Quincy School Committee: January 21, 2026

001Hello. Welcome. We're going to call our meeting to order. The meeting of our uh January 21st school committee meeting. We're going to um have a roll call. >> Mr. President, >> Mrs. Kale, >> present. Leon, Mrs. >> Quincy High School student representative MJ >> and North Quinsey High School student representative Caroline Fam. >> Thank you both for participating tonight. >> Thank you. Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge 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. >> Please remain standing for memorial. Superintendent, >> good evening everyone. Uh, tonight obviously we want to uh recognize some important people uh in the city who have recently passed away. If you could please keep in

002your thoughts and prayers the Tobin and Sheets families. Former mayor Arthur Tobin and First Lady Shirley Tobin and former mayor James Sheets passed away late last week. All provided many years of service to the Quinsey community, including chairing the Quinsey school committee during their mayoral terms. If you could keep these two families in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you. Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transit the meeting through meeting through any medium. Attendees are therefore advised such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible. Next on the agenda we have open forum. This is an opportunity for community input regarding the Quinsey public schools. Community in this context is

003defined as a resident of the city of Quinsey, a non-resident parent of a student who attends the Quinsey public schools, or a non-resident employee of the Quinsey public schools. After giving his or her name and address, each speaker may make a presentation of no more than three minutes to the school committee. An individual may not exchange their time or yield to others. Residents or non-comm community persons may submit written statements up to 300 words to the school committee at QSC open forum at quinseyublic schools.com by 400 p.m. the day prior to the posted school committee regular meeting. Written statements will be posted on the school committee section of the Quinsey public school website by noon the day of the posted school committee regular meeting. Do I have anyone at this time for open forum? Please

004come forward. Good evening, vice chair and fellow school committee members. My name is Kai Lee from 42 presidents staff. I want to start with congratulating vual null and especially Southwest Motor School for being recognized by the mass department of elementary and secondary education for the strong progress in ELA and math. I want to thank the school administrators, the educators, and the families for pushing their students. I'm Principal Mitchell. Like many parents across the city, my wife and I attended our children's winter concert. Uh ours was last month at Southwest Middle School and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Even though there were some technical difficulties and a couple of students uh shared some jokes to keep the audience engaged uh while the difficulties were being worked out, I was amazed with the number of students

005that participate in the band music program seems more and more each year and year over year. Dr. I want to highlight Dr. Wilson, someone special that's able to get all these students engaged and playing to the same tune. Afterwards, he made himself available to engage students and parents, thanked him for helping secur a grant from the Ernie Bach Jr. Music Drives Us Foundation, and he confirmed that it helped support additional students in the music program. It was also great to see a lot of the parents, the pride and joy in their eyes, and the smiles on how well the students performed, their children performed. and chatting with some of them, they harp and no pun intended on practicing. I never see my kids practice, but when it's concert time, I don't know what to do,

006but it's sounds great. Um, and then we're treated to a phenomenal performance. Uh, we also agreed that there should be more performances. I know it's a lot of work, but think it's worth it. budgets might be tight and I'm sure many others see the value in the music program that it brings our students and community. I would urge the school committee and administration to continue prioritizing this amazing program and provide our students and educators such as Dr. Wilson the support and resources they need to continue and expand. Thank you. >> Thank you. Do we have anyone else for Open forum. Seeing no one, moving on. Next on the agenda, we have the superintendent report. Superintendent, thank you and good evening again, everyone. Uh, first item on the agenda is the 2025 schools of recognition celebration.

007At a at a ceremony held at the state house yesterday, Beachwood no elementary school and Southwest Middle School were honored as 2025 schools of recognition by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Dr. Perkins, Southwest Middle School Principal Courtney Mitchell, Petraol Elementary School principal Marica Rodriguez, and myself attended the ceremony yesterday. The schools of recognition designation is part of DE's annual accountability process and is awarded to a select number of schools statewide that demonstrate meaningful progress toward accountabil account accountability targets. This year's recognition highlights improved student achievement particularly in English language arts and mathematics. Being named a school of recognition reflects the collective effort of each school community. The progress made at Beachwood No Elementary School in Southwest Middle School is the result of students dedication to learning, educators commitment to highquality instruction, staff

008support, and strong partnerships with families. Congratulations again to the Beachwood Null and Southwest communities on the well-deserved recognition and the great work you continue to do for all of our students and families. So, thank you very much. Next, as kindergarten registration for the 2026 2027 school year is underway with the online link for families to pre-register posted on the Quincsey Public Schools website and social media. Pre-registered families will be contacted by school secretaries and central registration beginning on February 2nd to schedule registration appointments. Amazingly, over 320 families have already pre-registered their students as we begin the process of welcoming the QPS class of 2039, which sounds very far away, but we'll be here before you know it. So, thank you to all those families and thank you, of course, to our administrative staff uh who

009are responsible for the registrations. Uh before the holidays, four students from Quinsey High School film and television class won first place in the 2025 Nora Video Festival for their short film, The Ghost Friend. The production team included Malaki Daniels, Casperios, Gray, Ramstead, and Frankie Sullivan. The annual Nora video festival is an opportunity for community media stations throughout New England to submit productions in a variety of categories. The students worked with QAV staff and collaborated to script act video and edit their prize-winning entry. Congratulations to the students and QAV. The video will be shared on the QPS website and social media later this week. So again, thank you to everyone involved and congratulations to our amazing students. Uh, next week all grade 8 students will learn about the basics of CPR in their health classes through

010the matter of heart initiative. Thanks to health services coordinator Andrea Huer, middle school health educators and partner Brewster EMS for their support of this initiative. But I do want to kind of give everyone a heads up that this is scheduled for Monday. And we looks like we may have a storm coming in uh that could affect this event. And so we're working with Brewster EMS so that um we can potentially just postpone that event to the following Monday, but we'll make sure that the entire community is made aware of that in case we do have a cancellation due to snow. You >> make it? >> Nope, not yet. We're watching it carefully. So we'll see. when that will be. Uh, let's see. The city of Quinsey has been awarded an FY2026 green communities grant in

