001Oh, and Juliet, I'm going to uh start the meeting at 5:28. And if you have to leave, do you want to go first? >> If you guys don't mind. >> Not at all. >> By all means. By all means. >> Okay, let's see. What updates do I have real quick? Um, we just accepted approval for a grant for the DCF Youth Services Grant and also the Youth Services Bureau Enhancement Grant. >> Good. >> Um, I don't know if you guys um if you guys know about the sister cities. Um, we became sister cities with Jamaica and we signed the paperwork yesterday. the mayor of the city, our mayor and New London's mayor. I had an opportunity to meet with everyone there and we received more open space. So, I know there's a couple of things.
002Everybody's at the long-term recovery meeting tonight. >> So, I'm the representative tonight, but I don't think I've missed anything else. I know we have some other things coming up on the agenda, but I think that's it. >> We were just talking about the RPSER funds and how great it would be to partner. And I know I'm meeting with the mayor and the um town manager with Kim later on this week to have those discussions to like figure out how we can kind of pull our resources for a good cause, you know, >> right? >> Like we're doing with HVAC systems. So >> yeah, that'll help some. That would help be that would be ease of burden because I know those H tracks need to be done, >> right? >> And what about any roofs? Are
003we okay on roofs? I I don't know why I keep thinking that. >> Um yeah, Charles Barnum, I think it's going to be a future CIP. >> Okay, >> we do have parameters in the grant related to CO 19. So air quality and HVAC work for us, you know, work for this. So, >> but not roofs, >> you know, >> but not roofs, I guess, unless we ended up with a mold problem, but that's I don't want that. >> Julia, do you need any more time? >> Nope. I'm all set. Thank you. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. We'll see you soon. >> Yes. Have a good evening. >> Thank you. >> Bye, Julia. Is there anybody else who is there anybody else who needs to go next? >> Okay, then I'll make make a >>
004I'm taking the minutes so I think I have to stay here. >> So in terms of the board, we uh just finished negotiations with the sec the secretaries and the technic the tech support people and the custodians. the secretary join secretaries joined that group. So we just finished negot negotiations with them and we're waiting for that body to okay it teachers will begin at the end of August. See there we have two the two new I'm going to let Susan speak to this but it seems like I'm hoping anyway that the two new elementary schools will be opening on schedule. I hope anyway. >> Yeah. And um let's see, the treehouse um entity is moving to is going to include the middle school. So those um the um announcements will go out to the parents
005on the 6th of of August and the the um applications are due. They're they go through the 20th of August. Let's see. >> And tell me again what that was for, Andrea, that you're talking about. >> Treehouse. Do you have Treehouse? >> Yeah. Do you want to add anything? >> No. No. Um, you know, Treehouse has really helped us and so many of our families throughout the year with COVID 19 and offering that child care compon component, you know, during the hybrid and on Wednesdays and so we're so grateful and they've got a great summer program happening now at um Katherryn Konowski. So, >> okay, that's great. >> Thank you. Um, excuse me. Should we um go back to square one and approve the minutes from the last meeting? >> Oh, a detail. >> Well,
006I wasn't there. I was at a Martin Luther King meeting and Kim's not here, so I don't know. Susan, can you approve? Can you make the motion? >> I mean, do we need a quorum? If we do, we I don't know. We really >> We might be. Maybe we don't have I'm sure we don't have whether we need one. I don't know. >> I'll ask Joyce in the morning. But at least we're able to communicate. >> We had city, town, RTM. Who else? >> We had town council. We had all the bodies, but one one body per body. >> I think I think we can just approve it then. >> Yeah. >> You think? >> So Susan, you want to move it? >> Yes, I can move it because I was there. Okay, Christine, >>
007I'll second because I was there. >> Oh, all right. Okay. So, it's a done deal. Okay. Yeah. >> Uh I want to say that the um the district diversity, equity, and and inclusion book club met on Thursday of I think it was last week and we discussed um it's Zoretta Hammond's the culturally responsive teaching and the brain and it's really a rich conversation that happens. >> It's really really good. So Susan, were you there? I know Phil was there. >> I was there. there. Also, I have loved this book. I mean, it brings back for me as a teacher and probably you can relate to this too that building relationships is so important and kids need the ally and the partnership. >> That's right. >> And once that's established and that's communicated also with families,
