001Josh, is Gary here yet? >> I don't have anyone online. >> Okay. Well, then we will assume that he will be checking in uh at his at the ability to do so. So I will call the meeting to order recognizing the role that the four members of the committee minus uh Bill Knight who's excused are here anticipating Mr. Ukalito will be here. And [clears throat] now is Marissa on there somewhere? >> No, she's not. >> She's going to watch it afterwards. Oh, she gonna watch it so she can take these four >> afterwards for those purposes. Okay. Uh, first thing I want to do is to ask for a motion to approve the agenda. I would like to suggest in this approval that we switch items 6A and 6B so as to have the community
002partner report first and then the school building report. So I suppose you will make that motion. >> Uh yes. So moved >> and I will second and do you agree? >> Okay. Approval of minutes. We have suggested changes uh via the clerk to the minutes and they would include under the public's participation part this paragraph. AP and KB spoke about their concerns on the following. Torrent intermediate school playground, the Gaga pits, recess time, not enough basketball hoops, and and I think this is the new part, spoke about the Raider mascots specific to grades four through six. KB also praised the leadership at Touring for Southwest Elementary Schools. I have copies of that for anyone who wants to pick one up right after the meeting. I'm looking for a motion to approve the minutes with those
003changes. >> Approval with changes. >> Second that. All those in favor. We have our minutes. We have minutes. Public participation. Mrs. Flexley. Now I have to read the spiel, but uh would you come up please? and members of the public and staff may bring to the committee's attention information, ideas, or matters of concern related to all the duties and responsibilities of this committee. This committee will not allow comments regarding specific staff members or personal grievances. The time for individual remarks will be aortioned according to the number of speakers will be limited to five minutes per speaker unless extended to the chair. And considering the length of our agenda tonight, I will not be extending that. But we have only one speaker, I believe. Right. >> Thank you for remembering my name. That's that's very nice.
004Uh good evening, school improvement committee members, Torington faculty, administrators, and Torington community members at large. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak tonight as [cough] a parent of a fourth grader, as his advocate, and as his voice. I read through the Torington Intermediate School team's presentation in the school improvement committee packet prior to composing my remarks. I was heartened to read on the next steps page under budgetary supports on slide 19 of 26, the word playground. I very much anticipate hearing more from you directly on that. Um, it's regrettable that my only opportunity to speak is now before I have a chance to hear what you say. But I do hope in the future there will be opportunities to engage in a contemporaneous discussion. Um, so as a parent of a fourth grader,
005I offer the following comments. First, I'd like it to be known and acknowledged that this school is home to approximately 20 to 25% of all students enrolled in the Jordan public schools. Um, students in grade four were three years old when the world shut down in March 2020. Some, like my son, did not have the opportunity to go back to preschool as his preschool was repurposed for school age children attending remote learning. Some did not have the chance to go to preschool at all. As a result, many parents chose to defer kindergarten enrollment from August 2020 to August 2021. And this has resulted in class sizes consistently being close to the maximum 25 pupils every year since kindergarten. Um, not only is fourth grade unusually large in numbers, but it also has a wide range
006of ages and abilities. Students who are still 8 years old are in class with students who have already turned 10. Learning has been a challenge for teachers and students alike since kindergarten. TIS is at least the second school they've attended and the second transition they've made. Every year their education has been met with challenges. Every year they have been asked to make concessions and to give up essential parts of their childhood. They don't understand phrases like transition years and budget limitations. They will not remember an expensive new curriculum or a standardized test score they received. They will remember whether or not we notice, listen, and believe what they are telling us and whether or not we vigorously advocate for them or if we ignore them and tell them again, be patient. It's a transition year.
007Every day that passes, without adequate outdoor play, our children miss opportunities to be physically and to physically and socially develop, problem solve, think creatively, pray, play freely, breathe fresh air, and laugh out loud with abandon without being told to be quiet. Every day that passes, where test scores are considered our top priority, our children miss a part of their childhood they can never get back. No pursuit of academic distinction should come before each and every one of the nearly 1,000 children here have their social, physical, and emotional needs met. The teachers are doing a phenomenal job building community and making the classrooms feel welcoming. There are many many wonderful educators who are working tirelessly to make the best possible school experience for the students. I recognize and acknowledge their hard work, personal sacrifices, and dedication.
008And I sincerely thank you all. The children here are strong, resilient, brave, and courageous. They are succeeding despite disappointments and adult choices they have no control over. But I say the time for us to figure out how to deliver a school experience they deserve is long overdue. The physical education program um and the pass rate for students on standardized physical fitness test is already on this board's radar. Outcomes razor tells us not to complicate. Before diving into the physical education program, I submit that prioritizing physical activities and movement, specifically prioritizing ta daily access to recess and free play is the least complicated way to improve wellness. Before we focus on blue ribbons or top school distinctions, I respectfully request members of this board, district, and the leadership here honor the commitment to elementary students and
009elementary education as it was presented during the redistricting budgetary voting process. Our students will never realize their fall academic potential as measured by any any standardized assessment, attendance record, Swiss report, or any other data point until this happens. And now I have a list of ways we can accomplish this starting tonight. >> Okay, you are at five minutes. How much is your list going on? >> I [clears throat] don't know. If you'd like, I can submit it for you. >> Submit it in writing. I'd appreciate the chance to sit it down and read it at my at my leisure so I can think more about it. >> So, you like me to stop talking now? >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Community partner report. Kim Hughes. >> Hi. So, can I just interrupt one
010second? No worries. I want to just acknowledge Kristen Gadman too, our food services director who was good enough to reach out to Kim Hughes and I don't know Kristen if you want to give a little introduction so that Kim [laughter] is >> yeah I this is an important partnership and you would not exist without you. Yeah. >> Two years two years ago Kim came into our lives >> one year ago two. Okay. So, a year ago, I stand corrected. Kim came into our lives with all the grant funding we have received state, federally, um the additional grant I received through CT grown for kids. She has been a amazing partner in connecting us with local farms. Um being able to utilize all the funds that we have received in pre-purchase agreements with farms that had
011dates of when money had to be used. uh we are now working on three different pre-purchase agreements for this school year. So it ensured all the funding for this year. She has really been the middleman in everything for us and she works with Yukon extension >> and came on board through the state of Connecticut. >> Yeah. Thank you. So that I'm going to reverse shine the light on on the work that you do as well. Hopefully you see that. So, I I I'm just going to um just put these on your desk and I'll collect them. And I know I don't have too too much time, but just to have a browse. I just have a couple left. These are um cookbooks that were made by people like Kristen um in um you know by
012people in Connecticut that school food directors who know what it means to be in a school kitchen and meet all of the guidelines that um it require you know that are required to put food on on students lunch trays. So everything that Kristen said yes wholeheartedly. And now I'm going to provide just a little bit of context. I think that will be helpful because I I'm new. I mean, we sit kind of at the top, you know, over the top. I'm supporting Kristen and and um I support a lot of all all districts in the Northwest region. And the best part is is when someone makes it easy and someone reaches out to me and is like, "Yeah, I want help." And that's thank you. Okay, so that makes it really easy and good. So
013again, my name is Kim Hughes and I am a farmtoschool regional coordinator. I work for um Yukon Extension. Okay, there are five of us. There are five regional coordinators. I think it's just so good to get this part right and how everybody works together because I think that's kind of new, too. Like that makes this a great time because we're all working together. We are working on behalf of the state department of education, the nutrition services um part of the state department of education and we're connected to the state department of agg. So that makes sense. We're like crossing silos and in the last legislative session we just got more money so that this money has existed. There was federal money and Kristen has done an amazing job of utilizing those funds and we had
014state money. Again, she mentioned forward contracts. Not everybody was ready to take action. You were awesome. And now we have more money. So, this is local food procurement incentive fund money. Um, that is now now we have more money coming from the state. Okay. That was approved in the last legislative session. um uh I think almost 3 million between this school year and next school year and then we'll do it again and ask for more and there's grant funding as well which Kristen and Torington has benefited from and we will you know working together keep asking for and and looking for more so amazing things are happening in the cafeteria but if you heard me in the beginning I'm a farmtoschool coordinator here. So, I'm going to Is this Is it okay if I just
015draw something on this really quick? So, just I thought it was simpler. Thank you. Thank you. This is Connecticut Fresh Ed. Um, that's another name for it really. Connecticut Fresh Ed, but here's a really important piece. Here's the cafeteria. Here's even make that out. Here's the cafeteria. Here's the classroom. And here's community. Okay. So what's important is that like farm to school is food. It's about where it comes from, who grows it. It's about who prepares it, and it's about the eating of it. And then it's also about like what you do with it afterwards. But we're focused on that first part now. And though what makes it really um like a sustainable program in our schools though is understanding that all of these activities and Kristen named quite a few that hover around here
016and and connect the classroom and community, but there are activities that can happen in all of these areas at your schools. Um and then it's connect it's that's amazing in and of itself. Um a taste test in the cafeteria. um a school garden. You know, those are amazing things, but it's the fact that there are people that that there's a program, it's a mindset, a farm to school mindset that's connecting the dots between all those. A school garden isn't just kids going outside, which is amazing by the way, right? Using their bodies, a like being aware, more aware of themselves, their agency. They can grow their own food. Wow. You know, so that's amazing. But what if they the school garden and the teachers that take their kids out to the garden connect with Kristen
