001Good evening everyone. >> We could rise and join a moment of silence. Thank you. >> Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Welcome. Uh we'll do our roll call. Dr. O'Neal, >> present. >> Mr. Heer, >> present. >> Mrs. Barnes Griffin. >> Dr. Washford, >> present. >> Mr. Irvin, >> present. >> Mr. L >> present. >> Thank you. Uh, Dr. Reynolds. >> Yes. >> All right. Just just a few updates if I could take a take a few minutes to do that. Uh, this evening, uh, getting very excited, uh, looking at Brad about our, um, current project we have going on on the Muny Central campus. We're getting
002closer and closer to to wrapping that up. Um just a tremendous space. I uh um run into so so many community members that just talk about um just how wonderful that space is and how much they they just um how well done it is. Not over the top, but just really a tremendous space for our students and our community. Um but that's getting really close to to being wrapped up. We've got the DOE, the Department of Education is coming to visit three of our six schools tomorrow. Uh they're coming to to visit Longfellow, Gryom, and um Southview to to take a look at the wonderful work they're doing as part of the school improvement grant they received uh four years ago. This is year four of that. Um and and as we've shared at at
003some of the previous meetings, just the tremendous results they're getting in those buildings with um with some of those extra funds. So, just another another way to showcase the great things going on in Muny. Um Chris, I don't I don't want to take any thunder, but we have homecoming this weekend. That is a um that is a big week out at Muny Central. Tons of festivities. My son was dressed in his uh early 90s best today as he headed to school for was was today throwback day or decades day just throwback day. Okay. Um he had his kangaroo hat on backwards. Looking looking pretty good today. Um, now this is gearing us up for our game on Friday. Um, we have a homecoming parade at 4:30. Hope hope that you can check that out. I've
004ordered 24 pounds of candy to throw out. I'm not going to not going to run out this year. Um, and then uh followed by our game at 7:30 against the Richmond Red Devils. That will be our 1,000th high school football game. um at Muny Central High School. So I guess when you're the longest standing high school in the state of Indiana, you'll play more games, right? So a thousand 1,000th game. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Does anybody know the record? >> 1,000th game. Yes, I saw I saw the record and we're going to tout the 10,000. >> Yeah, that's right. That's right. Um, so that's coming along. Uh, athletics are are wrapping up for the fall season. I we began sectional play, I believe, last Saturday with golf and then that will that will
005kick into high gear as we as we go through um the end of September through through October um um and maybe even into November with the football team. So, get out and check out some of your high school athletics. Um our fall athletics for our elementaryaries, they'll be wrapping up here real soon. elementaryaries and middle schools, they tend to wrap up right at fall break. Um just extraordinary to see our kids to get out there and perform. Um and all the lessons that that come along with that are just just great to see. Um like to thank Eric uh for all of his work and knocking out our summit. I just thought it was a tremendous experience. Lots of uh wonderful feedback. I look back at at Drew and and Jen. I know that they
006both presented at the summit. Dr. Bell presented. Um, so just just a wonderful day, full day opportunity for our faculty and staff to to personalize their learning, to to grow in their craft. Um, and and pretty unique. I would say one of our one of our defining characteristics are as a as a school district. Um, count day is is right around. So, um, make sure you're you're getting into our buildings and getting enrolled and filling out all your forms and have all those boxes checked for the October October 1st official count day. Um, and that will be quickly followed by October 6, first day of fall break. So, it's hard to believe we're counting down the days um right before we end our first nine weeks and and wrap up before before um fall break
007there, which begins on Monday, October the 6th. >> Okay. Any questions for Dr. Reynolds? I heard from credible sources that cousin Danny had a lot of people up dancing at some point. Absolutely. Uh the the entire the entire auditorium. So uh you know 500 or 50 or so folks in the auditorium up dancing and singing and it was um it was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun. On a serious note, I heard that the summit was really well done. So, thank you uh for putting that together. And that's been something that I think we started back in 2019 and uh and it's been one of those events that I I think has added value. So, again, thank you for continuing that and the work that you put into it and those
008who presented uh as well. Um, any additional questions for Dr. Reynolds? Panther Pantry, one of our great assets. >> Thank you for having me. So, um, it's the anniversary 10 years ago we open. Sorry. I'll try not to cry. I told when she told me I said I'll cry. I always do. So, we are going to have an open house uh in February for it and you'll all get invitations, but that will be the 10-year anniversary of the I always call it the family food giveaway, but it's the big idea. So, we started it at Southside. We were and now they're in 45 schools. And so uh we decided to have it then. So be so um we hope you will come to that. Um I just want to thank everybody uh our donors, our
009volunteers um especially our volunteers because my health hasn't been the best in the last two years and those volunteers have stepped up and those backpacks are out there and u the kids are always grateful to get them. The parents are always grateful to get them. And um but um I think you all know what the pantry is, don't you? So um does anybody have any questions? No questions. I just on behalf of the board and personally um thank you and all your volunteers and all of our donors for such an amazing act of grace for now a decade >> and for the benefits of our families and children. It's it's just remarkable. I you know I brought some things down I think um >> yes >> oh a couple three weeks ago and I did
010not get a chance to see you but I I'm just so proud of of that work and that resource for for our students. So thank you for giving so much to that ministry. Um and it's you know it's it's very important. >> You you didn't know this but you're going to be told now. So the day that I got that, I had a phone call from a parent who wasn't bringing their kids to school because they didn't have clothes. So they had clothes. So thank you. >> You're welcome. >> You made a difference. And then we were able to give them emergency food, too. So, and now that kid walks around big grin on his face and everything like that. So, thank you. >> Well, wonderful. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> What's your biggest
011need, Deb? Well, food. Food. Um, it's expensive. Second Harvest doesn't hardly have food and so I have to order the food at the grocery. So, food is is number one. Uh, as far as clothes, uh, sweatpants, both girls and boys, I can't keep those in stock. I just can't. Um so that's our biggest need. And one other thing pantry is it's important for kids to have dignity and this bag helps give them dignity. So um or bags like this. So we are looking for sponsors to help us uh to continue giving these bags. they have to get a new bag each week for safety reasons and things like that. So, um, our sponsor who's done it for years is now going to help the pantry in other ways. So, we are going to need like
012like if somebody has um an event and they have bags left over, we can take those. They don't have to be the same. So, that's those are our two things. I do want to say something. Uh we were able to help a a student from Gryom the other day. Uh their shoes have broke. They didn't have them. They came over and they got a brand new pair of shoes, which was wonderful. The big grin on that kid's face was something. Also, we uh we have been approached by um I'm not I can't say but from other schools outside our district about opening a pantry or a backpack program. So, we have been um looked upon that way. So, in terms of the food, um, non-p perishable >> canned or boxed food, >> right? >> Uh,
013is probably best. Correct. >> Correct. Uh, this this Saturday is stuff the bus >> at uh, pay less. So, uh, we, uh, with the soup kitchen and Cardinal Kitchen. So, that will be out there. I won't be there because my grandson's a sen a senior and I'm going to go watch him race. So I'm So that's going to be my first one that I miss. So >> and the the bag that you held up there, what are those? I'm assuming you can order those in bulk. >> They're uh canvas bags. I'll give you give you one. >> Oh, I don't want to take it. I I just wonder what your cost was. >> And they have uh drawstring ones and then they have like >> So do you prefer these? >> I prefer the draw.
