001Good evening. Welcome to the December board meeting. At this particular time, we'd like you to please stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance. The National Anthem will be sung by Caitlin Verona, member of the Orchard High School Symphonic Choir, Honors Choir. Mr. Tom Lehman, would you please start us off? To the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed, whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, so gallantly we hailed. Please remain standing until we get a moment of silence for all our troops serving abroad. Please remain standing for a moment of silence for our troops serving us abroad. Thank you, Mr. President.
002Our men and women from the National Anthem. Our National Anthem. Our National Anthem. Our National Anthem. Our National Anthem. Our National Anthem. when I'm dancing yeah yeah it really is such a treat all of the students names are listed in our agenda and I really a special that a shout out to both our teachers of our thespians as well as our teachers of our our students it is just an amazing thing we promise we'll let you know to look forward to the date in upcoming march now to a subject that I not too long ago sent out a parent square message to our families because we unfortunately in Oceanside did have a rather tragic accident that seriously injured two of our students one thankfully the injury injury in the injuries were he was able to
003be well enough to come home but is still not able to attend school and is receiving homebound instruction the other young man was seriously injured and is currently in a rehabilitation center and the likelihood is that he will have life altering residual effects of this terrible accident and there's no other way to put it but the accident occurred because they were both riding e-bikes in a less than safe manner I will tell you on the heels of the holidays the Christmas and the Hanukkah holidays I found it complicated but that's not the reason I feel that I wouldn't ever wear e-bikes anymore as my job has beenulations from day one and through the last years since I left Christchurch it has been incredibly painful and emotional for my parents I still remember when I first
004heard about it and I think it's a special debt that has been most SIMILAR to my life but also importantly to my parents as a child in highlights how they simply did not致 what is the best are like inesis is assuming it's algún at all I've had an stosfμαι letter from national defense officers and their district officers that says that I do have the increased So there are a couple of things that are going to happen. We're going to tell you how Nassau County Police, and I have to tell you, Commissioner Ryder, this is his number one priority. I was at a meeting with some police officers who said, you know, honestly, you could tell them that we found three bank robbers and he would care less than us telling them we found and were
005able to confiscate illegal bikes. That's how strongly he feels about it. But there are certain things that the county is doing and we want to make sure you know what those are. But we are also going to tell you what the school district is doing. We do have a very extensive code of conduct that establishes rules and regulations for our students and anyone who is on our grounds. E-bikes will be added to our policy. They will be illegal to have on school grounds at any time. So I have to say right now we don't have a tremendous problem of kids actually riding those bikes to school. But we have had some incidents. That happened over the weekends. You know, access to our property is open to our community throughout the weekends. And some of our
006kids have made some really poor decisions in terms of that property as well. So if they were found even during a Saturday or Sunday, that would be a violation of our code of conduct and they would run the risk of a school suspension. Quite honestly, that's the least of it. More importantly is what the police are doing. They are not going to be able to get us out of school. They are going to be able to get us out of school. And that's what the police are going to do because if we see or you see an electric bike or scooter being used illegally, it is your responsibility to call 911. That's how serious they're taking this. And then certain action will be taken from there. So I'm here to tell you and beg you
007to please be very conscious of that. Do what you can for your own child, your neighbor's child, your relatives. Make them realize that those e-bikes were created for a reason and I somehow don't think the reason was to ride faster down Long Beach Road or in between cars. And it really is. It's a safety hazard obviously for the rider, the driver, but certainly for all of the people around them as well. It's a really serious, serious topic. School will take it seriously through the interventions and what we have at our disposal. And now Mr. Sharkey, if you can, this is Mr. Sean Sharkey. He is our consultant director of security. He is our liaison. Director. He is our consultant. He is our consultant. He is our consultant. He is our consultant. He is our consultant.
