001All right. I call this meeting to order. Please rise and I flag the United States of America to stand for the world. All right. Uh, let the roll call show all board members are present except for Eric Mates. Um, and then we will move on to the student showcase. Hart. All right. You always vacuum at the worst. >> All right. Thank you. >> Well, I'm Shannon Brasquitz. I'm the principal at the primary school and I am very fortunate to have one of my colleagues here um tonight. This is Susan Ralamus. She is the art specialist at the primary school and I think it's nice to get input when we're going to have a showcase. So I was asking people like what are some ideas? What do you think we should share? And several people said
002the cave. So you're going to learn more about did anyone come and see the cave when it was set up? >> No. >> Okay. So you'll see lots of pictures. Um so teachers were able to submit pictures. I try to get at least one picture from each classroom that's submitted, but Susan's going to be doing the presenting because it's her idea. Um, you're right. Okay. All right. So, um, yeah. So, where the cave idea came from is a lot of years ago when I was at South Elementary, um I was talking with a colleague one day and he had gone to a conference and at the conference they had this like thing put together with two plastic bags, black and then a fan. And so with the black, what they did is they punctured holes
003in it and they made like the constellations. Well, as I was talking to him, I started thinking about making a cave, teaching the kids about cave art. So, what I do when I put it together is I have black plastic and clear plastic on the other side, so I can see the kids as they go in and paint. And, um, and so, uh, we do science and art together. A lot of times Tom and I will do, um, different projects together, and this was one of them. When I told him about the cave, he started thinking about what could he do to involve the first and second graders. So when he was in college, he went to Lake Hegman, which is up north, and they have pictographs on the on the walls or on the
004ca um the cliffs up there. And so he actually wrote a book in college, and he read that book to the first and second graders. And then along with that and then he showed a Native American and Ojiway elder. And so the Ajiway elder he told them or he told the people what the pictographs meant. And so then what the students needed to do is they needed to make their own or make their own pictographs on animal skin which is a special kind of paper. So that's how we involve science with art this time. And um so what the second graders do is they learn about a cave in France. This is what I did years ago. So I brought it back only this time, you know, after 15 years, you now have virtual reality.
005And so the very first one when they come in, I teach them about the Lascow Cave in France. And it it's um the it has the oldest cave art in the world and the largest like bison and stags and deer that are in there. And then there's some handprints on there, positive and negative handprints. And so students uh they they had to design their own symbol to represent their name. So the first time when they come in, I teach them about the cave. I tell them they have to design a symbol that represents their name. They can't go in there and write, you know, Joe or Susie or whatever. They have to have a picture. And then also in the first class after they design the symbol for their p for their name, they also
006have to write a sentence. And this is with second graders, they write a sentence and then they have to make a pictoraph for every one that they every word that they have. So their sentence is a pictograph as well. And they do have papers from pictographs from other caves. And so we have a couple videos here of kids who were in the cave. So we're gonna show them to you. And when I I made the videos in the cave so the kids could point out and show their design, but there is a fan. So know that it's kind of loud. You can still hear the students, but you can hear the fan, too. It kind of gives you a good feel for that. Why did you choose the design that you did? >> Um my
007initial and I didn't want to do a normal. >> So that was his symbol he designed. And now we have Rosie and her symbol. It was also pajama day too in case you're wondering. >> Why did they teach you to that? >> What was your favorite thing about the cake? >> I don't know. space. >> Yeah. Well, like and they practice ahead of time and then they do it and then they're like I they don't say exactly what they were going to get to see. >> And and so the students so they have the first time they design their symbol. The second time when they come to art class, that's when we see the virtual reality, the virtual um cave, which was really cool. One student he went home and the next time he come
008back he said, "Yeah, my dad and I looked it up." So that was really cool too. But so the second time after we watched the virtual cave then um then they have stations. So one of the stations they have to put their hands down and we spray their hand or I spray their hands or a student sprays her hands and then they have to paint their symbol with a stick or or I had large paint brushes this time. And then uh the third thing they had was I got I have these hand forged nails from my brother's house when he was remodeling. It was from the 1800s. So I brought them into school and they have a a wood doll uh doll and they um pound their symbol out on these uh slats that I
009have. And so that's another way they make their symbol. The third time they come in, we read a children's story called The Cave of Alaska about these students who went on a field trip there and what happened to this one girl while she was in the cave. Then we walk upstairs where we set it up and I'm really grateful for my specialist team because they helped me set it up. We you have to duct tape it together, put the canvas down and the fan on and then the kids have to crawl in or adults and what they do upstairs is you can see the um they have half sheets of uh fluorescent paint and so they can take the fluorescent paint they can crawl into the cave and there they're starting to paint. This is