014>> Draw string. Yeah. >> Okay. >> Because uh we have we have rules for the kids. They're not supposed to get in the bags before they get home. That doesn't always happen. Uh so those drawstrings keep them help keep them from getting into the bags. I you know I've heard of students who maybe one student likes applesauce and another one likes something else and there's >> right >> occasionally on the bus there's some commodity training going on. >> Yeah. >> They're not supposed to but >> if I could ride the buses with them to keep them from doing that but >> so on on a bulk purchase of bags what are we looking at? A dollar $2 a bag or >> uh No, if you do it bulk it's about a dollar a bag. >>
015Okay. about a dollar a bag. >> And how many bags do you go through in a year? >> Uh we have 150 kids on the program as of this at this time. We send home about between 100 and 120 bags a week. >> Okay. >> So, and then but we have fall break coming up. So, we'll send we sends home so much food that's two days worth. And then we have Thanksgiving is the same way. Christmas is that's three bags. So, At different times we send more backs home. >> Okay. >> And uh sweatpants uh all sizes. >> All sizes. We are from a size kids 10 12 all the way up to a 3X. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Anything else that you are needing? >> No. No. just uh uh I do want to
016tell you that we do have a new partner. Uh I'm working with Allison to to get all the legit I can't talk. Um the uh ball hospital emergency room is going to start partnering with the pantry. So they're going to start coming in and working and helping with the kids and things like that. >> Okay. Well, any additional questions for Deb? >> Yeah. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Okay. My central, >> Mr. Walker, how are you today? >> Good. How are you >> doing? Well, thanks. >> Good. Good to see everybody. >> Thanks, Latasha. Well, good evening, Dr. Reynolds, members of the board. Uh it's that time again where here we are. We're we're kicking off our uh school presentations for the school year. Always look forward to going first and letting
017you know the great things going on at Muny Central. I've got a few things to highlight and then um I'm going to follow Brad Dome's advice and be bold, be brief, and then let the the real uh heroes of our building uh get up here and talk uh because they're the ones uh boots on the ground doing all the great work in our building. Um have been for many years, but definitely this year as we get started. First thing I want to highlight is uh you see a couple pictures there that uh we had uh Cynthia as a the start of our um presentation, but we started something new this year. Uh Bearcat shoutout chains. Uh stole this idea from maybe some football teams. You get a turnover and they put the chain on you
018and they kind of pass it around to whoever gets the the most recent turnover. But so what we did here is uh we highlight uh two staff members each time that we're together as a faculty. uh whether that's a faculty meeting, an early release day, we did this at the summit and our breakout session just last Friday. Um but the beautiful thing is once we selected the first group of winners, then those winners are now responsible for passing the chain on to other staff members uh the next time we're together. Doesn't have to be a certified uh teacher or administrator. Hopefully it's not an administrator. U but we want to recognize the great work that's going on uh inside the building and inside the community here at Muny Central. So, our first round of winners
019were uh we we affectionately call him Uncle Don, Don Scafe and Tandre with Legacy Life Security. Boy, we have been blessed to have Don and Tandre in our building all day, every day. They build great relationships with our students, our families, our staff to just make sure that our at the end of the day that that we're safe and we're sound. Um, and they do a great job with that. So, we recognize them. And then coach Burrish, uh, not because he's our new football coach, but anytime you can beat Delta, uh, to start the year, and I just left it brief. You beat Delta, you get the Bearcat shout out chain. So, they then passed it on uh, to Shay Hill and Ronda Reynolds. Rhonda holds it down in the main office for us. Uh,
020Sheay has been with us for many, many years, a proud graduate of Muny Central, teacher, coach, uh, serving as an assistant athletic director this year for absolutely no increase in pay, Brad or Chuck. Uh but we just added a lot of responsibilities to his plate. Uh but doing a great job. And then Rhonda passed it on at our summit to Tacoma Archeletta who was a teacher in our building cross country and track coach that pours a lot. Uh she about had everybody in the room crying because she talked about when she dropped her baby gave off in sixth grade the first time. Uh and here's this young kid Tacoma that she I think she told the story Chuck that she called you, you said go home. Uh she made it halfway home, turned around and
021came back and watched practice from the uh parking lot to make sure everything was going okay and then the rest is history. Um so she passed it on to Tacoma and then Shay passed it on to Miss Jensen who you'll hear about here in a second who is the Swiss Army knife at Muny Central and does a little bit of everything. So uh so now Tacoma and and Jen will pass it on the next time we're together. So we've got a lot of positive momentum with this. Uh Texas Roadhouse has been a great partner. They actually give two uh $40 a piece uh gift cards uh to the winners. Uh so now there's some skin in the game for our folks. Uh and it's funny because uh Tandre was joking that the teachers were looking
022at him a little bit different that after he received it and knew he was passing it on. I don't know if they're politicking behind the scenes, but I think they want that Texas Roadhouse gift card. But uh really proud of our staff and just a fun way for us to to celebrate each other. Next thing I would highlight is uh graduation rate increase. So um we can't can't say it just yet. I think we're a little embargoed, but uh would like to share with the board the hard work that that a number of folks have put into this. U for the first time or uh since 2019, you'll see that the class of 2025 has the highest graduation rate at Muny Central uh in a six-year time span. It's a 9point percentage increase over the
