001I'd like to call this meeting to order. May I have a first? Okay. A second. Lumar. All in favor? Um, let's have a a motion to adjour to executive session for the purposes of personnel >> negotiation >> and negotiation. May I have first? Lisa, I second. Mark, all in favor? The board has returned. Excuse me. >> Excuse me. Good evening everybody. Hi. The board has returned from executive session and there were no actions taken. Can I have a motion to open the meeting first? Alex second, Lisa. All in favor, let us rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Each meeting we hear from students
002from different buildings about all the wonderful events going on at their locations. As we begin the 2526 school year, we are pleased to welcome students from the Lloyd Harbor School. [Applause] Good evening, members of the board of education. My name is Jack Maluso, and I am this year's Lloyd Harbor Student Council President. This is This is Blake Sabatino, the vice president, Connor Leopard, the treasurer, and Carter Mullen, the secretary. We are all very excited for this year. It is going to be amazing. This year's student council theme is going to be kids helping kids. Kids helping kids is really important because um because all of us at LHS learn more about kindness and empathy for each other. Over the next few weeks, LHS students will be picking their new class representatives. We if you want
003to run, you will make a speech to your class. After everyone says their speeches, the whole class will vote for two people to represent that class. We also have a group of sixth grade ambassadors who these are the other kids who ran for these positions. They will help us find the other repres other representatives by thinking of new ideas and helping us plan different fundraisers. We are looking forward to our first meeting in October so we can start making some official plans. We know it's going to be a great year. [Applause] Hello, my name is Connor Leopard. I'm the treasurer for Lloyd Harbor's student council. First, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to speak to you tonight. As part of being a student council, my fellow officers, my fellow officers and I
004have the responsibility to help out with LHV. As many of you know, LHV is the daily morning news show at Wood Harbor School. We share information about events that are going on school, such as fundraisers, fun Friday jokes, or pajama day. I actually love pajama day because I could roll right into school from my bed without even changing. But the only downside, my mom still makes me brush my teeth. In addition to school's updates, we also use the morning to say the pledge of allegiance and sing a patriotic song. I'm still new to LHV, although people from the past student councils taught me a thing or two last year. My fellow officers and I learned how to use and work the sound check, switch cameras, and scroll the speeches on a teleprompter. I've really enjoyed
005doing student council with my friends and getting to spend each morning together on LH TV. When I was younger, I always enjoyed watching LTV and sometimes going on LTV to see to see how everything works. I hope to share the same experience for the younger students who have the same interest in I do in student council. [Applause] [Music] Hello, I'm Blake Sabatino for the LHS stu I'm and I'm the LHS student council vice president. I am happy to be here and share all the amazing things coming up at Lloyd Harvard School this year. I'll be telling you about some of the events planned in the upcoming months. We have some great ideas for the fall festival that will be on Halloween. We're going to try to ask the PTG if we can help brainstorm ideas
006for the fall festival. We are also looking forward to back to school night so all the parents can meet their child's teachers and we can show them around the school. for back to school night. The students in each classroom will have made something for their parents. One fundraiser LHS has had in the past we hope to also have this fall. That's treats for the troops collection at Halloween. We will also be having multiple spirit days throughout the year. Each Friday, we ask that students wear their LHS attire to show their appreciation for our school. Once a month though, we will also have something special like Disney Day. We are still brainstorming, taking suggestions for upcoming spirit days. At our first official student council meeting in October, we hope to vote on those special spirit days
007for the rest of the year. We are looking forward to meeting all the new students and showing them all the great things at Lord Harbor School. We're excited to have a fun year at Lord Harbor. Hi, I'm Carter Melon. I'm the LHS student council secretary. I will be talking about some of of the school spirit days and fundraisers we do during the school year. Blake mentioned that during the school year, we have a spirit day. We have spirit days once a month to show our school pride. Later in the year, probably near spring break, we're going to have a full week of spirit days with ideas like sports jersey day, crazy hair hat day, and decades day. One new idea we had was crazy sock day and we hope to hear other fun ideas from
008the sixth grade ambassadors and new class representatives in coming weeks. Every year some of our fundraisers fundraisers focus on helping others at holidays. For example, we will host a Thanksgiving food drive where everyone brings in cans or boxes of food for a local charity like the helping hands rescue mission. One idea we have to get more students involved could make could be making a friendly competition between the different grade levels. For the winter winter holidays, we plan to put together a toy drive so we could collect new toys for kids who might not get as many gifts as we do. This is just one of the ways that we can emphasize a theme of kids helping kids. We are eager to kick off our school year as Lloyd Harbor's student council officers. We look forward
009to reporting back on these goals when we represent at the board meeting in January. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the the district and school websites to see how kids are helping kids at LHS. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, guys. Board have any questions? Are you allowed to tell us what some of your ideas are for the fall festival or are you holding on to that until your meeting with the PTG? >> We're going to wait for the PTG. >> Okay, that's fair. We look forward to seeing what you what you accomplish. >> This meeting's recorded, so that's good. >> Keep it secret. >> We'll take a picture with him. >> Sure. >> Karen, would we take a picture with him? >> Wait, any other questions? >> I have a question. All
