001Do we have a quorum? >> We do. >> Okay. All right. I would like to call the Graten Board of Education Committee of the whole meeting to order. Today is April 13th and it is 6:02 in the evening. Um, is Joan here? No. >> Okay. Um because what is not on the agenda is the approval of the minutes. So she can't get mad at me. It's the small things in life that make me happy. Hi everyone. How are you? >> Okay. We're good. >> Excuse me. Kim. Joan. Joan is just getting on. >> Okay. Oh shoot. She's still gonna be mad. But actually, I didn't do the agenda this time. You did. All right. So, um, did Jay make it on? >> Yeah. >> Uh, you know what? Yes, I'm here. >> Oh, hi Jay.
002Did um Jay, did our um did the person who was wanting to get on, did she get the information or did he get the information? >> Yes. >> Okay, great. Thank you. I uh this is Jane. I'm I am on. >> Oh, hi Jane. >> Hi. And Lee is not able to make it. She um first of all, I didn't know who Mark Russell was. I don't know his name. So, I called Lee and she told me, but she cannot be at the meeting. >> Oh, okay. All right. Well, >> I was gonna try to get Rosemary by phone and otherwise we're all set. >> Thanks. >> All right. So, actually the reason why I'm stalling is because um the first couple of Hi, Susan. Happy belated birthday, my friend. >> Thank you. >> So
003nice to be able to celebrate your >> virtually. So, I know that we're going to have a couple of our kindergarten colleagues coming on. >> Okay, great. >> Talk to us. And I had said something to Mike about maybe getting them on earlier in the meeting. >> Okay. Um I don't think I don't think that they're here. I mean I see Naen is here. >> Yeah. >> Who else is going to be coming? >> So um we're going to have um Meg Walker who's the TK teacher. >> Okay. >> And Beth Horler. >> And then we've got um a couple other K teachers that have been working with Meg all through the year and helped set up the whole program. So that's Patty Wickland and Carrie Federico Baker and Corey Mott. But I think that
004I'm gonna call Dennis just to make sure he lets them in. >> Okay. >> I gave him an email. >> Cy Jane Meg Walker's here. I think call I think he got I'll >> All right. Good. >> Yeah. I don't see Beth. All right. Dr. Grineer. >> Yes. So maybe in the future either Mark or someone else can um be responsible for getting the people on. So because you're up on agenda. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Good to see you, Meg. >> All right. I'm gonna I'm gonna keep talking. >> Hi. Thank you. >> You're gonna hear me. >> Hey Beth. >> Okay. >> Hey. >> Yay. I haven't seen you. My uh my agenda item is >> the update from the CSD. Oh, you know what? Wait, >> one second, Mike. Sorry, I got to
005slow down. >> Are our kindergarten people here? >> Um I'm trying to see who's on there. Says 30 participants. >> Beth says send a message. She's here. >> I'm there. >> Oh, good. is on. >> Oh, Carrie's here. >> Looks like Corey might be here. I also invited elementary principles. I see Chris Dolphin. >> Okay. So, so Susan, the reason why I'm asking this question. >> Okay. >> Is that I would like then to make a recommendation folks if we can move to that agenda item which is to talk about the transitional kindergarten program so that our friends who have come to join us don't have to stay for the whole meeting. they can get their stuff done and they can leave us. So if >> that would be very much appreciated >> that I
006I try to please don't always get to do that but I would like to do that. Um, so is there do I have any complaints? If just a thumbs down from the board if you are. Jay, I can't I don't I don't see you yet, Jay. I know you're here. And Jane, are you okay with that? Okay. So, I'm hearing no complaints. And so, I would like for us to move um to the presentation of transition can the kindergarten program um for the board. I was I think what we were trying to do um is we are um trying to get back to some normal things and we had talked about last time when we approved the transitional kindergarten program that we would um have an update because we are going to need to start
007planning about what we're going to do for the following year. And so either to take it off the pilot um to keep it on the pilot um and so um this was sort of our attempt or my attempt to kind of get us back to some agenda item so that we don't lose. So that's why this this this agenda item was on here. Um and so Susan or >> I guess I'll start with a a little um welcoming to my wonderful colleagues um from the kindergarten team. It was really the entire kindergarten team, preschool, prek team and Beth that initiated this a couple years ago of our kind of collaboration, coordination, our concerns, especially with the elementary principles of some children who were not ready for kindergarten. They were still four year olds. They were
008being expected to do Common Core State Standards, which are wonderful for 5-year-old kindergarteners, but we felt like there was a lot of pre-work that needed to be done. And so, in our discussions and talking about our curriculum and how we can even modify it, teachers have already done a magnificent job differentiating in their kindergarten classroom for our youngest learners who are four and, you know, really working hard throughout the year so that they can attend first grade. But each year it does seem like we do have a handful of children from each school that need to repeat kindergarten. And when we look at the data, we were noticing that most of them were very young learners, had had very little preschool experience. So we noticed this trend. That's what got us to come together to
009research what would a TK program, transitional K program look like. and with the board's um you know support we were able to pilot it this year and I'll say right off the bat this team has continued to work together and support in you know creating this curriculum over time in six week increments you know under the leadership of Meg Walker who is the teacher but with the support of Carrie and um Corey Mott and um Patty Wickland and I just Beth Horler and just to name a few because there were many of them who came to the table to work together. And I think we learned a lot along the way. We learned a lot not only for TK, but we gave ourel permission in kindergarten to do those developmentally appropriate things that we know
010are important. I remember one teacher saying to me that she brought the kitchen set back, you know, and brought back, you know, some of that um, you know, performance-based education. So, it's been really very productive for us. And I would say off the bat, it has been a success. And I'm going to let Meg go from here to talk a little bit about that success. We would love to have your support for another year of transition K. As a matter of fact, when I met with the kindergarten team just about a month or two ago, they were saying you could probably have two transition KS or you may even one day see unless the state decides to change their age frame or we get universal prek, you might see, you know, a TK in each
011school. So that's their kind of gut feeling on this looking at the number of young learners that we have who've had limited preschool. So Meg, that's your segue. >> Thank you so much. I did see a question about um the program. It is a transition um from not being in school to kindergarten. Oh goodness. I'm sorry. My smoke alarm's going off. >> You could do a Grten board of eds meeting like SNL if you want to. >> We heard all about that. Could you just take the batteries out of the smoke detector? >> Working on it downstairs. There we go. >> Kim, I was going to say the exact same thing. This is Zoom with uh with the SNL crew. >> H sorry about that. So, it's been a um >> a great start to
012the program. Um like I said, these kids will be um hopefully doing most of them another year of kindergarten next year. Um, and I've just seen amazing growth. We've really f focused on those foundational literacy and numeracy skills. Um, giving them things like concepts of print and um, uh, phmic awareness skills that they lacked coming in without that preschool experience. Um, and then just focusing on counting and um, working with numbers through 10. Um, and I've just seen great growth in their learning. But also something that I've noticed is that these are the kids that when I taught kindergarten would feel frustrated by school, would say things like they don't like school. And that's not something I hear from my students this year. They love school when they can't be in school because they're sick.