008He works at our building levels every single day with our principals, our administrators, our teachers, Mr. Coakley, Dr. Coakley of course, but he also is our liaison directly with our POP offices, which are our police offices who are assigned to our schools, as well as the overall Nassau County Police Department. So Mr. Sharkey, if you can, just reiterate that message please. I will, but I definitely don't appreciate you making me follow that because I am not that exciting. All right. Hi guys. My name is Sean Sharkey. I'm the director of security here at the Oceanside School District. We're supposed to have the 4th Precinct POP offices come tonight, but because of some of the things Mr. D'Ambriozio had spoke about, they've been directed to other locations, so you're stuck with me. Nassau County has an
009emerging trend of e-bikes issues, so much to the point where they actually enacted this miscellaneous law, Title 61. Back in late 2024, because they were seeing a trend in the e-bike, e-scooter accidents. To the point where they're having trouble putting together all the numbers because a lot of these are unreported accidents. We did have two fatalities within Nassau County for the 2025 year, just involving school-aged kids. One in Belmore. And one in New High Park. But we've had other fatalities involving adults. So this is something that's been an emerging trend. I went to a meeting with Commissioner Ryder, and he pretty much reiterated exactly what Dr. Harrington said. He has taken a personal interest in the e-bike, e-scooter universe, to the point where a police officer, a police officer, a police officer, a police officer,
010a police officer, a police officer, and a police officer, has taken a personal interest in that. And now they're doing it against him to get a defense for two different things. One, the police officer has been working on a case against him. The other one is for the Nassau County County County Police Department. We're going to talk about the reverse. But the police officer has, and then the police officer is going to speak to the police in person. We can all document this as a part of the timeline. But for the police officer, just to make it clear, he is a strong, strong supporter of the police, and the police officer is an obligation. There's been approximately 350, to date about 350 e-bikes and e-scooters that have been recovered. It is something he is speaking
011to his precinct commanders about. And at this point, they are putting an emphasis on enforcement. As you can see, the Nassau County law is actually a little more restrictive than the New York State VTL in it. You've got to be 16 years old. You've got to wear a helmet. You can't go over 20 miles an hour. No riding on the sidewalks. So all these things could, you know, induce a police officer to stop you, take the e-bike, e-scooter. You know, we have all the turf, all the new turf. I've seen kids riding across the turf. So Nassau County is going to get involved, and I want to warn you guys, please, you know, before, you know, this gets out of hand here in the Oceanside community, please heed these warnings because Commissioner Ryder is taking
012this very seriously. Any questions from the board right now? Okay, good. Thank you, Sean. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Schrock. We really appreciate it, and we know that our community will heed our advice. Thank you. We move on to honors. We're going to run now at 4C, and we're going to move on to honors celebration, athletics. So we're going to ask Mr. Lerman to come up. Thank you, everyone. What a beautiful performance to start the evening. So I want to just give those students another round of applause. Amazing job. I was asked to dance, but it's not as good as that, so I can't. It's an honor and a privilege always to be up here and celebrate our student athletes and our coaches. This one in particular is very special. We've had so
013many all-county student athletes, and we usually do all of the honors in January. But since we had three championship-level teams, conference champions, county champions, and Long Island champions, it's an additional about 60, 70 student athletes and coaches. So it's really special to be here tonight to honor you guys. All the hard work. All the dedication that goes into the fall to becoming a student athlete. One thing that stands out about all three of these teams and programs is that you all do believe that you're participating in something greater than yourselves. Teams to win championships and to perform at that level, you are sacrificing for the team, doing what's better for the team as a whole. So we have some outstanding individual accomplishments and really incredible stats. But at the end of the day, it's all
014about the teamwork and being a good teammate and working together from off-season all the way through. You guys start hard in August and really are able to balance out schoolwork and participating at a higher level. One thing I'll just add before I call your names up is all of our four teams were scholar-athlete teams. That means that over 75% of each of our varsity rosters. Achieved a grade point average of a 90 or higher. And over 150 student athletes individually were scholar-athletes. So give everybody a round of applause for that. So at the end of the day, that's who we are. We're students first, athletes second. So successful on the field. We're going to start with our boys varsity soccer team who are our conference champions. So when you guys hear your name, please come
015up to the stage for a picture. Unfortunately, Coach Turk and Coach Perrone could not attend today. They had some family obligations. They let me know in advance. But boys, when you hear your name, please come up to the stage. We'll start with Dylan Benjamin. Come on up. Sean Berzakis. Victor Candia. We have a couple guys at wrestling. Brady Castoro. Joey DePalma. Judd Goodstein. Kieran Harrington. Gavin Joyce. Matthew Keegan. Patrick Lowry. Dylan and Jackson Landry. Sean Mahoney. Gian Matute. Zach Keehan. Jack Minsky. Michael Moriti. JP Jack Paul. Greg Profitwitch. Andrew Ruscietti. Lucas Schectel. Colin Schermacher. Connor Schmidt. And Zinzi. Jackson Cherick. I saved in the best for last, Jackson. And out of that group, while they're up on stage, Old County honorable mention was Sean Berzakis. Matthew Keegan. And we have our Old County winners, Sean
016Mahoney, Jackson Langevin, Colin Schermacher, and Gavin Joyce. Colin was also named the AAA Conference Goalie of the Year. We have Sean Mahoney, who was also named the AAA Conference Player of the Year, as well as All-State and All-Region Player. Incredible accomplishment competing in one of the hardest divisions in all of sports in Nassau County. We also want to congratulate Pat Turk, who was also named the Conference Goalie of the Year. And we appreciate all the hard work and dedication that goes into creating such a successful season. So congratulations, boys. All right. Next up is our cheer team for the fall. First time in school history that our cheer team were county champions. They participated up in Albany in the state competition. And I'll say we fared very well. The performance was amazing. And we lost
