend session about you know pretend um oh it's your first day of school and you don't see any friend you know how would that make you feel how would you get through it and then go to the next slide and we give them strategies and I make everyone go around I'm like everyone put your finger on your nose when you come up with a strategy on that board that would work for you that way they don't have to raise their hands they don't have to talk but I know that they're participating and I know they're thinking about a strategy that would work for them um sometimes they're like I don't see one that I like and I'm like but do you have one you would use and they say
111Yes. So, I know that they're talking about it. Some kids want to talk about everything. Some kids don't want to talk about it at all. But the fact that they're there and listening and participating just with simple actions like that is a great thing. The last thing we do in a lesson is actually plot the word on the moon meter. So, as you're working, walking around Birch Grove, you might notice first off, there's a moon meter just about everywhere. Um, and but some of the teachers, including myself, have our mood meter and when we finish a lesson, I have one of the students come up and put the word where it goes on the moon meter. If we're doing a word, this word's in the red, so your energy level's high because you're feeling upset.
112And we talk about how they could bring their energy back down to be able to go on with their day. We also talk about the good emotions. Mr. Swanson's in the yellow all the time because he's excited about outside recess and we talk about his energy level is yellow and how is he going to bring that down because that's a great emotion to be in. You can't live in yellow all the time though. Um and you got to bring it down to come back to be able to do your work for the rest of the day. Say for instance after recess, after an assembly, that kind of thing. Um and then we plot the emotion. Ruler has great lessons. And then the last thing I do is I have a handout that I sent home
113with the kids that I don't have with me. And I and I said, "Now it's your turn to be the teacher. Can you go home and tell your family what the word worried means and talk about a time that as a family you felt worried?" And sometimes worried is a small worry and sometimes worry is a big worry. And it's interesting to hear them communicate their feelings. And sometimes it's a simple thing like I was worried that it was going to be fish stickicks for lunch today and I don't like fish sticks. And sometimes it was like especially like at the beginning of the year I'm worried I'm gonna miss the bus. You know that kind of thing. So it's interesting to show them how worry can not be a huge emotion. It can be
114a small emotion too. That is it. I'd be happy to take any questions if you have any questions. You mentioned Miss McCclary first of all. I'm sorry I didn't see you behind Dr. That's all right. Gosh darn it. But number one, number two, um you mentioned that these mood meters are around. Thank you so much. These mood meters are around. Do you see the kids or do you see the students at all throughout the day? First, let me ask this. Where by all around the school building? What do you mean by all around? Literally all around the school. They are in the hallways. They are in the cafeteria. They're in every classroom. They are literally everywhere. And there's some there's a huge bulletin board that um has emotions already plotted on it so they can
115kind of see emotions. And then most of them are empty though so that if we see a student who's having an issue, we can say, "Come over here. Come over here. Come show me where you're feeling." And sometimes they can't express the word, but they can point with to the color. Gotcha. At our level, they can point to the color and they and then we can take it from there. And have you seen how specific I know you've got probably certain students who have taken a little more time to adapt to these types of things. Have you seen you know even in your most you know challenged student this sort of impact them in in some sort of positive? Definitely definitely especially because this is our first official year even though we did roll out
116slightly last year. the strength of building that at such a young age. Like all the prek kids that are now that were in pre-k last year that are now in kindergarten. Huge difference. Huge difference in their ability to say why they're frustrated and not just kick a chair right for 15 minutes. They can say, you know, I can say, I can see you're upset. You know, can you tell me why you're upset? And they're like, no, but I can tell you I'm red. And then I can say, "Well, how can we get down to blue so that we can talk and help you get over, you know, help you move on?" Because you don't want to be stuck. I mean, all day long you, as a healthy, emotional person, you should, you know, hopefully be
117moving around the mood eater. So, got Oh, that's amazing. Thank you. Any other questions? Um, I think this is fantastic. So, this is the first year we're using it at first grow. Okay. Students with the students. Yes. Okay. And um obviously you see on positive impact or in fact I think uh I remember who was it was it the FRC and it was mindfulness class that they that she had and you look at the these littles and they have no idea how to express their anger or their frustration or whatever. It's it's stomping and and this and that. So I think this is and I've heard it a lot from Miss Hickey and her presentations. So I've heard at the middle school. I think it's so great that we're starting so young because they're the