010one of the first classes that went in there to paint. And so then after this class, what I do is I had a a sheet and classroom teachers could sign up for a halfhour time to go in there and explore the cave. So I had um flashlights there so there'd be a flashlight for each student because who doesn't love a flashlight? And um and I had the lights out and I I um borrowed some lights from the magical dinner and so it looked like little flames coming up and so that was in there too. So teachers could sign up for halfhour sessions and go in there with the kids. They're exploring it with the flashlight. Um some of the classes went in there and kids were journaling. Some went in there and kids were reading,
011some were drawing. And so it was just up to the classroom teacher's discretion what she wanted to do or he wanted to do in the cave. And so we here we see more kids exploring. And there's just um so it was set up for about 4 days for people to sign up and be able to take their classes in there. And and actually because I hadn't done it for about 15 years, so I didn't know how it was going to be. But once we set it up, we blew up the we blew it up and it's like, "Yeah, there it is. There's the cave. Welcome back." And so it was fun. And one of the reasons I brought it back is cuz I'm now working with some people who used to be my students and
012they were mentioning to me about the cave. My niece, one of my nieces, she goes, "Do you still do the cave?" And I said, "No." And she goes, "Well, you need to bring it back." And so and so anyway, just thinking about it, it was some of their core memories of when they were in elementary school. So that was why that was why I brought it back. And then it was it's just fun to mingle science and art together as well. And then to have the classroom teachers do whatever they choose they want to do when they go into the cave. So that is the that is the story about the cave. That is so cool. >> Where did you have that set up at? >> It was in upstairs in the second grade area
013in one of the classrooms up there. >> Yeah. So, that was good. So, we had to we would start out in the class like the third time when they went up to paint and we started out with the story. We started out in my room in the art room and then walked up there because otherwise the fan being on would be too loud to hear the story. Yeah. So, but they and they love the flashlights. That's just I mean it just adds to it and then if they're reading or drawing then you know you can use it. So, um yeah. So, it was really fun and it was uh after they painted then they'd come out and I have these sketchbook for the first and second graders where the second grade would draw in their
014sketchbook. So, I told them to write down some words of what their thought was as in the cave and some of them were amazing, exciting. Somebody said scary because it's something different, you know. So, it was just fun to hear how they were sharing the their thoughts about being inside the cave. But, I mean, you can see some of their their pictures up there. It's just really unique. So, yeah, it was it was fun. So >> So, will it be back by popular demand every year now? >> I think it probably will be. Yeah. >> You get invited next year? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. I can see what they absolutely love. >> Yeah. >> Did it deflate at night and then back up? >> Yes. Yep. So, in the morning I'd go in there
015and set it up and I had a basket for um flashlights that need batteries and you know, so I would just replace any batteries that needed to be replaced, turn it on, turn the lights on again. So, they have that whole ambiance as they're walking in there. And and what's really fun is even though the second graders had been in there, it was different because then I added the lights and what I used to do at South and I didn't um get to it this year, but I used to have a black light because the fluorescent paints will glow and so I didn't have a black light this year. But just the the ones that had like flames going up, the kids thought that was cool. But and then like the first grade in the
016kindergarten, they had never seen it. Didn't even know what it was. And so they they really loved it. So when they'd come to the class, a teacher would say, "Okay, where did we go? The cave. What?" And then, you know, they just tell us what they thought about it. So So yeah, that was the cave. >> Very cool. >> Thank you so much. >> Yeah. You're welcome. >> Thank you, Carrie. Do it. >> Good call, Shannon. >> See, so much better than her. Explain it >> me as a kid if I had a teacher. >> Yeah. That's what's >> I know. Don't you want to be in their classes? Like >> go see it. I'll do >> All right. Uh, citizen comments. I was going >> All right. Uh we'll move on to board member
017committee reports and we'll start with >> um I just had finance committee before this meeting and I think I think that was it. Yeah, that was it. Okay, Scott. >> I had a community meeting on the referendum Monday last week. uh agenda planning. I had a meeting with um Jen from resource training and solutions and um attended a community meeting as well. Melissa >> uh community meeting finance and then the staff meeting on Friday I did virtually visually >> virtually what the same I'm 90 it's fine >> Jen um so the community meeting and then um Pat and I met this week >> all right I also attended a community meeting um and agenda planning and finance. Um so we will move on to student council report. >> So Megan's not here today cuz she's
