6-8-20 Groton Board of Education

001Yeah. So, you should get an email. Mark is sending out right now. Okay. Did you just get something from Mark? Kim, why don't you go ahead and start? >> Hi, friends. How are you? So, without further ado, I am calling the Graten Board of Education Committee of the whole meeting um to order. It is June 8th and it is about 6:05 according to my um clock. Um the first order of business is the approval of the committee of the whole meeting minutes on May 18th, 2020. Um do I hear that motion? >> I make a motion. >> Says yes. >> I got Liz. I got a second. Um is there any discussion hearing? None. All those in favor of the approval of the uh committee of the whole meeting minutes of May 18th, please say

002I. >> I. Oppose abstain. Motion has carried and we're moving on. All right. So, Dr. Grineer, we are moving to the um update return to school map committee um and with a report from four um of the committees it looks like on our agenda. >> Mike, you got unmute. Yeah. >> Mark, could you unmute him? >> Yeah. >> Mark, if you get a chance, uh, if if you could give Rita a call. She She's having all sorts of trouble here. >> Okay. Katrina can't log in either with the public link. >> Really, boy. Uh okay. So let me uh let me keep going here. Uh so we we have this seven committees now that are participating in the return to school roadmap and the the the four committees that you see here really have to

003do with the theme of curriculum and instruction that we're talking about tonight. And then next Monday we'll have the the meeting and it will involve the facilities and operations and so forth. So uh I just wanted to report out that Kim and I went through the whole document. We looked at the the steps that the governance is supposed to do and basically it kind of organizes governance organizes the whole thing. So we we launched the seven committees. We've appointed chairs as committees. We've set up a series of meetings uh that will occur at least initially weekly. Uh so I think we're we're in in good shape there. We're we're launched and we're we're moving ahead and uh and I'll let Susan talk about instruction and and Denise the wellness because we went to this really

004interesting uh workshop last Wednesday. So I know we have one coming up. Susan, >> that's right. So um I'm really excited about the committee that I am chairing with Dennis which is both instruction and technology put together and it's such a popular one that I think I have over 35 teachers administrators even a couple parents on it. Um both Beth and Doug are on it with us too. So um in talking with Steve and Jamie we we really thought it would be good to break out in these groups. So Jamie and Steve offered to look at the elementary group and helped to spearhead that. I've talked to Peter Bass and Kathy Wilson to help me with the middle school and um Matt Brown and Amy McKenna will help with the high school. So when we

005meet on Tuesday, tomorrow in the afternoon, I'll pull everybody together and have kind of a mini lesson, no more than 10 minutes on our first charge. Our first charge is really going to be high priority looking at the software that we have looking at the LMS systems which are the platforms that we used are those the right ones looking at online text and resources and the board will be very happy about this because the other thing that has come out is that what are we really giving kids tangible whether it's books pencil paper materials for art like a toolkit that they can have at school and take home with them so that they have their own personal toolkit of supplies. You know, in the past, we've always shared supplies. You've had a bucket of crayons,

006a bucket of this, but really with this day and age, to really be safe and secure and to make sure that kids have these resources at home when they go home at night, whether it's for homework or whether we have another situation like we had this year, they'll have their materials. So, I'm really happy about that. I thank Jamie and Steve for coming up with the idea. I think it's great. Um, I'm really excited about tomorrow and getting everybody in their breakout rooms. And the following day, Wednesday, is exciting because that's going to be the third module from Connecticut Center for School Change. And it's going to be totally focused on teaching and learning. They actually use teaching and learning, which is our mission. So, um, I know Dr. Acriman is on with me and

007um I think >> what time is it >> so I'm going to be sending out a reminder but both meetings tomorrow's meetings at 1 and Wednesday's meeting is also at 1 and Erica was going to send out a reminder with the Zoom links on it to help everybody. It's a lot to remember. We're all so busy these days. Um, so one of the things we did as a group when we first came together was this document that we learned about through Connecticut Center for School Changeing Schools. Um, and looking at our lessons learned and I just highlighted a few of them. We have a whole page in a padlet and I think I shared with you. But when they when we looked at the area of curriculum, one thing that came out was that the

008team felt we had great capacity because of the realization of the curriculum work that's been done over the past five years, curriculum compacting document that they used, the calibration document that was used directly aligned with common core standards, NGSS and report cards. So everything all lined up and was kind of at their fingertips. and our elementary all of our principles worked with teams of teachers, grade levels, departments um in really structuring this and we have all that data to look at. So when we go re-enter, we'll have that to use that document and also the articulations. Principles have made sure teachers have talked to one another from grade level to grade level. So second grade teachers talk to their first grade um colleagues and also their third grade colleagues so they can pass on this

009information but it's documented as well. So that was one of the big ahas that we felt like we were um really pleased with. We also had multiple platforms. So we were talking about what platforms work best for younger children versus upper elementary versus middle school and high school. So that's going to be part of the conversation tomorrow. They thought the slow start slow and grow was a really good motto and that it helped the teachers, it helped the families, it helped the kids to to gain and we know that it was really a difficult charge for everybody. It was all new learning for all of us. Um and then um you know teachers have come around to doing live lessons mostly for the um social emotional learning you know getting their class together um for

010morning meeting for maybe a read aloud and so they've really grown by leaps and bounds in that way. One of the things we talked about was um the pedagogy and um you know how do we really engage our kids so that they have real opportunities and um great tasks that they want to engage in and have all the supplies and resources to be able to do that kind of research and development. And how do we engage families? You know, reaching out to families. teachers know their kids and their families best and there is, you know, counselors help support that, principles help support that, but even with all of that said and done, there were still families that we had concerns and kids we had concerns about that weren't engaging like they really needed to. And

011um the other category was equity and you know, how do we support our staff with further professional learning? So, um, you know, all of that, um, are the things that this committee will be taking those lessons learned and kind of figuring it out for when we re-enter and how we can use those lessons learned to make it even better. >> Uh, I've got Gretchen and then Liz. >> Yes. I I in talking to different people who if you go to states like Wyoming, you have gi well very tiny little towns very far apart. They don't have school system. They they they have been doing this online learning for a very long time. Have we contacted them to see what works best? >> We have not I have not called anybody in Wyoming. I'm not saying

012well, but there's places >> I worked with my colleagues in learn southeastern Connecticut actually all of Connecticut um in even designing the plan and the re-entry plan and having the support from Connecticut's um center for school change has been really very positive. So we do research how other people are doing things >> so we get ideas. Yep. I'm not going to somebody who's got actual experience in this. Decades of experience would be a good, you know, we might want to ask, how do you do this? How do you transition? You've got kids who've been at home for 13 years. They want to play football and they're willing to do a three-hour each way commute, you know? So, it just it's just different. And I was wondering if they would have any tips that we are

013not used to because we're Connecticut. We don't generally have online learning or distance learning. Col as we discovered when we were in Wyoming, it's a huge amount of distance between towns. And there was one elementary school I looked at with 13 kids. >> 13 kids total. We actually belong to um an organization called association curriculum development and we receive um an ed leadership um membership each week and mag or each month in a magazine. So some of the best research best university research on distance learning digital learning especially recently um you know we review and um you know because it is good to learn from one another. I think you know you bring up a good point Gretchen >> and then Liz >> um as part of your plan Susan going to include the assessment

014of students prior to you know really starting the school year or at the very beginning of the school year because my greatest concern is that you know I've been reading a lot of materials that say kids have been really have fallen behind and because they haven't had the um the dayto-day to day training and I'm really I'm very concerned too about the high school students. Um I think our I just u middle school high school is of course my focus anyway. I mean for me that's where my my expertise is. I'm very concerned about um skills and lack of content information. So are are we doing assessments or is that the part of the plan at the very beginning? That's absolutely a big first step. I've shared many documents with all of you regarding the

015plan and assessment is a big piece of it. We have a couple things happening for us where we have ESY and Denise will talk to you a little bit more about that. We have an apex program for middle school and high school. We'll be talking a little bit about that later on. And all of that encompasses both assessment and instruction this summertime. We're also providing some supplemental learning for um elementary and opportunities for them each week through enrichment activities to um meet with teachers and library media specialist and kind of recharge their batteries. So um we also I think I had mentioned to you before that Beth and I have been talking with Naen about screening kindergarteners and screening um preschoolers. Whether we do it partly virtual, however we do it, some of that work

016we were thinking about could happen this summer. So, we get a little ahead of the game, especially since we have so many four-year-olds in a TK program that we really want to prioritize those kids. So, there have been conversations about that. Even I spoke to Mike about if it didn't work totally in the summer, could we extend a couple of those days so that we do a really thorough job using BGance and other resources that the kindergarten teams have put together for that very thorough sk screening process. So yes, Liz, that's a that a is definitely at the top of our list for assessment. >> Okay. I just um I I got I don't think I made myself my thought process didn't come through. I I think I was more concerned about is there an

017um like is the state going to have us do assessments from the state, you know, like the um CMT type of stuff. Is is that come down through or is it all being left up to the districts? >> We no longer have a CMT. We have the >> Yeah, I know that. But I said CMT like >> Yeah. So, we do have both interim assessments that our teachers regularly give to kids in grades three through eight. Um, and we also have a comprehensive um, ESPback that we can look at giving kids because >> that's what I was wondering. >> The state did not give the ESPback test and is not going to be doing all of that data analysis like you've seen before. Every month I've brought you a little something to look at data.

