001All right, it is 1:30 so you will call the meeting to order. Everybody is present except for Ron and I just want to welcome everybody and thank you everybody for coming. It's one of our favorite meetings. So we will start with the elementary school student presentation. Here she is. What a fun Would you like to introduce yourself or would you like me to Okay. >> Good afternoon and thank you so much for having our students come and attend today. Today I brought 10 special guests, fifth graders soon to be sixth graders so they'll be coming over to the secondary in a few short months. And today they are here to talk about their participation and experience in math masters. I thought it would be fun for them to share a tradition that we have participated
002in for sure the last four years and perhaps even prior to that. When we look at our our mission and this is all about giving our students opportunities to succeed in careers in their community and the math masters opportunity is one that prepares them for that. On the next slide we've got what is math masters. It really hones in on students in grades four through six and it's a math competition. Painesville elementary we signed our fifth graders to math masters and this year they went to Alexandria this year and previous year. So they do take a mini field trip to math master competition. The core focus looks at critical thinking and problem solving and so our students will talk a little bit about that today. There's different types of competition levels at Math Masters. There's
003the individual competition and team competition and they'll show some more details related to that. There's eight rounds looking at fact drills, individual round and team round and they'll get into those details as well. So with that being said, I would like to invite up our 10 Math Master participants so you can stand up and join me up here if you would. Now on the next slide Um we're going to take a moment. They are going to introduce themselves with their first and last name. We'll start down here. >> I am Amelia Kemper. >> I'm Kinsley Christian Han. >> I'm Izzy Simon. >> I'm Cason Backman. >> I'm Adrian Stover. >> I'm Carter Thompson. >> I'm Theo Mergell. >> I'm Kinsley Heimann. >> I'm Eleanor Walker. >> I'm Bella Dunn. >> So these are your Math
004Master participants for this school year. Um when we talk about preparing for competition, these 10 students have worked hard working with Mrs. Kemper, the fifth grade math teacher, in preparing students what to expect when they show up to the competition. Not just the math skill, but how does the competition itself work? And so I've got some students here that are going to share how they prepared for competition day. >> Um so for individual focus, we did some fact drills and you have to get a good night's sleep before the competition so your brain is ready. And you need a healthy breakfast also so your brain is ready. And brain power um practice You need to practice. Well, you don't need to. It helps you practice and it helps if you're practicing independently. Um this the
005treat the strategic practice. Um practicing test from pre- previous years is one of the stuff that we've been doing. And then finding problem solvers, which is basically find the ones that you um that you can get and then you like evaluate like that part of it. >> Teamwork and positivity. Um you need to have teamwork to work good as a team and find who you work best with and need to work in pairs. Like Yeah, and positivity to make sure that you think that you can do things. >> I talked a little bit about the participation. So when they showed up to Alexandria, what did that look like? >> Um so the start we had like a fact drill which is kind of like it's own separate thing. So it was individual, it was on
006paper pencil and you had 5 minutes and I think there was like around like 75 questions and it goes from like simple like to there's like three questions that are like really easy and then it goes to like multi-step operations, really hard and challenging. >> The individual round is where you get it's you have 10 minutes to work on word problems. There's eight questions. There's three rounds. And um that's about it. >> Um the team round there's 15 minutes in the team round. There's three rounds. There's 10 multi-step word problems in every round. >> And so getting into the competition, how did Penn School Area Elementary students do in the competition portion? >> I'm Elena Walker. We got fifth place in Factorial out of 132 students. >> I'm Ethan Stern and Bella Deng. We got
007ninth place for Factorial out of 132 students. >> And And Bella Deng got >> 15th on the individual round out of 132 students. >> Very proud of our math masters. Um, I had asked the 10 students to think about what was something from their experience that they didn't care for, less than desirable, uh, that they maybe weren't excited about, uh, something that brought challenge to them, the middle icon there, and then lastly, what was something that they enjoyed. And so, we're just going to open it up and they can share uh, one of those three areas. >> Um, for what I enjoyed is when all like most of our 10 out of there was four I'm pretty sure. Four for the for the one the Factorial and then Bella got one to the individual round.
