001Yes. >> All right. Good evening. >> Um, I am going to call the Graten Board of Education uh meeting to order. Today is Monday, December 16th. Um, and it's about 6:03. Um, and our first order of business is the Pledge of Allegiance. and our good friend Dan. Would you be willing to lead us? Oh, Dan, it's good to see you. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Music] The second is um it is a um distinction award and I will actually ask Dr. er to do that. Just to um let people know that CABE is the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education and um there was actually for many years
002um we have been recognized as a board of education for this award and so Dr. Well, in in November at the the Cape Caps convention, which is held here in Mystic, uh the board uh had uh qualified for a higher level award because they uh had had received uh three out of the last four years the the first level of achievement, but the second level achievement is a a cave board recognition award, which is the highest level that the cave gives out. And what they do is they've uh they've attached the uh the year. So in 2 three four uh two 2002 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 14 16 18 and now 19. So this is a a really a terrific award and we will put this in a frame and we will
003put this up in the central office and congratulations to the board members for this achievement. Well, >> thank you. Our our next is comments from citizens and this is the portion of the agenda where the board welcomes comments from citizens. Each presentation should be limited to 5 minutes or less and citizens should if possible submit written comments. Presentation should be related to matters pertinent to Grten. Board members will only ask questions in order to clarify the speaker's presentation and cannot respond during the comments from citizens portion of the board meeting. Citizens should make their presentations from the podium and state their names and addresses for the record. Miss Joan, did anyone sign? >> Is there anyone from the audience that would like to come forward? >> Yes, please just ple welcome. >> Hi, >> it's
004good to see you. >> Good to see you, too. Hi. >> If you could just state your name. >> My name is DJ Smith. I'm a junior at Fitch High School. My address is 1333 North Road and I'm vice president of my class. Um I I came here tonight to talk about the schedule, the proposed schedule for next next year's school year. Um over the weekend, uh me and my fellow council members wrote a petition saying why we thought it wasn't beneficial to have the start date when it was at the time. We were told the start date would be September 8th. I looked at the uh agenda tonight. I looked and I saw it was S September 3rd. Is that the uh start date on record right now? >> So, how about if I
005help clarify that? So, we did hear that there were some concerns about the start date being so late. Um and so um we um are uh bringing it back up for discussion specifically for next year. So, what you see is actually if you see the um on that I think it says uh uh discussion and possible action. So, that's going to be where we're going to have a conversation about what are the pros of cons of moving it to 93 um 2020 or keep it to I don't remember 98 or 97 or 99. Um and so that's going to be part of our conversation. So, it hasn't been moved yet. Um but we are going to have a discussion with the potential of having a vote because this is the meeting that we can have
006a vote to change the date if we so deem. >> Okay. So, should I voice my concerns now? >> Please do. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, one of the main reasons as a junior who's taking full IB and multiple AP classes, one of the main reasons I think having the start date be uh September 8th is that a lot of the seniors would have less time to prepare for their IB exams. The um race to get ready for the IB exam senior year is extremely stressful without any of the snow days included. So, by having it start on the 8th, we don't have that much time because there's already been two snow days this year already. And the IB class and the AP test will not change its state dependent on snow days. It can
007also affect college plans. A lot of kids who are enlisting in the military or going to a service academy could possibly uh miss our graduation. Um, and some kids leave for college early, which could affect the transition period between the end of high school and the beginning of college. It can also affect the community. Students who work who are trying to provide for their family or prepare for later education will not have as much time to work and also a lot of the time jobs have already decided basically the first week after we get out of school who they're going to hire for like high school students wise. Child care would also be affected. I'm a camp counselor at the city of Grton summer playground. I've been working there for two years. We usually get
008out the second full week of August, which would be which last year was the 16th of this year, I guess. But if we started the 8th, that's almost a full month between the end and the start of school. Many parents can't afford to look somewhere else for child care. A lot of the kids at my camp go there for free or reduced tuition. And um we could also probably couldn't expand the time of the program because a lot of our camp counselors are college students who would be going away because college will still start at the same time. Um, in conclusion, I understand that construction is off. It's you can't predict what's going to happen. Something could always go wrong and I understand why we need to look at the date. I just think pushing
009it back that to that extra week would not be beneficial for Fitch High School students or the community. >> Thank you. You're an incredibly articulate young woman. Thank you very much. Dad, if if Deja didn't come up, I I I had the very gracious note you wrote to me and I was going to read it into the record. >> Thank you. >> But hearing from you personally is is a lot better. So, thank you. Just for the board, if if you haven't seen this, uh Deja wrote a very respectful but very thoughtful and uh very convincing uh argument. So, thanks for sharing. >> Thank you so much. Have a good night. >> Thank you. Thank you. Porsches. [Music] >> Um, Porsche Bordalon, uh, 159 Chenikaset Parkway. For full disclosure, I'm a parent of, uh, two
010students in the Grten Public Schools, and also, um, I serve on the town council here in Grten. Um, I just wanted to say to Deja, what an amazing job to come up here junior year and advocate for your not only your class, the community, but self. And I also had the honor of reading that petition and I say way to go. More people that speak up the better. So that that's really uh awesome. So nicely done. Um, I also was coming tonight to speak in in support of uh this petition. Um uh after looking at it as well and talking to other uh folks in the community, it it is brought to my attention as well that it is a concern. And um maybe a possible way to rectify this would be even though we
011don't like to do it, there's nothing stating that we can't do it, but have it where maybe the high school starts on time and you delay the school that it's being affected, especially the high school because of all the things so nicely stated in her presentation that wouldn't affect middle school and elementary school. So looking outside the box a little bit broader and narrowing in on the actual issue. If the issue actually is the middle school, then let that become the issue of the schedule and let the other students start where they may be. So that was just a thought that I had thought up today and and I thought I would present. On another note, I also wanted to revisit the fieldhouse and the painting of the fieldhouse because once again, I think it
012represents our school and our body and I think personally it looks like a mess and I think it should be fixed. I think we have the money and the means to do such and I think that that hopefully is going to be rectified. Um in in terms of the um I had a um constituent former retired teacher reach out to me recently and she wasn't sure the direction as to where she should direct her questions, but she was hoping that uh between Cutler and Westside, maybe some of the bricks would be saved, maybe something to to kind of transition um the new middle school and have some type of memory blocks that maybe somebody can buy which then maybe would generate possibly maybe some scholarship funds. I know examples in the community. I know the
013one down at the senior center. It's a nice way. I know that on the one side of Westside, it's really only a 20-year-old edition, so the bricks might be, you know, usable there, but people are starting to think like that. So, um, I would love information where to direct that in in the process on how we're going to kind of keep the memory of the other two schools and, um, maybe even moralize some in some way. Um, my other concern that I wanted to bring forward is um, new to me that our career counselor at Fitch High School is only part-time um, there um, and it seems to be more college driven than actually career readiness. When you look at the whole body of the school and you look at the percent of students that
014actually go off to college and the students that because of financial reasons or other means have to go into the workforce, it would seem to me that the career counselor will be utilized not only to prepare kids to go to college and do all the recruiting pop um all the recruiting stuff. Um it would make sense that that career counselor is also working for um job readiness. How many kids are exiting Fitch High School that actually walk into a job? We talk about the kids that actually land and entry into college. We have recruitment um things where we have the cafeteria and it's college fair night, but I feel like there's a a a large uh majority of students that are not getting proper service. They get the diploma and then it just ends. And
015I feel as a town we can do much better. We can offer those kids so much more. I have been told that we are trying to work with EB and come up with a type of plan or training thing. Of course, maybe my children may not benefit, but it's in the pipeline. But just a food for thought or a thought or an idea that would make sense to me would to be have a career fair in the spring and the fall for age 16 to 21. So that way all the kids that have turned uh 16, you would have a chance to have that available to them up to 21 to service all children that are um in the special ed or have an IEP program that um need continuous services through 21. You would
016also open the door up to returning alumni students. Therefore, a student that graduates at 18 years old can come back and still attend that college fair because they're under the age of 21. And I just think it shows our direction. We can have IB, we can have AP, but what are we really doing for the student body? And that career center shouldn't be career-like what college and what career are you going for, but what are you going to do when you leave the high school? Career readiness meaning landing a job at EB Fizer or somewhere like that. So, I think there's a lot of partnerships. There could be landscaping companies that come in. We got EBE. We have Fizer. You put the, you know, the feelers out there. You guys do the advertising. Let the
017people come and then work with those students on how they go through to apply for a job and make that as as a life skill and and readiness. Once again, I appreciate all the work that you do, but I feel that Fitch High School does lack in in in uh career readiness, and that means not college readiness. And I think a large majority of students are being um not really prepared for the real world. And I think we can do better. And I think making that career counselor a full-time position would not only benefit the college students but also the career readiness students that would like to go into the workforce. Thank you. [Music] >> So um we actually do have an international bular program for career readiness um that is being >> we will
018file the application in April. >> Right. So we do understand that we could use more um actually we I think it's pretty robust but we are actually trying to um continue the the robustness. So just to I don't want people to feel that we're only going towards college readiness but that we are we do have a huge push for um we do have a huge we we are we do have a push for the career readiness um piece to that. Um, Porsche, it's an interesting idea about the career fair and maybe um maybe someone would be willing to kind of think about that with a like a regional um so that the other um regional students um could have access and that might make it um more palatable for um businesses to come and look
019for employment. So that is um interesting. Rita, do you have a >> Yeah, I had a a couple clarification points. Um I believe that high school returning students that have gone on to college and different there is a day that they come back to Fitch. I know my children have taken part in that where they go and they talk about their experiences whether it's college, work, whatever. But anyway, they have um they do have a day at Fitch in January that um students that have attended Fitch previously and are either out in the workforce or in college can come back and talk to students. Um and I know I've often said that that part-time career counselor, it's been like that for many, many years, and I've always thought that that should been a full-time position.
