001going to call the meeting for the work session to order. Patient plan behind I can throw it at you. >> Thank you. >> Just to know this is a working document at this point. I try to have these prepared for the beginning of the school year. So I spent a lot of time throughout this summer tweaking these and then um putting of those matrices that I do for each of these goals. So, as I have any comments, notes, let me know as we go. Um, but I what I started and so this has kind of been my framework for grading myself and back communication the department heads to to look back on the the three years within the plan. So really what I try to do every essence of all of our district communication I
002try to make sure it matches and aligns with first and foremost Nikki's communication because that's what informs how I communicate from the district level and then also weaving in the mission statement and some of our goals the board has given to the district management also some of the high points of the different departments as well. So it really is an amalgamation of every piece within the district and my my highing goal always with communication is that it's simple and effective. When people see what they're receiving, they immediately know it's not buried within a lot of text with the points across um simply and then um I think one of the biggest realizations I had when taking this position is that not everybody communicates on the same level that we do. So, I need to make
003sure that the messages we put out are educational, high level, but also digestible to anybody who's sending the message, especially when we're communicating safety or like lockdowns, those kinds of protocols. I wouldn't want a misinterp misinterpretation of text or direction in those. Um, so those are my highing goals. I don't think I've had an opportunity to really share this with the board before. So, I'm I'm pretty excited to see what what feedback you guys have for me going forward. Um the another way that I put this together is I choose three to five goals for that threeear period. And three years seems to be a good length of time for these communication plans because it gives me time to monitor what's working and what's not. So if I send a survey, one survey doesn't give
004me a good idea of how effective it was. That makes sense. But if I have three surveys go out and they all have poor metrics, then that that's a good piece of data for me. So, I like to look at it over a span of time and and really it does it goes by really quick. I think I've done three of these now. The first one was just a couple a two-year period, but the three years kind of hit the sweet spot. Um, oh, one thing I wanted to ask after I'm done with this. In the past, we have publicated the effect or publicized the communication plans. That's not something that I have done outside of just linking it on site. So, for example, the 2020 2012 document was like a bound and publicized document.
005I don't know if that's something we want to do in the future or start doing. Um, I think it it adds a little more accountability to one putting it in front of you guys and then also having a hard copy document. But if we go through I think for this next three years I picked a few high goals priorities. So the first one that I put together in no particular order obviously within these next three years may think my baiting and seating but that'll be huge um piece for our district and communicating that correctly once we do select a new student will be big and how we release that person to the community. We do meet and greets. Um so that'll be a big push for the district and then a big thing to communicate.
006Um another priority is our bond campaign. That one's probably the most relevant and timely right now. Um, when we first did our initial bond push in 2018, that was a huge learning curve for me as well. And one of the biggest pieces I learned from our community is that they said, "We're already paying for bond. We don't want one." So now, um, I've kind of laid out a little bit of how I think we should go about promoting that bond. Um, in the atmosphere that we have now that we have paid off or will pay it off the previous bond. Um, and then just a few tactics as well. And then another hierarching priority is the Edlex virtual program. making sure that we we market that twofold. One, our Netflix Ontario platform within our local
007community and then also the Edlex Morgan platform. Um, and making sure that those campaigns really targeted to the the students that we're looking. So, if I go back a couple pages, um, you'll see I like to highlight our brand. That's something that I've kind of kept similar throughout the last communication goals is that we really want toate to every student and that all of our kids deserve to be in the classroom with the best academics regardless of how they walk into our classroom and where they go home to. Um, we work hard as a district to remove any barriers. I think that is really fabric of how we educate kids in Ontario. That's something that I try to weave in. Um I do think storytelling as a plan or communication tactic is something that we
008were pretty heavy on when we were doing both. Um and I'd like back into the storytelling of what's happening in our classrooms. So, that's kind of a day-to-day tactic that I'm I'm hoping to kind of reinstill. I know we lost a ton of that traction during CO and it's just not hard to pick that back up. Um, but again, just keeping that communication really simple. the last plan within each of these goals. I do this matrix. Um, and it it breaks down the main priority into the tactics or how we will actually go about achieving or measuring that goal. So, I'll do the tactics, the details, and then our staff responsibilities. So, some of this is is wider than just me communicating my Superintendent is going to be a big one. Safety is always a