018So, that did not happen this year, but they have other resources. I've attended many webinars from the state that's giving it advice to districts and we really pay attention to their good advice. So although we know that when kids come back I think we have to do the TLC thing first and get them back and have build that community and think about social emotional learning before we just start right off the bat with assessment but we will actually integrate it in the beginning. >> Thank you. Mhm. >> Any other questions? Does Gretchen unmute? >> Gretchen, unmute. Good job. >> Um, once we've brought them back, we've assessed them, and we've determined where they belong, whether it be halfway through first grade, halfway through second. Do we shift Are we going to be able to shift

019classrooms if we need to? >> Well, I'm not sure that we're going to need to. We'll use differentiated model to be able to support kids. We have interventions. We have an SRBI process that we'll be reviewing this summer and you know making suggestions for programs that we can use for tier one, two and three for you know intervention. Um so I think that the assessments are key because we'll find out where the gaps are and then it's a matter of child by child really kind of personalized right >> to figure out what the needs are. and we have a good team to do that. So, >> I know we have a great team. I just want to make sure we're we've got the best opportunities for as many children as possible, >> right? >> I

020agree. >> If that means grouping, then that means grouping. >> So, thank you. Any other questions on this? And Susan, do are you also is that also the wellness committee? No, that's Denise. >> That's Denise. Oh, sorry. Denise. Denise. Susan. You say Denise. You say Susan. >> Oh, that's a nice compliment. Thank you. Um, so hi everybody. Seth and I are co-chairing uh the wellness committee and we had our focus group on Tuesday with the Connecticut Center for School Change and learned a lot about wellness. Um we are and I echo Susan's uh work sentiments that the center for school change has been really helpful in um helping us frame uh what the different aspects of the re-entry plan will look like. So in terms of wellness we we looked at wellness from a systems

021perspective. So we looked at all different aspects of wellness like physical wellness um uh emotional wellness, intellectual wellness, social wellness and safety. So we really want to look you know conduct a whole child approach. Um and then what we did was we went into our breakout groups and we did a wellness audit for our district and we looked at um three different um three different scenarios. So we looked at for each of those component those dimensions of wellness we looked at what do what do we already have in place and what do we need to put in place and then we looked at so physical wellness we answered those two questions for face-to-face learning distance learning or a hybrid model um and it was it was very very informative in terms of what we already

022have in place and then we could see where the gaps were in terms of what we need to put in place. Um, so we we started that on t on Wednesday and Seth and I are going to complete it with our smaller wellness subcommittee this week. Um, it's actually tomorrow um because some of the members of our subcommittee couldn't be available with the Center for School Change. So, we're going to share some of the PowerPoint slides and just give them the little background information that we received about the dimensions of wellness and then fill in some of the blanks and get their feedback on the wellness audit. Um, and we're going to do that in three. We we also have a large committee of 24 people. So, we're going to break out into three smaller

023subgroups. We're going to look at student wellness for one subgroup that Lori Luciani will facilitate, staff wellness, uh, which Seth will facilitate, and then family wellness, which I'll facilitate. So, it will allow us to have more interaction from our participants in smaller groups and have a lens um of either student, staff, or family to finish the audit. Any questions? >> Sounds great. >> Yeah, it's very interesting. I have to say >> I'm just really excited that we're living in this day and age where actually we are thinking about mental health as a really integral part of academics. Wow, what a concept folks. I am just thrilled to know that we are that that that not just we but we are really thinking about what is the wellness of a child and and how do we

024get a child to best learn is that we get them in a good place so that they can kind of um they can kind of grow and learn. So, I'm very appreciative of of us taking that really serious on postsecary. >> Well, that that is a committee that is being headed up by by Ted and Aaron and I believe Liz has joined it there. Have they contacted you, Liz? >> No, not yet. >> I haven't heard a thing yet. I think they're very, you know, busy with graduation and all that other stuff. So, >> Oh, yeah. We have a few things like that on our plate, right? A couple of things, you know. >> So, >> well, we had we had our our our meeting um Friday. We we sort of have this big uh

025report out meeting. Um and and you you're right, undoubtedly they're they're turnurning and burning. U right now just get getting the seniors identified uh for for graduation. But what what the committee is really going to focus on is typically in the spring, as many of you know, juniors start to get ready for the senior season and visiting colleges and so forth, and that's really been disrupted. So, the counselors are are are working to uh wi with the kids to identify how we're going to be able to kind of recoup some of these opportunities. They still have not yet taken the SATs. uh the the the state uh administration of the SATs. So, it's a bit up in the air, but I but I'll I'll make sure uh that that Ted and Aaron reach out to

026you, Liz, and I think you going to be a valuable valuable part of that committee. >> Thanks, Mike. I've already talked with Erin. >> Oh, good. >> I've talked with Erin already. So, >> as soon as I you know, it'll be fine. >> Yeah. Good. So then next next week, Kim, as you know, we're going to talk uh we're going to talk about three other committees. We're going to talk about uh uh operations, which has to do with staffing and finances, facilities, and and the committee that we added uh having to do with diversity, equity, and inclusion. And Jamal Davis is heading that up, and so we'll we'll have them report out next week. So you you will hear from the seven committees and uh um Susan, did we talk about the technology thing? Uh

027>> the techn technology was combined there. So we're we're off and running on that as well. >> Right. >> Lee, you had your hand up. >> Yes. Um I would be glad to be a member of any one of those committees, but I would especially like the diversity Um, if if you want people other than teachers, >> we we do. And I'm gonna send Jamal an email right now. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Andrea, too is waving at you. >> Oh, you you're >> I think we were saying hi to Addie, >> uh, Mike, >> I'm very interested in that. >> Good. Gotcha. >> Okay. >> And hi, Addie. Oh, >> Addie's back. >> Hi, everybody. >> Hi, Addie. All right, any further questions? Because then I'm going to move us on

028to the next topic, which is the update on our elementary schools. Because in case you guys have forgotten, not only are we doing COVID opening up a middle school, but we're also getting ready for openings of our elementary schools. So, I'd like to be able to share the results of the survey that we sent out. We were really pleased with over 400 responses. We've had surveyed teachers. Then we surveyed parents, community members, and students. So, I wanted to show you a couple of the graphs to show you where people are thinking. It came out very similarly to what the teachers had said for top choices. But if you let me share my screen, Mike, >> it's actually Mark, but yes. Oh, >> Mark. Can you see this? >> We can. >> I'll make it a

029little bigger. >> Yes, we can. >> Is that better? >> Okay. >> Yep. >> So, when you do one of these Google surveys, you can see that you find out who's responded. So, the total number was 395 people. And who were these people? So, we had parents and guardians of children who attend these different schools. So, we we put all of our schools plus there was a St. Michaels and some private daycarees that responded. And you can see as you go around the wheel, is this showing up? Like Dr. Charles Barnum had 48 parents. So, they're pretty equally distributed, which was really good. And then they talked about what grade level their children were in. And um interesting we really had very similar distribution in the different grade levels as well. Then they they had

030they added their address because it was important for us to see not only what school these parents were responding and where their kids went to school and then where their addresses are to see what they really were looking for. And then you have student who attends um then you have the students who are responding who attend the different schools. So the kids actually responded >> and then um what grade level they're in. So fifth grade looks like this must have been a teacher's assignment because she had many from grade but you know like to do this thing. So I think you remember when I first showed you the survey. It was an interesting survey because the original group that came up with some of these um different themes had all written a little script. And

031so we tweaked the scripts and we added a link that would show you both a web page and maybe a little video clip to show you what went on for let's say active exploration play and ingenuity. This was a very popular one for our teachers. It was very popular. As you can see, a five is like the um most interesting most interested and we had 142 people respond that that was the a very interesting magnet theme. Then we also included both NEA and CK. So, arts, fine arts, dramatic arts, visual arts, multimedia arts is our own northeast academy. And you can see that it was um also very much valued. Um 115 people said it was a top choice. Environmental science and marine life science also came up really high. So they had 169 respondents

032who said that was a top choice for them. So um I thought that was also interesting. The Discovery Academy was really um nurturing creativity and curiosity. It was a combination of Renuli and Reese's work at Yukon and Howard Gardner's work at Harvard and putting together a program that would include enrichment opportunities during school, before and after school and really finding out what kids passions and proclivities are um so that they could find out what they're good at and what they love to do. So that was also seen as um you know it's not only five but even if you look at four and five together you can see how many people responded to that as a top priority. And then again a STEM program that was PYP primary years program IB um came out high.

