001good evening I call this March 11th 2024 meeting of the Sylvania Board of Education to order please rise no I'm sorry not yet every time you'll get used to it please call the role Adam Miss Hoffman presid Mrs Conlin here Mrs Lavalette here Mr Feller here Mrs John here please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance 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 Dr mle I believe we have some presentations yes we do can you hear me out there are we clear okay good evening everyone and thank you Miss Lavalette we have our first presentation tonight we have Aspire Esau the program that is located in the annex of um 4747 and it
002is our pleasure to have them um with their presentation tonight to highlight some aspects of their program and I believe Julie Stanton is here don't see her Julie I'm practicing my teacher wait time just in case she's in the restroom I don't know we confirmed we have her Powerpoint um with that I guess we will switch the order and we will move on to our presentation we have a second presentation item 2.2 for LifeWise church we have um LifeWise Pastor Sutton here from Five Lakes Church who is here to discuss LifeWise um Pastor Sutton the floor is yours yes please thank you very much this is actually for LifeWise academy uh not LifeWise Church uh but good evening Sylvania Board of Education members and fellow residents of our beautiful Community I'm honored to stand before
003you to advocate for the introducing of LifeWise acmis to our school district my name is Micah Sutton and my family and I have proudly called Sylvania home for nearly 7 years having experienced a childhood that included 15 different Elementary and junior high schools and culminated in graduating from my fourth High School I appreciate the significance of a stable and supportive educational environment as an adult I've had the privilege of being part of several school districts our oldest son graduated from Tomball High School School in Texas and our youngest graduated from Northview Christie and I have been deeply impressed by the commitment to academic Excellence diverse extracurricular activities and the unwavering support of our community within the Sylvania School District in our eyes it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the nationally leading Educational Systems that we found in
004the states of Massachusetts and in Texas equally noteworthy is the district's commitment to diversity and inclusivity particularly concerning the expression of faith when the Muslim Community expressed their desire for their children to pray during school hours the district and the Sylvania Education Association collaborated to find suitable times and spaces within school hours allowing these students to practice their faith as we approach Ramadan it it's heartening to know that appropriate accommodations are available for the children of families that choose to participate in faith-based activities during school hours almost a year ago a local business owner Matt Aston initiated discussions with other community leaders about potentially introducing a LifeWise Academy program to our district that conversation grew into meetings with other businesses and religious leaders in our region and has culminated In This Moment LifeWise is a
005Christian faith-based program that collaborates with school districts Nationwide to to provide scripture-based instruction importantly the program adheres to federal and state laws is privately funded is held off school grounds and requires the approval of a parent or Guardian for participation we ask that LifeWise be available to families with children within the Sylvania School District nearly 800 Sylvania residents have signed the community interest list and many of our business people have rallied in support of the initiative numerous churches including Westgate Chapel Anchor Church Church 321 Boulevard Church Bethany Community Church Flanders Road Church of Christ King Of Glory Lutheran Church and my home Church Five Lakes Church also stand behind this proposal additionally dozens of Sylvania residents who are fully vetted and background checked will shift busy schedules volunteering time and PRI to prioritize our community's
006children this is the essence of what it means to be in community LifeWise is a is a proven success many times over it operates in 12 States and 400 schools with approximately 4,000 students enrolled it's clear that the program is adaptable to the needs of each community and each learning environment working collaboratively schools and LifeWise devise tailored plans ensuring the program enhances rather than detracts from the educational environment taking away from Core Curriculum and enhancing public education some programs hold classes during non-core courses such as art music or gym While others include lunch recess Andor Library time the question is not will it work but will you allow it to work a study by the national consulting firm Thomas B P Miller and Associates overwhelmingly supports the positive impact of lce wiv Academy's programming released
007in November of 2023 the report revealed that 76% of nearly 500 Educators agreed that both schools and students benefited from LifeWise while an impressive 96% of over 1,100 parents indicated that they would recommend other parents to enroll their children in LifeWise moreover the study demonstrated a nearly 7% Improvement in attendance and almost 20 fewer students with in school suspensions after implementing LifeWise Academy in essence we propose a partnership with our local school district to introduce a program that Fosters good character and positive mental and spiritual health in our children we hope to realize the potential to improve academic and behavioral environments in our schools while enhancing the school's relationship with religious families in the district it is essential to note that any released time course in religious instruction is empowered and governed by federal state