013Their parents will send me a message saying that they miss it. They want to be there. They're begging to go even though they're home with a fever. Um which I think just speaks really well to how these kids are going to go into kindergarten next year. They're going to be ready to learn. You know, we've worked a lot on coping strategies. When they feel frustrated, how do you handle that frustration? Um, playing together. How do you share toys? Not just share, but build story together. So, their play beginning of the year was very parallel. And now I see them creating events with the Legos or creating um events in dramatic play. And so really just seeing that development for them across time. I think they're going to go into kindergarten ready to do those common
014core standards to be writers and readers and mathematicians. >> You also were able to zoom with us. Zoom with them. Tell us a little bit about your experience going live. >> I was able I had about seven kids get on. Um and the things I was excited about is a child who in January still couldn't name his classmates by name. Um was looking at who was on the screen and checking in by name on kids. Where's this one? Where's that one? Why aren't they here with us? Um, and then to see the questioning they were doing of each other. They, their parents all were able to get them on the screen where they could see each other's faces and they were noticing, hey, he has a puppy. What's your puppy's name? Or can you get
015your, you know, they saw um my parents were on there and they saw Miss Haley and wanted to know if Miss Haley could bring her sister over. So, they really I was really impressed with that language skills that we were seeing at the beginning of the year when I wasn't even hearing full sentences from these students that now they're asking those questions, they're listening for responses and, you know, moving into that more um community-based approach. >> Well, like we know, if we can set the foundation not only for the academics but the social emotional learning, we've done good work. And I know that you had even mentioned there were some um little girls that say were earlier fall birthdays and were, you know, like leaders in the classroom and you can see them leaders in
016in school next year. And I think you might have even um broached the subject with one of the parents to say she probably could go to first grade, but the mom actually said, "I really want to take the time. I think I you know, this is a good place." >> Yeah, I do. I have uh several parents who um you know one parent who actually didn't even want to send their child to kindergarten yet. They just thought they you know really wanted that extra time for him. He's doing great, but they say you know they want him to love school and have that transition in that is positive and not feel that rush and that pressure when he was just four, you know. So and then yeah I do I have students who I said
017no they could go on. The parents said yeah I think I'd rather see her have stronger foundation. You know, I talk about how, you know, they have a lot of the components, but there are holes. And so, I think that second year is going to fill in those gaps for them even more robustly. >> Can you um Meg, can you just help us out? Um there's a couple members who are somewhat new or I'm just kind of old and I can't remember the whole structure. So, did we end up with two classes, one class? Where is it stationed? How many kids is it? and AM FM amm see >> too much technology. >> Yeah. So I have one class of 15 students. Um they're there for the full day. Um we're at Claude Chester. Um
018and so we follow their schedule. Um so they have a lunch and recess and they attend the specials like any other class. And actually that's one of the best parts is that the specialists were nervous. They haven't done a prek special before and they were afraid it was going to be prek. and they actually tell me they're my favorite their favorite kindergarteners because they have been able to take the time to learn how to sit on a rug and listen and follow directions and so they're really functioning very well there. Carrie did or Corey did you want to say anything about this project this collaboration at all and the support you've given or what you're noticing in your own K classrooms how this could be beneficial for some of your little guys. So I just
019because um I I recognize every single face but I don't always remember guys where you are located. So if you could just do that as well that would be helpful. >> So TK is in um Claude Chester I and Jamie's given tremendous support and she actually has interventionists going in to the classroom too to help Meg. So it's really worked out well. I I teach kindergarten at Northeast and I just think the program is beautiful in so many ways and it really really helps the kids that maybe are not they could do it, they could get through it, but they are going to develop little things like um chewing on their clothes, things that um where they're looking for comfort that that is better able to be met in Meg's TK classroom. It is it
020is I can't I cannot say it enough how beautiful this program is and I'm friends with many of the parents and they love it. their child cannot wait to get on the bus. And it's kind of like I think of it the way kindergarten used to be when I started teaching. And it's just a instead of a drop into school, it's like a little sled, a little sled into school. So, it's a nice way to do it, especially if you're four, I think. Meg, is it is it your understanding that the 15 folks that are going to be there, your your little ones, that they're going to be sort of um scattered, sprinkled throughout the district? Yeah, that is. And they're they do come from um not all the schools this year, but from several
021of the schools. My plan had been had we been in school, I would have liked to have done a bus tour with them and gone to visit the schools just to help that transition, but unfortunately we're at home. So, uh, and my name is Corey M. I teach kindergarten over at Mary Morrison. Um, pretty much with this project, I was kind of just organizing the data and, um, on all the students and note-taking for meetings. Um, but for us over at Mary Morrison, um, one of the things like we've all noticed is like we have a couple kids who we screened who, um, parents decided that no, they didn't want to go with TK even though we recommended it. And those kids are really struggling and will probably be repeating kindergarten. And then we have
022a couple of students who moved in after school started and are that young age that could have benefited from the TK program. Um but because they came in late, you know, we couldn't get him screened in. Um jumping off of what Carrie said with uh chewing on the clothes. Uh one parent actually approached me from Mary Morrison. Her child was supposed to come into kindergarten. Um, I don't know if I think Meg I don't think Meg shared this story, but the parent was um like, "Oh my goodness, my child was at the start of TK was chewing their shirt." You know, whenever they're nervous, they're chewing their shirt, but within a couple of days, they completely relaxed. And I talked to them about how well, as you can imagine, you know, if they were in
023kindergarten, the amount of work that we're doing in kindergarten is so much more. And your child may have been doing that through the whole school year. I mean, I have kids in my class now who are really young who are chewing their clothes all the time and it's and they're four-year-olds. Um, they're chugging along. They're just, you know, chugging along and making it, but I can see the stress and anxiety in them. So, it would have been great if for those kids if they had a T if they were able to go into TK program, but not everyone can go to TK. We only have one class. though. >> So, and these are wonderful kindergarten teachers and they have classrooms that are just so warm and receptive for these young learners, but there is a
024lot going on these days, you know, in reading and writing and math for kindergarten. And um so, like I said, we've learned a lot along the way. And we feel like um Meg has certainly brought the workshop model into her classroom. She was a workshop teacher when we hired her from Killingly. So, um she just kind of, you know, married into the family here in Grten and um everybody's been supporting her and she's supporting everybody else and um we certainly would like to have this program for next year and when our new schools are built, you know, um we'll see what happens. Um, there's been talk out there that Alliance districts may be the first to get a universal prek and wouldn't that be a fine thing. So, we'll we'll see what happens in the
025state, but we are interested in making sure our youngest little learners are in the just right place and getting everything we can give them. >> Question that you raised your hand. >> Hi, Jamie. >> Hi. How are you? I'm so sorry I jumped in quick. Um but I did want to just say kudos so much to Meg. Are you able to hear me? >> Yes. >> Okay. And um as far as like the academic piece, uh Meg does it in a way I have to say and it's with the team input um as well as my literacy interventionist Kristen you had mentioned Susan that she's able to get in because we are supporting them but Meg does that social emotional piece throughout all of her lessons so that the kids are really able to find
026that success. So, thank you Meg and thank you team because um it has been really successful. Beginning of the year parents weren't sure um some were saying what is this? I my child's coming home and saying they're playing and Meg does an amazing job to reassure them that it is such academic based as well with that play just to say thank you again to the team and to me >> I would like to recognize Gretchen. >> Hi. Um how do we choose the prek uh the whatever we're calling it? How do we choose which kids come up? Like if you have two children who are are they the fours going to be five? So >> that's a great question Gretchen. I'd be happy. There's two criteria that are most important that the child is for
027when they enter kindergarten. So they really are our youngest learners and the child has had very little to no preschool. Then what we were able to do last year was do a screening, a kindergarten screening like probably in the old days when your sons were going through school where we brought them into the school and we learned more about them. We had them do some play. We we did a little assessment with them and then um with that information we were able to additionally give a test called the BGance which really does by age give us a lot of information. Corey was able to put it on this spreadsheet that was confidential and we were able to look at the list. The unfortunate thing was that the list was probably at least 30 35 children
028that could have probably been you know in the program and we really had about 15 16 seats. Um we really felt it was necessary especially being a pilot to keep it at that small size and I think that that really was a benefit to it. But um we do get a lot of young learners. So there are a lot of children who haven't had a lot of preschool and they're still four when they come to school and maybe until December. >> Yeah, I had two of those. >> They were really nice if they had >> Right. a little extra time. >> So, how do you know how are you? >> So, Gretchen, unfortunately, I think we lost you a little bit. >> I don't know if I heard the question. >> No. >> And >>
029so, Gretchen, you you're actually now frozen. So, if you want to like put it on the chat screen, if you can still hear me, that would be great because we lost your question. We we you froze. Liz, you had a question. So, I just wanted to clarify. Are we looking to expand this program? Is this what we're the the uh the reason we're looking looking at this right now is to see that there's a need and that we want to add more schools or just to go over the t the um the transition kindergarten. >> Well, I think what you >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> That's okay, Sue. I was just kind of wondering what I I I totally agree with this because I had a young son as well and I find that um
030and he's 38 and he still struggles. So, you know, I mean, the thing is is that this is a valuable program and it's something I I can hear, you know, 15 kids in the classroom is I thought was a lot. I was thinking more like 10. So, but are we looking to expand this into um one other school or a couple of different the elementarymentaries? You know, that's my question. So, Liz, let me let me just set the stage for you on this. So last year um the kindergarten team brought to get brought to the board that there's some concerns about the fact that because of the age where the cuto off is that we're having a lot of young kids and that we wanted to pilot what a transitional what a TK program would