023last two years since 2023. Our partnership with Cradle to Career is fantastic. The resources uh you're going to hear a little bit about our freshman academy tonight, but a number of the supports uh that we are able to put into place at Muny Central to ultimately benefits our community when our students graduate on time. And we're not always just interested in the the quantity. We want to make sure that's a quality experience and add value uh to our students and families for having chosen Muny Central. And uh the graduation rate is probably our our number one indicator of success for us and we're really proud uh to uh to have the rate that we have and obviously we're we're not done yet. We still have room to grow. Uh but really proud of the work
024that's going on at Muny Central. So stay tuned for that. Uh you'll see that come out before too long, but I can safely say that you'll see a nine in the first number of that which is the first time that's happened again since 2019. So great work to our staff. Um and then we'll talk a little bit about freshman academy. Um we'll bring up a few folks here in a minute, but um Freshman Academy launched this year at Muny Central. By no means is this innovative um but it's definitely uh systems of support uh for us um to to support our most vulnerable students, which is our freshmen transitioning from 8th grade to 9th grade. So, if you'll allow me, I'm going to go down a little bit of uh memory lane here. Um March
02521st, 2024, a little over a year and a half ago, we were setting as a group on a trip to Nashville, Tennessee. We were visiting the NashvilleMies. We'd been there for a couple days. Drew was on that trip with us. And so we were summoned into a a conference room uh meeting room upstairs at the convention hall at Vanderbilt University where we were. And then the challenge was laid of, okay, we've been here for a few days and and uh the crew from George and Francis Ball always making sure that we're we're working. Um what are we going to bring back to Muny? What are we bringing back to Muny from our visit? And Freshman Academy was essentially born that day in March of 2024. Uh we spent all of last school year planning for
026the launch of Freshman Academy. Um really two main components to Freshman Academy for us at Muny Central. The first being um the teameing model uh and second being freshman seminar. And in the teaming model, again, nothing unique here. You'll see that at our middle schools and several schools across the state. Uh but our ninth graders now are placed in one of four teams where they will now share core subject area teachers, math, science, social studies, and language arts. Those teachers all have a common planning period uh with their teammates, which was no easy lift in the master schedule, but it was important. Um and then they meet every other week in their team meetings uh with various uh conversations, tracking data, student support conversations, empathy interviews. How do we ultimately help support our students when
027they start to maybe not performing at the level that we hoped and know that they can. So that's the teaming model. The the the freshman seminar piece is a course that we're offering at Muny Central. It's a first semester we will go into uh the introduction of communications. second semester will be more of a computer science-based course. Those two courses are now required courses for graduation for our freshmen starting with the class of 2029. So, they'll be able to get those done in a in a creative way where it's more about mastery than necessarily setting through that entire course. Um, and ultimately the goal of seminar is that at the end of seminar, our students are going to be able to be more successful high school students. Their effective communication, critical thinking, their study skills,
028tracking their homework. I think our friends that'll be up here in a minute have brought some gifts for you. Uh some freshman academy swag with our t-shirt and our logo and uh we we got agenda books, old school agenda books for our freshmen to track uh their homework, their progress, and ultimately hopefully keep themselves as organized as possible. So those were the two areas that we focused in on. Uh we did put together two subcommittees. The first subcommittee was really focused on the logistics, the staffing piece of it, who would be a part of freshman academy, who would be part of seminar and how do we make that work within the constraints of our master schedule. And then the second subcommittee worked primarily on the seminar uh curriculum and Miss Jensen led the the seminar
029subcommittee. Miss Kohl's, Mrs. Kohl's, who you'll meet here in a minute, uh led the subcommittee on the logistics and the structure piece. Uh but essentially they wrote an entire curriculum for freshman seminar that was in line with the Indiana academic standards uh for introduction to communications for semester 1 and our computer science course for semester 2. And um they lifted the whole thing themselves with their with their group of teachers and they did a fantastic job. And before I turn it over to them, uh really I want to share with the board and and the community watching is that the greatest ingredient of Freshman Academy right now, again, it's not completely innovative, but it's the folks who have volunteered to be a part of it. So, we've kind of inverted the model here, and we
030shared this in a in a few other meetings over the summer, but typically, uh you cut your teeth as a new teacher with freshmen. Uh I think we've all been there. And then maybe, just maybe, in your department, someone retires and you might get a move up to sophomores or maybe juniors. And maybe by your 25th or 30th year, you might be teaching government or econ, you know, if you're a social studies uh teacher. Well, we inverted that. Our absolute best teachers are part of freshman academy. Uh from the highly effective rating in terms of our evaluation rubric, uh from just how they are in terms of they're they're student champions. They're they're kid magnets. Kids just love being around them. They want to take their classes irregardless of what the subject is. They just
031know they want to be in class with those teachers. U their their care and dedication to our students and our families is second to none. And they're working with our most vulnerable group, which is our group that we need to make sure gets off on the right foot. So, I'd like to bring them up now to go a little bit more in detail with this. We have three of our four team leads. So, each one of the freshman academy teams has a team lead. In the off weeks that they're not meeting as a team, these team leads are meeting together. So they have a common prep on a different day uh to be able to get together and then they meet with our success coach from Center for High School Success with uh Rebecca Braftoft.