008>> Um, I didn't like not eating lunch with my friends, but it was for practice. So. >> So, they did have working lunches at school in preparation and so, they gave up their cafeteria lunch room to hone in on some math while they ate. So, that's what Izzy spoke to. >> The really challenging part was like the nerves building up towards the competition. It just got like really stressful. >> I took >> the challenging part was like the team round because we we were we were working together and we didn't we didn't really have enough time to like check over the problems that other people worked on. >> The challenging part was being cooperative when you're with your team cuz your team is kind of hard to work with sometimes. >> Uh the the challenging
009part was doing the individual round it was stressful lot uh having to do the questions by yourself. >> I really liked the team rounds. I could work with other people and it was much easier. >> I didn't like how at the start we had factoral so all your nerves were like built up and so then you didn't really have time to like warm up or anything. >> Um I also liked working with my team. It was fun and we got to work together for which made it easier. It was fun to be able to be around different people and stuff. >> Now when we went over this the first time their favorite was what? >> Food. >> Uh they talked about Pizza Ranch so after they compete uh they are treated to Pizza Ranch and
010they wanted to share that. I said, "Well, let's talk maybe I'll talk about competition first." Uh another highlight was taking the bus and going on a field trip. >> Um >> on the way to Alexandria and they got to be together so I don't want to leave that out but I wanted to encourage them to talk more about the competition in in this reflection. Um so last slide um you can just see the smiles on their faces um and again we are super proud of our mathematicians as they competed and participated in math masters in Alexandria. >> Nice work. >> Very cool. >> We will now move on to the secondary school presentation. >> Hey, so one of the programs that we have at the secondary that I I don't think it's enough credit. We
011all see the outcome of it, but we don't get to hear much about the process is our branding and marketing class and I so I invited some students to come in and talk about it. Unfortunately, most of our students have things going on today. They were gone at events. Um so I do have Alisa and Sarah here to talk a little bit about uh the branding and marketing class and just kind of the whole picture of of what all that class entails. >> Yeah, I have like 90% of my class gone today at softball, track, or field day. So >> Yeah, so I'm Alisa Gooden. I am the teacher of branding and marketing class and we started the class in 2019. Um and it's a it has evolved so much since then. Um I am
012a special ed teacher actually. Um or that's what my my job was before. And I also do like work experience, school-to-work. And so we were trying to find a class that could combine real real world life skills and to teach kids more so they can have a dabble in maybe marketing or branding stuff to see if they want to go to college for that. So that's how it kind of all got started. >> So the class gives us real world like world experience. We get to like talk to customers. I specifically do invoices after we do that. >> Yes, so that that actually is what is involved. It it has become so big that I couldn't handle it on my own. So now I have the branding marketing class and then I also now have
013a internship where Sarah helps do all the invoices, develop profit loss statements, and trying to keep track of all that, otherwise that was another full-time job for me. >> It's really cool just to see like how to make everything and like even just going to the store and then you see like, oh, I can make that in here. Like, oh, that's screen printed. That's just a sticker. It's cool to realize that. And like so a lot of times customers like email us and then we like can say, "Okay, we have these options. We can embroider it. We can do this kind of sticker." And then we just give them all the options. They can choose from them. And those are all the clients we have. >> They're not not all. That was like from this
014year. We have a lot of clients. What what is so crazy is that we don't advertise this, but word of mouth is so amazing. And so like Codington County is actually in South Dakota. Um Yeah, I mean a lot of these definitely are Can sell community. Alexandria Alexandria. So it's a lot of our students that maybe they might have family that works at these places and that's kind of how it all kind of spreads and I've gotten so big. >> And we create the logos for them and then we can like send it to the customers. A lot of the time they're like, "Oh, can you add this? Or can you change this?" And then we change it for them. Get it how they want it. >> Yeah. Yeah, so they first reach out to
015us and And we kind of just the students I'll assign like two three students to like work with the customer or client we call them and then um and just yeah. So they'll just get a clue of what their brand might be like so they know what kind of logo to make. Um so that's a lot of back and forth email or even call sometimes and then they go into the design process and and we really try to sometimes clients are like, oh you know, they're students we want to be like oh it looks good. I'm like, no you have to give them constructive feedback and so it's your brand. We want to make sure that you we have your logo that you want and so so that so so they do get a lot