020Um especially now since we only have one librarian in the Fitch library which I feel is not the best for that many amount of students. It when there was a career counselor there it sort of offset the burden a little bit. Um but it would be great for full-time and I know all the militaries come in and talk to the students as well as colleges Fizer EB they they they do have a day when they all come and speak to the students. So there is a lot going on, but it would be nice to have a little presentation maybe from the high school to talk about all the different opportunities the kids have. >> Is that a referral? >> Yes, it's a referral. Yeah, because I mean I think that's really um really relevant right
021now. Not everybody, but it's not just college. Career is career. So there are a lot of different kinds of careers, plumbing, everything. So, Liz, I just wanted to ask, I'm sorry if you can't hear me. I'm recovering. But I wanted to ask, is the construction day still going on? I know Lyn Wiznooki when she was up at the high school really reached out to um for skills-based, and I think that's what you're talking about, Porsche, is more of a skills-based. Um >> I'm not sure exactly. I know we have a very strong nursing program, our CNA program, but and our technology, our culinary is coming right up, but there was also a a thing, especially when we had kids that were coming from other countries that struggled with English and they were looking for more
022hands-on and one of the things that they had was construction day. So, I'm not sure if that's still going. Um, I'm I see our principal from Fetch here. Do you happen to know this? >> So So Liz, we do have a referral being made so that we have a better understanding. That's fine. >> I apologize. I'm new to this this deal. >> That's right. We'll help you. >> Okay. Thanks. >> We're glad that you're here. Very glad. >> All right. Any other comments? If not, we're going to move to the student. >> Oh, Jay, I'm sorry. >> Yeah. No, I just um I I want to thank the student for uh I'm sorry, >> Deja Deja. >> Deja for for coming out tonight. It takes a lot I think to uh stand in front of
023a group that you may or may not know and articulate um the thoughts you had and u and they are very valid and we have heard them and I'm hoping that we move toward a u u a compromise tonight with the date. >> Thank you. >> In the fieldhouse maybe in the spring. >> Well, my point to that is is that building and grounds. >> We could do um that could go to building and grounds for referral. Um but I also think >> but that's on it and also just the the concept that um that never mind. I'm going to move on. Student student representative report. >> Uh so I want to start out with updates from last meeting. Um, on December 6th, 7th, and 8th, the uh Fitch High School Drama Club put on
024the production The Miracle on 34th Street. I don't know if any of you are familiar with this. Um, but I was lucky enough to be able to go and it was a fantastic performance. So, I just want to publicly say uh congratulations to the whole production and the cast members who put on an amazing show. Um, also on December 12th, the Fitch High School concert band, percussion ensemble, and jazz band put on a concert. Um, I was in this concert and I think everyone did a great job and, um, so again, a congratulations to all the students involved in that. Uh, seniors are also beginning to hear back from their colleges as well as some seniors are in the middle of sending out applications. Um, so good luck to all of those seniors and um,
025that's an exciting thing that's happening at the school right now. >> Okay, class council updates. Um, the juniors are finishing up with their chocolate fundraiser that they just hosted and they're beginning to plan for Mr. Falcon, which we are very stoked about. Um, the juniors just had a more than No, no. The juniors just had a MOO fundraiser this past Wednesday and um are planning to have a Texas Roadhouse fundraiser as soon as we come back from um winter break in January. Uh the sophomores are continuing to um are continuing to plan for upcoming fundraisers and the freshman completed an inschool fundraiser this past Friday, December 13th, excuse me, this is hilarious. In which students and faculty could pay to duct tape the principal, Mr. Keller, to the wall. We saw we saw pictures. >>
026Good job. >> And put it on your desk, right? >> Good job. >> A few updates about more than words. Um on Thursday, December 12th, the more than words club had a meeting with the other More Than Words clubs at Ledger and New London High School to talk about various upcoming events, including outreach to other schools. The more than words is planning an upcoming visit to the middle schools and talking about how to help connect the two schools when the when they consolidate into one middle school. Uh the more than words is also working with the Aora club at Fitch um to put on a diversity dinner on January 10th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. It will be in the Falcon Cafe at Fitch. Uh at this event there will be different talent and um
027also cultural food and it's supposed to bring the community together and um have kids be able to express their culture and their talents. So it'll be a good time. >> Yes. And then updates about Fitch Athletics. So basketball is preparing for their first game to start off the season this Friday, December 20th at 7:00 and it is our home game. So, the first game and it's at home. It's wonderful. Wrestling is ready to win their match this Wednesday, December 18th, 2019. And a full schedule of all Fish athletic events can be found on the Grten Public School website. >> The Univi the sorry, the unified arts class at Fitch um is currently working up to put more bulletins around the um around the Fish High School halls to show more art. Um so that's an
028exciting thing you can look for at Fitch. and the Fitch music department will perform an inschool concert this Friday, December 20th, 2019. >> The humanitarian club at Fitch is collaborating with the Fitch High School food services uh to raise awareness that um we have currently switched from uh styrofoam trays at Fitch to a more sustainable uh trays. So, they're raising awareness about that, getting students involved, and also is starting a campaign to get more students at Fitch uh to recycle. So, that's what they're focusing on and working to improve the um sustainability at Fitch. >> So, updates about midterm exams in the end of the semester quarter. I mean, the second quarter, excuse me. The first quarter and second quarter of the 2018 to 2019 school year is planned to close on Friday, January 24th,
0292020. >> I just have one addendum that I learned about 30 seconds ago that one of our our student representative was recently admitted into a local college. Is that true? >> And he got into Brown. one of one of the most competitive colleges in the country and uh extremely difficult. It is a reflection not only of of her leadership and her musical ability and artistic ability but her academic uh it it it it thrills me but it comes as no surprise. Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Congratulations. Y [Applause] All right. So, um hearing no comment any further comment about the student report, we're going to move on to the superintendent administrative reports. Um just um just to before we start into that, I just wanted to let you know that um I asked Dr. Grineer
030um when for the business manager when he gives his report just to give a little bit of a primer about what the object code summary is. is that we he kind of like says this is what it is and we kind of look at it for a couple minutes um and then we kind of move move past that and when in fact we we think about that um object codes um summary quite a lot and so I just figured it was a good way to kind of um dip our feet into the budget process which as we all know starts really soon for us so just wanted to let you all know that that's um what I asked the business manager to do okay Yes, please. >> So, uh it is my great pleasure to
031introduce uh Amy McKenna and Carita Hajj who are the co-chairs of the Fitch High School NEAS New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation self-study. This is the the 10-year report and uh uh I've done several of these and being the the co-chairs is a huge amount of work and uh I know they have done a really a superlative job. So, uh Mrs. McKenna and Miss Hajj, if you'd like to orient the board a little bit and tell us uh we got a letter, I don't know if you got it today. You probably did too, Ted. At least I got the letter that uh there'll be a a uh a visit. Is it a previsit in in April? >> It's a two-day visit in April. >> It's a two-day visit. So, just coincidentally, just today
032we got the the letter. So, we are uh and the the actual visit will be when the >> in April 23rd, 24th. >> Okay. All right. Great. >> Yeah. Okay. >> All right. Good evening. >> Good evening everybody. Uh thank you for inviting us to come out. We're just going to share some slides that give you a summary of our work so far and also uh of about the vision of the graduate which we've been working on at Fitchnau for quite some time. >> Quite some time. >> Could you just um what are what does NEAS stand for? >> New England Accreditation for Schools. >> New England Association of Schools and Colleges. >> Okay. So, this is our overview. This was our our uh objective for the school year. Um, like Amy said, we started
033last school year. Um, but our year one goal was to prepare for a collaborative visit and that includes a different series of stages of getting through before we end up with our visit in April. Um, that includes developing uh the vision of the graduate, developing core beliefs and mission. Um, developing and coordinating with steering committees and self-reflection committees and writing reports. Um, it includes our stakeholders, uh, community leaders, board members, teachers, students, and parents. So, we also, we're not going to read all of this information because it would take us very long and you have a full agenda tonight, but we did want to share with you that um, we we did start the process in April. We went to an accredititation seminar um, and, you know, learned about the process for what we would
034have to do. And we've had many many stops along the way including involving community stakeholders uh faculty, students, parents, board of education sort of in looking at attributes for our vision of the graduate and thinking about what we think every Fitch graduate should have. We're also working on a report. Um we have a really committed and I think incredible self-reflection committee um that are really doing the leg work in writing our self-reflection. Um and we are working on the draft and the other piece of this um for the vision of the graduate is to to I'm sure you have a little bit of awareness of you know it comes with a graphic and so we thought what better way to showcase what fish is all about and what Gratina is all about than to let
035students really kind of steer what the graphic would be and we're going to share just an early draft of that graphic with you tonight. So our acronym is rise. We want it to reflect growth in our students and we want to reflect growth wherever we wherever the student is at the stage they're at to eventually by the time they graduate from Fitch High School they would have shown some growth in in the process. So to begin with, >> so as Kervita mentioned, um it really is a it's it's about a growth mindset and I think you know great missions come with great sentence stems and our set in STEM we just wanted to spend some time explaining it to you because it we think it holds a lot of meaning. The Fitch graduate demonstrates continuous
036commitment to and this means when a student enters in at grade nine as they evolve as a 13year-old, a 14year-old, 15y old um and then eventually every step of the way they're getting better and better and better at these attributes which you're about to see. Um we think that the language allows them to self assess. We think that the language allows them to really connect with graduation and what that means and exiting high school and what that means no matter what program they're involved in, no matter what courses they take, no matter what their post-graduate plans are. We really wanted a vision that was inclusive >> um so that every FIT student could look at the word the acronym RISE and the words attached to it and say that describes me. Uh it's really important
037for every fit student to see themselves in the vision. I know um just as an aside, you probably have heard it referred to as portrait of the graduate. School district school districts can choose either. We chose vision. >> And just a reminder that these attri attributes that you came up with, they they're not directly from Amy and I. They're from all the community stakeholders. We invited community leaders come to visit us including EB and Fisers and the political leaders. We had teachers we had board of ed members contribute to the these words and uh students and parents. Uh so rise resilient individual innovative innovative learner socially aware citizen and engaged communicator and then we're going to go through them individually. >> We like big print. So um resilient individual is our first one. Uh resiliency
038was a huge characteristic that came up over and over and over again. Um so it made perfect sense to us to find a way for that to be a headliner. Um and individual obviously we really want everybody to be able to see themselves. So here here's this first one. The Fitch graduate demonstrates continuous commitment to personal growth and wellness by independently accepting challenges, engaging in hard work, and developing resilience to thrive as an individual. The next one is innovative learner. The Fitch graduate demonstrates continuous commitment to intellectual growth and critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and knowledge across the disciplines. The next one is socially aware citizen. The Fitch graduate graduate, excuse me, demonstrates continuous commitment to cultural understanding and interaction by actively promoting social awareness, civic responsibility, and dedication to the local and global community.
