001To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Hi everyone. How's everybody tonight? >> Good. And who do we have on camera back there? >> Rashane. >> Oh, nice. Welcome. Welcome, >> one of our great tech employees. >> Um, [Music] >> at this time is our public input on agenda, non-aggenda items. I welcome any member of the audience to speak. Uh, prek presentation. Come on down, Julie. [Music] So, I'm really excited tonight to be able to present on our prek program. It's been a while since we've been able to um present to the board. So, um up here we have some of our newest students down at school 12 in one of our four-year-old classrooms. I'd
002like to start as we always do with u mission statement of the district. The Troy City School District will provide a strong educational and social foundation to graduate all of our students college and career ready. And this is where it starts in pret. We're starting to build that foundation. So, we're community in our program. Um, we are funded by a grant through the New York State Education Department. We get a little over $2.2 million every year to fund our program. We currently have 177 four-year-olds and 84 three-year-olds in the program across the district. We have um that's like 17 classrooms. We have um as part of the grant you have to collaborate with agencies. They require a minimum of 10% of your allocations to go to community agencies and we currently have Sacred Heart the
003um private school in Troy as well as CEO headstart and both of them have been um partners of ours for a very long time. We have great relationships. We um great collaboration. So it's been a great um working with them since I've been here. So at Sacred Heart, we currently have four classrooms. Two classrooms for three-year-olds and two classrooms for four-year-olds. and you know 27 and 36 students. School two, we have two classrooms and one classroom for three-year-olds and one classroom for four year olds. And then at school 12 has been an amazing start to the school year. So I appreciate the support and the um across the district to be able to open like a prek center. We currently have 11 classrooms down there. We have nine four-year-old rooms and two three-year-old rooms. And
004so we have 162 students down there right now. Um so throughout we collaborate with the agencies, the teachers. So that's another great thing at school 12. Now we have the 11 classrooms. Our teachers can collaborate. We can do classroom visits to each other. We have our assistant director, Mr. Buros down there for support. We have a full-time social worker who supports preag. We have um a family advocate for CO who can support the families and the staff. Um, Head Start has additional staff. We have a supervisor through them. We have a behavior specialist that supports the classrooms. Um, and Expressive Journeys is one of our a collaborate. They provide um, music therapy for our students once a week. So, we're really excited about that. So, part of our day in prek, um, if you come
005visit us, if you go in the classrooms, it looks a little bit different than our K through2 classrooms. And a lot of times you see the kids playing. Um, this is a prek home. It's one of my favorites and I did put it in front of you. I am going to read it. Uh just playing when I'm building in the block room. Please don't say I'm just playing or you see I'm learning as I play about balance and shapes. Who knows? I may be an architect someday. When I'm getting dressed up, setting the table, caring for the babies. Don't get an don't get the idea. I'm just playing for you. See, I'm learning as a play. I may be a mother or a father someday. When you see me up to my elbows in paint
006or standing at an easel or molding and shaping clay, please don't let me hear you say he is just playing. For you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm expressing myself and being creative. I may be an artist or an inventor someday. When you see me sitting in my chair reading to an imaginary audience, please don't laugh and think I'm just playing. For you see, I'm learning as I play. I may be a teacher someday. When you see me combing the bushes for bugs or packing my pockets with choice things I find, don't pass it off as just playing. For you see, I'm learning as I play. I may be a scientist someday. When you see me engrossed in a puzzle or some play thing at school, please don't feel the time is wasted in
007play. For you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning to solve problems and to concentrate I may be in business someday. When you see me cooking or tasting foods, please don't think that because I enjoy it, it is just playing. I'm learning to follow directions and to see the differences. I may be a chef someday. When you see me learning to skip, hop, run, and move my body, please don't say I'm just playing. For you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning how my body works. I may be a doctor, a nurse, or an athlete one someday. When you ask me what I've done in school today, and I say I just played, please don't misunderstand me, for you see, I'm learning as I play. I'm learning to enjoy and be successful in
008my work. I'm preparing for tomorrow. Today I am a child and my work is play. So we do learn and we explore through play. Um we do it a lot. So this is just kind of an example of our daily schedule you may see across classrooms. Um we're lucky that we don't have transportation so our parents pick up and drop off every day. So we're able to have that communication with our families every single day. Um, breakfast and lunch we do in the classrooms in our program and it's really important because it's part of our instructional time and we build um, vocabulary. We're building language. We're having conversation. We're guiding conversation with the kids. So, our teachers sit with them during meal time and guide that conversation. Um, we have a morning meeting every day.