017and are like, "Hey, what if we grow something?" Um, can you use it in the cafeteria? Or do you have any relationships with farmers, Kristen? Can we connect? Can we have the farmer come and show us how to grow something in the school garden? This is this is a drop in the bucket. So, there's just so much potential, so much future. Um, and what's important is that you guys have a really strong start in the cafeteria with Kristen's leadership. And I mean then there's more to come, more exciting things to come there. Okay. So, the Department of Ed, Yukon Extension, Department of A utilizing these funds for local food procurement, like getting more local food on trades and um and the grant funding to do all of these things like the school gardens, like it
018some of this grant funding even helps the farmers grow in your community. Um you know, where now the money is being received in your community, right? when you're purchasing from a local farmer instead of, you know, from a huge regional source or even across the country. So, um, Kim, could I just if you could emphasize that because I think that's important is that it's local farms that we're working with, right? Um, because they're our community partners, right? >> Community equals farmers really first and foremost here. >> And and Yeah. and your local and your we were just connecting just before this some news that a local um farmer or organization food forthought it's called they grow hydroponic lettuce right [snorts] here you are purchasing from them there's even an amplifier don't quote me but it's
019it's it's there's an amplifier effect when you purchase from local farms and you um keep that money in your community right um [cough and clears throat] and and So like again food and where it comes from, who grows it, who's preparing it, and who's eating it. It's uplifting those farmers. The role of the farmers, by the way, who takes care of the land better than our local farmers? So it's money, it's health, it's um it's so much more. I could go on and on. I'm aware of our time. How much more time do I have? >> Well, about five minutes. Five minutes. Thank you. I want to ask questions. I'll take that five minutes and I'll I'll try to wrap things up. I've got business cards too with that has we we I wrote my
020name on it so hopefully you can read my handwriting but you know how I'll make sure you know how to reach me. Okay. So um so [clears throat] I keep referring to farm to school. It is I mean it can be a little nebulous I guess but again you know keeping in mind food and where it comes from I mean and and how it's prepared and who's eating it can be actually an amazing way you know we talked about the farmers we talked about the importance of the staff you know everybody doing the work in the cafeteria the exciting things happening there and um I also mentioned things like the um the the garden I mean it's just it's, you know, food and where it comes from turns out is a really great way to
021educate our our children as well. So, um, and again, giving them a sense of agency, um, learning about their health. Let's let's just take an example really quick, like imagine this is something that's happening, you know, has happened in the cafeteria. Um, taste tests. So, first creating this awesome inviting um, atmosphere. The atmosphere that you create with your staff is like it's it's it's it's the it is the very definition of warm and welcoming. So, a cafeteria where your students eat, you want this to be a good safe place. Thank you for creating a safe place. So, trust is built. I'm there. Kristen's there. The staff is there. Try this. I don't think so. Okay. You know what? You're in charge. You're in charge of you. You get to decide. But let me tell you
022about what this food item is and like the love that it was prepared with. And so, you know, maybe they try it, maybe they don't, but they're curious about it and we have the, you know, the whole cucumber, the whole squash on display. So, they're seeing something maybe they've never seen before. And we haven't done this yet, but we talked about this. I don't I haven't done it with you. Maybe you've done it, but um bringing the farmer in to talk about what that process, what it looks like to grow that item. And then um then you know the students are are trying it and then what happens if you give them the opportunity to grow that food item you know during the school day and then nurture it, take care of it, understand what
023it takes to grow food. I mean just the connections are limitless. I think that's just one example. I I would love to come and talk more um and offer more examples that Connecticut fresh ed that website that was up there that is a department of ed website that is the new name it's newly launched that is farm to school in Connecticut now it's called Connecticut fresh ed and you'll hear you if you read I it's so well done I think that's a great thing that you know all of these important partners are on board and they're speaking the same language you can learn a lot from that website. Okay. So, um we have started in the cafeteria, started with those incentive dollars, putting money in the pockets of local farmers and and doing the work.
024And I'm here, we're here just for one year. And here's what's next. The Department of Ed has worked out something called the compass. The compass is a farm-to-school assessment tool, as Kristen knows, where of all the things I talked about, the cafeteria classroom community, it's an assessment tool that says like, where are you at? Okay, so maybe you're pretty strong in cafeteria, but oo, I have we haven't gone into the classroom in this or that way or we haven't connected with the community in this or that way. It there's no right or wrong. You have this assessment. It's a baseline. So then it helps you figure out where you want to go next. And again, regional coordinators are here to help take those next steps. So more local money coming this more state local money
025coming. And um the there's a lot to come. I hope I get to come back and talk and I hope I see you at like the next taste taste test or or another event that that we can all um where we can all see this on in action. So yeah, I'm I'm my my mind is racing. I love it. I grew up on a farm far far away, but I grew up on a farm, so it's like it's in me. I think all of us, the regional coordinators, we know what our why is. Okay, we know why we're here. So, so thank you. Questions? >> Okay, I'll take first question. >> Uh, thank you for your not only what your program and what you're doing, but for the enthusiastic presentation. Uh, I'm a fan of
026farmers. My mother grew up on the farm. Uh I'm the first generation off the farm. How exactly do we engage farmers? Do they come to us? Do we go to them? >> Yeah. So yeah, both. Um so even before the regional coordinators got here um we did Yukon extension has a very strong um farmer programs where they support new farmers, young farmers, um farmers interested in connecting to like climate practices just as an example. And so we we have conversations I have conversations with other school food directors. Who do you want to work with? Who do you see? Who's at your farmers market? Who do you know trying to connect the dots of of you know what you do outside of school is what you can do inside of school, right? So you you all
027have this great resource though. It makes it does make a lot of sense. I wish we had more. And that is the idea of a food hub. So there's the Northwest Connecticut Food Hub and this is a farmer farmer like every penny almost goes right back to the farmers. Farmers get to farm and they send their stuff to this food hub. So that works for many farmers. That means through the food hub you're reaching many me so many farmers in this area. And you know, logistically for Kristen that meets a lot of important needs, but when do you know who do you want to connect with? Let's reach out to them. Let's make sure that they you know know who we are. Um know what it means to sell you know to schools. We have
028lots of support people including myself but including another person who's [clears throat] totally dedicated as a farmer liaison she's called. and these farmers can supply the quantities that we need for a program as large as ours. >> Um, food hub. So, no, it that's that's one of the many things that goes into the decision making process like, ooh, can this work? um for a district the size of Torington. Um I think that's probably one of the reasons the food hub is your main vendor in local food because again all of the little farmers get to take their stuff literally take they're an aggregator this food hub they're just aggregating the veg and then they're taking orders from Kristen. So if if one farm doesn't have enough carrots, they can pull carrots from like three farms
029in the area. And though if there's a local local like who who's closest to you geographically? If there's a farmer, if if if there someone has students in the school, like let's, you know, let's go engage with them and figure out how we could, you know, how we can work together, right? Like they could supply veg if, you know, besides they could supply veg for an event or a taste, you know, there's so many options and ways to connect, I would say. Does that make sense to you? >> I feel like we've connected a lot. So, I'm like speaking, I feel like tell me if I'm like telling stories. Yeah. No, and we know it, so it's it's hard to explain. I mean, we buy honey >> um from my neighbor and that's right in
030Winchester Center. Um Joanne does a great job. She we use the honey for our honey glaze carrots. Um she has her beehives back there. I see them every day. She has her apple orchards. Um it really is amazing. There's um different farms that do salsa, marinara. be huge those >> really interesting things >> and things that can work in small quantities too. >> There's many opportunities for different things. Ground beef, >> herbs, ground beef. Yeah. Things that really >> wait for yogurt or yogurt. >> Yogurt. Okay. >> Okay. We have a question from a committee member who works for the state. >> So, food safety. Is the honey raw? >> No. >> Oh, thank God. [laughter] >> There. No. There are a lot. Yeah. >> Do you have any idea how many? Because of raw
031honey. >> No. I was like, "Oh my god." No. >> I go I go get it. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Yeah. Exactly. And um there are lots of food safety um protocols that are in place. Um and that's part of the specialty of the farmer farmer layon. Um, in fact, I just on that note, I don't know if you saw in the most recent round of grants, the the food hub itself, who again works with all lots and lots of the local farmers right here in the Northwest, she is got money to um I'm not super, you might know it, like she it's money that's going to help them become FISMA compliant. >> Okay? And that's a really big deal and that's really really hard for small farmers. But there all are lots of good
032ways even small farmers though watch stations making things are separate all you know there is a nice checklist that all of the farmers that we work with. >> Yeah. It's all washed. It's all clean comes to us everything. It's beautiful stuff that comes in. >> Yeah. No no raw milk. >> No. Please, no. No, please. Now, now I had a huge one last year with with raw milk. I No, no more raw [laughter] milk. >> Let's not talk about >> that was a big one last year. It took two months of my time. >> Okay. Uh one-year grant. Any extension on this? Is the legislature going to refund you or? >> No. So, so this is this is called this is going to be called the billocal program. Okay. So, we're just supporting the um