118everybody has a problem expressing emotion, right? So like I try to be the green and the yellow all the time and you know I try to say I'm a glasses half full person, but I think you know having that self-reflection but then being able to communicate what that is or figure it out. I I heard a lot about figuring it out from you and and it's and it it's great. Like I can say fine like right now I feel fine. I mean I have to go home and stuff piñatas for Spanish tonight, you know. Um right I'm thinking, you know, got to go home and stuff some piñata. But um but I'm feeling f like I am in the green and I am calm and I like to find the other words besides fine is
119what we're building. We're building their vocabulary. We're building all those emot there are a ton of emotion words. So that we don't use. So it also connects us as a community. Each classroom um has individual charters where they it's basically like setting up with the students. So all together they do the class rules and then they agree how they're going to be kind to each other, what they're going to do, what how it's going to um what the actions are going to be in the classroom. And so by doing that framework, they all sign it. It's like creating a charter uh for the classroom and then they refer back to it all year long. So that that's another way that kind of pulls this all together. Yeah. You know, in the school. So yeah, but
120you know, Mrs. Mcuan is right. I mean, they can point to it more so they can express it, but we keep revisiting the vocabulary over and over and it just keeps building it for them. Yeah, it is hard to express themselves. Yeah. Um, so if there aren't any, I'll just kind of segue to the to the middle school and Miss Hickey. Um, and I'll let her do the talk, but I'll tell you, it's been great at the elementary level. And Miss Hickeyi, as you know from the FCL presentation last year, we've done an amazing job as has I suppose that there's even more that has happened since then. So, I'll let her currently. So, a majority of you were last year at the instructional rounds. So, thank you so much for coming because I think
121it showed that we have advisory models at TMS. So, every day for the first 12 minutes, every single day at TMS, they start with advisory lessons. And the advisory lessons allow us one voice, one community. So, all of the teachers are in advisory. Every single student is advisory. And then Tony Spangle and I are popping into various advisories throughout. Um, it allows us to be proactive. Um, it allows us to be reactive when something happens because we get together as a committee and we say, "This is what we need. This is what we're hearing from students and we're creating lessons on effective communication." Um, as a result, um, we're still sticking with the 20-minute advisory lessons. We did debate as a school like, should sixth grade, there's a big difference between sixth graders and eighth
122graders. Should they have the same lessons or should we do a sixth grade lesson, seventh grade lesson, and eighth grade lesson? And what we ultimately decided after looking at all of the qualitative and quantitative feedback, which was wonderful, there was a we have to keep going, um, was the the momentum that you build when every single person in a school building is using the exact same language. So, if you're a teacher, and this was a story that a teacher shared last year, she was in the hallway and she heard some unkind communication and she just went straight to the advisory lesson. was that that was taught this morning like hey what do you mean when you say that? Do you remember that we just learned that that's powerful for everyone to be able to use
123that language? Um our advisory lessons are built on the ruler pillars. So we do we start with a student charter. I think the biggest moment for me last year was when all students had to say like the top three ways that they were that they wanted to feel when they were at TMS. And then we took all of those responses and then 30 students got together as a student advisory and we we basically took the 15 top responses by students and we created our charter out of it. And then we sent the student advisory created charter to the full student body again and said vote yes or no on whether or not you agree with this charter. And we had 96% of students say yes, we agree with this charter. The number one way that
124students said they wanted to feel was safe, right? Um, this year we didn't do a oops, we already have a school charter, we could skip charter. Um, this year we went back like vote on the charter from last year. Do you have feedback on what you want to move forward with? Student advisory came together. There's our student charter. Um, came together and they said is kind of big like is that physical safety? Is that emotional safety? What is safe? So they added safe and secure which was awesome. The most awesome conversation I listened to was sixth, seventh and eighth graders. They wanted to add something about being included. Like acceptance is different than included or inclusive. And for 30 minutes I just sat there and listened to students debating the difference between included and inclusive.