008law is cost-free to families and the school and is held off grounds and requires parental or Guardian approval now we understand that families may choose not to participate and we but we ask for the opportunity to provide them with that choice this ensures that participation is aligned with each family's values and preferences offering a further personalized program to sylenia schools often lacking in standard programming at this time I'd like to introduce fellow steering committee member Mrs Kelly Richards whom Mr Matt Aon will follow good evening my name is Kelly Richards I'm a lifelong resident of Sylvania a graduate of Sylvania schools and my husband and I Choice chose to raise our two boys here as well and they are both graduates of Sylvania schools I think we can all agree that the issues we fac
009as we went through school are very different than the issues our children now face um those struggles rapidly change and my husband and I even see a difference from when our boys graduated just a few years ago to what uh parents and students are facing now the amount of influence social media has on our children is staggering and their access to content that creates a sinkhole of poor selfworth and promotion of unhealthy behaviors available to them through a never-ending stream of digital access is a battle that commands as many allies as possible LifeWise is one such Ally as I'm sure many others in this room have done my husband and I worked diligently to instill character qualities in our kids that would benefit not only themselves but the community in which they live we would
010have welcomed a committed consistent and competent partner like LifeWise to walk alongside us and our kids teachers instilling traits like patience gratitude and compassion while I and many other community community members see LifeWise as a valuable successful full resource already deployed in other communities I also wanted to gain an understanding of the potential value from an Educator's standpoint I wanted to better understand the goals of our public school system as they relate to development of the whole child as I searched I was encouraged by the depth of importance our public education system places on character and moral development and while not all agree on the definition of spirituality there was an agreement on the importance of Spiritual Development I was very pleased to read the following on the US Department of education's website it says
011to successfully Implement character education schools are encouraged to form a vital partnership with parents and the community so that students hear a consistent message about character traits essential for success in school and life as well it said provide opportunities for school leaders teachers parents and Community Partners to model exemplary character traits and social behaviors it goes on on that website saying that from state- tostate the following are common threads in character education agendas involvement of the whole community in designing and implementing character education for its schools and a commitment to making character education integral part of the education process as the Ohio Department of Education speaks to strategy around the whole child framework it recognizes that schools must work together with parents caregivers and Community Partners to help schools meet the needs of the whole
012child this strategy emerged from a deep recognition that unless the whole child is considered and supported the conditions for learning are less than optimal I've witnessed our teachers commitment to Excellence through the teaching of core education and there's no doubt they're equally committed to developing the whole child for honest though the demand of time and resources that it takes to focus on all of these areas leaves our Educators in need of partners partners like LifeWise this is exactly why LifeWise exists to form a vibrant mutually beneficial Community Partnership to offer to parents a consistent safe option through a proven structure complete with background checks and safety protocols put in place much like our schools they can have the best of both core education and whole Child Development right here in our Public Schools thanks good
013evening my name is Matt Aston and uh my wife and I have sent each of our three children through syania schools uh we have two that have graduated and our youngest will graduate this may uh when our children me school age we weigh the choice over and over again whether or not to send them to you know private school or to Public Schools while we chose Sylvania this choice would have been simpler for us if there were an option like LifeWise available uh at that time in my view adding LifeWise program only enhances the offering that svenia already has uh there's a clear desire you for this for a program like LifeWise in this community as we've obtained nearly 800 signatures from svenia residents over the last few weeks in support of launching this program
014perisburg launched their program at the beginning of this school year and Anthony Wayne recently received approval to launch theirs at the beginning of the next school year other districts in our area partnering with LifeWise include Defiance Napoleon Brian Wason Archbold Liberty Center and several more there are committees steering committees like ours working to launch life LifeWise programs in Toledo public schools in Washington local schools Oregon and Bowling Green as well we have the funding in place to launch this program right now there are seven churches who've agreed to open their doors to host the LifeWise program within their facility all of which with in one to two miles of the corresponding seven elementary schools in Sylvania three are a short walk from the school and looking through the sample curriculum packet I've provided each of
015you in the middle of folder the first lessons of the year are centered around gratitude respect obedience responsibility patience and courage these are character building lessons resulting in better Behavior a decrease in the need for disciplinary action within the school after LifeWise programs are in place improved academic performance and even data pointing to better mental health for the students taking part in the program I want to emphasize something we are not trying to create this program LifeWise began in 2018 and after some early growth they set an ambitious goal they wanted to be in 25 different school buildings by the year 2025 today there in over 400 buildings and nearly 40,000 kids per week are being impacted by LifeWise programs across the country throughout 218 districts this is a proven model with a core value
