001Okay. And I'm calling the meeting to order at 6 PM. Who's going to join us at seven? So, here we are. So the first order of business is for us to approve the the CO minutes of March 15th. >> So move a second. >> A second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? Hearing none. The motion um call for a vote. All in favor? I >> I opposed abstain. Oh, >> I'm distracted here. Do we have a do we have a quorum? >> Oh, I think so. >> Joan, are you >> okay? Thank you. Y >> sorry I just didn't see everybody. >> Having begun the meeting and as I look at the the um agenda, I'm going to turn it over to Susan so that she can introduce our new assistant superintendent. Well, I'm so glad
002to see so many colleagues here who've joined us as well and we'll be sharing a little bit about summer opportunities and other things going on um in the district. But I'd like to introduce um to you Dr. Phil Piaza, our new assistant superintendent. He's um really done all levels um done a little work with NAS at a middle school that he ran for over a decade and a new school that he went into and built. So some similar things that Peter has just gone through. Um and then um a NYAK. So he's done prek through the elementary grades as a principal recently and was a high school assistant principal in Newington. So he comes to us from North Haven. Um he has been um when I did the reference checks there were several colleagues that
003called him the calm in a storm that he um is very centered and can handle um you know anything that comes our way. So I thought that was really a good thing to have is as a support person by my side and um I'm really looking forward to working with him. He started today and officially today and I think a after about an hour of meeting together he got a headache. So I don't know but he's I hope that went away Phil >> that was purely a coincidence had nothing to do with what you were saying. >> Okay good but there is so much to learn and to get acclimated. I'm going to be bringing him around to the schools um to meet everybody and to kind of walk through and see the schools. But
004Phil, did you want to say a couple words? >> Yeah, sure. Just, you know, it's it's a pleasure to be here. I'm really happy uh to be in Graten. Um the size of this meeting reminds me a little bit about that first interview. Um so, uh you know, the process that you had in place was was incredible. It really helped me get to know uh the people of Graten and what you guys are doing and helped me realize what a great fit I thought it was going to be. And I was glad that you guys felt the same way. Uh, so as Susan said, you know, I have experience at all levels. I'm looking forward to getting into those levels that I haven't been been with in a while. Uh, it was exciting just hearing
005about some of the curriculum ideas that Ted was sharing for the for the high school. Um, and and what I'm really looking forward to is is getting into the buildings and and I'm I'm looking forward to starting that tomorrow. Um, more of a face-to-face person uh than a Zoom person. So, I am looking forward to meeting all of you and and working with all of you. So, uh, thanks for having me and, uh, you know, I'm hopeful, um, that I'll live up to whatever expectations you have for me. >> Thank you, Phil. We're glad to have you on board. >> Welcome aboard. >> Thank you very much. >> So, the next item is the summer learning opportunities. And I would assume, Susan, that's you. >> That's me and a few others. Um, I wanted to
006kind of lay out that we have I I've been calling our summer learning opportunities a layer cake because there's lots of different layers and opportunities that we're going to be providing for students. Everything in the way of really engaging them back into some more in-person learning. Although, it is a requirement by the state that if we do summer school that we have to provide a remote option. So, through the Apex program 6 through 12, we're able to do that. Um, and we can find other ways through tutoring and summer opportunities. And Denise is going to talk to you a little bit about how she's going to structure her special education summer school. But I would say one of the layers of the cake is a is a summer camp opportunity. And um, you know, we're
007we're thinking about a literacy camp, a STEM camp, and possibly a math camp. They would be half-day programs, four day um four days in a week. but just getting them back in the saddle and really having fun and having kind of that play and ingenuity concept around instruction. So, the camp and then Peter's going to tell you a little bit about what he's thinking of for the middle school campwise. Then there's going to be some credit recovery for the high school and um we're going to be exploring ways that we can actually help support some of our youngest learners, maybe K through two. We've always talked about um kind of a a K Academy or a K experience prior to the start of school to just be able to run some assessments with them to
008see them interacting with their peers to give them activities to do and lots of literature literacy rich kind of environment. So we're going to be planning more of that. We don't have all the details, but we know that we have the funds thankfully through the ESSER. Um, and you know, we are actually we've switched over all the summer learning um, you know, funding sources to this ESSER account. So, we won't be using operation funds and we'll be able to do that for the next couple years. So the term we've been using is accelerating learning and getting kids back in the saddle at their grade level and just giving them enriched experiences getting them connected excited about learning and kind of moving them forward. So um you know there assessment will be part of that so
009we know where they are um if we if we don't have the assessment that we need and um and then providing these wonderful experiences for them. So, I'm going to turn it over to do I have um I'll start with the upper grades. So, maybe if we start with Ted talking about the Apex and then Peter can talk about Graten Middle School and what the opportunities are there. Susan, I'm actually gonna turn it over to Adam because he's going to be leading the charge for for summer school this year and he's been doing a lot of work with that and and uh I just want to go through uh you know, we're we're going to be using the Apex program, but I think Adam will be able to expand on that a little bit and
