001I'll be Nothing that says yes to the father of heaven. One nation under God, indivisible for all. to approve the minutes of the February 9th. Motion by Sarah by second by Tara. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Motion to approve the minutes of the February 23rd, 2026 board of education meeting. Motion by Chris, second by Sarah. Any discussion? All in favor? Any opposed? >> That's okay. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Okay. Motion to accept a CSC, CPSC, and 504 report. Motion by Sarah. >> Second by Kim. Any discussion? All in favor? Any opposed? Carries. We have one agenda change. We do. Repl. We're gonna add and it's motion to appoint Allison G as a non tennis coach for the JCSTA contract. Um financials we had general fund expenditures, lunch school expenditures
002and lunch report um to look over in our packets this week. There any questions? One question probably there hadn't been a huge huge number of them but is that kind of coinciding? Did you have anything to point out? >> No. Um, I did want to mention electricity school districts, they are going to be doing a reconciliation. So, we'll see how that we're in the consortium. So, it's spread out among all of us. We'll see what happens over anybody else any questions. Visitor comments. Okay. Um we have English department presentation by Mr. Trump. Uh so quickly just some strengths for 2026. Um some opportunities for growth and uh just sort of bring up to speed what's going on at this point. First is students. Um we continue to have just really engaged students. We're offering college
003class um for our seniors. Um and uh yeah, all of our students are doing generally really well. Um other strengths, incredible support for uh the English department from administration and team leaders um in terms of getting textbooks and um being able to uh provide opportunities for our students. Um there's really it's great this year. It's always been amazing with special ed. Um but uh having Jody push in this year into seventh grade has been really both educational for me but it's helped me tremendously uh with some of our students in seventh grade with particular needs and then um obviously Shannon Stone in high school special. Uh again, this year, Erin continues to support English with helping um specifically with resourcing uh not just multimedia, but also pushing in for any research and citations and all
004that. So, that's been great. And obviously our guidance uh this year um I think our regent scores we just had we changed the regents to taking it in January and I'll show you our scores in just a second but they sort of show the strength of the curriculum. Um so yeah so this is the New York state level of how they establish sort of the five levels. Um so five is students performing at this level leader uh meet the expectations of the English language arts uh learning standards with distinction. And I'm just calling that out because when you see this is our schools we had 25 kids and 21 of them period performed at the level five this year um which was really incredible. So um we had uh two students perform at the level
005four and then we had uh two students perform at level two and one uh at level one. Um these are students that do have what's called the saving. Is that right? So um they're in line to meet the graduation. Is that fair? So, just to sort of give you, but we moved it to January so that we could if we had to have have students retake it um in June and be able to prep them up. And that's really been it's really helped our students truly. So now instead of taking it in June and then they don't like their score, then they have the whole summer and then they're into a new class and then in January, following year they go to retake. Um this has really helped us. So really grateful. uh some challenges.