033the implementation of this grant. Um there is a whole process. There have been processes that we've used in the past like the Connecticut. There has been state money before. This is just the latest round. So, we don't even know yet how much Torington will get. That's to come. That's going to be the latter half of this school year. and there is going to be more guaranteed for the next full school year. It's after that that you know got to keep got to keep trying get more. But that's like this visibility piece you know that local food costs more money right now. Um, not always and maybe not forever, but probably that res that makes sense to you like quality you get you get what you pay for sometimes, right? >> But while it does for
034our schools like this incentive money, I'm it's a that's, you know, that's what I'm referring to. It's a say it's I'm calling it incentive money. Incentive to purchase locally. Like that's really really important, right? And then the grant I'm what I'm referring to is the grant money. That's like this money for projects and and you guys have benefited in the past. You got to take a year off. That's just part of the process. But let's start planning big for the next year. And there are other grants too that that we need to take advantage of. But idea like this is it. Ideas. What are your thoughts? What are you excited about? Let's you know let's take it and run with it. Kristen, any more questions? >> No, thank you. Appreciate it. Jeff, >> just a
035quick one. How how far do we plan to take it? What percentage of our of our food use can we get to live by local organizations? Are we aiming for 70% of all? What are we aiming for? >> Um, you know, that's a good question and I I was just I was just like, and this is just one data point, okay? So, don't I'm just It's just the one I heard last and we're always taking in like what's everybody else doing like um I don't know if it's Boston public schools or maybe it's a university system in the Boston area and Massachusetts has a pretty developed farmtoschool program on all levels farm to institution even you know is is what they call it. Um I want to say it was like around 30%. I I
036think that's that's that might be where they're at or that might be a goal. I don't know does that how does that hit you? >> I will say we we are definitely at 30%. >> You all I know is that you guys you max out every >> Yeah. >> And maybe it depends on how to measure it. But you know what? Let's measure it. Let's let's carefully measure it. And again that's part of that compass that that compass. Um that was a tool developed with the RUD center which is like all about food and policy. Um it's a state state agency. I think it's a Yukon it's a Yukon agency but um yeah it like they're they're they're going to be a part of that measuring where you are and that will help you you
037know know you know where to go and how much progress you've made. >> Thank you. >> No, that was actually my question. >> So we can supply all of our turnup needs but maybe not all of our mashed potatoes. >> Yeah. Right. Right. Like there are some things like all the winter squash in the world, but you know what? It takes a lot. [laughter] I have more cards. Um, how far did I get before I ran? And I'm going and I have more. So, I will come back. I got to write my name on it. Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure. >> Thank you. And I will ask right now I will ask Mrs. Fergus to make sure that if we ever need a community presentation, sometimes we have trouble finding community presenters
038for whatever scheduling reasons, but this will be a presentation we give an update on after a few months. >> Well, I just feel like I mean this touches I mean it's that community the the one of the three C's. This touches us all, you know, like I don't know if you've ever been in a place where you're you wish, you know, were you able to get local food for your Thanksgiving table, for example, or you know, do you wish that you it was more accessible or like easier to get instead you miss the farmers market and it's not like making improving the school food system improves our whole food system, you know, improves the farmer supply. Oh, you know, I could go on. So, it touches us all. Thank you so much. Yeah, a pleasure
039for coming, Kristen. Thank you for organizing. >> I hope I answered your questions. We're we're available to talk >> intermediate school report. Good luck, Mr. Klein, and matching this. [laughter] >> Thank you. I appreciate um I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight about the touring intermediates progress. Um we've had great kickoffs for the year. I've got amazing people. I really really do. The the people are what make this building special. We've got great kids here and uh I know Mr. Kiscoco appreciates being prompt and on time. So, I will do my best to work through the slides as much as possible, but I'm just going to kind of slow down and talk through some of the the speaking points. Here's our portrait of graduate pieces. Um, these are the things that we talk about every
040single day in different ways, in different facets, but I just want to have this work that kind of anchors and grounds us in terms of where we are and where we're headed in terms of what we believe in. I truly believe this intermediate school is the the the lever that's going to move our kids from being elementary minded to being ready and prepared secondary side of it. And truth be told, we're doing some different things along the way in terms of four or five with having some departmentalization pieces, but everything that we do in terms of making sure that kids are responsible risk takers, that they're thinking critically through things and that they're acting courageously as leaders, that's what we're trying to embed in our curriculum and our work every single day. Here's some of
041the things of what we've been able to do and and kind of accomplish quickly as we've literally built an entire brand new school. So, the best part about this is the redistricting. Honestly, we've taken staff and kids from four different five different buildings across the entire district. We've got kids from Torrenford. We've got kids from Google, staff from students and staff from Forbes. and we've got uh staff I think only um from the middle school. So, we've got a lot of things in a lot of different places, but to me it's about coming together, collecting. It's coming together in terms of where we are and how we're getting there. Um but we've done a lot of community building within our team. And truth be told, it's it's starting to reap some of those uh those
042fruits right now, too, because we're starting to see some early returns on how our kids are doing. And that's what this all comes down to. I know as a school we're judged based upon NextGen accountability index which has a whole lot of growth. It has a whole lot of achievement both from the ELA, the math, the science. Um also has our last link scores in there as well. Truth be told at Forbes last year we were in the 97th percentile for last link growth and achievement. So like there's a lot of people that I need to that come together in terms of all these numbers and all the data that we're going to share. But truth be told, it's just a big story in terms of how we're doing it. um school culture things. These
043are things that we're starting to put into place. Um shoot, even the assemblies. We did our first assembly as an entire building for Veterans Day and it was amazing. Absolutely incredible being able to honor our veterans, honor our community, and be able to bring together over 900 kids in the gym and be able to have almost an extra 50 to 80 servicemen and staff within the community, it was beautiful. but to be able to see that in action in a live time and our kids were wonderful during that process. So being able to create those intentional processes where we continue to come together and then honestly even today we were talking as a school climate team and um I'm actually going to turn it over to Mr. Craig to talk talk to you about some
044of the things that they're talking about. >> Yeah. So, you know, it's it's been quite the the journey already in the first couple of months. And uh between aggregating all of these different uh surveys from all and combining all of the different communities that we have within our district, we've now started to to establish a few things to break down some walls, some silos between those communities and then to try to recognize and promote the kinds of things that we want to see out of our students. So, one of the things that we're doing is we already have a student leadership team that is being established and that [clears throat] um we're going to use our student leaders to actually interview and highlight kids of the week. Uh and so each child will be recognized
045by the end of the school year. They'll have their own slide that we'll be presenting um throughout the building. You see the TVs throughout the the the building and being able to say, "Okay, here's here's some of our likes and dislikes, but here's something you may not know about me. Let's connect." um because we want to have that feeling of closeness and community and connection. Uh we have another uh task that we're we're embarking on where it's meanness versus bullying and kind of defining that very clearly between um for students. But then we're going to turnkey that for students to be able to deliver that back to their homes, to their parents, to their community so that they are educating our community and we are educating our community as a result. is that some of
046these high lever kind of almost bombastic kinds of words and what these actually truly mean. And then we have some other things like uh we're planning for an end of the year sort of celebration for our sixth graders. Uh we are planning for some talent awards and also wanting to recognize and celebrate um you know perfect attendance as well. So all of those kind of pieces are in the mix right now. >> In addition, we're getting clubs off the ground. Um, honestly, it's on the goodwill and great spirit of our team here at the intermediate school. I've got some people that are going to be kicking off inter murals starting most likely in January. Um, the flyer should be going out probably this week for that as well. And I've got other staff members who
047are interested in doing almost like a junior theater production and some robotics and STEM pieces. I've got great people in this building. The work that our kids are doing is impressive every single day. But a lot of it comes back to that middle point there is that teaching learnings and supports. I've got great support from OTL. Our OTL team is incredible. They're in our grade level meetings talking with our team being able to digest. Our coaches are really sitting there unpacking curriculum with our teachers and really having conversations around what does it look like and why. And honestly, that moves the needle for our kids. Um I'm not going to go through to too too much of the academic excellence but I am going to acknowledge that Forbes was the school of distinction again for
048the second time in school history last year again due to the academic growth that our kids continue to have that they're aligning instructional practices to Pog competencies and the HQI practices I will say is the next leg of this that's really anchoring our work. OT [clears throat] has been impressive the work that they've come in. Um Lisa, Mary, I I joke with them a lot, but they're often in our buildings. They're supporting our team. They're infusing these great resources with Lisa's work around science in terms of bringing in open sad resources and materials. Our sixth grade teachers, bless their heart, they are literally doing a whole lot of new things very quickly and they're being very successful with it when we get further down the road. >> And we already have a garden. So, I'm
049like in my head going, "Wait, we can detect the science with the garden and the food." >> So, continuums of support. Here's what we have in all honesty. Um, we've got a lot of great things in our classrooms every single day. Um, the part that I'm going to spend a little bit of time instructional coaching, we just talked about transition class approach. So, I've got two classes here this year that are transition classes, quote unquote. Um, we've got two teachers that essentially have smaller class sizes. We found students that have been struggling historically. I actually speak to one of my teachers, Ray Beater, who was a teacher of the year for four. Ray last year took 14 kids in his classroom, had a [clears throat] smaller class size compared to everybody else. And his kids
