001No m Steve Vinnie Canadella I have a question that I know you won't answer, but hopefully in the future you'll be able to. Sure. It's Tanya Curtis. Okay. Um, so in March we had the parent open forum meeting where we asked many questions. We did get some answers back. Um, but we were told that there would be an employee survey and that those results would be shared with us parents. Um, I'm wondering if that ever happened and when we might see those results. Um, because we still have not heard of any of those things. Um, so we would love to have some follow through on that item. And then I I know that when I come to these meetings, I sit here and I hear we do it for the kids. Everything's for the kids.
002Um so I'm just curious how getting rid of pair professionals is in the benefit of children. How having teachers with poor morale is in the best interest of our children. So things you should think about when you say that you do this for the children. Uh we we'd like to see the proof of that. Thank you. Hi Pressie. Um, as an educator, can you hear me? As an educator, I know we always hear the negative. So, I just want to thank you because I came, I don't remember when, about my um, concerns about the homework policy that was very vague. And I know you guys did look at it and you did update it. So, I appreciate you guys doing that. I want to thank you for doing that. And I also want to hope
003that um our concerns about I Ready um moving forward will continue to stay in the school and not as part of homework. So thanks for um updating that policy. Good evening. Good evening. Um I will be rather quick. Um first of all, um now that summer has hit, we are um in the end of the year wrap-ups. Um and part of that is getting ready for the start of the new year. So we have already begun interviewing staff to hire for next year. Um including a recommendation for hire for a special best education teacher to begin with. So we have begun the process. I know my principles are hard at work trying to recruit staff. Um we're getting them posted, getting them um on all the job sites that we can actively involved in that
004right now. Second, um now that the summer hits, um next Wednesday is the beginning for both ESY and our summer enrichment program. So, we have um staff ready to go, students enrolled. Um the program for summer enrichment. Originally, the enrollment was low. Um we're right where exactly where we've been in the past in terms of enrollment for kids. So, I'm excited. We're actually going to see students back in the building again um next Wednesday right after the 4th of July. Um and to answer the question with I Ready, we are not intending for I Ready at the Middle School to be a homework assignment. It will be done as part of the um school um routine and um part of class. Yeah. And that's my report for this evening. Um Megan is the one that
005is um heading up ESY and Steve Jaccom um heads up the summer veteran program. They do and they also have the kindergarten class as well. Um so they have both programs. The bulk of the program for um summer enrichment takes place at the middle school, but there's the program at welcome to great oak middle school, elementary school, and you have the welcome to kindergarten program as Uh yes, we just uh met tonight. Um talked about a bunch of different improvements that are being done at the end of the year and over the summertime. Um once I have it all compiled, it'll be be put in the minutes. But um Mike Dagustinino and his team uh are doing a tremendous job and um again we'll uh that'll be you'll hear about more about that uh later.
006Um there's also um the uh we we talked about a bunch of security upgrades that are going to be done over the summertime. So um much needed work to be done. That's what a lot of the um the uh end of the year money went to. that was uh we ended up accumulating that we could not roll over into next year so that it would either be use it or lose it. So, we're we're using it. So, um but yeah, no, the the renovations are going along. um the um work at the high schools. There's there's a bunch of work getting done at the high school, but just a the one notable thing is the playground was ordered and because of uh I just want to make note of it that it's probably going to
007be done in the fall only because there's supply issues and so forth, the capital project. So they're just Yeah. I I I mean I I I it I drives me crazy about hearing supply chain issues and I feel like we're a third world country with this, but it's legit. So there's not much we can do about it. There's the supply chain issues have hit other things, but um for the most part um it's it's good. Uh the other thing is we met today about um some future projects that the town is taking up for solar and beneficial stuff there. So uh I was privy to that meeting went very well and that'll be set up for other phases down the road where the town's going to see a significant savings on energy grants and so
008forth. So uh the school district is um a big part of that and worst case scenario there's no additional costs for us. Yeah. So, uh, all the work will be done once they commence that a year from now, which that's the time frame they're looking at. Um, most of that work will be done out of when in the over the summertime. So, there'll be no disruption for the kids and so forth and the teachers and staff. So, but, uh, it will set and lay the groundwork for other future projects and other phases which, uh, was discussed a little bit about today. So, but No concerns whatsoever. Um, typically the end of um, June, we have a lot of custodians that use their vacation times because that's when they need to do it. Um, but even
009before the last day of school, I was walking through the high school and a lot of the rooms hair had been cleaned out. Um, and the furniture moved out and the only thing in the classrooms were teacher desks at that point. So the custodians have been doing this for a long time. They know the type of scheduling that they need to do. Yeah. Yeah. That's what we're talking about. That's this that's the brand new playground that was ordered through the capital project that we're waiting for the parts to come in. That'll be done in the fall rather than the summertime. So, so what's going to happen is he's already talked to the company that's putting in the new playground. They're going to come in and inspect the the swing set, the playground that's back here