009big one that doesn't just involve my department. Um the Netflix virtual programs will also be overarching and and cross departmental. So really this is just a framework of how we will measure how I communicate which is such a gray area because communication is not a a quantitative uh art I guess it's it's so in the gray and it's it's all up to interpretation. So um one of the goals I did want to point out aside from just the storytelling piece is that I think as a district more into surveying coming in these next three years. I know we want to put out a departmental or um stakeholder survey at the end of this year. So touches back on our communication platform. How is parent square doing things like that? services just monitoring all of those
010kind of a temperature taking of the the state of the district and getting that information before we go into the summer and then kind of strategically adding those surveys in throughout the next year and then the following years. Um, I know Jody has quite a few opportunities for surveying, too. And if we can align those surveys at the same time, that helps not over survey our parents. Um, and one of the things with with surveys that I'm always mindful of is we don't ever want to survey our population if we're not prepared to make a change based on the feedback that we get. So, we're not just going to survey to say we did. Um, we always want to be able to look at that that data and make informed choices based on what we're
011asking. Um, and that seems black and white, but that's not always what do genuinely gathering feedback to be able to question if if we can't we can't ask questions. What's your Can I ask what your like ret return rate usually is on those surveys? Is it pretty good? Is it >> It's usually actually pretty good. Um it has been We've kind of taken a break. We surveyed so much during co I know we got >> over like parents I used to get calls saying let's stop. >> We're getting inundated trying to educate our kids at home. We don't need surveys. So usually it's between 75 and 80%. >> Dang. accounting step we usually add staff. >> I think it's because it's the way we send it out now versus how they used how we used
012to do it. It's parents can do it right from their phone and get it open it up through Facebook. Yeah. >> Sorry we was your use to send that out to parent square or is it something else? >> Previously with but we do parent square before we had an email list. um social media. We'd email within the school so all staff received an internal email. Um we put links on our website and then we also would do like for SIA we would hand physical copies to so there were no no barriers whether people could answer questions. >> So Jared if I could I didn't bring the last plan because I of course I wouldn't like hard copy. Uh-huh. >> Um, but in that what I didn't know you could do was to track the responses
013on like Facebook. I mean, there were several different areas of means I guess you >> Yeah. And I think one of the things that I've gotten better at since I started and the data has I become more accessible that I monitor our analytics on our website, previously on our app, which is why Sorry. Um, and then also Facebook and our web traffic. So, I can actually see, oh, and parent square. I can see who opens, who clicks, who spends a certain amount of time on each item. And then that can kind of inform me on okay if I really want to get all stakeholders involved it'll need to be that four or five approach where we're sending it through all those communication channels. >> And if I could turn it seems like you also knew
014the time of day. >> Yeah. Part of that is just imperence based on what a parent's day is. And we found that right after dinner time or around 7 o'clock was our highest engagement time. Um, and again, I go back and re see if that has changed or not, but that's when people are opening their parents for notifications. That's when people are going in and checking clicking on website announcements. So we can monitor down at that grade level. >> Well, and we also have learned over time like there would be times where we'd want to put a message out and we'd want a complete message, but we also knew that if we gave them all of it, they were going to disengage before they got to the end of it. So having the the right
015content, the right length of content in there was really important so that we weren't turning people off. and the length surveys intended to have a big survey to get all this information, but parents don't complete it. They they get busy >> and we'll do it and Taran will be like, "No, they're not they're never going to take that whole thing." Like, we want to ask a That's the thing is is we want to ask a lot, but they just won't take it if it's too much. Not everyone will take it. Some will take it. >> And then not just asking questions, but s asking questions. Want to be able to >> respond. based on the so just really boiling down to what what matters and what what feedback you receive. So I know this is
016kind of a a loose look at at what this plan is. But really what this does is it it keeps me on track and reminds me what our priorities are high level and then how our goals the district can inform how I communicate or what >> Karen. Can I just make a comment too because I was thinking about this when you were talking that I mean yes communication is Taran's job but it's really everybody's job all the way down to the classroom teacher. There's responsibilities and communicating to your own class and your own families. Um but there's a little bit of a hierarchy in how you do it too because you train for example um like picks in and so the parent involvement you meet with them at least monthly and come in and then
017so because you can't be everywhere at everything. So they have responsibilities of posting specific information about their own buildings as well and do the trick >> and we do set expectations on how frequently they post, what kind of content they post. I know their days get busy so sometimes those don't those aren't met but they do try and and our ps are pulled in a lot of directions but we ask for multiple Facebook posts a day. you know, how the algorithm mixes it up and parents might only see one of three. Um, but we're looking to really share what's happening in the classroom every day. Um, it's just a random pop in, take a picture of the class, get a little blurb on what they're doing in the classroom, and share that out because that