017to a private school. So I'll say that. So we are champions, though. Our conference and county for the first time. An amazing season. And just so everybody here knows, they are continuing their winning streak. This past Sunday, they won the region for game day cheer and their bid to nationals for Florida. So congratulations to the girls. So a lot of great things to come. Same thing, ladies. I'm going to call your name up. Please come on up. Elizabeth. Elizabeth Almondavar. Sorry, Liz. Adriana Oletta. Sophia Bagagio. Chloe Ackerman. Sophia Bravo. Julia Carrillo. Ilana Decker. Brianna Guerin. Olivia Hoberg. Sophia Lentini. Isabelle Lima. Olivia Macklin. Angela Mamone. Ella Martynishin. Katie Nolan. Charlotte O'Grady. Isabella Puma. Lily Recoy. Mia Tocci. Addison Troy. And Hayden Weinberg. Their coaches are Samantha Chabak, who Sam has been sick and under the
018weather since the weekend. So she's not here with us today. We have Sadie Olson and Morgan Thaler. Come on up. We'd like to also recognize the all county sections. Adriana Oletta. Sophia Bravo. Olivia Helberg. Olivia Decker. Brianna Guerin. Olivia Helberg. And Addison Troy. All earned all county status. And from our coaching staff, Samantha Chabak was named class A coach of the year. And Sadie and Morgan were named Nassau County assistant coaches of the year. So congratulations to our team. Tremendous accolades and they're continuing the great work this winter. All right. One more team to go. So congratulations to our team. So congratulations to our first two teams. And we also congratulate our varsity girls soccer team. Congratulations. For the second year in a row, they are the Nassau County champions. And for the first time
019in school history, Long Island champions. This is also the first Long Island championship since 2004. So hopefully we keep those coming. Same thing, ladies. When you hear your name, please come up to the stage. Coaches as well. Our champions are. Julia Blatt. Molly Bowler. Ava Bowers. Rogan Costello. Jordan Davis. Jessica Donohoe. Kat Evans. Addison Goldstein. Riley Harrington. Charlotte Heim. Madeline Heim. Ella Hickey. Leah Lonergan. Danny Maller. Victoria Maloney. Bella Menino. Maddie McMurray. Ella Maler. And the rest of the team. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations. Thank you all. llä. Ella Murray. Adelina Amali. Natalia Peredo. Chloe Pulido. Chloe Salute. Giana Vizzo. Ryan Zyder. We have our media team member who played all the way to court with us, Nelly Or 감사. All our coaches come up.
020Tina Pumo. Mary Cecil. Dakota Agnes. And Danielle Chiaro, our head coach. We have our own County honorable mention at... We have our old County honorable mention at the same time. Also, she's the head guerreer of their district of failed generations. She's got the fantastic day in her life she has. Ella Murray, who's currently playing basketball. Chloe Pulido and Gianna Vizzone are all county winners. Molly Bowler, Ava Bowers, and Ryan Zeider. Ava Bowers was also named to All-State second team. Ella Murray, All-State fifth team. And Ryan, who's not with us tonight, was All-State first team and All-Region. All three of those players will be also named Long Island when that comes out. The coaches, Danielle Chiera and Tina Pumo, really led these girls from early August. Mary Cecil in Dakota, what an outstanding program. And we
021also want to recognize that Danielle Chiera was also named the Nassau County Coach of the Year for an amazing job done. And before I let everybody go, I just want to say the work that got put in and the experiences and the memories made on all of our teams, we'll never forget. And girls, I was up, I was in Albany with Chiera and Cortland with you guys. That was probably the most fun I've ever had as an athletic director. And I'm looking forward to continue to do that. So thank you. In conclusion, be resolved that a page in the minutes of this meeting be set aside to record these accomplishments along with the continued best wishes for success done in Oceanside, New York, this 17th of December 2025. At this particular time, we're going to
022take a five minute break. There are cookies and light refreshments in the cafeteria. We will be starting in five minutes. I'm sorry, it's in the cafeteria. Two minute warning, two minutes. It's not a work machine. Sorry, great job. Great job. Okay, we'd like to start the second part of our meeting. If everybody could sit down, Mr. Lyson. Tom Lehman, you was on my good list. It doesn't seem like you're going too good right now. At this particular time, for the high school student, government representative is Brian Rolusco. And as most of you know already that Brian has been chosen this year, of course, to be the student rep. He is here and he's doing a great job. So Brian, this is your part right now. Thank you. I'd like to invite up the high school
023student representatives. We are currently about halfway through the second quarter and students have begun preparing for midterm examinations as the semester progresses. Overall, students are working hard, working to stay organized and balance their coursework as we move toward the midpoint of the school year. We recently hosted our annual Turkey Shoot event, which was a tremendous success. Through the collective efforts of student government, our staff, the PTA and the Board of Education, we were able to deliver meals to over 100 families throughout our community. This experience reinforced the idea that you do not truly understand the needs of your community until you go out and actively serve it. In addition, representatives from the Herald and News 12, attended the event and interviewed several students helping to highlight the significance of this initiative and the meaningful impact
024it continues to have on families in need. We held our annual variety show last week and we were pleased to see a strong turnout from the school community. The show featured 13 student performers including singers, piano players, and a full band, showcasing a wide range of talents. The event provided students with the opportunity to express themselves creatively, challenging themselves outside of the classroom and build confidence by performing in front of their peers. Overall, the variety show was a positive and engaging experience that highlighted the creativity and the diversity of our student body. Our winter concert took place yesterday, providing students with opportunities to showcase their musical growth and hard work. These performances reflected the dedication of our music students and the guidance of our music educators, while also bringing together families and members of the