039And the last one is engaged communicator. The Fitz graduate demonstrates continuous commitment to effective and purposeful communication that exhibits open-mindedness, respectful collaboration, empathetic listening, and a clear, comprehensive presentation of ideas. So, we also um do want to share a little bit about the artwork. Um but luck, as luck would have it, um Addie Clark is one of our student artists. So we we did speak to her ahead of time and asked her to kind of join us in this part of the presentation. So she's going to speak to you a little bit about the process of the team um that she's been working with and then after she shares a little bit about the process, we'll go ahead and show you the one of the more recent drafts of the graphic. >> Great. So um
040I was contacted by Mrs. Haj and Mrs. McKenna um to work on this graphic to kind of design uh what we think the vision of the graduate really shows. Um the group of students um was me uh a senior uh girl called Caitlyn and Annayia, a freshman. Um and we all got together over a couple meetings. We kind of decided uh what we really thought all of the four um things they mentioned resilient individual, innovative learner, socially aware citizen, and engaged community. What all of those really we thought um could be shown in a uh Fitch graduate. Um so we kind of like bounced ideas off of each other and thought about different things and um what we came up is right there if I can talk about it really quickly. Um, so this is
041an early draft. I think we're going to go through a couple different things just to make it easier to see, maybe change the colors um, a little bit, but the gist I think will be the same. Um, so we thought that um, resilient individual was kind of showed through um, people climbing up books um, and people who won't stop until they get to the top. Um, and we thought that this could kind of be shown um through like stacked books and people climbing up. Uh, we thought innovative learner was there's different ways to get to the top always. Um, so you can see people climbing on different sides in different ways. Um, and socially aware citizen. Uh, you can see at the top, it's a little a little small, but you can see um there's
042people talking next to a globe and there's a girl who's um looking through a spy glass. Uh so these are just small kind of ways that you can show that um this this image shows that they're connecting with the world um and they are aware of what's outside. Even when they've reached the top there's a there's a place to go. Um and then engaged community. We wanted to make everyone in this drawing um really connected. So you can see there's people helping each other, people talking um and there's people just really connected in a community. Um, so that's what we thought and I think it's also interesting or important to mention. Um, the people we decided to show in this graphic are very diverse people from different backgrounds um, and different people with different strengths
043and weaknesses and all this stuff because we thought that's important to show that a Fitch graduate is not just one type of person. So, we worked on this. This is our first draft and it'll be interesting to see where it goes. Thank you. >> Very good. Do you have any questions or comments? >> Thank you. >> Question. >> I wanted to congratulate Addie and the team because I thought that the student help the one that stopped to help the other student showed all four of those qualities in one. You know, he was gone to the top, but he was able to communicate and see compassionately and help somebody else. And so I thought that was like the most meaningful piece on that for me was the student. >> So I know that I that we
044might be aware of the the NISK, but what so what is the importance? Why are why is Fitch going for this? Does every high school in the area go for this? I just just to help the people who might be watching this and about what what this process is. >> Sure. So, NIASK has um affiliates with uh American uh I'm sorry, New England public high schools, private schools, um also colleges. Um it's one way, it's a 10-year cycle. It's one way for us to um kind of have like another gauge of where our school is. Um and the self-study um or self-reflection as it's being termed now really is a way for us to kind of take a temperature read using evidence. We have five uh standards that we're looking at and we use all
045of that evidence to decide where our school is at in this moment in time in this year one of this 10-year cycle. And at the end of our self study when they come and they visit uh in April, they look at what we have come up with and they say to say to us, okay, we we like what you've prioritized. We think that you have a good improvement plan. and if they see that something isn't driving, they can make other suggestions um for us to look at in terms of a growth plan for the school. In another two years, we have our dennial visit and that is the more formal visit that a lot of you might be a little bit more familiar with. And with the dennial visit, it's a little bit longer. It's
046a larger team and that's when they look at what we identified in year one and they say, "Okay, where did where did you go? Where did you go, Fitch? You know, where have you gone?" So this this first visit that we're working on for this year is not it's not what uh Mr. Keller would call a gotcha sort of visit. It's more of where are you? Where do you want to improve? And is the visiting team that's usually about four people is the visiting team seeing these same areas for improvement when they come to visit our school. And then we make a a school growth plan uh after the team shares their report with us and we work on that school growth plan over the next two years. And then after our dennial visit, uh,
047NEAS kind of puts school districts in like maintenance. So then you go into maintenance for another seven years and then you start with that year one phase. Again, the vision of the graduate for NIAS replaces something that you may have been familiar with called the student learning expectations. >> Um, but the core values and beliefs are still in place um, from what we've had before. We'll we'll just review them. And just in short, I was just speaking with my mother just the other day who had to go through this process as a retiree of Three Rivers Community College and she reminded me that this process assures that the teachers and the leaders, the educational leaders are doing what they supposed to do according to the expectations of the community and their families. So, it sure
048we're doing what we're supposed to be doing. I am just so very thankful of your tireless efforts and and pushing this process through. Thank you so much to the two of you. Rita, I remember 10 years ago when Fitch was reacredited and how important it is to get that accreditation. I mean, if you're a high school that doesn't receive the accreditation, it's really devastating. And I I know it's an overwhelming task and challenging and um I really appreciate all that you're doing, but um it it's it's so important for our town because I know I believe it was North Stonington a couple of years ago, they were put on like a warning if they hadn't made certain improvements to their high school. I mean, it's even the building, you know, and whether or not your
049your what your facility is like. There's so many aspects of this. Yeah. >> So, but anyway, so it's a big task and thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> I I just had one comment. >> What you have written is so perfectly aligned with where we're trying to go with the middle years program. The whole resilience and global orientation and continuous learning. Uh it uh it it's really quite striking. we could take this presentation and do it for NYP and we'd be fine. Just change the title. Um because the principles are exactly the same and I think you've done a really a remarkable job aligning those two things. So congratulations. >> Yeah, the synergy is beautiful. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, we are going to move on to the update on
050Genon Middle school schedules. Well, we are continuing to work on on the on the schedule. The the latest development is we we uh got the team together, the team that that that you saw. We brought them to the to the tech team and right now uh t today uh I believe the entire program of studies has been written. So we are now ready to have children go online and the current fifth, sixth and seventh graders and select their courses. Uh once we get that information uh that will be put into the power school scheduling module and we're actually going to do a couple of versions that we we'll come and uh and share with you. But uh this was sort of a big step because scheduling is really a there are there are two facets
051to scheduling. What one is the uh what do you actually want to offer to to the children and the other one is the technical part. How do you actually get it in the computer? And so we had kind of a tech team and a a scheduling uh program team. And uh last week they they came together. I'm happy to report. So, we should we should by tomorrow be prepared to have uh we'll probably launch it of course after the holiday, but uh we we'll get word out and students will actually uh current fifth, sixth, and seventh graders will actually sign up for their courses and then we'll come back and show you at least a couple of different versions that we've been fiddling with. >> Lee, at our last CO meeting when St. Ben came.
052>> Yes. >> Um who is the one that is able to look at these and understand it. >> Yeah. >> I was aed by it. >> He he he is Ben Ben Strauss, a Westside science teacher, has put in a huge amount of work into this. Uh it's been refined. Susan has taken a look at this and she's come up with a a version that uh may even be superior. Uh, so we'll uh we're going to show you a couple of versions and I think you'll be very pleased >> of St. Susan. Hearing nothing else, we're going to be moving on. Hello, Susan. >> That was a good segue. >> So, um, last week you may recall that I shared with the board of ed the magnet feeding survey and the process was to be
053that the teachers would take a look at the survey and give us feedback. we come back to the board and share what we've learned from that and then we will get it ready to go out to the parents in the community. And so that is actually happening today. I also CCD the board of ed members on the Google form so you could actually take it yourself and I think I even put a special place for you. >> Yeah, you did. I I saw that I opened it and then didn't know we were supposed to fill it out yet. >> Certainly start it now if you want. >> I don't know what the rules were. Okay. No. And and I would say um it's an interesting survey in that um from the task force that met
054two weeks two um years ago probably we were able to have descriptors and then we added to that by finding um sites that we thought were really um very um encouraging and sample like that parents could get on and look at. So, I encourage you to get on the links and and see the either the video clip or the school's website as an example of some of those different themes. Um, and then um the surveys to be completed by teachers by December 19th, 2019. I thought that was a good day. And that way it'll give us time to kind of take a look at it and look through the responses and be able to present that back to you. Um and then one of the things that um Mike and I were able to do
055today and we've been waiting for a very long time for this through the expect grant which as you know the expect grant was really designed for the middle school and it's around equity excellence and pride and through that grant they supported um both Rick Kalenberg who came to us last year and you know interviewed and met with a lot of people and this Michael Alves who is an educator educational planner a real expert and consultant around socioeconomic integration and making sure that um we really have diverse community down to the classroom. So, um, and that's really our goal whether we're talking about the one middle school or whether we're talking about all of our magnetized elementary schools and of course the high school too. So um his what he's been able to do and this
056is so interesting and I'm you know looking forward to sharing this in more detail with the board but he was able to come up with um using census data census block group information which is really a geographic representation that includes socioeconomic information on income and um the um adult caregivers amount of education in the household And all of those things will help us to make sure that we have balance in our classrooms, which is really what we want, and in our schools. Um, so, you know, I know Mike wanted to be able to add on to this, but um, it was really an exciting day and we learned a lot. So, >> he he is don't say this lightly, but he is the the national leader, the national expert on what they call controlled choice.
057H how do you create truly diversified schools uh without which would be illegal without assigning children by race? Uh so what we've done today is we've uh he he asked for without names of course uh information u power school information which we we'll give him in a spreadsheet and he's going to run a beta test. is going to run an initial uh draft of getting uh kids onto teams that will be balanced uh socioeconomically. Uh so we what we want to avoid of course is having one of the three teams at the middle school sort of be a reflection of Westside and another one reflection of we of color. We wanted to avoid that. We wanted to actually make sure that the the children are together and u he he has been involved since the
05870s since the mid70s and he he he put a very similar plan together for Cambridge, Massachusetts um >> and many other places across >> Oh yeah like dozens dozens of Raleigh, Durham, Chicago, Boston, New York >> and and learn use this >> right and learn all that stuff. He came he came to us through learn uh so he's a he's a a colleague of this fellow uh Rick Kalenberg that we use and >> he he is really terrific so I think he'll turn this information around by by mid January >> and we'll have a draft >> and I think he'll also be able to um share this expertise and we'll be able to use it in deciding on these themes and the things that people are excited about and you know give um you know
059probably priority too and to know where then would these steamed schools go, you know, locate. So we have for instance Charles Barnum and the school at the site at Westside and then the elementary school at the site at Cutler. So I think this will also help us for the middle school to make sure we have socioeconomic balance and also in our elementaryaries. >> Great. Thanks. All right, we're on to to the business manager report. [Music] >> Hello. >> Hi. >> So, the uh attachment number one is what we're going to be going over and I'm going to go over in in a little bit of detail just so everyone um um understands what it is that we look at every uh every every month. Uh this is a a six-page document. Uh when we say
060object code summary, really just the first page is the object code summary. It's a it's a one-page look at uh at at what uh what was budgeted, what has been spent, and where we think we're going to end up. Um the the the second, third, fourth, and fifth pages, it's the same information uh just in more detail. Uh so for instance the first line administrators uh can be broken down on line number 48 uh 49 50 and 51 as uh administrators, principles, assistant principles and deans. It's it's just it's just the front page is just a nice uh easy succinct way to look at it. The very last page is this is the same information once again broken down by our our different programs. Uh so if we wanted to know how much our elementary
061program or our art program, our language arts um cost uh and where we are to budget, that's all uh listed right here. So it's the same information just presented three different ways. So uh back to the front page, uh what what we what we present here is the FY20 budget that was approved. Uh then we we lay in what's been expended and what's been encumbered. Expended means we've actually sent a check out and the money's been spent. Encumbered means we've uh we've kind of put a placeholder in and said we've got to save this because we know we're going to use it uh soon. And uh that that comes to a total uh we compare that against budget. That's what the remaining balance column is. And then the FY20 estimate is where we actually think
062we're going to end up for the year. uh kind of going down the down the page now. Uh all of our expenses are broken out into eight basic buckets. Salaries, benefits, purchase services, property services, uh a big a big transportation and tuition um uh section, supplies, equipment, and uh and fees. Um the these these are common across uh across all all boards of ed uh for us here. Um for salaries for instance uh we expect to be $191,881 over our original budget. Uh and this happens for various reasons. Uh we hire folks uh that we didn't anticipate in the in the budget. Um uh some of these uh uh costs come in higher than what we expect and and that's that's what causes that type of a an increase. uh for benefits. Uh this is
063where health insurance and um social security and uh the the biggest variance here being our um severance paid out to uh retiring teachers. Uh we actually have some uh uh savings in this line because we're able to pay some of those severances in the prior year. Uh purchase services, these are services that we do not provide inhouse. We bring uh bring outside services in. Um these could be um um evaluations uh could be legal services just services that we can't provide in house. These are pretty much on budget uh year to date. Property services. These are services to keep the uh the property uh uh going most it's mostly uh uh Sam's uh Sam's domain. Uh we're slightly uh over budget here. Uh but uh we'll be covered uh covered off. Transportation, insurance, communication, and
064tuition. This is a big one. Uh, you know, it's $11 million. It's a it's it's a lot of money. Uh, transportation is um is contracted. So, we uh we know exactly how much we're going to be spending there. Uh the biggest wild card in here would be our tuitions uh for these are out of district tuitions for both regular and special education students. Uh our regular education tuition is uh is up over the prior year. Uh this is due to um more students uh going out of district as well as uh there was an increase from the uh city of uh New London. Uh so that's driving that increase. We but we have a decrease um to budget uh from special education students. Uh we had budgeted uh you know a good increase uh but
065uh it doesn't look like uh hopefully uh that will that will happen. Uh but that is a that could change at any time. Um um it's higher than last year but it's not as much as budget. Uh supplies are uh under budget. Um we have asked the principles to hold back uh 25% of their site budgets uh for uh the time being until we can be sure that we'll be able to hit all these numbers. Uh so uh they are all complying and we are in very good shape uh with regards to supplies. Uh equipment and uh dues and fees are are in budget. And so on a year-to-ate basis, our projected uh unexpended balance is 86,25. >> All right. That's a lot of talking. >> This is about onetenth of 1%, >> right? >>
066Yeah. Yeah. It's a very small percentage, but >> but I think we're, you know, we're we're watching it. We're watching it uh every every two weeks actually produce this uh and we just watch it like a hawk and make sure we're we're on track. So, um the tuition was up because of the um children going to the New London magnet schools. >> Uh no, not necessarily uh going to magnet schools in general. Um but the uh city of New London did increase their tuitions um slightly. So that doesn't necessarily mean that we have more students going to these. >> Well, we do because the friendship school opened >> and we have uh several more students at the friendship school. >> Okay. >> Friendship school only recently opened to everyone. >> Okay. >> Is that the
067one at Waterford? >> Yes. It used to be one in Waterford. Now it's it's learn and um >> Okay. >> And then I can I just have one more question then? Um, and then do do we feel like um going back up to the top one, the salaries? >> Um, is that somewhat normal for this time of year for us? >> Uh, yeah. Last year we actually had it was going the other way. We actually had a projected unexpended amount instead of a a negative number there. Um last year we had um a lot of retirements that were filled um um at a lower at a lower rate. Okay. Uh this year that there were uh less uh retirements and so there was less of that happening. Okay. >> Um we do reforcast that on
068a bi-weekly basis after every payroll. So we're we're tracking very close to that uh and anticipate unless there's a change. Uh but I don't anticipate any changes. >> Okay. Thank you, Rita. Rita. Oh, I was just wondering if we could have a referral um about why we're providing transportation to the friendship school. Is it for the kindergarten students or is it the three and foury old program? >> We're not providing transportation. >> So, we're not providing transport. I thought you just said tuition. >> Is it >> I'm sorry. Tuition, right? >> But I thought tuition was paid for by parents >> only for the preschoolers. the kindergarten children we pay. >> We pay >> we need to get a good representative on that learn board. >> Yes. Well, I really >> drive the tuition cost.