031look like. But really this is this is the reason why we're together tonight is to one to get feedback from people like is this is this of value? Um has this been helpful? Um, and then two for the board then to kind of think about with the kindergarten team about what are our next steps. Do we increase it? Do we do we keep it the same? Um, because I I actually don't know if we're we're going to even know the impact of that until our kindergarten team gets those kids that were part of the TK. >> Right. >> That would be my that would be my thought. Um, but I believe that that is the reason why um, it's here right now for discussion is because we wanted to talk about it in spring and
032guess what? It's the spring. >> I would highly recommend that we continue with the one TK program and it may be make sense in the future if you know especially with the consolidation of schools that it might um, give us the opportunity to add on another one. We've got to wait and see a little bit. Um, but I would highly recommend um that we we continue with this program at Claudechester. >> Rita, you're on mute though. >> Okay. I have three quick questions. Um, one is, is there an estimate for how many K students may be retained this year? If if I don't know if it's too soon to ask that question. Um my second question would be um if the state changes the start date for students to go to schools in Connecticut, would
033we continue to need this um transition K in the future or do you feel it's more the children that are starting young or is it the students that have not had any preschool? So, um, the first question you ask is actually on our agenda for the elementary principles with Mike and I tomorrow to talk about, >> you know, um, our students and and, you know, this year is kind of very different. We're at this point, I'm not sure that we're even going to get that spring screening in. That was so valuable. And you know, I've even talked to Mike about the possibility of um through the alliance grant bringing some um teachers together to do a screening in the summer before the last August date, but that's still something that we're just dreaming about at
034this point. So, we don't have the same amount of data. I am getting the data from Gigi on our entering kindergarteners and their ages, birthdays, and the amount of preschool. That's what we did last year. So, that will help us with the incoming kindergarteners. The kindergarteners currently interesting when I talked to the K team today, a couple in every school who were actually recommended for TK are on that list somewhere. Now they're really recommending to repeat kindergarten. So they've been in their own home schools. They didn't get into TK, but they did have that criteria. Um, you know, maybe not to the same degree that the TK's did, but they're finding that it has been a struggle like Corey was discussing, you know, with his little guy. So, um, you know, it's it's definitely a
035concern if the state, you know, and I actually talked to, um, Desi Nesmouth at the state of Connecticut and told him about TK and he wants to talk about it some more. So he was open and receptive to, you know, thinking about that and, you know, a lot of people, a lot of superintendents have expressed their concern to the state department of education regarding the age, but at this point, we're just trying to do the best we can knowing that that that hasn't changed. So, >> but what is it the feeling that it's more theu the children that are starting that are still four or is it will there always be a need for some students who haven't had prek? I think that at least that combination of kids who are very young and have
036had limited some of them have had a little preschool or maybe a home setting preschool or a couple days a week >> but um you know I I don't know I think that you know both of those factors together seem to definitely be a recipe for needing more time. >> Okay. I just wanted to say that I would be in favor of adding another transition K if we had room in our schools even before the two schools the two new schools come online in another year. So that's my feeling. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. So I'll check in on those GG numbers just to see how that's falling, you know, how that's coming together for us >> and also let us know about how many students may be retained. >> I will I will we'll
037get that information. Corey, did you have a question? >> Corey, >> well, I was just going to mention that um because that's the the discuss a big question there is, you know, is this because of age or lack of prek. Um a lot of those kids that are in that TK program, four-year-old anywhere else in the country, they would not be in school right now, >> right? >> To wait until then. >> I know. >> Or they would be in preschool. >> Or they would be in a preschool program, right? Yep. >> And I know Rita and our whole board of ed, Kim, all of you have said, "Boy, if we could have universal prek >> Yes. >> for all of our kids, what a difference that would make." And I do believe that would
038make a huge difference no matter how old the kids are. >> Yeah. >> To give them that. >> But >> so I I do have a couple questions and because Corey, you made me think about them. Um, so I guess what do we do in what do we do now in light of COVID 19 um in terms of testing and does is that going to put um is that going to put the team further behind? That's my first question. My second question is what do we do about those kids or do we could we Wow. I'm gonna try the sentence one more time. When people come into the district, considering the fact that we're a military school district and they're young, >> how do we >> Yes, I am. >> Son of a gun. I
039can't >> um is is there a plan moving forward about how to what to do about those kiddos who kind of come in like in September, October, November? Well, that was part of our discussion today. Um, I know Naen is on and may like to speak to this, but overseeing like she does the preschool, prek, and our early childhood programs along with elementary. She's really been instrumental in bringing people together. So, she's part of the reason that we've even been asking these questions of ourselves. So, um, I don't know that we have an answer. I do know that this team did a marvelous job looking at the screening. Everybody was doing a little something different in our different schools, but they really came together and pulled together a case screening that makes sense. And using
040that data and seeing how we were able to select kids for TK and the kids who almost were ready, you know, almost could have gone in, we really felt that that data was um, you know, a good match. and then using the brigant which Naen um uses quite a bit with the preschool team. I don't know Naen did you want to add anything else about the data and how to collect the data with COVID? I don't know if you have any magic but I >> I don't have any magic answers. Good evening everyone. Um that was actually as Susan said that was one of the things that we discussed at our last in-person meeting um regarding TK um was how to make decisions um you know while you know when school has started if we
041have new students who move into the district who would be perfect candidates. So we don't have a definitive answer right now in terms of how that process will take place. Um but it's definitely something that's on our radar that we'd like to um formulate >> some type of step some sort of uh system um because we know >> yeah that came up this year in terms of this new students coming into the district who would be perfect candidates for this for this classroom. >> Right. And I know the elementary principles are very interested too and Jamie especially you know being the principal of that of you know Claude to make sure that we have a protocol for if we want to save a few seats so that as military children come in we would have
042those seats available. >> Yeah we had brainstormed just a little bit and then of course this whole thing happened. um whether it is that weight list at schools because we also had a student come in or a couple students come in where we tried to gather and screen using the um the sort of protocol that we did in the beginning of the year. It's just tough once the school school year begins. Um and there is always you know at least a few more other schools. So having that sort of system in place would be really beneficial. So more conversations to come on that. So, Bor, do we have um do we have any more questions? Rita, I think you gave some direction in terms of information that we want to have um back. So, thank
043you, Sue, for um for um picking that up. I appreciate that. Um I guess we probably should be having this conversation again and maybe an update from you, Susan, at a regular board meeting. So we would have um uh we to have um an update um on on a on a televised because we will be back together. I promise we will. Um, Mike, >> should we since it's a pilot, should we put this on the 27th of April at least to project next year we're going to do at least one? >> Can you state that again? >> Yes. Uh what I was saying was do do we want to include this as an agenda item for a vote to extend the pilot for one year at least for one class so that we we can
044proceed or or if you know I'm I'm I'm so impressed I'd actually recommend that we just vote to remove the pilot and continue the program expand it if we want to in the future but it but to finalize the vote now. My my concern about that, Mike, is is that we are going to have two new elementary schools. I think that that program might look different. Um, and so would it make sense um to continue as is and then extend? >> Sure. Whatever. I I >> I I don't know. I'm just thinking >> I would I would just want the teaching staff to know if the if the board's desire that we will in fact have a transition K next year. I I by all the nods that I'm seeing, okay, there's a couple people
045who I can't see, but by all the nods that I am seeing, it it looks like people are very much I I mean, I think that this board has been very pro the earlier we can get to kids and to and and to get them settled and to enjoy the school, I think the better. So, um I have a sense that that is true. Gretchen actually brought up a really good point in her chat. Um so, I'm just going to read that for you, Gretchen, if that's if that's if that's okay. Um this does not come from me. This comes from Gretchen is that she said, "Watching news today, there are different education leaders um with what might be happening next year and grading and catching up and some are pro repeat all grades next
046year and how would this affect the program if that went forward?" Um I guess that's we we'll have to cross that bridge. Maybe that's that's the answer to the question is maybe we'll have um cross that bridge when we get to it. Um but >> we have discussed how are we going to know um where our kids are when we get them back again. So again um you know I marvel at our teachers and and what a good job they've done in those primary grades. We spent a few weeks where you have the interventionist come in to the classroom. They watch kids play. They do some observations. They do some screening. So, even early on when the school year begins, we'll be doing some assessing to find out what were the what what were the
047challenges with this, you know, what are we noticing? But we won't know until we have our kids back again and we can actually assess this situation. >> Um, I I uh Jay, I think you're right. I think that we I I don't know. I I believe that we should just extend it. um vote for an extension um because I think that things are going to be different versus we're having a transitional program because what happens if they do go through and we had universal prek? I I just um I say we extend it um and maybe that's what we vote on in our next regular board meeting. Does that give does that give enough faith for the kindergarten teacher in the transitional program? Beth, does that meet I know. I saw her name. Beth, are
048you there? >> I see her face. >> I'm here. I have I'm on my hot spot for my phone because we have no internet in Gils Fairy right now. >> Oh, we we Terry told us about the tree that came down. >> So, I'm I'm caught part of that, Kim. But I think um the extension of the of the TK program is is a wise idea and truly beneficial for Graten's children. Is there is there another part to the question because you're popping in and out. me. >> Um, well, I'll try to I'm not going to talk fast because then it's just garbled. Um I I think we just I wanted to make sure does this give the kindergarten teams and the principles enough um knowledge that the board is very in favor of this
049program and because we want to do an extension because of how it's how things might look different differently in a year from now because of the two new schools and and such. >> I I I think so. Um I I think you know as and as we go through this for another year you you learn more and we can find out how this can be um either expanded with all of our new schools um or where we need to go with it. >> Yeah, I I think so too. Um I I because I think we I think that there's going to be value in the data that we get from u makes your class once they get tested to see and also to kind of see how they how they perform when they when when