025school community. Overall, the concert helped foster creativity, confidence, and continued appreciation for the arts all throughout our district. Battle of the Classes sign-ups and theme voting will take place this week in person during periods 8 and 9, as well as after school. This process will allow students to officially register for Battle of the Classes and play an active role in selecting their class theme, helping to build excitement and school spirit leading into the event. In addition, Battle Board decoration will take place on January 8 from 2.45 to 7 in the cafeteria, where students will work collaboratively to design and decorate their class boards. This portion of the event will encourage creativity. Teamwork and class pride as students prepare for one of the school's most anticipated transitions. The OHS fifth annual bake-off will be held on
026the 23rd in the main lobby and will provide students and staff with the opportunity to showcase their baking skills and creativity in a fun and competitive setting. This event will encourage student participation, school spirit, and community engagement, while continuing a popular tradition that brings the school community together outside of the classroom. All funds collected from the event will be donated to the Soul Shine Fund. Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes
027will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, Battle of the Classes will take place on
028January 8 from 2 to 7 in the cafeteria, and spirited events of the school year. Students from each grade level will compete in a variety of activities, demonstrating teamwork, enthusiasm, and class pride. The event will bring together students, staff, and families to celebrate school spirit and strengthen our sense of community. The sport night informational meeting will be held at 2.45 p.m. on January 12th in the auditorium, where students will receive important information regarding expectations, rules, and overall event logistics. In-person sport night registration will then take place during the week of January 13th, allowing students to officially sign up to participate. These steps will help ensure that the students are informed, prepared, and organized in advance of the event. Thank you for your time. We hope everyone has a happy holidays. I would now like to
029invite up our Castleton student representatives. Good evening, Dr. Harrington, members of the district office and Oceanside Board of Education trustees. My name is Alice H. Martinez, and I am the student council president of OHS Castleton. And my name is Jessica Olivo. We are grateful for the opportunity to be here this evening to represent our school and share a few recent highlights that reflect OHS Castleton's continued commitment to student engagement, post-secondary readiness, and meaningful connections beyond the classroom. Over the past month, our friends and I have had several opportunities to connect our learning to the real world. On December 3rd, we were honored to welcome Mr. D'Ambrosio, president of the Board of Education trustees, into our building to speak with students about civic leadership and public services. Hearing directly about the responsibilities of serving on the
030board helped us better understand how local leadership shapes schools and communities. Many students shared afterwards how impactful it was to hear personal stories and to see what civic-minded leadership looks like in action. In support of college and career readiness, we also participated in a college exploration visit to Farmingdale State College on Friday, December 13th. During this experience, we attended an orientation toward the campus, explored the ATC lab, and ate lunch in the campus dining hall. This visit helped us envision ourselves in the college environment. This visit helped us envision ourselves in the college environment. This visit helped us envision ourselves in the college environment. We also had a chance to learn more about the college environment, ask questions about academic programs, and better understand expectations beyond high school. Experiences like this make college feel more
031tangible and attainable for our students. In addition to academic and career-focused opportunities, Castleton continues to prioritize community and belonging. On November 20th, we hosted our annual Thanksgiving Alumni Dinner, bringing together current students and Castleton alumni, for an evening of connection, reflection, and celebration. This event allowed students to see themselves as part of a larger Castleton legacy, while alumni were able to return, share their experiences, and reconnect with the community that helped shape them. It was a meaningful reminder that Castleton is not just a program, but a lifelong community. Together, these experiences reflect the heart of our work at Castleton, preparing students for life beyond high school, building strong relationships, and building a strong relationship with the community. We also had a chance to share our experiences with our students, and share our experiences with our
032students. These experiences sit with the organization we celebrate. Thank you artists, our pandemic. ... So I'm sure that our community recalls that last year O.S.D. Parent University engaged in a year-long labor study of entertainment resources for a college. study of the work of Jonathan Haidt, in particular a book called Anxious Generation. We had a number of productive workshops around that book and I actually think it really helped us ultimately move forward in issues like our cell phone policy. We wanted to continue some of that work and one of the things that was discussed in his book was an initiative called Let Grow. And of course under the amazing leadership of Ms. Provido, OSD Parent University has decided that they would use that as a district-wide campaign this year, Let Grow, and in particular in the
033month of December, Give the Gift of Independence. The goal of this initiative was really very simple but powerful. It was to partner with families in supporting students' independence, confidence, and real-world readiness at every step of development. But rather than a single event, because as you know, we are better together, Let Grow was designed as a shared experience across our elementary, middle, and high schools, meeting students where they are and engaging families as active partners. To begin, we'd like to share a short video that captures the heart of the Let Grow initiative and highlights what took place across our district. Let's take a look. The Oceanside School District Parent University presents Let Grow. Join us in giving the gift of independence. The entire Oceanside School District community will be participating in a Give the Gift of
034Independence campaign throughout the month of December. We are partnering with Parent University and the PTA to give students this gift where we are all working together to encourage independence. Let Grow was an organization that has been in creating, implementing, and supporting the development of independent education across the area. We are working with the National that came out of our Parent University book talk on the anxious generation. And it's all about students and children fostering their independent skills. I don't wanna pick my own, but I'm. I would like to learn how to speak English. I wanna travel around the world by myself. Giving the gift of independence is critical to the development of young minds because it really fosters a sense of self and it allows them to feel like they have ownership of themselves. I