033It seems like our sciences were really very much valued in one way or the other. leadership. I was kind of hoping we'd see a little more interest in that. Um, we took from several different leadershipmies that that they had more in the middle school, high school, but there were a few samples from the elementary that looked really interesting. And then steam Katherryn Kolowski, that that's 170 people. And now some of them were their own Katherryn Kolnowski parents that were saying that this was something that they and and kids that they really love and they're there. So that makes sense. So um and then I decided to ask them, "What's your top choice? What's your first choice? What would be your second choice? And what would be your third choice?" So they could rethink it now

034that they've gone through and rated them one through five. Now they had to actually make a choice. And this is your steam. This is your active exploration. Um that was your arts. This is your environmental sciences. So you see the sciences are really very much valued in in our whole district. And then um for second choice, we still see steam coming up high. We see um environmental life science. We see the Discovery Academy coming up high in this one, too. And then for third choice, um you know, they're kind of pretty equally distributed. um this leadership academy kind of came out as a third choice a little well just as high as the steam. So what does that tell us? Well, I've got a um spreadsheet now and I'm going to do some mathematics on

035it because you know me and math. Um so I really I'm trying to I've disagregated the chart by school and by you know neighborhoods and trying to look at it from that perspective. um and and look at the schools that are closing and along with Charles Barnum to see what those families are saying. You know, it's important to see what CK and NEA says and they tend to pick their own theme most of the time, but I'm interested to see what the other three are saying as or the other Yeah. four are saying. So, um, it really seems like the science ones and, um, Discovery Academy kind of came out at the higher end. So, um, I'll I'll dig in the data a little more, talk to the principles, and we'll, um, get back to

036you. Now, as part of the um work for elementary and Jamie and Steve are also helping me with this, we had a naming committee that met three times and one of the decisions they made was they really chose not to name the school after somebody. They really looked at the history of Graten. And one of the statements that is in our mission statement is that our community is nestled in between the Thes River and the Mystic River. It's kind of a nice way of of thinking about our community from river to river. And so one of the things that came up was could we call it Mystic River Elementary School or Thes River Elementary could be Academy, but it'll also be tied in with whatever those themes are that people were selecting. So, for instance,

037you could have, and I'm not saying this is going to be it, but you could have a Thes River um marine life science school, or you could have a Mystic River um active play and ingenuity school. So, we're still kind of working on that. Um we, you know, we certainly would appreciate any of your feedback, um or questions. And I don't know if um Steve and um Jamie would like to say something because they've been instrumental in helping with this project. >> You captured it, Susan. And one thing that was wonderful about the names was we had students that were on the committee and um one of the students really was sort of the person that got us thinking about it because they did such research about the community. So that helped to sort of

038springboard those names. >> They did mention names of really wonderful people in our community and said perhaps we could name parts of the building, whether it's the library, media center, whether it's the cafeter of those people or even do a wall. This was also discussed for Graten Middle School. Do kind of a a historical wall or timeline of the community with famous people. So there's a lot of discussion around that as well. >> Rita, >> um I I'd like to know when the naming committee was formed because that is usually something done by the board of education in in the past. It's a naming committee, but it's from the board because it's the board that has a final say. So, if there aren't board members on this committee, then, you know, it's it's just sort

039of questionable why you have this committee and it never came in front of the board and there are no board members on it. >> It did. >> Well, we don't ever remember. I mean, I've talked to a couple people. No one remembers ever being asked to be on it as a board member. We, you know, we talked about that the schools would have to have a name and naming committee, but we we were never invited. I think the grant middle school we were so but um and I believe at northeast me we have tried in the past at Konowi too the gym at Konaski has um it's I think it's believed it's Ed Konowi who was a physical education teacher there a long time um or maybe that's at Westside and hoping we'll carry it

040over to um the middle school. But Mr. Shaughnessy, that was supposed to be the library. He was a a principal for a very long time in Grten. That was supposed to be at Northeast. I don't think these things were ever done, but we did try to have people in the community like Esby Butler should definitely be his name should appear someplace um there. And just like Carl Cutler, it would be good if Carl Cutler's name was some place in Grten Middle School. I think that's very important to respect the people in the community that these other schools that are no longer named after them. But yeah, so that's my feeling. >> Thank you. >> Freeman Hathaway was the other one. And there is a plaque for Freeman H at Northeast Academy in the hallway that

041we had put there because it was so important that that even though we weren't using the name, I mean his grandson would come to the when when they closed Freeman Hathaway and started the new school there, his grandson actually came to the ceremonies. So it's important to respect these people. >> Thank you, Rita. I'm gonna recognize Lee and then Gretchen. Um, I actually went to at least one or two meetings where those ideas were thought about. Um, it was probably a little over a year ago. So, I think we were involved. >> Well, I don't think that this was a year ago you're talking about. >> It was, >> Gretchen. I don't remember any involvement of the board of ed part on the Grten Middle School until Jim Strader announced the name of the school

042and I do think we should in some way I get it and for no it's really doesn't it didn't really carry over and since noank was originally a little school where a firehouse is now and then where the school what former the big field is Now, it would be really nice if we were in some way able to carry these through because the Noank family did give the land to, you know, originally and now I I would truly like to see history show up in at least the names because at least you think about it because if I remember quickly correctly, Noank had a first name too. Jake, do you remember? >> All right. So, I >> All right. Anything else? >> No, I won't even go into saying my hot dog has a first

043name. It's Oc. >> So, um I I think Rita, to your point, um where are we on the on the naming committee, Susan or Jamie? Well, we're just bringing you the results of the committee's decision on, you know, naming it for the rivers and um also saying that we could look at those names of important people in the community to serve as names for within the building, you know, naming for parts of the building. Kind of like Jaime's um Claude Chester is off of Harry Day Drive, >> right? and he's point where the people need to be sort of recognized um specifically as we um are shedding so many buildings that are named after people. We should probably be thinking about that. Um and just to put my two cents in and this is just

044my two cents. I'm not all that excited about Mystic River School. I know that we're not nestled between ths and Mystic, but I think we tried really hard to bring the Groten Middle School as a way of bringing our two committees um together again. And I feel like we're doing a west a west east side um division. And so for me um I just I'm curious about that. But once again is just one woman's opinion. I'm going to recognize Andrea and then I'll recognize Dr. Grineer and then Rita. Kim, I had the same um reaction when you as you I just feel that it separates the town again and then we're trying to bring everybody together. So that's two another two cents that that makes four. >> I agree with you Andrea and and and

045I do >> recognize I recognize Dr. Grineer, Rita Lee, Liz and Gretchen. >> Excuse me. Mark, can I uh share the screen? Thanks. I was just looking while we were chatting here. Okay. Hopefully, so I I know that there was a a regulation that we followed. So here here here it is. Um this is if I can see it properly uh uh regulation 7551. So it says the it shall be the general policy to name a school of facilities for persons to obtain prominence and military achievement and so forth. General procedure for naming a school. The board shall appoint a committee which we did. Uh two citizens of the immediate uh community. Sorry I have to move this to the other side here. uh from the immediate community served uh by the school representatives from

046each teachers, administrators, PTO to students, the naming committee shall uh shall present a list of names to the superintendent uh which Susan and the committee did. Um then the board to make the final section. So, um, in in terms of in in in terms of procedure, uh, the the committee followed exactly what the board regulation said. Uh, and Susan is presenting on behalf of the committee the names. And if the board wants them to go back to the drawing board, you know, so so be it. Uh, but I just wanted I I wanted to let everyone know we we certainly followed the correct procedure >> there. Can I just add this that we did talk about get trying to get away from the whole Cutler Westside name naming and east side west side but we

047did see the importance of these two rivers in this community when you think about the Thes River and the Navy and the submarine force and electric boat and the contributions because of you know the area that we live in and looking at the Mystic River and all of the contributing factors the history, the rich history um you know with the mystic seapport and um so there was a lot of discussion about that. So, I do want you to know that we did think through um trying to name it um not east side, west side or not Cutler Westside that we really wanted to think about the rich history in Graten, the location um and the contributing factors of those rivers and how important they were in the history and the development of Graten. One Grten.