050we come in um to school. So I think I think that there is some value even though they're going to be missing what three months of school or four months of school. So I I think I think there's a value to that. Any other further conversation about that Andrea? I just wanted to add my support because the information that we're going to get from this year is it's an anomaly and and we I think we need another year especially to to provide data for the the uh kindergarten teachers and for us because this year is not is not a true test. So that's I just want to lend my support. >> Thank you Andrew. All right, hearing no other conversation about that, um, I'm going to move us away from the transitional kindergarten program. Thanks
051to all the teachers for coming to see everyone's face. Thank you for doing what you're doing. Corey, go back to your schoolwork. >> All right, >> is doing all that training for us. >> Thank you for taking the time to listen. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Carrie. >> All right. Thank you very much for all the support. >> Thank you. >> Bye, Meg. >> All right. Um uh so Dr. Grineer. >> Yes. >> So um are there other people who are here needing to talk about any of the agenda topics that since we've already moved an agenda topic? If there's other people who are are hanging out just to talk about an agenda topic, do Should we do that? >> I don't I don't think so. I thought Denise might be here, but
052I don't see her. >> All right. So then >> I hope she got the invite. No, I'm here. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Yeah, that's okay. >> You were well hidden. So that the so if if if you want u Kim you could you could do the distance learning because Susan's going to do the regular ed and and Denise is going to do the special ed and that'd be probably a good thing to do >> that that that would be great and I appreciate that some of you have changed your sort of background so that we can see different parts of the house. I'm very appreciative of that. Just wanted to let you know. >> So update on distance learning. So, I'll just give a broad brushstroke um about what's going on and then Denise
053can kind of help do the deep dive into all the intricacies of special education and speech and language. But, as you know, this is a three-phase plan and Dr. Grineer has put together a a wonderful article that we hope will be published in the newspaper about what distance learning looks like in Grten. I I really applaud our district um with their motto of go slow and grow. And we can talk to you about how the slow pacing helps people to feel more comfortable, but how the growing and getting professional development helps with their expertise around the area of distance learning. And those two things together, I think have been instrumental in laying this out. While we Mike and I have gotten calls or emails from parents that um have said it's either too much work
054or not enough work, most of the responses and we've surveyed parents at from every school. Teachers are surveying parents on a regular basis. Most of them are saying it's just right. It's not too hot. It's not too cold. It's just about right. But I think that because we're pacing it out, um, you know, we realize families have a lot of needs. You've got parents working from home. You've got kids trying to, you know, get on the internet. And when the internet's not working, like Beth was saying, it gets choppy. Um, you have some older kids taking care of siblings, maybe even having work to do. Um, so we just have to be responsive to what are the social emotional needs happening in the home front. and our teachers have families that they're working with as
055well. So, I would say the the broad picture was really starting out with that supplemental learning and getting kids engaged in learning for those first couple weeks. The next phase has been to launch these um Google classrooms for the elementary and middle school. Schoolology the first week did a a a really um horrific job. The company had a lot of trouble. Sorry. Um they had a lot of trouble um with the actual device. So um kids were off and on, but now it seems like it's really taking care of itself and it's doing much better. So kids are able to get on Schoolology. We had a lot of teachers starting to reach out doing that. Um Google voice um counselors reaching out to kids um really engaging them more. Um and then I would say
056some of the pre-recordings um were done and teachers were sending out lessons, mini lessons or um you know readalouds in the lower grades and so that the kids could see their teacher. Even some reached out individually to students. So we got a lot of feedback where that just is exactly what my my child needed at the time. They needed to see and hear from their teacher. So um and as we go into this next phase with some continued professional development around everything from Zoom and the platforms and um you know even teachers college is offering to show um teachers kind of to experience what does this distance learning look like? what are those things that we want to make sure we get to in reading and writing for the end of the year and what's
057the best way to lay it out either asynchronously or synchronously. So, um I think we're we're on a pretty good path. We just have to keep monitoring it to make sure everybody's okay. So, that's it for me, Denise. Okay. >> Did you want me to go next, Kim? Did anyone have any questions for Susan? Go ahead, Denise. I'm sure we'll have Oh, Liz, sorry. >> I'm sorry. Um, I just had a a question because this was posed to me and um, one of the concerns is is that how is this uh, distance learning initiative going to impact the way we deliver instruction? Have we considered how this is going to impact the future? You know that some children will say, "Well, I could do this from home and I did okay, but I don't want
058to go to school." So, I just want to put it out there. Is this something we may be considering for kids who have, let's say, severe anxiety issues or, you know, that we could use this tool to help deliver instruction to them in the future. Just throwing it out there. Well, in in part, we already have different kind of alternative programs for kids who do have problems with that and using the Apex program like we do where um and we use it in the summertime as well. Well, where kids can get credit recovery, they can take courses to get ahead. They can take um things like SAT prep courses. So, we do, you know, my kid said early on a couple years ago, he wanted every child before they left Graten Public Schools to have
059an online course. Well, now we've we've experienced this whole distance learning. And I think it will inform there's a lot of opportunity here um for the classroom and for the classroom teacher. I mean, I think about inquiry based and researchbased learning and how kids can really um and mastery based learning where kids can really find something that they want to study and work together in groups and and do a lot of it on their own more independently with the teachers, you know, facilitation. So, yeah, I think it it could be a positive. Um, and on snow days, what about snow days? Maybe we won't have snow days. A couple principles had mentioned that we could do distance learning if we had onetoone. >> And the other thing I was thinking too is that if a
060teacher is not able to come into work because they have a sick child at home, they could actually do the lesson. You know, this was something that was brought up to me a couple of years ago about, well, I um a former teacher said, "Well, if my kids were homesick and instead of having to use a sub, we could have, you know, use it a Zoom type of lesson." It's just some ideas that I I I want to make sure that we are considering as we go forward with this. >> Liz, that sounds like a wonderful referral to the curriculum committee once this >> Oh, gee. Hi, Andrea. Okay, >> this all kind of um once the once the um dust settles, I think I think is going to be something that we are going
061to have to have policy on. We're gonna, you know, that we need to sort of be able to um have parameters on it. So, I think that that is true. Gretchen, did you have a question? >> So, Gretchen, we can't hear you. I just want to remind Liz in your younger classrooms. >> Can she put it in the chat box? >> Yeah, Gretchen, you're going to need to put it in the chat box. Unfortunately, your internet's not working well either. Thank you, Gretchen. So, Gretch, while you're typing, we'll come back to you, but let's go to Denise. Where did Denise go? >> Oh, wait. I'm sorry, Rita. >> Yep. Before we leave this subject, um I'd really like to make a referral about using virtual learning for snow days. I know they do it in
062Rhode Island. I don't know, Mike, if whether or not I um if we would have to do this in terms of our district with learn. I know there are a lot of other um districts that are very much interested in doing this. Um or is this something that the state would have to weigh in on >> Mike? Well, the first thing I was going to say, I think it's a a terrific idea when we are trying to put together a plan to uh make sure in when we when we ultimately open up we have sufficient number of computers. We we gave out 2500 computers. Uh many of them actually were sort of end of life. Uh so I was talking to Dennis uh and Susan today about trying to to replenish those. That's that's going
063to be the big thing mo moving forward Liz if we have the ability to pull this rabbit out of our hat. It's it is I must confess well you you you all know it in your own lives. This is difficult stuff. We're we're we're working hard to to to make this happen. But we we have ordered charging stations at the middle school and we're trying to do that at the elementary school where kids can get their computer and get it out quickly. uh and the but the notion of of projects and learning at home I think is is for sure a reality you know and I I hate to say it but uh I'm a I'm a Dr. Fouchy fan and he says this is not over. This is coming back next year. So we
064need to be ready and you know we don't we did a great job distributing computers but and and we gave out every single one of our cellos and violins. >> Uh you know good luck getting them all back in perfect shape. >> So that's part of our budgetary movement right now. But yeah we we are very much Liz looking forward instructionally. I think we've taken a big step forward in in distance learning. I think teachers see the value of it. Uh and I think the special ed folks are seeing that we can deliver these services online as long as we have the commitment. I mean the the equipment and and now we're now we're waiting with baited breath for the the internet uh the hotspots still there's still about a hundred kids that are not
065on and that's that's a that's a very troubling problem that we have to try to figure out but anyway yes the short answer is Liz we are thinking very hard about this and trying to plan and I think snow days and and that that sort of thing is is going to be a real possibility. >> So Mike, I think that that was Rita that had asked that question, but Rita, it sounds to me that not only the does referral need to go to curriculum, but it also sounds like it needs to go to finance and facilities because it sounds to me like we're going to need to sort of develop that um into our our budget um to make sure that our our kids have access to that type of >> equipment. Y >> I'd
066also like to hear from kids. I know that we have two very astute board members who are students and I think in curriculum I don't know with Dr. Acriman's permission maybe something a topic like that might be interesting to bring some of our Fitch High School students to to discuss. >> That would be very cool. >> Hi. >> Yeah, that'd be awesome if we could kind of be in that and give a student perspective. Could you give us a little update, Addie and Zay, on on your experience with distance learning this week? >> Yeah. Um, so I've definitely seen more teachers kind of reach out with different media or mediums sort of. So I've seen more like audio clips, more Zoom and Google Meet meetings definitely. Thanks. >> Um, so I think what I've noticed
067is that there's a lot there's a lot more um I guess teachers are kind of discovering all the different things school has and everything. So yeah. Yeah. So there's a lot um there's there's definitely I think a lot of things that they're exploring and um I think it's generally gotten better and more interesting and easier to connect with people. >> That's good news. It's a >> is a learning curve for all of us. >> So say what's your experience? >> Uh I'd say it's still pretty much the same as last week because teachers are still kind of trying to get the flow of how schooly really works because even before we were like using it, but it wasn't as like as essential as it is now. Um but besides that, everything's working like pretty fine.