011the amount of 250,000 to fund several energy efficiency projects in QPS buildings, including a heat pump and facilities management system for the Lincoln Hancock Community School, LED lighting for Monontlair Elementary School, and a building control system for Parker Elementary School. These projects will also receive utility incentives through Mass Save National Grid and will save the district just under 78,000 on electric costs annually, which is really amazing. I have to thank Paul Hines and of course Margaret Leaf Farest from the city side for helping us with applying for this grant and um winning this grant. It's just another uh large amount of money that the city is getting to benefit our school facilities. So, thank you to everyone on the city side for helping us with that. In your packet, school committee members received a copy

012of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Attorney General's open meeting law guide. There is also a single page form for you to fill out and return to Miss Owens that certifies your receipt of this guide. This is a this is completed each year. If you have any questions about information contained in the guide, please let me know. And lastly, upcoming Quinsey Public Schools and City of Quinsey events. Point Webster Middle School will be hosting their cultural fair on January 23rd at 12:45 p.m. This annual event is a wonderful way for students and families to share about the traditions of their homes, including celebrations and of course food. Uh the combined high school winter recital will be held next Wednesday, January 28th at 6 p.m. at North Quinsey High School. Central Middle School Drama is presenting Schoolhouse Rocks

013on January 29th and January 30th at 7 p.m. and January 31st at 3 p.m. The North Quinsey High School STEM Fair will be held on Tuesday, February 3rd, and Quinsey High School will host theirs on Thursday, February 5th, both starting at 5:30 p.m. Members of the community invited to volunteer as a judge for either or both of the STEM fair events. So, please, if you're so willing, please do so. Links to sign up are found on the QPS website and social media, or you can call the superintendent's office if you wish. Quinsey's early college high school pathway symposium will be held on Thursday, February 5th at 9:00 a.m. at the Boston Marri at Quinsey. Early college high school pathway students, high school and Quinsey College faculty members of the super and members of the superintendent

014leadership team and staff from the State Street Foundation and RTI International will participate in the morning's activities. Of course, school committee members have also been invited to attend. And if you have a moment and haven't done so yet, if you could please RSVP at the link that was emailed to you if you haven't already. Broad Medals Middle School Drama is presenting Into the Woods on February 5th, February 6th, and February 7th at 7 p.m. and February 7th at 2 p.m. Uh, Mayor Ko will be giving the annual state of the city address on Monday, February 9th at 7 p.m. in the Lloyd Hill Auditorium at Quinsey High School. And in concluding, I would like to remind everyone that next week is the Quinsey Public Schools District Review where consultants from AIRIR will be visiting each

015of our schools, observing in classrooms, and interviewing representative staff, parents, students, administrators, and district and community leaders. Special thanks to Dr. Perkins, the superintendent's leadership team members, our principles, and all the staff who've been part of the preparation for the district review. This has been a monumental undertaking requiring many hours of preparation and documentation. I'm looking forward to seeing how the strengths of our school system and our dedicated educators will be recognized through this review and subsequent report. So, thank you for SLT and for Dr. to Dr. Perkins for all of the work they've done over the last several months. With that, that concludes the superintendent's report. >> Okay. Any my colleagues have any questions? I see Mrs. Partios does. Go right ahead. >> Thank you. More of a comment than a question. And I

016just wanted to um going back to the film and television production award. Um I just wanted to give a really big thank you to QAV. The um partnership that uh the Quinsey High School film program um has with QAV is just f fantastic. Um my kid was one of the kiddos uh involved in that film and just they um just have such a great opportunity there uh to learn a lot of different software and just you know with the professionals that are at QAV and and learn from them and um I just want to thank them very much for that. And the film, if you get a chance, take a peek. It's really it's it's good and it's creepy which is really kind of neat. So, uh take take a take a look at it

017if you have a chance. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anyone else? No. Okay. Thank you. Okay. Next on the agenda, we have old business. Seeing none, we will move on to new business. And the first item on there is student support services program improvement plan. Mrs. Kass have to read all the letters. Yeah, please. Right ahead. Thank you. >> Good evening everyone. Thank you for this opport Thank you for this opportunity to share with you this year's student support program improvement plan. My name is Jill Karanis, the new director of student support, replacing um I should say following longtime director Mara Peele. First, before I begin, I just like to extend my sincere thank you to Superintendent Mulvy, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Perkins, and all of the SLT for the incredible support they've provided to me

018as I've stepped into this role. Their ongoing professional guidance and collaboration has made my transition into this role as smooth as possible, and I'm truly excited to take on this leadership position and guide the student support department. Our department has worked diligently to bring new initiatives and tiered supports to the district alongside some incredible community partners. The Quinsey Public Schools remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health wellness of our students. Our comprehensive vision centers around the implementation of tiered interventions designed to bolster students academic progress while nurturing their social emotional development. Our mission continues to be setting high academic and social standards for our students while providing them with the support necessary to reach these. We firmly believe that strong social emotional development lays the foundation for academic

019success. We are proud to continue to highlight our partnerships with esteemed organizations such as Quarry Bayate Community Services, Walker Therapeutics, and more, which play a critical role in strengthening the network of resources available to our students and families. Before discussing our new goals for the 2526 academic year, I'd like to offer a reflection on the progress that was made toward last year's goals. Beginning on page six is our high-risisk data. One key area we monitor closely is high-risisk mental health data, which reflects students requiring crisis evaluations. During the 2425 school year, there were 184 crisis referrals compared to 171 the previous year, representing an increase of 13 referrals. These referrals were supported through our partnership with Aspire Health Alliance, including a one-year grant-f funded crisis clinician that was embedded in both of our high schools.