050typically were reading about two grade levels below. He grew them by two and a half grade levels in reading and mathematics. He had a pass rate that was comparable to where the district and the state average had historically been. It was about a little bit below where Forbes was, but in all honesty, the amount of growth and accomplishment that he moved those kids, the best part to me is now I get to see them this year. And as sixth graders, they're engaged, they're participating, they're not shying away from work, and they're right on grade level right now. So that extra little bit of hit and support, boy, it made quite a difference for those kiddos. Um the next bullet down is student success teams. Um we've been sitting there in all honesty probably 70 80
051meetings so far this year on a bi-weekly to weekly basis. And in all honesty, we have a team that cares about kids every single day. They care about kids and want to make sure that kids are successful. and we are wrapping our arms around them in all different ways in all different frame uh faces frames away. But to me, the most important piece of that is in all honesty, the middle school had a process, works had a process, Southwest had a process, Bogle had a process, and everybody had different processes along the way. And what we've had to do is try and merge those different practices in terms of figuring out what works best for this building, best for kids, thread line across the way. We joked with each other a couple days ago. It's
052like, oh, we're through the first trimester. Okay, that's about 60 days. And it felt like it was about two years of work that we've been trying to go through in terms of unearthing some of these practices, protocols, and structures, but in all honesty, our team's doing great work with it. All right, so the data, and I know I get blamed as being a numbers person all the time, but honestly, this comes down to kids. And this message is all about our kids and making sure that they are ready for middle school, ready for high school, and ready beyond where they're going to be. Full disclosure, these are by cohort. So when you follow and track that fifth grade cohort, these were their star scores. If I'm looking at that 46 point or 45.6%, that is
053how many kids in fourth grade when they were there because they are currently fifth graders were reading on grade level according to STAR. So you walk that through. Our fourth grade team gets them from 45% at the beginning of the year to 55% of kids on grade level according to STAR by the end of the year. We take ESPA which is a higher benchmark and a higher expectation and we get to about 47% of kids on grade level. We take it again in the fall this year for that incoming cohort of kids. We are currently back at 45%. What you'll notice is that not every cohort is the same. Mr. Kiscoco and I had a great conversation around that this afternoon. Um, and in all honesty, what I wanted to point out here is within
054these different chunks to look at how much our kids grow. Because honestly, to go from 35% of kids on grade level last year in fifth grade to then being at almost 55% of kids on grade level according to the ESPA, our teachers and our kids are killing. They are working tirelessly to close that educational gap so that kids are on grade level and able to thrive when they get to middle school and high school. Now, I know 50% is not where we want to be. 100% disclosure. 50 is about the state average and I'm not okay with that. Okay? As you'll see, my goals personally for STAR and probably down the road ESPA are there on the right for my cohort piece. That's a 20% improvement on every single one of those. I like to
055set my targets high and lofty because I feel like if we set them high, we want all of our kids to be successful, but we're trying to set those reasonable targets to move the needle for our kids. Mathematics, it's not in the same boat. We know that our kids have historically struggled a little bit more in math comparatively. Um, but I also want to point out, especially in the 3, four, five range, many of our kids did even better on ESPA last year than what they're telling us on STAR in terms of that state performance right now. What I love is that the district has committed a lot of resources to brand new curriculums in math and in literacy, and we are seeing a major uptick in their abilities to read, write, and produce on
056grade level. here is it broken out based upon each individual school. But I also wanted to give you guys the history because when I got here, we were in that little gap between COVID and whatnot. That was that black bubble. But when I took over at Forbes, we had roughly 30% of kids on grade level. When I left last year, we had 54% of kids on grade level. 54 doesn't sound like a whole heck of a lot, but it was the highest number that we had ever had in school history. My goal is to get us right back to there, if not higher, every single year. What I love more importantly is that our unit test each grade level has improved by about 10 to 15%. Already kids coming in with different skill gaps. And
057that's also our teachers being a little bit more focused on what they're doing in terms of having the experience previously with the benchmark materials. Um, if you work over to the right, you'll notice, and this is broken out even for sixth grade, I just took out the sixth grade piece of it. There's a lot of good things happening. So, if you look for Forbes, from 23 to 24, we went from 52 to 54. From Southwest, we go from 43 to 47. And from sixth grade, we go from 38 to 44. And in the in math, Forbes goes from 38 to 41. Southwest goes from 41 to 43. And from TMS, we go from 21 to 23. Is 23 where we want? Of course not. But at the same time, every single grade level, every single
058school improved from 2420 or 23 24 to 2425. I'd love to see that. And honestly, the conversations that we're having with our coaches, the departmentalization piece of this where now our four or five teachers are teaching STEM or humanities, which means that they get to focus in on um one content, but able to then flip our classes midway through the day, is really having an impact. So, somebody like a Mr. Mastro is only teaching mathematics and science and somebody like his counterpart, Miss Bruno, right across the hall, is teaching social studies and humanities. And that allows Miss Bruno to go deeper into the curriculum, go deeper into the resource and expectation, build that connection with kids. And honestly, we're seeing a major uptick so far in that. And again, this is just our growth rate.
059Um, in all transparency, this is what Forbes and Southwest got um, announced as a school of distinction for the last two years because we grew. It's not necessarily because we achieved, but we're taking kids who are not necessarily at grade level yet and being able to get them closer to grade level or if not above grade level. Want to talk about this one? Sure. All right. [clears throat] So, one of the ways in which, you know, we are trying to combine all of our processes from all these different communities is how do we funnel our needs of our students and get them the support they need in the most efficient way possible. So this is kind of an infographic of what we are doing in terms of attendance that live here or any medical needs
060they may have and kind of some of our steps that we take in order to make sure that we capture any need that a student has so that we're not faltering in terms of having somebody fall between the gaps of all these kinds of areas that we need to focus on. So one of the things as an example we have our SST process to which we um do on a bily basis we make sure that we have a common type of report that then follows the student throughout the course of their time where they're getting that intervention and we are continuously kind of reviewing and rehearsing that. But we have all of the players at the table. We have not only do we have our gen ed teachers that are teaching the student, we have
061our administrators, we have our special ed staff, we have our school psychologist present, we have our school counselor present, and we have very much our interventionists and our EL staff together all at the same time to talk about an individual student. And in that time, the amount of discussion that's able to happen is really kind of almost magical at times because we we have this ability to sometimes put our [clears throat] our our siloed [cough] havoc on. And so by having everybody in the room at the same time with those varying viewpoints allows for us to really dig in and say, "What's the most important thing? What's going to move the needle for this child the most?" >> These are very short meetings. By the way, we [cough] work very [clears throat] fast because we
062can't take that many people away that much. But it this has really helped us to develop the process and make sure that everyone's on the same page and be very clear as to what's happening so the kids benefit and then we have a very clear plan as to what the next steps are. So here's some more information for you. Um to me the most important number of this one is probably that top line. And when we talk about intervention support for kids, currently through two cycles, we've sent 373 kids through intervention. I've got five interventions. It's not like I've got tons of interventions that are floating around. They are working their tails off with with cohort after cohort after cohort during 30 to 40 minute clips. And the goal is to help kids. The goal
063is to continue to move kids from being struggling readers to emergent readers and from readers to set uh to proficient readers. Um we have kids that we talk about on a daily through our leap piece with the chronically absent part. We've done already 40 home visits to 40 different groups of or 40 families um where we've got people like Miss Palutra who go out and make those great connections and sit down with families to understand what the impact is. Do you need to have a better alarm at home? Do you need to have better bedtimes at home? Whatever the barrier might be. Um, but this allows us to have those conversations in productive ways. Um, on a weekly basis as well, we talk about BST, which is where we have our behavior support team. Um,
064as McMahon, you want to talk about that for a second? >> Sure. So we uh work regularly with our DCBA, our RBT, special education teachers, school psychologists, counselors, social workers, administration to bring forward students that teachers might be really struggling with on on how to manage behaviors in the classroom. And so we kind of look at a holistic approach. We certainly always look at is there an academic struggle? Do you need to think about SST for them? But then also kind of thinking through what kind of data should we collect? We have our RBTs going in and collecting data, doing observations, intensity, frequency, duration of behaviors, and then giving real practical for teachers on how they can at the tier one level support students who are struggling behaviorally. And then when we come back together
065and we meet and if we find that the tier one supports aren't really working, then we kind of ratchet it up and say, "Okay, what else can we do? ually um do we have our school counselors meet with them a little more regularly to do some tier 2 kind of support? Um we also have I should say at the tier one level our PPS staff so school psychologist school um counselor going in and doing tier one lessons to all of our classrooms so that we have that uniform message to all and then from there we kind of break apart the individual needs of students as they continue to struggle. Honestly, this is what we just talked about and kind of summarized. I'll leave the list up there so that you guys can see this is