016of Excellence we are ready to launch the community is voicing their desire you for this program just a few things to reiterate before I close all students regardless of their faith background are welcome to be part of LifeWise all it takes is for their parents to sign off to be part of the program no student will miss any of the Core Curriculum or traditional lessons that are already in place when approved LifeWise staff will work with Sylvania schools to find either open space in the calendar or they can take advantage of recess and lunchtime to accommodate the the the LifeWise the time dedicated to the LifeWise class it's one day per week per group per grade is is the way they traditionally roll it out one other point to reiterate there is no cost to
017svenia schools or to svenia taxpayers you know for this program this is 100% funded by LifeWise no child will be required to pay anything to take part in the this this program so I believe the benefits are very clear we're asking for your approval to start this LifeWise program in Sylvan schools we'd like to launch in August or September M the beginning of the next school year I thank you very much for your time and I'd be glad to answer any questions you all have well thank you thank you very much thank you I also apologize you are correct Pastor Sutton it is not LifeWise Church it is LifeWise Academy I apologize for that error um I am going to miss laet if I may uh see if our first uh presentation folks are here
018um to present on Aspire seeing that no one is here we will reach out to them and see what may have happened yeah so I think we shall move on to uh item three on our agenda okay we are now at the portion of our agenda for um public participation for items that are are on the agenda if you want to speak today you do need to sign up on the sheet that if anyone does want to speak who didn't have the opportunity to sign up on the sheet just let Amy know um when you come up please state your name address and your group affiliation if you have one and um public comments need to be limited to 3 minutes we're not going to engage in a dialogue but we may ask um clarifying
019questions if we have any um Allison Burns good evening members of the board my name is Alis Burns and I reside at 7139 Tottenham Road I am a parent and a taxpayer my son attends Southview High School and I'm speaking tonight against the proposed the proposal to incorporate LifeWise here in Sylvania schools I I don't think that anybody is here to debate whether the curiculum itself is good or not the question that we should be asking ourselves is is there room to have this at Sylvania schools and is it appropriate and I believe it is not I think there are a number of reasons I think that um as a taxpayer I invest in our community and I'm concerned for the whole child we heard just a few minutes ago by our presenters that whole
020child is important but in order to get something you have to give up something and my concern first of all is if we were to allow students to take time out of school which is publicly funded to attend this program then they would have to miss out on other other opportunities we heard the humanities for instance I believe in order to be a balanced child as research shows you must have opport and exposure to the humanities that is one factor I think from a liability perspective it makes me very concerned we hear that um the some of the facilities may be within walking distance I'm concerned if there's a liability issue as a taxpayer then I would have to pay for that and this is not a program that I support I think also we're
021a community that excels in being inclusive by having this opportunity during the day where students are able to leave class to explore this program and to come back with rewards uh along the lines of of treats and stickers and other type of activities uh perceived fun if you will then that excludes the other classmates who are unable to participate I think that also if we look especially at the younger children who um it tend to be more impressionable I think it imposes values that not everybody may choose to share I think you know for those who would who wish to engage in such learning and activities that's perfect to do with the church or um after school that's great and you know there's a lot of opportunities for that I do not believe it belongs
022during the day with public funded schools thank you and that's basically the gist thank you thank you Steven Rothchild good evening I'm Steven Rothchild I reside at 2808 squirrel Bend here in Sylvania I'm a past board member of this board having served for years from 2013 to 2019 I graduated from Sylvania North View High School in 1981 I am a proud supporter of public and private schools I believe that both have a place and a role and my own children attended both private school private religious school through grade five and then attended Sylvania Public Schools all three boys having graduated from South vieww I think that the LifeWise program and proposal was a mistake for Sylvania because it encourages a blurring of the line between public and private schools in a way that does not
023promote public education when I was on the school board I viewed every issue through the lens of whether my decision was going to positively impact and support the unique role of public education in our democracy that meant in part was it consistent with pluralistic values did it promote good citizenship or did it help to create an environment of division and separateness did it make Sylvania stronger for everyone red blue God-fearing god-loving or atheist does it help our teachers and administrators teach our children today there is no way to chart the relationship between Rel religion and public life we cannot avoid that religion has an impact on public life whether we want it to or not the real question for this board that has echoed throughout history is whether we can find ways to live together
024despite the fact that we can't find ways of believing or worshiping together in uniformity questions about faith the practice of faith and the efforts to convince one of the merits of any particular faith belong in our churches synagogues mosques and in the private schools that are designed by those of Faith Public Schools should remain places that are different from private schools public schools remain one of the few places in our society where the Blended Fabrics of our nation still make any effort to weave themselves into the quilt that our Founders aspired to the fact that public schools do not favor one religion over another is a fundamental strength of the public school system and one that should not be impacted by the complexities of removing children from school during the regular school day for Religious