048>> Thank you, Susan Vita. Um, two points. Um, could do you mind if you could go back and show us the minutes of when the board appointed this naming committee sometime? I mean, yes, there there is a policy. I just don't ever remember being asked any board members being asked to be part of that. >> No, board members are not on the committee. >> Well, we've all we were on the committees before. I mean, is this policy looked like it was changed April 20th? I mean, I was on the comm for Northeast Academy and there should have been somebody from the board of education and we usually have a historian. But I'll also say I really like the like Mystic River Academy or Thes River Academy. I don't feel that that's divisive at all. I

049think it's more locationational. And um I think I agree with Susan that that those names sort of res they resonate with me especially because the Mystic River wraps around to Noank which sort of includes that area and the Thes River with with you know with the the submarines being built and I I don't know. I I I like it. But that's just my two cents and I think it'd be nice if one or two board members were were on this naming committee so that when it does come to the board for a final approval, somebody from the board has been there on that committee. >> So I think you're talking about the difference between policy and procedure um or policy such but you're but we >> well that's a brand new policy that said April

0502020. So that's a new policy. >> April 2000. >> Well, then then it should be we should be on it because >> that's why we didn't know anything about Brotten Middle School. That's what that got us. >> It is not a new policy. >> You know that, right, Lee? >> It is not. It was not a new one, but it's it's there's always been board members on any naming. >> I'm saying that that was that was probably a procedure, but it wasn't necessarily the policy. Um, I hear your point, Rita, and I don't dis I actually don't disagree with you. Um, but we do have to make the distinction between was the policy followed, but the there was a there's a difference in procedure when the last time um that schools got got built. And

051quite frankly, um, our town doesn't build schools very often. We just happen to be in the jackpot of building three at the same time. I've recognized Lee, I've got Liz, and I've got Gretchen. Lee, >> um, I I'm with you. Um, I I think that when I think of the Thes River, I think of New London. Now, I'm not from Graten. You know, before that it was an old line, but the Mystic River is where you go and get lobsters and the themes is where you can go and get a drink on Bank Street. So, I I would like to stay away from the rivers, too. >> As an outsider, >> Board of Ed is promoting lobsters and beer. is >> I just think it's geographically uh divisive and I would think I would encourage

052us to um really look at prominent individuals that have you know supported this community or go through with some geographic feature something of a famous battle something here. I I just agree with you Kim. I find and I do believe that a lot of people will recognize that well the mystic river is with the mystic people and the dames river is with the grten people. So I just wanted to put my two two cents in. >> Thank you. >> I got Gretchen and then Addie. Gretchen. Oh, sorry. I was listening to Scott. I love you all but he was being obnoxious. No, he's being sweet. Um, and I think we both have come to the same conclusion on the name school naming thing. I really personally like the history of the Thes River because to

053me the Thes River means big green building means the Navy. It means >> the Whailing Museum on the the Bank Street. There's there's a lot of stuff that's there. Fizer's there. The beach is You guys actually have a good beach and I like Mystic because it's got the Seapport. Honestly, when I think of Mystic, I think Mystic Seapport Aquarium as growing up as close to this without being here. I've only been here since my kids have been here. Um, so I don't think it and no matter what we do, I believe truly believe it will be divisive. No matter what we do, we're going to divide the town. Those kids go to that side of school, those kids. So, no matter what we do, unless we make it all one big pile, it's going to

054have a name that goes with the area. But what I was thinking possibly if we don't like Mystic River and Fames River, we could go with Naragansit Bay and Long Island Sound, the two largest ocean bodies that we feed into. >> That is not even Connecticut. >> Addie, >> I'm very aware of that. I have a degree in oceanology. Thank you. >> Um, I just want to put in uh the student perspective on this um and say that for the older students um in the Grten Public, I can't speak for the younger um kids, but I know that the word mystic to um most older students kind of has this connotation with elitism a little bit. Um, and I think it might not be extremely um, uh, accessible, I guess. Um, so just in general,

055I think that word um, might be something to stay away from. That's I think the student perspective on that. Um, but yeah, I think I think there's a way that since we you can all choose the name, I think this is a good opportunity to make sure that we're doing something not divisive. I think that's a something that can be achieved. >> Thank you, Addie. >> I like that, Addie. Thank you. >> So, Gretchen, I will recognize you in just a second. Um, but I just want to make sure that Jane or Jay or Andrea, who have not had a chance to speak um on this conversation, um be given the to do so before we go around for second rounds. Jay, >> I'm just a little bit concerned that because Mystic is a postal

056designation that um is split between Graten and um Stonington and because there are already schools on the Stonington side named Mystic that it we sort of lose the the meaning of it by by including that. And uh number two, um I know there's a lot of concern about naming uh buildings after people uh because we've seen um history come back and then we have to remove the name. Um but I I just wanted to point out that Carl Cutler was one of the founders, one of the three founders of the the Mystic Seapport. and you know I would hate to lose that um you know in the mix [Music] >> Jane or Andrea. >> Yes. I I have great interest in um the themes ship building fishing history. Part of my family's history is the

057Avery family. Um great things have happened there. The the b the historical value is huge. Um, so don't forget that the themes river has been extremely important for history, especially for people in Graten in this area. >> Thank you, James. Andrea, >> I I do like the idea of the of retaining history, but I think two things. One is that we have to listen to what Addie said. That's I think that's the most important voice in this in this conversation. She's she's talking about the heart of of what we do and that is attentive children and and uh young adults. And the other thing is I I do indeed like the idea of recognizing the history of the two um you know of the entire town and maybe we could ask the committee to go

058back and rethink how we could get some historical um affirmation and and but stay away from elitism as Eddie put it so >> Gretchen we're looking at what the par this is element elementary school. It's not middle school. It's not high school. We're not looking at elitism here. We're looking what will attract the adults. In this case, ths river and all that comes with it, all the history that goes with the battle that goes with Benedict Arnold when he was still a good guy. Turns out I played didn't know that till I moved here. Uh same with Mystic River. It's history. We need to keep the history. And it's not the kids looking at it in elementary school. This is elementary. We want to draw parents in. They are drawn into historic names. We need

059to we'll pronounce it TMS. Anything else? I think I've had enough aggravation. Yes, I'm good. Dr. Grineer, >> I I I would say this might be a good time just to go to to say to the committee, let's let's go back and come back to the board. It'd be nice if we had a few names. Then we could debate whether we like this or that. But we we we we don't seem to have that right now. So perhaps we could ask the committee to reconvene and board members want to jump in on that, that'd be fine. But then come back. We do need a name fairly soon uh in in as much as we're building these schools. >> I I totally get it. But I we got to get it right. >> Right. >> We

060have got to get it right. So the people who are on the naming committee um if you could make sure that the meeting notice goes out I I believe that Rita has um an interest in being part of that. um and and in the sense that she has been part of the naming committees of the past couple of uh buildings that were b that were born that were built um before um before the the middle school. So um to make sure that we get the the times out that would be important. Um and I'm sorry I know you guys do a really hard work um on on doing that but um I I just think let's get it right. Um, let's let's let's get it right. Andrea, >> one of the things that Graten Middle

061School did was that they did a survey for the whole community. Um, we had discussed that as a possibility. So, putting out names that the community could, you know, respond to. So, that's still an option. >> Yeah. I And I once again, I know I know that this comes on on really hard work. Um, and I and I don't mean to deflate the the balloon, but I I there's a lot of passion. I mean, I I live on the west side of the town, and so the moment I heard about the Mystic River Elementary School, I was like, h, like we bought the middle school to have all the kids together. And then you're quickly kind of doing that again. And that just >> Well, that was never the intent, Kim. >> I know. I

062absolutely >> the intent from this committee. And there were about 16 people on it. So, >> I hear you. I hear you. But that was my immediate reaction um in in that and I think that we have ton of other I mean we just have a lot of adults who've been there and that's what they're and that's what they're um I hope to be wrong but that's that's where it is. Any other comments about the naming committee? I >> Wait a second. I've got Andrea. I've got Lee and I've got Rita. >> I have I have two things. The first is I just want a clarification so that the notice will come out and if we want to attend that zoom meeting we can. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Am I on I don't

063know I don't know what everybody's schedule is. We've got graduation coming up and the final week of school. So everybody is like very very busy right now. I'm not sure um when that will come out. I'm, you know, I'll have to talk to the principles who are with me on this and and they have um they can reach out to the folks who are on their committee so we can find a date, but we'll certainly let you know. >> All right. And we can attend. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> And the the second thing I have is that I understand that this was talked about and that your intentions were noble. However, when two people in town, I've been here for 50 years and I live in Mystic just like Kim lives in Westside.