008it's it's ever so important and everything else kind of falls into place when you have that. >> Absolutely. >> You know, it's it's so important and then it's all this brain research on top. that talks about how fight and flight when kids aren't there and feeling the trust and the love, you know, it's hard to get through educationally and learn, you know, when there's trauma and there's, you know, concern and worry and, you know, not feeling like they belong. So, to me as a teacher, I just really can relate to this so well. Um, and we have a huge group of educators involved in this book talk. >> Yeah. >> And we're actually giving the book to all of our new teachers who are coming um to Graten. We have a a full day meeting
009with them and um and then I think all the board members are getting them and we're going to be the teachers in the summer book talk will go back out to the schools and have the book talk. But do you want to show a p you want to show? These are the notes that I took on this. The book is just >> on that topic. So, it's cultural >> cultural >> teaching, >> right? And the brain. And I'm, you know what I'm going to do with this as well. I'm going to get some copies of this and give it to the Martin Luther King scholars who are interested in becoming teachers. >> I will do that for you. I'll I'll do that. I'll take care of that. Yep. So, we'll just tell Paula and she
010can order it. >> Okay. Great. Thank you. And you know, I just want to underscore what Susan was saying about five years ago, maybe a little more. I took a course at Southern on teaching college writing. And you know, we all handed in our papers. We're ready. We come back the next week. We're going to get our papers back. And I get my paper back and I go, I'm looking at it now. I've been teaching at the Coast Guard Academy. I have a doctorate. I get my paper back. Dminus. >> Oh, no. I'm go I'm driving home that guy. What does he know what he's I'm screaming at the top. Nobody else is in the car with me. Just me. I'm screaming at the top of my lungs and I get to like maybe Guilford
011and I said, you know, Andrea, that paper was not a D minus paper. I was going to quit. I was going to write him an email and get out of that class. So I said, you know, go he's up to something. Go back next week. So we go back next week. We all get our papers back. A and he said the professor said I did that because I wanted you to know that attached to every paper in fact attached to everything we do in life is a human being. And that's you know you just have to understand that if you're going to go into the classroom that everything you do it doesn't matter whether two and two equals four or not it's that human contact. >> And boy did that drive that home to me.
012Yeah. >> A little aside. >> Yeah. >> Anyway, um let's see. Oh, and then of course we had the uh opening of the the um Dr. Grineer library at the Bron School and that was just wonderful. Dr. Grineer was there, his family was there and he is just he's as wonderful now as he was um when he was superintendent. So I talked him into continuing with more than words which was his wonderful endeavor back in Waterford and he continued it in Ledger and now in Groten with New London and these communities around us where kids really learn to voice their feelings and you know really speak up and put into action you know really as part of our diversity, equity inclusion. I think it's so um so powerful and I know your work Andrea with
013the Martin Luther King scholars and Carmea Haj's work and um Carly's work um it'll continue now so we're going to meet and talk about it so I'm very excited. >> He was a hard act to follow but so are you. >> Well I don't know I learned a lot from him so >> anyway. Okay, if I've missed anything you want to fill up, >> can I just interject here and add um just kind of come off what was said, especially about the trauma and so forth. I used to work at a place as a nurse and there we did have training as far as it was called care and it seems to be very similar to what you're doing here and it's based out of Cornell and >> interesting. >> Yeah. And I was actually
014a nurse, but um we had a a well-known doctor that came in, but talked a lot about trauma and what it does to the child and what it does to the teens and so forth and so on. And the care training really helps you to understand where they're coming from, you know, on a what do you want to say, a base level. Of course, each each one has their own individual, >> you know, things. So, but I mean, I'm just really excited to hear about this >> cultural what is it? cultural and >> culturally responsive >> training. Yeah. >> Training teaching in the brain. >> Yeah. >> Using brain science. >> So, who will actually have a copy of that book? I'd be real interested in looking at that. >> So, send me an email.