035can do it. We can do it! I can do it. School staff members are always hoping to encourage young people to develop their independence and to develop their skills. But as a school psychologist and a clinical psychologist, I know that developing independence can also really have a significant impact on self-esteem, anxiety, and mood. It's good to be independent because that shows you maturity and kind of you're free. You're able to do it alone and it makes yourself feel proud. My head told me what to do, so I did, and it makes me feel good. I get to know about myself. It just feels really like I accomplished something. Certain times, the best ways we can help kids grow is to let them figure things out and let them fail and fail, and then they succeed
036because they keep on trying. The gift of independence suggests that we are going to pull back, let our kids do more on their own, possibly fail, possibly make mistakes, learn that they're going to be okay. They will survive and learn from these errors. Life has a lot of challenges and life will always have challenges ahead for everybody. And it's preparing them to try to tackle those challenges. I love to see when a student has a smile on their face, when they recognize that they can approach something that they were avoiding or something that they were fearing and they realize that they did make it through. Giving students the gift of independence helps them become resilient, responsible, and confident. We want to be able to tell them, you can do this. We believe in you and
037you can believe in yourself. Information will be coming home in student backpacks, parents square, and be posted on your PTA's Facebook pages. We can do it! So, thank you. I'd like to begin by sharing a little bit more about the Let Grow campaign. We begin at the elementary level by focusing on something very intentional, choice, confidence, and joy. Elementary schools implemented Let Grow through Bingo boards and Choice boards. Behind me, you see a few samples of the ones created at each of the schools. They give students age-appropriate options to try something new independently, with parent permission, of course. These were not meant to be complicated tasks, rather, meaningful moments that stretched independence just a little bit. несколько Families were encouraged to share photos and short videos of students participating, which schools proudly highlighted on their
038websites and in school communications. We also reinforced the initiative through announcements and school-wide messaging, helping students feel celebrated for their efforts. One example of the language families received really captures the spirit of this work. The Let Grow Experience is an optional homework assignment that challenges kids to go out and do something new on their own. Make breakfast, climb a tree, run an errand. The point is to stretch the boundaries of childhood just a little bit. The result? A burst of confidence, pride, and joy. As you'll see in these photos, students embraced the challenges. Cooking, organizing, helping at home. And families shared incredibly positive messages. They shared positive feedback about how proud their children felt. You're going to see now just a few videos that are sure to put a smile on your face. In this
039first video, you see a little boy who has decided he wants to throw out the garbage at night all by himself. Take a look at his face in the end and the little skip. That should tell you something about being confident and excited that he can do it. In the middle, you see another little boy who has decided that he wants to figure out how to help the family whose light bulb on the ceiling just wasn't working and tried to figure out how to change it all by himself. And he did it. And that video was made by his dad. So you can imagine what a fun project this was for both of them. And finally, we have a compilation from one of our schools with all the little things that our children did in
040that particular school. So our principals received all kinds of communication from home and this one quote on the bottom from a school three-month-old. So we're so excited about them helping around the house, being independent, and trying new things. So now let's talk about the middle school implementation. At the middle school level, Let Grow took on a slightly different but equally powerful focus, building independence through partnership with parents. Oceanside Middle School hosted a parent university conversation titled Confidence, Competence, and Independence. This event was held during a summer break. This event was held during a summer break. This event was held during a summer break. This event was held during a summer break. It was a one-day meeting with parents and was led by Principal Dr. Glickman Rodgers alongside Dr. Lamparello, our Director of Middle School Special
041Education and K-12 Pupil Personnel Services. The conversation centered on how middle school plays a critical role in helping adolescents develop resilience, self-advocacy, and a strong sense of self, especially during a stage when students are navigating increasing responsibilities. The response, as you can see, was as simple as the sub-plot. see from the pictures was overwhelming. The event was truly a packed house which speaks volumes about how much families are craving these conversations and practical strategies to support their children's independence. In addition to the parent workshop, students participated in group guidance lessons focusing on self-advocacy, responsibility, and independence, role-playing with their peers, and having different types of scenarios put in front of them, ensuring that this message was reinforced both at home and in school. And now let's talk about the high school implementation. At the high
042school level, Let Grow became about preparing students for real-world independence. Students completed the Let Grow independence form for teens, which you can see behind me. This prompted them to reflect on what skills they felt they needed before adulthood. Their responses were honest and incredibly insightful. Students wanted to learn things like paying bills, filing taxes, managing rent, handling emergencies, and navigating adult responsibilities. They weren't asking for abstract lessons. They were asking for real guidance. In response, they were asked to write a book about their experiences with the school system. What they learned was that not only would kids learn from their peers, but that their experience with their peers could also help them develop awareness and mental health. In addition, students of the High School level also found ways to build guns and guns that could