016of constructive feedback which is good and and they learn how to take that and then become and create something even better. >> And so we have like two websites we go off of that's like wholesale. So then we can go through that and like for the trap team they wanted gray camo. So we had to search through the sites to try to find options for a gray camo. And that took a long time. >> Yeah so so we don't if you want to back up one we don't just we're not just like a clothing store. A lot of people just think we make a lot of clothing um which like we do for the community like for the Gold Dogs store and stuff like that we'll do that but there's also like um we just
017did this huge event for Wild Hayden. It's a sports one coming and um so we make tokens um for their event that they have for auction for a live auction. Um we made stickers, banners, um hats with leather patches. So it's just so much more. There's signage. And that was really fun event. I got to go to that and there was like 1800 people there and so it was fun to see all the kids work and we even got a shout out from them during the event that said good job branding working class. That was fun. Yeah. >> Um So like we calculate like with the invoices, we take the product cost of what it was plus like the cost of materials that we use and then we sell it to them. >> And then
018we we So we do charge 60%. Most businesses charge like 200% but we do make mistakes. >> Facebook >> are learning and so we want to make sure that if if we mess up on a shirt we have enough money to pay for that shirt back. The rest of the cost go for like the inks or like up updating all the machines. We have an embroidery machine that'd be awesome if we had two someday. But never hats. You can always have the hats for embroidery. We cannot master those at all. And so that's kind of where that's how we um like justify like up in the price 60% which is really not that much. Like if it was a $3 shirt then it ends up being five or you know so we just try to
019make sure that we cover all of our costs. >> And so we have our website Champs Den. And so we have to make each like folder and we have to upload the picture of the shirt we're using with the design on it and all the different sizes they can have, the colors and all that and product description. We have to do each one individually. >> Yes, that takes some time. >> Like I did the pirate's order that probably took me almost a week to do. Just one folder. >> Yes. >> And those are some real world skills that we gain just from being in the class. We learn communication, leadership, teamwork, graphic design, marketing, and time management. >> Time management is a big one. >> Our impact on the schools we're able to promote school
020spirit. And we're supporting teams and organizations around here. And we get to provide Bulldog gear. >> Do you guys have questions? I know that it's a newer class and >> So, is it like a a semester or What is the effort to the kids? >> It's a quarter. It's a quarter. Yeah, a lot of kids do take it more than once though. Which I appreciate as well cuz then like Sarah for example has been in it three times. So, now she's kind of like helps me teach the new ones or not so I'm not teaching new each time that I still have some kids that have been in it too. Help because the process is it it is a lot and we always have we always have projects. Beginning of the year and the end
021of the year are busiest times. But with homecoming in the beginning of the year, so we try to make sure that quarter we have mostly students have taken it before. Just so we have enough time to get all the Bulldog gear done and designed and made before homecoming. >> It seems like every every every quarter that you take it? >> You can. Yeah, I mean um so Sarah now is actually like an advanced class because she's taken so many times. Yes. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, you pretty much do anything that is available in the innovation center? Kind of run through what what is available, Sarah? >> Computer do you Computer do you know Many of them don't even know what's in our innovation center. >> And it keeps expanding every year I
022feel like. >> Uh we just got a new laser engraver where we can engrave like travel mugs. We have a few Glow Forges for like We did leather patches on Glow Forges. We can do like acrylic signs on Glow Forges, wood signs. Pretty much the tokens we did on the Glow Forge. And then we have the screen printers, embroidery machine. And we have a whole bunch of different like kinds of vinyl. We have like brick vinyl, puff vinyl, regular vinyl. >> And then new this year, too, it's DTF It's um direct to fabric, it's called, which is kind of like a sublimation print. We have that new this year, too. Which just goes a little bit faster, especially when we're really busy. >> So, when you're thinking about your future, do you think of the
023fun you had in this class and wonder where that goes forward? >> Oh, actually with invoices, made me realize that I wanted to do accounting. >> Very good. >> I need a virtual internship. Yes. >> Yeah. This is a great class. I started my own home-based business with no background at all, and I know what goes into that, and I did well. But it was a lot of checking things out and you know, how do I do this? How do I do that? And talking to people. And you're getting it all here. I mean, you've got the first 10 steps figured out. Right. This is wonderful for anybody who wants to go into any part of that. >> It's been fun. >> That's looking at accounting, you can probably see from what you're learning, it