006There's this thing called artificial intelligence and it's particularly challenging uh for English teachers. Uh so um you might not know this but it can write a whole paper and I cannot tell if the student wrote it except if they use the word I don't know except I say or something but generally it's incredible what AI is doing obviously in our world but um this has been a huge challenge for English or I mean I think across the board um we're kind of leaning into Uh so for instance right now my my 10th my 10th grade they're using AI to build a presentation and then they have to fact check kind of check the AI but it is changing things. I I it's crazy. Um another challenge uh is independent reading and our students just are
007not reading like we encourage them to do that. It's it's part of the greater reporter and even with being able to listen to it and having a variety of ways to to assess it they a lot of them just take the zero with that and I think it has a lot to do with I'd have to ask you guys you guys am I wrong am I right or wrong on that Gregory N >> yeah so continue to encourage it uh and such um the other challenge I think that we have is in English this year 2025 26 we don't have any electives so both myself and Kayla Hill are just flat out so you know I I you know in the past we used to be able to teach creative writing uh poetry journalism all
008sorts of electives and we just you know that's bringing that to you all I don't know what you do about it but that's a bit of a challenge and I think it's a challenge for our students um some opportunities uh One of them is so we have new standards the the regions is getting changed slightly for June um based on the nextG standards. Um our use of technology uh we have great support using Brisk which is a compliant >> 2D compliant um AI and that's been really helpful um trying to figure out how to use it how how students use it as well. Um getting back to the challenge of the independent reading, we have developed a variety of other ways to assess independent reading other than just the dreaded acceler accelerated reader. So students
009can do presentations, they can do writeups. I've done more interviews of students who have read books this year than I ever have. So um that has been really helpful. Um and we continue to explore uh sort of crossing over the curriculum with projects in other uh other departments. >> Yeah. >> Questions concern. That's sort of an overview. >> Um speaking of AI say that they use AI but they say you know like how do you how do you go from there? methods. I mean, I'm not I'm not asking like how do you scold them about it, but like how do you get on that because ultimately they're only hurting themselves if they're not doing any of the work. >> Absolutely. So, the AI program that we use, which is called Brist, it actually inspects their
010writing. So, you can see, so let's say we assign 500word written response on a book we read or a poem or something of that kind. You can see that most students an hour and a half to write that and it shows you every one of their keystrokes. When a student pushes in like on that assignment and they do it in 30 seconds and we can and like we have this report, it just says, "Oh, you wrote this in 30 seconds." It's incredible. The other thing it does is it it actually says it's it doesn't say this is AI. It says highly likely or unlikely. So, it gives us kind of a report. And then what I do in my comments and conversation with them is hey think about this language. Um certain assignments we do
011use AI like we we know it's a tool. We want them to use it and employ it but um yeah it's a conversation. Um right now it's more conversational. It's not unitive in any way. Um but yeah, it's like I don't know, probably dating myself here, but like I distinctly remember being in my um algebra class in back in the 1900s and graphing calculators had just come out and our teachers like you can't use this. You got to do all the and I remember thinking this is like not using a car. This is so I get where the students are coming from, but they have to be able to use it effectively. And probably folks who noticed it's being employed incredibly in the workplace. So, if they know how to use it, um but it's
012a conversation right now. challenges getting the kids to still have credit and be able to do the research while still >> yeah the other thing we've done I will say this is that I've never in what 24 years I'm doing more hit handwritten assignments now and I really wish we were teaching penmanship cursive but like we're back to that for certain assignments and the regent is written so like it sounds crazy but our students They have to write for two hours. Their hands are like they're always complaining about their hand. So >> yeah, >> like in a written report, do they do a good job? >> Everything. They can take my they can take the rubric with all of my questions and put it into an AI and then say, "Write this paper at the
013fifth grade level or the seventh grade level or the ninth grade level or 11, whatever it is." And then they can it it puts it out. It's Yeah, it's incredible. And then all citations. Oh, you want Chicago citations? Oh, you want MLA citations? I don't know what right or It's amazing. >> We've seen it in the elementary school, but we're also introducing it to them as a tool. >> Yeah. Yeah. It has to be a conversation, right? And honestly, like this is what like I said, the strength of John. I mean, like I love our students and they're completely honest. Like, yeah, we're using it. No, we're not. Like they will straight out just tell. I'm like, did you guys AI this assignment? cuz I can't believe some of you and they're like, "Yeah, we