018is what parents want to see at the end of the day. They want to see what their kids are doing in class and and and get to be in there with them when they're when they're not. So, really trying to bring that back. Um, another thing we did last year was a couple years ago now put together a brand kit. If you guys can see this is linked on our website. Any staff can see, they can go in and grab the actual color codes. They don't have to guess. So, we've really kind of tightened up on on that branding. Um, we can always do better. There are a lot of random female signatures flying around, but at least we're we're trying to keep uniform and professional um with the images that we're putting out there
019and the the likes that we take share of our logos. Um that's something that kind of bleeds across all of our goals is that clean and uniform. Um, one thing I'll share too is that everything in this communication plan is very high arching because as you know goals change especially in education. Um, but what I do pretty much daily are I have communication templates because if you know me kind of a random thinker and I will go in and write down my main goals, my tactics for each little So like right now I just did one for the ribbon cutting for the grand opening of the Alama project where I sat sit down with Tammy Evo and we're going through our main goals and then making sure that anytime I share a graphic or do
020an email that the essence of that project is in that creative. So at the end of the three years when I come back I pull all my templates out and then that I wanted to do in this plan is a review of the previous and do a what worked and what needs. So going through the priorities that you're required and really matching. Okay, this is where I was. This is where we really hit our spread as a district and and auditing based on my communication and then just how I and marking that we scored on that at the completion of those projects and then so you'll see that what worked and what needs revisioned. I have another thought. I think we wanted to go where the parents are. So for one year our board meetings
021were the different schools >> and the idea was that the parents would see us there and I don't did that. >> Yeah, we did. >> We did. I I I also wanted to mention that and um because Mike, you've been on this board for a long time and know where we started and I think that's a really critical piece because um when Taran started we our website was a homemade website. Our tech department built it, but it was really really clunky. >> It was code source. anybody that was all coded. >> So, we couldn't to like you couldn't just go in and do an update on there. It was multi-step process that nobody understood or they you'd use it once and you'd forget it. And um and there was social media was maybe just barely
022starting and I don't know a couple people could go in and change things. And I say that because that was one of the big big things that Taran sourced and created was and then migrated all the information on our website and and compared to where where it was and what we have now, you could really find anything on our website. Anything that has to I mean we try to be as transparent as possible with that. So if you want to find something, it's it'll be there. And um I would would say that your first few years Well, I guess we didn't really start it the first maybe year or two and then when we had the money we did and it took you probably two to three years to get everything transitioned over. That was
023a huge huge undertaking. So, >> so I have my one my final thought now several board members go to parent teacher conferences and I'm wondering if we had a table at those like for someone like me to be there And his parents came in, they want we could have some kind of a hand out at least they could meet >> the Mike. >> Do what >> I said meet the Mike Blackby. >> I don't I don't I don't want to you have my I won't use my name. [laughter] >> I mean you'd probably attract more than old Mr. Utmore over here. They'd be like, "Oh gosh, he's bad. My old principal." >> But just something >> we also did listening sessions we called it. We went >> um we actually did them I think monthly
024>> where we and we went to um all the different schools the board had listening sessions. Um we advertised the heck out of it and but unfortunately we only ever got a handful of people at those and probably the majority of them were staff. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Um but But we did try to do more of that other than just feedback through a survey or everything else. And I just think it's a kind of a sign of the times that everybody's so busy going so many different directions that they they tend to prefer something here. Just let me do it when I can after dinner or whatever else. So um we have tried some different different things >> even community survey visit high point location beyond site questions explain service visit coffee and that
025had a pretty good turnout depending on We've learned a lot. I've learned a lot. >> Karen, in I think I get district office communication really well. In what ways can we can you we help support the schools because I feel like that is the it's the bane of the existence, right? Because that's the information that we need the most. Even today, I had another one where I had to call and try to figure out what I'm doing because I didn't know. And so how how are you going how can you support them or how can we support them better so that there's a more effective and systematic way that they're communicating like this alama science fair. So like that was I didn't know if I was showing up tomorrow during school or after school. There
026was no communication. So I had to call and I called the office and then they had to check with other people and call me back. And so I just felt like that's >> that's a >> it's a miss of a lot of people's time where we had to like spend I was calling which I don't mind doing that but then the office staff's time plus checking with teachers plus coming back to the office staff. >> I think one of the areas that I need to tighten up on is not allowing or not being as fluid with different expectations for different schools. Like I know the schools have their cultures and their procedures. I don't want to come in and mess that up for sake of I, you know, put your events on the Google calendar.