020Next on page seven, a significant highlight for our department was the first full year of our behavioral health navigator role. This proved to be an invaluable resource to students and families across the district. Through referrals from our school counselors, our behavioral health navigator um who is Karolina Seradim, supported over 160 families making 377 referrals to outside agencies. Karolina's efforts far surpass just navigating mental health supports for our students. While many of those referrals were for mental health resources, Karolina was able to assist families in obtaining support around medical services, health insurance, food resources, English classes for adults, child care services, clothing needs, and more. Notably, 51% of those families requested assistance more than once, and 65% of those referrals were for non-English-speaking families, highlighting our ability to meet the needs of historically underserved students. While

021the data is powerful, it's important to emphasize that not all of Karolina's work can be quantified. Her impact has reached far beyond the documented data connected to her services. She has built trusting relationships and connections with many families all across the district who now feel comfortable calling her and asking for help with a variety of things, creating that vital link that enhances the connection between schools and families. We feel so incredibly fortunate to have this behavioral health navigator grant opportunity for the next two years to bolster the comprehensive support we can offer students. Next, page eight discusses our trauma-informed practices in Sandy Hook Promise initiative. Last year marked continued growth in this area. Student support staff along with teachers participated in professional development with the focus on deepening our understanding of trauma-informed practices and understanding

022how trauma impacts emotional regulation, behavior, and overall learning. This has helped our educators adopt more empathetic, flexible, and proactive approaches in supporting all students. Middle school and high school sites participated in professional development aimed at promoting the teachings of the Sandy Hook Promise program. This is a two-year program training and now that we have completed uh the year one portion which was the start with hello, we will now roll out phase two which is the say something portion of the program along with the continuation of the save promise clubs. The Sandy Hook Promise program has significantly raised awareness about the impact of social isolation and aims to create a culture where students are encouraged to reach out to their peers. It's also provided students with the knowledge and tools to recognize warning signs of potential

023harm and speak up to a trusted adult if they notice concerning behavior. The hope is that by placing emphasis on proactive interventions and reporting that students will feel a sense of shared responsibility for the safety of their school community. On page 10, the student support staff continued to support the implementation of the platform open parachute. A specific objective set for last year was to enhance mental health literacy by reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. Through guided discussions and activities, students became more comfortable talking about mental health challenges and expressing their emotions. To measure the effectiveness of these lessons, we engaged middle school students in pre and post survey collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. This data indicated a positive shift in students attitudes toward mental health literacy specifically in dstigmatizing mental health in students. The

024date that data is reflected in the PIP that you all have on page 11. Moving on to page 12. Attendance remained a critical focus. The supervisors of attendance assisted students and families by collaborating with site staff and agencies to mitigate barriers to regular attendance and school success. Appendix H includes all the attendance related data. To summarize that data, last year supervisors of attendance held a total of 206 attendance conferences at school sites. This is a decrease of 68 attendance conf conferences from the previous year. They also filed nine CRA petitions, 251A reports, and held 10 family assist conferences, which are the pre-court meetings. In regards to verifying residency of our students, our supervisors of attendance remained vigilant in monitoring residency and students who did not meet the residency requirement would transition to the appropriate district.

025Last year, the supervisors of attendance completed 649 residency checks which required 744 home visits. This led to 25 active students being discharged from Quinsey public schools as well as 28 students who were not approved to start in QPS after it was discovered they lived in other cities or towns. On page 13, our homeless leazison has worked extremely close with sites to ensure students who experience homelessness do not have a disruption in their education. Our homeless leazison met with these students and their families to ensure that they had access to education and receive all the necessary referrals and services. Last year, we had a total of 203 students identified as homeless or in foster care. This number remained virtually the same from the previous year with an overall decrease of six students. That concludes the reflection

026from last year's goals and our new goals um for the 2526 school year begin on page 15. I can summarize the first four goals on page 15 to 18 as those serve as kind of overarching uh priorities across all student support teams and they build upon previous year's goals. So these four goals for all student support teams include continued analysis of high-risisk data, consistent follow-up to crisis referrals and the expansion of trauma-informed classroom practices into our all of our schools. In regards to the analysis of high-risisk data, student support teams will continue to analyze the data and reports. However, a new goal of ours will be to refine this process by transitioning to an online referral form designate designed to consistently and efficiently categorize high-risisk referrals. This system will improve the accuracy and usability of

027data enabling teams to analyze trends, behaviors, and individual student needs to then inform our targeted interventions for these students. Next, student support staff will continue to participate in trauma-informed classroom professional development and schoolwide initiatives to instill a culture of safety and belonging. This will be supported in collaboration with Sandy Hook Promise, Select Schools, which is our newest partner, Walker Solutions, and the continuation of open parachute lessons. Teams will also continue to leverage support from our partnering agencies and our Quinsey public schools wellness coalition. rotating student support staff will join myself, um, director Kim Conley, high school adjustment counselors, supervisors of attendance, as well as our partner agencies and our monthly QPS wellness coalition. This collaboration allows for the communication and sharing of agency resources to match our students needs. Lastly, Quinsey High School will continue

028to collaborate with Big Brother Big Sister and this year expand their their school-based program to both grade nine and grade 10 students. Last year's matches will continue on as 10th graders in the program while the new freshman class will be given the opportunity to be matched to a big. The goal is to match 90 new students by the end of the school year. On page 19 begins our goals for elementary, middle, and high school counselors. Goal number one is specifically an elementary counselor goal. From September of 2025 to June of 2028, all elementary school counselors and staff have a new and amazing opportunity to collaborate with our newest partner, the Alliance for Inclusion and Prevention, Select Schools, to help foster a safe and supportive school climate that promotes both academic and social emotional well-being. This

029collaboration with select schools uh has a two-pronged approach. One is the SEAL kernels lessons that I know you've heard a little bit about and I'll go into a little more detail and the trauma-sensitive school support. The kernels are evidence-based SEAL lessons that are adaptable, targeted, and highly engaging. They are aimed at a number of social emotional topics such as improving focus and attention in the classroom, self-regulation teachings, managing emotions and impulses, managing pair relationships, and creating positive relationships with adults. The goal is to really focus on um the integration of SEAL practices into the daily classroom teachings as opposed to a siloed approach so that these skills are routinely addressed and taught in all elementary school classrooms. These lessons are very easy to integrate for the classroom teachers at any point throughout the day and