010to see if it's in a usable shape to move over to Great Oak Elementary School. So, they're going to be trying to do that work simultaneously. If not, there's a playground. Is that a swing set? Yeah, there is a playcape in the back of the building. There's not a It's not a swing set. Correct. Right. No, I I wouldn't anticipate that the swing set cost that much, but if they can't move this one up here, then right Yeah. All right. Well, I think he was talking about combination of both because he was using the company that's putting the new playground to move this swing set and evaluate whether or not they could move it or not. Right. Uh, no. And I and I and I want to echo Mike mentioned that uh the beginning of
011all this this project work. Um, and I don't want to single anybody out now. I don't want to steal his thunder because he's going to put something together for us uh over the next coming weeks. But the team of people who he's had working on a lot of this stuff, I I honestly want to echo. They can't have been any better people to take these projects on and get them done. They really have had a get it done attitude and have promoted very good team teammanship and and workmanship between each other and it should be an example of what people should do for the right reason. So, and I want to thank them for it. So, that's it. Yeah. So, we've got three policies down for a second read for tonight. The first one is
012the homework policy that was submitted to us by a stakeholder. And um we're still working on the regs. They're a work in progress and we're going to team up with curriculum and the administrators to make sure we get that right. But for the time being, we would like to move forward on the homework policy. So, does anybody have any questions or concerns with it as it's written? All right. And just as an update for that, I've tked my administrative team is a small team that's working on the regulations that go along with this. There's a small team of my administrators that are working this summer on the regulations that go along with this. right? That's what the team will be working on. Check that out. Right. That will go into the regulations this summer. All
013right. So, if there are no questions or concerns, I move to approve the homework policy as written. Any further discussion? Okay, the next matter down is the graduation requirements. And this is we're adding the last two paragraphs, their new language. Uh, and it affords students avenues to obtain high school level credit while at the middle school. Um, so this would impact students who are taking Spanish and algebra one. Yeah. 9 says that you can satisfy certain requirements in the middle school credit. So I'm just wondering [Music] We we can do I mean this exact text came straight from the shipment goodwood model for this policy. It was originally as an optional text or we did not insert it when you first adopted the policy but I can certainly move that text up. The next what
014we just said is not says only 9 to 12 shall satisfy the above graduation. Yeah. Yeah, we can show they reward that. Yes. Yes. Don't have new language on the fly. I was that I was just thinking it or should we, you know, Right. You could also only courses taken in grades 9 through only courses taken in grades 9 through 12 except for those identified below. Yeah. better. And you know, this does not say where is it saying here about that? We don't want to get too specific because if there if what if there's home economics or something new that gets added that you don't want to have to keep change adding the list of the classes to it. There you go. Okay. Don't think we have that mechanism in this one. That's the the
015the purpose of the bulleted list above the workbased learning, service learning. It's creating opportunities for other avenues for students to get credit beyond your traditional seat time. That's what that exhaustive list basically is covering all those different types of possibilities that are there. against. [Music] I liked the way did at the best. I would say Okay, with those amendments, um, can we put this this policy to a vote? All in favor? I favor. I Okay. Okay. And then the last one is the bullying and safe school climate plan. Um there's an ever evolving definition of bullying and this is the latest version. So that's why we brought this forth once again. Any questions or concerns? [Music] The main definition is is there are the main changes the definition of bullying itself. So, we had a
016bully investigation this spring that um we deemed not bullying based upon the existing definition in the policy, but there's a conflict between the policy stated and what the law stated, and that got us um stuck. Um so, this would allow us to have our investigations align to what state law says it should be in terms of what bullying is. So based upon our our advice from our attorneys, um this needs to inform our practices and it needs to start start with the policy. Correct. Absolutely. Well, one of the things that we're working on this summer is a code of conduct for the district. Um, and we'll be working with um our administrative team on climate and culture um as part of our admin treatment in August. So this is work that's going to be deeply
017embedded in the work that um concept of bullying in our schools is something that we adamantly um vemently um feel is doesn't belong anywhere in any part of a school district, any property, any school bus. Um all students should be safe and protected. Um and we need to make sure that we have a policy that's up to date and that our practices and procedures and our school climate reflect that safe nature. So there's there's work that we are beginning this summer that deeply embedded with this. So um I move that we accept the bullying and safe school climate plan as read. like I just want to make a couple comments and wanted to say thank Anthony Hibert and his team for a great graduation. It was very successful. Uh it was nice to see the
018community come together with a lot of people were very happy and piggy back that on the fact that uh I want to thank the teachers and administrators for this year. I think it feels different like we've turned a little bit of a corner and I you could see the work being done and is starting to really pay off a little bit and you can see there's there's buy in. There's people that are care and I just want to recognize them for their their efforts this year. You know, especially coming out of COVID, you know, we're starting to see these little data sets start to come together to say we're going in the right direction. So, um, but again, I can it's it's great. It's it was nice to see. So, All those in favor. motion.