015I'll get you one. Christine s austin graten.k12.ct us. So, it's actually this is um one of we've done several book talks through our diversity, equity, inclusion um group. That's another partnership. I know the city has a group like that, the town has a group, school district, and I think we did make an attempt to bring those groups together back in the um spring, but I would love to do it again because I think the more we can partner, the more um you know, action we can get out of all of our groups, you know, to help support our community. >> Definitely. >> And there's another book talk tomorrow, but we I I I don't know if you plan on going to that, Susan, but we're going to that conference. Yes. >> So, I don't I
016think you were gonna miss that. >> Yeah. Okay. >> Oh, I'm going I'm glad you're going to the conference. I just got booked solid. So, I I wanted to go, but I'm just not able to go because so many things. >> And uh Kim can't either. So, >> yeah. >> So, I don't know. Jane, I think we're Jane, you want to go to the conference? Oh, >> we can't hear you. It's hard to find. It's up like up on top of your of your picture. >> See, my mute button is down below. >> Yeah, mine wasn't there. >> Mine was the bottom left. >> So, Jane, you can let me you can let us know tomorrow or I mean this this evening whether you want to go or not. >> Oh, there you are. Oh,
017there I can hear you, Jane. >> Let me talk to you about it. Okay, we can talk. >> Yep. >> I need to ask and get all these answers. >> So, is there anything else from the board? >> Um, no, just that, you know, we're we're really active in Grton public schools with all of our camps and our summer school and our tutoring and our credit recovery. We're really these funds from this ARP esser. I'm just really trying to make sure we infiltrate our kids with the best we can give them in these next couple years to really make sure that we don't have gaps. We accelerate their learning. They call it academic renewal. Do you love it? I love that. And so, and I just wanted to engage our kids. I wanted them to
018come back and have fun. And I wanted my teachers to do the same thing. And it worked. So, we had these summer stars camps for K through five. um in STEM, literacy and math with embedded coaching for the teachers um by some of the best experts and they all were able to bring back these learning materials that they had created or came from the Boston Science Museum or you know new perspectives in learning or you know teachers college, Columbia University and they're bringing them back to the classroom with books and everything. So, you know, we were really thrilled that so many teachers showed up, you know, and so many kids showed up. Um, and teachers have done a lot of professional learning. They've done a lot of work looking at standards and how do we
019accelerate learning, you know, looking at pacing guides so we can move kids forward instead of like review at nauseium, you know, just because we think we need to. So, um, I'm really excited about all of the work that's been happening. We have a new assistant superintendent, Bill Piaza. So, Christine, when I saw your name, I thought, well, maybe he's coming on as his wife. And we have Mark um Romano had applied for the um athletic director and he has um he's already started working. >> So, we've got some new positions and you know, people are getting started. So, it's been a busy summer, I would say. You know, >> and teachers are writing curriculum, am I correct? >> Well, they're not writing it. They're doing pacing guides. So, they're looking at the curriculum we already
020have. They're prioritizing their standards um on the most part, but we do have a couple at the middle school that are doing that, especially for the electives. >> So, >> all right, Jane, do you have anything you want to add? I am so happy that I went up to the library, I mean to the middle middle school and in the library and I was talking to some folks last night and and just I I could see my face glowing just I felt it glowing. It's those in education like me for a long time waited a very long time to see education look like it does in Grten right now. It it's just amazing >> and wonderful >> just wonderful. I'm so happy for the families and the kids as well as the teachers that unbelievably
021unbelievable things are happening in GR. >> Right. Right. >> So, >> it looks like Lee might be trying to get on >> that Lee. >> I'm wondering if that's Lee >> coming on on the iPhone. Mark, do you know? I saw a message from Lee >> that she couldn't get on. >> Yeah, there's no message and the microphone and camera are both off. Okay. All right. >> Well, I think Is there anything else that we that we need to do? >> I think we've, you know, >> we're good with the board. Yeah. >> Okay. What about >> But we haven't heard from the RTM yet. >> Is the RTM here though >> and the city council? >> City council. We have, didn't we hear >> on the RTM? >> Oh, I'm from the RTM. >>
022Oh, well then >> I have a very long report. We had no meeting last month, so there's no report. >> Oh, all right. >> Kathy, do you know if you're going to have another meeting this month? Because I had said something to Simma about how I um you know went on and did it for did the artser presentation and I might even have more information that I can even share with the RTM. So um by the time you know I get on the agenda. So just let me know. >> We will have one this month. It's on the 11th. >> Okay. >> Yep. Because we have business to do. So, yeah, we'll be there. >> Okay, good. I'll look I'll look at that. >> I hope I can join you guys for a little bit.
