001Please rise for the [Music] pledge. [Music] Cool. Starting with Vinnie, please. Vinnie Canadella, Debbie Sherman, Stephanie Miller, Stephanie Miller. [Music] Okay. And um two, three. Are there any amendments to the [Music] agenda? Okay. Hearing none, student recognition. Wow, we love having all of you guys here. Thank you so much for coming. Um I know that uh coach Stockmull is a little delayed. So Dr. Menley you said that how what are we doing? We're having Anthony Stephanie or you Yes. Um Mr. and Isabelle. So, one of the things that we we are obviously here for here and we're ending the month of December and this is the perfect time for our students that have succeeded in all sorts of ways from academics to arts and athletics. So this evening we're going to begin with some academic
002recognitions and some recognition system then please That's the first [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Please. [Music] [Applause] There you are. Don't. That's it. [Applause] This is why we have Joe here to organize. [Applause] That's another job. [Applause] Okay, I'm [Applause] Who cares? Awesome. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] All right. [Music] Black Mountain. [Music] Joe, you good? [Applause] people senior. [Music] You're right. What is that? I don't know [Applause] Thank you. Now this [Music] for all that English. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] So, [Music] said, "No, we had [Music] What? We missed a kid or a team? We missed a kid. That's okay. [Music] Yeah, but I mean I don't think it's a whole team. I think it's just my and Ready? [Applause] [Music] [Applause] I just saw her and stuff. [Applause] [Music] You're not gone. Not even. So,
003we have the we have the basketball. When the basketball kids get here, we're just gonna recognize them. Oh, okay. Okay. So Jen and I on um minutes for November 22nd motion to approve the November 22nd regular board of education minutes. Are we supposed to be able to hear ourselves, too? Okay. Well, we're just going to get through this one minute and then we'll do it. Go ahead, De. You said it. Did I have a second? Steve second. Are there any um changes or amendments? Hearing none. All those in favor, opposed or abstain? Motion carries. Back to the sports. Yes, [Music] these two girls. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh my god. [Music] Yes. Okay. Um, audience, audience of citizens, is there anyone who would like to address the board? I'm sorry. We don't have a mic up
004there. So, just stand right there wherever wherever we can hear you. Yeah, [Music] please. That's Yep. That's She deserves it. Nice job. Thank you. Having cleared the room, unless you want to say something, Joe, we'll fine. You're exhausted. Okay. Um, our newly appointed secretary is not here tonight, so I don't believe we have any correspondence. Um but um going intoformational items, Mike Dexino, our new chief operations [Music] officer. So I [Music] Okay. This is third week and he's still here. [Music] Good. Thanks. [Music] Most What's going that. [Music] Just a quick question. Um, when is that contract renewal? I don't know if so 2023. [Music] Okay, thank you. very difficult to do. Um, thank you Mike. Does anybody have any questions for Mike or want him to elaborate on anything? We look forward to welcome
005to the team and we look forward to working with you and happy holidays. Thanks a lot. Thanks, Mike. Thanks, Mike. Okay. [Music] This is a [Music] [Applause] good and Robert, it does help if the mics in front of you can really hear the I'm not fresh. I'm just Yeah, I mean I see you can because I can't hear very. Thank you. [Music] Awesome. [Music] basketball is very difficult. [Music] want to thank you guys for doing that. teams. So something we started last [Music] year as a bridge. We [Music] have all participations. Yeah. [Music] break down soccer and football at 59 cross country had zero girls soccer at 18. I want to let you know that all of those numbers have increasingly cross country. We had a wonderful last year this year. So that's a good
006sign. involved now. We have started sports started on November 28th for girls basketball and wrestling and December football. Our total participants at this time we have 127 athletes, 62 boys and 65 girls. The boys basketball team has 30 and we have started boys basketball first time in six years. So we got we have special and then budget our girls basketball team has [Music] 20 girls basketball has 27 gymnastics. Wrestling has five and we are in Turkey and Holy Cross again this year. experience with them last year and we want to continue that experience with our live team. [Music] Joe, quick question. Um, isn't cheerleading in the fall as well? So I love Oh boy. The reason they do that is because they cheer in competition. Okay. So, so they do not consider a false. Okay.