043kill adults. They're also going to be able to learn how to communicate with children. OPEN TO THE OCEAN Oceanside High School faculty members volunteered their time to participate in adulting panels, where students could ask questions directly and engage in meaningful dialogue with trusted adults. These panels are being hosted in our Wellness Center and led and orchestrated by Dr. Wyson Rita, reinforcing that independence and mental wellbeing go hand-in-hand. The conversations will be authentic and unique. authentic, supportive, and empowering for our students. Across all levels, elementary, middle, and high school, what we saw was consistent. When students are trusted, supported, and encouraged to take healthy risks, they rise to the occasion. LECRA was not a one-size-fits-all program. It was a district-wide mindset, one that honored developmentally appropriate independence and strengthened the partnership between schools and families. So
044what's next for Parent University? As we look ahead, I'm super excited to share that what's coming next from OSD Parent University is an AI workshop titled Healthy Kids, Smart Schools, Navigating Artificial Intelligence at Home and in the Classroom. This is going to be taking place on Tuesday, January 13th, and we invite families to join us for a campfire. This interactive evening will help parents understand how AI is impacting children's learning, development, and well-being, and how to support that healthy balance at home. We are inviting Dr. Fred Munch, who will share brain science and practical parenting strategies, and parents will also have the opportunity to experience the same AI tools students are using in OSD classrooms. And we really want to thank you for joining us. We really want to emphasize this. All attendees will be
045entered to win a raffle for a chance to win an iPad or one of several unplugged family night baskets designed to encourage meaningful screen-free time together. So registration is now open, and we strongly invite everyone and encourage you to sign up today. Thank you. So as you can see, OSD Parent University has been very, very active, but I do want to call attention to the list of names of people that have been actively leading this work. And what we are so very proud of is it really is a partnership with our faculty, our staff, our parents, and our administrators. And the list goes on. We even also have a board member, a call out, Miss Lisey, who has been a very active member of Parent University. So we thank everyone for their countless hours helping
046to put all of this together. It's super exciting to watch. It's super exciting to see what's going to come. And a special shout out again and thanks to the leadership of this amazing team. Of course, Miss Diane Provito, our assistant superintendent for curriculum instruction, and Miss Laurie Dawson, who is an amazing co-chair, parent representative. Thank you so very much. It's so much to be proud of. Thank you. Is there any questions from the board? I just got one thing. We always get that same question. How are these kids going to be able to manage a check-in? Or a check-in account? Or a simple question like what to do in a house fire or a car crash? Or paying bills? I mean, these are great conversations to have with our kids because sometimes it gets lost
047in the shovel. So Miss Provito, thank you so much, you and your team, for this amazing presentation. And it's just certain things we take for granted that we shouldn't be taking for granted. And it's all good stuff. At this particular time, it's 5A. It's an opportunity for comment on agenda items. Any audience? Any audience member wishing to make a comment on an item that is in tonight's agenda can do so at this time. Anyone wishing to make a comment on an item not on tonight's agenda will have the opportunity to do so later on in the agenda. While New York State law does not require us to hold a public comment period on agenda items, this Board of Education chose to do so because we believe it is important to get the input from community
048members on board agenda items. Please note that the board is here to listen. While everyone is encouraged to share their comments, please keep in mind that this is not designed to be a question and answer session. Again, comments should be directed towards the chair of the meeting, which is me. Anyone who wishes to speak on agenda items only, please come up to the microphone clearly and state your name. Seeing none, I would like to get a motion to approve the minutes of the November 19th, 2025 regular meeting for file as submitted. Motion. Still? Second. And second. Well, any questions? No. Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. Acceptance, a motion to accept the financial reports, treasury reports, transfer of funds and internal claims. Order review of warrants as
049submitted. Any questions or comments? I'll take a motion rather. I'll make a motion. Sandy? I second. Laura, any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. Approved for use of the facilities. From Columbus, they always do a basketball free toss contest and all the proceeds go to the children. I'll take a motion. I'll move it. Second. Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. We have an approval to declare, I'll take a motion to approve to declare obsolete technology item surplus. I'll take a motion. I'll take a motion. Second. Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. A motion to approve the employment contract with Dr. Jill DeRosa as submitted. I'll take a motion. I'll make that motion.
050I second. Sandy? Laura? Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. Dr. Harrington? Okay. I'll take a motion. To approve the professional personnel recommendations as submitted. I'll move it. All? Second. Done. Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. We're on 8C. I'll take a motion to approve civil service personnel recommendations as submitted. Motion. Stu? Second. Zip? Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. I'll take a motion. To approve our hourly employee recommendations as submitted. I'll move it. Sandy? I second. And Laura? Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. And I'll take a motion to approve 2025-2026 co-curriculum new appointments. I'll move it. Bob? Second. And Don? Any questions
051or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. I'll take a motion to approve the DACA employee recommendations as submitted. Motion. Stu? Second. Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. Recommendation to approve the recommendation of the CSE CPSC chairperson as submitted. I'll make a motion. Sandy? I second. And Laura? Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. 10A. I'll make a motion to, I'll take a motion to approve the memorandum of agreement between the Oceanside School District and nurses, occupational therapists, certified occupational therapists, assistant chapter of Oceanside, federal of teachers, Federation of Teachers. I'll take a motion. I'll move it. Second. Don? Second. Don? Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstentions? Motion passes. Mr.