014just want to get it done." I'm like, "Okay, that one's a part of the we got let's do a different Yeah, but it's it's Yeah, Chris, it's >> I don't know. >> Yeah. Where was it? >> I know. Is it possible that some kids I don't want to phrase a better phrase for this, but like dumb it down in order to not sound like AI. >> No, they're >> they can do that. >> Yeah, they could do that. It's very hard and it's like I can't I can't tell who tells you. >> But it's just a conversation and it's like what you just said honestly. It's like this. You still need to be able to write and think, speak intelligently, listen, like all those things. So, how is this going to help you or not
015help you? So I mean it's a conversation I think. >> Yeah. >> Stephen just have two quick question one question. Um I remember we were talking and half ago maybe about AI and it was not only us and the school board but seemed like the whole state or most of the country got self policy incorrect 10 15 years ago >> and it seems to do over with AI had we you know embrace it but not >> I don't know what the answer is >> I think it's a conversation with students honestly ly like this is what's great about Johnsburg in our classrooms like you can have this conversation and then students will say at least I feel like they will say >> yeah this isn't working or this is like >> just take the phone
016policy I'm sure you all have heard this but none of the students like when I act when when I had real conversations with them they're like no this is better you know yeah like they were not like no they knew that this that this thing wasn't good for them like we all do um So I think it's just having a real conversation with them. >> Well, I'm grateful that for the way that we can engage with our students that you can talk about. >> Yeah. >> Rather than having hide behind others who slip through the cracks somehow like I'm sure that happens. So I'm glad that you are having >> Yeah. And if they if student AI something we have that conversation then I'm not like I mean I didn't go down to I think
017this year I didn't have anything. I just had a conversation and had him rewrite or what do you want to do? How do we make this better? >> Um the you discussed um you know the idea that we couldn't offer this currently like this in English what what one would you prioritize like if all of a sudden there was two spots open up there should be one >> I think it would well first of all I think for Kayla. It'd be great for her to, you know, to have an elective. I think that's a really fun thing to have as a new teacher. I think I mean, there's a huge push for non-fiction. I mean, like you see a lot of that. So, maybe in that wheelhouse. I know Shannon had incredible success with writing.
018The students, we have a whole bunch of writers, students that are emerging writers that want to write and we'll do little blips of creative writing, but we don't really have a full class. I know I can think of right off the top of my head six or eight students that would sign up for read writing. I >> Am I wrong on that? Shannon. >> Yeah. Yeah. We love just Yeah, we would love to and I know we tried to do with the distance learning lab. I think that there's that distance, you know, I think that was a good at least attempt at a solution. Yeah, but I think about >> they feel miss. It's really hard. >> So, >> yeah. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. What am I missing? >> All right. Questions. >> Okay.
019You guys are What are you doing? >> Are you serious? >> Wait, I have your It's the song and dance thing, right? >> Yes, it's your turn. >> Thank you so much. I have nothing to show you. I apologize. I was supposed to keep it short though, but thanks Steve. >> Just to piggy back up AI connected here with England. Um, I always remember professors telling me several years ago, we need to remember as educators like we love the pen and paper how we used to, you know, do our writing, do our math. That's not the way anymore. So, we have to remember as educators, we need to teach to the kids futures. And unfortunately, some of us don't like the AI. But again, it's tool and I think it's very useful. I use it
020as a professional. I love it. Makes great great comments for me when I'm like stuck on things. Emails makes you think about things. I can tell you my kids in their professions use it. So, it is that in the elementary though we're not quite there. We're just introducing little bits and pieces. I'm talking as um elementary coordinator. Um, in a nutshell, anything that has to do with the elementary, if it's not administration, it's myself and now Janelle, this is her first year doing one of the coordinator positions. We wear lots of hats. We do lots of fitness. Um, I feel like this job continuously builds and nothing gets taken out of the job. I build the job duties. We're always adding more. Um, love working with Janelle this year. We have very similar thoughts especially
021programs curriculum. So it's been nice to have some thoughts off of she's with the upper elementary the lower we all have to build upon the things that we're doing starts the bottom to the top and with her having her experience in the upper elementary myself more so in the lower elementary it's been nice to see that transition. We're obviously in a huge transition area this year with principal superintendent. Just got Kathy on board showing her everything in the elementary and then she goes into superintendent. So when we get a new principal I think will play a big part in that as well as well as hopefully Heather staying on and doing her part but which she's knowledgeable momentary. As far as what we do, one thing that we do a lot of we have monthly