032Um but then when we have the team me team meetings um they lead it. Uh the teachers lead this. The administrators uh the counselors, the family navigator, we're our 9th grade on track coordinator. We're there in support. We we get told what to do, where we can provide support, resources, help, but ultimately the lift here is on the teachers and they are just absolutely uh owning that responsibility and doing a fantastic job. So again, three of our four team leads are with us tonight. Uh Kate Hughes uh is one of our team leads. Uh we actually have a volleyball game tonight, so she is prepping for that. But I'd like to point a few things out that you'll hear here. Uh Kate was the 2025 teacher of the year for Muny Central and also the
033entire secondary division for Muny Community Schools. Ellie Kohl's is with us tonight. Ellie was the 2022 rising star of the year and probably a future teacher of the year in our building as well. Jen Jensen is one of those team leads. She was the 2022 teacher of the year for Muny Central. And then Drew Sheretta was 2017 teacher of the year for Muny Central. So, our team leads could have went off into the sunset of upper classmen, but we we got them back in the in the fold. But they're fantastic. And at this time, I'd like to turn it over to them so they could give you just a little bit more detail about Freshman Academy. So, come on up, folks. >> I hate to say it, he stole some of our thunder a little
034bit, but >> it's all right. Um, can you actually scroll back up to that top slide if you don't mind? One more. Yeah, right there. So, um, this is Miss Jensen, right? She way back in last school year started thinking about the seminar section of this freshman academy situation, which we'll talk a little more about. I took over the structure and the staffing uh, committee. So that particular committee was made up of teachers who were interested and willing to um begin thinking about like the logistics of creating a schedule that works with our teachers um and creating this sort of teaming model in a way that was actually going to fit within the constraints of our building. Um so we met multiple times throughout last school year um to talk about logistics to make progress
035on how things were going to be organized. Um and then ultimately we ended up sending out some interest surveys to teachers about hey would you be interested to be a part of freshman academy being one of our nth grade teachers and or would you have interest in being a seminar teacher. So we ended up having some teachers that teach seminar and are a nth grade core content teacher and some that are just one or the other. Um but then from those responses we were able to create those teams. Um, we took our numbers from the eighth grade numbers from last year, um, and ended up with about 15 seminar sections of 20-ish 20 to 25ish students and then four teams of those core four teachers with math, science, English, and social studies. Um, and that
036was the the most conducive way to sort of arrange those freshmen so that they were on individual teams. Um, Walker talked about the common planning periods. That's like an integral part of the freshman academy experience is that those four teams can individually meet as teams to talk about those students but then also have access to that student data. Um so the team one or team two uh data is specific to the kids on those team who share those four teachers and those teachers can talk very directly and intentionally about what of their students uh need more support or more help in different ways. Um the seminar section also focuses on a lot of the different things like the seals and the career pathways and things like that. But our data is also influencing that as
037well, right? The things that we talk about in those team meetings um are also used to think about what direction are these kids going, what direction can we can we push them that is going to help them succeed in the best way. So then that next slide lists those four uh those four teams with the four core teachers. The names in bold are the team leaders and then in each team of course there's math, science, social studies and English and those are the four teams. >> So um collaboration is a huge part of the ethic of this as you've heard from from Chris and from Ellie as well. Uh our we have a consultant from uh center for high school success that is uh Becky Braftoft um who meets with us uh every other week
038uh virtually over Zoom. Uh that's an incredibly productive meeting. She's very organized. She's done this with other schools and she knows exactly what she needs to do with us. Um but she's also flexible to meet sort of our school's unique needs. uh she came to us in July for a day of training and all the seminar teachers and all the uh freshman academy teachers were in on that meeting. Uh these two plus Kate uh and Mr. Walker are going to a leadership summit in November um in Arizona in Arizona uh to learn more about uh what Center for High School Success um tries to um develop in its uh partner schools. Um, another key partner in this has been our our data team. I don't for you may I don't know what their actual title
039is but like uh Emily Shepard, Phil Boltz, uh Liz Sha Walter, uh they've been remarkable partners to us creating an incredible not only if you would slide to the next slide for a quick second, um an incredible database for us that's very very userfriendly and visually easy to make sense of. Uh here's a screenshot of one of those where we're able to disagregate all of the freshmen by uh teams uh by um whether or not they're on track to graduate, whether or not they're chronically absent, uh what their tardies look like. We can look at team by team, whether or not uh first period uh versus second period versus third period versus fourth period. Like we certainly have schoolwide attendance data, but this allowed us to look at it period by period, which was additionally
040helpful. So, a kid's missing my period, but then is at a class with Mr. Buning, Miss Leki, and Miss Rios, and my class is the class that they're failing. Well, that's maybe a correlation there, if not causation. Um, but the uh they're also just like really really helpful in terms of like constantly making this a new every time. it is um something that they have been continuously trying to improve and and Miss Bankro from Center for High School Success has also given some guidance on what she'd like us to try to add to it, but that team has just been spectacular and making a tool here that really just kind of felt impossible to us when we first got started. Um so, uh the last thing I wanted to share is just kind of like
041what our routine looks like uh as team members. Um we do meet with Miss Bankraftoft uh every other week for about an hour. We meet in Miss Johnson's room and and zoom in with her. Um that's on the previous slide. Um going back there, sorry. Um and then we take from that meeting uh with new updated data. We then go from that meeting uh to the next week, week two in a month, we'll then meet with our team. And I don't think anybody said this yet, but I really want to make sure you guys know how many people are at that table. So there's four core teachers at that table. Uh there are two administrators, Mr. Oliver and Mr. Walker, at that table. our family navigator um and our on track coordinator, Miss Cork and
042Miss Moore. Uh we also have our uh consultant, Miss Manraftoft. And we also have our ninth grade counselor, Miss Herren. So there are 10 or so people 10 or 11 people at the table every time we're we're sitting down to have those conversations. Mr. Walker noted they are teacher led. So the four core area teachers are leading that conversation. Um but the the support from the other adults and professionals at the table is really really um special and and and appreciated. So then we just go back through the cycle again. Then the next week we're back in a meeting with Miss Bankraftoft uh and Center for High School Success. And then we four in a month we're back with our teams again meeting and going through this whole thing again. And what a meeting typically