018sick. So I'm going to leave her parts and mine. So for the prek and early education um preschool information night where you can learn about programs, meet teachers, and get all your questions answered is on March 16th um spring family night which they'll have games, activities, and fun for the whole family. For the primary school, PJ day was yesterday and today was hat day for the for the middle school as well. Um, World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, March 20th, rock your socks and wear blue and yellow. For the intermediate, um, on the Tiger Pride news that students watch every morning, um, they're learning about safety, which comes from the letter S in tiger strikes. for the middle school. Um, yesterday was PJ day. Oh, I already said that. Um, Tunes and Treats is going on
019right now. For the high school, FFA week was last week. Robotics day is Thursday. Laura Cole got ninth at state for wrestling and various boys placed in swimming at state. Varsity band has a contest today and the band class is on Thursday for the high school March 27th. >> Thank you. Uh we'll move on to superintendent report. Pat. >> Yeah. Again, a busy couple weeks with different meetings and so on. So I'll kind of go through those and just kind of what's been happening at them. Um, first off, we we're ending in our uh try two here this week and uh as a former teacher and even admin building administrator, getting through try 2 is always kind of maybe the hardest one. It's kind of the doldrums of the winner and you got breaks in
020there and so to get through try two everybody starts seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and gets excited. So to get through that that's awesome. So kudos to everybody. um had a had a run uh run Run River executive council meeting and there we talked a little bit about one that there's a new uh level four uh building going up in black and they had all the plans and they're starting to break ground and do all that. So that's come along. I think they hope to have it open by the fall. So that >> so um the Rum River put together a document that shows all the sped uh numbers for every district in the Rum River and um we had quite a lengthy conversation about how the percentages of sped students
021being identified. It keeps going up and up and up. I think it the average was right around 22 to 24% of our students now. um which is starting to be a high percentage. So a lot of our conversation was one um how are we identifying are we overidentifying and then two um do we ever exit out of the program and what does that look like and how do they you know the kid no longer need support how do we help them you know exit out of the spit program. So, um, good good conversation there. Um, with their new building, um, Malaca is partnering with them to do a school resource officer and that'll be just about I think it's not even probably 20% of the time we'll be at the level four program or the
022other four days a week they'll split it up or whatever. So, we'll be at Malaca. Um, all right. Internally, we had our Minnesota MTSS uh kind of wrap up of our training. We've got training once a month all year so far. The last part is really about setting up um the structure moving forward. And then more importantly for and for me I know it was really more importantly for me what is the expectation whether it's at our PLC's or our meetings and so on what what should be happening there so that the learning and the impact for learning is happening in the classroom. So, a lot of data review and then what happens after that and how do you work with each other to help move each other along and and uh help support every
023student. Um, so a lot of those expectations have been set up and uh now it's matter of just put them in place and do the work. Um, uh, following my uh monthly chamber leadership, I had my that leadership series was uh last week so that was good. Um and uh um we worked pretty hard last week on um getting uh uh about should say about a week and a half ago get invites to a community meeting to talk about where do we go next with their with our referendum and just try to get um um those that support our school what's their thoughts and I think we invited a little about 130 people and we're hoping for at least I was hoping for 20 to 40 and we had over 100 people there. So, um
024really great turnout, uh great conversations and some really good energy about support schools. So, hopefully that uh transpires to good things for us. Um uh uh continue to have our uh um our kind of regular meetings, our admin meetings or or we have a executive team meeting between the three of us and Jessica. Um, we did have a monthly crisis meeting uh today and that was good to kind of talk with about enhancements. Uh, one of the things you might see when driving around the building here in the next month is all of our room numbers will have an exterior sign up in the corner that so when EMTs come, they know exactly where that room is and they don't have to go searching for it from outside. Um, there's many more enhancements to come,
025but we're still working on the making sure they they they're all flushed out before we bring them forward. um uh continue to have uh just wrapping up kind of administrative goals meeting. So all of our administrators have their goals and what they're working on for this year. So those have been really good. Uh the three of us had a pretty good budget meeting which we kind of reviewed with the finance team tonight and u now we know kind of direction to go there. Um uh Michelle and and myself and Emily met and talked about where do we want to have early voting stations? And I know Melissa, your mom uh stuff Lisa is willing to do it again and we're looking at some later times on Wednesday because some of the complaints where you're done