010some of the other opportunities we're going to be offering our students uh starting even before the summer. So, Adam, I'm going to turn over to you real quick. >> Yeah, great. >> Well, thank you everybody and it's nice to see everybody. It's been a little bit. Uh I I want to start by thanking uh our department heads, the coordinators, uh and certainly the staff for the constant feedback that they're giving back to us when we're asking them questions about how to best plan for our students as as Susan was talking about. You know, it really does take a lot of effort and certainly a lot of pre-planning uh certainly more now than we did before so that we can truly get uh you know, something that's really really uh beneficial to our students. So, uh,
011what what Ted alluded to was that we have been already working on identifying some seniors and some juniors who have potentially, uh, are not going to be able to pass certain courses. Uh, and and we are are are identifying these students and and placing them in Apex now, not later, not waiting till uh, July the 20 June 21st. uh we want them started now so that we can at least for the 12th and the 11th graders uh start that process for them sooner than later. So that's one of the ideas of talk you know thinking outside of the box not waiting for the day to arrive and then put the students in there. So that's one so in a sense summer school for some of our students will begin very shortly very soon. Uh and
012that's what we have to work with we have to be creative. Uh the second thing is obviously we're going to talk we're going to provide these students the the learning opportunities of credit recovery uh you know the for failures or whatever they have to get their credits back. We want to also provide students the opportunity as we've done uh for the past four years uh advancement course opportunities meaning that if they need a course for a a planned career path that they want to take uh uh that IB it could be it could be you know honors course that they want to enroll in and they want to have maintain a certain path they can take that uh by taking a prerequisite over the summer. So again, that advances them. And then also what Susan
013was talking about the the the enrichment opportunities that we've done in the past, we also want to continue those for the students that maybe did not do incredibly well but didn't fail. We want to give them the opportunities to enrich their learning uh in various ways. Uh and and so uh that those are the types of courses that we're the types of learning that will be provided. Uh we're really excited uh with the many ideas that came along and we certainly have learned many many lessons from co uh and the fact that our students learned really well with in person uh teachers in front of you and and really delivering that instruction to them and and working with the students on a consistent basis uh rather than the the allin with the apex program. So,
014we're really thinking of having uh teachers come in actually deliver instruction to to students in math, English, social studies, and science. Uh and and uh really have that opportunity to have that face to face. I think it's really important uh for our students, especially when we're trying to motivate motivate them to come back to to learn over the summer. Uh and of course, as you said, Susan and and um Ted, we want to continue using the Apex program as well. Um we are continuing to explore uh a variety of different supports uh you know like uh having a special education teacher uh for maybe some some supports some sort of study hall approach so that we can allow students to have the opportunity to kind of review some things with students. So another that layer
015that that Susan was talking about we want to provide different layers of supports while they're um they're in the summer summer school learning. Um, Ted, um, >> Adam, can I can I interrupt for a minute before you go on anymore? Sure. >> Could you hear me? >> Yes. >> Um, Adam, could you explain the difference between Apex for those that don't know and what it what those initials stand for and in-person learning? And have you have you had a chance to survey all the teachers, at least in the high school, that want to come back and teach in person? I know many districts have done that and I was just curious whether or not Fitch has had that opportunity to survey which teachers want to come back for the summer. I mean we we ask
016we have the money. I'm just hoping that we have inerson teaching and so if you could start by explaining Apex please. So, a apex the the turb is is is you know it's a digital platform where students have the opportunity to learn uh basically in a in a way very independent uh they can go on their own path to a degree. We've always supported our students with some sort of uh guidance and support. Uh if they get stuck in a particular topic uh there are other areas logistical pieces where if they get stuck in a test more than three times the teacher allows them to move along. So there is that tutorial piece that's necessary to help them out along the way. Um but not necessarily uh is is it required to have an actual
017delivery of the instruction. So it really it takes the bulk of away from the teacher. The teacher can really hone in on the specific target areas that the student needs focusing in on. Uh so that's that's one of the one of the major differences. Um, in regards to to asking, we are already have begun to kind of uh uh look for uh recruit staff uh in a sense. So, we're we're in fact you brought up a good point. That's been one of our biggest concerns is, you know, retaining the staff to be able to do this. And we're beginning to have those conversations about that. We're also already we've already in the middle of uh reaching out and recruiting them officially for for for for the for the the summer learning. Uh we're looking into