010right, >> this is for the new president. >> What do you plan on accomplishing during your first hundred days in office, >> Mr. President? >> Make everyone feel welcome. [Applause] Thank you. [Applause] Cute colors. All right. As president of the board, here are my updates to the public. We are pleased to be back for our first board meeting since welcoming students to a new year of school. The halls are once again filled with energy as students have jumped right into their classes, activities, clubs, and sports. In just the first week, we've hosted two athletic code of conduct meetings and the annual safe driving presentation for our seniors, helping to ensure a safe and smooth start to the school year. Tonight, we are looking forward to hearing reports from our principles and athletic director who is
011not with us tonight um highlighting the many exciting developments across the school. We're also excited to share a key improvement to our campus, the new traffic light at the high school entrance. It is fully operational and already making a noticeable difference. Yes. So exciting. In just the first week, it's improved both safety and efficiency, creating a smoother experience for staff, parents, and students. What was once a daily challenge during peak traffic is now a streamlined process, saving time and reducing stress for our entire school community. We are also delighted to welcome back our exceptional faculty and staff whose dedication and hard work continue to make our school so excellent. We also thank our administrators for their efforts in ensuring a smooth start to the school year, keeping everything running efficiency efficiently from day one. Finally,
012we thank our families and community members for their continued support. Your partnership is essential and we look forward to a wonderful year ahead. Thank you. >> Thank you, Heather. Good evening, members of the board of education, students, staff, families, and members of our community. Welcome to the September 9th Board of Education meeting. I come before you tonight filled with excitement as we begin a new school year together. Each September brings with it energy, fresh beginnings, and a renewed quest for knowledge. Already, I've seen students beaming with enthusiasm, whether in classrooms, music rooms, athletic fields, or simply among friends. All the buildings were a buzz with authentic conversations and eagerness to learn and grow. As I enter my 30th year in education, I cannot help but feel a deep sense of optimism about the future. On
013a personal note, my youngest son just graduated from college, and now both of the little boys my wife and I once held so close are now fine young men working, paying their own bills, thriving, and contributing members to our country. When I walk the halls of our schools here in Cole Spring Harbor, I see the same spark of potential in our students that I saw in my own children. It is a reminder of why we do the work we do and why it matters so much. In just a few minutes, we'll hear from each of our building principles as they share reflections on how the year has begun in our schools. I will share Miss Manino's update on the fall sports season as he was called away this evening on a family matter. I'm especially
014proud of last week when we welcomed our very first UPK kindergarten class to Light Harbor this year alongside our UPK students at Gooseill Primary. It was truly heartwarming to see our youngest learners take their very first steps into the culting harbor community. Later this week, we'll continue our annual remembrance of heroes on September 11th of from 2000, excuse me, September 11th, 2001. Our students engage in lessons and conversations about the day and lasting impact. I encourage all who are able to attend the Clos Harbor Fire Department's ceremony Thursday evening, September 11th at 6:45 in the park across from the firehouse. Our student musicians will once again lend their talents to the solemn and meaningful event. At our recent PTG events, a recurring theme has been communication with parents. Families shared thoughtful feedback on how we
015continue to connect and keep them informed. It is clear that strong consistent communication is a top priority among our schools. for the PGD meeting still to come. This will remain an important topic, ensuring every parent has a chance to share their perspectives, ask questions as we work together to strengthen our partnership. I'm pleased to report that the new traffic light at the junior senior high school has been a tremendous success. Yes, wait times leaving the campus have been drastically reduced and most importantly, the intersection is much safer, especially for our new drivers. Having been part of the discussion of this light for nearly two decades, I am proud how this board came together and made it happen. Looking ahead, in about a month, our students who travel to Normandy will take part in a civics
016conference at Nassau Community College titled Civics through Normandy. They will host a panel discussion taking questions from audience members while other students participate and learn about the importance of civic engagement. We are so proud of their work learning not only the history of World War II but also the lessons of defending democracy against tyranny. I want to again thank the Coulsman Harpet community for supporting the remembrance bowl, the Normandy trip and operation democracy. And especially thanks goes to Miss Del Carpini and Miss Wellingan for the leadership in making all these opportunities come true. I also want to take a moment to recognize the Lloyd Harour students who ran out. I have homework to do for the thoughtful presentation on opening of school. This is yet another example how we give students opportunities for civic engagement
017and how leadership, excuse me, for civic engagement in leadership. Their work was inspiring. Thank you. And now I want to take a moment to address an ongoing contract with our teachers negotiation team. The district is actively engaged in ongoing conversations with the teachers association with a goal of reaching an agreement that is fair, sustainable, and supportive of both our educators, students, and the district as a whole. These discussions remain a priority, and we are committed to working in good faith to ensure a resolution that reflects the dedication of our teachers while maintaining the long-term strength and success of our schools. As we move forward, let's carry with us the excitement and promise of this new year. Thank you all for coming tonight. Please take care of yourself and if you can take care of someone