026at 4 and I don't get out work till 5. >> So we have once a week we'll have later till Wednesday um early voting. And then we've looked at some uh target dates. Two of the ones that for sure are the u the first day of early voting is March 27th and that's when we have the band ch what do we call it blast >> band blast >> and so we we're looking at setting up there for early voting. Um and then the uh um there wasn't a lot of school activities, you know, that we can really get to for early voting, but the one that looked promising was the what are we calling this one now? the family >> family fund. Yes. Ran by the early on a Saturday. >> Yeah. Saturday morning primary
027on 25th of April. >> And so we'll set up there and uh and we're looking at doing some fun things there to promote people to vote. So hopefully that'll work. Um and uh so so we've set up our early voting so far, but do you have some other ideas or hey, let's move early voting to this location so we get more traffic. We've talked about Mark Park somehow, but I don't know how we pull that off. But um but if there's some ways and other ways that you're creatively thinking, we're >> Grand March. Yeah, I'm promched do early voting up to the day before it. >> Oh yeah. >> I thought it was like a week or two. >> Yeah, >> did you get that one? >> Yeah. >> May 12th. >> May that busy
028one. >> There's a lot of people that go to Grand March. Mhm. >> Yeah. And they sit and wait. We may wait. And >> for those that earlier how many listen to our our recording, but just for your knowledge, the secretary of state uh was interesting that uh um Emily was asking some questions. They're going back and forth email. She said, "Have you ever thought about doing a QR code for >> I've been changing the name. It's really called the absentee ballot application. I call it the early voting application because that's really what it is. >> Same thing. >> Yeah. Um but uh he said no and nobody's ever asked me. So they created one. So it's a QR code. Phone can put on there. They could do it's interactive on the phone. So they
029can fill it all out on the phone. Hit submit. It'll go right to the secretary of state. They'll send the name and address to uh Emily and Emily can mail the ballot right to their house. All they have to do is open it up, select their option, put it back in the envelope, mail it back, and they vote it. So, trying to make it as convenient as we can for every voter that's out there. >> Can they Can they take that ballot and just drop it here? >> They can. Yep. Doesn't have to be mailed. They drop it back. >> There is a witness process if they do it at home, right? >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Yeah. So, I know we've already talked to had some people talking to some of the younger voters
030that said, "My work just never gets me to early vote and I can't take the day off on voting, so I just don't go vote." So, hopefully something like this might be able to make them have an opportunity to get the voting. >> Um, so that was exciting to hear that. Um, couple other things with the ATP ATPS steering committee met and we talked about just kind of direct directions and schedules and who who meets when and where and how and it ties right in to the MT MTSS um process. So um that structure really melds together. Um uh went to the high school choir concert. Always great to hear our talent there. And um um I know one guy in this room went there a lot longer, but I was at the L fishing
031tournament for two and a half hours, but I think Eric, you were there for a lot longer. >> I never saw you there. >> Yeah, I was at the uh ticket entrance. Then I took my truck and I just drove around. Watch all you guys. So I'm cold enough. It's cold out here. But I have to throw out last night at the Lions meeting. I know you weren't there, but you got a special kudos from from Scott. He said, 'I got thanks to special people here and he said, you know, I know Eric can't make it to very many meetings, but when he shows up for the fishing tournament, he gets a lot done. So So good recognition there. Um other things uh uh happening uh we um some of you may or may not
032be aware of this but we're kind of down one coordinator at the uh um at our special education department when we hired Lana we also run river hired another kind of co-leader to be with her and that one uh there for one reason or other is no longer with us and and we couldn't find anybody mid year uh so we're looking at Jason and I were meet with the department just said, "Okay, what what does it look like for next year?" So, we're trying to plan that out so we can make that so that they have all the support they need. Um, and that kind of came out of the audit when we did the audit that there needs to be more support from leadership team. Um, and I think I told you this last
033time, but I've started to do building visits uh once a week, try to get to two buildings each week and then meet with the kids and hear their stories. So, it's been kind of fun. Continue to do that. So, >> I get a report. >> Yeah. Awesome. Um um we had a Tiger Community Connections meeting. Uh the biggest thing they have coming up is the career crawl. >> Um which is coming up. >> That's for 10th graders this year. >> Yep. For 10th graders doing students this year, >> I think. Right. >> March 13th. Yeah. Yeah. March 13th. So, a week from Friday. So, that's happening and it's all organized and here we go. So get those kids that that experience. Um had the agenda planning with uh with Dev and Don. Um and uh
034we talked a little bit in finance, but um uh the inclusive playground uh there's some really good traction going right now with the potential pretty good shot in the arm for money coming in from the Lions. Um so um one of the Lions members and myself met with the inclusive playground u members and we talked about the grant that would need to be written and how it needs to be written and um it's looking pretty promising but we're no more here. Uh the deadlines to get everything in is is in March, but we really won't know any till August if it they get it. But if it does, um it's a grant for 150,000 plus the lines looking at putting another 75,000 to match the 75,000 that's already raised. So that you have to have