027That's what I hammer at all the picking. How can I help send them to me? But what I I've come to learn in the last couple meetings is that maybe that's a secretary expectations and not the pix duty. What we need to do is align those to make sure that nope, that's a p duty. need to work with secretaries to make sure that that that calendar is defined and and I guess tightening that up too just making sure all the high point activities are are in parents aware or communicated at least in the newsletters. So >> So it's so hard. I mean, you the thing is is that they're they're so they're educators and they're so um honed in on on educating, right? Educating kids. And then sometimes I think because that's, you know, how
028they were trained. That's what that's what the focus is. And then to think now you have to be this communicator, this piece of that, like I you're right. We need to do it. It's it's just a hard um because an afterthought sometimes. >> Yeah. And I've had a lot of that. Like even just in my job recently, I was talking to leaders because I train all new leaders. And I was a sudden I'm like, "You can do it however you want, right? It's kind of like free." And they're like, >> "We just want you to tell us what's the best way and what you expect of us." And I was like, "I can't do that cuz I'm training this material. I'm not designing the material." And they're like, "We're literally managers making 100K plus and
029just tell us how you want it done." And I'm like, >> "That doesn't feel right." And they're like, "We want that though because I think I think you're right. everybody's so busy doing something else. It's like if you just add it as a task list. >> And I mean I think just in education in general right now like people are spread very thin especially like I if you've ever sat in one of these school offices for an hour like >> it's and so then to be like oh and don't forget to text about the science fair like when do you want me to >> I think that's a very good point. >> Um especially with yeah staff being cut and I mean and principals are putting out more behavioral and emotional and social fires than
030ever. I just think we're just adding >> more on to this. Yeah, >> we strive to do the very best and then you're so busy planning this extra activity and then all of a sudden you kind of panic and go oh and like you didn't think about oh we forgot to >> but here's a great example. I wasn't going to send my kid tomorrow night because I didn't know fifth grade was going to do their science thing >> and so I was just like I'm just going to skip that. It's 4:30 to 6. He has practice. We have so many other things and they're like that's the only time for you to see the science fair. I was like, >> you know, >> hang tight. >> Taran, I'm wondering if um you were talking about
031your the sheic that you did, what it what was it called? >> Template. >> Plan template. I wonder if we could incorporate plan templates in at the school level for some of their activities that have that that piece. So, as they're planning the science fair or whatever, you know, it's almost like you need that list of okay, what are supplies that we need? click texts go out on. Yeah. And like and having a stand. >> I think a standard protocol would be helpful too. Like okay, if your event date is >> May 19th, the first text should go out April 19th. The reminder text should go out May. Like you have kind of a guideline on that like one week before, three weeks before, >> a communication section. And then I would have to put
032all of those dates in my calendar to prompt me to send that out. >> Or I don't know how parent square is, but I'm going to assume that you can like schedule. So if I'm planning this two months ahead, I'm going to schedule send my two texts out already. And it's again, it's standard. It's a week before and a night before or something. >> So if you look in your parents, which school is doing it, you should events >> we talked about that at site council a long time ago and we were going to bring that up to you and never did but I think showing parents maybe even like a little screencast tutorial or something that's there >> because we didn't know about it who I think like Judson taught us about it or
033something we were like what that exists so and then I still have never used it because I didn't know what schools were using it and what >> at this point it's some of the the schools are really in their calendar. So, we need to really tighten that up. And I have tried to offer myself >> I was going to say either that was an expectation or if it was like, hey, on the first of the month, send your calendar to Taran and she'll put it all in parent squares. >> Yeah. Just out of curiosity right now any communication goes out just kind of individual or sporadic depending on who it is you know might be high school they have their way of doing things middle school but all all that I understand >> my question
034would be any communication goes out ls back to what you said the standard is that that will have every piece of communication will have the date time the place so it's all that's uniform whether you're high school or elementary and and that might block some of the things >> like that. Yeah. >> And whatever that standard is, everybody follows it. >> So the guy when you're planning, okay, these are your check mark expectations, set your reminders, schedule close. So, I know that one of Toby's goals last year for her for site council site council group um was to put together that pick handbook and she her reason for it was because every every year a new pick was coming in and there was folders upon folders and nothing was organized. So, is that something that