018see who's interested and certainly that's a great point about possibly asking to see who who could be who would be willing to to stay to to continue. We're hopeful that there are more than than less. Um but again good point uh Rita that's one of our major major concerns is uh you know the teachers may may perhaps may not want to stay but but I feel like we have an early start on the process and we have some wiggle room to to navigate and see if if we if we have to take a different path for example and and possibly recruit uh maybe not within but maybe you know a different approach. So, it's just funny. >> I do hope you go out, you know, if we don't have our own teachers, we need to
019go out and find teachers to teach in person because that's what the students have missed this year. And just doing another apex, another online, it it you know, that's not what they really need at this time. They need inperson. They need the motivation that a teacher in face-toface can give a child. We we we thoroughly agree with you on that and we certainly want to provide in key subject areas that opportunity for our students. >> Thank you. >> We will be posting these very shortly so that okay >> can really give people the headway. There's going to be some flexibility. A teacher may want to do a week or two weeks and maybe coordinate with a friend, you know, to do it the other two weeks. So, we're going to be very flexible in order
020to make this enticing for teachers because we know that they've had a big heavy lift this year and they're going to need some vacation time over the summer. So, um, >> but there might be other people that, you know, even new graduates that haven't had an opportunity and then maybe it would be a way for us to think about hiring them in the future, >> you know. >> Yep. So, um, Adam, if I could ask about the Apex program itself. So, are we still having the Apex program where students remember the one that I observed the where students come in and then there was a teacher there? Is that opportunity going to still be there? >> Yes. Yes. uh not you know for for for many situations we certainly know that many students will benefit
021from the face toface but others others do also do well with this program uh you know some some really do well during the school year uh they do really well so exactly what you just described Andrew uh that's exactly the other option that we're providing so it's going to be in person with a teacher in front of you you're they're delivering instruction as if they're in the school during the school year and then you're going to also have the apex with those teachers for that added piece of support to navigate when they they reach a a roadblock and or troubleshoot other things. But yes, exactly what you said is what what we're going to try to provide. >> So the students will be coming into the building for that >> that will be option. It's
022it's another area that we need to kind of have flexibility in. Uh I think there that last year for example we had some students come in because they they benefited from it. We were promoting them coming back into school. Um, we certainly also want to be flexible with the situations where with COVID where if a family wants to take that the Apex course, but from a distance, we still provide the support but from a distance. Uh, and so we got to work a little flexible with that and whether they're at home completing it, especially with the to excuse me, the tutorials. Uh, that that that's one way that we'll be at least be able to provide it and and have monitoring from a distance. Uh so that we have to be flexible with with that
023both of them. >> Thank you. >> And >> any other questions? >> Could you tell me how many weeks this is going to be, Adam? >> Absolutely. We are planning on on six weeks uh four days, four days a week. Um we we certainly understand that students want a break as well, so we don't want to do the whole full week. So, uh, yeah, six weeks. Last year, uh, we're slowly slowly creeping. Last year was five. This year we want to do six um, six weeks. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Susan, are we moving on to um, middle level? >> Not yet. I want Peter to be able to talk about his exciting experience at the middle school. And like I said, a lot of this is still in the planning phase,
024and we're going to be posting these positions and getting feedback to teachers, maybe even meeting with interested groups of teachers to find out more about the flexibility. So, Peter, you want to talk to us about >> Certainly. So, Dr. So, do Dr. Acriman, the answer to your question is yes. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, uh good evening everyone. Um we are you know we we have had uh discussions at the administrative level for uh going on months now about our our dreams and desires to to meet the needs of our our learners um in this very difficult year. Um we are as Susan said in the planning stages of this. Uh we uh the the posting for our coordinator position closes this week and we want to get um those persons on board
025so they can be uh intricately um involved in in the the fine details of this. But um we we understand that our need is focused on those students who are disengaged, not fully engaged or failing math andor language arts. um those are our our key populations and we know um as Rita mentioned that the in-person um piece is is what students miss and what they crave and but you know it's it's not just craving to come back to summer school. All right, let's face it. There's nothing nothing jazzy about summer school. So, our our vision is to have a GMS summer school steam camp to really have a campy feel to it. I'm going way back, you know, be before I my in my early teaching days, I was a camp director. We want we
026want to have there to be opportunities for students to really fully just to take a break from doing the language arts or math throughout the the morning. Um, but I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. So, we'd like to have uh workshop model uh workshop style um teaching happening and and that's predicated on having qualified staff to do that. Right. So, um we're going to be going out recruiting our own people are are the best as far as I'm concerned for that. But if we if we need to to go beyond that, we'll we'll do our best to make it work. really want this to be integrated hands-on as much as possible and and allow there to be some some choice as well for a student. So um you know there may be some