018else in need. Without further ado, Miss Cosme, please come on up. You're first. >> Can I just say something real quick? >> Because of this, I was sitting at the stoplight today. I noticed the wonderful plantings in front of our sign, the Cold Spring Harbor sign on um at the entrance of the building. And I know Linda Gerber had something to do with that. So, I just want to say thank you. It looks lovely. It looks really beautiful. >> I know, but you put that together. So, it's gorgeous. >> Miss Cosme, I jumped the gun. We have an discussion first. So, just hold one sec. You can stay there. We might be quick. We'll see. >> Um, so this is the first discussion section of our agenda. I open the floor to any other discussion
019items from members of the board. Does anyone else have anything to add before we >> just had one? >> Okay. >> Um, I wanted to follow up on I my memory got joged today when the mail came. I got um a letter from the school, 74 cents, two sheets of paper. We were going to try to go paperless for items that weren't legally required to be mailed. Is there any update um because we got to stop doing this if we don't have to. >> We are definitely working on that. I think it's just beginning of the school year. We were going to, if memory serves me correct, last year reach out to parents to see who wants and who doesn't want. >> Right. When's that happening? and we'll do that right away. It's just being
020day six of school, we're taking care of some other things. I don't know what the mailing was, but I imagine it was just something that we needed to get out ASAP. >> Okay. But that's happening. >> Absolutely. >> And then did we clarify the the legal The board has returned. Excuse me. >> Excuse me. Good evening, everybody. Hi. The board has returned from executive session and there were no actions taken. Can I have a motion to open the meeting? First, Alex. Second, Lisa. All in favor? Let us rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Each meeting, we hear from students from different buildings about
021all the wonderful events going on at their locations. As we begin the 2526 school year, we are pleased to welcome students from the Lloyd Harbor School. [Applause] Good evening, members of the board of education. My name is Jack Maluso and I am this year's Lloyd Harbor Student Council President. This is This is Blake Sabatino, the vice president, Connor Leopard, the treasurer, and Carter Mullen, the secretary. We are all very excited for this year. It is going to be amazing. This year's student council theme is going to be kids helping kids. Kids helping kids is really important because um because all of us at LHS learn more about kindness and empathy for each other. Over the next few weeks, LHS students will be picking their new class representatives. We if you want to run, you will
022make a speech to your class. After everyone says their speeches, the whole class will vote for two people to represent that class. We also have a group of sixth grade ambassadors who these are the other kids who ran for these positions. They will help us find the other repres other representatives by thinking of new ideas and helping us plan different fundraisers. We are looking forward to our first meeting in October so we can start making some official plans. We know it's going to be a great year. [Applause] Hello, my name is Connor Leopard. I'm the treasure for Lloyd Harbor's student council. First, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to speak to you tonight. As part of being a student council, my fellow officers, my fellow officers and I have the responsibility to
023help out with LHV. As many of you know, LHV is the daily morning news show at Wood Harbor School. We share information about events that are going on in school, such as fundraisers, fun Friday jokes, or pajama day. I actually love pajama day because I could roll right into school from my bed without even changing. But the only downside, my mom still makes me brush my teeth. In addition to school's updates, we also use the morning to say the pledge of allegiance and sing a patriotic song. I'm still new to LHV. Although people from the past student councils taught me a thing or two last year. My fellow officers and I learned how to use and work the sound check, switch cameras, and scroll the speeches on a teleprompter. I've really enjoyed doing student council
024with my friends and getting to spend each morning together on LH TV. When I was younger, I always enjoyed watching LTV and sometimes going on LTV to see to see how everything works. I hope to share the same experience for the younger students who have the same interest in I do in student council. [Applause] [Music] Hello, I'm Blake Sabatino for the LHS stu I'm and I'm the LHS student council vice president. I am happy to be here and share all the amazing things coming up at Lloyd Harvard School this year. I'll be telling you about some of the events planned in the upcoming months. We have some great ideas for the fall festival that will be on Halloween. We're going to try to ask the PTG if we can help brainstorm ideas for the fall
025festival. We are also looking forward to back to school night so all the parents can meet their child's teachers and we can show them around the school. For back to school night, the students in each classroom will have made something for their parents. One fundraiser LHS has had in the past, we hope to also have this fall, that's treats for the troops collection at Halloween. We will also be having multiple spirit days throughout the year. Each Friday, >> I would have to I couldn't tell you off the top of my head why I would have to really look into that, Alex. >> From my understanding, it's not it's not like the ACT or the SAT where it's a specific day and the entire country takes it at the same time. the school chooses, I guess,
026and it can you can choose, I think, between two Saturday dates in October. So, it didn't have to be >> Columbus Day. Is that right? And then the other one is it could be during the school week, too, I believe. Is that correct? >> So, that's that's an option that we can explore moving forward. Um, historically speaking, we've been administering it on a Saturday. This year the college board gave us two days within the window of opportunity in October to administer it. One being October 11th which is during the Columbus stay or long weekend and the other one is the 18th the following Saturday which conflicts with the ACT. >> Okay. So it could I don't just because I don't know if you're being picked up on recording I'm going to repeat what you said.