043looks like is on average the goal is to talk about five to six students that we would maybe identify as bubble students trying to move from offtrack to on track to graduate. Um and we talked can we talk about what on track to graduate means? So on track to graduate uh in the past we always sort of defined it as passing 10 courses each year puts you on track to pass 40 by the time you're a senior or done with your senior year. uh Center for High School Success has encouraged us to raise that number. So, we're looking at any student that's failing more than one class is off track to graduate. Uh, additionally, the attendance piece of uh 80% uh attendance or more is another data point that we're looking at to to identify
044whether or not students are on track or off track. Um, so we're doing this every every week. uh the four of us are either meeting with uh the consultant or meeting with the team of of 10 other professionals um to crunch the numbers and and move the needle on on kids. So I'll now hand it off to uh Miss Johnson, >> which will be the last slide. So about a year and a half ago, I started with meeting with a team of teachers to create the kind of small document that's on the right side of that page, which is our outline for freshman seminar. So we decided to do is we looked at the skills that we knew that students need to be successful and kind of chunk them into each quarter where the first
045uh quarter so like the first nine weeks has very much been how do we adjust to high school. So we spent an entire day looking at a map of the building which you can see on the back of your agenda books. Where are your classes? Where do you need to go? How are you going to get there? How do we ensure that you are on time? And they have been a huge help. And I would say I have a lot less students who've been tardy as of recent or at least have an ability to do that. But even talking about the offices in the building, how do I know if I can be successful? Who is able to support me? And what is all of that is the first nine weeks kind of moving forward
046from there. This is created and planned by high school teachers at my central. My worst nightmare would have been that we paid for a program that we then sit in front of computer and kids click through. So this is something that I'm actually planning week by week to ensure that it's responsive and maneuverable for our students. It's going to best meet their skills where they are and what we need within the building every week. So I disseminate that information to the 14 other seminar teachers. Um and it's been going incredibly well so far. Not everything and not every day is perfect, but a lot of learning and understanding of what this will look like in the future with future freshmen as well. They will earn as a credit earning class. A lot of students get
047confused by that. They're like, "What do you mean? feels like study hall. I'm like learning study skills and we're doing agenda books and planning. Um, but we do have a criteria for both intro to communications and computer science foundations for next semester where they will earn those credits and be met with a like checklist of these are the standards you met and this is how we know that you did that and this is your grade ultimately. The dayto-day in seminar um SSR and typing is there. That was something that I talked to students um as I began planning it within the past year. What do you wish you would have had in high school? The number one thing they said was being better typists. Um, they're very good at texting. I literally have watched some
048of my cheerleaders on a bus type a paper on their phones. It makes me want to throw up. It stresses me out a lot. Um, they feel comfortable with this. They don't feel comfortable on a keyboard. So, 30 minutes a week they're spending on typing.com learning to be better typers. We've seen about a fiveword per minute increase in the six weeks we've been in school. Our top person right now is at 75 words a minute. Very impressive actually. The other part of their day they start in seminar >> takes me an hour >> is uh silent stain reading. We've brought that back where they find a book that they are interested in reading and want to read and 30 minutes a week they're reading. Um not every day is perfect with that. There's some teeth
049pulling sometimes but uh they all have a library card. We spent time in the library encouraging them to find a book they're interested in or change the book if they end up not liking it. So that's the beginning of each seminar class. It's time for them to do something that we all want to do but may not have that time built in for. Then there's some kind of content and then they end with their agenda books and kind of a study hall time we can check grades, check in with students who need to be checked in with and have an understanding of what that looks like. We've also had community partners come in. Teen Works and Upwardbound have come in to speak about their programs to the freshmen. I know Mr. Walker has a long
050list of people who want to come in and meet with our freshmen. So we're working to adding them in as we go as well. And then the agenda books you all have. This is something that I was kind of passionate about. Um I love technology, but there's something about a physical planner that just hits different and it's something that they don't fully understand yet. So it's something that we're really working with them. Uh today's lesson was actually a refresh on the agenda books. Do you have yours? Do you know where it went? What are you writing in it? And how can we encourage you to find a way that works for you to use them? I gave you a lot of information all at once, so I'm more than willing to answer questions. >> So,
051what what in six weeks, what have what have you learned? I mean, what what what have what's >> you know, what's the aha, we ought to we ought to do this or we shouldn't do this or >> um I think I went I went a little hard and heavy at the graduation changes to start where it was a lot of information for them to process. So, I need to next year slow that down and do each seal, the enrollment, enlistment, employment a little slower to provide the students a chance to really think about what their future looks like, which is good. But the students have learned very deeply about their graduation pathway. We just created a portfolio website for them that will follow them throughout their high school careers. We cleaned out their Google Drives.
052They had things from third grade in their Google Drives, which I didn't think about. They were like, "This I did this in elementary school." And I was like, "Oh, you have had this Google account that long. That is true." So, we were able to clean those out um and really get them settled into the building. >> What about everybody else? >> So, Jen and I actually we end up sharing a lot of the students she has in seminar are students that I have in English class just by nature of, you know, the movement throughout the building. And so it's actually been really insightful to get to talk with her about um when kids come from English class, they go to her seminar class, what are they working on, my work, which is awesome. Um but
053what it's showing me is that like the time that's in seminar where they're they're writing things down in their agenda book, they're keeping track of their deadlines. Um they're doing much more thinking about what's happening within the school day that I think in general they don't when the bell rings that class is done and they move on. And so there's a lot more support, I think, for that like long-term planning of, okay, I was just in English class, but I still need to be thinking about X, Y, and Z before next class. And there might be time in my seminar to figure that out or to talk to my peers about those things. Um, and then from the team side, right, like if I know that, um, you know, someone is struggling solely in English
054class but doing well in in math and science and social studies, I can look at that and and look, you know, their attendance, their grades, like Drew is talking about. is this a me thing or is is there is it first period and we're having transportation issues and so those supports have always been there. You know, we've always been trying to take care of, you know, first period tardies and things like that, but having a more structured time to look at that data has been really helpful. And I'm already seeing, you know, students that we met with in this first cycle um to talk even just on a basic level of this this empathy interview of like how's it going? Like clearly we're struggling here and here, you know, what can we do for you?