064And when the two of us have the same reaction, you got to listen to us and we got to get it right. As Kim says, >> I've got Lee and then I got Rita. >> Jim Streer, was he on the committee? Could he be? He he he could he he's he's up in Ver he's up in Vermont for a while, but he could be on remotely. >> I I just I just think he's terrific. Yeah, >> I do. >> Yeah, he he'd be a huge resource. >> Rita, >> we had a historian, the one before Jim Street or Carol, that was part of our committees, too. I think that's very important. And um you know, you had that reaction, Kim, about Miss Giver. I had that reaction when you when the Graten Middle School was

065named Grten Middle School. To me, it left out a whole part of town. So, I know, you know, it just depends. You know, I I would have almost done a combined or hyphenated name, but to me, it does leave out a part of town. Um, and that's just that's my my feeling. And that's one of the reasons why we came up with North Northeast Academy was because the administration building was called the Northeast School and Mystic Academy had closed. Um so that's one of the reasons how we got Northeast Academy to to combine those. And then inside is the plaque for Freeman Hathaway because it was it really involved three schools that were closed in the northeast part of town. So I mean maybe you could think of something to do. I guess that must

066be the southoutheast part of town where um >> No, no, >> it's not. It's not the southeast part of town. It is the southeast part of town. >> Right. A good point and um well taken. Um and I I appreciate that. Um but I think the naming has been a charge. >> Sure. >> I think that'd be a great summer project >> because they have nothing else to do. All right. So, um, and I said that facitiously because they are incredibly very busy, um, more so than ever. Um, let's move on to the programmatic part of the Grten Middle School. Um, just to Mike and I, what we tried to do because there's so much going on with the Graten Middle School is that tonight we're going to be talking about program. We're talking about

067curriculum and and all that stuff. And that next week we will um, break it down to the finance and facilities. And I think Mike had already talked about that. So, Susan or Mike Do you want to start, Mike, or do you want No, >> you you go ahead. You You've got a good hang on this. >> Um, so I've been working closely with Heidi Kidd, who is our powers school guru and um with several others who have been on this committee um and we're coming to kind of the finish line. We've had a lot of expertise um from Eastcon and other areas that have other consultants with P school. We've been told this is one of the most incredibly challenging schedules because it's what the original team had wanted to do, which was to provide

068a opportunity in a middle school for a schedule that would meet the kids' needs and and meet what they want to do. So, not only do they have the the core areas of instruction, including world language and eighth grade, but they have so many I think you saw the plethora of opportunities in the survey and in the documents that um describe the course catalog. Um so really every child has that opportunity to really take a deep dive into the arts and music and project lead the way. It will be a steam school. um truly esteemed school and um depending on what kids passions and proclivities are, they can do the deep dive or they could in a 84-minute block or they can do the smaller blocks like fitness is the skinny. So they have also

069smaller blocks with magnet themes. We have intervention built in in a three- tiered system um and resource. So it's an incredible schedule. the core instruction of um the ELA, math, science, and social studies are 84 minute blocks and an AB schedule like I've explained. And then the rest of the um periods they you could have a band kid who loves band and they would have that every other day. You could have someone who really engages in art and they would have a a period of art. um chorus if they wanted to do chorus or African drumming um and you know we saw a good example of the African drumming at Cave and Caps um last time we were there. So guitar um there's just so many different opportunities dance and and yoga. So it's very

070exciting schedule and it's bound to r to finish running this week. So that's what we hope to bring you. Um and then students um counselors will be able to take a look and to get information to families. So if we need to tweak anything, they'll be able to do that. Um we had Alves, Dr. Alves, who really saw to it that we had um balance, socioeconomic balance down into the classroom and into the teens. So it's it really is a wellbalanced when you think of it academically too that um you know that it is a balanced system down into the classroom. So um you know that that's another factor that um is taking a little bit longer to make sure that all happens in the scheduling process. So um the teachers already know their team

071assignments. They actually did some professional development with Teachers College around their new assignments. So, they came to the PD with their new teammates, which was really wonderful. Um, and I think they're pretty excited. We tried to keep it as as much the same as possible, but there were some people who were asking for some um you know, different grade levels. And um so we really were able to, you know, put them in their teams, three teams to a grade level, six, seven, and eight. And um you know, they're kind of ready to go with their new group. So there'll be some team building with that. And then the students and parents usually learn about their team assignments and their schedule towards the end of the summer, but we're hoping that with getting it all scheduled

072now, we'll be able to send that out to families much sooner than that. >> That's great. >> Any questions about those two topics before she goes into the um the themes? >> All right. So the magnet themes, like I said, we're bringing the arts and humanities together with the um STEM components. So students will have in all this this rich um elective field, they'll be able to take a project lead the way STEM course, a robotics course, a coding course. All kids are actually going to be signed up for coding. Um you know, and then they'll also be able to take different art classes, different music classes. um and different humanities. We have debate, we have a debate class. So really added some really interesting kind of um opportunities quarter by quarter so that kids

073will be able to I say either take the deep dive or do the dabble and if you know middle schoolers like I know middle schoolers like Dr. Arian might know middle schoolers they like to do that. They like to dabble and find different things and opportunities and some of them really are already so invested in something that they'd like to take the deep dive. So, uh, and really spend quality time learning something questions. Just amazing what your team has been able to accomplish for this middle school stuff. I am so excited. I almost wish I was a middle schooler again. >> I know. I want to teach it again. >> Worst time of my academic life. >> Hi, Shane. >> Mike, >> the screen keeps moving around. I'm I'm looking right at you, but then

074you disappear. Uh I I just wanted to say that uh everything just that that uh Susan just explained really goes along with the fact that we still have the MSAP grant. We still have the Magna School assistance program. So we're we're getting we're getting a large amount of money. So it was incumbent upon the school to to keep the themes going. We want to keep them going anyway, but so we're we're we're still we're still benefiting and we will for two more years benefit from that grant. So, it's a it's it's really that that grant was really instrumental in bringing GR middle school into existence. >> And I I just want to add too that in talking about career pathways, what's so interesting to me is that we're really building something here. and even looking

075at some of the themes that are coming um to resonate with our community in the elementary school that you can really see these pathways and have kids start to understand career opportunities as early as elementary school, middle school, high school um and be able to try some different things before they go to college and then have to say what am I going to do and try to figure it out by their senior year in college. So hopefully they'll find some opportunities during their schooling with us. >> Thank you, Susan. And once again, thank you for your um your secondary team. The I'm just very so excited about what's happening in the middle school and I know that I speak for the board on that. Um so update summer school programs because it changes on a

076daily basis, does it not? I was just gonna say the same thing is is Denise. Yeah. So, so Denise in addition to some excellent organizational skills has shown her patience over the last two month two weeks because we we get contradictory statements and we just try to keep our head screwed on straight. >> So true. So, um, we are we are doing our due diligence to try to determine if we can provide in-person services to our students in special education this summer. We have created a criteria um that we want uh to use so that we're transparent. Um, and we're getting input from the case managers in terms of the criteria. Um it's basically uh there's three questions for the criteria and it has to do with the effectiveness of the distance learning program on

077students and whether or not they've been able to engage in distance learning and benefit from it. So, we have about 60 students that um we have determined with input from the case managers on this needs assessment who would benefit or who would qualify for in-person services. Um they are students who have not really derived much benefit from distance learning. Um so with that said, we have drafted an email uh to send to their parents to ask the parents um you know we explained to them that we've conducted a needs assessment that their child has been determined uh eligible for in-person services if we can provide them. And we're asking parents two questions. One is um you know if we had the personal protective equipment, would you be willing to send your child and because we