027So they gave you two dates and one is on a holiday weekend, but the other one would conflict with the ACT. Okay, >> makes sense. >> So, but you could look in the for looking forward possibly even to doing it during a school week is a possibility. >> Amazing. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, Janette, very much. And then my other second just quick note and then I think there's a really positive end to my quick note here but is just that and I know our athletic director, our coaches, everyone, the board, our superintendent, everyone cares about girls sports, but there have been a lot there's been a lot of bumps in the road this fall with some of our girls sports teams. And I just want to make sure that I'm on record
028saying that that's a concern for me that there's been um you know JV football their part of their season at least was taken away but JV cheer really wasn't alerted of that. It didn't seem to register that that meant girls wouldn't be attending a game that they thought they would be attending. Also, they found out thirdand that's that's rough for kids who are on a real team, right? There were con questions and confusion and concerns around varsity girls tennis triyouts this year and I believe also JB girls field hockey is sort of collapsing as a program possibly this year because there's not enough kids and it seems like there just needs to be more thought maybe making sure that all these girls teams are properly fielded and that we don't keep adding. I'd asked in
029a meeting a couple of weeks ago, we were adding another girls sport for the fall, like are we cannibalizing other existing teams? And the answer was no. And now other teams don't have enough girls. So, I just want to make sure that we're really focused on all of our sports teams equally. And I don't think that there's any malicious intent, but I am concerned about the female athletes. So, I just wanted to put that out there. Thanks. >> No, I think I'll make your announcement. >> It's important also to know this says newslash. >> Newslash. Our girls varsity tennis team just beat Roslin for the very first time in many years. Many, many years. So, congratulations. >> Thank you, Alex. You're welcome. >> Um, anybody else? All right. So, we give the floor back to
030you, Roslin. Never heard of them. Yes. Mr. Danoski, you okay with that? >> Yes. You look upset. You all right, Dan? [Music] >> You got it. >> Good evening. The first day at Gill Primary School was nothing short of magical. Students arrived excited, joyous, and full of curiosity, ready to explore their new school. There were big smiles, eager waves, and just a few butterflies quickly eased by caring teachers and welcoming classmates. When I asked the students what was their favorite part of the day, their answers came quickly and unanimously. It was recess. While we know there were plenty of other wonderful moments, it was heartwarming and a little humorous to see that the playground won the day. The joy of the first week has been contagious. Through responsive classroom approach, students have been busy building
031community, creating rules, practicing routines, and setting goals together. Everywhere you look, there are new friendships forming, and classrooms buzzing with energy. We also had our first fire drill, which brought out some very thoughtful questions. How loud will it be? And is it okay if I just cover my ears? With reassurance, the children walked outside calmly and safely, proud of themselves to try something new. And this week, our first graders kicked off our morning announcements. Kindergarters, kindergarteners hearing the voices through the speakers for the first time were amazed. They asked me three questions. Are you Spider-Man? How did you get to the ceiling to talk through our lights? And do you live up there? Their wonder was a reminder of how new and exciting every detail feels at this age. We hosted our open house August
03226 for all families, kindergarten and first graders. Students enjoyed visiting classrooms, meeting teachers, and exploring Goose Hill. Students were especially excited to board a school bus for the first time and make new friends on the playground. Next week we will host our hopes and dreams and goal settings. Every student and staff member will create their hopes and dreams for the year ahead. This tradition sets the tone for goal setting and inspires a shared vision of success across the school. Tomorrow morning at 9:30 we will host our welcome back parent tea and we will also host our back to school night. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I scheduled both in the same day. Next week, we will have our back to school picnic. Thank to Mr. Thank you to Mr. Joseph Draone for
033leading us through all of the building use forms and insurance policies seamlessly. It's a favorite tradition at Goose Hill. Families are invited to gather for this joyful community event. This fall, we are also excited to begin rolling out our new math program, Illustrative Math, giving teachers new ways to strengthen students mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. We are also thrilled to welcome several new staff members who bring energy, expertise, and creativity to Goose Hill in the first day. If the first day is any indication, this year will be filled with learning, laughter, and meaningful connections. Skoolill is truly the place where joy and curiosity meet. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. Last Tuesday, we opened the doors of our newly refreshed and beloved Lloyd Harbor School. newly refreshed to include, but certainly not limited to,
034new paint, a deep cleaning throughout, several several room shifts, and a brand new faculty lounge. Thanks to our PTG facilities crew, and wonderful custodial staff, our approximately 400 students, plus one newly added UPK classroom, were greeted by our Lion mascot, number of parent volunteers, administrators, faculty, and staff. Our students entered as energized and as joyful as I remember them leaving us in June with a few extra hello Mrs. Shanahanss from our newest and exceptional grade two. Before I knew it, our daily LHTV live stream broadcast was underway led by our hiker leaders whom you heard from a few moments ago. and I'm looking forward to their leadership this year, their new ideas, inclusivity of events and that they will roll out to all of us. Additionally, our staff are also rolling out new LHTV segments
035this year. PEL movement Mondays and fitness Fridays in addition to our read your way across the USA led by our amazing librarian. Speaking of reading, our ongoing focus on student centered instruction and our infusing literacy into every single lesson has been behind our behind-the-scenes undercurrent over this past year at LHS. This year, to deepen the curricular work, we've adopted the theme, the work will teach you how to do it. This mantra not only aligns with our building district and board of education goals, but it highlights the curricular work our teachers did throughout the summer and will continue throughout the school year. Always tweaking, shifting, and adjusting to meet and exceed the needs of all of our students. As our students have spent this past week making connections and settling into their new spaces and routines,
036the curriculum has begun to unfold. Illustrative math and neuronet in grade two, increased minutes for science and social studies across our grade levels, and adding to the lab time for grades three and four. Grade five has welcomed a fifth teacher in order to reduce class sizes. Grades five and six both delivering again the increased time for science and social studies with designated lab days once a week for both grade levels. Yesterday I was outside the grade five uh lab classroom and I was overhearing their conversation as they exited and head back headed back to their regular classroom and their excitement um was was infectious and it really uh showed us that you know they're learning to love science which is so exciting. Additionally, grade six classrooms were all shifted into one hallway this year to