035she's shared with the other elementary schools? Uh she she shared it out but then I heard the la just recently I heard the other principles going could you have said recent because I think it when she it was last >> it was a bad time of year probably >> and I think people were so overwhelmed at that time. >> She mentioned it the other day I I heard a couple of the principal go hey could you could you send that to me. We actually just within about the past month or so said that we would love to potentially make that our >> district level >> and then add all that. >> So maybe I was going to say and then maybe that's something Taran can kind of streamline for every >> training the pics. One
036more thing like to have Sandy put on about myself. >> When we do a completion plan, we say that this is our goal and this is our matrix whether we met that goal. Um is there is there a way that we drill down into minutia which would be you know the principles but maybe as well as the teachers principles probably be your first task that there would be an immediate said it's a ticket, but I look at like when I go to Ford and I get my oil change, I automatically have a >> some way to review how that went. >> Oh, because they save to a link and how was our service today? >> Exactly. >> But principles will automatically put some kind of information into a system. I don't know if they're using
037anymore and but is there a way to create a ticket that would automatically send that those people surveys? Sometimes we don't want to hear that M administrators >> but sometimes we need to hear that and and not about how good that >> how good the principal was at administering whatever consequence or whatever it might have been but how was the communication >> I all communication then it looks like we're have a focus on >> yes >> I'm not sure about that >> no I You don't have one >> and they're not all instructions. Sometimes it's so compared to them. Yes, you need to have some baseline. um expectations. However, a reminder that they're not high. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> Our job is not to start think of more things. >> Yeah. >> But streamline >>
038trying to find ways to give guidance. I'd say to make it more effective for them, but also like for families and parents. >> Since we get the communication, >> you got >> we got it. Yeah. >> I will say I've absolutely loved the high school high school sports. >> Yeah, that one has >> every day. It's been amazing on Facebook >> and the weekly one so I can be like, "Oh, what am I going to try to pop into this week?" Well, and I I think that for example, our high school because our high school has so much going on all the time, they have to remain pretty diligent with communication >> because probably more so than others. It's probably definitely part of their planning process or their essentially their template because they they really
039do have so much going on. And so, um I think providing some structure to that would our picks who have a hundred other things to do. Um or at the very least to our building principles and talking through about you know you know is this who can help support the pick if they don't have enough time. Those kind of those detaily kind of things will really I think help a lot. Um, and I I do want to say this too that um, and I don't mean this at all disrespectfully, but I also want to say that um, and you guys know this, that if there's there's a personal responsibility from our parents also in in getting that I I know there was a comment the other day on on Facebook about a parent not knowing
040about um, something going on and then I I kind of read the comments and and Um, you know, there was a text message, there was reminders on Facebook, there was a parent square message that had gone out, there was all kinds of of things that they had notified um families of this. Um, and and so, you know, I I hate that that, you know, somebody jumps on Facebook to to say something like that. Um but we just have to do the very best that we can and and in in some cases um we had another issue the other day. There was somebody that had commented on Facebook about our testing platform that is required by the state going to be required by the state now. And we did get we jumped actually we jumped on
041Facebook and I put together a response and Taran posted it and I think there was a lot of appreciation for that as well. But um you know It's hard because we can we could we can literally communicate you to death and there's still going to be somebody that says >> I didn't get that. >> I don't think >> let's increase how much we >> let's be >> Yes, I agree. >> make sure when we're when we're working in this field, it's hard to know if you've got it to somebody. >> Yeah. But it's also good to know that there's a feedback loop besides Facebook. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> For me to receive a Facebook message saying, "Oh my gosh, the school's horrible." is not nearly as important as if I had a guided question. >>
042Yeah. for a parent feedback because I >> I can't tell you that we did a good job or bad job at the last board meeting because >> I really enjoyed celebrating the people we had here, but okay. Are they going people doing this for? >> Yeah, I do. I do think you guys have good perspective because you have kids and you're getting those communications and and that that helps us close our loop on our end. to get that feedback as well. >> One just final thing to note is I think that sometimes as kids get older, we expect the kids to communicate. And I'll just say like I'm getting communication like I told your kid and I'm like h that's means nothing [laughter] at all. So I just if you can make an emphasis that