030they are also adapted for tiered interventions by counselors and psychologists. As part of this new curriculum, pre- and post surveys will be conducted with students in grades three through five to help measure the learning and the effectiveness of the colonel's lessons and the TSS support provided by the work groups. As part of this initiative, we are also given a sitebased coach from AIP who will work with each of our elementary schools weekly to provide ongoing support and consultation around the colonel's lessons. The second part of the partnership with select schools is the trauma-sensitive schoolwork. Student support teams with their principles will participate in TSS training to help evaluate their current practices and to assist in planning to create a sustainable trauma-sensitive school climate. On page 20 is our second goal which pertains to middle and

031high school. During the 2526 academic year, middle and high school student support staff will continue to engage in professional development focused on the implementing trauma-informed classroom interventions. A new component to this is specifically aimed at all five middle schools as they will work with a coach from Walker Solutions to help refine these interventions and really individualize their supportive practices to uh the unique needs of all five middle school buildings. In collaboration with site administration, staff will also lead schoolwide implementation of, as I spoke about before, the second phase of the Sandy Hill Promise initiatives, including the say something program and the continuation of the Safe Promise clubs, as well as for the NAN project, which is our suicide prevention training. Following this professional development, sites will adopt a minimum of one new trauma-informed practice or

032an initiative to enhance their existing support systems. On page 21, we are thrilled to add two full-time substance use prevention counselors to our staff funded by the opioid trust grant. Our goal is to have student support staff collaborate with these two counselors to ensure that 90% of identified students and alternative ed programs or for any student who's identified um by student support um for substance abuse concerns or youth concerns are referred to for cl appropriate clinical support. These counselors will also offer short-term individual and group counseling as well as team with our high school health interventionists and our middle school health teachers to co-f facilitate classroom lessons and schoolwide initiatives around substance abuse prevention. In addition, our partnering agency in this grant which is uh Bayate Community Services, they will be providing training to these

033counselors as well as offering us supplemental curriculum for them to use to enhance our classroom lessons. Our last goal is for the supervisors of attendance which begin on page 23 and for our homeless leaison which is on page 25. The goals for the supervisors of attendance and the homeless liaison will remain the same. Residency and chronic absenteeism continue to be the focus of the supervisors of attendance. The homeless liaison will provide staff, families, and students resources and supports as well as coordinating with services with community organizations so that our homeless students have equal access to resources with the least disruption to their education as possible. The student support department is proud of the work we do every day to promote the social, emotional, and academic growth of our students. The unwavering support we received from

034Mayor Ko, all of you, and our partnering agencies has been vital in providing our support our students with the comprehensive resources they need to thrive academically and personally. I hope all this information gave you some insight into the work done by our student support department and the vision that we have for continued comprehensive support for our students. I'd like to thank you for your time and happy to answer any questions you may have. Thank you very much for that very thoughtful and thorough program improvement plan. Very nice. Thank you. I to open it up for questions from my colleagues. Mrs. Cahill. >> Hi. Thank you. Um I don't really have too many questions. Mostly um I just want to say thank you for the work that you're doing because I'm looking here. You have maybe

035about a hundred um staff members that work on all of this. And even with that, we need the partnerships to really be able to service our kids. So the partnerships that you have are are really impactful and and you know, taking advantage of that is really, you know, makes a lot of impact for our students. So I I love that. Um I did have a question about the opiate trust grant. Is that just for a year or >> It's for three years. Oh, good. >> So this is year one. So we'll have it for two additional years after that. >> Okay, that's great. And the and the um the faculty or um the counselors that you have for those positions, are they um what kind of training like what is their background? Um >> it's

036a really good question. So they're certified counselors. They didn't when they came into it specifically have substance a lot of like substance abuse training which is one of the reasons why we partner with Bayate who's one of the leading organizations in substance use prevention. So um they've provided them with necessary training that they need to implement these curriculums that can be used individually with students. They can do small groups with students. They can also do preventative curriculum in classroom. So Bayate is giving them ongoing training throughout the life of the grant >> and basically curriculum and and an incredible partner for us. >> Yeah, they're great. Um and the um Okay, so that's great to hear because I was wondering how we did that. Um, and I think that's really all I had. That was

037my biggest question. And I just wanted to say that I know from, you know, education has really evolved, right? So when I don't I'm not going to look at you Paul, but when Paul and I were probably in school, it was about academics and really um you know focusing on mental health and social emotional um learning is so important because um and we we're trying to target that because we understand that you know not only academic support but lifelong um success as well if you if we can you know >> educate kids and and guide them early. So, um, and that and actually one other quick thing, the, um, home visits when we go in and check on the students. Um, how many, um, staff members do we have doing that? >> We have three.

038>> Three. >> Can you talk about the like the home visits with the supervisor of attendance? >> Yeah. Yes. >> Y, >> Three and a half. And how would they how are they doing? Do they find like they're having, you know, sometimes I have some concerns about um their safety or, you know, kind of having interactions that maybe aren't really um that a little bit scary. How how have stuff been going this year? >> Fine. None of them have noted any concerns like they're not really doing when those home visits, we should say, they're not happening like at night. They're typically happening during the day. M >> um a nice added feature going back to your point about the opioid trust grant is those uh counselors are able to do outreach. So they've accompanied some

039of the supervisors of attendance to do outreach to kind of offer like another layer of support. You know like the supervisor attendants are going out and saying we really need to get you to school. What can we do to support? And we have a counselor there to support the needs right there in the home. And sometimes you find out that a family really does need more and the counselor is there. they can make the appropriate referral. So, they've been teaming on that as well. >> Yeah. >> They also um take the resource officer with them when they So, we obviously, you know, we have an amazing partnership with the police. >> I'm sure the superintendent was about to say that too. But but but they take the resource officers. So, if there's ever any concern,

040they take the resource officers or they take, you know, the director of security as well sometimes. Um so, we make sure they don't go alone. >> They have support with them. >> They do. Absolutely. Yep. Mhm. >> Yeah. And I love the um behavioral health um navigator um because that's huge and respect so many and that's why you probably get they come back because then they find that you know what there's a lot of things that we don't know where to go to and so it's important for them >> and they have an identified person the counselors you know do a lot of that too but when you have an identified person for it um it's important to note just our wonderful luck is she's bilingual and I think has really been able to tap