027there will there will be some mandatory activities which they will have to do um with math and language arts and those can be integrated with steam as well but then hopefully be able to choose to do some parks and wreck activities and short st spurts as well as hands-on steam activities whether that's um visual musical arts or STEM and in addition to that I really want to see there um be some some team building activities as well. There needs to be a sense of belonging, enjoying um the the social aspect, re reconnecting our student population, particularly those we're we are going to be specially inviting uh to this summer camp, summer school opportunity. And it really to me it it is is an opportunity. And if if for some reason we um are able uh
028to to to fulfill the needs of of those we've identified, which at this point I'm estimating to be between 10 and 15% um of our population, student population. Uh, I'd love to be able to have staffing enough to to open this up to to other students who may not be as desperately uh in need of being re-engaged and uh accelerated in their learning. And and my thought on that is we would make that available uh to the the general population of students uh if we're given that luxury again with staffing um and getting the students we need to in first um and and do make those opportunities available by lottery. And uh you know our time frame is is looking at four weeks in July. And uh we what we may end up doing is
029uh splitting that into two two week sessions uh for for students to to make sure that we are able to access as as many students as possible. Um we know the need is great but we want to make this attractive and think about not only the strictly the learning needs with math language arts uh but integrating it with our steam theme and having some fun. Let's have some fun, guys. Let's get kids back in school. Excited about being in a new school building with an exciting, dynamic staff and a great group of kids. So, that's our dream. Um, again, we are in we're a little bit beyond the preliminary steps. You know, we've posted for the directors. Uh, but we do want to get rolling on this very quickly. As Susan mentioned, we we do
030need to post for teachers and recruit teachers very very soon. And we certainly have Apex as an option because we have to be able to provide remote learning in the summer for families. The word has not been um necessarily said by the state yet about next year. So we're, you know, we're not sure about what next year will look like. It won't look like this year if there has to be some remote learning. So um but but the summer is also you know it's going to be fun as well as um a great learning experience too for kids and we will feed them and provide transportation. So they'll get breakfast and lunch to go and you know they'll be you know hopefully wanting to sign up. So um >> can I like to ask a
031question? You know, you talked about directors. So, you're you're hiring directors. I'm not sure what they're going to do. And the other question is, where are you in all this? >> So, the coordinators, I say directors, they're really coordinators. And and uh we we've posted for two positions because we expect that um you know, our need is great and we're going to have interest beyond uh what we typically would have. Um what's my role in this? I'm going to work with the assistant principles and with our curriculum coordinators to to plan this thoroughly uh over the the next few weeks and and publicize. Um, so I not that I won't be around and involved with kids over the summer, but uh this is this is an opportunity for uh some coordinators to to come in
032and uh work with our staff now um and get this up and running. >> I won't be directly running this, but I will be keeping a close eye on it. Andrea. Um, Peter, is there a possibility of having the six weeks rather than four? >> I suppose there is that possibility. Uh, I got to tell you, my my biggest concern um would be that being able to to garner the necessary staff to do that. We also have um uh we you know last year being the year that it was the summer that it was particularly for us at the middle school level getting into the building uh quite late uh we were unable to do some of the things that we might normally do even within COVID in terms of getting our rising sixth graders
033uh up and running and uh acclimated and familiar. So, our plans for August are are pretty um I don't want to say intense, but they're involved because we really do want to get families in on small groupoup tours and and being able to work with the elementary principles on uh those fifth graders who they identify as also being less than fully engaged and and may need to have some handholding at at the start. So, we really do want to take time in August to be able to do that. So, but I I am not necessarily against uh extending uh additional weeks if we do have the staff to pull it off. >> Yeah. I I've also heard that there's um a real issue with eighth graders metriculating to 9th grade, especially with you know, subjects
034like algebra 1 and you know, some of the ones that they normally would take in 8th grade and be ready for nth grade. >> Yeah. So, we do in we do intend that this uh summer school opportunity would be open to the current members of Graten Middle School. So, our current sixth, seventh, and eighth, our rising ninth graders because we we do recognize that there's a def definitive need and uh we knowing that how important it is for students to get off on the right foot as they enter high school that freshman year is so important. We want to make sure that they've got the best shot to do that possible. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome, >> Andrea. >> Yes, Luc. >> Um, just is this all within the um Susan, I think, within
035the budget. I mean, this is with the new this because our new budget goes into effect once it's passed or was it passed? I'm I'm behind the times, I think. But do we have I didn't think so. But um was this what we prepped for in this budget? Please remind me of this. >> So I said that we did not have to use operating funds for this because of the the car's act. It's all within the car's act and we actually have the funds to do this next year as well. So >> thank you. I I just couldn't remember. I appreciate that. >> No. >> Are there any other questions? Then Susan, you want to move? Are now is it are there anymore? >> We have one more part. >> Elementary because I have transition