037facilitate and embrace the true spirit of the intro to middle school model and the new four-way switch between ELA, math, science, and social studies this year. This physical shift was an improvement in the overall functioning of our building, and it was made possible by relocating our creative learning lab to our newly dubbed LHS steam wing. So, it's now located near our science lab, our art room, and our new steam classroom. Our incredible students are currently working with our art and steam staff to maker space, our CLL, our new CLL, into their vision and leave a beautiful space behind for students and staff for years to come. And the big news on campus the last couple of days has been, of course, our school musical. The auditions closed today for our fall performance of Cinderella. And
038I know there will be many fifth and sixth grade Sleepless Nights um coming up here as they anxiously await the casting roster which will be revealed soon. Um lastly, new upgrades are coming to our playground. So stay tuned for that. And I'll leave you with a short and unexpected story that happened at the end of the day today. Um we had a hockey bus that has uh graced it graced its presence upon us um this year and started today. Um it was late which could be disappointing but it was only the first day and it will only go up from here. But what happened was as a result, our five or six sixth grade hockey students were sitting on the bench in front of Lloyd Harbor School just waiting for their bus as the entire
039school dismissed in front of them. And you would have thought we had celebrities among us. The wideeyed second, third, fourth, even grade level peers as they walked by, as the kids are taping their sticks and just managing their equipment, waiting for their bus. And it just reminded me of the new opportunity our sixth graders have and embrace each and every year to be role models even in the most unexpected of places. And it was such a special moment for me as a principal and for all of our students and certainly our newest sixth grade role model hockey players as they awaited their bus um for pickup today. So I will leave you with that. Um looking forward to a great year at Lloyd Harbor School. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening and thank you
040for allowing me a few moments to share an update on the wonderful opening of the school year at Westside School. It has been a true joy seeing our returning students and equally exciting welcoming 10 new Westside Whalers and 10 new faculty members into our small school family as we begin our 236th year in operation. I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work our teachers and staff did preparing classrooms and setting such a positive tone for our students return. We were fortunate this year to open under picture perfect weather with no heatwave to slow us down and so far every day has allowed for outdoor recess which our students have enjoyed tremendously. I also want to thank our central administration and board of education for continuing to prioritize safety. This year, we opened
041with new gates in the air airplane wing traffic circle and the bus wing, a new security post, and are working to implement an updated parking pass system. All of which contribute to a safer and smoother school day. Our schoolwide theme for September is school success month. We are focusing on a few simple but powerful habits that make a big difference for our children. Getting enough sleep, staying organized, eating a healthy breakfast, establishing homework routines, making time for independent reading, and limiting distractions at home. These routines build a strong foundation for learning throughout the year. Teachers have already been diving into instruction while also getting to know their students as scholars. They are using interest surveys, setting goals with students, and focusing on turning areas of need into strength by teaching to where children are while
042leveraging what they do well. This fall also marks the expansion of our integrated co-eing program. We now have full day ICT in grades four through six and half-day ICT in grades two and three. It has been inspiring to watch our teams implement a variety of teaching models from parallel uh teaching station rotations to alternate teaching and supportive roles always with the goal of maximizing student learning. Finally, I would like to thank Miss Moren Ryan and Miss Diane Santoro for stepping into the role of the Westside School historians following Mr. Arlo's re retirement. Their George Washington reenactment was both fun and engaging, and it reminded us of the rich history that continues to shape our Westside School community. We are looking forward to this Friday's PTG welcome back picnic, and hope to see everyone from 4:30
043to 6:30. We're off to a strong start, and I wish all of our students, families, and staff a wonderful, successful, and purposeful school year. Thank you. Good evening everyone and thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'd like to start by thanking the board for your continued support and your work this past summer to ensure a smooth start to the school year. Um, but I do have to start by saying thank you to my incredible head custodian, Mr. Matthew Burke, and his entire team who undertook a utterly herculean task in turning over the building over the summer months to have it clean. Um, and not only did they have it clean, but they established a new standard of cleanliness in the process, which we are great grateful uh for. Um, I enthusiast enthusiastically welcome all
044of our brand new teachers in the district, 19 of whom have already been enrolled in our mentorship program under the guidance of our assistant superintendent, Kim Libertini. Um, out of those 19 teachers, a little more than a third of them are joining the staff at the junior senior high school. Uh they were secured through an extensive interview process spearheaded by our assistant superintendent Brian Taylor who kind of jumped right into the frey this summer. Uh the collective efforts reflect our commitment to ensuring that promising new colleagues are identified quickly acclimated to our teaching community and most importantly remain in the Cold Spring Harbor family for years to come. Uh the new teachers in my building alone represent about 9% of my teaching staff. Uh some might see that as a challenge. I however see it
045as an opportunity and an even greater infusion of new energy and ideas into our classrooms. On August 25th, we welcomed our seventh grade uh newcomers, new se newest Seahawks, our seventh grade orientation and barbecue to ease the transition for approximately 130 new junior high school students. The event was a warm welcoming atmosphere uh and a good introduction for the building. 90% of our incoming class joined us and competed in the amazing race Seahawks version. Thank you to Mrs. Harmon. um including family members. We were a little over 200 guests to kick off the school year. Um that's pretty significant if you think about 137th graders on a sunny afternoon in August laughing with classmates at the barbecue outside meeting many peers that they are going to grow up with for the next six years. We
046opened the school with the celebration of some important data that reflects the hard work and dedication of the teaching staff with our advanced placement results reaching new heights. Our passing rate on exams was the highest average in a decade with over 86% of our exams resulting in scores of three or higher. Truly a testament to the work that is happening in our classrooms every single day. Also hot off the press is today. Although still embargoed to a certain extent, we were delighted to learn that two of our seniors have been named National Merit semi-finalists. The embargo to release their names is tomorrow. So we won't be able to announce their names until tomorrow, which we will certainly do. In the co-curricular realm, we started off the school year learning that our debate team has achieved
047the National Speech and Debate Association charter status. Congratulations to Dr. Michael Andrews and the high school debate team as this recognation recognition speaks volumes about their dedication and achievement in competitive debate. Procedurally, it was a rather smooth transition. Operationally, our start has been seamless. Scheduling, transportation, and building routines all fell into place as planned. I don't know if everybody knows, but there's a new traffic light at the junior senior high school that has eased the purgatory of the property. >> That traffic light >> um which has has been uh I think a welcome change I'll say to the junior senior high school. Uh the energy of our student body has been phenomenal and after the waning weeks of the summer being in a building without students and preparing for students, I can honestly tell you