125And it was a very big reminder of middle schoolers are so cool because they are so smart, so capable, so vulnerable, so odd. Um, and then they're having this wonderful, amazing conversation that sounds like you're just listening to well-trained adults from Yale talking about included versus inclusive. And so that was added to the charter and all the students agreed and the percentage went up from what the students revised which was amazing. Um each lesson topic we do a lot of Google forms a lot of feedback from the students and the staff to see how it's going. So last year we had some staff that said like I have a really reticent uh or tacetern depends on the student um they're different um advisory and so for part of the er days of PD that we
126led as a committee was how to effectively communicate how to get people to open up their shells. here's some tier one instructional strategies that you could use not only in advisory but also in the classroom in order to promote active listening response without it being forced. Um so you're also working on those skills I think. So SEAL became huge um during COVID and people attributed it incorrectly to like your well-being and it's so much more than that. It's in curriculum. You're educating students on self-efficacy and pushing themselves to the next level. You're educating students on the relationship building on the portrait of the graduate that you see like that is the learning that's behind the components. Um last year you saw a sample when you visited instructional rounds on the blueprint. Um I love when
127students are like I know Mississippi intent versus impact. It's like I love that you're saying that to me. I know you're saying it sarcastically and we have work to do and it's a little reactive instead of proactive, but the fact that you're saying I know intent versus impact like that's big because then you could have that conversation and start unpacking it with them. Um, and then that started our educational component process. So when students do get into something or they make a poor decision, right, behavior is a form of communication and there's no bad kid, right? I always tell students when I'm having those conversations with you, you're not a bad kid. Like I don't think there's no bad kid. There's a poor choice that has been made. Let's unpack it a little bit. And
128they're coming with the skills. Dr. Wlette's kind of showing one of them. Um where what the students do is they say there's two students that get into a verbal back and forth. Um rather than be punitive, um they fill out an intent versus impact separately. they review it with their counselor separately and then you're able to really bring them together for immediation and they move forward. And what we've seen is repeat offenses have gone way down. Sometimes there's punitive consequences. We live by the handbook, but you always match them with that educational component or restorative piece so that they're learning as they're growing and moving forward. Um the successes this year and this is is not me by the way. I came in and there was a amazing seal committee that put in this 12
129minute advisory and they were ready to go. Um I was kind of the guide on the side of I had an advisory community thing. This is what I learned not to do before we even go there. Um and I was just it's the internal expertise that shines. Um when we started um it was kind of really hesitant of what to do like is are all the staff going to want to do this? I went in October of 2024 to the ruler training. I chose five staff that I barely knew yet um to go with me. And that was we realized when we went back the number one thing they said at that training was like the buyin's the hardest part. The buyin's the hardest part. Some people aren't going to want to do this. They
130were ready for it. I felt like the luckiest principle in the world where everyone was just like nope. We're doing it. We're moving forward. It is on some levels what you want to make of it. So the um committee does make the slides, we share it the Thursday before um they go out the next week or if it's a heavier topic or if it's an extended advisory, we actually have committee members present at the faculty meeting, get staff feedback. I present it to student advisory. I get their feedback. Um and then and then we present it to all students. So it's been seen by different stakeholders. Um, our qualitative and quantitative data last year was superb in terms of shared vision. Students saying that they feel they feel safe when they're at the school, that
131they can connect with a trusted adult, that students respect students, students respect each other's differences. All of those went considerably um in the positive direction, which is fantastic. Um, we have been in continued conversation with Yale, so they heard about us, which is great. um and they asked, "Can we come see you?" So, this past October, the five like directors of Yale, um no big deal. Um sent me a very large like please fill out all of these qu they sent me a lot of questions and I thought I was supposed to fill them out and take a lot of time like we didn't mean we didn't think we didn't mean for you to fill them all out. The SEO is pretty crazy. Um and they're invested and dedicated. So they came and saw an
132extended advisory different one than what you would have seen last year and then they gave us some feedback and then they really it was a wonderful thing like impetus in the beginning of the year for them to say you are like what we want to see this is absolutely amazing. um they asked us to apply as a spotlight school um for the following year. That would be a national recognition and they have asked us to apply to do a presentation at their national conference in October 2025. Um at the same time, I think I'm starting to think like I should be getting paper there. Give it to committee. Um at the Connecticut Association of Schools, almost like every single an administrator from almost every single district was at the CASP. um learning like um conference
133that just happens and Ruler was one of the sponsors and I got down to my computer and one of the directors at Ruler said you just walked by me come back out here I want to talk to you gave a huge shout out was telling other principles like Taland got it right and this isn't a recognition of me this is the students and the staff and it's great for Taland um a administrator close to us just asked if they could come in and see us and then an administrator reached out um from another district and said, "Can we come see you?" The committee, I said, "That's not my choice. That's the committee's choice." Um, I brought it up to them like, "How do you feel welcoming more people in? I know the board of ed