036K. I thought that was what you meant. >> Yep. No, but we haven't finished because we have a little more. We have um the treehouse program which will be work operating out of CK and we have a few parks and wreck and Denise is going to talk about the special education um program that we also have for those kids who've been identified to receive services in the summer. >> Okay. >> So go ahead. >> Good evening everyone. Thank you for having me. Uh just wanted to share with the board that this year the program for students with more significant disabilities will be located at Northeast Academy. We've been working closely with Eileen Chicazi who is our um uh park and wreck director for the special populations and she runs a special needs camp that we
037support. Um and that camp will be also at Northeast Academy. So it will be a very smooth transition for our children to come to summer school in the morning from 8:30 to 11:30 and then transition with their bag lunch to camp uh in the afternoon. Um and when I say we support the camp um very you know collaboratively uh we what I mean by that is that we provide a pair of professionals to students who need it to attend the camp and be safe and enjoy themselves and socialize. It's a wonderful social opportunity for our students. Um we will be offering um two sessions a four-week session and then a six-week session. And the six-week session typically is for students with very significant disabilities such as autism or multiple disabilities. And the goal of the
038program is to help the students maintain the skills that they've learned um and to build on them during the summer so that when they come back in September, their recruitment and their transition is not as um significant. Um this year we're very pleased that uh we are adding a class through the ESSER funds that will specifically address and target our four-year-olds. We know uh through the data that many uh early childhood, you know, parents of of young children um kept their children out of school this year. Um and we know that the remote learning is very difficult for young children who learn with hands-on experiences. So, we are adding a class of 18 four-year-olds um that will not necessarily have IEPs, but students who would benefit for additional instruction in the summer. Uh Naen Mlin,
039our early childhood supervisor, and her preschool team uh are working on identifying the students right now. And according to Naen, she already has quite a lengthy list. So, we don't think there's going to be any problem filling this classroom uh of 18 four-year-olds. uh they'll have one teacher and two paras um and they will be in in the program at Northeast for the supervision of our our program directors. Um another piece of information I wanted to share with you is that we've been very fortunate that we've had um Graten Public School staff uh apply to work in the program. Uh this year we have quite a few again Graten Public School staff. This is the first year that I had one more um speech pathologist than I needed. Oh, >> we're usually um you know
040doing whatever we can uh to to entice some of our speech and language pathologists to work. We always employ two. This year we got three. So we're we're very encouraged. Um, and lastly, we're hoping that our program is flip-flopped this year from last year in that last year, as you know, we had a small group of in-person learners that we worked really hard to prepare for and our program went off very smoothly. Um, thanks to a lot of hard work from from a lot of people. Um, and then we had a large remote uh group. So this year we're hoping that our in-person group is the large group and our remote group which we do need to offer we're hoping will be the small group. But we are in the process right now of getting
041teacher referrals and then the next thing we will do is we will reach out to parents to confirm and to find out what their option is and then we will come back and we will let you know what the program is looking like in terms of in-person learners and remote learners. I think that's it. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> A lot of you can see all the layers of this layer cake. There's a lot >> I see that Rita has her hand up. >> Yes. I'd like to know um can we hear from the elementary schools before we go on to uh the transition? K. What what what are we doing in elementary? >> Okay. I think I had mentioned that that we're going to be having camps. So, we're going to have
042the STEM camp, a math camp, and then a literacy camp. Those are each one week camps, and a child could participate in all three. We're also going to have um both tutorial. One of the things our um literacy folks were telling us and our teachers were that either the in-person or even the the remote opportunities for that one-on-one experience teaching reading to students was so positive. So, we want to be able to include that as an option. Um, and then we were talking about a K2 summer school. So, we're still working out the details of that um closer to the beginning of school. So, more of the camps at the end of school to engage and excite them and then um at the more the beginning or in August type to to really analyze especially
043kindergarteners, you know, how are they doing? We've always talked about a kindergarten camp, you know, specifically and especially this year, Rita, where so many of them might have been homeschooled or not enrolled. So, there's going to be a larger age range, I think, and maybe even a a big need for transition K. So, that's a good segue into, you know, what we're going to be talking about here, too. >> Yep. Thank you. >> Are there any other questions? Thanks, Susan. It's yours. >> So I see Meg Walker who is our transition K teacher and I see Jamie Girardano her principal and I there might be other colleagues who too have joined. Um she's really um Magg has done a wonderful job but it's been a team effort from the the conception of this idea which