009It's, you know, you might see calendar. Um, it's time for the students to share, ask questions. Again, working on language and vocabulary. Um, every day we have small group instruction. So you may see three or four groups. Every classroom has a teacher and a teacher assistant in the classroom. So they're leading small groups and that is geared towards different skills we're working on. Um, everything is theme based. So you'll see the theme throughout the classroom. Um, outdoor time or gym time. We're required to do 30 minutes of gross motor activities a day. So you'll see later in the slides um, one of our playgrounds. So we go outside sometimes with structures. We might have tricycles. Um we go to the gym again, tricycles in the gym. We do hula hoops, lots of different things to
010get them moving. Um we do a readaloud every day. A lot of times we repeat the same readaloud throughout the week. And it's again based um on the theme of the week. So we spent some time over the summer um creating curriculum maps and it's in our curriculum management system with the other grade levels. Um and it's all based on theme. So, if you go into a classroom, you should be able to see whether it's all about me or transportation or community helpers, you know, throughout the center, small group and the readaloud. Um, center time is huge. As I just read, that's a lot where the play comes in. Center time is a little bit different than your small group time. It's a 60minute block of uninterrupted time where the kids kind of have free
011play, free choice. You'll have centers set up throughout the classroom which may include dramatic play. You'll have sand, water, a library time, blocks is a big one, um a math center, a science center. And the kids will rotate throughout these centers on their own, make their own choices. So, there's like a center management system in every classroom. The kids may have, you know, a star with their name on it or a popsicle stick with their picture. Um, if you want to go to the block center, there may be space for three. The kids will put their stick or anything in there. Up to three kids. If they go there and there's um three sticks there, they know I need to go choose another center. So, they kind of rotate independent. And at that time, the
012teacher is moving throughout the centers, talking with the students, engaging in conversation, asking questions, and um again building that language um and uh vocabulary with the students. And then the theme is there. We also have literacy in every center. There's writing materials. So, it's really a great time for them to learn and the teachers can really observe the students and get a lot of um feedback and take notes on how they're doing and their progress. Music and movement. If you come into our classrooms, you see a lot of go noodle, they're on the carpet singing and dancing. Um, and then we also have touchscreen Chromebooks which are wonderful in the classroom. Um, so the kids are also getting some technology. We do a closing circle and then it's time for dismissal. As I mentioned, we
013have weekly music therapy and we're also going to be starting um library once a week for the students. So, we investigate and problem solve through play. Um these are just some pictures of our little ones. So, this is a small group. Um in the beginning of the year, we're doing a lot of name recognition. Um so, typically they start with the first letter of their name as one. So, he's uh you know, cutting, pasting, fine motor skills. Here's um two one two kids at the sand table. a lot of um conversation between students. This is part of the new playground at school 12 and in the gym with some of our gross motor activities. Down here, I don't know if you can tell, but he's cutting Play-Doh. So, a lot of times we're using Play-Doh
014for sensory. They're rolling out letters, numbers, building things with it. This is um a math small group. He's taking the cubes and it's a 1 through 10. So, we're practicing in prek when they um are finished, they're supposed to know zero through five. um recognize those numbers, but we do a lot up to 10. This is uh block center is always full. If you go into a classroom, usually dramatic play in block center always full. Oops. >> It's a touch screen. >> Oh gosh. All right. Um multiple blocks. You can see back here wood blocks, magnetiles, we have soft blocks, we have cardboard blocks. You'll find farm animals. All different things in the centers. But center time is a great time to be in there. It's fun. If you ever stop by, come in, come
015during time, come play. It's a lot of fun and a lot of learning is taking place. So these are just some of the things we are using in the classroom. Um, second step is our social emotional curriculum. It's used pre-K through 8. A lot about problem solving and a lot about feelings and how to talk with one another. Integrity is used throughout the district as well. It starts in prek. It's about a 10-minute part of our day. um phmic awareness. Um my first tool book is our handwriting um program. We use handwriting without peers. So that's like a workbook they do in small groups. We use Play-Doh. They have different wood pieces and they're manipulating the letters. Um gold is our assessment. It's an online assessment. We do it three times a year and it