069>> Yeah, the tuition is going they're all going up a little bit. I know, >> but um I really thought though that most of the students there, a lot of them are on free and reduced lunch and that even if you do have to pay the tuition, you're reimbursed. Is that the case? >> No, I I don't believe No, we we pay students you have. >> Correct. We we have to pay >> Yes, we we pay the tuition for those >> kindergarten children. >> And could you tell us about how many that is from Grten? >> The number 37 is in my head. Uh but that I think that's probably 37 uh preK NK. >> Okay. >> So, I think it's maybe 15 or 20 kindergarten children that we pick. But but it it it
070it made the numbers go up a bit on the out of the district magnet choice. >> Um one second I I I don't I I don't I don't think so. But I know for the parents for the three and four year old program it's phenomenal. They have two 10 to one the students. They have OT PT. I mean it's really amazing and it's for $4,000 a year. So it and they could go early in the morning till state 6 at night. It it's it's wonderful that it h that waterford pulled out and now it is opened up to surrounding towns. So >> yeah, it's a terrific program. >> I would recognize Denise. Do you have to go to the mic? >> Can you go to the mic, please? >> And then I got you, Gretchen.
071>> Um our latest enrollment report has 65 at the friendship school. So I believe that's the >> So maybe 37 with the K the kindergarten children. >> Yeah. 65. That's quite a bit over last year. >> Yeah. >> That that accounts for what Ken was saying. There's more children in in magnet schools. Thank you, >> Gretchen. >> Um I swear that two one child who just is both F students in their middle for middle school. They've gotten kids their whole lives were at the friendship school for middle school. >> No. participate. >> PreK is three, four, five. >> Three year olds. >> Oh, threey olds. >> Yeah. Three and three and four. Yeah. >> Three, four, five. >> Three, four, and five year olds. >> Yeah. >> Oh my god. I have to tell my
072sister-in-law that. >> I'm thinking the dual language is a learned school. >> Yeah, that middle school was in Waterford. >> Yes, >> that's it. >> Yep. >> Okay. Do we have any other questions about the object code? >> I guess that makes me bad. No. If not, can we move on to the uh health insurance? >> So, the health insurance uh uh claims report is not available. It comes out at the end of the uh end of the third week. Uh so, we would be expecting towards the end of this week to be getting the actual report. So, we don't have that right now. >> Okay. >> But, uh Dr. Grineer did help me uh ask me uh to um to maybe give a little background on a health insurance plan and these health insurance
073reserve. another another primer just to uh make sure we're all on the same page. Uh so uh just so everyone understands we are we have a self-insured uh health insurance plan with with the town. Uh total number of employees covered in that uh in that plan. So about a thousand uh a little bit less twothirds of them come from the board of ed. So we're we're a big big chunk of that plan. Um the part of being having a selfinsured health insurance plan means we have to have a reserve uh which means uh a fund to pay for uh just health insurance expenses. Uh so we set up this reserve uh and one of the requirements of the reserve is that uh we have to maintain a minimum of 25% uh of expected claims. Uh
074they they call this the corridor and this is the minimum amount that uh you you you need to have in order to have a self-insured uh plan. Um the fact of the matter though is is you want more than just the minimum. Uh but you don't want too much either. You you want you want somewhere in between. Um we we here have been striving to keep the amount above the corridor between one and three months worth of claims. uh which uh the board has done uh an excellent job of doing. So this means uh for uh the board of ed annual claims are about $14 million. Uh which means that the corridor needs to be $3.5 million. Uh the one to one to three months of claims that's uh that's another three to4 million. Um,
075and this this is the this is the amount that $3 to4 million that the board will look at uh periodically especially during the budget time and make decisions on whether or not it should be adjusted or or whether the amount is correct. Uh this past uh this past budget period budget process for this year FY20 uh the board determined we should bring it down by $1.3 million. And so that's what the budget reflects right now. Um, so that's that's kind of the the process of of our health insurance reserve. I don't know if that's helpful. >> It is very helpful because once again, we're going to be talking about these phrases. >> We will >> for the for and so just nice to kind of begin to have our our our feet kind of get
076wet. It's kind of like >> it drags us into it. >> That's a wrong word to use. I mean, drag. >> That was that was an excellent explanation. I haven't ever heard it quite that succinct and it was terrific. All right. Any other any questions? >> I agree. >> No, I'm just grateful. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, we're going to move on to the director of building and grounds and yes, I will make time for you. >> Good evening. I have three things that I'll report on tonight. The the first item is the CRT 2020. Um, last week on Tuesday, Dr. Pier and I went along with Rick Norris, um Bob Austin France, the chairman of the building committee, uh and the architect and private leaders uh to uh the state department to make
077a presentation on the Cutler Elementary uh site uh in hopes of uh getting uh authorization to go out to bid. Uh there were still a couple of items that need to be addressed. So, uh, we will return on the 19th to finish that up and, uh, uh, hopefully we'll get the okay to move forward and go out the bid, uh, sometime, uh, probably mid January is is the expected time. Uh, also mid January, on January 14th, uh, the same group will go back up and make the presentation regarding the Westside site. Um, as Deja pointed out uh a little while ago, the Graten Middle School is on schedule at this time and I think she also pointed out that uh anything could go wrong at any time. So, I don't want to I don't want
078to be the one to jinx us. So, I'm going to knock on wood here uh and hope that things continue to go smoothly over there. Um, also, uh, we were supposed to have a meeting tomorrow with the architects on the elementary schools regarding security and data. Um, but I see that just before this meeting, it got wiped off my calendar and has been rescheduled for January 7th. So, we'll meet with uh, we'll bring our IT people, our security people, so on uh, for that meeting. It will now take place on January 7th. Uh, the second item is the Claude Chester School. Uh, I think you probably seen that um we're talking about an engineering inspection. Um, a a little while ago I got a um an email from Wes Greenleaf um and he said he
079had just appeared on his phone uh a reminder that a 10-year um inspection uh is due for the uh for the Clawchester um cafeteria gym uh space. uh 10 years ago they found um that the uh concrete beams that that building is built with concrete beams underneath. So it's a um has rebar in it and so on, but it also had just has a dirt floor. So there's a lot of humidity under there and it it caused some deterioration on those beams under under that uh uh gym floor. So, uh, they had noticed some cracks in the floor and Wes had, uh, an engineering firm come in and check it out and they determined that they could repair it, um, on a temporary basis, a 10-year temporary basis. Um, and so, uh, Lester French, uh,
080the mason came in and was able to repair, um, the, uh, the beams to, uh, stand up for the for the last 10 years. And so, uh, thanks to Wes, uh, for sending this note because, um, now I've gone back into the records. I've got, uh, the engineer, uh, coming down from GNCB engineering firm. Uh, they're scheduled to be here tomorrow morning at 8:00. >> Oh, great. >> Um, if they don't make it tomorrow, I'm sure that he's going to reschedule before the week's out. So, they're going to come down. We're going to crawl down in that crawl space and take a look at the beams and he's going to tell me um what condition they're in and what we need to do if we need to do anything at this time. So um and
081then the third item um is the uh water testing uh that we've done previously. I took the results up to that of all the testing that we've done over the last few years and met with the Department of Health water official um at her office uh a little over a week ago. Uh and so uh in our discussion um she was appreciative of all the things that we've done uh to this point. um and talking about what we need to do in the future. Um she indicated that there is a proposal out there um for the suppliers uh whoever uh provides that water to that particular school and this will apply throughout the state that the suppliers would need to test uh the water in the schools every five years. Um it also within our
082discussions we talked about uh early childhood centers which are now required to test water every two years. So um daycare centers those sorts of things um you know that if um uh that lead affects younger smaller bodies and younger bodies more so than older. So uh that's why they do it every two years in the early childhood centers. And so uh we discussed this briefly at the facilities committee meeting and I think we need to um continue that discussion at our next facilities meeting and consider um a uh exactly how we want to approach this. Um and I think um one one suggestion uh uh would be uh to do uh testing every every other year every two years. So we would do it uh for instance um we just did it in 16 and
083we did it again in 18 and then there were some minor ones that we did in 19 as we clean things up. So uh the bulk of the samples were done in uh 18. So we would do it again sometime in 20 uh again in 22 and then in 23 the supplier would if if this proposal goes through the supplier would do it in 23 and then we would do it again in uh 25 uh 26 and then in 27 the supplier would do it again and so on and so forth into the future. So that might be uh something that we discuss at the facilities committee uh in the near future. Um, and so that's u about what I have at this point. >> So I'll just make sure that that gets gets to
084you in terms of coming up with that proposal. >> All right. So, um, we're going to move on to the committee. >> Oh, >> please. I'm sorry, Jay. >> Um, first of all, um, West Green Lake is probably one of the longest serving facilities directors. >> 30 years at least. >> 30 years. And he's still working. >> Yeah. >> He's still getting emails for us. Yes. Popped up on his calendar. >> You can come, but you can never leave. >> Yeah. And um I think it it it's good to to note once in a while that um back when we embarked on this water testing uh for which we've received uh a lot of uh praise but also a lot of questioning um that >> um >> grief. >> Okay. brief. Um, you know, Sam
085came to us with this idea. There are very few districts that have conducted or intend to conduct uh such extensive uh testing with the water. Um, and he came to us with this proposal and he said, you know, it's not going to be easy because we don't know what we're going to find. >> And um, so he warned us, but we went ahead with it anyway. And my understanding is he's now considered by the state to be uh one of the experts in Connecticut because of the comprehensive nature of uh of this work. And I think you know it it it's good to recognize that once in a while that this is this has not been easy um because there is no blueprint. Even to this day there is no blueprint and the legislature is
086just now beginning to consider standards for school water testing. So I mean and we did this four years ago, >> right? >> Um and so you know I just want to recognize that and the fact that if you read the reports from the actual water suppliers, you will you will see that there is no such thing as zero. >> Uh and so that really isn't something to which we can that we can attain >> right >> with with a public water supply. Um but >> and that report is also on the website. >> Yeah, everything's on the website. >> So anyway, >> thank you Jay. >> I'm moving us to the community uh committee reports policy >> continue to meet. Um we >> good thing to know. >> We are going to talk today second