044began with our preschool um prek and our kindergarten teachers. remember they kind of formed a committee and for over a year worked really hard on what kinds of assessments um Beth Hurler was very much a part of this um and it's the past two years the curriculum has been developed and Meg hasn't done it alone she's really done it with colleagues and um so we want to hear because it was run as a pilot but we really are seeing the positive um effects of this program for our kids and I'm sure Meg will be able to share some of those good stories with you. So, Meg, take it away. Sorry, I lost my mouse there for a second. Thank you for having me. I do have a presentation I can share, but I can also
045just talk and share that way. So, it's kind of up to um I don't know, Susan, what you think would be best here. Um but transition K has gone really well. Um, I we've developed, like Susan said, a curriculum from the ground up as a team. Um, really based on what the kids need, really focusing on I always describe my kids kind of like a slice of Swiss cheese, like it's delicious, but there's holes in it and if you get the wrong bite, you miss that piece. And I think that's true for them that we are filling in those holes. So, when they come, what are the things they lack? Looking at screening and then seeing where we can build them up. Um, and what I find is that my kids like love to be
046in school. Um, just recently I had the opportunity to print off report cards and I had a little guy who we considered for TK at the beginning of the year, chose not to do it. Um, and he came into TK after the first semester and when I did his report this time, you know, his old one and next to each other and his for, you know, he had had a lot of incon um inconsistencies for his behavior in my class. He had all consistent. I'm like, well, that could be a teacher difference, right? So then I looked at his specialists and his behavior in specialists has improved as well. And so I asked you know specialist I said hey is it a different expectation for DK they're like no we expect the same kind of
047behaviors between like following directions and being on task and things like that like your kids are more engaged and better behaved. And I think that's because the kids in TK have those needs met those needs to play those needs to be active those needs to be heard. um they get that in the room and so they are calmer overall. They don't feel I think a lot of four-year-olds feel a lot of stress and pressure right as we just keep bringing up the standards. There's more and more and more and in TK I kind of take a step back and say you know you think about that zone of proximal development and I think a lot of four-year-olds in kindergarten are outside their ZBD and in TK we're in there right so we are saying like
048here's where they are and here's how we can advance. So, you know, for example, today we were doing an activity with phonics in small groups and, you know, one group is still looking at identifying. So, we have the boards out and they're hiding letters for each other and trying to figure out which one's missing and then naming that missing letter. Um, another group was is ready for those letter sounds. So, I'm saying find me what letter goes and they're identifying the letter sounds. And then I have a third group who's beginning to use CBC words. So, we're spelling out words, you know, and I'm saying, "Find those sounds, put them together, and they're going C- app cap." Whereas my fourth group, they're reading now. So, they're like, "Can we spell slip?" I'm like, "Sure, spell
049slip for me." And they're together working. Okay, I Where's my S? Let me find that. Um, and so you can really see how each kid is allowed to be in their own developmental age range. Um, and so that's what I'm seeing in TK for academics. and um how the kids react then as they go forward you find out um they're more confident. So talking to parents at conferences again this year seems like the majority of my class will be in kindergarten I had two last year go to first grade um and then this year I have one parent that we're still on the fence about. She's in that top group where they're reading and spelling and it's the idea but one of the parents said that she loved my wording of we're giving them an
050extra year of childhood. So these are kids who would go to college at 17 if they continued on a regular path. If they just went to first grade and on and never stopped. Whereas if they're in TK, they'll be 18. And I was talking to a colleague today and we said next year they go into kindergarten, they're going to be confident. They're the leaders. They know they know how to be in school. They know how to sit on a carpet. They know how to follow the directions. They know how to wash their hands. You know, all these things. And they feel confident and proud of themselves. Or they go in first grade. They might be fine, but the they're probably gonna be at the lower end of things. They're going to struggle. They're going to
051need more support and they're not going to have that boost of confidence. What I hear is my kids in first in kindergarten this year are super successful that they are those leaders. They have a lot of skills going in. They have um the phmic awareness, which I think is a piece that we miss out a lot with those, you know, a lot of the five-year-olds come in with that already. And so those four-year-olds don't get that extra practice at it and that's what TK is giving them. Think I need to be saying or I'm missing here. >> Ohly one thing too it you really Peter had said when he was talking about summer school you know really meeting the needs of of the students and bringing back fun and that really summarizes sort of TK
052um and Meg with that group of kindergarten teachers have really built this from the ground up. So, thank you, Susan, for bringing this in. Everyone is just thrilled when they go into Meg's classroom as well as our specialist teachers. Can't rave enough about those students because the focus really is on that social emotional development. Um, and then you're a wizard at obviously intertwining all that academics in there. So, um, can't rave enough about the program and about you, Megan, in building this up. >> Thank you. Yeah, something I didn't mention is that we do a lot of play. So, I've done play snares. Last year, right before the pandemic, we created our own Chuck-e-Cheese in our classroom in a lot of math and reading with all of that. Um, and this year, obviously, I'm not