055and that's already turning around and we're seeing, you know, results from that with grades or with attendance and so that's really cool. Yeah. >> Awesome. >> Um I think something I would address is that the people that I am closest with in the building uh are all maybe unhealthily fiercely competitive and this gave us something to really pour into in that way. And and I can honestly say that in ways that I've never seen in a in a school before. Like every single kid is being seen through so many different eyes and collaborated around I think really really special ways. So this like this team that we put together is not going to like falter in this in any like way, shape or form. Um the counterpoint to that or the like maybe the flip
056side of that coin is like it's a lot of time and so we're we're trying to figure out how to balance and be a little bit healthier with it because it is it's a lot of time. So but yeah that's that's the first thing I thought of when you asked. So it it looks like from an outside perspective that you're attempting to not only introduce but also to build um healthy habits as it what it means to be a student on an individual basis and which would translate then obviously to career. Um is there been any thought given to um sustainability you know as we see students who what's it take 30 days to create a habit? I don't know that people have done this research but I I've I've really I've gone six eight
057months on something and fallen off a wagon. Um will there be checkups for the students uh downstream Mr. Walker, sophomore, junior, senior years as we think about what we're doing here and is, you know, >> that's a that's a great point, Jim. Um, to to Drew's point about the competitive nature of our building, the the sophomore, junior, and senior teachers are now like, "Hey, hey, wait a minute. Don't don't forget about us." Um, but that has been something that that we're having conversations with Rebecca, our success coach. Their work is primarily nth grade on track. But then how does that then follow our our students once they metriculate out of nth grade? Um even just the other day we were in conversations and um in our MTSS meetings where we're talking about all of our
058students um the the dashboard that Drew mentioned that that Phil and his team have put together for us. We now want to replicate that dashboard for 10th 11th and 12th grade. So there are certain tenants of this that definitely are going to uh extend past 9th grade, but that's one of the charges and I feel really good about the team leads that we have in place is um you know, yeah, we're we're super focused on the freshman right now, but what does that look like in terms of support when they do go to 10th grade, 11th grade, and then ultimately their senior year and how we're supporting them either with those internships, job shadows, uh and ultimately graduating on time. But, uh, right now I can't tell you exactly what that is, but it's definitely
059at the forefront of our mind as well to make sure that we have those supports. >> Well, I I I I adore, uh, the structure. I mean, I think it's I I really really like um because it's got to feel welcoming to students, right? And it's got to from your guys' perspect perspective, thank you. Um, and it must be rewarding to see students grow into a state of comfort, I assume, over the first nine weeks. Um, I love the old school nature of it. One guy here without a computer, paper files. I love your journal. Um, the quotes, I get a great kick out of that. >> Um, one that I use quite a bit in my practice is 95 or 98, pick your percent of successes showing up every day. Um, and then, uh,
060geography. Yeah, >> I you know I perfect and then the uh geometry again. How'd you pick this? >> I uh I was school date books is what we went through for those and so they sent me like templates of things I done and I sat and I said, "Okay, like what are the things I think our kids need to have a reference on?" Last year I went back in my geography classes um to make them learn where all 50 states are. So I was kind of surprised that they had learned that and then they get to high school and they're like, "Wait, what? What? where, huh? Um, and so I was like, I'm going to put that in there as a reference because I'm going to do that again this year. And then no one
061could tell me they didn't have a map. They didn't know. >> Yeah. >> Um, so I just kind of sat down and I was my one of my big charges with seminar is what can this be to be effective and efficient and how do we improve that skill for our students? >> Um, conflict resolution next nine weeks. >> Yes. >> Tell me about that. >> Haven't fully got through the planning yet. Um but particularly we're looking at um managing emotions in having polite conversations with peers uh particularly with positive relationships even as like they're beginning dating. Um what does that look like in terms of healthy relationship? Um and then ensuring try to minimize we've been very lucky to knock on this not real wood uh in terms of fights been very minimal the last
062several years within our buildings but even in conversations of as those emotions escalate what are the strategies that we have to bring you back down to a level where it's not >> okay I'll be curious to hear how that goes >> yeah I'll let you know I haven't got there yet I had a plan of planning everything out and then I got about eight weeks and I was like wait this doesn't feel effective to not be able move our building as we have things come up like uh PSAT where we're going to manu maneuver with our freshman to do something specific. So I'm going a little bit more week to weekish as we figure out what's most >> community involvement. Um I know you we talked a little bit earlier um I assume that has
063to do with careers um primarily. Is that right? >> Yeah. Um so what Jyn mentioned with PSAT so all of the students in the freshman class will do the youth science inventory um on October 22nd and then we'll partner with project leadership uh the chamber of commerce and then start so two of the deliverables that we're hoping at the end of freshman academy at the end of their freshman year is they will declare their seal what seal are they wanting to work towards with the new diploma and then they will also declare their career pathway so then we can start scheduling classes and experiences around what their interests are we'll use the U science data to do that. And then as far as the community partnerships go, uh we seems like every week we're meeting
064with someone. This week so far it's been Ball State University with our uh college connection with College of Science and Humanities and um and their theme is literacy. So then we're sharing with them, hey, here's what we're doing in seminar with reference to our silent reading time and ultimately how can they support this is them talking. how can they support that initiative and and ultimately let our students know how impactful and positive that is. Um, you know, in certain ways we, you know, we're we're trying to move the needle from college awareness to to definitely college going with our students. And that's all of our students, not just our early college students. Um, and I think Chuck is gonna maybe Friday share some data uh specifically with Ball State University of the number of students