024applies to every business everywhere. >> Yes. >> It's not just particularly what you're selling here. >> Right. Yeah, and she does a good job at keeping track of you know, like what what's going in and what's going out and I need I don't know you're going to have some big shoes to fill next year. >> Well, someday you know where I'm coming from. Then I'll hold her up. Do you guys think you got all sizes of orders, I mean >> Yeah. >> I mean it to argue small. >> No, yeah, we have we have infant stuff and then all the way up to 6 XL. So >> Have you done any like onesies and >> Yeah. So so since we have these wholesale accounts because we are considered like a non-profit business and we can
025get it at wholesale cost. We don't have to order like a box of 24 at a time. We can order one shirt along with our order, but I don't need a big quantity, you know. >> Mhm. >> Yeah. >> Can I ask you one question? What are the numbers in the class? Numbers of students. >> I limit it actually at 15. Otherwise, it's too much and they're and we only have so many machines. >> Yes. >> And it's nice for like kids at a time you know to work on a project and then that makes it manageable for me to make it around to each group to make sure that they're getting their questions answered. Yeah, so we limit it. Yeah. >> That's a good size. >> I don't imagine it's empty very often. >>
026No. No, it's definitely a favorite spot in the school. >> Yeah. >> Very good. >> Yeah, and you guys get to see it next year. All right. >> We will now move on to communication items. >> What are you guys doing? >> I just wanted to highlight a few things that we recognized different groups of people in April and May. We had teacher appreciation week last week, school nurse appreciation, lunch hero day were kind of three different groups that we recognized and celebrated. And then we also had our third grade wax museum and last year I think we had some of our museum guests visit here at the board meeting. So that was a great turnout. So many families and community members come in for that and I just want to say thank you for
027supporting our students in that special day as they put a lot of time and and effort in preparing for that. Also at the elementary we are wrapping up spring benchmarking with FastBridge and again that looks at reading, math, and some social emotional learning giving us an understanding of where were students in the fall, winter, and now to the spring. So we're excited to see the growth and progress using FastBridge. We are busy over at the elementary with field day, field trips, and more. I just want to personally thank Mr. Keepler and Mr. Borgarding for their preparation in field day. That is happening today for K12. Very windy but many people are out and enjoying that and then tomorrow grades three, four, five will participate. A lot of preparation goes in to make that successful for
028our students. Field trips and fun and different opportunities outside of the classroom take place and you can see some neat opportunities that our students participate in during the month of May and all of these are made possible by our fall fundraising that helps offset costs for families and offsets transportation. And so just I to say thank you to our families because these are the opportunities that we get to provide our students because of their efforts. Um also want to say thank you to Painesville Motor and Transfer and our food service staff. They prepare bagged lunches for students and certainly providing our transportation and making sure that we get routes in and back in time before regular dismissal. So a lot goes into planning and preparation. Just want to remind um and invite again uh the
029public and community to come to our retirement open house which is next Monday the 18th at the PAC. Hopefully you can come and and show your appreciation for our retirees. And then some upcoming dates on Tuesday the 19th we have our fifth grade music program and graduation at 1:30 and that is here at the secondary um where we'll honor and celebrate our fifth graders before we send them off to sixth grade. And then just a reminder our last day of school is Wednesday, May 27th and we do have an early dismissal that day uh which is different for our families so I just want to make sure to communicate that so families can plan accordingly. Anything else? Anything? >> Thank you. >> And we will dismiss ourselves as our guests. >> Yep. Big thanks for
030coming. >> Thank you. You guys have >> Absolutely. >> Well, good afternoon. Uh just a few highlights from uh the last month since we've been together. I couldn't put everything up on there or we'd be here all day, but uh very busy time for the secondary. So um I just wanted to point out that uh we uh a long time ago here I believe it was the custom to uh take middle schoolers down to the capital in the sculpture gardens and we had a couple um teachers that were really passionate about bringing that back and so um we took on May 6th, our seventh graders got to go down and um got to see the state capital and go to the sculpture gardens and just have a a really cool experience. Uh they they shared
031with me some of the pictures and I was just in awe of them. There's a picture on the right there of them sitting on the on the belt leaning over the um the area where the legislation happens and I was just kind of in awe of being there and and being part of that. So uh what a neat experience for our kids. So um they got a chance to experience that. Um we did have fifth grade orientation here on Friday. Uh our a group called SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions, um was the one who kind of took that on and we had awesome student leaders who planned this uh fifth grade or incoming sixth grade students for our fifth grade orientation. Um they had a chance to do a bunch of stuff here. They got