053creating Chuck-E-Cheese because it gross. Um, but we did, um, on, you know, through their remote weeks, I would put a assignment out there. So, create a museum. And I'm going through the step-by-step process. Today, we're going to create tickets for our museum. What's your museum going to be about one day? um before we started the um lesson on it, we did a book about a museum. So, we gave that experience. Here's a virtual tour of a museum. And then they created it and have these great videos of them going on, you know, tours of their museum at home with their families. They did a restaurant where they, you know, some families cooked together and you know, the parents were taking the orders and the kids are ordering the food or sometimes the kids were taking
054the orders and the parents are sitting there being the patron of the restaurant. And again, they created their own fake money and they did all those things. And it was fun to see. I mean, we have high school siblings playing with their little siblings, the store and restaurant and things like that. And that really was fun for everybody. It's, you know, you could hear the laughter in the house. So, it's a special thing we get to do in TK that, you know, there's may not be time for in other places. >> Beautifully done. Thank you. Are there any questions? >> I actually, how how many students do you have? Do you have a morning and afternoon session or is it just one class? >> It's just one class. We're full day. Um, and I have
05512 students this year. >> And are we looking to expand that, Susan? >> We we might need I might need to. We're going to have to really take a close look. We're going to start some of our kindergarten screenings this spring, you know, and and orientations. And so, we'll we'll get kind of a snapshot. And then we might do like we did last year kind of midsummer, do another series of those screenings because we get all the Navy families coming in. And I forgot to tell you, we're getting another submarine from Hawaii moving into town. So that might fill up our schools pretty fast. But um anyway, so and of course this year is such an anomaly. We're just not sure where kids are going to be. But we know that our youngest, littlest learners
056really we need to keep a careful eye on and this is a really good opportunity. So it might be that in one of the other schools where there's four one of the four kindergarten teachers becomes the TK teacher, you know, if we have that big a number. Um so we're going to be monitoring that really carefully um to see, you know, who are those students coming to us and what's going to be the best fit for them. And Susan, what? Oh, go ahead, Rita. You go. >> I was just gonna follow up and ask I assume this is going to Themes River Magnet School, this program. >> Yes. >> Right now. And so it would be lovely if we could have one at Cutler also. I mean, it would be nice to have one on
057both both schools. >> Right. Right. >> And do you anticipate any F FY full-time uh equivalents? No, we're we still, you know, we have Meg Walker in the budget and, you know, like I said, it might be a swap out. If it's an additional cost because we we get so many kindergarteners, then we'll we have that um CARES Act three that I'm going to get help and support in determining how to spend that $7 million >> over the next couple years. >> What a problem. >> So, uh, are we ready to move on to an update on the water? I think so. Thank you so much, Meg and Jamie. We really appreciate it. >> I know that I love going I love going to, you know, kindergarten and prek and TK when I'm in the
058buildings and also the other grades. But I don't know, there's nothing like reading a book, especially this year when you're doing it on the screen for the ones in the ones in front of you. >> Experience for me for sure. >> Nothing like it. Okay, Susan, if you're ready. >> Okay, >> so the really it's the last thing on our list and it's about the um update on the elementary school lottery. So, we were um wrapping it up right before break, but we noticed that we didn't have as many participants as we had hoped for. So, we extended it. The deadline is um for Friday, April 23rd. And we've been really I I have to send um a shout out for Tom and Rebecca. They've worked together as a team and all the elementary principles
059for really trying to get the word out about their magnet schools and um as you know um you know we had an article in the day paper. Um we had done a focus group. We've done outreach to outofd district families and I heard this week from Gigi who is our registar Gigi Ellis that we had a lot of people sign up register for graten schools from um other you know schools over the bridge. So a lot of kids are coming home knowing you know there's this opportunity. So that's good to hear. We now have about 300 applications. So that sounds really good to me, especially since our two new buildings need about hundred each. So of kids in different grade levels. So um it sounds like we've got a lot of different families um who
060are are very interested in all of the different possibilities. Um, we know that there's plenty more room in the schools, um, especially the already established Katherryn Konowski, Northeast Academy, and Charles Barnum. More opportunities at the really early ages, but probably less opportunity at the upper grades because, you know, those are pretty um, well established. So, um, and getting information to Miranda and the military families as they come into town. We still will run a second lottery in the summertime to make sure that, you know, our new students coming in um, have that as well. Um, so we're we're excited and a lot of work has been done and um, looking forward to getting those results. Um, and that that will be analyzed with the principles so that we can really, you know, draw and pull