025Education if the board takes up this issue tonight for a vote I urge you to postpone a decision pending further review by administrators and the board regarding the impact and costs of the program on educational instruction thank you for your attention thank you drew wood all the lawyers good evening my name is Drew wood uh I live live at 3857 harrowfield here in uh Sylvania uh I've got a daughter and a son who both attend Stranahan Elementary my daughter is going to be a student here at TimberStone uh next year and I'm proud of her proud to be a Sylvania Public Schools parent and um boy when I heard of this I just I couldn't stay home I'm not one for board meetings I'm not here all the time uh other than people I know
026from court it's probably the first time you've ever seen me the thing that strikes me about LifeWise is that freedom of practice of religion it's intimately connected to the freedom from religion that no one can impose their religious beliefs upon you so that you're free to practice on your own and I think when you first look at this it feels like a choice it feels like an option that it's only adding for kids to go but I think about my kids and as much as they love school and their friends they also love a snow day they love second bonus recess they love getting out of class and having a certain group of students the chosen ones who get to skip classes that they don't like maybe your kid doesn't like jym well here's a
027way to get out of it but if you want it you have to join you have to be part of the religion and kids are going to feel that pressure it's something that shouldn't be inflicted on children are they truly going to understand as children the difference between LifeWise and their teachers between what the public schools endorse and what is this allegedly optional thing or are they going to be children and they just understand my school day starts at 9:00 and I go and I attend and these are my teachers and these are some different teachers and is it going to seem like there's a publicly endorsed religion you know the phrase whole child was thrown around but only for certain children apparently only for children who follow the right religion get to be treated
028as a whole child but these other children of other religions they're not incom complete they shouldn't be made to feel that way myself I attended both public schools and a private religious school for a while and I remember when I was there feeling like my faith wasn't strong enough like I was left out and left behind that everybody else who went and did this worship was somehow better than me and that I needed to to get with it that I needed to worship harder be more because I also knew the stakes right Eternal damnation is the other option and no child should have to be made to worry about that that if they don't join the club that they're making the wrong decision I'll leave you with this um one of the wonderful things about
029Sylvania schools and about Stranahan in particular is its character-based education the pause promise to always be positive accountable well-mannered with self-control we're here in TimberStone and we can see it in a giant sign in the cafeteria and it's one of the things that makes me proudest in Sylvania schools that I never wake up in the morning and think about my child being bullied because he has hypochondroplasia because he's a little person he comes to school every day and he feels lucky his friends love him and it's because of sylvania's character-based Education that needs nothing to do with religion and it should stay that way thank you I'm going to guess at this one um aana aanu IDE ah here she comes I'm sorry if I mispronounced your name I'm sure I mispronounced your name but
030I'm sorry about it sorry my name is deah Juma I reside at 3937 Pepperwood Court um my name is Dean jamat and I'm a student at Sylvania salew I stand before you today not just as an individual but as a representation of our diverse Community it is because I believe in the Integrity of Slovenia schools in all of those within it that I proud LLY oppose the integration of LifeWise Academy into svenia schools Sylvania schools mission is to quote educate Empower and Inspire students to reach their full potential as lifelong contributors to a global Society through the core beliefs of inclusivity collaboration and Community recognize that in so far as we ought to uphold these values the rejection of LifeWise Academy is necessary my primary concern lies in the fundamental principle that LifeWise Academy teaches
031directly promoting promoting the othering of non-christians on the what do we teach section of their website outlining what beliefs LifeWise content reflects Section 8 and section 15 Undercover the exclusion their program believes in Section 8 reads man's nature is corrupted and he is thus totally unable to please God every man is a need of regeneration and Renewal by the holy spirit this section outlines that those who do not who do not align with the Christian faith are corrupt teaching this rhetoric to Children sets them to become Prejudice adults LifeWise teaches children to not view others with Humanity but to view them with judgment and hate section 15 states at physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into Eternal separation from the Lord in awaits Everlasting condemnation the depiction in view LifeWise and its supporters hold of
032non-christians is ignorant at Best in discriminatory at worst we have an obligation to our community to promote understanding and unity our Public Schools should be spaces where children are nurtured to appreciate diversity and learn the importance of understanding and respecting one another regardless of background or faith the integration of LifeWise threatens to compromise this essential Foundation one of the presenters got up here and told you that LifeWise is not just for Christian kids is for anyone of any faith but recognize that in the same breath you cannot say that it's for any children but that then tell those same children that they're corrupt and destined to a life of hell we have to wake up and realize that what children in svenia schools need to learn is not that people who look like me are