134already did it. Um, people kind of want to meet with you, see what we're doing, how we're like kind of gaining this momentum and the buy in." Um, that principle came with two staff members um and left feeling renewed and energized and like they can do it because they're where we were two years ago. Um, and it's helpful. We're lifelong learners. We're learning from that from that experience. We know, oh, we could absolutely tweak that. Like, we're not the epitome at all of Ruler. We have a lot to go and a lot of places to to grow. Um, but it's it's testament that we're on the right track and how important it is that other people and districts want in. Um, three teachers just were accepted. They did a proposal to NELMs, um, the New
135England Middle School, um, and League of Middle School. League of Middle Schools and they were accepted. So, three um staff that are on the committee went and presented in Springfield um as well regarding that program and have had outreach throughout and the teachers aren't looking for recognition. They in many ways almost should be um that's if you talk to one of them like this is just making me happy teaching. Like I love creating these slides. I love the difference that I'm making. Like I don't want anything from these districts. they've been talking to the the teachers that visited us. They're still in communication sharing back and forth materials, which is fantastic. Um, moving forward, the one piece that we're working on is that student agency piece. So, it's interesting to hear what's going on and
136the conversations you have to have with the little ones and then like that's very different but not so different from what's going on at the middle school. I think we get a little bit a not so different a little bit more into the nuances behind how you're feeling. So like red is good. Like you want to advocate you're angry. What could you be doing? Like a persuasive essay would be fantastic, right? You don't want to be in the red or in the yellow and seeming all happy if you have good social awareness and you're entering an event where that wouldn't be the right thing to be in that situation. So that Yeah, that that self-awareness and that social awareness is is huge and pivotal and just helps them be better. Um, our big tagline this
137year really I think we've gravitated from be curious not judgmental to just be your best self like are you being the best self that you could be with the notion that your best self doesn't have to be in the yellow or the green. Um, your best self is where you are at that moment and what you could do for yourself and other people with where you are in that moment without offending anyone and moving yourself backwards like fail forward and have that self-efficacy. Um, the portrait of the graduate is through it all that student agency piece um student advisory is now looking at advisory lessons ahead of time. They have asked that the committee meets during the day so that the student advisory and the committee could combine to do it together. And I think
138that the middle school students are ready to take on that work and to lead the work. They're the ones living it. So when we're staff and we're doing a Facebook example and they're like, "Oh, Facebook, that's so adult." Like we do, we do need to know what they're living because we didn't have cell phones when we were their age. We didn't need the meta moment that right when I picked up the phone that gave me a meta moment. Um, they have everything at their fingertips to be able to quickly make a mistake without thinking. And that space between event and response is so important, especially at the middle school level and with the teenage brain where the frontal cortex isn't quite fully developed yet. Um, year three, we're just going to continue increasing this student
139agency piece. Um, partnering because I think there's so much wonderful things that come if you have a group of staff and a group of students working together creating something that all staff and students are getting. Like that's so powerful and it makes me have goosebumps quite frankly. Um, other partnerships too. Um, the PTO um is growing. Um, they're awesome. Thank you for going on in. Um, and they were like, "Our kids just don't know how to study." Like they know they know what to study, just they don't know how to study. Um, so we brought that back to the committee and we were and we were like, there are like different types of learning. So we started talking a little bit about Howard Garner and multiple intelligence theory and do students even know if they're
140more of an auditory learner or a visual learner or a kinesthetic. Um, and we had a two-eek advisory on not only what type of learner are you, but if you're a certain type of learner, what are some studying skills that you could use in order that would best help you as a type of learner? Here's how you could study if you're kinesthetic. Here's how you could study if you're auditory or visual. Um, and then shared that with the PTO before it went out and they were very thankful as well. So, I think continuing that stakeholder buyin while also making sure it's not just a morning thing. um our last event of our pep rally was students had to plot the ruler. Um they were all dressed in the four colors of the mood meter. Those
141were the four teams for the relay and their very last task after they did the toilet paper and every this was student advisory helped create this whole pep rally which was amazing. Um, their last task was to flip over a piece of poster, diagram the four colors and diagram where the two what words would go in each quadrant and then high-five the falcon in the middle of the court to end the pep rally. Um, and get it into the curriculum more. Um, you could diagram Hamlet's speech by looking at the mood meter and realizing just how complex of a character he is in that moment. Um, and you could talk about chemistry and combustion. there's a lot um that can embed into the actual curriculum and I think that's teachers are doing it really well.