048there is no energy like the first week back with our kids. I will also say there is no tired like the first Friday of the school year tired as a result of that energy. Uh but hearing those voices and feeling that energy back in the building are a welcome change. Our instructional staff are working hard to help our students acclimate to the building. Uh many spending the first week out in the hallways between classes answering questions um and calming nerves for some of our newest Seahawks. In the classrooms, the stu the staff have jumped in with both feet teaching with confidence. an excellent excellent example of the crucial role that our instructional staff plays in setting a positive tone. Um, an early area of focus for some of our junior high school students and even
049our 9th grade students transitioning are focusing on academic routines. With strong routines already forming in classrooms, our academic culture is clearly on the right trajectory. The idea of promoting, maintaining, and achieving our commitment to excellence, belonging, and opportunity are at the center of everything we're focusing on for this year. It helps our students see the things that come alive this month and set the foundation for their success. Um, we have the many exciting opportunities to celebrate on the horizon with our back to school nights in the next two weeks, academic and athletic excellence to celebrate for sure and hallmark community events such as homecoming. It truly is an exciting time to be a Colts spring harbor Seahawk. Everything we are doing is about making sure that every student feels known, challenged, and supported. That has
050been the story of the opening week of the school year and it will be the story of the school year moving forward. Thank you very much. Thank you. And I'm going to stand in for Mr. Banino. Uh Mr. Mino is very excited for another outstanding year at Cohar Athletics and to continue tradition of excellence that our community has enjoyed for more than a decade. One of the accomplishments we are especially proud of is that all of our varsity teams earned the New York State Scholar Athlete Honor. A true reflection of hard work and dedication of our student athletes both on the field and in the classroom. The new season officially kicked off on August 18th with high school football followed up by all other high school sports on August 25th. Our junior high teams began
051practicing September 7th is September 2nd. This fall, we have approximately 150 students participating at the junior high level and 348 students at the high school level. In addition, 20 students are registered for rowing and 52 students for ice hockey with registration for hockey still open given the different season dates. Overall, nearly 78% of our students participate in athletics, an incredible number that speaks to the strength of our programs. Each year is inspiring to watch our student athletes train, compete, and grow as individuals and as teams. While every season brings its own unique challenges, the commitment to our athletes, coaches, parents, and community continues to make Col Spring Harbor athletics a model of success. This year, Miss Spongino also hosted two code of conduct evening events on September 2nd and September 8th. be uh beyond outlining
052expectations. He emphasized the importance of a growth mindset in a theme of handle hard well. A message that resonates both in athletics and in life. Competition is now underway at the high school level and junior high teams have begun their games, meets and matches next week. It is already been an exciting start highlighted by a great opening night under the Friday night lights where Seahawk football defeated their opponent 25-4. for updates and highlights. Families are and community members are encouraged to follow athletics on social media at CSH Athletics and at CSHB booster club as well as the team accounts created by many of our individual sports. Looking ahead, we're excited to celebrate homecoming on October 17th. The football game will begin at 7 p.m. with festivities for the community starting at 5. Spirit week will
053officially kick off on October 8th with our traditional pasta night at the high school cafeteria at 6 p.m. with a varsity fall teams and classes will create banners and come together in celebration. And believe it or not, preparation for the winter sports already underway. Winter junior high one sports begin on November 3rd, while high school winter sports begin on November 17th. Registration information for these programs will be shared with families at the end of this month. We're looking forward to another exciting year of athletics and hope to see our community cheering us on our teams and at games, matches, and meets throughout the school year. Let's go Seahawks. >> Thank you, Joe. >> We now move to committee reports and the work that's occurred since our last board meeting. I have been told there has
054not been any committee meetings since our August meeting. So, we're going to move on here to our first audience to visitors. The Colt Spring Harbor Board of Education and Administration welcome your attendance at board of education meetings. Audience to the public affords residents an opportunity to address the board of education on both agenda and non-aggenda items. Each resident is allowed to speak for three minutes. This is not the forum to discuss student or staff specific issues. Please contact the district separately on these matters. Could you please come to the podium? Thank you. My name is Daniel Carpon. I've been a resident district for 70 years. Um, I live at three Harbor Hill Drive and I went to Lloyd Harbor School. In going through the belongings in my house, I found this banner from, I believe,
0551959, 1961. >> And it's being given to the school district to put in its um memories uh cabinet, wherever you want to. >> Thank you. >> Hang it up. >> Thank you, Daniel, very much. >> How cool is that? Mr. Corbin, can we take a picture with you? >> Sure. >> How cool is that? >> How about we all hold a piece of us? kids were still here. >> And they were called the Lloyd Harbor Hawks. >> Ralph Whitney was athletic director and coach and taught physical ed >> like the guy in the fieldhouse. [Music] [Applause] surprise. >> Cool. Neat, >> Cararissa. >> Don't lose it. >> Would anybody else like to come speak this evening? >> Yeah, it's a hard act to follow. All right. >> You want to give us something else? >>
056All right. So, now we will move on to our approval of the minutes on page two of the agenda. Um, we first have the July 15, 2025 minutes. Um, Alex, Mark, and Bill, you were absent, so you would abstain. Could I have a first? Lisa, a second. Kate. All in favor? Okay. The July 31st, 2025 minutes, Alex, Heather, and Bill were absent. Um, could I have a first? Bruce, a second. Kate. All in favor? Um, August 19th, 2025 minutes. Kate and Bruce were absent. May I have a first? Alex, a second. Lisa, any questions? All in favor? Um, lastly, we have the August 28, 2025 minutes. Mark, Bruce, and Bill were absent. May I have a first? Lisa, a second. Alex, any questions? All in favor? We will now move to the personnel recommendations of
057the superintendent. We will take the termination on page two. May I have a first? Kate a second. Bruce. Any questions? All in favor? We will now take all appointments on page 2 through 10 as a slate. Can I have a first? Lisa, a second. Kate, any questions? All in favor? We now move to business recommendations. We will take donations, change orders, budget transfers, claims, auditor reports on pages 11 >> to 13 as a slate. >> Okay. May I have a first? Alex, a second. Bruce, any questions? Okay. >> On the change orders, um, these are Mr. uh, D, the allowance is being returned. >> Yes, sir. That's correct. >> And, um, we now have a policy, I guess, several months old, that any allowances taken have to be approved by someone in the district. Correct.