023>> Okay. >> I'm sorry. >> Christine, I lost track. >> Oh, >> city council. >> Did you want me to go? >> Yeah. >> Yes. Okay. So, for those who don't know me, I'm uh newly elected this year as on the city council. And here's the city uh liaison. So we have a lot of things going on. So I'll try to rush through it. Um so we continue still having concerts in the park and two got rained out. So they'll be August uh 20th and 27th. We have the farmers market still going on Tuesdays 3 to 6 and that's doing very well. We have a lot of vendors, more than we have last year. I don't remember the exact number but my daughter and I actually went yesterday and they have a lot of great
024things. Um, and we have our public's works still continue to where they're doing things on the street for the catch basins and the sidewalks and also line paint and graten city day is going to be happening this Friday and I'll be there and so we'd like >> So what is that? Is that something happening in the park? Is that like a >> like they've done every year except last year because of COVID it didn't happen? So >> tell me a little bit about that because Kim had suggested maybe we should have a table there for Graten Public Schools. Oh, okay. >> Is it is it like a is it like a farmers market or a place where people come and >> it's going to be like the police will be there, firet trucks will be
025there, there'll be games and things to do. They're going to do have cornhole. So, because a lot of kids come there and they'll have a lot of different interactive things for them. They'll have music. I'm not sure if they've had any exhibitions as far as karate, but they have some other businesses that come and um there'll be food and drinks being handed out. um uh probably mostly by the city council. And so there's just a lot of things. Mostly it seems to be geared when whenever I went every year is um Graten Parks puts it on is is geared around the children and then of course you have GU handing out some things and just different uh things that they can go do and pick up a Frisbee. There are you know people handing out
026advertisements and so forth. So, >> um, so it's basically just, um, I know they just recently said, and I can't off the top of my head, I can't remember. I remember there was going to be a table for something. I know they also are doing a vaccine clinic there also. >> Good. That's fabulous. >> So, they're doing a vaccine clinic there. There's two different kinds. I believe it's Madna and Fiser will be there. Um, don't quote me on it, but I believe it's I know it's two different ones. So, >> I would love to get that information out to my families. I could do like a school messenger for you guys if you forward when you email me. >> Yep. >> Forward me the information. I'll send it out to our families. >> Sure. Perfect.
027I'll >> because I've got one scheduled for Fizer for like September 9th at Fij or Graten Middle School. And kind of my goal is to get more staff and students um vaccinated if possible. >> Yeah. And if not vaccinated, at least educated, right? >> Educated, right? >> Um let's see. So, we also have the Graten Heights open house coming on August 7th and that's um going around. We're going to have the water taxi will be moving along. The museum will be open. The tower will be open and it'll be the movement around uh Groten Heights area for people to see in the history of of the Battle of Fort G uh Griswald. I don't know if people know, but there's actually a a number you can dial before you enter the battlefield, and it just
028kind of walked you through the different points. I didn't even know myself as many times I lived there. I brought a friend and she said, "I've never been there." We went there. I was like, "Look at that." So, you actually press the number in your phone and it just walks you through all the points and tells you all the things about the Fort Gall. It's really nice. >> There was an article in the paper just recently, too, that I was reading. It's just such rich history. >> Yes. The Graten Times. Have you read the Graten Times? They put out history about Graten. It's It's wonderful. I love I rip it out and I put it in a little binder. I love that stuff. >> I know. So, and then we're having the commemoration of the
029the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Griswell will be happening on September 4th and 5th. And um future ahead, we're having a Graten City Brew run. So, there'll be a 5K run and then thereafter there'll be different breweries that will be at Eastern Point Beach and then there'll also be music there also. So that can be found on the Grunt City website. If you just want to just enjoy the music or if you want to do just the brewing, the brewery types meeting with the vendors or you want to do the whole thing. There's different prices for that, but just for the music is just free. So, but that is up and coming on September 12th. And let's see, we have we're continuing to do our food distribution at St. John's Christian Church. That's