022meetings with our teams. We meet with all of our teachers and educators. Janelle and I will meet often, meet with administration when needed. Um, one big thing this year that we're heading up is looking at our benchmark assessments, which we do three times a year, which is the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, and the end of the year, showing growth of students. And then on top of that, we are looking at a new ELA program. Our contract is up and we are working Janelle and I Kathy and Heather and we're also working with Boseies. We've been to numerous conferences to make um that next step with a new program with obviously the new standards. It's a lot because when this is a generally the prek six that's a lot of levels
023and that's a lot of material and content that you really have to look at. Um, let's see. I do the elementary theme, which is our pre-K3 theme. And we have month assemblies. We do trimester awards for the kids, organized prizes, t-shirts, so working with different companies, ordering things from the business office. Not losing her mind, but the requisition's coming in. Um, organized park, which is this month, that's pick a reading partner. We work also with the English department is one of my favorite ones. The high school kids come down read with the younger kids and that's always cute to see especially with siblings. It's really it's fun. And then we have some community readers that come in little prizes. Um I do this year uh we working with Janelle closer with us too is the
024master schedule for the elementary military. Uh that in itself is a huge chore because we have to work with special ed, we have to work around the 712 school, we have lunches, we have to work around the kids coming back and forth from OCE. So that depends on where we can have certain like PE classes in art and then you have to work on like being in the high school also pushes into sixth grade sometimes. You have to work that schedule. So that's a lot of collaborating then that is in the very beginning stages for next year. >> Um I work with the guidance office as well to set our report card dates and our benchmark dates. Um everything that you see in the job that Cindy puts out once a month once a month
025for the district that has to do with prek that comes from me with the character words student of the month any of the trimester the beginning of the month is kind of really busy because you have all of that stuff happening. Um, hund day of school, flag day, like I said, you name it, we kind of oversee it and run it. We've got some things for next year that we're hopefully going to be able to do and incorporate. I don't want to give away yet. Um, you know, every year it seems like we're trying to do something more and more benefit for the kids. This year we did the mystery reader and been there. That's been fun. Um, it's it's a busy job is what I'm going to say. I feel like the job has
026become more of a job than a coordinator thing. But, um, yes, I love it. I like the curriculum side of it, coordinating stuff. I like working with everybody, teachers. I think this is my up here doing my turn. How many? Yes. >> Okay. So, that's good. You guys have questions for me or do you want to wait until Janelle's done? Then you can ask maybe both of us. We can ask answer questions that way. Okay. So, like Kim said, this is my first year doing this. It's been quite the learning experience. Um, like she mentioned, we have monthly meetings with Kathy and Heather. We go over curriculum, programming, general questions, concerns. Um, we also met with Abigail Turot this year to go over our map review. Um, just constant communication primarily with grades four through
027six about curriculum scheduling, reminders, important dates. I love receiving all these funding. Um, I worked with sixth grade this year to order their online component for their nitty-gritty science program. And I also just finished wrapping up with fifth grade to get a new science curriculum for them um that's more online um friendly for the students and teachers and all these components will load which is exciting. Um this year we also had Helena Williams come in and she visited with grades four through six to share her amazing journey about becoming a falconer. The students really really enjoyed that and it was nice because it we were able to incorporate it into the both uh fifth and sixth grade science curriculum that was happening at the time. um fourth through sixth grade has an updated honor roll
028and high honor roll board located outside the science room. So um students who have who achieved honor roll or high have their name featured along with their picture. So this is a nice little um addition to our hallway and the information is also included in the jings as well. Um this year Kim and I also worked on switching our um current typing program to um handwriting and the same program that we're using for handwriting and cursive. So we're using typing without tears to go along with handwriting um without so we are doing >> it's awesome. >> Um this year I organized too good for drugs. This is a case six and the health program that from the council for prevention from December 1st to December 10th. So each class had eight sessions. K through 2