068Schooly isn't crashing as much as it was last week. Um, so I think they kind of fixed that a little, but um, yeah, besides that, everything is really working. Like so far teachers are getting good about grading stuff and, um, understanding us like if we need extra time doing something or if we're struggling doing this. Um, but yeah, >> thank you, Z. >> Mr. Manfred discussed with us this morning about how he puts out his agenda for the week and gives kids time and knows that, you know, we we've said to, you know, to not go for the zeros, to really give kids extra time. And I think that's um part of the work, too, is to realize that sometimes you need to catch up on the weekend. So, um I think he feels that
069his students are giving him positive feedback about that kind of a system where he's checking in every day. They're doing assignments every day. People do it in different rates of speed, you know, depending on what they've got going on. Um but he feels it's getting easier, too, as a teacher. It's getting it's getting to be in its flow, shall we say. Yeah, I've noticed a lot of um teachers seem to be kind of just I mean they they're giving assignments um every other day, but it's more of like get it all done in a week. Um and that's good. And then they'll check in and see if you need help if you don't get it in at that time. But it seems to be um a little more laid-back, which is cool. So if you
070need to get all your work done early, you can can send it in or later. and it's a little um easier and more flexible which I think is very Kim before before we leave um regular ed I have a question whenever there's time >> right >> are you ready >> sure >> yeah okay my question is about music what is going on with instrumental music in terms of students having lessons and also recording forest and you know what is happening with that. We haven't heard anything about music and I just wasn't sure what was going on. >> I'm going to have to check. I I don't know, but we'll I'll get back to you. >> I know. Good. >> Yeah, Addy knows. >> Yeah, I can I can definitely speak. Um I'm in jazz band
071at um Fitch. Um, so we I mean we haven't really been able to play together obviously and um I'm not sure how Zoom and Google Meet would work with that just because of like different lags and like uh Wi-Fi. Um, so right now it's more about um we're learning transcriptions like music on our own and then we have discussions on schooly where we're talking with each other about different music we've listened to um and um the the techniques and stuff that we're learning on our own. So it's it's mostly and I think this is true for concert band and all the bands at least I don't know about chorus um but it seems to be specifically like focused on your own learning and not so much the whole pieces with everyone and and if we
072could find out about instrumental because I know my little granddaughters are actually having their violin lessons you know online. So, I'm I'm was just wondering for all the little the students, like you said, if you gave out the violins and the cellos and those students that have trumpets and everything else, it'd be nice to know what's happening with their lessons. >> Sure. I'll find out and I I'll I'll get work to you. >> Thank you. Um, Rita, um, I actually could, uh, kind of give you a little update about what Chorus is kind of doing because I actually have a couple friends in that class. >> Okay. >> As of right now, Mr. Frost the coral teacher is just like allowing them to do solo pieces for like half an hour every like every other
073day like when they have that class because obviously um they can't see each other which is like really hard because it's a chorus class and you kind of have to see each other >> but um that's really all that I could help out with that. Um he's just like allowing them to sing that they're pieces that they were trying to do before the um whole um quarantine that we went into. put together. >> I've seen some beautiful work. I think Ledger's um chorus did something where they took all those singleton pieces and put it together. >> Um you know, and so you never know with technology in a couple weeks we might be seeing something that is really pretty powerful when you bring all those voices together. >> All right. So, um I think Gretchen,
074you you sent a chat to everyone. I think it was just a statement in terms of of a parent's concern about drawing the picture. Um I don't I didn't see a question in that. So I'm just going to say that that was a decent statement. Thank you very much. But um let's go to Denise. Thank you. Thanks Kim. Good evening everyone. Um so it's very interesting because it's looking like the role of special education and related services staff during the the closure is very similar to what it is when school is open. So there's several key um responsibilities that we've been uh busy working on as a group. There's been collaboration and by collaboration I mean collaboration among uh grade level teams. So the preschool teachers are jigsawing a matrix of activities that they post
075on Monday for the students to complete by Friday and everyone herself. I'm sorry. >> Oh that's okay. And everyone takes a piece. that's aligned to the ELS, which is their standards. Um, and then they also add additional activities that align with the goals and objectives for the students. Um, we're collaborating with the general ed teachers because we're generally working through the general ed classroom. Uh, we're collaborating with paras and tutors. Um, and we're collaborating with administrators. So, we meet weekly with each department. So for example, Mark Paluso meets with the high school resource teachers. Naen meets with the elementary resource teachers. Lori Luciani works with the mental meets with the mental health teachers and the academy teachers. I meet with the self-contained teachers and the speech teachers and the OT. Um so we're we're doing
076a lot of collaboration which is what we usually do when school is opened. We're also doing a lot of modifications. So, we're modifying assignments that classroom teachers are posting in their Google classroom. We're also providing some small group classrooms in Google that would look a lot like what a resource class would look like. So, they're creating Google classrooms with small groups of students that are either in the same grade level or that are working on the same skill and they're targeting those students in a more direct and explicit way. Um, next they're providing support and their support looks like reteing which is what they normally would do in the resource room. It also looks like um providing clarification. So answering questions, providing more detailed explanations, modeling, showing examples, uh, very similar to what we do
077when when school is in session. And then lastly, we're starting to focus more explicitly on the growth component of our go slow and grow theme. Um, so we're looking at, you know, what what does growth look like in this model? And it looks different for different teachers. So, um, I just wanted to show you my screen. If it's okay with you, I'll be really quick. I wanted to show you um what it will look like or what it is looking like for the speech people. So in working with Sarah Moon at learn um we have this link to SLP telecon. It's a teleconference and you can see um there are many many uh webinars here that are being replayed from April 6 to May 6. I watched the first one before our meeting. It's really
078just the nuts and bolts of teleractice. Um, there's also a webinar if you work with speech and language assistants, which we don't, but this one I'm very interested in looking at tomorrow, creating and adapting therapy materials. Um, here's one on keeping young children engaged. So, these are all free webinars that are available to us and I was really pleased I was able to view one of them since I'm not um an SLP, but many of these webinars are now free and even though they were shown live um at an earlier date, we're able to go in and we're able to watch them as recorded sessions. So, we're looking for similar workshops through NASP, the National Association of School Psychologists for our school psyches to watch and our social workers. Um, and we're working with Zoom
079conferences uh for our other staff and Susan has connected us with um a presenter from Teachers College that the teachers are uh are working with and um learning from. So that really um right now is where we're at and we're looking at ways to share our learning and document our learning and you know talk when we meet weekly about what we're learning. >> Any questions from the board? >> Denise, thank you. >> Oh, I have a question. Um Denise, when are you going to be starting your IEPs for next year? How how are you going to be handling that? >> Sure. So, on Thursday when we found out that school is now closed until May 20th, um we reached out to Michelle Lobin, our attorney, uh for guidance because we were thinking of something similar
080um to the passive consent form that we sent out about our distance learning activities. Um, so in other words, if we were to have PPT meetings, um, there are some permission forms that need to be signed because we can wear headphones so that people in our home can't hear the meeting, but they can hear us speaking. So, we want to be sure that we're not violating any confidentiality laws. and Attorney Lobin reassured us that this week they are expecting guidance from the state and the federal government in terms of uh what it would look like to have virtual PPT meetings. So she said hold off a little bit longer. Uh guidance is coming this week. Um we have been told prior to this that the focus would be on annual reviews and trienal reviews. any
081other type of PPT, we could do either an IEP amendment or hold off and meet in September. >> So, we are um expecting that at some point we will be convening virtual PPTs. Um and we're looking forward to the guidance that we'll be receiving in terms of what that would look like. >> Thank you. And could we also get a link to the webinar that you had posted? Is that possible? >> Yeah. Yeah, I can send you >> just send it in our board. you know, we can just look at it in our board notes or I just think that would be interesting for for I'd like to see some of them. Thank you. >> Yeah, I'm I'm learning a lot. >> Yeah. Any other question for Denise? You guys are amazing. >> Thank you.
082>> Amazing. >> Thanks, Denise. Thank you, everybody. >> All right, so I'm I'm gonna move us on. Um Dr. Geneer, I see that we have Amy and um uh Mrs. H Miss Hajj with us. And so is that >> spectators? >> They're just spectator talk about the job. >> Aren't we going to go up to number two? I mean, we missed number two. We went we skipped two and I >> let me let me >> Okay, >> if we had visitors here for another agenda topic, I'm trying to get to them so that they don't have to stay on for the whole time. Okay. >> I I actually uh I actually called them, Kim. I I thought that there might have been a misunderstanding, but uh both Amy and Cara are are just interested and
083they want to observe the meeting. >> Awesome. I'm glad that you're here, guys. Thank you. Um, all right, Rita, we're going to go to number two. >> Good. >> So, uh, I, uh, I just wanted to give you a a a couple of fairly important updates. Um, one is, uh, I I the u the commissioner and the state board of ed has actually granted a fair amount of flexibility to boards in in in terms of how to proceed uh throughout the the rest of this year. The first topic was on grading. They the state board and the commissioner are recommending that we go to a kind of a pass fail system. Um the the high school folks are are still are still thinking about this. U we we certainly know that some students don't have
084the ability uh a handful don't have the ability to get online and so we we have to be careful with that. Uh pass bail may be an option. pass with distinction may be an option there. There may be, at least at the high school, there may even be the possibility of some sort of grading. And I I'll let I'll let Ted and his guys come in. And um I think they they pretty much finished. Addie and Z. Have we finished the third quarter, I think, right? And report cards are going out. You guys know that. >> Uh could you repeat the question? I I I I thought the report cards were going out for the third quarter like next week or something. Is that your understanding? >> Um well, we know that uh the third