061the lottery and and figure out who's in and who might be on a waiting list. Um, and then to indicate to the families that they have a seat and if they want to take it and that, you know, that's kind of a final step in that whole registration and lottery process. Anything I miss, Chris, because you're the expert on this lottery thing. >> No, that sounds pretty thorough. >> Okay. All right. >> Susan, do you have any idea of the the number of students who may be coming attached to that sub sub? Unless you have to shoot me if you don't. >> No, no, I I don't I really don't. Um, you know, you just don't know how many of, you know, the service people are single young people and how many are young people
062with, you know, married with children and, um, you know, it's kind of hard to tell. I can talk to Miranda. I mean, we just got this news that we do have an extra additional sub coming, but um I guess it could be good news for Grten and we need to advertise our own so that they'll move to Graten. >> Are there any other questions? >> Well, then we're on u the referral list. Can that be? >> I don't know. You might win the prize. Don't tell Kim if you're done before he gets here. Oh. Uh, is there anything on the referral list that you want to amend or take a look at or have some thoughts about? And I the I know that grammar is still on there with me, but that's because we're waiting
063for some kind of assessment. Remember that. >> Right. Right. >> So, nothing on the referral list. Well, I I wanted to put on the referral list um the state is going to be changing um I have a feeling I think it's passing about the vaccinations for for children and um I know children that are going to be existing in school now K through all the way up will be grandfathered in. But I was hoping we could maybe near the end of the year when this is official have a discussion with our wonderful VNA nurses about how you know we'll handle this and um I know it's always a challenge with um sometimes with the our Navy families but they also have extra time and I believe they will still have that extra time to get
064their records in. Is that is that true? Our policy states that yes >> yes that they have those e that extra time and you know I I just would like to understand it a little better how we'll track that and so >> well I don't think the state has made that a mandate >> not yet well they will it it might be a mandate by June that's what I meant maybe in the summer I just want to be aware of it because I think it'll have a real impact >> and the nurses may have to come in a little earlier and you know >> we also have school-based health but we ha they haven't figured out um really I think because of the refrigeration of the fizer um both ledgeite and the school-based health have
065not been able to distribute that in our buildings for some reason they've only been able to do the madna which our young folks can't have. So, we're still waiting to talk to Steve um more on that. And tomorrow is Tuesday morning is typically the morning that we do that um call with us. >> Oh, great. >> Department. So, I'll find out more about that. >> And then um I don't know if we want to find out about really how much of our staff if we have could have a general number of how many people are vaccinated. You know, not a number but percentage. So, we can't ask that question. >> You can't >> because of Furpa. Um, and I I don't know if Steve Mansfield even has the number of total Groten staff. Um, but
066I can ask him without their names, you know. >> Oh, no. I don't want to know names. I I just want people to feel confident when they to send their children back to school. >> Right. Right. I would say that um it seems like a lot of our teachers took advantage of all systems go when they had that opportunity and took the time to get the vaccine either during the weekdays or on the weekends and you know um not everybody went through you know easy some really did get sick the second especially the second time around. Um, and then you Beth is saying the ledge light percentage wouldn't include those that went any other places other places. So you could only get a certain number, >> right? >> So um, but we keep sending it
067out. We had another Fitch vaccination center last week on Wednesday and I think that was really well attended and shout out to Sam and his group that really pulled that one off. Um, so I appreciate that. And now this weekend we have a graten in action group going out and about to really talk to people in the town about the opportunities of vaccination and see if there are anything holding people back that you know we can help support. So I think that's with the town and Ledge Light. They're all kind of going out into the in the community. So >> I'm going to pull this back like Kim. >> Yes. Yeah. want to make sure that we're talking about what's on the agenda. >> Well, we can put that on the agenda >> and that's
068a a suggested future topic. So, >> yes, >> that that is coming up. Discussion review of work of the DEI committee. So, maybe we're still in our parameters. >> Are there any other um ideas for the um the referral list? Are there any ideas for new topics? Well, we just had one from Rita. Is there anyone else? Oh my goodness. I get >> I just think Wait a minute. I think summer school should be on here. Is it on here? >> And I I don't know if we need a discussion of re-entry plans anymore. R 2021-5. I mean, we we do have our re-entry plans, right? Yeah, we have them. We have them in several different versions. >> Right. And May 3 is when most students will come back. Correct. About five days about four
069and a half days. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> So, I don't think that needs to be on there anymore >> unless something changes in September. >> Um Susan, are we do we need to put the calendar on here? The changes that you had sent us? >> Yeah, we probably do need that. Good idea. Okay. >> Thank you, Rita. What would I do without you? I don't know. >> Oh, yeah. >> There any other ideas that I get to say? Who wants to who wants to do it because I can't? >> I'll make a motion to >> second. >> So, >> 55. Wow. >> In your in your face. motion. >> Some of us have two other days this week. >> Joan, what was that? >> Who seconded the motion to adjourn? >> Okay. >> Who
070is the first? >> I was. >> Who seconded? >> I'll second it. >> All right. Thank you. >> Good night, everybody. >> Good night, guys. All right. All right.