032to tour the building. They get an opportunity to try opening lockers to practice that cuz that tends to be a a big fear of sixth graders coming in. They're really afraid of what do we do if we can't get the lockers open and so we give them a chance to practice. Uh they got a chance to come into the auditorium and ask questions of a wide panel of students. So uh we had students of all grades answering questions so that uh sixth the fifth graders could ask anything they wanted to and then um they eat lunch with the sixth graders and then we send them back to the elementary for um the SADD students planned games and activities. So you can kind of see uh pictures of that event but that was our fifth grade
033orientation last Friday. Uh we also had prom here not too long ago and I just wanted to say a big thank you to um Gina Pong and the rest of the team for their work in planning and supervising prom. Uh it is no small task to get that all set up and decorated and everything thought through and planned and they did a a wonderful job and uh just uh just heard great things from kids about prom and their experiences here. So, big thanks to everybody who um helped put that on. So, we had um um we're starting something new uh this year and so um Jacob at the Painesville Chamber came up to us and and talked about this idea of having a career signing ceremony. So, just like how we honor students who are
034signing for athletics, where we do a signing event and we do some photo ops, we're going to do the same thing for students who are um planning on committing to going to work at a Painesville area business. So, we're going to do a signing event. Uh, that signing event is May 20th. It's going to be noon um right here in the board room and I'd like to invite board members. If you want to be a part of that signing event, that's great. Um so, students who want and and are are invited to come and um have an event with the the businesses that they're signing with here in Painesville. So, uh we're going to honor students who are going to do that. Um a few end-of-the-year dates. We have 11 days of school uh and
035and a ton of things happening that I just want to make you aware of and invite you. Uh you're welcome to come. We have our Dollars for Scholars breakfast. That's Friday morning um May 15th at Bugby Hive. It starts at 7:45. We have an We use that um so, students um apply for scholarships and then they get granted scholarships and so, at this breakfast, we get to award those scholarships and then they get an opportunity to meet um with the donors who were who donated the scholarship. So, it's a really cool event. Um we have Fun in the Sun the same day. Uh then we have our Senior Honors Banquet uh May 17th at Painesville Secondary. Um then we have graduation practice and seniors' last day on May 19th here. Um middle school up day
036is May 22nd and then graduation May 22nd at 7:00 p.m. in the PAC. And then the last day of the 2025-2026 school year is uh May 27th. So, lots of things happening here before the end of the year. >> All right. Any questions for Jesse? Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Jesse. What's happening in Community Ed? Are we just eating bonbons and twirling your thumbs? >> what we do for fun. >> It's There's nothing happening in Community Ed right now. >> No, so big event tomorrow is our early childhood playground dedication and big truck day. We're having that at the elementary school. We have quite a few people coming. I'm anticipating over 200 people at the event. So, um we've had 49 families register. Um the I've invited community members and so I have
03735 on my list and 15 staff and I'm sure there'll be others that didn't quite get on the list, but um we have the uh uh Plainsville Legion. They're going to be serving a hot dog meal. We have trucks from our uh our bus company, police fire department, a tractor from ANC Farm Service, and then Kenneth Bigelow a big semi-truck and trailer. Um so we have a few things parked in that back parking lot. Um And then because it was a little bit bigger event than than I had um I envisioned, we're going to have some activities in the gym. They'll be some uh activ- we'll have the we have the cement part where we'll have like sidewalk chalk and then the playground itself, the trucks to climb on, and then the cer- the uh
038ribbon cutting or the we'll have a little short ceremony and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6:30. So, um so yes, tomorrow I'll be um moving and shoving furniture and stuff around. So, that's that's what Community Ed does. We move stuff. Junior Bulldogs Preschool, we're final we're starting to place place kids in classes. We um we have three sections of 4-year-olds. There are 18 students per class. We have two sections of 3-year-olds. We have 10 to 13 students in each class. There is one student on the waitlist at this point. So, we'll be able to should be able to accommodate and that is a 3-year-old. So, we should be able to accommodate that child um as well. So, um yeah, so we have pretty full classes for uh for next year. Um then just we're gearing
039up for summer. We have 49 offerings um that anywhere from sport camps to rec leagues, um enrichment opportunities. Our summer pause will begin with some strap staff training on the 28th and 29th and then we just kick it right in on June 1st. Um we will have a theater production. There was one last summer and there is a it's a non-musical, but it's a theater production. We are working on getting the licensing and the we're hoping to have that performance on the 14th through the 16th of August and Jasmine um Rindahl will be directing that and she was hoping to hold auditions before school's out squeeze it all in to everything else that's going on. So, um and then finally just pack information. We're going to we have like some pack improvements that we'd like