085quarter ended last week on Thursday, April 9th, but um I'm not quite sure how report cards are working right now. Um don't really know about the whole mail. >> My understanding is it's going to be a grade like a real grade uh because so much of it uh was done. it the real question is what what are we going to do for for the last quarter but there's there's a a fair amount of flexibility about that there there are concerns about equity and making sure all kids uh Ted was talking today Ted Keller was talking today about the possibility of of giving grades but extending incompletes to the fall at least for the non seniors. Um, in other words, if a kid doesn't have a chance to finish the course, we don't want to say
086they did poorly in the course. We want to give them the opportunity, you know, which uh sort of takes us Liz takes the distance learning into next fall perhaps or or the summer. Um, the second thing is the the state board of ed has given local boards uh a really great latitude in terms of graduation requirements. For example, if there's a course uh like I don't know like welding or something that you can't really replicate online uh boards uh can can wave that requirement and let students graduate anyway. Uh, I know they they've reached out. Some school systems use pass fail. And it turns out if you're an athlete trying to play intercolgate uh sports, you get a D automatically for a pass. Even if you did really well, you get a D. Uh, and
087so they they've worked out an arrangement with the NCIA that that's not true. and they've worked out an arrangement with all the Connecticut colleges that a pass will be uh will be honored and and accepted. But of course, uh Addie and others are not going to probably going to state universities. So, we're still trying to work out, you know, what what would Brown say about a pass. Well, I'm sure they would accept it, but we don't know where that falls in with the with the GPA and and you know, all the all the accolades that that come from from that sort of uh great grading system. Um, and then we just got something today uh that Susan will be happy to hear about. uh we have been given the ability for non-renewed people to extend
088them a whole year but even if it that was their fourth year they won't become tenured does that make sense we they in other words if you're not ready to make the decision and frankly we we had a couple that we were not quite ready in other words the people who we were sure we didn't want to renew we told the people that we were not sure we were like, oh man, you know, we we we thought we had until uh May. Uh but but now they've extended it like a whole year if we want. So So that's so that's really good news. Um you know, of course, you've seen the headlines. We're out of school until the 20th of May. If we came back on the 21st of May, there would be 17 days
089left in in the school year. So we we'll we'll see. Um, I I can tell you and I'll give you a report next week. We're really trying to think seriously about helping the teachers pack up out of the middle school because we don't want to wait until the 21st of May even if we could come back because uh 17 days would would not be sufficient time to pack everything up and get it over to to the new middle school. So, I think what we're going to do is I'm going to uh with with Mark's help, uh I'm going to tape a little show and what it a little video for the middle school folks and then we're going to give them a virtual tour of the school. We're going to take a camera and walk
090around the classrooms and uh just give them a sense of uh you know the the sober reality as teachers don't have their own classrooms anymore. that that's been that's been true for about the last 15 years of new buildings. Um and and God knows schools never had very much storage. So they have to be really careful about how they pack and what they pack. But we've got a mover and we're going to he he's prepared to help us with with lots of boxes and all that sort of stuff. So that's that's the big uh that's the big issue visav the the the school closure. And the last thing I'll say is that uh the governors of Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, I think, agreed yesterday that they would uh they would make a decision
091jointly uh about school closures, all all three states. Um and speaking as someone who grew up in Manhattan, I don't see New York opening up anytime soon. Uh it's, you know, they they lost another 700 people today. I mean, it's just it's just god awful. So, uh you know, maybe maybe the CIA has not cancelled the sports season yet, which uh you know, I hope they make I think I think they have a meeting on the 23rd of April uh to uh part of the problem with the season, by the way, is that you have athletes trying to keep in shape and get ready, but they're not supposed to be close to anybody. and you know, so it it becomes a bit of a a bit of a problem for for for the kids. But
092so we're we're hanging in there. I I think as as Susan explained, the the distance learning is is going pretty well. I think Addy and Zay know their teachers are are getting a little a little better at this. I was tempted to send everybody the the Saturday night live Zoom session u but it was a little too obscene. So I I don't think I should do that. But I would encourage everybody to watch it because if you think we're nutty, you should see them on. >> We did today. >> Well, you did. >> Anyway, that's it for me, Kim. >> So, any questions? I got Liz. Rita. I got Liz. Anyone else before Rita? Andrea, do you have anything? Jay, Jane. All right. Liz, and then Rita. Okay, Dr. Grineer, just a um a quick
093question about um GPA. I know that some schools in the in the country do not use GPA anymore for college admittance. Is this something that you see that you know some high schools don't even calculate GPA? >> Yeah. >> Is that a trend in Connecticut and do you see that possibly changing? And the other question I have is about those hundred kids at the high school that don't have the ability to get online. Are they being sent things via the by, you know, snail mail? Um, you know, putting dropping it in the mail and and and sending things to them in, you know, hard copy. >> Those are my two questions. >> Okay. I'm just I'm just looking at the state guidance and it says for this year GPA will be calculated based on the
094performance while students were in school. Uh so I think what they're going to do is use the the seventh semester GPA and that will be it. Uh which is which is basically the way we've always done it because you you can't you can't wait until the summer to pick your validictorian, >> right? >> So So the seventh semester is that that's not a that's not necessarily a bad bad way to do it. Um, but in terms of uh in terms of what you said, I I don't know if I pointed this out. We we purchased there's a there's a system through Google that provides a a personal phone number to it's called Google Voice. And so we purchased about 35 Google Voice accounts and gave them to the counselors, the social workers, all the, you
095know, the sort of mental health school psychologists. So, they've been reaching out. Uh, in answer to your question, Liz, we've been calling the people. If they can't get on, we we call them and we are getting them information. And I suspect some people are able to go and download their kids stuff at at work if they're working or they go to a friend's house. There doesn't seem to be a, you know, a kind of a a blackout on that information. >> Okay, great. Thank you. >> Welcome, >> Jay. And then Rita, >> are you saying Jay or Jane? >> I said Jay. But Jane, do you have a question? >> No, I don't have a question. But I'm so um I'm so impressed by the positive changes that are occurring. Um a lot of this
096would have come about in the future, but we're on the fast track and it's like the future is now. It's very positive and very exciting. >> Yeah. >> And thanks to everyone. This probably is not happening everywhere, but it certainly is in Graten. >> Jay, >> uh, yes. Hi. Um, I know that probably most of our questions tonight are premature because, um, there really have been no decisions about a lot of things, but when it comes to this pass fail, will the individual students have the ability to choose which way to go, whether they >> Great question. I I I I can tell you the high school administration is is is really really conflicted. They do not want to do past fail. They think we could do something better than that uh for for for
097our kids. We need to be fair and but but I would say that's that's an interesting suggestion, Jay, that uh if you want a grade, you've earned a grade, you've done your work, I can't imagine a scenario where we would say no. But I'm going to share that with Ted. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Jane. I mean, Rita, >> hi. Um, a couple of things. One is that I agree with the the grading that it should be up to the student also if they would want um a grade as opposed to a pass fail. I know a lot of the private colleges are giving the students an option to take either a grade or a pass fail. So, let's say you have a chemistry class and you're not doing great in it. I'll take
098a pass in that one. But if you've done really well in another class and I and I feel that, you know, our students that have worked very hard >> should be recognized for that. And if they want a grade, the teacher should give them a grade. >> Um, the other thing is I watched the governors of Connecticut. I I watched that conference today with all the neighboring um states and according to Governor Cuomo, he feels that the economy cannot be open until the schools are back in session because they need people need child care. They need to have a place for their children to go. So even though there may not only be 17 days left to school, it might be important as a as a way to get the economy moving forward. and they
099all seem to be in agreement that whatever New York does, Connecticut will do, New Jersey, Rhode Island was even on the call, Pennsylvania, Delaware. I I was really fascinated by it. >> Yeah. >> Um so that that's and I also wanted to mention at the learn board meeting last week, a lot of the towns are picking graduation dates. They're picking one for the end of June, like the normal one, one maybe in August, and then one in November around Thanksgiving. So, I I think that's something we need to think about in the future when we when we're um giving people giving kids options once we know a little bit more about whether or not the schools will be closed. I think it's important that we we as a board select graduation dates in advance. That's
100all. >> Anything else? Yeah, Reed, I I just think that this is such a moving target, but I I I had the same thought about how are we um how how are they going to start the economy if there's still families who are taking care of their children? I mean, >> right. >> So, all right. Um >> yeah, Jay, >> I actually have a quick question. >> Yeah, please. I'm sorry, Z. >> Um it's perfect. Um, I know a vast majority of juniors, including myself, um, were relying on the SAT day that Fish High School was supposed to have in March, but was canceled due to COVID 19. Um, is there any update on what is going to happen with the juniors who haven't had the opportunity to take the real SAT? Because I know
101most scholarship applications request SAT scores. Um, I just wanted to bring those concerns to light because I've been getting a lot of questions and concerns about it. >> Question. There is I did receive uh from uh from Education Testing Service and I'm going to send a note to Miss Magcguire. She she's sort of the uh the point person on this, but I know they suggested a couple of dates. They they they kind of pushed it pushed it off a bit. Uh it is obviously a super important exam. The state uses it as as its uh as its measure of statewide testing. I I'll have to get back to you and I I'll get that work to you, Z. >> All right. Anything else? I'm sure we'll be having this as an agenda topic next week
102as well because I'm sure there's going to be updates or changes, >> right? >> So, can we go back? Can we go to the review of the curriculum coordinator job description? Um, and Dr. Grineer, would you like to kind of start off the conversation, please? >> Sure. Uh just let me find the find the document. So uh all we know at this point is uh that the board the board has has created this position. So, uh, Lori and and Ted and and and Peter, I'm not sure if Susan had a hand on this, uh, got together and did a draft of of a job description. And I I I just want to hit some highlights that that are important to me and and I'd appreciate your feedback if you think we need to add anything.