029grade had eight 30 minute sessions and third through six participated in eight 40 minute sessions. This program worked on social emotional skills to resist peer pressure, tobacco, alcohol and other drug use. And then each grade focused on age appropriate situations and strategies for these students to help um use these skills in real life situations. Um Battle of the Books was very time consuming this year and very different than what we're used to. So the uh beginning rounds took place at each school district that participated. The teams competed using an online platform called Near Pop using um a program called Time to Climb. So they had to students had to individually answer questions. So the first round was um not time, the second round was time and then they took their scores as a team and
030averaged them out. Um so that took place in February and then um fifth grade did travel to Sunni out of Roundback last Tuesday because there were so many technical challenges in their uh virtual round. So Bosei said let's give these kids a fair chance and go to Sunni round back. Our team did make it to the semi-finals which was really really nice to see and it kind of it was just nice to have the experience of being in real life rather than have the kids be in virtual. It was wasn't the same experience. So hopefully for next year the host can figure something out so we can go back to the inerson experience. Um we also have a new logo for our battle shirts this year which was AI Um, and then in November, grades
0313 through eight met with the science department to go over the New York State science investigations. And this is just saying that all teachers must be certain that all students have successfully completed the required investigations before they take the fifth or eighth grade science test. And then completion of the investigations just prepares students for the written test by providing hands-on opportunity to show what they've learned in the science. And then the group also um we changed where we're storing all of our resources which Sarah F graciously offered to take on. And then as a group, we're creating a checklist travel with all the students from grades three to eight so that we can ensure that all the kids are completing the science investigations. Um so if we have students that transfer to different districts within
032New York State, we can easily give other schools this information just like other schools have reached out to Johnsburg looking for this information about students as well. Um like Kim said, we're looking into um for the I Ready. This is kind of all started in October when I went to a diagnostic ELA and math program. We currently use the I read math diagnostic program and we're looking to expand to using the ELA diagnostic program which provides information about uh awareness, phonics, high frequency words, vocabulary and reading comprehension and this is for fiction and non-fiction text. So currently what we're using is for our web styles that gives us the students reading. using the I Ready Diagnostic will give us all of those sticks. And then the diagnostic takes the program and it um tailors what
033each student is doing into their own pathway and then those students can individually work on their pathway without other students knowing what level they're at. So it's a really really powerful program for that. And then in December and at the end of February, Rachel Kim and I attended a magnetic ready conference for local schools that are piloting the new program. There's several BOSI schools that are piloting at Argyle, um, Galloway, Onsburg, US. Um, and Rachel in kindergarten has started piloting her new program. She's very happy with the program. She's been sending weekly updates about how things are going, inviting the teacher staff to come down to see um their projects that they just created. Um their first one was picking what store they'd like to go to. And on March 20th, a representative from both
034states is coming in to observe Rachel and see how well the program is going. question. >> Just to piggy back off of Janelle with the I'm ready and my pathway in case you're not familiar with it. Um, our teachers are very excited for it because it's supposed to be done 45 minutes a week for ELA and math, not all in one setting. 15 minutes a day, 15 minutes a day, but it's individualized instruction. So, many you get in your class for a half hour day for ELA and math, they're getting their own individualized instruction, something that I would not be able to do oneonone for the kids. So, it really is just their pathway and almost 7% they said or 82% of how well they do on those tests is reflective of what their state
035scores are, which is very high. I'm just see how it goes. questions. >> Thank you very much. >> We will move on to items for discussion and or action. Motion towards promotion for Rachel bachelor plus fix as per the JCSDA contract. >> Motion by Chris, second by Sarah. Uh any discussion? You may have remembered that we actually approved this at our last meeting, but that's because it was listed incorrectly as NA. She has a so we have to revoke on this. Um all in favor I any opposed carries motion to accept the donation of $56,71.73 from the estate of David A. Motion by Sarah, >> second by Tara. Any discussion? >> What will this be used for? >> Um that is something that we cannot decide. It is recommended that it is used for the