016takes the standards and kind of it's a continuum and you kids fall in different places and you can see growth. We take a lot of photos for evidence and a lot of notes as evidence to see where the kids are falling. Um, this ESI down here is our screening. Um, we screen every three and four-year-old as they come into the program. Um, thank you for your support for allowing our speech pathologist to come in over the summer. We screen in the screen them over the summer now as a four-year-old so that we're not waiting to the start of the school year so if there are concerns or anything, we can catch them early. Um and then these two, the classroom observation and the early child read um environmental rating scale at the Eckers, those are
017two program um observation tools that we use and we actually contract with an outside agency Bright Side Up and they come in um the class observation is for language and interaction with the teacher and the students. So they come in, they spend about two to three hours in every classroom, take notes and then they kind of get graded on where they fall and where we can improve on the language and the interactions with the um teacher and that's done twice a year and then the eers comes in and looks at the environment. So they'll actually go in and look at our blocks, make sure we don't have just 20 wood blocks, we have multiple different kinds of blocks. We have lot living things in the classroom like a plant, maybe a turtle. Um just to
018make sure that our classrooms are safe, that we're washing our hands. There's multiple. It's a long process, but we really get a lot of feedback and it's really improved our classroom environment and making sure that we have all the necessary tools the students need and age appropriate. So, this is school 12. Again, as I mentioned earlier or in the presentation, it's such an amazing year and I I just I can't say thank you enough to have 11 classrooms down in one location in one building and a center for the amount of collaboration we have, the support that we have. And a huge thank you to Mr. Hot and Mr. Jasper and the maintenance people that were there all summer doing everything. And it looks um I don't know if anyone's been to school lately, but
019stop by. It looks amazing. So, this is um a classroom on the second floor. It's actually our >> It's actually our social work room. You can see they redid the hardwood floors in the classroom. They're It looks great. This is uh the playground. It's hard. I tried to capture the whole playground, but these two structures and this little house were done I think right when school 18 came on. So, this is a prek structure meant for kids um up to age 5. This is really an elementary for 5 to 12 year olds. So when we knew we um had all of the students coming, we were hoping for additional space. So we now have a train and another structure. So um it's been amazing. It just got finished last week. So and then this laptop
020area was put in. We're hoping to get like maybe some tracks on it one day, you know, painted on so the bicycles can go down, but kids use chalky. It's so we have an awesome awesome outdoor area for the kids. Um down here you can just see the classroom that was painted. All of our classrooms are now um yellow on the f gold on the bottom and white on the top. So it's bright, inviting. That's a dramatic play center in one of our areas. This is what our hallways now look like at school 12. Um clean, fresh student workup, gray, purple. It looks I can't, you know, tell you enough how great it looks. Um and this here is our professional development room we have. So, uh, we have our instructional coach and she's able
021to lead whole whole group PD. We do, um, smaller meetings. Our staff from Sacred Heart in school too come over and we are able to have trainings, meetings, um, we look at data, everything. So, it's it's really been great. So, here's just a few more pictures. We have some block building. We have every area has like a cozy corner for reading and the library. They all look a little bit different. Um, dramatic play. We have community helpers, a little scientist down here with our animals and our magnifying glasses. Um, first day of school, and then another here's another kid at school, too, building blocks. So, I did include this. Um, currently our kind in kindergarten right now, 67% of the kids in our kindergarten attended one of our prek classrooms um last year that are
022currently in kindergarten. Um we are working really hard for that um prek to kindergarten transition. So we are now um we streamlined the registration process. So rather than registering for prek and then coming back in and register registering for kindergarten, we um parents fill out a form if they say we're coming to Troy, we're able to just roll them over to kindergarten. So they don't have to come back and go through that process. It's really it's helped it a lot. Um we do kindergarten orientation in June. We used to do it in May. We kind of moved it up to June. so we have a better idea of who's attending. It's closer to the start of the school year. Um, and then we've also started kindergarten transition meetings in the summer. So, in June, our
023instructional coach meets with every building and their kindergarten team and we're able to talk about the students that are entering, provide information. So, that's also made a smoother transition. And then in speaking with kindergarten teachers, um they've shared that, you know, they they notice when our kids have attended a prek program in Troy for those that are entering kindergarten, they're coming in ready for kindergarten. They're, you know, a lot of them know letters and numbers. A lot of them are socially ready for kindergarten. So, it's made a huge difference. So, um we're proud of the work in prek. I've been doing this now for a while, and this is the best part of my job. um if you can just tell by the pictures and I'm just so thankful for it. I thank for the