142They just started talking about the Civil War. They had some meta moment like how can you effectively communicate about this without offending anyone? Um how can you have these deep tougher conversations with while being effective with the person that may disagree? Like we don't all have to agree but we have to respect the person next to us. And how can we do that? Um, and it's helping. I I don't know. I didn't get I could talk forever. So, a quick comment, I guess. I I think one of the first things that you had said to us when we met you last year, I I believe I believe it was you. If it was not, I'm so sorry, but I won't remember it. But I remember sitting in that room and and and listening to you
143say I think that middle school is sort of the forgotten age. middle school students are the sort of forgotten, you know, it's the forgotten age where, you know, not all the attention, you know, not within that building, but I guess from a general oversight, you know, point of view, um, gets the attention they deserve. And this whole plan, I think, sort of contributes towards getting rid of that stigma of of, you know, well, the middle school kids, they just got to get through middle school for the next three years and then they're at high school and that's when we really have to worry about No, we really have to worry about how they feel when they go into sixth grade. We really have to worry about seventh grade is different than than sixth grade and
144eighth grade is way different from from sixth grade. not necessarily a question, but even from a year and a half ago, everything you said there still holds true now. And that everything you're doing with the u with the um content, I mean, it it goes back to everything you told us again a while ago. So, well done. I mean, this is this is I'm going to take I'm definitely we're doing a a month-long unit in my program right now and some of the things that I'm hearing tonight between I mean, the mood meter and all the things at the middle school level especially um because that's where that's the level I'm I I work with um I mean is tremendous and I could see I could see the students I I I can visualize who
145this would impact in my program and I'm sure you feel very similar in man this this this particular student you know he could really do well if we just if we just maybe dug here for 12 minutes every morning, you know, whatever it is. So, so bravo. This is this is this is exciting. This is great. I will say the students in advisory this year, last year we had to do some PD tier one strategies, how to open them up because they were used to it. They came in and they we started shifting our strategies. The students now want to act out scenarios. The students want to get up and moving. They want to plot the words and where they belong. So, we've become much more hands-on and scenarios based because we're going by what
146the students need at that moment. So, it's exciting to move forward to Thank you. Thank you. I don't know. It's past my bedtime. Kind of hard to follow this group, honestly. So, I'm Celeste Estz. I am at the middle school. So, I'm in the library, but I'm pretty much everywhere in the building. So honestly, you know, my tagline when you all came to visit, you know, I've been, this is my 35th year teaching. So I've been doing it for a little while. And, you know, like Miss Reynolds said earlier, you know, we entered I entered this profession because I did want to make a difference. And I always said, you know, if if my kids could leave me just a little bit better. Not only they learned more, but they lived a little bit better
147as a person, I would really feel like I made a difference in their lives. And you know, back then I, you know, had my little term was building a better human. That was, you know, somebody said, "Oh, you're a teacher. What do you teach?" And I said, "Well, I build better humans." Or what? So I we, you know, I always talked about that. But until we integrated Ruler into Talon Middle School, I never felt like there was a real way to do that to impact an entire community because what I was doing impacted my students and then they would go on to someone else and and maybe you know that approach wasn't the same. But what we're doing now in a very uniform way is we are helping an entire community of 453 students right
148now that we have at Tel Middle School all to become better humans. Right? You heard from your DECA kids tonight. These are kids who have great communication skills. They talked about you know their leadership, their connections. Um you know some of them talking about community service being you know communicating, listening. Think back through history like the people that are really successful, right? They have had an innate ability to have a very high degree of social in and emotional intelligence. But some people need that explicit instruction. Honestly, I think I can only imagine where I would be in my life if I had learned about the meta moment, right? because, you know, I'm fairly passionate and can be kind of aggressive sometimes and uh not physically aggressive, but and I think back like sometimes, whoa, if
149I had just been able to hit the pause button a little bit, right? recognize where I am on that mood meter because again all emotions matter and be able to like think about what I might say or what I might do and because that is a life skill and that will help our children our students and actually it's impacted all teachers to truly be better humans and if we are all better humans we are going to have an incredible community. So again, as a teacher, what we're doing is for me, it it makes the days better because again, I see the impact with kids. I see the impact with my colleagues and just like Miss Hickey said that, you know, we have a lesson going on and I can immediately have those conversations with kids.