041into a population that we haven't maybe represented resented as baby well in the past or they don't feel as represented. So, she's been able to make so much headway with like really engaging students and um parents in the school community and feeling comfortable coming and asking for help. >> Well, it gives you another layer of support, right? Because all these different partners have different focus and then this is another person that can focus in a different direction. >> We had great success with it. Amazing. >> That's great. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Campbell. Um, thank you so much for this. I mean, you can really see how comprehensive the work is and how thoughtful it is about the individual needs of each student. >> And I'm curious about um what how far along you

042are like what percentage of staff would you say are trauma based have been trained >> um in trauma- based supports and also um >> what supports are there for the staff? this sort of work can be really hard outside of the teaching and I'm wondering what layer of supports are there for the staff that are doing this work. >> So to answer the beginning part of the question um I can't give you an actual percentage of staff train but I can say and and Dr. Perkins I'm sure would um could would give you a number but Mara Peele emphas put a lot of emphasis on trauma sensitive PD. So over the course of her being here um every level middle elementary, middle and high school has been exposed to trauma um sensitive PD over the

043in their career. So when we have new staff, um it's really the the teams at the site level um um typically principles will kind of like go over what their practices are, what their missions are for that school so that new staff have some um sense of how they're, you know, using these trauma-sensitive strategies. Um, I'm sorry, what was the second part of your >> I'm just curious for the the staff who do this work day in and day out. >> It's pretty can be pretty intense >> and I'm just wondering what level of support there is for those who are engaging in this >> and I think that's where making it integrating it into part of the school day is so important because it's not just on one person. It's not on the counselor.

044It's not just on the teacher. It's a real teamed approach so that you're constantly talking about these needs and delegating like who can best support this, who can best support that. So you're not really felt like you're on an island handling it alone. But I have to say the staff we have is pretty incredible and they rise to the challenge. And when there's something that they really do need assistance with, they call they'll they'll call us. They consult with their um student support teams inhouse at each building um to rely on each other. And I actually think this year um I do know that Charlie Applestein in one of our um professional developments offered a new professional development should be in your packet about um maintaining staff like how to keep yourself engaged and not

045get burnt out by the needs. And so he did a training on that as well. Um he's very wellliked. So we plan on inviting him back. So, that's something that I can certainly look into fact actually have for him to redo that presentation about self-care for staff. >> Great. Thank you. You're welcome, >> Mr. Le Young. >> Hi. >> Thank you for the information. Um, it sounds like you're off to a great start in your relatively new role. Um I want to thank you for um the brief um kind of um mention of um addressing stigma um you know with our students. Um can you just tell me a little bit more about um the approaches um that you use to kind of address um stigma and and how it you know is is such

046a >> you know barrier to um you know our students getting um some of these vital supports. >> So most of that work is done through our platform that we have in the district for open parachute. So they have lessons K through 12. They're tailored, you know, developmentally appropriate for each um grade level. They have specific lessons on h how you have healthy conversations around mental health and normalizing it in a sense that like there shouldn't be shame around it. And within that you talk about you know what is the what is the feeling? How do I get help? And it's about and how identifying people in school that you can go to. So this is primarily done through health class. Um they'll do these lessons and engage students in conversation around that and normalizing

047it in a sense so that there isn't shame around it. So it's done primarily at the tier one level through our open parachute lessons. There's obviously small groups that we run but that would be more tier 2 and three. I think your question was kind of relating more to the tier one and that would be done through open parachute. >> Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. And um one more question. Um, I know the schools do a great job um, surrounding all issues related to privacy. I'm just wondering, um, for some of these behavioral supports, um, is it the same or anything extra being done to, um, be, I guess, preventive around um, privacy and and personal >> Are you meaning like when we're networking with like partnering agencies or within schools? Uh I was thinking

048about within schools, but actually you you do bring up a point. >> So um >> the partner agencies >> for example, we would always get parent permission around um utilizing our behavioral health navigator. We would say, you know, we have this great resource. Is it okay with you if we give your information? And a parent will agree to that. Same with partnering agency. We never make a referral without um permission from a family. So that would be like the um partnering stuff. Within school, we talk about confidentiality all the time. um it's giving people the information they need to know. So sometimes you don't need to know the nitty-gritty specifics, but you just need to know that a student might need an extra layer of support. Um and within the school, you know, we the

049the educators are trusted with that information that they'll provide the support necessary, but it would only be given to the teacher or staff that are working directly with that student to provide the intervention. >> Great. Thank you, >> Mrs. Partios. Thank you. Thank you very much. And congrats on your position here. And it sounds, as Mr. Le Young said, it sounds like you're off to a great start. Um, and you seem very knowledgeable about all the the parts and the partnerships. And um, and thank you. Thank you for all you and your staff. Um, all you do for our kiddos. Um, I was looking in one of the appendices here on the um, uh, the youth risk behavior survey um, results and just, you know, it's it's staggering. 76% of ninth grade struggle ninth graders

050struggle with mental health. at 76% and um you know 71% of female students throughout high school um also struggle with mental health and it it's it's just such a big need um that uh I think it's great that we're stepping in but there's it's it's a lot you know it's it's kind of you know a never- ending once you kind of get the surface there's stuff in there that you want to keep addressing and um so I know this is it may feel difficult like you're not getting out of this hole but it's just so needed and I just so appreciate all the partnerships that you've developed um that we offer our kids. Um do we have any updated information on it? So this youth risk behavior survey that we have in here I think

051is from 2024. Do we have anything from 2025? Is that something students take every year or >> every two years? We are going to be administering it next year. Okay. So we'll have updated data for you at that point. >> Yeah, that would be great to see if what we're doing is helping or you know um >> just impacting it at all. That would be really great to see. Right. Um and so um also something Mr. Leong said about um so security and share and and privacy and sharing but also you that information as you said does need to get to different people the educators and so I feel like we have a lot of people delivering services. How are we connecting them all together? How does it >> how is it told to an

052educator that a student might need an extra layer of support? Is that >> is that in like Aspen? Where does that go? >> No, it wouldn't really be in Aspen. you know, what would be an aspen would be um an indicator that maybe a student's on an IEP and people can see that there may be a social emotional goal. So that that is one way but I think the day-to-day is really done at the school level and it's done at different levels like elementary have um I can tell you this is I'm kind of going back day you know maybe 15 years or so 20 years but when I was at Lincoln Hancock we just had a system where you know we had like a a purple paw or something and that we just gave