033corrupt and immoral but rather that their neighbors friends and classmates are all people who who deserve equal dignity and respect regardless if they pray a different way or have beliefs and Customs they don't understand thus I implore you to consider the impact of LifeWise Academy on the inclusivity and community that defines Sylvania School schools let us stand firm in our commitment to providing an education that unites rather than divides fostering an environment where every student feels valued and respected thank you thank you Dan Greenberg Dan Greenberg 4654 Vicksburg Drive um I first just want to make a note that was probably difficult to speak after rahana and the words that she here how can I how can I follow up that but I do just want to say I'm speaking I am the President of
034the Sylvania Education Association um but I'm not here speaking as a president I'm here speaking as a teacher a parent a member of the Sylvania community and a proud member of the Jewish community and I'm urging you to to not accept LifeWise into our school system I heard what so many have said and I don't want to be repetitious about that I suppose I just want to speak from the heart I know what it is to be a Jewish student to be a minority to be in a space and to spend my entire Public School career as another to be faced with letting my faith in my family down or by by going along with the singing of religiously based Christmas carols in my third grade class I know how hard it was when my
035family had to come in in fourth grade and say that I couldn't be in the Christmas Pageant with everybody else and the two weeks that we spent on that versus lessons it was about me being the other it was about playing soccer in high school and the entire team whose coach had it AV was our coach took kidss to the church on Friday nights and I wasn't invited my whole team was invited to go to the church but because I was Jewish I wasn't I know what it is to be othered and you heard rahana say that I know what it is I'm standing here as an adult as 48-year-old adult and it is a life lessons that I will never forget and I do not want that for Sylvania students I do not want
036any Sylvania student feeling like other whatever their beliefs we heard about the whole child and I don't believe in not just education of the whole child but every child and that means promoting policies and practices that do not make Sylvania students feel excluded thank you thank you d yis hello my name is Dia yal 8 873 Birch Bark Drive I'm a student from Sylvania South viw and I'm speaking to aose LifeWise Academy as a child I have been I always wish that I was a white kid I've been told by others that my religion was a sin and all I can say is public education is not about educating students not about religion students should not be losing an hour per week of valuable time to leave school for religious study there is a reason
037why our community has private schools Sunday schools youth groups and after school programs dedicated to religious studies I understand that missing an hour of week for school doesn't seem like a big deal for many people but it is Sylvania school is not a place where Elementary schoolers have magically exceptional grades I have worked with kids in educational settings over the summer an intensive 45h Hour Week weeks with kid a kids ages 6 to 8 our community's kids struggle with basic arithmetic reading and writing anything besides their own names children who are gone during religious studies religious study time should not be accepted to receive extra time on classwork because if you need extra time it means you need help and you do not understand the curriculum when you take groups of kids out of school
038what about the rest in school our teachers expected to give extra work to students during 1 hour long periods if so why are those students being punished with extra work just because they do not attend Bible study something that may not align with the religious beliefs of many families if no additional work is given then what are students expected to do nothing extra recess study hall for second graders moving farther ahead in the curriculum leaving life LifeWise kids stuck behind 1 hour also means a lot for teachers when they plan curriculums for the year they fit so much into a period that seems too little teachers are already overwhelmed and must account for students losing around 36 school hours a year if LifeWise Academy is available in Sylvania not including absent days moving on to
039my next Point LifeWise says on its website that it wants to bring Bible education back to Public Schools there is a reason why it was removed there is a reason why there's a separation of church and state not everyone is Christian not everyone follows abrahamic religions not everyone is religious this is an insane goal to bring religion back into public school I mean it's public school for a reason also if you want to get back religious education in schools you should be educating students about all religions not just one LifeWise has also experienced a lawsuit in the past 2 years this is available just a you with a quick Google search the plain plaintiff health concerns about deceptive marketing practices lack of transparency inadequate infrastructure and subpar educational standards this lawsuit still stands as a
040concern because if there are concerns like these in the past 2 years I wouldn't be surprised if similar ones arose soon just because the law makes something legal doesn't mean it should be done my personal concerns play in as well because when doing my research in the program I hit a dead end when it came to educators my question Still Remains as to who we are putting in charge of our children what are their qualifications are what training have they been had dealing with our children and how extensive background searches are conducted if any are used at all thank you thank you Roa um Alaba hello my name is Rod Al abas I'm from too newcomer Center we powered by Jewish Family Service we are resettlement agency so um now too Community expecting 350 refugees