058Is that you or >> Yes. The um the practice will be going forward that any changes made to a contract will be approved by the board of education in advance when possible and if not possible, we'll consult with uh with you and explain why it's not possible. For example, if we open up a wall and we find an asbestous wrapped pipe and that pipe will prevent the project from being completed um in a timely way and the next board meeting is not for a month. uh we will consult with you and decide to move ahead keeping the project moving but giving you the information about the change order so that you will know when it appears on the agenda exactly what it was for and why it was necessary to do it prior to board
059approval. >> But have allowances come to your desk where you've approved them? >> No, I these allowances are coming directly to the board. I have not seen these allowances prior to this board meeting. >> So these are returns though. >> No, no expenditures from allowances have come to my desk >> for approval. >> Correct. >> So these are the full return of the allowances >> of whatever was left after the um the work was done up until June 3rd, July 7th, excuse me, 2025. So no, I I think for clarification, you're saying was the full allowance returned. Two of them are not. Some of these are projects that started as long as three years ago, right? So some of these there were allowances set before that practice of everything having to go through us was
060a requirement. Yeah, I was just checking to see if anybody has asked um for us to grant an allowance because this you know this month we got another almost $72,000 back and >> Miss uh Costa once ran a report for us in the last like 15 years we had hardly any allowances returned and now we're getting every month allowances back. Well, that's probably because the timing of the bond, the bond was 2019. The capital reserve project was 2425. So, what's h, excuse me, 23 24. So, what's happening now is the projects are being closed out, >> right? >> The work has been completed. There's money left in the contracts, right? and we're coming to you and saying here's $71,000 back in the capital fund for the board to decide what other projects they'd like to
061do with that. >> But for the past 15 years, >> right, Mark, we agree that we think it you weren't here, but we think it's because we we dove into the numbers and looked and were wondering why we never got those allowances back. And then all of a sudden they started coming back. >> When we started asking why things were so expensive, all of a sudden money started coming back, which is great. I thought it was just me. I thought, you know what? >> But in in your career, have you seen, you know, >> have you seen boards or districts get back the these huge amounts? >> No. No, >> I have not. Um because allowances are designed for unforeseen conditions >> and expended to cover those conditions. Often an architect makes a pretty good
062estimate of what he might uncover. That's fine. You don't really see estimates >> and therefore the allowances are fully expended. But >> this is unusual that we're getting this much money back. >> I mean, every board meeting it seems that we're getting money. >> It's adding up. And >> as soon as we started asking question >> for the last 14 years she ran in a report, we hardly got any allowances and and that means they were taking the full allowance on every job by every trade. So, and and that would mean mathematically it'd be almost impossible because you would have to have the exact amount of overage >> to that penny to that trade. So, if all four allowances are taken to the max, >> it just it you're the you know uh math as
063well as anyone in here, that's impossible that the overage would be exactly the amount of the allowance on every job. >> Yeah, I I hear you. I don't know. I can't speak to what happened before July. >> Some of it was done without a change order, too. >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Anyway, so it's good to get the money back and um I'm I was just curious to see if anybody came to the district on on a job to say um you know, we had an overage. There has been no overages and work. >> Not that have been brought to my attention. No. Okay. >> That's correct. >> And none to you? >> No. None to me. And I think like within the first day of Joe coming on, we we talked about that as
064our policy. >> All right. Thank you very much. >> Pretty good. Any other questions? All in favor? We will now take additional business matters on pages 13 through 15 as a slate. Can I have a first? Alex, a second. Lisa, any questions? All in favor? We move to special education reports. We will take cseps on pages 15 through 16 as slate. Can I have a first Kate? Second. Bruce. Any questions? All in favor? We now move to other matters on page 16 as a slate. May I have a first? Alex, a second. Bruce, any questions? Lisa, >> um, this Disney trip looks really exciting. I was wondering if uh, Mrs. Oswald and Mr. Gorini could talk a little bit about Looks like it's for um, the music and art departments. Look, we had him positioned
065right at the microphone. What are the coquences of that? We had him. >> Oh, >> we knew >> you have an extra Sounds like Lisa. >> We need chaperones. Lisa, you coming? >> So, I am very proud to say um this would be my third trip. It is a very special opportunity that our students um are able to embark on and this would be the first time that our art students would be able to attend and have workshops with the Disney uh staff and really we're very excited. Um some of the things that have happened in the past, it is honestly the most exhausting four days of your life. Your children will sleep very well. Um it is packed. We plan to be in the air at 6:00 am and from the second that we
066get there, we are going and performing and workshopping your children. And uh it is a moment that arts kids get to stand tall and appreciate one another and learn from one of the most magical places. And one of the I will tell you a quick story. Um, I sat in on the chorus session the last time we were there and I had seen the woman who was the facilitator of the workshop perform earlier in the day. So the kids got to see her and you know this just very witty and robust voice and then came into a very approachable setting and said to the kids that she had been working for Disney for 30 years and she had her family and she would just go to the park and do what she needed to do