040to get done before August. Um so, we have some TVs that aren't working so well and they're old and they're heavy and so we're looking at some replacements and upgrades on our end so of our rooms and lobby area. Um we'd like to renovate or we've got a desk in the fitness center that's just horizontal storage and dusty. We'd like to maybe get do a little renovation in there. So, I have to talk to Ken. So, I'll surprise Ken. And then once we take some TVs down, we're going to have to touch up some paint because we did paint the cardio studio two, but not behind the TVs. So, when we pull them down, we'll have to do a little touch up and paint. So, and then the just the what's happening, you know, you
041already heard a few things that are happening at the PAC and these are just a couple additional. We have a desk for Kicks recital on Sunday. That's Sunday, yes, right? Saturday or Sunday? Saturday. And then um graduation. So, yeah. The the place will be busy. All right. Thanks. Thanks. Thank you. >> I'm waiting for bon bons. >> Yes. >> Chocolate. >> Hi, Ken. >> Hello. >> Lots of baseball. >> Yeah. >> Fall sports, spring sports. >> Yeah. >> End of the school year just running. Busy, busy, busy. Sporting events, getting fields ready, just everything is just crashing down. I'm hoping I'm not forgetting anything all the time. It's always just people will tell you things in the hallway and you're like, "Oh, yeah, I better get that written down." or send myself an email right
042now. So, but yeah, it's been going good, I think. Keeping everything on track. But the science room, just an update on that. So, actually the tables are looking really good. They're Mike's been uh getting the boys after that. They're coming right along, so they're looking good. Uh made a few things for graduation in there. Um so, yeah, it's been a big help. Uh uh electrician after Mike's got them done, we'll get them I'm thinking powder coated. We might paint them, but I can I'm going to send them off to powder powder coat maybe Spaniard get a good deal on that. And electrician told me next week he'll come in and put lights in there and do the electricity along the backsplash and stuff. So, hopefully. Um Of course you guys know this, took some trees
043out in front. Um they're messy, dirty, icky and uh people here really want some sugar maples put in here for future science classes and stuff. So, we're hoping to do that too. Uh that'll be probably in the fall. We're going to have them rip ripped stumps ripped out so we can plant trees in there and stuff. So, um Like I said, a lot of sporting events and then uh with the wind blown some up at the top of the building. So, I'm like, "Oh my gosh, just what we needed." So, I'm like, "Oh my god, that's just crazy." So, that's my week. Any questions? >> Thank you guys. >> Thank you, Ken. We'll be on to request for information on table. >> Uh we had the West Central Ed District uh meeting last night and
044West Central Ed District is very very strong. So, we uh uh started setting up things for next year. So, there's contracts that uh needed to be uh put on ratified uh through these member districts uh and then also uh other organizations. Uh some of the private contracting that they they have with uh specific uh type of disciplines for uh teachers and stuff. So, uh we did that last night. Uh the numbers uh are looking good uh especially for the sale program. So there are nine young adults in that program this year and next year they'll be nine again. They'll all be coming back. So there will not be a sale graduation this year. But there is a Began is is graduating. >> And they also yep. It just it was just a wonderful story of
045how all the folks up there just really opened up the students and they talked about a young person that had come to them three years ago and didn't speak. And so it's been three years and this year this young student just really started opening up and so in the program one of them was going back to their their home school this is the district that they come from they come from and this young person the mayor was saying right it was karaoke type thing saying to this about just how much this person is going to be missed and we just so it was kind of tear jerking and they're just listening to it and part of it so but then they also they participated the students up there had participated in uh putting some art
046together which was showing up at the Melrose Art Festival that they had and so the the board members and the superintendents were able to go and take a look at what they had. And this art is just absolutely wonderful. Some of them as far as the drawings the paintings that they they did are just really top notch. The ones that were really interesting are they call broken broken art. And the young students that had these toys and uh that that were in need of repair, but as they they broke things off, they started putting it back together. And just the designs that they came up with were just absolutely wonderful. So, it'd be something that you'd see in in say some some type of of a cartoon like a Disney would put together and and