007[Music] They get a lot of [Music] money. Yes. Yeah. Right. [Music] They met the rule for Okay. Thank you. in here. This is a very strong and we forunate that as well leader CIA love She had recognized as or they have 73 people in their program 27 boys and 46 girls. Their sports are basketball and so they have tournaments. They hosted a tournament. We hosted a dance recently that was well attended by the NPL and I tell you if you had a bad day and you showed up at that fantastic [Music] kids all over the place. [Music] Any questions? Okay. was 16 and regular season. Unfortunately, he fell in a shootout to hold in the semiinal. It was snowy and played fantastic champions regular season and uh tournament champions and they finished 21. Our football
008team finished 5 and five. Our girls volleyball team finished 12 regular season and they went two and one state championships. Our girls soccer team finished and one girls dive team finished. [Music] regular season officials with the sport of the work which I individual honors. Our head coach was named NFL coach of the year. Our assistant coach named the NFL assistant coach of the year. Senior captain state the outstanding senior tournament and all honors senior captain received all state honors senior captain Josh also received all state honors senior pale received ball senior received and senior girls soccer and all girls volleyball was involved selection and all copper division selections in girls and died was all dire in boys country girls country Isaac was involved in selection and in football last night I was uh I'm on
009the high school football coaches association committee I'm going by football coaches in the state that's on that committee last night we had our valious uh process. Um but in the end we found out that [Music] Julie Jul and Nick, as I said, sure questions, Nicole. Uh, I have two. The first is are there any sports programs that we don't currently offer in district that you would like to bring into district? So I have [Music] entertained women have graciously invited us to join them. for the collab team this year. We just have to decide on So what's collaborative? Oh boy. So collaborative is um you're performing for your school. Okay. So, so but you have a low number of athletes. [Music] Okay. And they would they would play for practice with Seymour. They would transport. They
010would do everything, but they would represent Oxford as its own team. Interesting. we will join. Right. Right. Snapchat. Right. So, and if this is a long answer, you don't have to do it now, but um how does that work kind of financially? So, we have right [Music] If we were to stand the coaching alone is over $8,000 for a coach. Transportation would be somewhere for season officials depending on how many we have somewhere in the range of $1,000. Um, so it would cost us about $12,000 [Music] stand us and it's kind of a better experience and I think it's a better experience for the kids too when you're part of a larger team and and I like the fact that they're getting to know you know the kids in surrounding towns too. Okay. Thank you.
011I know you're not done. Okay, Nicole's not done. I'd like to go to some of the upcoming games. Where's the best place to find the schedule? If you go to C A S C I A. You'll see a heading that says that all you have and it'll take you to any Oxford even. [Music] So when I made that change, can we add that link to our Saturday morning schedule? [Music] Okay, that [Laughter] seems asthics and he's really made it more user friendly. on there. It's not that coach email and says, "Hey coach, I'd like to speak to you." So, anything else? Oh, that's it. Thank you. Anyone else from this side of the table? I just want to say uh it was great to have uh the CIA host the state football championship up at
012the field. Whoever arranged that, that was a win. It was people I've heard nothing but positive things about the facility and stuff there. So, that was a great great great idea. It was it was a great opportunity for us to showcase our facilities. Um so reached out to me and their approval and we got everything set up for the game. CIC was there showed up and showed up in the CI and they were involved with facilities and the prospect of hosting more games. Another great thing about that is they actually pay for hosting there. So we receive money. All right. Great. Probably shouldn't have told us that. [Music] Um, I just wanted to ask if we could get something similar from middle school as far as how many kids are enrolled in their program. So,
013doesn't have to be, you know, anything formal. Just anything else from here? Um, I have one question. You mentioned the co-ops and I know they're becoming more and more popular. I was kind of piggybacking off Nicole. Um, you know, are there any other teams that we're thinking of co-op? Hockey, lacrosse, you know, and and I understand we're a small school. That's why we can't offer every single team, but the co-ops kind of let these small schools if you have the interest and those seem to be sports that a lot of kids do participate in. That's right. It did start this year, right? I think this year [Music] invest opportunity for us because their own costly. Sure. Wow. Now, how do we get the kids there or do they have to which makes sense. Okay. Um,