078want them to know that we're following all the safety precautions. And number two is would you be willing to transport because we know that the transportation guidelines are very stringent and would require many more buses and bus aids than we would normally have. So, we are going to be sending that email out tomorrow to these 60 families and we will be calling families that do not respond um so that we have input from all of the parents and then we're hoping by the end of the week to have a final list of students who would come to the program that we can start to map out classrooms and look at staffing. We're also looking at these 60 students in terms of which students have one-to-one PAR support and which students have enhanced Paris support because

079that will really drive our classroom and our staffing plans. Um we've been we've been told in the reopen Connecticut guidelines that a classroom can have uh 10 individuals plus a teacher. Um, however, for students who have specialized learning programs, they're recommending that you make a more individualized decision and look at um, possibly five to seven students per classroom or individuals per classroom. So, that could mean uh, three students, three paras in a teacher, four students, four paras in a teacher. We're looking at all of our options, but we really won't be able to um have a a firm plan until we know who will come uh from the parents because we've heard from some parents that they would not feel comfortable sending their child. Some parents feel it's too soon whereas other parents have said

080they're really concerned that their child is losing ground and regressing and really needs in-person services. So we're trying to take both perspectives into consideration and um you know give parents the option clearly if they want their child to continue on distance learning we will provide that. If they would like their child to attend in-person services and we're able to do that we want to be able to meet that need as well. So uh we're lucky to have two great co-directors Allison Lubs and Sarah Brown. are both specialed teachers at the middle school level and Susan and Mike and Sam have been incredibly supportive meeting with us two three times a week um you know helping us sort through the changing guidelines and you know how to best approach this. We we do have some uh

081face shields on order that Sam has ordered. Unfortunately, face shields are in in high demand and they're unable to give Sam a date when they are expected to be delivered. Um, and uh Ken is also ordering us uh masks because masks are required for students and staff and we're also uh Susan, you know, we'll talk a little bit about the middle high school program. So, we're working with the VNA. We do have a nurse who's willing to work this summer and we'll be adding a health aid if if we're in person this summer so that our nurse is available to the high school program as well as our program and if she does have to go to the high school uh we'll have a health aid in the building. So, we're working on screening, you

082know, the health screening protocols right now. And then we're going to start to really look at um some of the training that we have to do for the students and the staff and really some of the reteing that we're going to have to do because we if we're in person, we all agree that we need to teach our students, you know, what social distancing looks like and we need to teach them, you know, about wearing a mask and safety protocols. And we also need to focus on socialization because our students have been at home for such a long period of time. So, we're we're not quite sure, you know, when we're going to actually get down to the, you know, the IEP goals and objectives. Hopefully, we will get to that after, you know, a

083week or two. But we have a lot of routines to reestablish. And the good news is is that if we are in person and we can do this work this summer, we really feel like it will put our students in such a better place for September. So that's kind of the silver lining for us because we're concerned that it's going to take a lot of time to help the kids get back into the routine and the expectations and understand why the school looks different. Jay and then Rita. >> Anyway, first I just want to thank you Denise and everybody else who's working so hard to on this plan. And just as a board member, we receive an email every day from uh CABE just about what happened today. I can only imagine that you're receiving

084a hundred from all the different organizations you you belong to. and uh and and the fact of the matter is that absolutely nobody knows what the guidance will be when when school opens. And so I I appreciate everything you're doing to to try to remain flexible um as like I said as the guidance changes daily. >> Thank you. >> Denise, where where are you going to be locating these programs? Well, we're we're we're going to try to stick with our original location, which was SB Butler Elementary School, because Camp Button is going to be there. So, we decided that it would be less transition and less buses for the students to transition from ESY to Camp Button in the afternoon. >> But we are air conditioned. >> Uh there I believe um Mr. Wheeler is

085here. Mr. Wheeler, are all the classrooms >> at at your school? >> Yes, >> they are. Oh, good. >> And then, Rita, we are considering the potential of having to split the program to Charles Barnum. That would be our plan, you know, our second option depending on the number of parents that say they would send their child. Okay. And why not Konowski? Just because that I know is the newest school for air conditioning. Um I think because it's Tree >> House Tree House is there. >> Oh, treehouse is there and Northeast. >> That's right. >> Barnum is the only other elementary school that's not being utilized this summer. >> Okay. And then will there be the high school at all if you're going to have high school students? >> Yes. That's the second um program

086that we wanted to share with you tonight in terms of what's happening for the high school middle school students. Susan, did you want to talk a little bit about >> Is that separate from special ed, though? >> Yes. >> I thought you Yeah, but I thought you meant some special education students were going to be also high school students and middle school students. >> They are, but our program typically is only in one building plus the transition academy. This year, if we're in person, we're looking at just being at SB Butler and then the remainder of the students would receive their instruction virtually. >> And then would you have anything at the central office for the transition academy? >> No. the transition academy. We do have three students identified from the transition academy that would

087benefit from in-person services, but they would be at um SB Butler because of all of the um nursing services, the health screenings, the safety protocols. We really wanted everyone in one building >> given all of the restrictions. and and we're reducing the day for the transition academy students because we're not comfortable sending them out into the community just yet because the community is still just starting to open, >> right? I mean, this all came about a week ago, right? The state changed its mind. >> We got the final um guidelines a week ago. Yes, >> I know at Learn they're struggling with it also. >> Yeah. and they they've put some guidelines in about the distance learning. So, they're recommending a 5050 split for synchronous and asynchronous learning. So, we're really contemplating having to have,

088you know, two sets of teachers, you know, teachers for in-person and then teachers for the distance learning students. So, it it may if we are in person require hiring additional staff. So, we've reposted um just to h see if we can build up our bank of candidates in the event that we need to hire additional staff. And we will need the directors, too. One director to manage the in-person program and one director to manage the virtual program. So, it's going to take more staff, but um if we can do it, we think it's best for for kids and we want to be able to do what's best for kids if we can. And is there reimbursement through any of the COVID stuff for all of that, Dr. Grineer? >> I I don't know. We just

089got some guidance today. I'll I'll review that with Ken. Um I think anything that is that causes us to go to an extraordinary expense a as opposed to our regular uh ESY program u would uh would be eligible. But let let me look into that. >> And you mentioned the transportation too, didn't you, Denise? >> Yeah, we're we're hoping that that parents will feel comfortable driving their students because part of the issue with the health screening in the morning before the kids come in is that we really need the parents input on whether or not they're exhibiting any symptoms because some of our students can't communicate that to us, >> right? So if parents can drive it would be great but we are coming up with a questionnaire that the parents would complete in the

090morning and send in with their child if they can't drive and then we'll take their temperature when they get to the school. I'm very thankful that you guys are doing what's best. Please don't misunderstand me when I was asking about the money. I just I I think it's phenomenal that we're doing what's best for our kids and that we're putting our kids first. But with that said is that um I want to make sure that um because of the extraordinary circumstances that we are under that we are that we can get some reimbursement for needing to have high more transportation. I would assume more buses if we have kids who want to go on buses because that's spacing and and possibly bus aids and yada yada yada yada. the extra teachers, everything. I'll talk to

091Ken about it. >> And the and the PPE, too, because it's uh it's a lot. >> Even if we can get it, I mean, there's that question. >> And the extra custodial staff, too. So, you know, it's if if anything, it's really um it it's really, you know, helping us put into perspective what we're going to need for September, >> right? Um Gretchen and then Susan will we'll do the post the the summer for high school put this you know how we were talking about how do we keep them six feet apart short of like putting strips of tape in six foot squares. What if we took circles that were three feet in diameter and then put a, you know, a beach noodle around the edge so they can't bump fingers and wheels and then

092put their chair in the middle. They can't get closer than six feet to each other. >> So Gretchen, that's a great idea. And if you wanted to do an offline conversation to Denise about that because we're really our job >> running late. It was just one of the It's I didn't draw trying to but >> no I think visuals are going to be very going to be very important. >> My visual is very bad. Keep going. [Music] So um this past week we met with policy and we met with um curriculum committee board of ed and Adam um Diskin came to the curriculum meeting to tell about the plan for this next year for uh or this summer for both middle school and high school students who've been identified um who have failed a course

093or more and need to have credit recovery or need a tutorial. material to help um you know really to help with the gap that might have happened because of distance learning. So um we he's really figured out the cost of that. It's going to take a few more teachers. We already have the Apex program, so there's no cost with that. We're also going to have to hire a middle school coordinator who can work with Adam and kind of oversee the program. But the thing that um we had really discussed was this is almost like a blended model. So a couple days a week students in small groups would meet with teachers and um tutors and actually have face-toface instruction using the Apex program but answering any questions and having any kind of tutoring necessary. and