066all the work that we do on a day-to-day basis. Um, there's 941 kids in this building, so there's a lot going on at any given time. But in all honesty, it's a lot of great work. Um, to me, the most One of the things I really wanted to highlight here is this little chart on the right. Um, here's our current grades setup. Um, in terms of where the average grades are from last year to this year and sixth grade only, four or five has standards that we report out on and sixth grade has numeric grades that they look at. Um, so sixth grade is a little bit easier to pull. The interesting thing is in ELA, we've done more unit assessments through the first trimester. Math, we've integrated a brand new mathematics program and resource
067with IM, which is of a higher caliber and expectations. Science, we've introduced open SIAD, so that they're doing some great work there. And in all transparency, our social studies team has been killing it in terms of developing some new and aligned assessments and um curricular dots that we've kind of integrated and infused into what we're doing. But in all honesty, the work that we're doing is of a higher caliber so far and our kids aren't suffering in any which way. If not, they're thriving. And when I look at it, um I know at times I I will have individual conversations with kids. I brought down probably 60 kids about two weeks ago and we reviewed their grades and their grade books and in all honesty 95% of the reason that kids were not acadeamic academically
068successful at that point and failing a class is because they were missing work. So I sat down with them and I said, "Do you know how to find out what work you're missing and haven't turned in yet?" They go, "Yeah." I said, "Okay, so let's go do that real quick." We showed them how to do it and the majority of those kids went and did their work over the past couple days. Hence why their grades continued to move out in the right direction. But to me, it's all about making sure the kids are successful. If they're not being successful because they're not turning work in. I hate to say that's one of the most ridiculous reasons to not be passing a class. So that's an easy win for us. That's an easy thing that we
069can do to make sure that kids are successful and doing what they're supposed to be doing. Honestly, here's my next steps. Um, and I talked about this with Mr. Ugalo when I took board on at Forbes in my first school improvement meeting and I said I wanted to be the best school in the region. I wanted to be the top school in the state and I wanted to be a blue ribbon school. In all transparency, Forbes was on track to be a blue ribbon school, but it takes five years of data. We had four of my time there. That's my goal. I want to see 80% of kids reading, writing, and able to do math on grade level when they leave this building down the road. And I know that we're going to get there
070collectively. We've done a lot of great work so far. We're in the process of finalizing our mission, vision, and values. But we did that as a whole school. We did that as a whole staff. It's going to be run through our kids. It's going to be run through our PTO as well. That's not just done in isolation at this table in any which way. I believe in being collaborative across the way, but in all honesty, I know it was brought up earlier. There's two things that I see as the next step. And I know I had a conversation with Miss Conway and Mr. KCO this afternoon. In all honesty, I do know that a playground is in the it's something that is a hot button issue for our school and our community. It's something that
071we need to discuss and talk about at some point. But I'll also be 100% open and disclose that I I also know that that's a financial component to it too. And that is a big big ticket item. And in all honesty, I need my staff. I need people. I need bodies that are going to move the needle for kids. And both are very important things, but I know our our teachers are really doing a lot of great work and supporting our kids in a beautiful way. And I wouldn't want to see that go by the wayside in any which way. Um because that second layer is the support are the most important thing. It's having great classroom teachers. It's making sure that they're doing what they need to be doing, but also supporting them in
072every way possible. Um but it comes back to that thing I started with. I've got great people in this building. You guys bless me with wonderful people that are moving the needle for kids every single day in our classrooms and I thank you for that. >> Thank you. Um >> we didn't start we usually do with a report on the visit of the committee to the school. Uh Kristen, can I >> you you want to everything that I had noted? [laughter] >> So you can say we saw what we just heard we saw. >> We we did we were here um for about an hour this afternoon. Um yeah, we talked about attendance still being an issue but you know being worked on. We did talk about playgrounds um and you know just obviously the
073the big ticket um item that that would be uh we talked about possible grants u looking into that. Um, obviously there's a few steps that would need to be taken uh beforehand, figuring out a cost, figuring out where it would go, talking to facilities, you know, the basic logistics of getting a playground here. We all know it's important. However, when you get 0% from the city every single year, you have to make cuts and there's certain things that you can't provide even though you want to. Um, and you know how important they are. Um, nobody at this table thinks that playground is not important for grades four, five, and six, but we did talk about some of the options that kids do have, and I want to make sure those are highlighted. Um, there is
074soccer, there are gaga pits, basketball when they don't need to be moved in order for plowing to happen, jump ropes, chalk, exercise structures, there is indoor gym time. So, these kids are getting fresh air, they are getting exercise. Could they be getting more? Absolutely. Is a playground wonderful? Yes. Is it in the budget? No. Um I'd love to see it in the budget, but that's not us. That's the the city who gives us 0% every year. And I would never take away a staff member or two to put in playground. Um but I think that we need to look into some grants. Great. Thank you. >> Uh questions. Questions. just one. What do you find to be the biggest challenge since bringing all of these things together? You've had great presentation [clears throat] on all
075the things where we're going and but I'm sure one of those is harder to accomplish than the others. What What do you find to be the biggest challenge? >> I think it's in all honesty merging three schools. >> Yeah, I was literally going to say that. I think it's merging three schools who had three institutional practices and knowledges and ways that they did business. And that's not as a knock or criticism. I went into my first staff meeting. I said, "Listen, in all honesty, best idea wins." But >> it's it's marrying all these different pieces along the way, if that makes sense. We are a very interested blended family um in terms of all the things, in terms of all the cultures, and terms of all the processes. And in all honesty, like Mr. Craig
076was talking about that climate meeting today. I'll give you a clear [clears throat] example. There was a comment that was made in the climate meeting that people are confused about the difference between a sunshine committee and a cheer committee. They [laughter] are the same thing [clears throat] with the same goal. But because in two different buildings, one was called this and one was called that. Some people may not have signed up for this because they thought it wasn't fit like and that's and I I'm not trying to do that in justest or anything else but it's >> bridging those different pieces where you have to be the translator to explain the nuance to it. So I think it's being patient with people >> bringing people together >> and then just being like hey this is
077how it's trying to get there. Does that make sense? But this does make the point that what you're doing is more than scaling what was good at Forbes. There's more being brought in and and ultimately it'll work better because >> we're trying to we've got great people with the right answers at the table. I think a lot of people um I know because I work primarily with fourth grade obviously with the whole school but when I'm talking with families talking with the kids and with the teachers coming from smaller K3 schools in and some of our kids that were at the four five coming in from smaller schools it feels like it's a really big school. I'm used to living here right as a former former middle school person. Um but we have small families
078that we've created. The departmentalization has really helped with the teaming and then you know I'm working with fourth grade, Gavin works with fifth grade, Mr. Klein works with sixth grade. We work all together as well and it's really bringing those communities together but to create those little small feeling so that kids don't feel like they're lost and families don't feel like they're lost. So that has been one of the struggling factors as well that we continue to work with. parent. >> That was actually kind of what my question was was how are you taking this incredibly large school >> four or four, five and six because you know schools elementary grades are not used to spaces that are that big and making that smaller spaces for everybody. >> So a lot of those things and
079like even you know we some complaints in like you know the cafeteria every fourth grader is in the cafeteria 340 something kids in there. I'm in there every day. Um, but they're great. They're in their their home rooms and they're talking with each other and mixing around um when we can. Uh, but they've learned to meet new people that they didn't grow up with in a K3 school and now they might be from a different area and they're talking about those different things. Um, you know, one of the examples is we do a little at the end when they start to get a little antsy, we'll we'll do a would you rather type of question. um you know would you rather soda or juice or something like that and then we do a discussion and
080they all start to talk through that. So giving them those little bits to talk and create the community is what we're trying to do to to build those smaller things. >> And the other thing too that I would say to that area is that we've got [clears throat] great teachers, right? So even though this was a secondary building, you go into any of the rooms >> Yeah. >> and it feels like an elementary home. So teachers made it inviting spaces with warm colors and whatnot. And you see kids gathering in what would be like a common gathering area for a traditional elementary model. They've taken their practices and kind of conformed them to the bigger building if that makes sense. >> Yeah. >> There's there's not been one classroom that hasn't been completely >> rearranged
081and overhauled in order to make it feel more elementary. We all because we were all at the middle school, we all kept saying this is like the Twilight Zone. It feels weird because it's the same building, but it's definitely a very different feel. >> It does have a different feel as it should. >> Yeah. >> Tomorrow's lunchtime question is, would you prefer pizza or turnipss? >> Okay. [laughter] I'm going to go with they're all going to boo me. >> Well, I'll I'll put it out there. [laughter] >> Anything else? >> Thank you very much. Pleasure. hearing it. >> Ready to move on? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Next item on the agenda, our self evaluation and progress on determining goals for the upcoming year. Uh it was sent out electronically. There's really not much to say
082about it. Uh it'll be up to us to pass it on to the full board for the full board to deal with. And are we ready to do that? >> I read your last name. >> We're ready to do that. Okay. >> Can I take a paper copy though? I like >> And then goals for next year. Uh we have any luck getting people to submit goals for next year. So we have two things to think about so far. Uh one, and this is not wording in terms of the former goals, but just things that we're looking at. Board will attempt to restore and maintain a positive and productive working relationship with the city government. And next one, the board will oversee the use of artificial intelligence in the school system through policy development, curriculum