014as far as other sports go, I am very guarded as to how many sports. It has to be we have to hit a certain number for us to pursue and and I know you know there's interest but you always have to take cost of it and you mention cost to It would be [Music] [Applause] transporting this spring. We would not be able to get a schedule because this year last year, right? [Music] Right. Right. Right. So, it's a it's a game that you have to figure out. But um but I I I just think that's great for the kids to have that, you know, opportunity. [Music] I'm [Music] joking. Right. [Music] Good. I'm joking. You know, Joe, I know I can tease you. Um [Laughter] Um So, Oh, I've been to a few. I've been
015to a few. Um so, thank you. And anybody else have any other comments? And and thanks for coming here tonight and bringing your athletes. And you know, we're so proud of all of our students, but we'd love to recognize them, too. So, thank you so much. Thanks, [Music] my friend. My mother's been Thank you. Good. Bye, Joe. Thanks, Joe. Have a good night. Happy holidays. Okay, you too. Extra even though I'm Deb and I are the only ones in the spirit. Um, extracurricular [Music] extracurricular activity update. So he it's important to take a look at the full wellrounded experience students have. So just athletics. support context of athletics is one way that students may engage in academic and school districts activities. Uh so what we've done is provided to you questions if you have happy
016to get answers to you detail the specific activity students are in the number of days on the ghost list. Could we get whoever is the person that the advisor. Yeah, that's that's one thing I was say. They can all be kind of done the same then. You agree? Um and then um we were looking into enrichment right Dr. Miller if if enrichment is running in the schools or anybody else have questions on this? Okay. Attendance procedures and update. Sure can hear you. district. So from an intense perspective, we had a number of work teams this summer to take a look at what the improvements were in the district. And it's no surprise that students miss a lot of time. We want students to be able to learn that they're actually in class in school one
017time every day. So we put an action team together. Um Stephanie was one of the leaders that were on that team. We put a number of action together for this fall. We're still [Music] number is not quite um ever since. Uh my hypothesis is that students are right now in person that numbers are So we got [Music] together what social year. A big thing you may hear about is parents because that is to get parents to call their students in as well [Music] as anything. complicated either events and then a few other things and of course so it's not it's more complicated than my students or not but the real technology Lots of technology work to do. [Music] As we started to get the data, we realiz the numbers are skewed. Um and as you
018may be hearing the start this year has been pretty and you know we all have our masks you know being offers. [Music] Can I just ask you a question? But if a child has an illness, an extended illness, and has a doctor's note, it doesn't count in that 10, does it? So, we're trying to make it under the So you're getting [Music] those treated [Music] because because the other thing is you know I mean for the dawn of ages I mean kids are sick you know So, I mean, sickness or unable to get to school. I guess I could ask a question. Is that where the issue is or is it kids that are just are healthy enough to get to school and for whatever reason are not getting to school? I would think that
019those are the, you know, the kids that that need to get to school. Yeah. [Music] So we still [Music] have that's mostly yet that [Music] well and Dr. That's consistent in every because this was a committee that you formed. So this is consistent in every school. Yes. So the committee had district schools and then um a number of reasons. So that's across the [Music] board still with a high [Music] Thank you. Um questions. Um, as far as like the state's concerned, I know that the state passed laws recently saying that school discipline isn't reportable to the colleges along with the juvenile justice laws. So, the Connecticut colleges can't ask for school discipline uh based on that. Is this one of those subjects that is reportable or is not reportable to um I started as a
020schooler and I never pass. Okay. So some I mean because at some point we like a total you know chronic abs absent person obviously there I would think there must be a trigger that would flag okay. Okay. All right. That's fine. I just was curious. Yeah. [Music] So the gray area for that would be is if you did discipline the student that wouldn't be reportable that instant but the the record that they have would be the record for certain. Okay. should be easier than it is. Any other questions? Go ahead, Steve. So, what I'm reading is we always talk about excuse and unexcused. There really is no difference in this perspective. Right. more support. So, I know we all agree that we want kids in school and that's really the optimal learning path, right? But
021what does the state actually do if you have kids? I mean, we've had in past higher absentee like what does that actually mean? End result action. I don't know how much. [Music] Yeah, I've been in those reports for other districts and so I understand it's it's part of a weighted average grouping of a score, but other than that, are there any other implications? No. So see I would have thought Connecticut would have been the other one some sort. [Applause] No it's that was like you know we gave you 100,000 last year and 10,000 now somebody else now it's not like that not that we get money from state. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you. Is that all that you guys are recording on? Oh, and thank you. You know, you know