150The two girls that came here tonight, we sat down today and we actually went through the mood meter and I said to them, where, you know, where are you right now? And we are, you know, again, using more vocabulary and being very precise in those feelings because it's not right for me to say you might be worried or I think are you anxious tonight? I don't want to say that. Or you know, somebody says, you know, I know you're really mad right now. You're like, I'm not mad right now. I'm I'm frustrated. But sometimes, right, like we have oftentimes, I know you're frustrated. We don't really know. So this idea now of communication we have with students is very different. So I said to the girls, I said, 'Well, where are you on the mood
151meter right now? So that really helped to frame their day and we actually talked about like depending on where they were, what were some strategies before they came here tonight. What were some things that they could do if they were going to if they were anxious, if they were worried, if they were nervous, what kinds of activities could they engage in to shift so that they could stand in front of you in this room that was so full of people? So these are very powerful tools that we are um helping kids to develop and these skills that as I already said they are going to you know carry them from now until you know they are no longer walking this earth and I truly believe they're going to have better relationships um interpersonal relationships with
152you know friends um you know loved ones and so forth because of the skills that we are now explicitly offering and building with our students and and our structure, the fact that we can do it every day when we revised our schedule. I mean, that was all very intentional. You know, Mrs. Hickey was not with us yet, but I stood up in front of a staff because I was in the rollout group and I said to people, we were extremely vulnerable and we said, "Look, we all want the same thing." But as I mentioned earlier, I was always working with my group of students. So, we had this monumental boulder that we were trying to but we were all trying to push that boulder by ourselves. Now we are all getting behind that and we
153are all pushing it and we are making that progress. So without this you know program and and that was the conversation that we had with teachers because we knew the buy in right because again middle school teachers are just like middle school kids. High school teachers are like high school kids. We are reflection of our students right and you know you had the people that were really worried. Well I'm not a social worker. I don't know how to deal with feelings. And but we said look if you are if those conversations come up we are going to you know consult with the experts in our building. We're going to talk with school counselor. We're going to talk to school psychologists. We are not asking you to be an expert in feelings or counseling. So we
154really had to work people through that but we said look our goal is all the same. We want kids to be able to learn but we want them to be available for learning. And we believe that this can help that happen and that if our kids are more emotionally regulated, you heard Mr. Swanson talk earlier that you frequently hear the term disregulated, emotionally disregulated and that is becoming more and more common. So what we're doing is absolutely addressing that those skills because we absolutely have to do um so I just leave you today that 35 years I finally am in a place where I know that as a whole school we are building better. So thank you Dr. Willlet and the rest of you has been supporting. Thank you. Thank you. So when you get
155cut off in the highway, you can be like, you're emotionally distracted. So just uh you know to again they they've done amazing things in the schools, the the staff, the admin. So so thankful to have them doing this hard work. Um so we've come a long way. Just just to wrap it up for you, I just want to point out Talin's an exemplar. You know, Talin's in the top five for our scores and you know, accountability and top scores for SATs and we're also exemplars in areas of social emotional learning. These guys have taken a long way. Nelms wants to have us there for presentations. Yale is coming to use this as an example. Got a great school system here and it's built on work of the staff that was there doing in the kids
156and behalf of the parents. So, just, you know, keep that in mind as going forward. just saw some great things tonight. It's a good way to kind of wrap that. Um all these great things work together. So, do you have any questions for our great team? Anybody? Go ahead. Um uh Mr. Gay, I heard you say um that the plans with the group and the advisory board um that there's a lot of professional development and a lot of time put into that hidden you. Can you advise as to when they're creating these curriculums or it are we doing the continued learning during PD days, early release days that can and and how much time that really you're putting a lot of work into this program, right? It's the entire school and it's starting actually it's
157starting at Birch Grove and building it. So what does that in in the nutshell look like when you guys are continuing to because like Jaden said very similar to what you said two years ago with such but it's still constantly evolving. You said you know you're still learning right the team is still learning. So what does that look like? So last year we were kind of flying the plane as we were building the plane. We we walked in and it was like oh god okay what are we doing two weeks from now and what are we doing? So this year what we did strategically over the summer was when we looked at like the the and this is just for the advisory lessons. Um we took the ruler pillars and we did just four quarters.