083changes, budgetary support, and other means as deemed desirable. So, uh, that's all I have so far, but I'm preaching to the choir here, too, because just But we need more goals. Maybe not. Maybe not. Maybe not. But we usually have to four or five. Yeah, that's all that's all on goals. And brings us next to preliminary discussion of physical education. I'd like to invite Katie Gregory and Eric Mayer to just come join us. >> Or would you like us? >> Just take a seat so that you don't have to shout. >> We got PE voices. We have pass. So, thank you both for coming. Um, short notice and he's sitting uh the rest of [cough] uh so Mr. Hisco had asked that we start a preliminary conversation and just for a little bit of history,
084Mr. Wilson has at a previous meeting a couple of weeks ago brought some when the nextG results were released as a preliminary in a preliminary fashion um brought forward to the committee over to the board. Uh some of the the highs and the lows and obviously no judgment, no criticism of anyone, but our physical fitness scores, I mean, we know that they're they're they're poor, right? and that we need to we need some work on that. But I thought it would be helpful to have you folks join the meeting because you are boots on the ground with this. You see it. You're intimately familiar with the assessment itself. And I'm not sure how much any of the rest of us actually know about the assessment, about how old the assessment is, of just the history
085around the assessment, some of the frustrations that you folks have right as uh as PE teachers, as coordinators, as department head. Um, so I I'll maybe turn it over to you if you want to just give a little summary. >> Um, before we sort of dive into the, um, lack of a better word, negative, right, our scores, um, I would like to talk about some positive things. Um right around the time of co um we were pushing to add some more phys uh in the district specifically with regard to um Southwest school and Forbes. Um at the time we had um a part-time phys teacher going back and forth between Southwest and Forbes and and that person was me. Um and I commend Mr. Krisco because um he was one of the voices that um
086was in favor of having a full-time PE teacher at both schools. So I thank you for that. Um the result of that was that our fitness score increased um pretty substantially in both schools um to the point where Southwest and Forbes in the last um few years have been right around state average um and all four components of the test. um one a little bit weaker than the other three of us. Um >> can I interject one really important point here? And that's awesome, Eric. >> So the state average is also lousy, right? But I think that's really important for everybody in this room to understand because this is not a Torington issue. This is a national problem, >> right? because our kids, the youth of today are not physically active. They're spending most of
087their time on screens. So, just think that that point needs to be >> Yes. And we were going to we were going to make that talking point, too. Um, you know, one of the fitness test scores that we or the fitness test score that we perform the lowest on and the and the rest of the state as well is the cardiovascular endurance test uh or or some call it the aerobic capacity test. Um the state average for students that participate in the test that pass all four components is about 49%. So less than 50% of Connecticut kids can pass all four. Um Gregory has um a daughter that goes to school here. I have a son that goes to school here. Um my son plays three sports. So to what you were saying, same with
088her daughter. and to what you're saying as far as um sort of the the kids who aren't involved in sports, right? My son doesn't fall in that category and neither does her daughter. Um with the cardiovascular endurance test last year, my son struggled, but he passed it. This is a three sport athlete. Um my personal opinion, the test is way too hard for our students. Way too hard. I'll give you a quick example, and I don't want to dwell on this because there's a lot to talk about, but for a fourth grade student to pass this test, a female has to run seven laps and a male has to run 23. Now, I don't know what world we live in where um boys are growing at at such a rate that they have to perform
089more than three times that females. Um, so that and and just to piggyback that, um, I believe at Forbes last year, I had 53 53 girls take that test. 53 [clears throat] girls passed that test. And I've been teaching for 20 years and I've been kicking the dream that the test is unfair. Um, and that and I understand that that's that that doesn't I know I understand that every student in Connecticut has the same standards, but I will offer you this. Um and lack better word um [clears throat] we are a somewhat poor town and a rich state. What I mean by that is uh we are ninth lowest in median income in the state. We are 10th highest in poverty. And a test like that that's already hard for an average student who lives
090in an affluent town makes our barriers, our hurdles even that much worse because our scores are compared to the state average. But let's face it, our town is not necessarily considered average when it comes to demographics. And that's a huge hurdle. Um, and so we've made some strides uh at the um at the elementary schools that test for grade four, but at the grade um at the middle school and high school, um those scores is really where it's impacting our overall score as a district. Um and for those that aren't aware, um this is an assessment that is given to fourth graders, sixth graders, eighth graders, and tth graders. So not every student um is given this assessment. Um and so we are aware of that um that the scores are low um specifically with
091the middle school and the high school and I think that it would be important to um have a discussion about how we can change this as as really a community um because we have been given resources um that have helped our scores um and and that's impacted sort of like what we do instructionally during the school day but I think this is a large issue with um again, our our families who um can't afford to sign their kids up for youth sports [clears throat] because of the cost. Um for our families who, you know, um live in apartments, third story apartments with no backyards, no places to play. Um so we don't really, our parents can't afford provide the resources to help increase these scores. Um, but something can be done and and I think
092that it can be done if we work together as a community. And so that that's the discussion that I would like to open up. But I will let Katie um talk about the middle school high school side. >> Um, all right. So just about the Connecticut Fitness Assessment. It was created in 1990 um and revised in 2009 and we're way past 2009 and those standards haven't been adjusted and I feel like uh the children that we have now are not the same children that we had in 2009 that these were for a 14year-old female. This was the average mile time that you know females in the state of Connecticut age 14 would run. um it's really hard for our students to and the other thing is they have to pass all four tests in order
093to pass the the physical fitness test. So if they pass three out of four, which we often find in a lot of our athletes, um can pass three out of four, no problem. Um but then they struggle in one and don't pass it even if it's a sit and reach flexibility and they're just a little bit off the passing score, but they flew past everything else. they are they don't count at all towards our overall score which kills our score overall. Um I did well a couple things is um that we've been improving on is ths they only test in grade 10 um we before we added a bunch of electives and we've been increasing the electives offered which provides students more opportunity to be physically active in the high school. uh we were testing
094in PE1 and at some point they were pulling the data from the for the state from grade 10 but not all grade 10 students were in PE1. So with probably talking with uh Heather Torres more than she would like me to call her constantly. Um we've figured that out and we're making adjustments to make sure that only PE1 has 10th grade students in it. So, I feel like that is gonna help improve our scores. Um, the middle school I'm newly in charge of for department head, so I was kind of trying to dig a little bit in there. When they were here the last couple years, they had over a 100 students potentially in the gym at one time in potentially three different grades, which means they're doing different activities. um which made it really
095hard for them to get a lot of repetition and practice for doing a sit and reach or the curl-ups or the push-ups. Um but now that they've moved to the seventh and eighth um I can tell you that the class sizes are so much smaller. Um they only at one dividers so we can separate those two classes. um and talking with um the principal at the middle school, he is proposing next year that they move to semester classes um and then have a semester of PE for seventh grade, a semester for 8th grade, which increases their time with that, which I also agree will help um improve the scores. Um I did pull the data and I can send that to you guys at some point. um specifically for Torington each grade versus the state
096and just looking at the curl-ups, which is like a modified situp. Um the high school, 90% of the kids can pass that. The state average was 85.3. Um for the push-ups, the high school was 58.6%. Um the state was 72. So, it's a lot higher percentages when you break it down this way as opposed to just looking at the overall score because they have to pass four in order to even get included in that overall, which no other test that I'm aware of grades that way. And I understand that that's the way the state is. So, we have to work to better that. But that's where my frustration comes from that when you break down the data from each individual test, the scores are better than it seems when you just look at that one
097number. Um, is there any other questions or >> you mentioned that uh P1 was 10th grade. >> Mhm. >> So what do the ninth graders do? >> Oh, we want them in health one. So a ninth grader would go >> so typically a nth grader would take health one a tenth grader would take PE1 because that's where the scores need to be submitted to the state and then from then on they can take >> this isn't your fault but >> what we're hearing is that a ninth grader goes an entire year >> with no PE press >> and that was in the middle school too >> 100% not helping your 10th grade or >> correct period but but on the flip side I I do understand where you're coming from that's Not a fan of
098that either. But if we flipped it, cuz we've thought about that, discussed that too. So you have a semester as a ninth grader, but you could potentially have that as first semester. Then you might not have it until you're you might not be assessed until um a year later as a 10th grader. And at least now I have the 10th grader, so I can try and, you know, work on in our warm-ups every day. We include curl-ups, push-ups, flexibility, cardio. So, at least now I'm trying to work with them instead of having them last year and now all of a sudden I have to pull them. And last year, because of the way that they were pulling the numbers, we had to get a list from Heather and pull kids that had PE last year
099and just be like, I need you to run the mile today. That kid might not have run anything in a long time. So, that was a big struggle last year specifically for the high schools getting those passing scores. Don't don't take my comment. It wasn't it wasn't that >> that's crazy. It was it's crazy that we don't have to have it in nth grade. Not that they should not have it in 10th, but that we should have it n and and again like um >> why that matters more for a Georgia kid versus a kid from next town over in Avon or Simsbury is because even though that kid in the same situation, right, maybe went a year without PE, >> those kids are more likely to be doing something outside of school. >> Yes.