024board for the continued support for the program. So that's some pictures from graduation last year and that's because we will end the story. >> Any questions? >> Nice job. Thank you. You going for a second job >> June and July financials. >> Good evening. Um so on the agenda tonight I had financials for uh this year end um for June as well as the start of next year this current year um for July. Um all the bank accounts are reconciled and up to date. All the cash is accounted for. Uh some people slow down this summer. Our office does not. So we've been crazily working all summer long to get everything ready for audit and closing the books down for the auditors to come. Um, and they came the first week of September and I'm
025glad I said that everything went smoothly as far as my understanding is the initial response. Um, and they're going to be coming. I'm not sure of the date yet in October. One of the two um, board dates in October. Um, I have an email out to them today and I'm waiting for a response. Um, so after we got done with the audit, uh, we're moving on to, uh, submitting the SD3 so we can start getting our aid rolling, um, for this year. Um, as well as we're going to start finalizing the the grants for the 831, um, ending of the grants. And then once we're done with that, we're going to close up the ARC grants, all the CO grants, and those will be going away for forever. um hopefully not. And then lastly, I
026want to give a big shout out to the the people in my office. Um they did a really good job working through the um the year end as well as getting the orders, everything they needed. Um we had them out of there probably two and a half or three days. >> Um not a lot of questions and uh so yeah, that's all I got. So they'll be in front of us sometime. >> Yes. >> Who's on our team? >> Okay. Just make sure. Does anybody have any questions? >> Thank you very much. And thank the staff here too. Motion on the floor for approval of minutes September 4th, 2024. >> Second. >> Discussion. All those in favor? >> Opposed. Super uh superintendent recommendation human resources staff matters unclassified or classified. Under a classified motion on
027the floor consent agenda items 1 through nine. >> Second. discussion >> number. >> This is just student teacher observer. Yeah, >> observation on that is a lot going into >> um all those any more on discussion. All those in favor class under a classified motion on the floor for consent agenda items one through five. >> Second >> under discussion. Uh thank you again to the RPI, Sienna, Russell Sage for all the colleges that come in before us and help us out. Uh all those in favor recommendations programs motion on the floor to consent agenda items 1 through nine. Second >> discussion. All those in favor? Opposed? Superintendent recommendation business finance motion on the floor for consent agenda items one and two. Second under discussion uh we're going to start giving out certificates of appreciation. Teresa
028designed them uh for us and the first ones will be going out. >> I eventually would like to have some of come hand them to us. So, we're going to be giving out things like this. Uh, so we don't all have to sign. We all have the same signature. Isn't that funny? We've been working together. >> This is This is called T-Mobile, uh, Next Step Federal Credit Union, >> Choice Physical Therapy. So, which is nice. a lot of our local businesses, they they you know, they deserve a really big thank you to like uh Oh, but two of them are right here on our agenda. So, all those in favor board resolutions, business finance motion on the floor for consent agenda items one and two. >> Second. >> Discussion. All those in favor? >> Opposed?
029District announcements. future board meetings. All meetings will take place at 6:00 October 2nd at middle school October 16th. We're back at school 16 for their presentation. Um I know a lot of us have a lot going on and we only have two more meetings before our convention. So make sure everybody is giving Teresa all the information we need before we take off the convention. Do you have everything you need, Teresa? Um, I just need to confirm some training uh specifics, but everything else is taken care of. So, if you're changing your mind or anything else before she gets too far into making our itinerary, make sure that we let her know. Good news. Let's see. School tool is off to a great start. I mean this is like a 16page school. >> I know. I
030know. I was glad I'm glad you increase the the font. School two is off to a great start. Attendance looks good early in the year. The attendance rate for the first full week of school was 94%. Which is awesome for school two. Uh the city council commissioned Carol Hill fifth grades to assist in renaming of project road near the school. Each class is researching and re and learning more about their immediate community impactful events and inspirational people. They will decide on a class proposal for a new street name including the rationale based on what they learn. Pretty soon we will no longer have a 6th Avenue. I mean, I've lived here for 69 years. Everything has been renamed, you know. So, >> it's one of the choices in Browns way. >> Oh, no. No. Yeah.