087reading of two of our policies. Um and we are going through the no I don't know how to pronounce it. Yes. Um and we're not doing that today. Uh but we are going through second reading of two >> and actually it is on our agenda for today. >> But first reading the Naron >> the Naron for the first reading. >> First readings. We're going to new business. >> It's under >> I'm sorry. Yes, we are. Thank you. I was just a rebound from Yes, we are indeed. >> Yeah. Good >> curriculum. We haven't met. We're going to meet in January and I'm I'm concerned that we're we need to follow our timeline that we established >> finance and facilities. Um, so we met on December 5th and we discussed um several things that Sam brought
088up tonight in including um the Clarkchester engineering um the fact that the state is is just now beginning to uh go into um water testing standards. Um we discussed uh the fiscal year 21 budget development. I know you're all looking forward to that. That's a highlight of our of our calendar. Um and um we we looked again at a review of the advertising and promotion agreement form. Um you know discussed u I think policies discussed this too about where we want this advertising to be able to >> we >> occur and >> we are asking questions as we did >> and and and the price of that and everything else >> um and where the money would go uh and that sort of thing. Um, and we also discussed non-union salaries, wages, and statements so
089that we can have something to put into the budget and discuss it, you know, very early in the budget process so that it it's not perceived that it came up um, you know, at the last minute. So, we we've already come up with that >> and that will be presented when we start the budget process. >> Yes. So, there'll be something in the budget for us to uh, you know, as a placeholder. >> Okay. Thank you. And that's what we're looking forward to the budget. >> Yes. >> We're so excited. >> All right. I'm moving us on to um learn Rita. Yes. We had a meeting last Thursday. Um the deputy executive director Bridget Gordon Hickeyi and the certified one of their certified behavioral anaces Jessica Yone presented a very powerful um presentation on school
090avoidance. um school refusal, why children refuse to go to school, chronic absenteeism. It it was fabulous and I do have the PowerPoint presentation. If anybody on the board would like it, I could pass it on. Um from, you know, all the different reasons why a child starting from very young to through high school why they may not want to go to school. I mean, one of the things they pointed out if a child has a sick sibling that is home maybe with cancer or something, >> they feel that they can't go to school, that if they leave that home, the mother and the child would not be able to manage. I mean, it's just amazing in a child's mind. Um, but it's a great presentation and um, I'd be very happy to share it with
091anybody who would like >> it. Yeah, it it was it was fascinating. Um, we also talked about um, let's see, that Central Connecticut State University has gotten in touch with Learn to have a partnership so that um, teachers could get an 092 there at Learn with Central rather than just going with the Sacred Heart one. So I thought that there so they're in discussions on on having central um come down to learn which is a very convenient place for teachers to come in our area. Um let's see. We we they gave another snap snapshot on the monthly hirings and we did vote on the increases in tuition unfortunately but you know they had three years in a row of zeros. So it was one and a half for the science and the f I believe
092the science and the friendship school and the other schools will be 2%. But our cost to send a child to the multicultural magnet school is only three is $3,000. I mean, these aren't great, you know. So, when you say 2%, it's not a lot of money, >> but they really did have three years of zeros and really try to keep it in check. >> That's it. All right. So, the board of Yes. >> Can I just ask real quick? So it only sacred heart offers that certification right now and it's what does the 092 >> allow someone to intermediate administrator >> to become intermediate? >> It's not the only one. It's the only local one. Yukon has it. >> Yukon >> central in New Britain and Southern uh in New Haven. But this would be
093great. >> Yeah. >> Even Sacred Hearts you have to go to Norwich. Is it where where is there >> or Lisbon? Lisbon. Yeah, it's it's quite a distance. >> Yeah. >> So, that's kind of cool that that that partnership could happen. >> So, um the board of ed town council our Tam Leaz on we will um what once again beginning of the year to get to get an organizing meeting again um and to see what the appetite is with from the other um bodies. Um and the board of ed um ASA GA leazison has not had a meeting as of >> it's going to happen soon. Um but it we haven't had there's no new >> is it January um and trails >> I previously apologize I missed both meetings this month. >> Okay. And
094then the same with the same with the graten scholarship. Okay. >> All right. We're done with the committee reports, going to action items. And so I will accept a um we're at the consent agenda and I will accept a um motion to for the regular meeting minutes of no of November 25th and December 9th, both of 2019. >> So move. >> I have Lee. >> I'll second it. >> And it's second. Are there any questions about those? All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain. Motion has carried. Um I'm going to go to old business. I'm going to ask the board if we can just move number three because um talking about dedication, Deja is still here. Um and so if we can just move the discussion of number three um
095to first and um and just to rotate that. Do I hear any consent or did Okay. All right. So here we go. So um I'm just going to put this on the floor in case we need it. So, I will entertain a motion to change the 2020 um school calendar to include a student start date of September 3rd, 2020. And I have a I have Andrea. >> And now we're and I have a second. Now we're at discussion Jay. So, we're discussion. Liz, >> oh, I'm sorry. to do that. Why is um why don't you go back just to September 3rd and not look back at the last week of August? I I was just kind of wondering why you didn't push it back farther. Having been in multiple positions at the high school that
096dealt with the IB, you actually have testing that can begin as early as the end of April. And that is really problematic for our teachers as well as our students. And I and the AP exams begin at the very beginning of May. So I'm just wondering personally I was hoping to see it to be earlier than September 3rd. I would like to see it earlier than that. I would really like to see back to August to give our kids a better chance. That's just um I've actually had teachers I've had people from the town that have contacted me. This was a big question that I had to feel during the campaign and many people want to see this move back to that very end of August that very last week. >> So let me let
097me just orient I appreciate you saying that because we we fiddled with a number of things. So the original plan as as you know uh trying to give the the construction crew as much time as possible. The complicating factor is that that Labor Day of 2020 is as late as it can be. The first September f first Monday in September. So so since that first day is the 7th and obviously pushes it way back. uh where we where we typically start uh when that uh when those dates uh when when Labor Day is relatively early is that is that last week of August. So so this year for example we started on the 29th >> of August. So let let me let me give you a couple of scenarios. Uh but this scenario comes with
098some real compromises. So let me let me explain it. If we start as this draft in front of you says uh the teachers would start on the 31st of August. Uh the students would start on the 3. Uh have two days of school. Usually we have two days before Labor Day. That's that's that's what what I was thinking. Uh and and then and then we have the four days and then we're we're we're off and running. But in in order in order to So let's go to the end. The end would mean that the 181st day is the 15th of June. Uh technically you could have you could end on the 14th of June because that's the 180th day. And if the board wanted to uh the new rule from the state board of ed,
099uh the graduation site could be the 18th if if if the board so decided and we would be able to keep the 18th even if we have more snow days than four. Uh but in order to do that, here are the compromises that you may not like. The the first thing we did was we moved the start date two days. The second thing uh this proposal has is the day be November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving, we have an early release day, but it's not a full day off. Uh the third the third thing that we did was in February, instead of having a 2day or a 4-day President's Day weekend, we only have a three-day President's Day weekend. So, so ba basically that that got us to 4 days. 2 days before school, we
100we do not have uh Thanksgiving Eve off any longer and uh we only have one day for for February uh February President's weekend. So, if we do that then uh then as I say the 14th and the 15th uh would be the 18th 181st day and graduation could be on the 18th. If if we went back two weeks, uh then what would happen would be the teachers would come in on the 24th. >> Yeah. >> Which is a a full two weeks before Labor Day, which that that would that would not be what we've done over the last several years, but but we could. Uh and then uh the students would come in on the 27th and the 28th. then they would have the full week of the 31st. So they would start with two
101days, then have five days, then go to four days. And so uh the the idea if we wanted to do it o almost exactly the way we did it this year, uh it it would be the the teachers would come in on the 31st. That is to say, they would come in the week before Labor Day. the kids would come in two days, have two days of school before Labor Day. Um, and all of that would result in, if the board so deemed, a uh a graduation date of of the 18th. Uh, if we moved it back, I mean, there's a lot of a lot of permutations. We could could move it back two weeks uh and not have some of those days that that I mentioned. Uh I think I I think the the
102the the late end date is is a problem and and uh and Deja and friends have uh have articulated that really well. The the the other thing on this calendar uh that you it's a proposal uh but it's in the right hand column. You may have noticed that with the last snow day, some districts are having a three-hour delay. >> Yep. >> Uh because the old rule that you had to have four hours of school is no no longer relevant. And so we we we talked about this at our superintendent meeting on Friday. And a number of school districts are are thinking about it because I when I talked to Sam at 4 4:30 in the morning sometimes sometimes we think well if we didn't the buses would roll at what time do the buses
103roll >> uh >> like maybe 6ish right >> well I know I know my bus gets to my house around 6:47 7. >> Okay. With your yours is relatively late than so some kids are being picked up at 6:00. That That's >> I I'd like to know I we see a bus in our neighborhood at 6 and we don't live all that far from the high school. So I was curious what Grten bus picks up children at 6:00 a.m. >> It might be the Ledger bus or it might be the uh >> It's the Graten bus. >> No, no, it's a Grten bus taking kids to Ledger. >> Oh. To the AG the Vag program. Or it could be going to London science and tech or it could be scary >> because it's 6 a.m.
104>> I don't want I don't want to confuse one second question. I got you. >> I think she I but I have some cut from >> I I I hear you. But when we're talking about three-hour you're not talking about starting that >> no >> this year >> we could >> a lot of times >> well I I would I wouldn't do it tomorrow if need be. Uh but I would probably get word out to the parents. I was going to say I would not do that without >> I don't want to share the times with them. >> I I wouldn't want to do that without >> In any if we're going to move the the graduation date. >> Okay. >> Back. >> Okay. So now I want to talk about get questions on ground.