100signed up with you sports, >> you know. So, um, it it matters more in a town like ours than the town we're being compared to. >> Um, so I I just think that's point important to point out. >> How long has this been going on? Kids have so little fizz at the level >> forever. I mean, and since since you've been here because a million years ago when I was in school, it was very different. When I started here 21 years ago, we had it went by quarters, I believe. >> So, we had a quarter of PE. So, it was like, but it was every year a quarter PE, a quarter health. But for guidance and scheduling reasons, having quarter classes didn't work out well. State of Connecticut requires for high school graduation one credit.
101>> And that hasn't changed. >> It was split up, but it hasn't changed. that page, >> but we break it up so that it's spread out so far that it can be pretty far away from fizz at is what we're hearing >> potentially. >> Okay. >> But it also in order for them to take other classes that they wanted to by telling them when they had to take it, it limited them from being able to take courses like band or Spanish or something else. So, this semester wise freed up their ability to take different courses. So, are kids enthusiastic about their fizzed classes? >> About fizzed or the fitness test? That's a different question. >> Anybody excited about as excited as probably Eric's elementary school kids are? Um, but we try. >> Elementary kids would
102be different, but high school kids, do they embrace the idea that they should be running around the gym playing basketball or whatever? >> They en overall, I would say they enjoy the activities that we do. Um the testing we do now tie it to a grade. Um so they get a grade on whether they meet the standard they meet the standard they get a 100. If they don't meet it they get a 60. So if they don't meet it we're not totally hurting them by giving them a zero. So we tried to come up with that sliding scale. So there is some incentive for them to work to try and pass the test >> and it does not affect their overall grade >> that much in general. We haven't had issues with that but it
103does give them incentive to try. So, one of our community partners, as you know, is our medical advisor. And I have had a conversation with our medical advisor recently about this if once these scores were publicized. And he would counter that this should be no different than an English or a math score. If you don't pass the assessment, you don't pass the assessment. um you know obviously that and that's I'm not presenting my opinion I'm just sharing his he has drafted a letter because we are hoping to engage him and some of the fit together community to help communicate to parents something that you just said Eric that this really shouldn't be a school problem alone right I mean kids need to go home and when possible go out and play and run and be
104physically active. And we know that that's not happening. That's a national trend. You could plug it into your computer and Google it. And it's it's a it's a problem all over the country. But anyway, and it's interesting that we had Kim Hughes here tonight talking about the other prong of the stool, right? I mean, the wellness component altogether. The test itself, I feel like, is pretty subjective as well. It's not like right or wrong answers on a math test or, >> you know, it's if I think a a student lifted their feet off the ground during the curlup test, I tell them they're done. He might not think that it was that bad. >> If um you know, you know, it's a right angle push-up test, so they have to go down to a 90°
105angle. The kid goes down to 89, but not 90. >> So, it's really difficult >> and you're in a good mood that day, correct? Let it slide. And you know like with all the standardized tests that we that we give in the state you know the academic testing you know it's we can we can pull our kids and we can test them early in the year. We can say well this this cohort you know performed low um on the start test. So, we're going to provide them the resources they need such as intervention, right? Um, uh, should I I would never argue that PE should be above academics when it comes to priority, but um, you know, we don't have interventionists that we can, you know, pull these kids and, you know, and and really
106concentrate and focus on that. You know, in my mind, the interventionist should be the parents, you know, um or because parents can't necessarily help their own kids with um sign them up for organized sports because they can't afford it. Um, you know, maybe we can come up with a different approach as as a community as to how we can change this because there is only so much we can do during a school day when teachers are spending so much time with reading and writing and math and we expect that. It should be that way. Um, but it's more than just what's happening between the school hours. And they would I would argue with um when the students take the test. I've also seen that if my friend stops I if we've had discussions about this
107numerous times or if they're like I'm done and they're clearly having much more energy and they're running around or doing know that they can do more but they aren't doing more. It's hard to get them to push. >> So there's a social pressure component. >> There can be. Yeah. >> Interesting. where they don't want to be the last one continuing to do the curl-ups and I know that they can get to a certain number but they stop because everybody else stops. >> Okay. So, it isn't just me noticing something that isn't there. I I live in a neighborhood in the center of Torington. There are kids in the neighborhood. I never see them even in the summertime and certainly not in the winter. I mean, heaven forbid it should be cold and wet. Uh they
108just they aren't doing that anymore, are they? It's not just me. And a lot more kids are working now. They're babysitting for their families, their friends. How it's safe to just run around as much as it was. >> Not to sound make myself sound old, but [laughter] it's very different. >> So, I there's there's a ton of information here. Um, nobody's putting any blame on anyone. This is obviously a statewide a really national issue. Um, but I do think that we need to figure something out here. Um, I mean, I have attempted who is an athlete. She's at dancing chair four nights a week and she came home and said, "I'm going to fail the gym. Just so you know, I cannot run a mile." [laughter] >> She she was warning me. Um you and
109I and I told this to to Sue last month. I said, "Well, [laughter] if you emailed you, I don't I don't know what to tell you. You know, I can't can't help you there, kiddo. Um I can't run a mile for you." >> We also aren't bringing it this year. Don't tell anybody because of the move and It's perfectly I'm just I'm saying she is an athlete >> and I mean honestly of these four in high school I could only do two of them. >> Yeah. A lot of our >> it was a little bit >> but I mean this is Yeah. I don't I don't know how we fix this but I think there's some I the opening the discussion here and hearing what some of the obstacles are will be helpful as we
110try and move forward and fix this issue which isn't going to get fixed overnight. Um, but >> I do see it improving in the next couple years with the way that the schools have changed, right? In the way the seventh, eighth grade is set up in the way that we have the high school adjusted to numbers with the help of Sue. Yeah, >> it's certainly not the fault of the fizz that teach because you collectively have been saying for years we we >> grateful that you guys came tonight to tell us what's really happening because you know we don't >> and that's and we understand how tough that is because when you know Mr. kind of saying, you know, I'm only limited with my resources, but the academic side, we understand the struggle, right? So,
111we we do we do see that. >> How many of our students are involved in sports? Um, >> does students play basketball? >> I would say probably two and 10 at the most in a in a in a city or a town that has one in seven kids at poverty rate >> for Calgary for basketball grades four, five, and six. There was about 10 to 12 girls that came out for the team. >> Okay. But the high school for instance, we have lots of teams at the high school. >> Is it the same kids involved three seasons a year? Yeah. Yeah. >> It hasn't [laughter] changed. >> I said that hasn't really changed. That's kind of the >> So, we're like we're looking at 20%. I mean, I'm on vice president of the leading board
112and well, it's gotten to the point now where the little league for let's say 8 to 10 year old is becoming travel baseball. I lived in a world and I'm sure you all live in a world where where baseball was all in house because you had that many kids. Started off with a parade. You had 8 to 10 k 8 to 10 teams. Everybody play each other once twice three times a season and that was all in house. Now you sports is becoming travel because that's how little kids are going to stay. >> Yeah. Know I see that with my great grandson. I see exactly that. I live in Bristol and they collapsed our little league. We had three different little leagues in town and uh they collapsed it into one over the last three
113years. >> It's not because they're doing something else physical instead either. Some other sport has become more popular. >> I will say from a a standoint I had three of my kids and seems very up until this past year. There was a very there's a very big contingent of soccer, baseball, hockey that doesn't even touch the school system until they get to high school. There is no middle school soccer team because it's so robust of elements to which you get students at the high school level that can play all these sports all year round. But we're talking about a small fraction of our population. And by that point, we're we're far behind the eightball from those that are being successful with these kinds of scores. It really does start early on and getting them exposure
114and more time available. But then we run into a poverty issue as mayor's kind of alluding to of where what do parents have the choices to do and do they have the resources necessary in order to to actually get their child engaged in a way that's [snorts] making them more physically active. >> And only because I have the laptop open. Simsbury is at a pass rate for that for all four of 65%. >> So like just to give you the baseline and I see it in all honesty in the sports that my kids play. Um New Town's collapsed and merged with different towns for softball. It's happening in basketball. They don't have enough kids to run. And in all honesty, I think New Town High School for girls basketball might do one team of varsity.