043we're not having kids communicate even seniors in high school um communicate that just because we're doing that. >> Deon Deon's over there thinking about his own child. Well, when you think about I think there's some I think that there are some areas of the whole organ of the whole district that say like, "Oh, the kid can communicate that." And if that's the expectation, just assume that it's not being communicated >> at all. I'm good. >> Yeah, I did actually wonder and I'm not good. Um, [laughter] when you have um I'm back to the surveys because I'm really interested on if these actually provide the information that you're looking for. Um, when you have like a specific when it's like parent or guardian specific, do you not put it on Facebook? Because then you get community
044feedback that doesn't necessarily have the same perspective that you're looking for. >> It depends if it is strictly just parties would >> put or we would after sending it to just sos the is critical to people. So like I would do a parent square blast and look like okay we got a 40% response let's also try Facebook and I could modify the question and then we'd be able to differentiate between >> are you guardian if they mark no the survey ends >> yes >> orates a different set of open >> yeah typically we would send it through if it was just parents. But when we do like our big stakeholder survey, we send same questions to [clears throat] >> any more questions before we transition. Oh, hello. >> I'm going by that. >> Am I
045even on a computer? >> All right. Well, we Ready to roll? >> I hear door. >> Yes. >> Absolutely. So, um we are gathered here tonight to um to honor our um employees. And I I just um I I said this the other day, um honored a few of our um folks here and I have to say that um there is a big part of us that are really sad that we're not going to get to see your faces every day. There's another part of us that's really And of course there's also it's really happy. So it's a it's a it's a big group of you this year. I would say that one of you up at a time. And just to say that That is something I don't >> escape the back. You tell
046us. >> Uh Mike's still stand >> Okay. So, um my name is Kevin Caps and I'm the principal at May Roberts. This is the first time I've ever got to recognize somebody that's retiring. Um, I'll call her up here right at the end because I know she doesn't want to be in front of everybody too long. She already told me that. But, um, so it's the NBA playoffs right now. I don't know if you guys are NBA fans, but I watch I watch a lot of basketball and I thought of some analogies um that remind me of Jill Jill Vermeier. Um, you know, a true basketball point guard controls the game, assisting teammates, setting them up for success, and doing all the little things that help their team. We also have these things called role
047players. And a role player is a player who specializes in a very difficult area of the game that most people don't want to do. U, for example, maybe rebounding, defense, or bringing energy to the team. Um, and then there's always coaches in basketball, and I believe an effective coach leads by example, has high expectations, and is consistently preparing for each game. So, honestly, Jill should probably be in the NBA making millions because she has all of these attributes. And I I just wrote down just some short observations of Jill. And this is one that I've I've seen every day for two years. So, she has bus duty, which is the worst duty for anybody that's ever done it before. Um, and Jill not only takes her bus out, but she stays till the very end
048every day and takes care of every child. So, that's pretty impressive. Most people, their kids are on the bus, they are running for the running for the door. So, I appreciate her um dedication. Um so, you know, today I told her, I said, "Jill, are you going to be there at 3:45?" And she said, "No, I don't want to go. I want to stay and take care of the kids. Make sure they get on the bus." So, that's the kind of person she is. She would rather take care of the kids than take care of herself. So, that's pretty awesome. Um Jill's a trusted adult in our building and she's able to mentor and teach even our most challenging students. She is so patient and is able to build relationships to help them be comfortable
049and find success. And if you've ever watched her in a reading group like miracles with some of these kids, Jill is so good at making everyone I don't know why I'm crying. Sorry, Jill. Um, she just makes everybody better. And I think, um, I think honestly it hits me emotionally because I never worry about her. Um, she does her job with kindness, expertise, and expectations for her students. All of her students are safe during her lunch and bus duties. And that's that's super awesome. Um, she has influenced many lives in our school district and it's going to be different without Jill. I keep begging her to stay. We are going to miss her and congratulations on your retirement and thank you. >> [laughter] >> And then if we could Jill's husband wasn't able to be
050here, but if the rest of our family could stand here. Kevin, I was good until Kevin started blubbering. >> Okay, so I didn't come up with a basketball analogy, but I could like equate it to swimming. Charlotte, we're just like, you know, put us in our own lane with our head underwater so we can't cause any trouble, right? No, I'm just kidding. Come on up, Charlotte. We're gonna put her in front and center for this whole thing. Charla is she is not I'm not her boss and she is not my coworker. She has actually become a very dear friend of mine over the years. Um she's always been supportive of me inside and outside of school and I so dearly appreciate that. when somebody was trying to talk mean about me, Charlotte put them in