105Do you have questions about the or just answering? Okay. So I'm going to go to questions if that's okay. Great. >> I I have a different suggestion than you proposed. Why can't the teachers come back the 26th, 27th, 28th and the students go to school on the 31st? Then you can get in your >> they could >> you could do your two days for February. You can do the November the day before Thanksgiving and to me that >> say again so the teachers because the 24th is early to go back to teachers. So the teachers 26, 27th, 28th >> 26th >> and students on the 31st of August and then that way >> students start on Monday >> on Monday the 31st and they have a full week of school which to me is not
106an issue. >> Right. >> So um anyway and then you could even suggest would be that >> to keep the days >> yes the >> I feel that that Thanksgiving is important >> two day business. Yeah, that's it's a good >> and you know I really feel that that February break is is necessary. The day before um Thanksgiving I think has been extremely helpful for families and for teachers. So um and then you'd have another day. But I also would like my other thought is I really feel that the town should not be using the schools for for voting and that we need to take back those that day. where we'll have another extra day in November when we have so many days off already and with um and maybe it won't be for the
107big election next year but after that when some of our elementary schools are no longer have children like Butler they vote at Butler you know they could be their town buildings they can do what they want with them >> let me just do a little math u >> I got you one second I >> if we if we take that suggestion the students would not come in on the third day, come in on the 31st. So we save three days. >> Right. But uh your testimony is uh that just a Johnny Cochran joke. Uh your your suggestion is uh that we give back the 25th, which uh is is is a good idea, and we give back February 16th. So minus three + 2 is a minus one. >> Minus one. So, your suggestion would
108mean that the last day of school, the 181st day, would be the 14th. >> Mhm. >> Check my math, please, Susan. >> That's right. >> Uh, and then >> and the 180th day would be the 11th. >> The 11th. >> So, so we're agreed that graduation could be even with six snow days on the 18th. >> Yes. >> Right. >> Uh, on the 18th it would be. >> So, the last day of school would be the 11th. And then you have and then we have >> and you give yourself some snow days. Uh and and graduation is on the 18th. So we're starting early and I like that. >> Liz, >> I just also wanted to recommend that a lot of people, a lot of areas are still going to school on Veterans Day. And
109I understand that it's a good you know there are some people who I think it's a good learning experience and to put the to take that the 11th of November speaking looking at your calendar our calendar it's very broken up in the fall and it really needs we need more contact time >> and I think November 11th um this year giving that as not as a day off and then possibly in the future when we have the space to be able to accommodate the elections to have school. And then the third, we need more contact time as our curricula get more gets more and more diverse and more intense. We need more contact time with our kids. >> So, I just want to say that >> that election day is a regional PD day. So,
110that's a that's a regional calendar. >> That's right. I forgot about they moved that >> ju just for what it's worth. It's personal for me. I I uh I suggested it that students have school >> and it was not a good experience. >> It wasn't wellreceived. >> It it on you're talking about election day or veterans veterans day. >> Yeah. >> Especially the military dependent children. >> And I thought that the board tested the waters by taking Columbus by Columbus Day and and that didn't that didn't work. So I I I I get it. nationally it's it's a very good and instructionally I think it makes all the sense in the world >> but I really think pushing the getting this having voting out of our schools so that we can I think there are
111a lot of town buildings where we could have you're >> right >> voting we we uh we agree >> so I like read suggestion the 31st >> I I uh I I defer it to Z. What do you think? >> Well, it has come to my attention that that weekend after the >> when did you you said the 3rd and the 4th. >> Yeah. >> Or the 27th and the 28th. >> Well, the suggestion made by Miss Vulman is that perhaps the students would start on the 31st and go 30 31 1 2 3. Like I like that suggestion. It's just the fact that we we do the AB day schedule. Yeah. So then those would be the first two first times we have that first time we have those classes. And that weekend most
112kids get their school supplies for those classes so they know what to expect. So then before they're not buying all these school supplies and not putting them to use and spending all that money because binders are really expensive nowadays, >> right, >> Deja, I would recognize you if you could do me a favor and just come to the podium, but I am um taking my um time >> to piggy back off of what Zay said. A lot of parents don't get paid till later in the week. So having us come back in on that Monday, a lot of kids wouldn't be able to get to the store to get the school supplies, wouldn't be able to afford it at that point. And a lot of a lot of us get school supplies before the fact
113and we realized that we didn't need half of the things we got based on the syllabus. That's all I wanted to say about that. Thank you. >> So let me let me draw the inference. So I think you and Z are inferring that perhaps it'd be better to start on the 27th. Uh >> yes that I think even if >> so you have your A day B day a weekend uh that moves us uh that moves us well two full weeks >> I think and >> I want to be respectful to Doug starting on the 24th for teachers is uh >> tough >> is early >> it's very early >> it's early and it cuts the summer short >> you know I I think one of the things and I love the fact that it's
114been a while since I've had a student in in high school. So, um I just really appreciate your talking about that. I I think we're at a place where I don't think we're going to be able to make everyone um really happy and and we do unfortunately for you and Zay to understand is that we also have contractual obligations for the teachers and to start back on the 24th feels like that would be too early um and and and may and may not work. But I am wondering if we were to do this whether because you do have your principal kind of sitting kind of behind you maybe to the right is that maybe we could have some some conversation or make sure that the high school has some conversation so that if you go
115to an AB schedule so that you can get your supplies or not get over supplies. I mean I I sort of feel that there's many ways that we can kind of skin that fish. The other So that's sort of what I would like to say to that. Gretchen, >> could we ask our teachers to put online their supplies because the supplies are mostly on sale in August and that's when I've always bought my children and if I waited till September >> or late late August, you couldn't find a oneinch binder to save your soul in the state. >> Right. Right. And and and Gretchen, I think I think you just piggybacked around my comment is that maybe we we can have the teachers get somewhat creative about what sort of you would need for supplies.
116I mean, I think that there's multiple ways of kind of doing that. Liz, >> another idea if you don't want to keep the balance of the A and B is to have the kids start on the 1st of September. >> You know, that's really annoying. I was going to say the same thing. >> See, I tell you, and I've only been here how long? >> You know, already we're on the same >> So, then the teachers move the teachers to Friday. >> No, >> I mean Thursday, Friday, Monday, and off we go. I also can I also add that one of the nice things about our schedule as we've known it is that we have the first two days for students to come in and that's when we do our primary screening for preschool and
117kindergarten and then they come in for a couple days you know kind of to get acclimated and then you have that nice long weekend for Labor Day and then we're off and rolling right >> so it's kind of a nice gradual um way to come back to school. So, and I it sounds like that would also help support families, too. >> Yes. >> To give them >> So, I I'm not quite sure what I hear you saying. >> Tell me the conclusion I'm supposed to draw from what you just said. >> Lisa, >> no. But but talk in numbers. >> So, in other words, if they came back on Tuesday, the first the first and second, okay, >> would be for >> first through 12th grade. >> Yeah. and the kindergarten and preschools would have
118their final screenings, >> okay, >> that they have. >> And then um they could come in then on the third and fourth. So we'd have everybody prek through 12. >> That'd be nice >> for those two days. And then >> so Doug, teachers start 27, 28, which is consistent with I think those are literally the dates we started this year, >> right? Uh and then they do a they do a 31st uh uh and and then the kids come in one two three four uh which which which gives us it it's it's a minus two and we add two back Rita >> we add back Thanksgiving and then again for the this the building the new building the first might be nice to to start at least it gives them another day get that another
119weekend to get the building ready. >> I also along with that, thank you for bringing that up, is that I am I guess I'm a practical realist and so the the the the fact that this all might be able to be on time, though I'm hopeful for it. I think that there's a reality to that. And so I I wonder at what point does the board need to have a have a conversation about um can we postpone the middle school >> um only and and what would that what would that mean for the district and what and what complications would that be? So, I think I would like to have a conversation about that. Not tonight because it's not about the calendar, but that as we I would like to have to know that there's
120a plan A and plan B that if something does happen in the construction that we we know how to do that. Um, so that >> Ted, [Music] >> okay, I got a board member that has got their hand up and then I will I'll recognize Ted. Gretchen, >> I'd just like to make referral. Can we talk about some at some point in the very very near future about possibly leaving the two middle schools as viable entities in case >> no >> something glorifying knock down? >> No, going they'll be out of there in June. >> Okay. >> So, I was just thinking that if >> you know >> mountain doesn't come to Mohammed, then we still have buildings to put children in. Yeah. >> Yeah. But that's part of the that's part of the >>
121We will we will know. I I believe Well, police guide will be open in June, but we we will know by June. >> Okay. So, I'm going to I'm going to recognize Ted and I will not be part of this next conversation. >> If you don't recognize Ted, he's the guy behind the duct tape. >> Yes. >> And the new principal of this high school. >> Oh, that too. took a little while to get it all off, but um uh just I I wanted to make a suggestion in terms of the the um the the conversation that was having regard the schedule. Um in a previous district I was in, uh the teachers did a full week, but the three days still um and they simply did a 3-day weekend before the students started. Um
122and the buildings were open on that day before school. Teachers come in if they wanted to come in uh to help set up their classrooms. Um, so in that scenario, the teachers would work the 26th, 27th, and 28th as part of their PD. The students would not start until September 1st, and then they would have four days. >> Oh, I >> which is a little bit of a compromise in terms I get the school supplies. >> Teachers would have off on the 31st. They have a three-day weekend rolling in. >> Yeah. And then they roll in and then so >> it basically it kind of takes care of the school supplies. >> It gives us three years of PD in a row. I don't have it >> because the teachers union >> the teachers you
123know having the PD broken up by the weekend is a little >> tough in terms of the continuity of it. So >> just thought >> they have the next week in three days. >> Doug, do you want to weigh in? >> Um >> could you go to the podium please? >> Sorry. We like to hear your voice. >> Or at least the tape does. Well, I I um I like Dr. Grineer's idea um to be honest with you um what he suggested, but the 26th um starting the 27th and the 28th is also uh um you know viable. I don't think you're going to please everybody, >> right? Um, I think it's almost, you know, to try and please any everybody is I think you just got to set the schedule and, you know, get
124a consensus and go with it. >> Yeah. Well, I I I >> I knew that we were running too early. I mean, it was too easy when we actually got this passed pretty quickly and then um so we're back to making sure we have lots of hours talking about the school schedule. So he your your your feeling is that the teachers come in the 26 27 28 and everyone starts on August 31st? >> No. >> What was your suggestion? >> 27 28th. >> Yeah. 27th 28th. >> Oh, and 31st? >> Yes. >> Okay. And the students on the first, >> right? >> Yes. That Yeah, that Tuesday. >> Okay, that's good. >> I I I will say this. If I had to break the tie and I was a teacher, I would want to be
125there on the 31st, >> right? >> Because I'm nervous and I want to get my classroom totally squared away and everything. So, >> um >> I like >> and it extends my summer a little bit, but but the but the beauty of your suggestion, Rita, is that we >> we we we pick up two days, >> right? >> Uh and uh >> but we're not getting out early. to meet the needs of of uh of the kids and some of the IV stuff and all that. Thanks, D. >> All right. So, what is Okay. All right. I would like to make I'm going to just throw an amendment. >> Yeah. >> To our motion that's on the floor. All right. And so the amendment would be um that the school would start for teachers >>
126for teachers on the 27th of August 28th and 31st with the students coming in on the 1st. Can I have a second? >> I'll second that. But but I also we need to know keep keep the 25th of November a full day off >> and give two days for February president >> one one day more on this >> one day more. >> Okay. >> It's like 15, right? >> Okay. So all right. So the so the continuation of the amendment is with bringing back the the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is a full day off. >> Yep. and then adding another day to the president's day which would be the 16th I'm assuming. >> Yep. >> Because it's Tuesday, right? >> Yep. >> And that all the ancillary things around prek screenings and stuff can be just
127put onto the calendar. We never we never really vote on that stuff. >> Right. >> Can I have a sec? >> Could we talk about graduation? Just have faster. >> You don't have to. >> Yeah. I I you you don't have to, but but if you say it's the 18th, that's it. It's over. >> But we made the decision that we would talk about that in February. >> Yeah. >> Would we know about the >> for people to know when the last day of school is? Not just graduation, but the last day. >> So the last day of school would be June 11th. Is that correct? >> Unless it actually June 14th. That's 181st day. >> 14th. >> Okay. Would the la would the 180th day be June 14th? >> First 81st. >> Yes. 181st.