022what? He is just so special. And you know, I see one that's in the fridge here. I'm not sure. We won't have to say, but they look delicious. Thank you so much. That's just so nice of you to think of this. We know what with this tape. Can we just make sure that they turn the table around? My leg. My reindeer is getting totally ruined. Yeah, because yours is mine's not flipped the right right way. Thank you. I'm gonna I'm gonna send you the bill for my reindeer sweat. Um, are you having cookies now? Sure. Oh, so are you guys are you guys done here? You don't have to stay. What? What did um Tracy Alman say? Now, thank you so much. That was very appreciate. [Music] Okay. Um, E, we're gonna do ECA now
023just so you guys I don't know if they wanted to hear what we were doing. They can read it in the minutes. Okay. ECA is going to be pretty It's up to you, but I mean you can find out what goes on. Yeah. First, first got stuck again. Okay. So, go ahead. ECA. Okay. So the top of EC has been turned around for the last few years and finance committee. It's in center for art students writing performances. It's an AC we tations for students there. This year we only have to continue to that program. Um the conversation that we have with you tonight is whether or not we continue supporting students going to PCA. Uh it does provide logistical challenges in high school schedule that allows those students to take our classes in the morning
024and need to get to their classes in the afternoon. And then there's a financial cost right here and transportation $51. Um that's that's not the cost but to the first teacher. So when you talk about a tight budget that that's resources that's supporting six students that could be supporting entire group of 75 students in high school or an elementary school teacher or just teacher or support um it's where we want to support and as we're beginning to build out our school um this evening you're going to see four proposals for the arts. So, as we continue to build our internally, we like to keep our students in our high school possible. That's the content, right? Today's conversation. Okay. Um, does anybody have I mean, we've we've talked about this before and we've asked you for
025information on this, so thank you so much for getting it to us. Um, does anybody have any questions on the information that was given to us or about the program? No. Um, so you know, it's something that Mike's not here. He's our our finance guy, but um, you know, we've talked about it in the in the finance subcommittee. So, um, we went through it too quickly in curriculum as well. I we went through it quick quickly in curriculum and and I'll just make the comment um that um, this has been something that we've been trying to build for for some time. I mean, take CO out of of reinforcing the arts, getting AP music classes, AP art classes, um, doing more, you know, supporting drama and, you know, the things that kids we want to
026keep, we want to keep our most talented kids in our school and, um, you know, I mean, we obviously believe that that's the, you know, that's going to benefit, you know, them and and the school. So, um, you know, I'm I'm all for I'm all for us, um, you know, trying to keep our kids here. Did you want to say something? I have a motion. Oh, everybody comfortable with what we've talked about. Motion to allow the remaining four students to enroll for the 2023 2024 school year and no additional students will be allowed to enroll from Oxford to ECA. Second. Joe, is that you? Joe second. Um, any further discussion or everybody here hear that motion? Any further discussion? Okay. All those in favor? I opposed or abstain? Motion carries. Thank you, D. So the
027next thing I'll add is that I will now communicate to our eighth grade next year that are supporting that right and you know I mean the fact that it's dwindled and we haven't had students um you know applying for it for the the last couple of years you know hopefully they're they're getting what they need from from our district. Thank you. Okay. And um your report Dr. [Music] Miller works together in the benefits. I want to thank you for all the hard work you do. So congratulations for the work of you. Um and the second thing I was saying tonight is um this week um marks my anniversary and um there's two things that will sacred. One is that every student graduates high school ready to be successful life and the second is that um
028and we do everything that we can to engage the students do and some cases that happen. Uh so in the spirit of those take uh my report uh kind of uh mirroring um Dr. Millers, we just wish the staff and, you know, staff from everyone who who works with our kids um all day and sometimes all night um we appreciate the hard work that they do. We wish them a restful holiday break and um and holiday season and um you know and I I know this board um you know is is here for the best interest of the students and and thank you for acknowledging because we really do work work well together but um so on behalf of the board we want to just extend our best wishes to the staff and the students.