115no JV, no freshman team, just because they have 17 kids who came out for the entire program. So, it it's a growing trend line that's happening. Kids aren't playing sports these days and it's scary. >> No, it's like $200 alone for like soccer. >> Run into that, too. >> Unless you can afford it. Jeff, is there I mean this only helps at K6, but is there any opportunity with the big fields we have that we just talked about here for recess or ways to help your cause by integrating something into recess or maybe can't wait to do it in recess, but can we can we find creative ways to help use that time to help your cause? And secondly, it's cold out as you Mr. Kisco mentioned. What is how are we handling when we
116were kids, we were outside until it was 25 degrees or so. It was cold for for recess. How do we do that now? Are we do we have rules in place that are preventing us from getting these kids out? >> We have kids that don't have coats, proper shoes, stuff like that. We're not much past THAT [laughter] WHOLE >> WE DO. I know. I wish I could just be like, "Okay, you don't have A COAT TODAY. YOU'RE WEARING THIS ONE." LIKE, but I mean, not and not that that's an all, but when you talk about poverty, I don't think people realize how incredibly poor Torington has become. I've lived here all my life, as you guys know. Like it really it's it's heartbreaking to watch what some of these kids are wearing. The same clothes,
117threadbear in some cases. We do what we can. We need more. We need more. And honestly, to answer your question, kind of need more people to help kids learn how to play these games because that's what we're doing at recess. I literally split fourth grade because the kids didn't know how to play these sports. Like we don't have a playground. Okay, so we have balls. Let's play kickball. No idea how to play kickball, >> but that's a a great point that collaboration may be able to come. >> Oh, yes. And we talked, you know, maybe there are ways to build those things so they can go do that. >> And what Mrs. Sling was saying like when we were all kids, >> they, you know, principles, admins didn't have that issue at recess because we
118figured that out at home because we were playing outside, you know. So, we knew how to play at recess without an administrator coming running out or a teacher, you know, breaking it up and, you know, because we already knew that, >> right? You just figured out how to work it out with each other. That really is quite when you think about it. Even things like conflict resolution, >> kids learned conflict resolution playing in the streets, right? >> Right. >> And with their brothers and sisters, >> right? >> You figured it out. And you know, I just want to make a I just want to make a distinction when we talk and we're probably going to find my tires that have been slashed when I go out when I say this, but the word playground are
119we talking about? Because we have playgrounds here. We don't have a placecape. Is that >> I think that's what they're think about. >> Okay. Because I have to wonder, I mean, and I'm I mean, I'm old enough to say that when I went to elementary school, there was no such thing as a playscape. >> We ran around and we kicked balls and we used hula hoops and we jump roped and we sang those jump rope jingles and that helped us with reading and writing and rhyming and all of those things that kids don't do anymore. So, is a playcape really going to help our physical fitness? I don't know. I would argue perhaps not because it's gonna help kids look fine. >> Yeah. I mean for the cost probably that >> I would say but
120you only could serve a certain number of kids >> like we would probably benefit more from didn't exist with anything other than the black top. >> We had black deck >> our kids to be physically fit. We want >> and if you skinned your knee you wiped it off. You didn't go to the nurse. Maybe it will help now that the sixth grade will have a recess period because last year they wouldn't have Sammy might have come to the >> to the middle school and not have had it. Um but is there any rumor too that the temperature changed requirement for >> when they go outside? >> There was no temperature change. So we we have been asked and there was no guidance. So, we went we looked at the state. We we looked all
121around and most districts, the majority of the districts in the state used 30° um you know, wind chill, there's all these other things. I mean, we put it out there because principles were asking for something because there seemed to be a different thought at different schools. But, I mean, I think that conversation can be had and opened if there's >> I mean, You know, I mean, I don't teach elementary school, so I don't want to go outside for recess when it's cold. But I know my daughter and kids. >> You can't talk. [laughter] >> My daughter in middle school is colder and windier than this. Yes. I'm sorry. >> This [laughter] is a lot windier and colder here than it is at another, >> which is why we thought, okay, 30° because you're right. 30°
122here feels a lot colder than 30° maybe at Southwest. But if you're running around, 30° is fine. Anyone who shovels snow knows it's never cold when you're shoveling snow. >> I don't remember. I remember being very cold. I guess I never thought of it when I was a kid, but I was a kid like Kristen a long time ago. >> But a long time ago now. >> I'm a year younger THAN YOU. [laughter] >> JUST keep telling yourself that. >> Okay. I I will waste the last 30 seconds, then we'll go we'll move on. But I'm going to waste it by talking about something I heard on public radio one time where they went from south to north asking school superintendent exactly that. At what temperature do you not do you keep the kids inside?
123And down in Florida when it's 40° we don't let them out. By the time they got to Minnesota zero as long as it wasn't windy, [laughter] you know, it's just a matter of what you're used to. And if if we stopped telling our kids they're cold, maybe they wouldn't be cold. I don't know. And look at all the jackets that get thrown on the ground. Anyway, I'll stop. I I said I'd waste the last 20 minutes and I have I thank you all for Thank you for coming and thank you. >> Thank you. >> More to come, I guess. >> Oh, much more. This is the This is the beginning. >> Good. We have some information >> and I'm assuming other committees will be involved in this too and hopefully there'll be budgetary implications. Can
124[laughter] I I'm sorry I but I I just this could be a really stupid idea, but I'm just thinking when we think about students acquiring reading skills or math skills, there's an expectation that you go home every night and you read for 20 minutes or you do your math flashcards and as you go up in the grades, the amount of time you're expected to spend at home practicing the skill increases. Would it be at all worthwhile exploring having students keep fitness labs? And I I don't I don't even know if they would. I mean, we have to track down kids doing homework now, so to add another homework requirement. But if we started with them early and had them doing some of these skills at home, even if it was for 10 minutes and they
125tracked a little log on my sit and reach or whatever, I'm just wondering if it's a simple way to may not help everyone, but would it help a certain percentage of our students who are struggling? Um, or would it just be another thing that you have to track down and and nag kids where fitness lab? I don't know. just it's a great idea and it's and it's I don't know if we've actually put Fitness Lock in place to go home with, but the idea has been presented to them. I always tell my students that, you know, I do my stretching or my sit-ups or my push-ups when I'm at home watching a Yukon game or when the commercial comes on, I get instead of sitting there waiting for the the game to restart, I get
126down, I do push-ups or I'll sit and stretch. Um, and you know, I don't know how much of them buy into it. Um, but again, the test that has the lowest u success rate is the cardiovascular test. So to tell a kid, you know, I really want you to go outside and and run a mile. We have to think about where our kids are living. >> Well, maybe they could just put it in place. >> Yeah. >> No, I mean, yeah, absolutely. That's something to me. >> It used to exist to some extent with 52. Was it 52? >> 52 used to have a flyer that went home that parents would sign off on that kids would do a certain amount every week for a certain period of time. >> Yeah. Like a fish calendar.
127>> Yeah. There was there was one light version of that at one point. So certainly the president exists. >> Yeah. >> Anyway, we're moving on. Thank you. >> Sorry. Thank you guys so much. >> Okay. Topics for future meetings. AI concerns, the new math program, ability teaching, uh the amount [clears throat] of time devoted to history classes, courtesy of a speaker we had at the last uh last committee meeting. Anyone else? That's enough. We have pretty good comments from the matter. >> Thank you for the presentations, Eric. >> Thank you everybody for the very informative presentations. I appreciate it. I would talk for seven more seconds or so because this is going to be the longest meeting you've ever presided over. [laughter] >> Thank you. Great meeting. Um and I appreciate the discussion so we
128can figure out >> great meeting. Thank you so much for the presentation. >> Thank you so much to everyone um to the community. You're doing an incredible job. Thank you. >> Thank you. And my comment for the good of the order was that I can't I can't remember a time when we've had three presentations that were all top-notch, thoughtprovoking, ultimately productive and instructive. Other than that, happy merry Christmas, you know, whatever whatever you're celebrating. Uh motion to adjourn. [clears throat] So moved to I guess I have to second