103But uh basically the duties the responsibilities uh if you look at uh under responsibilities instructional leadership you like to to help out with the district and statewide assessments I think would be super helpful couple bullets down and support the my instruction. Uh we are we're coming down the home stretch on on the uh the my grades six through 10. And so we're going to we'll we'll use some help there. In terms of students, the the one that is the the uh special education curriculum coordinator, that person would help out with PBTs. This that would be enormously helpful at at both the high school and and and the elementary school. I mean middle school. Uh so that's that that's a that's a key. uh the under D you'll and the other of course the other big
104thing is to help with the evaluation you know not I think I mentioned that at the high school Ted Keller and and Matt Brown each evaluate I think 41 teachers. So this would be an opportunity in in their area of expertise like the the STEM person would would would presumably evaluate some of the STEM teachers. Um they would also be involved in recruitment and hiring and so forth which would be really terrific. uh the the whole and then really what led to this is the alignment of 6 through 12 both uh vertically so that we have six and seven and eight then flowing into nine and 10 and then across horizontally um and then G I'll end with two things and G is they would teach no more than three classes in other words they
105would be in a sixth period schedule they would teach three uh no more than that. Uh and and then the last thing is per the AGA contract and we haven't negotiated this yet. We're just trying to get the the uh job description together that they would work 200 days and that I think that'd be really helpful in terms of some of the curriculum work that we're hoping to get done and in terms of the paperwork uh for um for the evaluations and so forth. So, I I I think it's a good first draft, but I'd be interested in your feedback. >> Can I just add one more thing? One of the things that's been very important to us, and I know Andrea, as the chair of the curriculum committee and and taking part of curriculum
106and instruction council, um, is that we look at every discipline K12. So, we've had we've brought together these task forces that look at curriculum K12, but I think that um if we could have that kind of leadership at the secondary level and I have the leadership with literacy folks and math folks from every school at the elementary and we're able to bring those people together kind of on a regular basis that that's really going to improve our articulation of curriculum. Did you hear me? Yes. >> Okay. Um so I I see it as a real benefit to the district to have that kind of lead leadership um at the secondary level and um you know I I see that we can um really make some gains with that. >> Thank you. Liz, I know that
107you have a couple questions. >> Yeah. Um first of all um when you talk about STEM I assume it's going to be science and math. >> Yes. >> Combination correct? >> Yes. >> ELA. What is what are you looking for in that respect? >> English language arts. So then what's humanities? >> Uh world language, social studies, art. What what we tried to do is paint a pretty broad picture. It's not going to cover every single subject area, but if we could get someone uh from those areas uh uh to to help out uh then we would we would still have department head like let's say for example we the humanities person uh uh turns out to be a world language teacher. We would we would still have a social studies department head and and an
108arts department head. Uh but this person would help out with the with the curriculum supervision evaluation and so forth of of those uh of those subject areas. Well, my question then is if you have a humanities person that's world language and social studies and it turns out to be somebody like me, a social studies person, how can they do evaluation of let's say a French teacher, Latin teacher or uh you know or a Spanish teacher. So I I would I I understand what you're trying to do but I would caution. That's just my >> my You're you're >> my input. I >> if if we uh if we end up with say a social studies person in in that uh position, I think I think there are 13 or 14 just at the high school
109and several at at the middle school. So they would probably just stick with uh with social studies and then the uh the principal assistant principles would continue their supervision of of the other subject. It would be far better than we have now. It's not perfect. I'm not I'm not say I mean it'd be great if we had a curriculum person in pretty much every you know like I I don't want to I don't want to get your eye up but in the old days uh that was the perfect way >> and it yeah I understand and know you're not getting my eye up. I got to tell you this makes me very happy. Um I was looking down at instructional leadership in the last bullet on a >> and you have an etc at the
110end. Um I would like us to consider or I'd like you to consider putting a period instead of etc. That's I feel that's personally that's too open-ended and I just think it needs to have some finite definition you know a finite this is your job so not an etc. >> Okay >> that's just my input. Um so you answered my question about department head. you are still going to maintain department heads for those um areas that are not going to have um a department chair. >> Precisely. >> Okay. Because I think that needs to be um maybe that needs to be added here or or somehow that's that's delineated. Um, I just I'm I'm I'm just a little concerned that the the uh com the uh vocabulary is going to get confused. Department head versus
111department chair um instruction. Maybe maybe I'm the one that's in, you know, a little um messing up with uh curriculum coordinator. So, I just want to make sure that we're not using those terms interchangeably, >> right? Yeah. And I'll we'll talk about that language. So, someone else weighed in on that and I'm looking for it right now, but we'll make that clear. Thank you. >> I think that that was Andrea. So, Andrea, do you want to speak to that? >> Oh, Andra, that's right. Thank you. >> I just wanted to speak to what Liz said about the etc. I when I sent out my email today with all my recommendations for consistency, >> I I really looked at that, etc., And I I didn't mark it, but I agree fully with with um with Liz
112and and I too am concerned about I I didn't realize that the curriculum coordinators were going to be other than the department heads. So that was that's some thinking that just came from this conversation. I didn't realize that. I thought they were going to be one and the same. >> Well, let me let me be clear. I if if if to use Liz's example, if if if a social studies person becomes the humanities uh curriculum coordinator, uh they would they would still be they would be in charge of of the social studies department, but there would still be a world language department head. >> Does that make sense? >> Yes. >> Okay. Let me let me give you a better example. If we pick a math teacher to be the STEM guy, there would still
113be a science department head, but the math guy would be in charge of the math department >> or I'll have to think about that. Okay, thank you. >> But but both would both of them have limited class. See, that's that's where things classes that they're teaching. That's where I'm getting confused and I just want us to make sure that you know we are being um consistent >> as well as addressing the needs of the different departments. >> Vita, I saw you had some expression. Do you want to um >> Yes. Well, I I was just shocked that I didn't realize that in our budget we have four positions. I never knew that. I mean, these are four different people that are all going to be in the administrator's union, and I don't I didn't know
114the financial impact of having them only teach three periods a day. What is that going to do um with the teaching load for other teachers? And are we going to have to hire more teachers if these teach if these coordinators are teaching fewer classes? >> And I don't know why we need a special I mean, I'm sorry. I think our special education department is um we have it's just grown exponentially in terms of our administration and I can't understand why we need another special education coordinator to spend that money on that person when we already have a big special education department now that we never did before. I mean, it just, you know, to me, it's an a big expense for our district. And I really thought we were just talking about one coordinator because
115you have this as secondary curriculum coordinator, not coordinators there. And I also want to know even like what you're thinking in terms of the financial impact this is going to have. And I'd like to know what what you're thinking about for salaries. Um, does it depend on the experience of the person who gets the job? I I I just don't know. But I'm really I understand what Liz says about the how many classes does a, you know, curriculum coordinator teach, how many does a department head teach it. To me, it's extremely confusing. And I think it should be one or the other. And I think if somebody's a math person, well, you know, if if Matt Brown and the principal, Mr. Keller, are already evaluating 41, they're not both math and I mean, I know
116Matt Brown is math, but you know that you can still evaluate somebody without being in that subject matter. Mhm. >> And for science and math, I mean, look at the principles are doing it now and the assistant principles, >> right? >> So, I I I just find this like kind of overwhelming and I didn't know it was um it was going to come up this way. >> let me uh let me take a minute to review what what what we said in in the budget deliberations. Uh I we originally started with the idea that perhaps there would be uh a curriculum coordinator and that curriculum coordinator would probably uh come from the initial thought was it would probably come from a high school department head that is currently teaching four subjects. uh and so that
117if if they became a curriculum coordinator and taught three subjects that we would be only we would be down one subject and one one class. So I said to Mr. Keller, you know, what would happen in four departments if we said one less class per department and he he felt that they could sustain that that sort of loss without having to add uh teachers. Uh and then the the the budgetary part was that I was saying that in in all likelihood these are going to the these curriculum coordinators are are going to be senior teachers, veteran teachers and who in in round figures make about $100,000 a year and and a a uh our lower paid administrators make about 123 I think,000 a year. So my thought was we would give 50% of the salary
118of a teacher and 50% of the salary of an administrator. So if you blend those two together instead of it beingundred 100,000 uh it would be about 112,000. So that when when the board went over this during the the budget meeting, we realized that we could pick up these four positions for in in round figures about 50,000 about 50,000. So the financial impact is is not quite as severe as as it appears. >> But but why special education? I I mean I would just I would rather see it as another curricular coordinator, let's say for English, you know, for languages in the high school. Why special education? >> Well, I I think part of I I really I'm sorry Denise went away. You know what, Mike? I I would much rather have us have the
119right information instead of making guesses. Yeah. >> So, we are having another committee of the whole meeting. >> Let's let's let's bring this back to that. Let's make sure that all the questions that we want Susan and Mike to have answered. If we don't have them right now, please let us make sure that um that you guys get them to Mike or Sue um so that we can do it. So, um I I that's why we're that's why we had this come up today is that we wanted to take a look at the job description and we wanted to make sure that the board was on full understanding. So, um so, so but Rita, for clarification, I do absolutely remember that the board approved the four positions. Um I I thought the board approved it,
120but if the budget changed, if we got down to zero, then we were going to revisit. I don't ever remember having that >> that's my that was my thought you know if we had to make cuts what would what would it be >> right >> so I I don't remember that piece but um but any but anyway so um Rita thank you for your questions are very thoughtful and obviously we need some more information um so do we have other questions that we need um need to go to Mike or Susan about this or um and if not how about you can always email them to us too if if you think of something >> or you can have an improv Zoom meeting. No, sorry. I'm over because you can't. Um, all right. So, thank
121you for doing that. And so, I'm going to move us on to our next agenda agenda item if that's okay. Um, and the last two is the update for Malone and McBroom study. >> I have to confess that Mike uh did not contact me this week and u next week. Yeah, I'm mindful of of Rita's anxiety and so we'll get get going on this. >> Well, you know, I mean, let's let's let's take a breath, folks. What it what our life looked like five weeks ago is completely different. And so Mike and Susan and the district have been moving at such a fast rate of speed that that's one of the reasons why I wanted our agendas to look normal again because I want us we can plot through it. There's there's some things that