094um let's say they come in on a Monday and a Wednesday and they're doing math or math and ELA and they have a math teacher there to help them with the math and an ELA teacher to help them with ELA. Could be social studies, could be science. We're going to start with the core areas, but there might be other courses too that they need to take. Usually they typically in the model the high school model they usually can complete two to three courses or two courses and a tutorial. So um not only do they have that month of July, but if students need additional time, Adam lets them continue on with the Apex program until the start of the school year. But we think that this is this blended approach is really going to support

095the kids because they're going to have that um face-to-face time. When we first started thinking about only doing it virtually, one of the comments that was made was, "Well, if they didn't do so well with distance learning this spring, giving them more distance learning this summer may not work." But we think that this approach will really help to support the kids and they'll really be motivated I would think so that they don't have these failures and they and they have to make up the course during the school year um which would really set them further and further behind. So we're really going to be encouraging um the students. He has a letter that's all framed out. We actually um have a report card letter that got sent home telling them about these opportunities for both

096middle school and high school students. So um I will keep you posted as far as that goes. Um Dr. Acriman, did you want to say anything more about that from his um from Adam's discussion or did anybody from the curriculum board of ed curriculum committee want to say anything about that? No, except that I think it's a fabulous uh combination of of in that particular approach. I think it's really great and I I think I speak for the committee >> and I again I think too it's a good thing to try out in the summertime in case we need to do this kind of blended learning in the fall. So it'll be really interesting to see how it works. Liz, >> Susan, could you just verify the numbers of kids that have been affected um

097that they've identified? I just want to make sure my numbers are right. >> So, from what I understand, there were about 50 at Cutler and 50 from Westside and there are about a hundred students at um Fitch. >> Okay. If we have if we have the full group that's 200 and we have a whole high school that we can split them up into small groups but the cost to the board will really be um the teaching and the tutors, >> right? >> Um but we can bring them in if we're only doing two days on site. we can kind of structure it so um you know we can get them into smaller groups because the other days they still have the teacher who can zoom with them and who can you know answer their questions

098while they're at home working. >> Thank you. >> Makes my head spin all this stuff. Any other questions? >> Welcome to my world. >> And and Susan when I hear when I hear um Dr. er and you and your staff talk about all the stuff that they are sort that you are really kind of putting into place and and changing it and and then having to rein I I just um I just am so appreciative of what we have for leadership in our district. Thank you very much for what you guys do. We are now at our referral list. Um keep on changing on my screen. I know you don't you don't um I did get I did your note about the field where are you okay you're there um I I did get your

099email about the field use and um I think that that's going to go on next week's comm the whole because we're going to be doing the middle school facilities so that um and I think I have forwarded to the board all of the emails um that I have received over the weekend in regards to that. So, I just wanted to let you know that I've gotten that and that will go on the committee the whole next week. Um, and then your report card request, was that about our most recent um email or are you talking about the elementary report cards that are being created? I guess I needed to more have more information. Do you need it to go to curriculum or do you need it to go to committee of the whole? >> Committee

100of the whole. And it was the most recent report card that was sent out to the elementary schools. Was it the information about the third term? >> Um the the C and the I's >> right. Right. >> That you know usually that comes before the board also especially if there's going to be changes like that >> you know to a report card. Um, we heard from the high school and what they were going to be doing about the letter grades and, you know, going mostly on the third semester and so forth, but we didn't ever hear anything about elementary. And so when when you get letters Yeah. when you get letters from parents, you're just kind of like, oh, well, you know, we don't know either. We didn't we didn't even get the letter about

101the C's and the >> I had thought for sure you received the letter because I had sent it to you um in one of the earlier emails but there was a lot of work that went into that decision for both the high school and the middle school so that the the grade weights gave more >> yeah I understand middle and high school it was the elementary one that I didn't understand >> well the teachers really felt that they um teachers and administrators felt to give it a one through four um scale that that would be so difficult that they really wanted to make it around um consistency and inconsistency with participation like we do for other things like we do for some of the electives and like we did for citizenship. And because Power School

102is um an engine that runs with what it already knows, you can't really go out and recreate it in the middle of doing it. So we had to use the parameters that it already understood. >> So in the narrative, can I just finish? In the narrative, the teachers will be describing how kids actually performed. So that narrative piece is really essential. I think parents will understand better and it really will help us to know who the level of participation that occurred so you can pass on that information from one year to the next >> for kids. >> Yeah. Well, it's fine, but I don't know if you want to have that next week as a future topic. Kim, >> well, obviously it's pertinent, so we should probably have some some kind of conversation about that.

103Um, Dr. Grineer and I are working on the agenda tomorrow morning, so we'll figure that out. Okay. >> Just want you to know that report cards go out on the 12th and teachers will be completing them. Um, probably working on that. No, >> we can see Beth's face. >> I I guess I I guess um we the best that we can do then is we need to have a postpartum no post. >> God, Kim, >> the unfortunate >> That's an unfortunate German mixed company. Jay, Mark, and I are feeling really guilty. >> Jay, did you have the baby >> and I have no idea what you're talking about. >> Yeah, there you go. >> I I have another future agenda topic. Um, and I had one for rehe referral, but my future agenda would be

104um I was reading about Rhode Island's um just what they're going to be doing in the fall and they're if they come back, they're going to really focus on prek through five. And I thought they said of all the different age groups that was the one that handled the distance learning um that that it was more challenging for the younger grades. And I and I'm just wondering you Dr. Kir I believe you said that it's kind of up to the districts to decide >> no who to bring back. >> Well, I I actually well first of all I agree with you the younger the children the more difficult. Um, my understanding and and and Beth just sent me a a little bit of note that maybe this isn't as uh concrete as it appears, but

105I I think there's going to be an executive order from Governor Lamont, and it would appear Connecticut seems to be looking at K K to 7, not K to five. >> Okay. But but but I I I don't think it's going to be up to the district, although maybe that may change. Uh I think it I think it will be an executive order probably with a lot of leeway in it but nevertheless an executive order that will kind of give us guidance on what needs to be done. >> Okay, that that's it for me then. Thank you. >> Right. Um do you need a postmortem conversation about your first agenda topic about the report cards? >> Oh yeah, I think we should. and also about the fields and yeah, >> don't worry about the fields.

106I'm asking about the report card because the report cards will have been done before we can get to them if they're being >> Well, you know, in case Yeah, I think we might need to talk about it if in case we get a lot more comments after they're handed out. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. Um I know that Jay would like to speak and then Liz, I got you. And this is about adding referral items and I just want to remind people that this is not a time for discussion. This is just time to put it out on the table. >> Jay, >> I just want to refer back to um the referral item here that's been pending since December of 2018. I think uh Katrina was very ahead of the curve. I I

107miss her uh wisdom on the board and um so I hope we can prioritize some of these things because I know we add referral items all the time. I think this is an important one. Um, but on that topic, uh, I hope you all received Jamal Davis's invitation today to the diversity committee. All you have to do is respond to the Google doc and you'll get the link. Uh, that'll be June 11th at 1 p.m. >> When is it again? >> Uh, June 11th, 1 p.m. Check your email from Jamal Davis. >> Thank you. I will. >> Yeah. Unfortunately, Susan, that's the that's the teaching and learning one if I'm not mistaken. >> I think it's on the 10th. It's Wednesday the 10th. >> Oh. Oh, you're right. You're right. Thank you. Okay. I'm back

108to Earth. >> Okay. So um so Jay your point I I think that this is going to be um this is going to become front and spe um front end center in that we are having a committee for our reopening of our schools um Matt roadmap is to have this as one of our committees. So I think that we are starting to to tackle that and I appreciate your comments. Um, I have Liz and then I have Andrea. >> I'm sorry, Kim. I was looking at um I thought we were on suggested future topics, so not right this minute. >> Right. Me, too. >> Okay. I I sort of have combined both of them. So, um >> Well, I would like to see um an assessment of, you know, what went well with of of

109uh with distance learning. I want to know what parents and students thought of it. Um, what didn't work well, where can we improve? I I think that's just essential that we see you know what has happened and I'm I'm encourage everybody to um you know that we encourage everybody to participate a survey and I thought we had create we had talked about that in the past but I haven't heard any more about it >> probably because we're still living it >> I understand the schools have been surveying all along and teachers have been surveying I see Beth nodding her head. So, we could probably look at those results that they >> I just think it's important that we see where we've been, how far we've come, where do we need to go, what were some