067and go home to her. It just gave her an opportunity to be a family person and an artist. So, it was just one of those things I felt like that was the time and the place for kids to hear that and I'm excited that the arts kids will be able to do that too this time. So, did you want to say something? >> Uh, first and foremost, I'd just like to say a a great deal of thanks goes out to everyone on the leadership team, especially uh our new assistant superintendent, Miss Kim Libertini, our new uh business director uh Mr. Dreon, Mr. Monasterero for all the teaming that went into uh place this week to get this here tonight for our students in Cold Spring Harbor. It was a lot of lot of collaboration, a
068lot of c cooperation. So hats off to everybody. Um this is a incredibly exciting opportunity for our students. This is a world-class performance opportunity and a pre-professional opportunity for our students to see some of their career paths in the music industry. Uh some of our performing groups are going to have the opportunity to not only work with soundtrack sessions uh with some of the Disney Imagineers where they're going to get to practice using state-of-the-art technology to score live reels of Disney animated footage but also perform on one of the biggest stages in the world uh right down at Disney Springs. And it is truly an immersive experience for these students, a once-ina-lifetime opportunity sometimes that where they will get to build memories that they'll that will last forever. This is one of the greatest things
069about this is that these are the memories that some of these students will treasure many many years into their future. And uh it's a wonderful team building experience. It's a wonderful opportunity for our students to create relationships with their classmates and peers and um and and just a terrific promotion for Cold Spring Harbor to uh bring our talents on the road and to show the world what we can do. So, we're very excited to uh to do this and we're very excited for the opportunity. I think it's going to we have the right people in place to make it a successful trip and uh we're going to work very hard to make sure that it is a safe and uh well supervised and and well well attended and successful trip. So thank you very much
070for the opportunity. >> Great. >> Thank you Jim and Christine. >> And last thing I will take pictures of all of your children at every major stop that we do. So it navigating 150 children to stand in front of a guitar. We do it and we do it very well and the kids I was looking at pictures today and it it's just one of those things where maybe kids weren't super friendly with somebody that was on the trip but by the end of the trip they are. So >> we're very excited. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> Jody you have Selena if >> high school students high school students. >> Uh no I think it's 10 to 12. Art is 10 to 12 >> and music is >> yeah no no >> 9 to
07112 >> and it runs every three years or four years >> co >> 17 was the right previous one and then we went 22 so it was >> so it's four years okay >> if I could um Jim said that uh he's he thanked all the members of the team I I want to reflect back Jim Gorini and Chrissy Oswald worked so hard on this um because the contract that we're approving tonight uh needs a writer to it which was written for us by our attorney as it is now sitting with custom tours. So you're going to approve this contract tonight pending receipt of an executed writer uh which was prepared by our um attorneys. Um, we have every reason to believe that Custom Tours is going to agree to the writer because they've agreed
072to this writer in other school districts in exactly the same form. But we wanted to get this off the ground so that Jim and Chris can meet with parents and talk about fundraising and etc., etc. So, your approval of this contract tonight will get them going, but we're going to hold back the contract, Heather, until such time as we get the writer executed and then you can sign both agreements. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Sounds like a plan. >> Thank you, Joe. >> Thanks. Any other questions? No. All right. All in favor? Okay. Um, we have a resolution to walk on this evening. Can I have a motion to walk on this resolution? A first. Okay. A second. Alex, any questions? All in favor? Okay. I'm going to read the resolution. Be it hereby
073resolve that Dr. Alexander Sasha Bardy be approved to serve as a medical inspector for the board of education of the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District pursuant to education law 913. And be it further resolved that pursuant to section 913 of the education law, the individual referred to in the confidential attachment A is directed to report for medical examination in order to determine the capacity of such person to perform his her duties as an employee of the Cold Spring Harbor Central School District. The said medical examination to be before Dr. Alexander Sasha at his office located at 3035th Avenue, sweet 403 New York, New York 1000016. A location to be alter alternately designated by Dr. party located within the geographical jurisdiction of Nassau or Suffach County via or via teleaalth communication and at such other
074times as shall be deemed necessary to complete set evaluation and be it further resolved that said individual is directed to produce at said medical examination any and all medical records related to the present state of his her health. All right. May I have a first Kate, a second. Lisa, any questions? All in favor? The agenda includes financial reports on pages 16 through 17. And these reports are forformational purposes. No vote is necessary. If needed, Mr. Draone will answer any questions from the board of education and public. Feel free to call his office. We now continue with our second audience to visitors. Would anyone like to come up and speak? Okay. This is now the second discussion section of our agenda. I open the floor to any other discussion items from members of the board of
075education. No takers. All right. Can I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? Oh, >> sorry. Another item. I thought we >> just the one. >> No, we the tax levy was on the agenda. You approved that. >> That's what we just did. That was >> Oh, that wasn't clear. >> I didn't follow that. >> That's all right. That's okay. Um All right. Can I have a motion to adjourn the meeting, >> Bruce? Yeah, that was a second. Lisa, >> keep my way back. >> Any questions? All in favor? >> Thank you, everyone.