122we have to move quickly, but I want us to make sure that we're being thoughtful and we're taking breaths and that we're paying attention to process. So Mike, it's fine if we don't get that back. Um >> he actually we just sent him the data he was requesting. Um, so he's he's got that this week. That was a plus. So he he wasn't able to respond anyway because it took us a while to get the data. >> That's that's fine. That that's all it's all good. It's all good. Um, so let's move us down to the financial update of the unanticipated expenses. >> I I'm gonna just give you an overview. I'm going to let Sam explain because he he and Ken actually spoke with the SDA company today. The big picture is that that
123the governor's executive order 7R uh said that uh boards of ed are expected to pay uh meet their contractual obligations to the bus companies uh certainly to pay for the employees and and so forth. And so Ken Ken did a really a thoughtful analysis of where we by by the way they've they've driven the bus for 121 out of the 181 days. So we're we're we're short 60 days which is almost exactly 2/3. They gave us 2/3. We're out oneird. And so uh we Ken did this this analysis. We then called Floyd this morning who made us look like experts when it came to Zoom. By the way, he was like really screwed up. Uh I felt I felt quite proud that that our lawyer was like and that he couldn't hear us. He didn't
124think we could hear. He was like cursing and and yelling that he couldn't get it to go on. It really was like Saturday Night Live. Uh but anyway, uh he he gave us his opinion. He he wants to kind of weigh in, but we did an analysis and I'll let let Sam uh weigh in on a little bit on the details. Sam, >> uh good evening. So, um yeah, uh Ken and I spoke with Joe Paresi and Tony MGO today uh regarding the uh remaining balance on the uh SDA contract. And uh with Ken's analysis uh we are uh we've agreed with uh STA that with we we are within a reasonable number presently. We're about $70,000 difference between our number and their number right now. And we have um without giving you the exact
125numbers um we've sent our proposal on to their finance person who got on the phone with us as well and uh she seemed to be pretty receptive of the number. um in just speaking with her, but she's going to look it over and she's going to get back to us tomorrow about that. So, we're very close to uh an agreement. >> So, Rita, do you have >> um No, I just think Mike was talking. >> I'm sorry, I forgot to unmute Kim. uh between the savings in diesel fuel and the bus contract, I believe we're going to come very close to the 496, which would be great. >> I I thought we weren't going to have the savings in diesel because we we had a contract. >> Yeah, we Well, Sam, you want to talk
126to that? They we had another negotiation session with uh with the with the diesel fuel guy and and Sam and Ken had a a good outcome. I'm here, Sam, if you want me to take that. >> Oh, good. I didn't know you were here, Ken. I'm sorry. >> I don't have my picture. >> Uh, so, >> so what uh our diesel fuel um supplier has uh um has recommended to us is that instead of paying a liquidation cost for the remaining diesel gallons that we have in our contract is that we could just buy them. Buy them this year. We'd have to pay a storage fee. uh but we could buy them this year and then use them next year. And so that in that way we can we can save next year a little
127bit because we're kind of um we can kind of uh pay for those now. >> So we would reduce next year's budget by about $75,000. >> That's right. >> Which would be great. Kim, um could next week could we have an update um on we have unanticipated expenses here, but what our savings are going to be in terms of like the whole package about maybe what we're going to be saving because they're definitely going to be savings. >> Yeah, we we're we're planning we're planning on doing that. The the problem the problem with unanticipated savings is the the issue of unanticipated expenses, >> right? >> So, when I was I was talking to to to Ryan Cheney and he was the one who said that they gave out every single one of their cellos. Um,
128you know, and I can only imagine in September, you know, we're going to say, well, you know, we have X number that are uh, you know, need to be repaired. And so, we we we wanna we we want to be careful about that. And then the whole computer thing. I I don't I don't want to shock you, but uh uh Dennis was saying that he he thinks we ought to buy about 1,400 computers, >> which which alliance money, that's the unshocking part. And alliance, the alliance people gave us the go-ahad. We could actually do that. And uh and it goes back to your point, uh Liz. We want to be prepared to to reinstitute this if, god forbid, it happens and we don't want to have, you know, semi broken computers that we're going to
129be sending out. So, uh, so I think there there there may be we'll make we'll make it work, but I'm I'm just I'm concerned that we we don't want to we don't want to put ourselves in a terrible position next year by saying, "Oh, great. We we did save some money." U, >> I want to be really clear. This is and this is Kim speaking. I'm not speaking for it. I'm just speaking for my position is is that we were brought down to zero and and for legitimate reasons um and it and um because of the COVID I totally understand that. However, we're going to have unforeseeable circumstances that are going to happen next year. >> Absolutely. I I like I don't it's not that I don't care about what savings we have because I
130I'm not trying to hoard our our money, but we are we are because we don't have a lot of money. We we do pretty good at at our spending, but I want to make sure that we have what we need to kind of go forward next year considering the fact that we're starting from the budget line of this year. Um, and so we were able to get it down there, but it does not give us any wiggle room. So, um I want us to be very careful when we have conversations about what monies we're going to be saving because I want to make sure that we have that that we have money um available to us so that we can kind of move forward because I'm really scared um not about the amount of computers
131that we're going to buy, but I'm scared that we're going to buy them all at once, which means that their lifespan is going to be dead all at once. And how what's our plan about that? And so I would really want to hear from Ken and from Dennis about what would be a plan about how to do that because we might be able to do that right now um for the monies. But like I don't you know >> you're right. >> Granted I might not be I might not be on the board at that point but I don't want to sock any other board um to have to deal with um how to get 1400 computers. If I could make uh one statement with your permission >> please. >> Uh while there may be some
132savings along the way, we also have to consider that there have been uh more expenses due to this co uh experience that we're having. Uh and while some of that may be reimburseable by the state or federally, uh generally those monies are not uh reimbured to us on a in a timely fashion. So that money probably wouldn't come back before uh the next budget season probably. >> I totally agree with you on that. I just want to make sure and and and I think that our our colleagues um from the RTM and town council, many of them would understand that. I mean like like this is like once again we're going to have opportunities that I think that we would have never explored um in terms of distance learning etc etc etc. But I think
133that there's some things that are going to come out of this that I want to make sure that we're not tying our hands as a district. >> Okay. My I I think you misunderstood me. I I mean there there are some savings that maybe we could move over to something else. But what I was told at a learn meeting is that every board the financial officer needs to keep track of all the extra expenses because some of them will be reimbursed >> and it needs to be documented a certain way. So that's extremely important that we keep track of everything all the things that we need to do for the schools for our custodians whatever it is. I think it's extreme because some of it will be, you know, maybe it'll take a while to
134get it, but there will be um money coming back to all the districts. So, >> um Rita, Rita, you are correct. I did misunderstand you. Um and I apologize. Thank you for me, too. I'm sorry. That's all right. >> We are doing that. We actually have a little COVID 19 symbol bunch. >> That's what you're Yeah, that's what I've heard you're supposed to do. Yeah. Thank you. >> Good thing I talked for five minutes about nothing that you even meant. >> Sorry. >> All right. So, any other any other conversation about the um about this item? >> No. >> If not, um it looks like we are in future topics. I do think that we're going to do a referral um to the curriculum. Um, and I would also, Jay, like this also to go
135to the finance about looking at what what would that look like in order to make sure that we could fund snow days at least. Um, because I think that that's a that's a sooner conversation, not soon conversation, that's probably a sooner conversation than all the other virtual learning ones. So, I I do that kind of came up earlier in the meeting is what I caught. Um, Liz, did I see you have a >> Yeah, I just had a quick question. We got a a letter in one of the hu one of the um emails today from um Dr. Melissa, I can't even say her last name. Hickeyi about the reading literacy director about the Perkins um Perkins 5. And I was wondering um does is Perkins testing supposed to be taking place in the spring?
136Correct. And if we don't have the Perkins testing, will we still be able to get Perkins grant monies for next year? >> Yes, I I believe the Perkins grant is available. Yes. Okay. So, I was just kind of wondering what this was dealing with. That's all. Thank you. >> Did I get it? Could you send it to me if I didn't? >> You sent it to us. >> What was it again? >> It's a It's an April 8th, 2020 letter to superintendent from Dr. Melissa K. something hickey reading literacy director academic office 202021 strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act intend to apply process >> and it was just a a quick little overview but I having been in charge of Perkins at the high school for a couple years I was
137wondering how if this was another avenue for funds >> and if this was still going to be available and how we're going going to be dealing with that. >> We just wanted to throw our our name in the hopper >> to say yes, we're going to apply. >> Okay, thank you. >> Jay, do you have a quick referral? >> Uh, yes. I was wondering if Mr. Kilpatrick might be able to bring us up to date on that new construction at the high school, >> the greenhouse. >> Exactly. I was glad to see that that was progressing. All right. So, that will be agenda topic that we get. >> We'll do it. We'll do it. We'll do it next week. Sure. >> Next week. >> Okay. >> And graduation dates. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> So,
138this year's has been set. >> Uh, no. >> Oh, no. She was talking about August then. >> Oh, August. >> Maybe Addy, you could give it a little thought, please. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Addie, do you have any thoughts about graduation date? Oh, see we we caught her. She was busy doing something. >> Yeah, I'm I'm I switched locations. Um Yeah. Uh >> you're talking about it maybe an August date. What do you think about that? >> Um I think I've heard a lot from seniors who are just um they just want a graduation. Um I don't think it's a big deal. I think a lot of seniors are already expecting it to be pushed back. >> Yeah. So, I don't think it'd be a deal if it was in August. Um, yeah, I
139think as long as we have some sort of graduation, I don't think a lot of seniors will be um angry or frustrated about it being pushed back just a little bit. >> Well, as you know, Mr. Keller is is dead set. We will have a graduation. >> So, >> that's good. >> But that that's good, Rita. We we'll we'll we'll kick around a couple of dates like maybe we got to figure out when kids are and you maybe you could help us with this Addie when kids are going back you know we don't want to we don't want to have it so late that uh you know h half the kids are off to college by that time >> right >> yeah I mean it's quite frankly there's going to be no way that we're
140going to be able to get 100% participation in terms of military and whatever but I think that >> they have been ours for so long that it's our obl I feel like it's so important that we make sure that that happens for them >> because it's such an important milestone. >> So, good news. >> All right. Anything else? >> To adjourn. >> Have a second. Second. Second. It. All those in favor, please say I. I oppose. Abstain. Motion is carried. Our meeting is now over. >> Good night. Hey.