053to the teacher with a student name that just said you know today the student needs a little extra something. That's like the day-to-day stuff. Um but to get more specific student needs are discussed at um SST and from SST administrators and people there will kind of give the appropriate information even to classroom teachers like I think it's important for classroom teachers to know if a student is experienced a lot of dregulation or a lot of turmoil in their life without giving the specifics just a heads up so that you know they can kind of plan accordingly and help the student best they can. >> Okay. And are the um the school nurses kind of looped in in that as well? >> Yeah, they're so I should have said that they're part of the student support

054teams at um pretty much every building I would say in the district. So um nurses would be there, counselors will be there, administrators will be there. There's a typically a rotation of teachers that are even in there. So yes, nurses are always clued in on that. >> Okay, great. Um and uh are security staff at the high schools, are they how where do they fit in? feel like they're handling problems that arise or crisises that arise. Are they aware of some of the students that may need extra supports or how do the security staff >> find it fill in on this training and the supports? Yeah, they're aware usually of sometimes students who may need like extra support or things like that, but we are careful about the, you know, personal information that we release,

055you know, because it really is, you know, per the regulations, it's supposed to be limited to staff that directly work with the student. So, I think as Mr. Le Young said, we don't want this this information traveling necessarily all over the school. So, we tell them what they need to know. You know, if you see that this student isn't supposed to be in the hallway in between periods or you know um that whatever like you know different things like that or this student might be coming in late um you know and that's okay you know like those kinds of things. Um they will tell them those things. >> Okay, that's sort of what I mean. If they're going to be you know um responding to a situation it's good sometimes to have that information. >>

056Don't you know don't if you see the student in the hallway don't confront them. Come get me. Come get the counselor. Do you know what I mean? Like like those kinds of things are the things that that that we definitely make sure the security guides are aware of. >> Probably more safety related as oppo as opposed to like the social emotional piece. It's more safety stuff that sec the security guards would be informed about. >> Um and last question I have is um how can you tell me how kernels and open so last year was a huge open parachute push and this year I feel like there's a big colonel's push. Um, and it sounds like now we're doing both. And how does that work together? And are teachers um able to or educators able

057to get all of that in um in a way that's effective? >> Yeah. So I think um a distinct difference is that open parachute is all levels K through 12. Kernels is specific to elementary. So the only overlap there would be at the elementary level. And u we look at it as just like another tool for teachers to to pull from. So the nice thing about kernels is it doesn't follow a scope and sequence. So teachers can actually really kind of like look at the needs of their current class in front of them and pull from appropriate lessons that they can um implement where most othercl curriculums follow a scope and sequence that lock you in to a certain progression that you have to follow. Um, so I would say open parachute for right now.

058It's not taking a back seat in um, elementary. It's and we have kernels as like an added layer, but middle school and high school don't have that. So they're primarily still using open parachute. >> I gotcha. Okay. Thank you so much. And just, you know, again, a last thank you for I mean, these students are so, you know, these are our vulnerable students that that you're that you're dealing with and you're helping um you know, from our from our homeless students to, you know, just kiddos that, you know, the suicide prevention stuff you're doing. Um, it's just it's so important and I just thank you so much for it. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, student representative, Quinsey High School. Um, so I just had a comment about um, you mentioned Big Futures

059mentoring briefly. >> Uh, and I wanted to say that I think it's been a big success at Quincsey High so far. I've been a part of it for both my years at Quincy High. Um, this past weekend I went to see my my mentor's biochemical engineering lab in Boston where he cures cancer for a living. Uh, that's just one of these great experiences our mentors can provide us with. Um, Aaron Gordon who runs the big future at Quincy High is super great. um and he really cares about the program. It's pretty clear. Um and I think Mr. Leon is actually a mentor there. So that's Thank you for that. Um yeah, I think it's going really well. So thank you. >> That's great. Thank you, MJ. I love to hear that feedback. The mentor program

060is supposed to be, you know, um college and career exposure and readiness. So that's why they have these targeted field trips to kind of expose students to what's out there. So I'm I love that you've taken part in it and that you're benefiting from it. Thank you. >> North Quincy. Hi. You all set? >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. Mr. Begali, >> congratulations, Jill, on your new position. >> Thank you. >> You do a great job. Um, on the attendance offices, you have enough we have enough >> I Yeah, I'd say. So, so we had three and then as Dr. Perkins mentioned, I think it was the end of last year or this year where we got the point >> a halftime person >> and they're that the part-time person right now is really doing

061the bulk of um residency. So that person isn't going out and doing maybe like the day-to-day work like we've noticed you're out. How can we help you get to school? So, we've taken the residency checks kind of off the day-to-day work and given that to the this part-time position, which I can only speak for this year, but I've talked to people who historically know, which has like lifted a huge um burden off them. So, the adding that position has been really helpful. >> And who is that? >> That's Jim Hulie. >> Okay. I read his name. Um how much what percent of time is spent in court with um the attendance offices and families? >> Not a lot. they have identified days um Thursdays. So, it depends who's on the their case load because not

062I don't I don't have the percentage. I could get it for you. Last year um they're only bringing X amount of kids to when you get to that level. There's a lot of work that's done before that. So, court would be dependent on how many students they're bringing forth for like CRAAS and things like that. >> So, it's typically a small number. >> Okay. And uh at the elementary level, the councils, are they still doing the uh chairperson work? >> Yes, they are. >> They are. >> And what percentage uh of time do you think they spend on that as opposed to direct service? >> Um, a lot. I'd say probably over 50. Uh the nice thing though that I can say is that the district has worked really hard and with the support of

063school committee that most of the elementary schools have two counselors or at least half of them have two counselors. So that's been able to them to divide that chairperson work with the traditional guidance work. But you're right it is it's it's a it's a um big duty. I'd say it's probably at least 50% of their of their time. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, how many um families do we have working with in the um hope and comfort program now? >> Families I I don't know how many, but I can tell you that the products were delivered to this year all elementary schools and Point Webster. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah. So, it it reached a a lot of families if you think of how many student I don't have an exact number