031Really? I got to talk to you about that. >> Browns Road. I think that sounds good. >> Um, so each proposal will be submitted to the city for consideration. You know, I'm having dinner next week. I imagine all students and teachers are excited to work with the city of Troy on this important task. The school 16 PTA back to school bash is scheduled for Friday. Families are invited to school to celebrate the start of another school year. Thank you to school 16 PTA for putting this event together. School 18 PTA hosted a pizza and playground event on Monday, September 16th from 5:30 to 7:00. So glad this weather is holding out for us on this. Uh the event was well attended and fun was had by all um Troy Middle School is looking forward to
032the unveiling of the brand new fitness center. The equipment will be delivered next week, a week ahead of the ribbon coming on October 4th. We are excited to get our students into the fitness center soon. Let's see. Our fall sports season is off to He has like an electric start. I would never say that. Our fall sports season is off to a great start. >> Uh our first games in Colio Council, boys and girls soccer have both won multiple games and the golf team is off to one of the their best starts in years. Girls swimming had a huge win over Shaker last week, winning all two events at the meet. And after a winless season last year, drum roll varsity football was undefeated with wins over Johntown and Mo. The athletic scholar uh scholarship
033full schedule is available online. Let's go, Troy. And you know, I would say, does anybody have good news? Now, before I pick on anybody, does anybody have good news? So, Rich, how is everything? He has never done that. How is everything? >> Fantastic. [Music] I didn't talk much of my life, but I think I think we would say I tell you I've been on the school board a long a long time and really I have not gotten any complaints from I mean I hear from teachers and all that but it's as good as it's ever >> right. parents have not been knocking at my door or calling me or anything. So, >> well, those guys have done a great job. I mean, I got down there a couple weeks ago and you know, we love
034Mario. He's our guy. We got some nicknames already over here. Mario and I are have been dubbed the Mario Brothers. Um, but he he he does an unbelievable job and um you know, we're just working through some things and um it's going great. It really is >> a lot of work. >> Good job. >> I want to shout out to Rich. He's given Mario a lot of credit, but I've been doing the McKini Vento stuff for our school for a long time, and it has never been that smooth at the beginning of the year. So, your organization is bringing a lot there. >> So, should I leave it at that? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Two words, yonder pouches. >> It is a game changer. It is night and day. Um the kids the uh we
035were talking about earlier that there's just less tension. There's just less everything in the building. Um the kids are really different. It's night and day different. Um, we dealt with a situation that went through text messaging and it occurred at 3:36 p.m. So, it just it really is a game changer. It is night and day in our building. The hallways, the cafeteria, the classroom, the kids are engaged. They're looking up having conversations. It is night and day different. It is the best thing we've done. That's the only thing I can think of is like the cafeteria would be you know really worth every M say anything >> 100% >> are you hear a lot of none of us are at least I haven't heard anything from parents >> we had a couple discounters in the
036summer but since school start >> I'll just say it's the opposite I've had multiple parents that I've called for different situations and they've said thank you for this. My kid is feeling different. My students, you know, the students students have come to me at first they're like this, you know, we were so upset at first, but now we realize how much we weren't engaged. Um, so hopefully it stays that way, but uh we're definitely seeing a lot more positives, not just from our end, but also from the students and the teachers of course as well. Um, the hallways are actually quieter because kids aren't doing or aren't paying attention or aren't they're not late anymore because they're not stopping at lockers, texting on the phone. They're just going to their classes. So, there's a lot
037of positives that are coming out of it that we really >> Can I ask a question on that? Have you guys gotten any feedback that like when the kids are at home, they're using the cell phones less as well? >> I I haven't directly, but I haven't heard that they're using it more at home either. It's not like they're getting home and spending more time. So, um, that that we haven't gotten yet. That feedback we can definitely look into, but >> no, I'm just I mean it just sounds great. Yeah. >> And you watch the kids leave and it's funny cuz you watch 1100 kids leave the building and we have all the states and go and some of them get it and they're on it and it's their thing. Majority don't. They open it.
038They don't go they don't even pull it out. It's It's pretty amazing to see. >> It's awesome. >> Yeah. >> Very cool. >> Wow. home now. >> Excellent. >> Yay. Um, okay. So, Jenny, you're back there all nice and quiet. You know what's going on, school. So, as many of you may have seen on social media, Troy High School graduate Gina Robinson, >> she was subbing in our building for the first seven days of school. >> And we were able to have the good fortune to celebrate her going to Florida, I believe, this week to start um training with this well, very famous known boxing. um trainer and then she'll begin her pro career. >> That was a nice >> you know the the fanfare was was wonderful but what was most wonderful was that
039you know the kids didn't know most of the staff didn't know who Jada was right who Jada was and who she's going to be. So when they found out the day before because we were trying to keep it a secret for her mom and Mr. Carmelo, they were just like, "Oh my gosh." You know, they just couldn't believe it. And she made a mark on our children as a as a human being, as a young, mature, such a mature high school graduate from Fly High that, you know, we were just thrilled that, you know, she made an impact in so many of our children >> and then that her send off just kind of like, you know, gave them something to aspire to and to look up to someone here. So um it was purely
040you know our our privilege and joy. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> She was with you. >> She's phenomenal. Like she is a she's the real deal. >> She's wonderful. >> You like >> and such a strong woman like role model for our girls and and she was just awesome. >> I want her back. I'm going to fight >> Does anybody have anything? >> Just with the Jada thing, my daughter Harper, she's in kindergarten. She came home that day and she was watching me. [Music] She met. >> Okay. Motion on the floor to adjourn. Second discussion. All those in favor? >> Thank you everyone. [Music]