035matching money to the grant. So we have to show we have 151st. So the the Alliance would give you and it's the I don't know it's a huge regional alliance uh um that offers this grant. So that's pretty pretty awesome that the Lions is stepping up this big for the inclusive playground. Um and then on Friday last week I had my the staff or C meeting and um I was told by the table I was sitting there I'll find somebody about time somebody asked the question about um um equity in here because all the question everything was just about everything we that's happening at capital nothing was about are you doing anything to bring equity to the districts and um so I had finally had to ask the one >> the last guy >> representative
036and he didn't have an answer before we did he was >> that's the whole purpose of that organization >> right >> he didn't have a whole lot of in general >> yeah Ken from brand was Pat thanks for asking that question we sat here for over an hour and a half and we haven't talked about equity of anything yet >> it's there's so much information like >> it's an overload I mean I mean for me I guess >> it is kind of overloaded and but I didn't like the the representative's answer he just said well quite honestly nobody's talking about equity now at the And they say, "Well, hold on. We our our taxpayers have to take about four times the amount of some other district. That's not fair." >> Said, you know, we're trying
037to get 50 million, but somebody else could get >> 200 million for the same >> amount of taxation or something. He wasn't real worried about not having >> Yeah. He wasn't worried about it, right? >> Yeah. So, that's uh that's my report. Um I had to leave before the community the before the connections meeting ended. This is the first time they've done the career crawl, right? >> A couple times. >> So do we have somebody that's capturing the day? I mean because this could be >> So we have two photographers going out. Yeah. Kim Young's gonna be one of them. And then I think Heather >> Laurel Oh. >> Oh, yeah. Laurel's >> doing bell ring. That's right. >> Yeah. I mean, as long as the people that are capturing the day don't have 15
038other assignments, >> I think that's all their duty is. They go out and take pictures and they >> I mean, it sounds like a really unique opportunity. And if it is as successful as it sounds like it's going to be for all the planning and the relationship with the community, it is really just something to be proud of and that there really should be some community sharing of it after >> as I look at it. >> I already have good but you know just as we're recruiting students and the opportunities that the high school offers. >> Yeah. Yeah, know exactly right. >> I mean, I came from a high school today that has a fishery and I was like, >> seriously, they have >> make their own food. >> They grow their own trout. So,
039but it's unique. Well, slow down. It was great. >> Yeah. You know, so it's kind of making your mark. >> That's great. Any other questions for Pat or comments? Okay, >> we will move on then to item number seven. Approve the agenda. Is there a motion to approve the agenda as presented? So move. >> Motion's been made by Melissa. Is there a second? >> Second by Eric Strandberg. Any comments or questions on the agenda hearing? None. All in favor say I. >> Opposed. All right. Agenda is approved. Item number eight, discuss and act on previous board meeting minutes. Is there a motion to approve those minutes as presented? >> So moved. >> Motion made by Don. Is there a second? So >> second by Eric Stramberg. Any comments or questions on the minutes hearing? None.
040All in favor say I. >> I. Opposed. All right. Minutes are approved. Item number nine, consent agenda. Is there a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> Motion made by Jen. Is there a second? Second. >> Second by Melissa. Any comments or questions on the consent agenda? Hearing none. All in favor say I. I. >> Opposed. >> All right. Consent agenda is approved. We have one information item. First reading of policies. >> Anybody want to speak to that? >> Great. >> Basically, this is uh just pretty much reviewed and a couple that needed MSBA. Pretty standard. >> Yeah. >> Was there um did 498 on the sub rate go to finance? >> We talked about it tonight. Yep. Yep. >> So, it's good. Yep. It's good to go. Any other questions on those?
041Otherwise, we will move on um and have that second reading in the middle of March then. All right. Uh we have a couple action items. So, our first one is the revised uh budget number two. >> Yeah, we did one in office this year, remember? >> Yeah. >> Seems so long ago. >> It does. It was so much warmer. Oh, that's nice. >> All right. Uh, this was presented last time around, too. Um, any comments or questions or somebody want to make? >> I'll make a motion to accept the revised 20 2526 2 budget as presented. >> Okay. Motion's been made by Eric Strandberg. Is there a second? I'll second. Second by Melissa. Any comments, questions? All right, hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. All right. Revised budget is approved.
042Item number 11, LTFM 2026 summer projects. These were all the projects that um Jason had kindly um presented to us because we got >> again. >> I'll make a motion to accept the LTFM 2026 summer projects as presented. >> All right. Motion made by Eric Strandberg. Is there a second? >> Second by Scott. Any comments or questions on those projects? All right. Hearing none. All in favor say I. >> I opposed. All right, those are approved. We have no additions to the agenda. Um, so is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Some moved. >> Motion made by Melissa. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. You're an I