041coming this year uh most of them going to be through our agency see our only concern like when we talk to refugees and there's uh introduce them to the community here and to the culture is a religion so we are so proud of Sylvania school I have two kids studying here in uh timston junior high school and the reason why I didn't enroll them in a charity school or like a religious school because of the religion so when we respect and expect from people here and who the whole board and the system to respect all the religions all the diversity and this is what we really are proud of about svenia I just want to tell that and thank you so much thank you Sarah Bernard Sarah Bernard 5537 Little Road um I actually said
042before this that I wasn't going to get up and speak I usually speak too much so it's usually kind of a fault that I have and I've had a lot of coffee so I'm just going to preface this with bear with me um I don't know if I can even read my chicken scratch but um I am a 22-year slania veteran teacher I have three students that have gone through the schools I'm an Alum I'm a taxpayer I live in the community um my background growing up in Sylvania schools was being one of the others um it started in elementary where I kind of was off to the side not being able to participate in um the more Christian observed holidays um in high school I was called a um I had phone calls to
043my home saying they were going to burn me out because I was a dirty Jew my children have had things that they've endured as a teacher I've had students that know my children that will make comments in my classroom that are antagonistic I choose to just not give it any attention because I know where it's coming from my son with the political events that are taking place was approached at the gym and shown video of a Jewish gentleman being kicked around on the ground and told that he was disgusting so division already exists in our district I pride myself as a teacher teaching the values that LifeWise Academy believes they are teaching I teach to Kill a Mocking Bird we practice using our voice and standing up for injustices and rhetorical devices we teach just
044Mercy in the history behind it we brought in a refugee speaker to speak to the students about what it was like for him for these six years it took him to get to this country and what it feels like being an other you could have heard a pin drop in the cafeteria at Arbor Hills our kids need more diversity my child at Highland sat at a daisy meeting and cried when she came home because she felt like an other I watched the quietest girl in the daisy troop sit with her head down and she's not one to speak and when I approach the daisy leader being a teacher and normally just observing that kind of stuff and it being second nature I was treated as though that was a put out to maybe perhaps teach
045what the majority does not observe so the others can feel welcome I pulled my child from daisies she graduated with all the badges of kindness of respect because the person leading them did not see that I think you recall how I did I had a huge problem with it okay so naturally when life is a cat was brought up I like to read I like to research who's behind lifei Academy it is an Ohio State former Buckeye player he is an athlete he is a Communications major he has no education background that I could find he has no adolescent development background that I could find he has no psychology background that I could find and even more importantly he has no theology background that I could find other than being a practicing Evangelical Christian now
046I grew up in an Interfaith household I was raised Jewish but I also observed the other holidays that my Episcopalian mother and her family observed so this has nothing to do with being biased or thinking one religion or one faith is better than others this has to do with being a parent and a Community member and a teacher that observes the division that already exists and knowing that we are encouraging our students with these values and these morals that they feel they need to pull children for an hour and yes maybe they'll have a permission slip that's great but those values are already being taught I also question how with an hour's worth of instruction 42 minutes is our class period they will be missing class the more at risk students that I deal with
047that desperately need these values and these morals andt EXT ra time don't have the time they're already giving up their lunch they don't have the time they're behind in classes they're doing Credit Credit Recovery Sarah we're at five minutes okay well I encourage you to think twice about this to look at the fundamental principles and not encourage any more division within our community thank you thank you sir John Reed Hello I'm old and uh I've seen a lot of things and uh I've lived in the svenia area for over 40 years had two boys uh graduate from school and they're doing okay I appreciate uh my one son uh he got extra help from the Sylvania schools and I thought that was great I think um this word diversity um we have too much of
048it we have we hear it too much when I was growing up in Upstate New York I was minority our town was uh over 75% Catholic and every Tuesday afternoon those folks went to school we stayed but you know what I turned out okay and I think that I think that we've heard a lot of negative tonight and I feel sorry for that I feel sorry for people that are that negative I don't care what the what the cause is but if you're negative you're going to find more negative I've had a chance to work on the uh uh beginning committee at perisburg with LifeWise and I've had it I've seen it come through um I've seen the uh uh the growth of it started out with like 16 people they're up to over 60
049students each week now um I've heard a lot about they'll Miss time they go at lunchtime they are fed at lunchtime they have fun it's not meant to persuade it's meant to develop the whole person that you folks have talked about and I know that my boys they went to cup Scouts I think that our scouting is it still available on school grounds now is that true after school pardon after school yes okay all right and Girl Scouts is y do they still have young life yeah all those things are yeah those all okay those are all opportunities to explore other options my kids played Sports lots of sports and they associated with soccer and stayed there and I think that this is just another opportunity that is being brought to our community that I've