036good of the students. Uh Mr. Mar was a science teacher in the 1960s. I think he was here for a year. Uh I looked it up. Um, so it it'll go into a trust and the recommendation is even though nothing was uh left in the letter. Um, we spoke to Scott and it is suggested that SC does not have to be a scholarship. It could be a program. It could be, you know, not a routine. Not a routine but something for the good of the students but it does not have to be so discussions will help >> yes and hopefully when we decide and we actually implement it we can have some kind of a some kind of a ceremony just thanking and dedicating that donation um all in favor Any opposed? Stay carries. Motion
037to appoint Garrett Waldron as a volunteer coach for the boys modified baseball team for the 2025 2026 school year. >> Motion by Irwin, second by Toro. Any discussion? >> Uh Mr. Waldron um coached in Little League before and Joe and Tom are the modified coaches and so we're asking for him to a volunteer. All in favor? Carries. Motion to appoint Brooke thistle as a co- coach for the modified girls softball coach for $1,000 siphon for the 2025 2026 school year. Motion by Sarah, second by Kim. I think I heard. Um any discussion? Uh the girls uh modified softball is about 22 to 24 goals this year. Um so Shach has asked for assistance so they can be sharing. >> So would that be how do they do they have a plan for doing like a
038team? >> Yeah, the discussion has been possibility like a green team or a blue team or something to that effect. Once they come up, I think there is a team meeting next week to kind of go over the ins and outs. >> True enough, one assistant. Is that I mean, >> well, I think Yeah, I think they're going to go over literally what some schools have done is the green team plays one and then the next game the blue team plays. So depending on how they divide it up, I'm not exactly sure, but that was one of the ideas still. >> Any other discussions? All in favor? >> I opposed carries. Motion to accept the resignation of Terrence Ward, bus driver effective June 30th, 2026. >> Motion by Tara. Second by Irwin. Any discussion? All
039in favor? >> I post. Motion to appoint Alison as a modified tennis coach for the JCST contract for the 2026 school year. Motion by Sarah, >> second by Tara. Any discussion? Just a reminder. So, do we have any visitor comments? Updated reports. Have any Um so we had talked about the um needing to vote for Audra the official and Mrs. a couple of conversations. Um we're going to have the student government. So the hopes that would stay on next year show the roads to candidates but that the 9 through 12 student body exit the next year. So that have the any number of students kind of filling their votes. We did talk about there might be a time where there's a really small class. We have had that conversation. just our host and then tomorrow
040at 8:00 so our 13 students are enjoying their trip in Spain teachers our daily pictures. >> I haven't even say 10 minutes. >> Not a lot today. >> Yep. So, we'll continue posting those updates on Facebook. Um, couple other accomplishments since we're not that um seem mentioned the battle of books, so I won't say that again. We had student custom last um last Monday. Um and he uh went for the music advocacy advocacy day down in Albany. We called sugar day um to represent our school. Um that goes along with the um um table ensemble that you were part of in the fall. Um, we had our New York State Bullseye tournament in Syracuse. 12 archers went and represented our our school that was this past Friday. Uh, we had a fourth grader, Wyatt May,
041who took an eighth overall with the elementary males and he qualified for the nationals in um in Kentucky later in the spring. We also had a student Ryan Fin who received a sports research scholarship. Um we have some art students who are being recognized through the high museum during art show and Kegan Mum um at this point are all semicronic and may even advance beyond that. a great way to see how far they're going to go. And um we had staff today on Friday that was successful. I think that's all. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Committee reports. >> We have a community. Um, so the community relations, we talked about continued collaboration between our school and the community with programs such as the backpack program and clean up the town. Um, we also are continuing
042the social media presence honoring our students and their accomplishments. Um, we're also looking into senior recognition banners for all of our sports so the seniors can be recognized. And as Kathy had mentioned, we were establishing a plan for electing next year's school student uh board members. And then we talked about possibly inviting them to the summer retreat. So today I talk for a little bit. Um are there any other We had a final committee meeting tonight. We are we just submitted a second draft of our policy handbook and we should be getting it back in May June. a little bit. Hopefully, it will be back to pass by July tonight. We're still just waiting on definite numbers, but we're just looking for >> any other um we both of our student board members are in
043Spain so we Community topics. We did not have any visitors last month. So there are no community topics. Upcoming dates, April 3rd through 12th is our spring break. April 14th are SATs. April 15th and 16th for New York State ELA testing. April 8th is CASMA. April 21st is our next meeting at 6 p.m. And we have a motion to adjourn. Motion by Sarah, >> second by all in favor. Any opposite. Are you here?