030continuing. Our next ones are August 27th and August 24th. Is that when they get boxes of food? >> Boxes of food >> like we did. Remember when we did it with the school district and at Washington Park? >> They've been doing it all through the summer. Yeah. So the people come, there's no questions asked, you know, whatever need is, they just get the box. So, and there's plenty of food to go. So, that's nice. and they just um they've been having through the season the steps program the steps program the summer leadership college career enrichment program that's been held at uh Yukon Every Point and uh this is the last week for it and it's basically uh young women who are learning those things and leadership and also um career and in development and so
031forth and there was actually a recent photo of the mayor and them I would say there was probably about I want to say about 15 to 20 participants doing it. So that was really nice. My daughter didn't quite make the cut off where I'd tell her like go in there. >> Oh >> yeah. I mean she's not of age yet so of age. >> I know I sent it through to Fitch High School and the counselors to get the word out. >> It's a great program. So >> it sounded wonderful. >> Yeah. So and let's see what we have. Um they're going to be putting new LED lights in the Washington Park and that's coming up soon. That's a new exciting thing. And GU is continuing to projects in electric and water. Our economic development
032team is doing really well led by Sierra Patrick. She's already had one in like the development of theme street meeting with uh there's few of the residents that came. We were right on theme street itself. She's got another one coming up and I'm actually on the community development committee also. I'm leading that one, sharing that in reference to one of the things I'm trying to do is uh and you might want to pass a word is um trying to develop like one of the things that came in before I came on the council was about murals within the city. And so I'd really like to address that, but I my heart is really for uh the kids. I'd like to really see the kids in Grton Parks and Wreck be involved in that. >> Um
033and just teens. I've worked with a lot of teens and I really have a heart for teens and kids. So, I really like to see them. I've already been in contact with a local artist and she's um what does she say? She's a certified I forget what it is, but she's hosted a thousand art shows, a curator, I'm sorry, that's what she certified curator. >> And um she would really like to be involved in it. And um I'm already grouping up some teens who do art artistry. I'm kind of developing something. I've already asked them to do some painting themselves and they have. I actually had one person put one on my wall. I have a concrete wall by my pool. They did one of like the moon and the night and just to see
034what they can develop, learn because this will be exterior so they learn to work with different paints and to get experienced artists in these children kind of be speak with people who've done artistry and be excited about artistry, you know, and hopefully put the artistry out there. So, it's um I'm excited about. Of course, I wanted to move yesterday, but they're like, "Oh, okay. We got a plan. So, and let's see. And we have had meetings in reference to the American Rescue Plan. I have not been able to get to those, but the mayor's keeping up uh keeping us ab breast in reference to it. But that's pretty much it. >> Good. >> A lot of things going on. It's exciting. >> Yeah. Summer, everybody says summer everything slows down. Not in our world. >>
035No, no, no. It's just you have to figure out how you can squeeze vacation and family in there as well. >> I've never so been so busy in my life, but then that's >> I know that's what retirement looks like on you. >> Did I retire? >> No, you're not. No, you and Jane both. >> Yes. >> Still so busy. >> So I think Is there any new business? Well, we'll be reporting on the the um negotiations I think next time, but maybe not. No, no, not next time because after that. >> Yeah, they have to come back all of them. >> So, I think unless Jane has somebody or phone number two has something as somebody uh we should have a a motion to adjourn. >> Make the motion. >> A second. >> Okay,
036>> there we go. >> Here we go. It's very nice. >> Nice meeting you, Christine. >> So, email me and we'll be in touch, especially about what's happening Friday, too. >> Perfect. I will send it to you >> and I'll get you the book. >> I would love that. I appreciate it. >> Okay. Yeah. >> I want to say good night, Gracie. >> Good night, Gracie.