128June 14th. >> Yes. >> Does that make sense? >> Yes. >> That's part of my that's part of my amendment. >> That that is in fact true. >> June 14th is 181st day >> whether you like it or not. >> Okay. So now I am going to ask for a second to my amendment. >> I I I got Lee and then I'm going to take Liz. Is that okay that you went to the second? Okay. All right. Liz Porter, do I have any other discussion on this second on this amendment? >> I just have one question. Would elementary school would would all students be able to finish on the 11th? >> Yes. >> And it's the teachers that come in on the 80 181st day only. So students would really be done on the 11th.
129There are already no snow. >> Yes, we >> provided that there's no snow days. >> However, there may be some snow days. >> There might be snow days, but I meant officially >> if it falls on a Monday. Yes, officially. >> It's really a it's really a Friday, >> right? >> It's it's the 181st is for teachers. >> Well, technically it's for students now because the teachers have a contract to teach for 181 days. >> Oh my god. >> We We could do it, but we'd have to have >> No, I was just curious. >> No. The last day it really is 181st day. >> Okay. >> For instructional purposes. >> For instruction. >> All right. Any other discussion? >> Just a question. Columbus Day. Are we sailing the ocean blue or are we in
130school? >> We're off. >> Mayflower. >> So, this is the >> Okay. Wait. >> This is all right. >> Deja Driscoll. >> All right. Any other motion? >> Any other further conversation about the discussion about this amendment? >> All those in favor of the amendment that's on the floor. Do you want me to repeat it? >> No. >> Thank you. >> All those in favor, please say I. I >> oppose. Abstain. The second that the amendment has passed. I now have to go back to the original motion on the floor. motion as amended. >> So now I am going so the main a motion with as amended. >> All those can I go right? Do I have to All those in favor of the main motion as amended please say I. >> I oppose. Abstain.
131The motion does carry. Deja you rule. But not they didn't get off. We're going to call it the Deja Calendar. >> So that still might happen because in February we can we could do the date. >> All right. All right. So I'm going to now go to um Jay. Would you please be willing to read the motion on old business, which is now our number two item. >> Um let's see. I move to approve as a second reading of policy P5141.21. uh sunscreen. >> Can I have a second to that, please? >> Second. >> Jane has seconded it. >> Do we have any discussion? >> So, you like the solution? All right. Any further discussion? All those in favor of the policy to um policy 5141.214 sunscreen, please say I. I >> oppose abstain. Motion
132has carried. >> Lee, would you please be willing to read number two motion >> to approve as a second reading of policy P6163.32 service animals and regulation for policy P 61632 service animals. Can I have a second? Jane has seconded it again. Sorry, I just get stuck in my tongue. Um, and is there any discussion about the regulations or policy? All those in favor of the second reading of the policy of P6163.32 service animals and regulation for the policy service animals, please say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Abstain. Motion has carried. We're now on to new business. Rita, would you please be willing to read the motion for under new business? >> Yes. To approve as a first reading of policy P5141.213 emergency administration of I always I always have a hard time too Lee.
133Nexopron is that it >> nlloxxone >> can I have a second to this please second >> Liz has seconded so discussion about this policy please >> so Denise Dittle is here and she and Mark Romano had met with the policy committee to kind of review what do we already have in place that could support that we could take this on so I'll let her speak to that >> thank you Susan um we've been working with the policy committee to learn a little bit more about um what's happening in our region in terms of the nlloxxen um policies and the opioid epidemic and how they're impacting schools. Um and we've learned that um in our region um most of the schools in our region have a policy that allows for the school nurse to be trained
134to administer nlloxxen and have nlloxxen on site within the school buildings at the secondary levels primarily. Um Stonington introduced the policy first to their high school and then they just recently expanded it to their middle school. Uh the policy would apply to anyone in the building who may be experiencing an overdo an overdose as a result of opioids. Um Leah Hendricks would oversee the training of the nurses. There is um a program that provides free nlloxxone to high schools. Um the dosage includes two nasal sprays. Um, sometimes one is not sufficient and an individual may require a second dosage of the nasal spray. The nasal um, excuse me, the prescriptions uh, have a shelf life of 18 to 24 months. So, it's a pretty large uh, pretty long shelf life. Uh, we've included standing orders
135in the packet that Dr. Blefeld would sign off on. He's also been involved in the development of the policy and um, is the medical adviser I believe in Stonington as well. Um, we've also been working with um Mark Romano and the athletic trainer Bethany Grady at the high school because the policy really only relates to um times when school is in session and the nurses in the building because the nurse is the only medical personnel um allowed to administer the medication. So um Bethany and Mark um Mark is in a at a conference in Washington this evening so he was unable to be here. Um but they have provided information in terms of the extracurricular activities. Um so for example um dances uh pretty much always have a police officer present outside the school as
136well as inside and police officers are trained and they do carry Narcan. Uh Bethany Grady, our athletic adviser, is a pretty amazing person. I enjoyed meeting her and talking to her. She has um been through the training on her own and does carry Narcan. She keeps it in her car. She would be available to administer under our good Samaritan policy. She was pretty impressive when I asked her how she uh manages to be present at multiple events after school and and she told me that she makes it a point to go to the baseball field and then to the softball field. Um you know, she's she makes it a point to be at uh for a certain period of time all of the events that are happening after school. um particularly when there are simultaneous
137events happening on the same day. And then lastly, in terms of the varsity football games, there is always an ambulance at the game and so there are paramedics that are available at the game that could administer Narcan to anyone attending that event. So we wanted to be sure that we not only had the school day covered, but we had the extracurricular activities covered. Um the last thing that I will say is that the policy um is very open. It does not specify that the Narcan will only be available at the high school and the middle schools. And when we inquired about that, we were told that uh many districts choose to have it open so that they can modify and um provide the medication in other buildings as times change. Um, so for example, Stonington
138had it only at the high school. Now they also have the medication available at their middle schools. Uh, we've worked with Dr. Grineer and Susan and they have um requested that we consider having the Nlloxxen available at our high school and our middle schools, which will eventually be one middle school. Um, so we wanted you to have all of the information in terms of what the availability of this medication to anyone who's in the school building during the day as well as after uh school hours during extracurricular events and dances. >> Any questions? >> Yes. I just wanted to ask when you say extracurricular are you talking about um would you just define that time for me Denise please because I'm thinking about >> extra help after school and things of that nature and I
139know the nurse goes home >> right >> so who would be you know >> no thank you we were specifically targeting um activities after school where there would be spectators in addition to student athletes um and community members available, you know, to participate, cheer on uh the students, um you know, opportunities where there would be crowds of people and um someone may, you know, require this type of intervention. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um I I will if I could just add one more thing. Um one of the reasons why the policy hasn't come before the board before now is because the high school is so close to the police department. Um, so that's been a benefit to us and that would be a benefit for a student maybe staying after school for robotics, just
140to give as an example, a club that was was meeting after school. We're very fortunate that our first responders are right across the street. >> So I've got Rita, me and Jay. My question is when um let's say there's an away game and who then is responsible would it be the coach of like if the students are you know have traveled I mean not just on our property but there are students >> uh no the coaches would not be authorized to administer the medication it would strictly be a nur a school nurse paramedic first responder um and we are fortunate that when Bethany is on site she does carry and is trained to administer and would be covered under the first samar the good Samaritan policy. >> I'm thinking more of an away game and
141let's say um in killingly and they've traveled an hour on the bus and maybe something went on who would be there would it be then the responsibility of the vis the school district that we're visiting. >> If Bethany wasn't there it would be a call to 911 or it would be a first responder in that town. >> Okay. Thank you. We we um Bethany can teach people to use this. She is a trainer, right? >> I don't know that. I don't think she was >> I'm not clear on that. >> But if she is um and she is freelance sort of she's not on salaried here, she could teach other people to use it >> if she can teach. >> My understanding from Leah and Dr. Bl is that only a medical uh personnel under
142the opices of the school district would be authorized through the policy to administer the medication but but we we're still in first reading here. So we could find out. I thought that maybe um Rosemary could train people. She cannot. >> I don't think that can be done. I'm sorry you didn't jump in. >> I don't think it's quite that easy. >> No, I didn't. No, it's not easy. That's why I thought that maybe Bethany is a trainer who could train other people to do it. I don't know the answer to that. >> Yeah, I don't I'm not clear on that. I know that for the purposes of the school when school is in operation, the only the only person that would be authorized would be the school nurse. >> No, or a first responder. >>
143Yes. >> The followup to this will be to take a deeper dive into the good Samaritan. >> Yes. So that's where this this kind of conversation can come up. For this for the sake of this policy, it's really the medical professionals, right, and first responders. But we can certainly look at that policy >> in Good Samaritan. Yes. >> Jay, >> and that's where I'm getting tripped up is we're talking about this um trainer who's not a um who's not a nurse, right? >> Yeah. No. >> And so she's covering a good Samaritan, but the coaches can't. So, >> well, there could be other individuals who are trained to administer Narcan and have it in their vehicle or or on their person. Um, so Bethany is an example of that. We were a little concerned that
144we only have an ambulance at varsity football games. >> So, we wanted to kind of broaden our um, you know, our perspective in terms of what what would be some other options for extracurricular activities. um other than varsity football. >> So the policy is written to permit school nurses, >> but it's not to prevent good Samaritans. So you're >> that's correct. That's right. Correct. >> Okay. The coaches could sign up for the training >> and they would be covered. >> They would be covered under >> but they wouldn't necessarily have access to the supply, >> not the school district. >> The school district supply. >> So I I think I think that it got a little bit confusing when you brought the trainer in because my comment would be is that that's only as good
145as we have that specific trainer. So I I think that if we could just kind of stay to the fact that um it has to be underneath the school. I hear that that's part of the second before the second meeting is to a deeper dive into the good Samaritan. >> Sure. >> Yeah. Because you know I'm not sure how quickly you have to respond to this. You know this is all locked up in a nurse's office and then all of a sudden there's an emergency. Well, the school nurse isn't there at night. And so we've got we we've spent I have no idea how much money is involved, but we spent money on stocking all this. And >> no, it's really simple, especially for this school. I'm sorry. The responders are right across the street.