052D, if I just can. Yep. I do want to point out, because this is something that we've never done before in Oceanside, but the truth of the matter is we really do have a very difficult time finding and hiring school nurses and retaining school nurses. It used to be a job that was very desirable and for a whole host of reasons it's become less desirable and the need has grown. So we are trying something unique. Okay. And we are, this MOA suggests that there's now a signing bonus for a school nurse. They of course have to work for the full year. It's a $5,000 signing bonus. We don't know if it will help. We hope that it will because we do need our school nurses and again the need has increased tremendously. So spread the
053word if you know someone who is looking for what we think is a perfect employment opportunity. But there will be a signing bonus now and we'll see if that works. We're trying everything we possibly can. Dr. Harrington, if I could just add, I just want to share that we have, since we've come to this agreement, we have two new nurses that will receive that signing bonus after their start date. So next January of 2027 and next, actually both of them next January 2027, we should have two nurses who have now established themselves for a year here. Who will receive that signing bonus. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that. We're going to receive that bonus. So thank you to the board for supporting that. It does seem to be working. Perfect. Thank you,
054Dr. DeRosa. Any other questions from the board? All right. And we're on 10B. I'll take a motion to approve the updated 2025-26 district wide safety plan. If people don't know that, that's we have to, it's on our website and we meet a couple of times a year and it's a real comprehensive district plan made up of a lot of community and business. Thank you. community and board members and a lot of people. And Mr. D, if I just can add, in particular, I want to point out that the plan had to be revised because there is a new regulation that does put a new requirement on all of our staff members in terms of knowing things such as exactly where the AEDs are located in school buildings. And actually we also are mandated to instruct
055our students. So we're going to do it through the physical education classes, that makes the most sense. But it is a comprehensive requirement that will require all of us to spend some time becoming educated on that process and in particular where our AEDs are in our buildings. Not necessarily how they work, that's a special training, but just at least knowing where they are and how to get the right help, God forbid, if that was necessary. Great job, finally something that makes sense. Approval update of the 2025 Districtwide Safety Plan, I'll take a motion. Motion. Second. Second. Second. Any questions or comments? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Any abstention? Motion passes. 11A, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Harrington. Yeah, thank you. It's been a great meeting. Lots to celebrate, lots to look forward to. It's been
056concert season, so I've attended almost every one. I'm sure Mr. Maresca will talk about them in a few minutes. It's just been a wonderful, wonderful experience to see the musical talents of our kids and the hard work of our teachers. It's just been a great season so far. I just can't believe we're into a new calendar year in just a handful of days. So I just want to use the opportunity to remind everybody that the schools are open Monday and Tuesday of next week. Different schools have different calendars, so don't go by just what your neighbor's calendar may be. We are in school on the 22nd and the 23rd. And then of course the district is closed and the offices are officially closed through and up to January 1st, January 2nd. That Friday is a
057work day for certain administrators and clerical custodial staff. And then of course everyone is welcomed back on Monday, January 5th. And please have a very happy, very, very healthy holiday season and new year. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Harrington. At this particular time, Board of Education report, would someone like to start off? Ms. Lisi? Thank you, Mike. I just wanted to give a brief recap of a Board of Ed Technology Subcommittee meeting that Stuart Kaplan and I both attended on December 5th. At this meeting, our Executive Director of Technology, Ms. Policastro, reviewed with us the 2026 through 2029 Instructional Technology Plan, which focused on five key areas, updating the technology policies, enhancing classroom technology and learning spaces, strengthening our cybersecurity, expanding instructional technology, and maintaining reliable infrastructure. We also heard from Ms. Ogiri, our Director
058of Data Assessment, Administrative Services and Data Privacy, who reported on the upcoming cybersecurity initiatives, including a free risk assessment in 2026 and tabletop incident response exercises in 2027. Dr. Coakley reported on infrastructure planning and technology budget development. Some additional highlights at the meeting included Mrs. Provito sharing with us the family connectivity efforts, which we heard some of tonight. Thank you. parent university presentation in January on AI, which looks to be fabulous, navigating artificial intelligence at home and in the classroom. They also plan an e-waste recycling week that will take place in April, which I'm sure we'll hear more about as it gets closer. Overall, it was a very informative meeting, and I appreciated the thoughtful planning and collaboration that went into these initiatives. I also wanted to take a minute to talk about the board
059building committee meeting that Mr. Transom and I just attended today. At the meeting, we received an update from the district architect on the current capital reserve projects. The school number three turf project is almost complete, just a few punch list items that are left. At the high school, work continues on the baseball and softball fields, as well as the interior addition. All projects appear to be moving along well. We also discussed potential future capital reserve projects and reviewed general renovation needs for the next budget year. And overall, again, a very productive meeting. With helpful comments from the board, I'm happy to take any questions that you may have. Thank you. And we will also be presenting the national budget plan and мі aparece on the board board, and we will be discussing the board meeting.