051their place out in the community and then refused to frequent their business anymore. So, I appreciate her. She is a true friend of mine. Charlotte has been with Alamita for 33 legendary years and we are bidding a bittersweet farewell to this lady, Charlotte McCann. Charlotte has expertly navigated several different roles in her tenure. Her time as a librarian, has cemented her status as a school icon with a sharp wit, and I say her catalog skills, but you know, we don't do school cataloges anymore. It's all like you search it up by internet. So, um, and her personality radiates pure joy. Charlotte has a rare gift of making every student feel seen and celebrated. The kids don't just visit the library, they flock to it, fueled by genuine excitement for seeing their mentor who is funny
052as she is kind. It is hard to imagine what our hallways without her infectious energy and huge heart. and through and though Alama will feel like a very different place in her absence, we are so incredibly grateful for the chapters that she wrote at our school and we wish her nothing but the best as she embarks on this welldeserved journey of retirement. Enjoy Charlotte and Charlotta's husband daughter. Yay. Tag, you're it. >> You're it now. >> He's like, thank goodness. Good afternoon. I am so very honored to celebrate Janine 43 years Carter. artist. >> I am honored to celebrate Janine Carter who is retiring after an incredible 43 years of teaching. To put that timeline into perspective, she has taught her way through seven different US presidents and has survived more changing hairdos than we
053can count. From the big hair of the 80s uh to whatever the kids are doing today. If you were fortunate enough to come to Janine's retirement celebration this Saturday, she had a picture of every single year she's taught. And um you can almost guess what year it is by looking >> at the hair. It was wonderful. But through every decade, every trend, and every era, one thing remained exactly the same. Her absolute boundless love for her students. Anyone who knows Janine knows she's always up for fun. A lot of those pictures I was surprised about in your scrapbooks, Janine. Um and she clearly isn't slowing down anytime soon. Just this year, she went white whitewater rafting for the very first time. Janine said she was the brave one in her family and she had to
054test out all the adventures to make sure they were safe and they passed for the rest of them. And they did. They passed. Um, I'm honored to be your 10th and your last principal. Thank you for your 43 years of dedication, your adventurous spirit, and the endless love you've shared with your students. We hope your retirement is your best adventure yet. Happy retirement. >> Oh, well missing out. >> It's in her scrapbook. Would her husband Craig be stand >> all Ontario junior high Cairo Alita >> and I did my student teacher take so closer. Oh my goodness. So Steve is a legend in the district. I do not think his hair has changed. >> So yeah. Um, Steve, one of the things in my career, which I'm retiring to, so it's been quite a ride
055that we've had together. One of the things I am proud of is recruiting a great team. And I feel like that's like kind of a this is kind of a full circle for us. So, I worked really hard to recruit the amazing Steve Wyornney who had been an Oregon teacher of the year, local teacher of the year, and has been honored across the state and nation as really a phenom in education. He, I forget, at one time had like people following him from 40 countries or something like that on his blog. So, he's his um influence has gone far far beyond the Ontario School District, but we have been so blessed to have him here working with our instructors, creating assessments for us, um creating tools for our teachers, and modeling the best instruction money
056can buy. So, I'm very honored to recognize the We're going to take walks in the morning. We live in the same neighborhood. >> He just gave me um an amazing gift and also a bird watching app tip. So yes, so looking forward to being retired at the same time as you know. I'm just really uh so grateful to have had the privilege to work with him. Can I just say something have full circle moments that you babysitter neighborhood. So, I'm gonna I'll ask for some help from a couple of you, but Val actually had the privilege of hiring Mal. Um, and funny story, I remember her um came to us from Arizona and driving her little yellow up here and then he broke down >> and um so um I've hired Val as middle school
057and and I moved on to But um one of the I remember calling on references way back then it was it was always better teacher and um you made your way back to the classroom after being a coach with me again. So he came back to that um and so eventually um becoming that teacher and um I think the thing that I love most about always has kids and um and her sense of humor to make kids laugh authentic in the classroom. She just always has always do that. knew that you care about them and that you put them first. And um I I don't I mean it's going to be weird to not have you here anymore. And I think the thing is is that even after so much time for better ways to
058surface that show through and you were able to ways to identify kids. So even if the student was maybe in special ed, she found out what made them special and so the district is just such a great appreciate being able to grow authentic >> family. Another tag mom. I thought I had to say about Steve. My sister, my sister's a teacher in the Tiger Quality School District and how Paul school district. We were walking around the neighborhood and I said, "Oh, that's Steve's house." She's like, "What? He lives by Well, um this is um so let me let me back up. I was a um teacher at May Roberts when the district first hired Melissa and um she came to us as a um brand new principal that first time by principal um when I
059was at Roberts and um and then eventually moved on to um sharing responsibilities at another school at Alama and then eventually became the principal at Hen before um coming down position of taking over. I think you did federal programs for a little while and then um became our director of student services. Um and I I said this the other night at your at your um your party, your retirement party, and I will say that um in the beginning Melissa and I had to learn about each other. I think that we um we didn't always see eye to eye. I I don't really want to say that that wasn't it, but um we had to learn about each other and I truly say that um today that um she is probably one of my closest colleagues