065that are not only applying there but but are getting accepted and ultimately uh confirming their enrollment just here in Ball State. So, continuing to expand upon that partnership and having uh our Ball State admissions folks come in and meet with our freshmen. ultimately uh any way we can allow them to to feel more comfortable in those conversations on campus um and and trying to figure out what it is they want to do with their life, knowing that we're here to to help them. And then Ashley Williams with the chamber, the vice president of talent development. Uh what a big task she has because we're trying to figure out how many employer partners are willing uh to come talk to our high school kids, host our high school kids either in a field trip or a
066job shadow or ultimately what may lead to an internship and uh where we went into that really really excited. Uh there's a capacity issue there. There's just not a lot of employer partners uh given the the number of high school students that we're trying uh junior and senior year. We'd love to have about 600 kids out doing something. Uh, but there's a capacity uh issue there. So, we're working through that as well. I think Tom Kinghorn shared with us recently that maybe 80% of the employers here in Delaware County have 10 or less employees. They're not necessarily loading a pipeline. Uh, sometimes that's looked at as uh competition. When you host a high school kid, somebody may think you're trying to take their job. So educating our employer partners on on ultimately maybe the community
067service aspect of just working with us to have our students just get exposure to to a career field they may want to do for the rest of their lives. So it's um we we are blessed in this community with a number of community partners who are interested in this work. Um and that's been been very rewarding for us. >> You know that the uh student we had last year I eventually supplied props for a senior picture, right? >> Did you really? >> Yeah. And then he went to IU on us instead of Wall Bash. So, I mean, what what's up with that? That's okay. Okay. Okay. I'm glad to hear you say that. You're okay with that now. So, >> I'm okay with that. >> Okay. Good. >> Um, >> perils of social media. >>
068Is that part of the curriculum at all or come up occasionally? >> It definitely definitely can be. That's something that's nice about the flexibility that we have is that we have the ability to kind of grow within things. Social media is definitely something that actively should be there. Well, when I when I mention conflict resolution, I see I I've pretty well declared a hiatus from it, but I see conflicts developing much more rapidly >> Yes. >> at keyboards or >> uh than than they do face to face. >> Yes. >> Um so I just think understanding the perils of that to mental health and ultimately perhaps to physical health um are important. Is there anything you need from us? >> Add more hours to a day. >> Yeah. I would love to be able to
069do that. Um but yeah, any way we can be that's possible of providing assistance or support, let us know, please. We'll see what we can see what we can do. Um, so I'm on team one, which is the honors team. And so I think sometimes that gives me a different perspective from teams two, three, and four. Um, but I do think like when the kids are coming from North Side and Southside with that teaming model anyway, they're used to that. They're used to seeing the same group of kids and they're used to seeing similar teachers at similar times. And so that does feel comfortable for them. So sort of easing that transition is a little nicer. And also I think like from what I'm hearing from my students, um it gives them a little more
070security of like who's an adult in the building that I know knows me and and can help me, which has always been true. You know, we like to think that, you know, we wear a purple shirt in the hallway and they know that they can come talk to us, but it's like very it's very specific now and able to say like um you know, these are your four core teachers. Sure, you've got choir. Sure, you've got bands and these other things, but these people are like we I told them originally, you know, like we are meeting, we're talking about you, we're we're keeping track of you, we are, you know, and so it's not a little panopticon. It's more, you know, of like this accountability of you know that you can talk to me and
071you also know that I and your math teacher and your science teacher and your history teacher are also going to come talk to you if things are, you know, sliding off the edge or or not looking so hot. And so I think they do appreciate that level of comfort. Um, and then when we think about 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade, like being able to continue that I think is something that students will appreciate and and I think upper classmen too are looking at this uh academy structure and appreciating that as well of like, oh, that would be nice if I, you know, had this sort of teaming model with this cohort of students. I think that's something that's they are very appreciative of for sure. >> Team one is honored, team four is not
072so honored or how >> they're just >> the numbers are irrelevant. Yeah, the numbers are irrelevant. Uh, it sounds cool to say I'm team one, but I could be any team. >> We thought about team names, but >> so with the master schedule, because the students are in like honors English 9, honors geometry, we had to make sure that that they were all following the same four core areas. Um, so that's in essence that becomes their team because those are the four classes that they're in with those honors with honors track. So >> team like no Absolutely not. >> No, the team one has all the pressure because they should have zero students off track >> and right now they have five. So they they are working on that. >> And with Tasha, if I
073could share one story, um I'll come up. Uh when you talk about what the students are talking about, so this is a real life my central example. I'll leave names out. Uh two students that just absolutely love each other because they're on the same team. they're allowing like every class together and they do nothing except just have fun. So in our conversations, their grades were struggling. Um they they just were uh class clowns, you know, and just loving high school. Through the teameing model, conversations start happening. Next thing you know, uh the students find out that their core teachers are talking about how they're just maybe not compatible to one another when it comes to their academic success. They were frustrated. uh their parents were a little frustrated, but ultimately we we had some very
074productive conversations, and I'm proud to say that those two students now are on separate teams. Their attendance has gone up, their grades have gone up, uh and so they got it real quick. They just didn't think that we would catch on. Uh and we caught on. So, uh so just a little real life example of some intervention there. So, >> yeah. And and Jim, if you would allow me just as we wrap up here, um we need to do a few thank yous. Um, George and Francis Ball Foundation. WOFF. Uh, we all joke, and I say this to Tom and Kelsey and Courtney, so they know I say it, but that's like our second full-time job is working for Yes. Amen. Uh, but boy, do we love it. Uh, and boy is it impactful to