060At the back of the board meeting, we will have full updates, both with the current projects and future planning. Thank you. Anyone else? Mr. Transom? Where do I start? Probably with thank yous, because Oceanside Community Service was able to help a lot of families at Thanksgiving, both with fresh microwavable meals to shut-ins and to 120 families in Oceanside and in some of the surrounding villages. villages that needed food for Thanksgiving Day. I would be remiss in not thanking the OFT both for the Thanksgiving support, for their support all the time getting toys and when we need Kohl's cards and stop and shop cards and things that pop up from time to time that we don't get in through donations. We're able to go out and buy that comes through our collaboration with the OFT. I
061would also be remiss if I didn't thank the PTA which is the backbone of Oceanside Community Service and Kiwanis Club also which is the backbone of Oceanside Community Service. Principals we wouldn't have been able to have a very successful toy drive without you and your teachers. It was very very very successful this year. We gathered over 800 plus toys and we're able to distribute eight toys per child this year for I think it's approximately 106 students. Mission Thanksgiving went off exactly as we had planned it. We raised the money and were able to buy the meals it all came in seamless with the deliveries and we didn't have any refusals. So I don't even know I forget what the count was on the people that we fed but we fed 600 meals. It's the Thanksgiving
062which is difficult because it was 145 families but that's compounded so I think it was 700 or 800 people we fed for Thanksgiving. This week we're going to look forward to the administrators joining us Friday about quarter to 11 or so 11 o'clock so we can load the baskets that will go out Saturday morning starting at around 9 o'clock at the Walker gym. I also we don't have any Castleton. Is Frankie still here? Frankie. Castleton High School helps Oceanside Community Service stage the area bring the food up from the basement. Put it in the areas that it has to go upstairs and unloads the truck with the fresh vegetables and turkeys. So thank you Frankie for the kids help. And that's it. Thank you Mr. DeRozier. Mr. Transom I just can't believe that you got
063Thanksgiving out of the way. We're right in the middle of Christmas right now. Christmas and Hanukkah so great job by you and your entire team over there. Sandy you have anything? Eight still? And Seth? Just wanted to mention three things. One is I know a lot of us had the opportunity to go to the marching band's end of year esprit de corps dinner. And they had a really just watching them I know they have a great time a lot of fun and just again watching the marching band as its rebirth as it's growing in size and I know we're expecting a lot of great things from them again next year. Thank you. And on our theater front I know since the last meeting we had little women at the high school and here on the
064stage behind us we had the Oceanside Theater Guild. Or is it the Theater Guild of Oceanside? I'm not sure which one. And it's showing of Carnival which was of course a Bruce Bider throwback classic but you know it's great to always have those come back. Thank you. And Lapa at least? Don? Thank you Mr. Chairman. I had the pleasure of seeing concerts on the elementary, middle school and high school levels. And as the superintendent pointed out they were all wonderful performances. It amazes me at the number of students in the orchestras, chorus and bands how it increases every year. For example in the eighth grade chorus they had 206 students participating. When you heard, and here's another thing, when you heard the high school symphonic concert you're just amazed you thought you were in Carnegie
065Hall. It was that wonderful. Congratulations to them. Both the high school and middle school performances were outstanding. And they did a wonderful job. Thank you. And I congratulate Andrew Frygool and his administrative assistant Jennifer Aiello and Victoria Garrett for coordinating these programs. I don't believe in a few years we're going to have room enough to hold all these students who are playing in our band, orchestra and chorus. But they were all wonderful. The elementaries, when you see the number of students and the quality of sound coming from those groups. And it just keeps growing. So continue the good work. There was another successful program at the high school which was a student variety show. The student performances were so entertaining. The MCs for the evening I believe were James, I hope they pronounce his name
066right, Bela and Matt Coppell. And they were quite entertaining. This program was a success. Thank you. Thank you. The program was just worked out and coordinated by Mrs. Comunello, Mrs. Tanco and Ms. Marr. And what an enjoyable evening. And I too would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you the very best for the holiday coming up. And also health and happiness in the new year. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Maraska. At this particular time, there's public comment on non-agenda items. This is the opportunity for anyone who wants to make a comment on any item that's not on tonight's agenda. As I previously mentioned, state law does not require us to hold a public comment period, but this Board of Education does so because we believe it's important,
067this forum, to hear our community members about concerns and issues. Having said that, please note that the Board is here to listen. Comments should be directed towards the chair of the meeting, which is me. While everyone is encouraged to share their comments, please remember that this is not designed to be a question and answer session. If somebody has a question that can be quickly answered, we will do so. Otherwise, the appropriate personnel will follow up on any issue. Lastly, please remember that the Board cannot and will not discuss personnel matters related to staff or students in public. Any party wishing to come up to the microphone, clearly state your name and your child's school. Thank you for your cooperation. Thank you for your cooperation and participation. Is there anybody, Cindy, would like to come up?
068Everybody? Is this on? Hi. I just wanted to say thank you, Dr. Harrington, regarding the e-bikes. I think it's very important that this district understands what's going on with the e-bikes. I've been seeing numerous of them. And the two people that you mentioned, I heard a lot about it. They do weave in and out of cars, and it's very dangerous. I'm glad that the police commissioner is taking serious action on this. So I'm glad that you're enforcing it in this district as well and the community. On the second note, I just wanted to wish everybody a happy holiday, safe, and enjoy with your family. And have a good new year, and I'll see you in the new year. Have a good one. Very good. Thank you. Thank you, Cindy. It is always a privilege for
069the OFT to partner with Ocean Side Community Service. We love doing that. Thank you. And on behalf of the OFT, we would like to say have a happy holiday and a very happy new year. Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you guys do for the students. Anybody else? At this particular time, I would like to take a motion to adjourn. Happy holidays, everyone.