060and confidants and and um I think that when you work with someone um day in and day out, you learn about them and you learn to so much appreciate I do so much appreciate you all and um and I think that the impact that you have had on our program, our kids um and just having a vision for what your program wants to be and how to serve kids and um how to influence staff to serve kids. smart. It will always leave. Um, I have had a few slip this nights thinking, "Oh gosh, Melissa's not going to be here anymore and we're not going to have that 10 p.m. right before bed. What the heck?" Text like about whatever. And um or just the complaint or the funny or whatever else. And um I will
061say that you are absolutely leaving a gap for us and And but I know that your street so but um I also know that um that this is is um we'll still be able to see you. I'm hoping that it less the impact because going to be working with us a little bit and it won't so hard without you. We appreciate you. >> So is a large part of the reason that I came to Ontario bes my summer of I don't even remember 2014. Um it was the first day of school and I was in front of teachers and my superintendent was standing there waiting for me. I'm like this is so weird like waiting for me I was at school district and she was waiting for me to tell me the news that my
062brother had just been and um I was brand new in a new position. I was director and at this school district and Melissa scooped me up and paved the way for me with and I don't know if Ontario knows this but we probably paid a few attorney questions that I had that ended up going to Hunter that you know she was just helping me out but she stood me up and without her support I would never be successful. I've never She probably has, but it was a traumatic life for me. So you have to know this tried to retire for >> and I told him no. >> I told him no again said this time I'm doing it. And I I want that. so much for him and um selfishly for me and for the
063district. Um I just actually put it off trying not to think about it. Um I remember meeting Bob uh first in my classroom at the very end last class and when I was a teacher at May Robert Sackage 1999 my first year in the district and Um and then over the years knowing him but not really knowing him probably really um became um a building and I cannot tell you how many times um Bob has and you've done it all. I mean would ask the question we know and um I don't think I've ever um anyone works harder you do and I think probably what I appreciate most about you is that you always and um and that is um something that I will never take for granted. What do you think? You really want
064to know? He says, "Yep, I want to know." Um, this um being in this district this long, um, we have built systems and we have built And those things are you know a little bit longer Um I I um I'm really sad you're going to be gone even if it's just you know talk you about things but I'm really happy for you that you get to go out this So, thank you for all that you've done and What's in that? Bob was also um you know you always say that you're some people get the luxury of working showing up at work at 8 or 9 in the morning and maybe 4 or 5 night and and some of us don't and Bob is one of those people that ever have that luxury because there's a
065break at night and you got somebody fix it or supervised it and somebody knocked out a door. You got to you got to clean it up. You got to fix it and all those there's a lot of that that I think people that go unnoticed Rod's not here. He's working some kids. >> Tonight we're honoring Rod Williams. Rod Williams has taught every level of high school science. He has taught dual credit classes including physics, all the advanced stuff, all the good stuff, physics, chemistry, and astronomy. And for a few years, he taught integrated science for our ninth graders. So, he's worked on every part of the high school and every grade level and every group as part of our freshman academy program. Rod's even taught guitar classes. Uh Rod's efforts have extended beyond the school
066year. In the summer, he's been instrumental in supporting student credit recovery over the last several summers, helping students get back on track for graduation. And this is where Rod's at tonight. He's getting kids ready for presentations Eastern Oregon University. Also of note, he has led our Oregon teachers pathway program called OTP, partnering with EOU, working directly with high school students who are aspiring educators. Rod has been instrumental in this powerful grow your own program. OSD will have future teachers on staff as a result of Rod's investment in this program. His work at OS has been extensive, but my favorite Rod memory goes back to a very specific day. That day is August 21st, 2017. Anybody remember what that was? It was the eclipse day. Correct. That was the day of totality in Ontario. And even
067though, and I looked this up this morning, even though we had 593 students absent that day, Rod put on an absolute show for the staff and the students that were present. Rod used the stadium mic to give us a minute-by-minute, playby-play, blowby-blow account of everything was happening. It was Rod's Super Bowl. And it was 100% poetry. Rod, thank you for all your hard work and for all the know every year he comes home. We had the best presentation of anybody that shows up there. So that's what they're talking. What am I gonna do? better. There you go. That's right. Thank you for calling this out. >> Okay. deal or start like