064for you though, but I know those were the schools. >> That's great that we're working with that many schools now. That's increased. Um, and thank you so much for for this. I I had asked for more that every year and so I'm glad that it's still in there. So I look for this every year. Um and so with that we could have a motion to approve the program improvement plan. Motion by Mr. Bgalie, seconded by Mrs. Cahill. All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> All right. Next on the agenda we have mathematics program improvement plan. Miss Quinn, feel free to start whenever you're ready. >> Great. >> Okay. Good evening, members of the school committee, Superintendent Mulvy, Assistant Superintendent, um, Dr. Perkins and members of

065the SLT, as always, it's a pleasure to be here to update you on all the wonderful math work that's being done across the district. We are incredibly fortunate to have a dedicated team of 11 math specialists who support all our elementary schools and two of our middle schools. The mathematics program identifies and supports students who face challenges in developing foundational math skills. Students are identified by the integrated learning team based on assessment results and overall math performance. The goal of this intervention is to strengthen and reinforce students understanding of key numeracy skills and concepts. And once students are identified, math specialists analyze the data. They develop targeted action plans and then use evidence-based materials and activities. And a list of these resources and interventions can be found on page six. Last year, our first two

066goals mirrored the district's MCCAST and MAP goals. The math team contributed by focusing on enhancing the students math fluency and number sense. In addition to providing small group instruction, math specialists pushed into classrooms to co-e lessons, facilitated centers, and address students needs in real time. Whether offering extra time with illustrative mathematics activities and games or introducing new ones, this additional practice helps students reinforce and solidify their learning. And on page seven and eight, you can see that we achieved our MCCAST goal at every grade grade level with the exception of grade five and at every grade level when looking at those MAP results. Our third goal outlined on page nine was the math team's design and development of the foundations of math class that was offered to our first group of QPS teachers over the

067course of three days just this past August. The teachers took a deep dive into the progression of early numemercy and the feedback was better than we could have ever expected. One teacher said, "I cannot wait to explore the resources that were given and appreciated that we had time to play the games, understand the reasoning, and have some fun, too. I am more confident heading into this year than I have in the past, and I'm very appreciative of that." Another teacher said, "We had many great conversations, worked out many worked out any confusion that students might have with games, and received different manipulatives to work with. I have already begun recommending this course to other teachers in Quinsey and they are interested in learning more about it. And then finally, I thought this course was a

068great resource. Being a kindergarten teacher, many times PD only showcases the upper grades. What was so nice about this course was that it highlighted how in kindergarten all of these math concepts are beginning. It was also great to see and hear how these concepts apply to the older grades. I think that this course would be great for anyone that teaches math as a subject. It can benefit teachers from preK all the way through middle and high school. And we're looking forward to offering this course again this summer. And we're hoping to get even more um QPS teachers to be a part of that. Our fourth and final goal from last year, which can also be found on page nine, was to collect and curate at least 10 digital math resources for families to combat that

069summer slide. These resources are posted on the math resource page of the QPS website. And I'm happy to share that as of today, this resource page had been visited 1,46 times. I'd like to now shift to our math team goals for this current year. And if you look on page 11, you'll see again that the first two goals mirror our district MCCAST and MAP goals. The team will a will aid students in their math journey and support the classroom teachers. In addition to giving targeted instruction to our math students, the team will support teachers with the administration of the map and help um their schools facilitate ILT meetings where they analyze data, share findings, and make adjustments to their schedules as needed. If you turn to page 13, you'll find goal three, which focuses on

070the team working on mathematizing their school. This vision involves bringing math front and center and to get the entire school excited about math. The team will have um Dr. Nick and Newton's and Janet Newsie's book, Mathematizing Your Schools, Creating a Culture of Math um Success, as their guide, and the team will create opportunities for students to see and do math around the school, not just in the math class. So, it's snug. You'll see stairs labeled so students can skip count as they travel between their floors. At Bernazani though, you'll need to look up as those numbers can be seen on the ceiling beams as you walk through the hallways. Many of the schools have interactive bulletin boards. If you look at the cover of this pit, you will see a picture of a bulletin board

071that hangs in the cafeteria at Clifford Marshall. And this winter scene encourages the students to find and count items as they eat their lunch. As I wrap up my presentation, there is one additional unofficial goal the team and I worked on this past year and that was updating the math mission statement. This was something that we had wanted to do for a long time and it was no easy task. We had dozens of iterations before we settled on the final version. I will end my presentation by sharing it with you and you can find it back on page three if you choose to follow along. The core mission of Quinsey Public Schools is for every student to approach mathematics with confidence, be empowered to think quantitatively, and to be creative problem solvers. We are committed

072to actively engaging students in experiences that promote curiosity and inquiry, all the while maintaining high expectations by utilizing rich math tasks. We aspire to move students beyond the memorization of procedural components and elicit and celebrate different approaches to problem solving. We will consistently strive to maintain high expectations. Cultivate student engagement through growth mindset. Solidify student understanding through the use of manipulatives and models. Differentiate instruction through tiered activities, small groups, and targeted centers. elevate discourse to promote discovery and convey understanding. We believe that mathematics goes beyond subject matter and skill acquisition, ultimately inspiring individuals to become lifelong learners. The math team is very proud of all the work that we accomplished last year and we look forward to implementing the 2025 2026 mathematics program improvement plan over the next coming months. And at this time, I

073would be happy to answer any questions you might have. >> Mr. Le Young, >> thank you for your presentation. I couldn't agree more about um math being so foundational. Um I know firsthand um being in the STEM industry. Um I do have a question about uh the summer slide. Uh I was wondering if that is a measurable effect. Um does that show up every every year and is it more uh pronounced in certain grades? And then uh more generally um I was wondering if you had uh subgroup data on uh the results um 2024 to 2025. We definitely see a summer slide across the board when we look at map and we compare how they did in the spring and how they did in the fall. Um I I don't know if we've looked at