050lived in for over 40 years that says hey it's an option it's not taking away it's allowing an option for growth thank you thank you hie freed hi good evening um my name is hi freed I reside at 7107 Canon Park Road and I'm the proud parent of four very proud Jewish students ring ra uh ranging in age from 9 to 13 and I am here tonight to express my concern about potentially including LifeWise Academy in our Public School District while I appreciate the importance of providing Sylvania students with a comprehensive education I believe that allowing LifeWise Academy into our district raises several significant concerns lifeo Academy curriculum does not align with the principles of secular education that Slovenia School schools provides introducing religious or sectarian teachings into our district would undermine the First Amendment
051right to be free from religious indoctrination and the principle of religious neutrality that is essential for a diverse and inclusive learning environment LifeWise Academy's presence poses the risk of blurring the boundaries between church and state potentially leading to Legal challenges and controversies for svenia schools our Public School should remain neutral ground free from any affiliations with religious organizations for all of our diverse students and their families utilizing LifeWise would once again alienate any student that is not Christian and could inter lead to more bullying and less tolerance than there already is for those who are different in other districts LifeWise inappropriately and unconstitutionally utilize taxpayer dollars and resources to promote organize and encourage student attendance at an overtly Evangelical Christian Bible class who are these teachers are they qualified professionals like our incredible Slovenia School
052Workforce what training have they had and why would you want them to be a part of our district when every other employee has met rigorous standards of professionalism and expertise I urge you to not allow them or any other program like this until slania schools that violates our First Amendment right of our students into our district it is vital to our district to share in our community's differences and celebrate them instead of alienating and creating a larger divide for our children please do not allow LifeWise into our district and uphold the Integrity of our public school system thank you thank you Marcus zata good evening my name is Marcus zat I live at 5841 Jeffrey in Sylvania Mr ason brought up weighing the enrollment at a public or a private education my kids are in
053third and fourth grade my wife and I have never stopped contemplating what path their education is going to have moving forward public school is on the ticket private school is on the ticket homeschooling is on the ticket I know so many parents that have left the district or those that want to leave the district because of the path of public education around the country and here at home I fully support this program and would love to have my kids have the option to enroll in something like this while we can stay in the district it would be a massive thumbs up for me on a personal view our children are exposed to an array of things in our district that opposes my values and values of many other but we don't really have a say
054in that we're stuck with what we get as we've heard time and time again from our resident input time this is not a cost-based program to the district this isn't a favoritism program where kids come back with gifts or as they allude to you know bribery I would assume um and this is an option for parents like me that love the district and want to have even more of a reason to stay in it lastly I went to syania schools I grew up around a diverse group of students my best friend was a Jewish sophomore I befriended a a Muslim girl named Yousef we had a class we talked every day I as a Christian love people of all faiths hie and I wish each other happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to this day that's
055a relationship that has lasted decades made that friendship again in high school as a Christian we love people of all faiths that is what we do the device of language that I've heard today doesn't represent us um as a business owner I deal with hundreds of people a day of all different backgrounds and love them each unconditionally that is who I am that is what most of my peers are that is what I love I'm going to leave you with the opportunity is here I don't see a risk in even trying it out I know that might not be what the group wants but I I don't see a negative to this um I don't see a problem with a trial run there are many districts in our area that are using it speak with
056them get their input don't let a packed room bully you into an automatic no because that's what it seems like the move was for this evening thank you thank you Ashley ason hi my name is Ashley ason and I reside at 7876 Old Sycamore Lane I graduated from North High School in 2020 and would like to speak in support of LifeWise Academy I I find it crucial that this public school system adopt LifeWise Academy for the benefit of their institutions and the young students who grow and develop into adults through them this is a program that is open to all students it is not forceful and it is not required these students must require a signature from their parent in order to attend a LifeWise meeting which occurs once a week and takes place during
057non-core classes this has been reiterated multiple times the student will not miss any crucial learning this program does absolutely no harm by teaching students qualities that promote quality citizens which is the purpose of what the school district is attended to do these qualities include respect gratitude responsibility patience and courage it is meant to encourage young children which is something we need desperately within this system after all the teachings come from the Bible which is a book of love and Grace not hate and not exclusion it is written intentionally to provide you with hope for your future regardless of your past anybody regardless of race religion and gender are welcome within LifeWise Academy group there are multiple faith-based groups that operate in these schools already several of which I was proudly a part of and who