158So quarter one was going to be like the charter. We wanted to revisit revisit it. We wanted to do it right. If you're going to do it, do it right the first time. Father's word. Um and then the second quarter was all about the idea of emotions matter. and then quarter you keep build or metam moment and then emotions matter and then the blueprint. So it does the the pillars work well together because the language builds like you can't talk about intent versus impact if you can't pinpoint how you're feeling in the first place, right? Or why didn't you take a meta moment? Well, what does that mean? So it does a logical order. And then we also filled in what are some proactive topics that we know we want to do. So Veterans Day,
159gratitude, we knew we were going to want to do gratitude. Interestingly, the students feedback was what about gratitude for your like what gratitude for yourself would be good. We actually talked about how to receive gratitude when someone compliments you. It's very awkward. The students actually pulled and said, "We love giving more than receiving something because it's awkward to receive." So, we gave them strategies on how to. So, we're building them um we're discussing the lessons in committee work. And then there's really this is a team of seven right now. had seven staff members. We're dividing who's creating the lessons and then they're creating it on their own time outside of the committee and then they're sharing it electronically with certain people to get a view of it and you're trying to reach out to other
160staff members, share it with student advisory advisory meets once a month so they know what's upcoming. I get ideas from them. Um they wanted to do reporting versus snitching. So that is what we did was reporting versus snitching because that was very important to them. So then the seal committee brought their ideas back met as a committee saw what volunteers on the staff wanted to create it and those volunteers went out created it shared it with the committee shared it with the students and then implemented it. Um and there's a lot of work. Yeah. Um but it's worth it. Our hope is now we have two years right. So, but us two years ago is not the same as it will be two years from now. Um, so you do have a plan. We won't
161be building the plan as we're flying it. We are planned out until June right now with the lessons. Um, but that will provide us to that student agency piece like help make this better. Do we still need this lesson so that the students don't have to build it and fly it at the same time? Um, so that we could increase that component. Last year there was more PD because it was new for staff as we were also giving it to students. They had professional development prior to it. They knew the components of ruler. Some of them had been trained really well. Um but there was like how to implement it is different than what it is, right? Um, so when we talk like on the ER day we had how do what's the difference between
162like too much respect that it's almost a facade and not enough respect and the beauty of the middle and the uncomfortability of the middle and how to have courageous conversations if something comes up. Don't freeze, don't fight, don't flight, how to respond to that. And now that's actually what we're also trying to teach the students because we're more wellversed on it. Um so I think as we grow and that that type of professional development that's teacher run um this year the teachers got together right before school and we did our first well our second um staff charter. We revisited the one that was there when I got there which was a beautiful cheat sheet for a principal um and we redid it and we voted on it and we have our own staff order that
163is part of the staff bulletin every single week. The student charter is part of the digital backpack every single week um and starting to implement it in different ways. The Birch Grove committee meets once a month after school and we make those the lessons that I ran through tonight we make as a committee and we work on it and then we talk about feedback we've received from the teachers how it can go better. A lot of those slides have speaker notes at the bottom so that if a teacher isn't up on the meta moment or another aspect of ruler, they have the speaker notes at the bottom so they can just we wanted to make it as user friendly as possible to for all the teachers in the building to implement this in their classrooms.
164So we meet once a month to create these things. It's just so much work that you're I mean it's phenomenal. I mean, I appreciated it and sorry to keep going, but I appreciate it in the rounds and seeing it and seeing it live in the classrooms and then hearing you talk about it again tonight and how it's progressed just kind of brings it full circle. But there's so much time and effort put into it. But you all kind of connected the dots about how this chart I just read it, you know, I was mad, whatever, happy, you know, before I started to know about it. But then you're talking about how it encompasses in the educational aspect. It's not just, oh, you're sad. Let's put her in a bubble and that's not let's not hurt
165her feelings today. You know what I mean? I mean, that's how it all started in the beginning, right? That's not her his feelings today. But it's really that's not what it's about. That's not what it about at all. And it starts with that three-year-old who doesn't know how to use their emotions. And I just think it's phenomenal how it's you've kind of married it with the education so that every single learner can kind of open up and really receive that education. Some 30 year olds who don't know how many listen to it extends out into the world. But what I'd like to do is you know sorry I didn't mean to we are getting kind of close to 10. We do have Adam T also waving us. If you have any other questions, now be
166the time. But these guys been here all night and want to give them a chance. Absolutely. Let you go. Good luck on your We're making and they made their own piñatas and tomorrow. So they don't know what's going to be inside of them. Thank you. Will you be there? Yes, I will. Thank you. If you have leftovers, don't cut. What time does that start? Uh I believe the invitation said 4:15. Thank you all very much. having it was a good dry run for them. When they did phenomenally when are they in action? So they travel to Dearborn um the beginning of June. They'll be gone for two days, three days. So excited. Best of luck. Best of luck. Thank you. Thank you. All right, Dr. Will. Right. you have um we're going to slide all