029Uh subcommittee facilities Joe [Music] Awesome. Uh, dev curriculum in the packet are four music classes that are funny you just mentioned that. I know. So, I'm sure everybody's had a chance to review it. If you haven't, this will be a 14. Um, do we need do they need to know this by the 13th? I know we talked about what they would do is they put in the course of studies that they enroll in. So, we would vote on these um we had um Jen Crooks and Emily Marquette on give us some feedback on us. This sound great. So we were really happy to see some new classes coming to high school. Um that's I mean we did a lot curriculum. We talked we um gave uh hopefully if I think everybody's seen the website for
030curriculum. We have some tweaking to do. Um we have a lot issues with our curriculum. Um and we will have two meetings for curriculum in January. The first meeting will be um middle school and high school schedules and the second meeting will be a discussion of where we are at curriculum hopefully having some um curriculum that has been borrowed and brought to our district and um hopefully make some significant changes relatively quickly and I can update everybody at the next meeting. These are all just These are all first um policy Nicole. So, we have two new policies that we're bringing forth for a first read. Um the first has to do with the meal charging policy. Um we talked about that at the last meeting that the federal money has run out so now we
031have to start charging for lunches again. Um, the big takeaway here is that no child will be refused to lunch or shamed for not having enough money on their account. And it lays out what we're going to do to pursue delinquent debt. And the collection strategies are all focused towards the parents or the guardian. It does not address the child. So, um, take a look at that and let us know if you have any questions. The second policy is our fundraising policy. we had some issues regarding what would be appropriate um sponsorship for advertising and there was we needed some clarity across the district. So we were able to take a look at um some sample language from another district because Shipment and Goodwin does not have a model policy on this. So this is
032something that we cobbled together on our own. So again, take a look at it. If you have any questions or concerns, let us know because we'd like to get it approved for the second read in the next meeting. Make it a little clear. Yes. Makes it easier for people to understand. Um, thank you, Nicole. Um, Mike's not here, so I don't think we have anything. We have scheduled for the 20th. Okay. At meeting I hope to outline some greater details when the board works out will be in January and the process [Applause] budget is next year. [Music] [Applause] The only other thing I would say to board members at a after um going through this process if there's anything that you've thought of like oh this would be you know an easier way to do
033that or this is something that I'm interested in or you know something about our process maybe we're trying to improve it every year. So if you get that to Mike or or Robert then you know we can make sure because I mean I know that our budget is you know transparent and we build it from the ground up and you know and we truly do that. Um, so you know, that's that's a nice change. Um, and I and I think we do put forward a really strong budget when we when we present it to the town, but if anybody has any suggestions, then we're open for that, too. Okay. Um, any liaison reports? I don't have anything. That's not a PC meeting. No. Um, anybody else a leazison? Okay. Um, so hearing none, um, we
034are now gonna go into executive session. So, okay, good. Actually, can you give it to Nicole? This one? No, I don't think so. Actually, that's it. Oh, she's got it. See, that's my second. I hereby move that the board enter into executive session for the purpose of a strategy discussion and receipt of attorney client privilege communication regarding pending legal claim brought by a former district employee. And I further move that the board invite superintendent of schools Dr. Miller into executive session. Second. Um any discussion, questions? All those in favor? Opposed or abstain? Motion carries. So now we will go into executive session. Right. Right. So just let me know.