058have impacted me greatly several of which accommodate students outside of Christianity there is no tension within implementing this program where other religions are suppressed or not recognized please consider adopting this program as 800 Sylvania residents back this organization already it is working in 400 plus schools around the country and is allowed on a federal and state level and is very much constitutional thank you thank you Sarah Jackson hi I'm Sarah Jackson and I live in Sania Township on Rose Glenn and I wasn't prepared to speak so I'll I'm speaking extemporaneously so please bear with me but I also am a Sylvania School sub for 23 years and I was at TimberStone today and I met a young lady by the name of Safa and I talked to her because my best friend was Muslim in
059this community in the 70s and I said can you imagine how she felt in the 70s cuz she was the only Muslim in this community and I happened to be her best friend and we talked about how Ramadan is upon us and we played tennis and I felt so bad for her cuz she couldn't even drink water so I wanted to combat or address the concerns about it not supporting the Arab and Muslim Community which I think every educator in this room can attest to the fact and should be very proud of the fact that we have been so accepting so inclusive so willing to lend a hand provide food baskets food bags for them at the end of the week we allow them to go off into rooms and pray I love that we
060let some young men in junior high age and I've witnessed this being a substitute teacher they leave school on Friday afternoon to pray with their fathers I love it personally I love it so I'd like people who are interested in the LifeWise Academy to have that opportunity themselves and we talk we hear about the EST uh breaking the establishment cuse of uh the First Amendment and this is not Sylvania schools is not endorsing Christianity if they were to adopt the LifeWise Academy also I was very proud of the young gals that spoke because I'm passionate about causes and while we might not agree on this one I love their fuel their fire I hope they always have that but just like the Christian religion that might espouse certain pillars or tenants of their faith that
061are important to them I know the the Islam does the same thing so every world religion does that also I want to respect the Christian students who might be uncomfortable when they're asked what their preferred pronouns are or might be uncomfortable if they're with a transgender student and are little uncomfortable with that because they're not familiar with it or their teachings might tell them otherwise so I guess there where's the inclusivity for that particular person so I just wanted to end on the fact that I know teachers are tired of doing all sorts of jobs that aren't in their job title like being a counselor being supportive feeding their the kids making sure everything like that is taken care of so this would be a way to get the values that they have no time
062to uh as much time as they'd like I suppose to teach and have them somebody else do that for them and finally and I apologize I I don't have the study reference but there was a study recently that said 16 minutes of 1 hour of Education in the public school there's actually 16 minutes where a child is learning so I would propose and believe in my heart that LifeWise Academy would provide far more than 16 minutes of Education it would provide a lifetime of Education thank you thank you it okay that concludes our public comment this evening on agenda items and we're with you Mr Koke so I have uh four resol or seven eight resolutions tonight uh filing an original uh border division complaint for several Parcels that we discussed uh last month um
063if in regards to um there was the law change these are all $500,000 of value all commercial property uh Parcels uh if I could have a motion or discussion I'll move approval on a consent agenda basis for items 4.1 through 4.8 second any discussion okay call the rooll Kim yes Greg yes Tammy yes Julie yes Jill yes yes thank you we are with you Dr Motley thank you Miss laet thank you there we go um I recommend item 5.1 which is the approval for the north viw majorettes to travel to Orlando Florida for May 9th through May 13th as they will be participating um in a baton twirling competition and it is an international comp competition of that I'm move for approval I'll second comments or questions okay please call the RO Greg yes Greg
064yes he said yes oh he did Sor I didn't hear Julie yes Jill yes Tammy yes Kim yes thank you I recommend item 5.2 payment in Li of as noted for the 2324 school year I'll move approval second yes car questions please call the role Kim yes Jill yes Greg yes Tammy yes Julie yes we are with you Mr tersi thank you I recommend items 6.1 through 6.4 on a consent agenda basis 6.1 are licensed substitute teachers 6.2 is licensed extra Duty 6.3 is a licensed resignation and 6.4 is a license retirement I want to thank Jennifer Reynolds for her 30 years of service to San I'll move approval on a consent agenda basis items 6.1 through 6.4 second comments or questions thank you to Mrs Rey congratulations ronals Julie yes Greg yes Tammy yes
065Jill yes Kim yes thank you I would recommend items 7.1 and 7.2 on a consent agenda basis 7.1 are classified new hires 7.2 are classified resignations I'm move of approval and a consent agenda basis items 7.1 and 7.2 I will second comments or questions please call the rooll Julie yes Jill yes Tammy yes Kim yes Greg yes thank you I will recommend items 8.1 through 8.3 on a consent agenda BAS basis 8.1 are supplemental positions for the 23 24 school year 8.2 is a change to a supplemental for this school year and 8.3 are athletic Vol teers to this 2324 school year I'll move for approval on a consent agenda basis items 8.1 through 8.3 no second comments or questions please call the role Greg yes Julie yes Kim yes Tammy yes Jill yes thank
066you okay we are now at the portion of our agenda for public participation for non-agenda items okay we have none exec session I will entertain a motion to adjourn so move second please call the RO Julie yes Kim yes Greg yes Tammy yes Jill yes we