167the way down to N1. All right. So, N1 um just wanted to bring it back to the board's attention. This was something the board had talked about before. We had Adam Teap. Adam Teap is back. Adam, can you hear us? I can. So, we've got I put his slide deck up from the previous presentation. Adam has worked with us as you know in the past as well with the FFC committee and the board. Um and so you did get a presentation not so long ago on it and tonight bringing back to you as the board had requested to have it come back. This would be a second review of the situation. Personally I think that the Birch Grove and THS options do have some real benefits for the district and then you know the you
168know there's a you know that they have a benefit and the risk is not not very high. Also, Pete Staba, he's been kind enough to hang in there, you know, all these hours, too. And so, Pete may or may not be available at the moment, but um but Pete, if you're there, too, just just, you know, let us know. Um so, does anybody have any further questions for for Adam? We were kind of looking to drill down to getting to a point tonight, if it's possible, um there is a motion that is in the um that's in the folder. This motion would be to allow us to proceed a motion to authorize the superintendent schools to negotiate an agreement with Green Skies and to include any other necessary parties. Um, and that would be something
169that would come to you anyway. Whatever agreement would be negotiated would be brought to you. So, what we're looking to do tonight is see if we can move this forward so that we can um you know start to to benefit or get some of the benefit of of this in the long term. Correct. Right. Yeah. So, I just want to revisit what we were hoping to revisit after the first conversation in regards to the concern of the uh payment, I guess, from the to see if it could be applied to our electrical bill or whatever if there was any I don't know um conversation about that with Ever Source or whomever it was. Yeah. Yeah. So, we could we could very easily convert this into something that looks, you know, basically more like a PPA,
170more like um something that will directly uh positively benefit your electric bill as opposed to a lease payment coming in like in the in the form of like a a check. So, that's very doable. Yeah, because that was one of my main concerns. I just didn't want the town seeing us get revenue and potentially try to offset our budget or whatever the case may be. But if it directly applied to our energy bill, then well, I think that would benefit the the board a lot better in having that kind of conversation. Yeah. So, and everyone does benefit. I know Pete Sta, did you have anything you wanted to throw out there, too? I want to make sure you waited for so long. Did you have anything you want to add just to what I had
171said or? Sorry guys, my uh ruler level says I'm very tired at this point of the night here. So, um but um I have to piggyback on Adam's thoughts there. It's uh it's going to be more transparent to have it show up as a credit uh towards a power bill. uh very similar to what we see with the virtual net metering credits now that come from the town that they apply to two separate meters. One being the high school meter and one being one of the two meters at Holland Middle School. Um I I think it just makes it much cleaner. Uh, and I think it makes it easier for us to attract and it's going to make it uh, quite honestly a little more easy to budget too because uh, we keep that, you
172know, we keep track of all of our expenses on an energy manager software platform. So I I think it's the better way to go. Dan, for FFC, do you have any comments? Nothing directly from FFC. Then tell you what, why don't we check the temperature? Entertain the motion. We get it back up there. Make a motion to authorize the superintendent of the school to negotiate an agreement with Green Skies and include any other necessary parties. Should I add for the plan for the high school and Birch Grove? You could add. Yes, you could. You don't. You don't have to do that because it'll it was coming back to you guys anyway. Okay. I would second. What was that, Dan? I would second. Discussion question. Did he Did Dan second the addition to his motion? His
173complete motion. The complete. Okay, I got you. Just for clarification. Any other discussion? Participants on so I can see. All right. Say something. Just hedging my bets. Look, it gives me so you can have it. All right. Kaden. Hi, Reie. Hi. Hi, Bren. Hi, Bill. Hi, Hi Dana. Hi, Katie. Hi, Dan. Hi. Motion passes. Adam, thank you uh for for participating on the call. We appreciate you staying up. Pete as well stay up. Thank you. Thank you so much. Absolutely. Thanks everybody. All right, moving on. Public participation comments to be linked items on the agenda. Anybody in the room, please raise your hand online, raise your Zoom hand and be recognized. All of those people are here. It's all us. All right. Public participation closed. As discussed, there is no executive session. Points of information.
174Would anybody from the board like to speak real quick? I should have acknowledged you with the rest of the educators in this room earlier. Dr. Willlet, I appreciate you. Your acknowledgement is coming. I promise. Thanks. Get yourself a water. Well, fair. I know. I know. Now, shoot. I got like just leave kitchen cabinet or something instead of lugging them back and forth. You know what? To be a frank, you know, last month was born appreciation month. Oh, goodness. to continue, but I'm going to give you each vir. All right, Dr. Willlet, you want to talk about the instructional round on May the 1st? Uh, yeah. This is um you'll notice that the time has been shortened because it was well on the on the board agenda. Um, maybe not because it was a copy paste,
175but if you look at what I sent out to the board on dashboard, it's been narrowed in time. So, it's it's two or three hour block. Should be easier to to hit. It take maybe the afternoon. Where is it? Um, and then it's going to start probably at the high school um, but I'll make sure that you know that and it won't be going between schools. It'll just be one place and it'll likely be the high school. All right. Yes. Motion to give it to. All right. Hi. I got I Brian. Hi. Bill. Hi. I Dana. Hi. Katie. Hi. Dance. Hi. Thank you all. Have a great evening. 5