146>> So that's that's an easy fix. >> Right. >> Yeah. And secondly, I don't think we want too many because then it could become like a a Walmart. Wait a minute. Who's here today? who's on, you know, people could get confused by having >> um problems of remembering who's who, who has the drug, etc. >> I need to finish with Jay and then Liz. Um so Jay, can I can you get specific about what your concern is? I'm not quite sure I understand. >> Well, I'm just saying so we've got this expectation this is available, but it's not really available unless a nurse is there to dispense it. So, I'm not sure why we're doing it. If we've got the emergency responders right across the street, why we're going to this extra effort to stock
147all this that expires after 18 months. Again, I don't know what what >> there's no cost for the high school. >> Oh, there's no cost. >> No, it's free. It's free to the high school. >> It's free to the high school. And I think for the middle school, it's $75. >> Correct. But I've been told that it's very very difficult to administer this in a in a bad way. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I I didn't. I'm sorry. >> In other words, is it dangerous? I mean, it I don't know. I'm just trying to figure out why we're creating all this this stock pile that only one person in the building can use that might not even be there during events such as >> I didn't hear a stock pile and I believe that this is
148the times that we are living in and it's probably very important that we have some type of policy about this with a regulation that in the school day the nurse has it um and that um I guess once Again, not let's not confuse things. Let's know that we need to go for the extracurricular activities. Um, if a person is carrying it and entrained, their their risk, their liability comes through the good Samaritan. Yes. >> Okay. See, I'm not familiar with that policy. I'm not against doing it. >> Okay. >> It just if it's confusing me at this point, I'm >> Okay. I I think what got confusing is that we brought in the trainer for the extracurricular activities. I think but we said that coaches weren't going to do it. And so that's where I'm
149confused. >> Okay. So, >> right, I don't think we have a policy that our coaches have to be trained in how to do NARMM because I think that that's that's going down a rabbit hole that we probably don't need to go on to. >> Okay. >> I agree. >> I've got Liz and then I will recognize Andrew. >> I just want to clarify is the policy I just want to make sure I'm understanding. is the policy that we're asking is that the nurse is the one person in the building. Is that you know I just say so >> that's what the policy says. >> So that's what that's what I just wanted to make sure. >> And because Liz because the nurse is only in the building when school is in session. We just wanted
150to provide some additional information about after school. >> I I I understand. >> We were anticipating questions about that. >> I'm I'm unclear about whether the elementary schools are going to be if this is available to the elementary school. I heard open and then I heard middle school and and high school, but I don't know what what exactly is open to to what maybe >> well the policy does not specify what schools the medication would be available in. Um so that if in the future we wanted to go back and um add the medication to other schools, we could. But our recommendation is that the medication would only be available in the middle school and the high school. >> Lee, >> I would also like to say that at policy that was a question that
151came up about what if it is not an opioid problem? Could it hurt people? And the answer is no. It would not hurt. If somebody was vaping, whatever that even means, and we use nlloxxone, could that hurt the person? No, it will not. >> So, >> makes them feel very ill. Correct. >> Jay, >> so sorry to belabor the point, but what I thought we were getting at was opening it up because people in in this field have said to me, why can't teachers just have it in their desk if they want to? And so we are not that's coming under the good Samaritan. The only purpose of this policy is to authorize the purchase and custody of the drug by the nurse and doesn't affect any other >> and so if it if a
152if a teacher I'm all for more availability of anything that's going to save anybody's life, >> right? >> So right now a teacher can take the training, buy it with their own funds, put it in their desk, >> and we have no policy against that. under good. >> Well, that's why I recommend we look at that good Samaritan. >> We're going to reook at that. >> That will correlate with this and we could possibly do that in our next policy in the new year. >> We will >> and we'll get that started and bring that to you. That'll answer some more questions. Okay. >> So, this is what the policy is just like what you said. It's just the >> to allow the school nurse only to stop this. >> That's right. Correct. >> Okay.
153>> Yep. >> All right. And I there are some typos in this document. >> There's one. >> There's two actually. There's underneath um drug of overdose on the first page. The third line down um unres after the end. Unresponsiveness non-conciousness. >> It's an N again. >> It's it's it's >> Oh, that that is an N O N. Nonresponsiveness. N O Nash consciousness. If if somebody just put a hyphen there, it would become one word that says nonconciousness. >> It wouldn't be unconscious. >> No, in that case, it would be the word would be N O N dot consciousness. But because the hyphen didn't show there, >> okay, >> it didn't it doesn't become a hyphenated word, but it should be. >> It should be. And then also >> the other end, >> the other N
154that I pointed out after on um where it says Naron is a medication used to. There's an extra N there. >> That N shouldn't be there. >> Move that end up. >> Yeah. Jane, did you have to I just had a thought. I think there are two good resources for us to help just clean up our thinking. Um one is across the street. the chief could come over, I'm sure, and talk to folks here. >> And secondly, Dr. Bleel would be an excellent resource as well. >> Yeah. >> So maybe we should just make sure that the policy if you guys you have already had him in. Right. >> We did. >> Okay. >> Right. >> Any other um sorry Leah Hendricks, our nursing supervisor, has um run everything by him in terms of the
155policy. >> Yeah. >> Okay. We have to stop. Don't know. So, I'm just going to keep on going. Okay. Okay. All those in favor of passing the first reading. Sorry, I lost it. Um, the policy uh P5141.213 emergency administration of >> Nellaxon. Please say I >> I >> oppose. Abstain is moved on. The next one is is once again is the potential of going into an executive session. And so I am going to ask that we just move that towards the end, do everything up so then our tapers can go home and we can we can clear things out. So I am going to go for uh information uh letters and communication. Um and Jay, I'll start with you. Well, obviously I heard from several parents about the um calendar issue. Um and um I
156guess that was about it. >> Okay. Lee, >> I went to the orchestra program last Thursday. >> Awesome. >> Um I I am not I don't play anything. It's not what I'm very good at, but I'm a very very good audience. I have never heard anything that impressed me that much. >> It was in three parts. Abby played piano for the band. Uh the Coast Guard trombonist was there. Um our own an I don't know how he pronounces his last name. Um and I said to Addie, "Is is I don't know a whole lot about music. Is he as good as I think he is?" and Addie said, "Amazing." And and he's ours. >> Yeah. >> Let's make sure we keep him. >> Thank you. >> It was a great great evening, >> Rita. Um
157I heard from people concerns about the school calendar. Um also, I had a question. There was the article in the day that Jay pointed out, do we use silverware in our cafeterias or do we use plastic silverware? >> I'm going to say plastic. >> Plastic. So that's I think we should have a referral um as well as the cardboard trays and the plastic, you know, getting rid of things. So we should have a referral about that. And I also wanted to make a referral that we have um look into again having alternative high school. I think that there's a real need. It would also help with the um you know students who have a difficult time coming to school. There are issues why sometimes they don't want to go to the bigger high school and
158so we had a great one in Grten at one time and I'd love to see it come back. That's it. Liz. >> Okay. I've been working at Cutler Middle School because I have a teacher there, an eighth grade teacher, Rick Moralo, who has volunteered his eighth grade students to work with National History Day. So currently we have about 80 students who are investigating topics related to the National History Day theme of um breaking barriers in history. So I want to commend Mr. Moralo for taking that on. The other thing and then competition this year and I'm inviting all of you because I'm running it is March 7th. So anybody wants to judge >> at at Fitch High School? >> No, it's at NFA. >> At NFA this year, >> right? And um the other thing
159is is that the census is coming up and I've been asked by the I'm the complete count committee chair for the town and I was asked by the um the new New England regional director for the census to have somebody be responsible to get our um especially our elementary schools but to talk about and get people involved with the census. So, I'm volunteering to be um graten educ board of education's representative for the um complete count uh coming this spring. So, um I'll be in touch with both and I just wanted to let you know those are things that are coming up. So, >> wellness, thank you. >> You're welcome. heard a couple of fifth grade parents asked me on the snow day because we were having fun and they were concerned about the 82
160minute periods for their their sixth graders. They're a little bit concerned that their little sixth graders are not going to be able to sit through 82 minutes and I assured them that we will be teaching their teachers to do it correctly. But um there's a lot of there there's a growing concern as the kids are younger and I get about 82 minutes if I keep going but they're in class you know all day with the same teacher and they live through it but [Music] >> point so there is some growing concern out there on the 82 minutes especially for the sixth and seventh graders >> currently can I just say currently in elementary school that The literacy block is 90 minutes. >> Yes, sir. It's also broken up more. They have a little more wiggle
161room with that. It's just it's a different style of teaching. >> We're going to let him wiggle. >> All right, J let him wiggle. They don't Some of the teachers don't understand how great these longer blocks really work. Um Leah and I were talking about that. Bruno and I were out for breakfast Sunday and one of the teachers in town was really upset. He can't he can't fathom how this works. Oh my gosh, it's going to be torture. I said, "Hey, I come from a middle school background. It's great. Trust me. Just ask questions and then watch the kids. They they love it and you will." So, it's all good stuff. It's just transition. >> Great points, too. We need to do some PD. >> Yeah, absolutely. That's what I Yeah, that's what I walked
162away with. I'm looking forward to the fit walkthrough um which is being rescheduled. I I learned from the walkthroughs um a lot about schools and how things work and how good a district graten is. It it it people don't understand that when they're from away. Um and what I appreciate this year is the the slower pace in discussing things like when with the finance and facility issues. When I got on that committee last year, my god, I thought I was in a foreign land and things were at such a pace that I never could quite catch up. So now I'm hearing more dialogue which is quick and um puts order to things. So thank you for guys for doing that. >> Andrea, I don't I don't have anything that I I've done but on January
16319th which is a Sunday at St. James Church in New London is the Martin Luther King's uh ecumenical service. And of course Melissa Manuso will be participating. >> She'll be here too. >> Yes, she will. Um and so I have had sent some of the ve um very same emails in terms of the um schools calendar changes. I just also wanted to make sure that people uh knew that Rosemary is not here because she's actually um at a celebration/scolarship for um Miss Mallette uh scholarship fund and Miss Mallette was one of the social workers that was um fatally um hurt uh several years ago. Um and so Rosemary in her act in her activity is there. Um so just wanted to make sure that people knew that. Um we've got lots of things coming up.
164This is not even talking about our um just to note that we do have a special meeting on the public hearing on the budget. Um that's going to come up in less than a month or no actually a month away. Um just so that people are paying attention to that. Um, and Rita, I've gotten your um your referrals. I just my one comment about the alternative high school. Um, I think I talked to you uh a little while ago about whether learn would want to take on um because there is a huge need I think in the region for students who are having a hard time getting to school um but they don't have a behavioral issue. um and what are the services um out there because there might not be enough in one school
165but then we might be able to have um several different schools kind of coming together. So I think I talked about that >> we have but East Lime has their own Montville has their own um so that different towns in those areas use those and London one time. Once again, my once again, my my experience is is that many of those um alternative high schools in other towns are really more housed for behavioral um kids. My experience is as a professional is that many of those alternative high schools um have behavioral health kids and so it would be nice to see if maybe we can have a little bit more regional effort. But I got your referral down. Um so >> wasn't like that. Um so we are um at this point um we are
166going to um adjourn. Um I will take a wait I got to I've got to I got to like put it in my head first. Andrea um is that um we are going to go into executive session and I need to have a I need to have someone a motion I'm going to put in motion to go into executive session with um adding Dr. Grineer Susan. >> Do you think we need Ken? >> Well, financially. >> Yeah. >> What about financial stuff? >> So, all right. >> Okay. and then invite Ken into our executive um session. Can I have a second to that? >> Second. >> I've got either Andrea or Liz. Um all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Don't we have to say what? >> Oh, to go into executive
167session. Thank you, Jay. We do. Um um regarding the um uh early retire the early retirements, sorry. Thank you. So, we are going to go into executive session um talking about early retirements >> and >> the other thing I'll tell you about later. >> That's a that's a non. >> Okay. All those in favor please say I >> oppose. Abstain. Motion carried. Thank you, Jay, for catching that. >> Merry Christmas. Bye, guys.