075the work that we're doing to make my better. Black Rockck Foundation, I think most of you are aware that for the first time ever, Black Rockck Foundation is funding something in the state of Indiana and it's freshman academy at Muny Central. Uh, no pressure there, right? But uh that gift has allowed us to do a number of the things that that you've heard about uh from the teachers Ball Brothers Foundation, Chuck, what would we do without them, right? And we Brad, we don't want to answer that question because they're so not just financially supportive of the district, but boy, they're some of our biggest cheerleaders when you talk to them. the Muny, Delaware uh County Chamber of Commerce, obviously with Elizabeth Roroway, but also with Ashley Williams funded through George and Francis Ball Foundation to
076have uh a vice president of talent development working primarily with Muny Central students to make sure they have opportunities in the community. Uh the city of Muny, Mayor Rydenower was in the room on March 21st, 2024 when we started talking about this in Nashville and has been a big supporter of the work we're doing and project leadership. Obviously, their partnership is critical. And finally, I would say to our school board, uh to our community members watching, our families, and to our central office, uh may maybe not so much to Mr. Grim, and we'll joke about this because I started seminar feeling like we needed two additional teachers at Muny Central. Mr. Grim never gave me an answer. So, Chuck and Brad, you've coached him up well. DA, maybe even better. We got a few months
077into it. I said, Eric, I think I can do it with one additional teacher. Okay. Then we got to a point where we didn't think we needed additional teachers, but I had a retirement in facts and I said, "We're we're repurposing facts uh freshman course offerings. I think we can repurpose this into a different subject area." Okay, now we're talking. We're we're at a net gain, right? We absorb the fax position because we didn't need it. Uh so I'm jo Mr. Grim, you know, I love you. I'm joking. But um we've done this about as cost-effective as you can. we are one less certified staff member than what we were last year for the headcount um and the quality of the support has done nothing but go up. So, thank you to the flexibility um
078and the support that you've given us. Our team members here are fantastic and we are looking forward to coming back at some point uh to let you know ultimately uh our progress and our results uh for the class of 2029. So, thank you >> on behalf of the board. Um I want to thank you Mr. Walker, I want to thank um all your team leads and your teams uh for undertaking this u bold step. Continue to be bold if you need something. Um let us know. Be obviously be flexible uh as you approach. I know you've got a structure and an outline, but u feel the freedom to innovate as you work through it. Um and uh again, thank you so much. Uh and we'll look forward to hearing back u maybe late in the
079year. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. Thank you again. >> Academy. >> Oh, fantastic. >> Um that's very exciting. Um, we are on to our consent agenda and I believe we have uh one of our our new hires here this this evening. Um, sir, come on up. >> Yes. >> Scotty, would you tell us your name and what you're going to be doing? Um, I'm Scott Gorby and I'm taking this one of the sixth grade English jobs at Southside starting Monday and I'm right now at Southview finishing up a long term and I'm going to do some parent teacher conferences. So, it's like a real crazy week for me. So, it's just a lot. >> Welcome, Scott. We're happy to have you. Where are you from? >> Uh, I'm from West Virginia. Lived there my whole life.
080The reason I'm here actually is the girl in the maroon there, Hannah. >> She's going to get her grad degree in school psych at Ball State and she's actually going into Longfellow right now. So, she's kind of around too. So, we're here now. >> West Virginia. >> Um, Middburn. It's about an hour north of Park, an hour south of Wheeling along the Ohio River. So, the closest major town is Pittsburgh, two hours away. So, no stop lights. So, everybody keeps saying Munie is so small, but I'm like, it feels big. Yeah. Yeah. >> How close is that to Beckley? >> Uh, about three hours. That's that's more toward the southern part of the state. >> Okay. So, you're further north. >> Yeah. I'm like right below the top panhandle. I'm like right below it where
081it starts. So kind of >> I was uh in Beckley and I had a hotel room sket sat there my wife and my infant daughter >> right off the turnpike. Yeah. >> Yeah. And it was full because the West Virginia State Fair, who knew >> in Beckley. Yes. >> So I looked at a map and I said, "Well, we're going over here." >> Mhm. >> So let's just cross on this what looked to be a relatively developed road. >> Oh, probably not. No, >> it wasn't. No. Yeah. Potholes and curves. So, all the road driving here is easy because everything's straight >> crossing in the Rockies and a Kesoga. >> Yeah. >> So, yeah. So, we we saw and it was night, so we didn't get to see the beauty of the land. >> Yeah.
082It's pretty. That's here. I've just gotten used to just cornfields everywhere. They weren't kidding. I thought that was like a joke stereotype, but it's like it's all cornfields. We drove up to the dunes and it was like three hours of just cornfields, you know? But we hit James Dean's hometown on one of our drives like somehow. Yeah. clear day. If you face west and you squint, you can see the St. Louis Arch. >> Yeah, we could see Chicago from the dunes. We did see that. So, we did see that. >> So, >> Oh, really? >> Oh, Blue My brother lived right by Bluefield for a while working. >> Yeah. So, >> yeah. And Bluefield's a lot bigger than my hometown. It's 20 miles of Walmart for me. So, yeah, Bluefield's a bigger town than I'm
083used to. We're we are just we are really pleased to have you and we wish you the best at Southside Middle School. Those kids need you. >> Um and teach them up and um Hannah. >> Yeah. >> As you complete your degree and you guys we'd love to have you stay. So if you like cornfields and and >> she's more Midwest. She's from Ohio. So she's a little more Midwest than I am. So this is more her speed. She's actually was born here. So she's got a little roots here. >> So you born in Muny? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Where you from in Ohio? >> Okay. So, steel country. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Well, welcome and we wish you the best. Thanks. >> We've been liking it here. It's been about nice to meet you.
084>> Um, the rest of our consent agenda is set forth um in your packets. Thank you to our donors. Any questions concerning um matters in the consent agenda? Move approval. >> Hear a motion for approval. Do I hear a second? >> Second. >> Motion moved and second. All in favor signify by I. I >> post. Same sign. Okay. Uh we'll show the consent agenda as passed it. Passed. Uh anybody have anything for good of the order? >> Okay. >> I just want to say amen to K Rankin for teaching me how to type. the bomb. >> Me, too. >> I think she taught everybody. >> Home rope. Home. >> Um, home. >> My guess is, Keith, that you learned to type on a manual. >> Oh, absolutely. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I learned to type
085on a manual. >> So, the last year, >> well, it was interesting, Mr. Walker. We had an employee at our firm who she's mid20s. She's very capable and doing a wonderful job, truly. And early on, she looked at the IBM Select Electric, which at one point was top-of-the-line memory typewriter, and she said, "Mr. Williams, is that a fax machine?" So, things change. >> They do. >> Okay. Um, Mr. clots. Anything from the media? Okay. Um, thank you all. Would entertain a motion to adjurnn. So, >> moved. Do I hear a second? >> All in favor signify by I. >> Stand adjourn. Thank you.