047some of their animation type stuff there. But it did it out just really really great. So, West Contra Costa is doing very well and just helping the the students out there that that really need help. So. >> I do have one suggestion. So, um it used to be when the kids came, honestly it's my favorite time when they show up here. We always left them a little more open-ended to tell us what they think. We changed the food program in the school with disgusting food for the kids to eat because the kids told us about it. And we got it fixed and 2 years later we went back and told them that that's what happens when you speak out about something and what we can do if we know it exists. All those things were
048um they were just putting up with. Right here, that came from the kids. That didn't That wasn't spot Anybody else would have The kids did that and it came up at this meeting when the kids came, but it was like a little bit more of an open door at the end. I don't like to ask right straight out when they're not expecting a question cuz it's kind of formatted right now, but something where they can just tell us like maybe the fifth graders. So, what did you like about school? That's kind of how it started. We just kind of asked them, "Well, so what did you like about last year in school?" And it all started to develop. We got lots stuff done. From my perspective as a board member, it was really a lot
049of fun because we are taking care of the people we're supposed to be taking care of when we were responding to what their suggestions were. And there's always suggestions that maybe there's a reason we can't or whatever. I see a bunch of kids here that would have accepted that. You know, we didn't respond by any means at that meeting, but as it went through, we kept reminding these kids of things that they were successful with that they brought us that we just weren't aware of. Um life goes on. You come to your job every day, all that. Those kids have a totally different perspective. So, anyway, just a suggestion, but it's something that is on and I like to ask questions. Everybody knows that, but I don't like to put kids on the spot. >>
050Right. >> Um if it can be somehow we kind of open-ended it before. We kind of started with questions coming from the board, so they were kind of told them "The board may have some other questions." But today wasn't the day or the last few haven't been like that cuz they're real they're kind of like regulated. >> Well, I think they're they're right their intent was to share uh to >> Oh, I agree with that. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, we were I am so curious what they think. >> Yep. >> Because they're the ones that can tell us how to fix something if it should be done, what we could do to make it better, things like that. And it's not coming No offense to the management, but it's coming from the people who
051are actually concerned. And I just loved it when they did that. And one of the most fun was to show them that they could speak out, that people were listening to them, and there were results. They didn't happen very fast. >> Yeah. >> But it worked. >> But I don't think anyone else on the board was on when the kids did it that way. Sure. But um yeah, they came up with some great questions and when we had to answer, I don't know, we started asking questions and that's where it went. Sure, that's how it got changed or or we had to come back to them and say, "Sorry, because of this we can't." But how many times did we answer their questions with, "We're going to try." >> Yeah. >> Mhm. >> Yes. >>
052I think there's a multitude of ways that you can look at formatting for student feedback. And and I think there's lots of ways you can >> It turned out, however, when when we started asking questions, cuz they're kind of used to it, it got to where they were comfortable just telling us. I can remember the the apple issue. We were serving apples for lunch. Then when I asked a a friend of mine in the grocery business about those apples, he said, "Oh, those are apples the grocery stores don't buy." They cuz they can be sold really cheap. And then we wanted the kids to eat them. Well, they were ending up in the garbage can. And so we had a time where we had somebody look at what was going in the garbage can. They're
053going in the garbage can, then we shouldn't be serving something else. Turned out it was just a little bit more money we buy apples that were really good for them to eat. >> Right. >> And but it we sent uh people to classes to do the stuff. I can remember the discussion where we're going to send a bunch of the cooks in to a class to learn what tastes good. And all I said to the superintendent at that time is, "Well, any kids going along? Your taste buds are a lot different than them. So, yep, we got to meet all these rules from the government, but you better have the taste buds for those kids because the whole food program, we all know, is here because the kids can learn better if they're not hungry."
054Straight away. It's written everywhere how it whole program started. Boom. It just I just go back to that when you open ended to the kids a little bit where they feel comfortable where they and some people won't. >> Right. >> But it's amazing. All you have to do is one speak up. What I heard here with a whole bunch of students, I think what they told us if they thought something could be improved. And it wasn't about finding problems. It was how do we make it better? >> Sure. >> So >> It was kind of fun, too, because we asked about a certain food that we had heard the kids weren't eating a lot. But we asked about a certain food and none of them would speak up, but you could tell by looking at
055their faces. That one got a got a no. Anything else? No? Hearing nothing, we are adjourned. >> Okay.