110of the weaknesses, and how can we strengthen those weaknesses. >> That that's that's pretty much the the the mindset of the return to school roadmap, Liz. And I think Okay, you're right on point. >> Thank you. Any other referral list or future agenda items? I got Andrea. >> Kim, I'm not sure if this goes here, but I just want to make sure that somewhere we get um um an ad hoc committee put together for the superintendent's evaluation. We want to take a look at that. >> Okay. Is there anyone I'm gonna do this um because we need to get we one going and I think Rita you sent us some information to Andrea and I about the learn evaluation and I was pretty um stoked about that and so um are people who um would

111like to be working with Andrea around the superintendent evaluation we will be doing it as a board um but just to start the committee going um to sort of move that forward um if you're interested can I just email you. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. >> Um Kim, we we we felt that this year it would be too hard to do that um because there's quite a bit of input from Dr. Grineer. So, we'll have to use our older one and then this ad hoc would be throughout for next year >> possible. That'd be great. Once again, I just let's throw it to an ad hoc to have them think really big thoughts about that. >> Right. I I I would like to have a committee though to take a look at the one we

112have this year >> just to make sure that what we have going out is what we want. So let's this how about if the ad hoc's mission is to work on the one that is this year which is kind of either revamping or or or >> go ahead on what we have and giving that um to the board so that we can then do the work and then the second mission of this ad hoc committee should be in how do we move forward um in future years. Okay, that would be that was that's two mission statements and I I'm hoping that my friend Joan has gotten this. I'm sure she has. Um, any other future topics or agenda? >> No. Is there anything we could take off the referral list? Is there anything from policy?

113>> We have a lot of policies going through at the moment. I think you can see. So, a lot of going through second um coming up at the end of this month. >> I just meant on our referral list that we've already done. They're listed on the referral as where they are in the process. >> Right. Right. >> Kim and I will take a look at that tomorrow and see if we could clean it up a bit. >> Yeah, sure. Give me another job. Yay. >> Part of my postmortem. >> Oops. Any any other comments? Just remember that that we will adjourn this meeting and then we're going to go right into a one conversation um one topic of our special meeting um next. So I will take a motion >> motion to adjurnn. >>

114I have Andrea. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> I have a second from Lee. All those in favor of um joining this meeting, please say I. >> I. >> Abstain. The meeting has now been closed at Joan, you've got that. It's at 7:44 my time. Um, all right. And now, um, I would like to call the meeting the of board of ed special meeting on June 8th, 2020. For the purposes of the of the meeting um is the discussion and possible action of the approval of the Graten Middle School schedule C stipens for the 2020 2021 school year. Can I have a motion to put this on the floor, please? >> I'll make a motion. >> So, um, Rita. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, Lee, let's make sure we know what you're seconding.

115So, your, um, the motion that's going to be will be what, Rita? >> The motion would be to, um, accept and finalize the schedule C for the Graten Middle School. >> Thank you. And that second from Lee. >> Yes. Thank you, Dr. Grineer. >> Yep. I'm I'm gonna share a screen here if I can. >> And even though there's a motion, Kim, we're we're going to have a discussion, right? >> The discussion piece, ma'am. >> Um, let me see if I can make this bigger, please. Okay. Okay, I think you can see that. So, uh, we we met with Beth, Susan and I and Lori met with Beth today. Uh, and there were three issues that were on the table. Uh the first one was about whether there ought to be uh had to do

116with the coaches uh for the track team. And actually after speaking to Beth and we we we called Jeff Keki who will be the athletic director. Um they recommended that we have one one head coach for the track team for both boys and girls and then uh an assistant coach just for the boys and an assistant coach for the girls. Uh they compete together. Uh track practices uh are are usually held together, but it' be nice to have uh that that that split. And the other thing is as you can see in the new column when we compared to what we had before we actually saved some money uh by just having one head coach. Then we did uh if we jump down here to cross country the next one we did the same recommendation

117uh one shared uh coach for both boys and girls and they for sure compete together. Well, they compete at the same time, not necessarily together, on the same field. Uh, and then there would be a girl's assistant and and and a boy's assistant. And then we went down to look at jazz band and we agreed, Westside does not have a jazz band, so one jazz band would be sufficient. And Peter Bass spoke to his staff about that and he agreed. They agreed. We also talked about two drama positions. We really want to keep that. And we talked today about uh with a double the student body. It would be helpful to have two student council positions or we also talked about the possibility of the second student council position. Uh perhaps and we would come

118back to the board with this perhaps changing into something like some other student government. some perhaps equity thing, more than words group. I know there's a more than words group at the high school that wants to connect with the middle school. Uh but anyway, this this is the this was the results of the negotiations that we had this morning. >> Beth, do you have anything to weigh in on that? Um I we felt that the two student council positions need to remain um in the light of you're combining two schools that did not get that three and a half months of building those relationships. So, we felt that, you know, if you had one faculty member from each of the um schools that are joining together, it would help move things forward for the kids

119and the staff and that it can be um uh repositioned if we need to. Uh the other thing to note is is that this schedule is coming in under budget uh with with these changes. Um, so we we feel it's it's an equitable um decisions that we've made. >> Obviously, we can be able to then also re look at this stuff next year as we've gotten one hopefully one full year of in-person work in the middle school. That was the other thought, Kim, is that we need some time to put things in place to find out and tease things out what's really needed with a larger middle school. Um, we but like we did agree to the one uh jazz band, but we think drama is has been popular in both schools. So, it's it's

120with the amount of kids that you could get, it's probably better. And the other thing is if it's not used it's we you don't expend the monies but it is there to use if it's needed. >> Any discussion >> Rita? Yeah, I have my big question is why is the head coach for basketball which has fewer um members on a team than let's say soccer or cross country getting paid $1,000 more for both the girls and the boys. I mean that's a big jump. Nobody else is up in the 3000s. And then also the assistant coaches make as much as the head coaches for soccer and cross country. And you know, you get a lot of kids out on those teams. So it I was just curious what the rationale is for paying them so

121much. >> I I don't know, Beth. You may know the history of this, but um >> so we we had >> this is also reflective of the high school and and the the winter season is considerably longer than uh than the the fall season essentially two months by by the end of October. Soccer and uh field hockey and so forth there pretty much wrap it up and certainly cross country. uh and pretty much the same in the spring, but the the winter season, if you look at the the high school stipens, the winter season actually goes from December through March. >> That's correct. >> I think that's the reason. I I don't know. >> Yeah, Mike, that is the reason. When when the schedules were put together eons ago, one of the considering factors was

122the length of the season. Um therefore it's more practices, more games um than the fall season or the spring season. And if you look I don't I mean you know you think of cross country whether it's the end of August or September October does go into November. So soccer definitely goes into November and I don't think there are probably that many more games in basketball. I don't know how many schools now in middle school have basketball teams, but it's it's not a lot. >> If you look at if you look at column E and then column F, column E is what was was in the current contract what they're paid 1920. So, it wasn't really shifting money around. It's just >> I'm not saying that. I just think that it's too much. I mean, I

123I just think that it's just so much more than a head coach for soccer or a head coach for, you know, track. And I I I I just think it's a lot. >> I think I can go back and find the rationale from years ago. >> I mean, is it because of the person that's on that step has been coaching for a while, so it's built up? >> No. >> I think it has to do with the time >> that the the season is longer. That's what I remember. >> Yeah. and and the number of practices were different. There was more practices for basketball than there were soccer. >> Um so that's where that all came from. I mean that's it's been this way since I've been president. So um I mean we can certainly

124go back and you know if you want to bring this up in >> future an awful lot more and so but you know we could also look at it next year. That's actually that's a really good point and maybe maybe we can take note of that um that probably to see and and and Beth I don't once again I know that you're doing so many things but if you if you can hit if you could easily easily um find out what that rationale that would be great but um Rita we should we should kind of keep watching that um especially >> and then just count the games count >> yep we'll get that we'll get that information for you >> thank you >> any other discussion on Yes. All right. Hearing none. All those in

125favor of the motion that's on the floor, which is um the approval of the Graten Middle School schedule C stipens for the 202021 school year. Um signify by saying I >> I >> opposed. We have one one two opposed. Abstain. The motion carries. >> I take a motion for adjournment. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> I say I >> see you in the morning. Bye.