074it in terms of if any grade in particular we definitely haven't that hasn't popped out at us in terms of that but we definitely see stu students grades we have that little dip and then we rebound um in winter and then obviously in the spring. >> Okay. And then um what about uh just more generally um subgroup data um for different grades? Yeah, we definitely >> we do we can share that with you. It's in the um district improvement plan. >> So, um we can absolutely send that to you. >> Great. >> Thank you, >> Mrs. Proteios. >> Thank you. Um thank you for this. Uh I know how excited and passionate you are about all things math and it's always um great to hear to read the plan that you prepared and hear you

075speak about it. Um quick question and then uh just a quick uh kind of observation. Um for your MA math goal number three, math mathematizing schools. Is this all schools or is it different grade levels? What are we talking about on that? >> It would be the schools that the math interventionists are in. So it would be all the elementary schools and southwest and point Webster. >> Okay. Um and how how how do you plan to measure that goal? Is that something that you know I know next year you're going to reflect on the goals. How is it something that you're going to feel like you've succeeded at or not succeeded at on that goal? >> Oh, that's a great question. I feel in terms of um what we look at like one of the

076things we actually did today because we had a math meeting was share what other schools have started doing now so that we can do several things in terms of that. We also look for feedback from the students and what they like and what they enjoy in terms of um you know another thing that one of the schools does is puts um different riddles and stuff by the bathroom because teachers at the elementary age will walk their student down. So feedback from the teachers of what the students are engaged about and what they like um as well. >> That's great. Um excellent. And then just an observation just that you know when you were reading the mission statement it really kind of hit me although I did read it but it kind of hit me more

077when you were reading it that just when we were in you know when I was in school a 100 years ago you memorized the way to do it and you memorized the formula and that's how you did it. You didn't have conversations. There weren't multiple ways to do it and if you happen to get the right answer that's great but that wasn't the right way to do it because it's the way the book told you to do it or the teacher told you to do it. So, just the way that we approach math now, I think it's just so much more um approachable for just different different students. I know I was okay at math, but I didn't love it. And uh I think that this might be a way to just get kids to

078really like math a lot more. Um so, I hope that you're seeing that. And I think it's um just such a culture shift and it's great to see. So we definitely are with the implementation of alle mathematics. We are definitely seeing more students more comfortable with math participating more feeling and admitting that they're a math student. It's been great. >> Yeah, I think it just brings in that SEAL piece a little bit even too with what we were just talking about just encouraging the confidence and just you know getting kids to get out of their comfort zone and feel feel okay with it. So thank you very much for all the work inclusive. >> It's more than just the numbers. So thank you. Thank you, >> Mr. Regali. >> Thank you again. >> Um, again,

079the great grade five MCCAST goal is not met >> again. >> Yeah. >> Um, and I asked uh previously whether uh there's some developmental issue involved with what they're asking on the test as opposed to what they're able to uh comprehend. >> And do we have that answer yet? Well, I think in terms of when we do look at the test and we look at the shift from third grade to fourth grade, fourth grade to fifth grade, there is a a shift in the types of questions that are asked. So, there's less ones that are straightforward where it's just the problem and it's asking them to compute, it's asking them to apply >> the information that they learn and use it in a different way that maybe they haven't seen it before. So there's definitely

080that shift in fifth grade and we see that when we look at across the state there's a dip from fourth grade to fifth grade. So it's not just a Quinsey thing. When we look at that and we look at the other districts, there's a we see third grade then up to fourth grade and then there's a dip in fifth grade um in terms of that because the test does it does it's much more challenging those questions for them and that can you know that's it's it's a it's a shift in the kids you know >> I I don't know if I you know it's developmental or it's test design maybe ask you know >> is it a fair test for >> I don't fear of tests. I think it >> Oh, fair >> fair test.

081Oh, sorry. I thought you said fear. I mean, it could be a fear, too, but but uh yeah. Um I I mean it it's very it's a it's rigorous. It's very rigorous. And I think that, you know, they're asking students to do, you know, in fourth grade it's kind of a lot of, you know, what they're used to. It's still a lot of lot more like computational um more at like a basic level. And now then you jump into like the fifth grade and now they're asking them to like apply it to novel problems, you know, and take all the information they learned, consolidate it and apply it in a different way. And I think that that throws kids for a loop the first time they see it. And I think you see it rebound

082in middle school. We definitely saw it rebound in middle school, but I think that the first time they see that type of a question, I think is very challenging. So, you know, whether or not it's a I I couldn't say whether or not it's a fair assessment. I think it's a, as Kim said, it's a common issue throughout the state. Um, that that this dip happens. So, you know, I mean, hopefully the test designers will take a look at that as they continue to, you know, pilot questions and do things like that. But, you know, so we're working on it. We have new curricula. Um, you know, Kim's been working on it extensively. you know, working with the teachers in fifth grade to make sure we're ex doing our part and we're exposing the kids

083to these kinds of problems. Um, you know, so those are kind of all things that we're we're working on. >> Well, if if it's systemic, then u somebody at the state level needs to take a look at it. >> Yeah. >> It's not fair to our kids. >> Yep. >> Thank you, >> Mrs. Cahill. So, when you just said you you've been working with the fifth graders to to those kinds of questions, how long have we been doing that? Like, have have we been, >> you know, >> trying to train? I don't want to say train them. Like should we be doing like a little pilot and just take some fifth graders and just like really just to see if it's the test or if it you know if we can give them examples of

084what these questions are going to be like really drill it into them and see what their success is going to be on the on the test and it and it's basically going to be teaching to the test, right? Like do we want to do that? Um but also are we not teaching them to think in those terms? You know, is that something that we should be doing? And and does that carry through? Is that the kind of those are the kinds of questions that these kids are getting from fifth grade on >> or is it just in fifth grade, you know, the application of of the different theories and math and all that stuff? >> No, it's it's the shift that happens from fourth grade to fifth grade where they >> So the type of

085the type of testing. So, should we be like doing a little bit more of that to try to get them to learn how to do that work? But, so when they get to fifth grade? >> Yeah. And we've talked a lot about that. We've done um our professional development when we work with the grade three to five teachers. >> Um >> we talk a lot about how we can give them that practice without teaching to the test, right? where we can put those in times that we can and where it falls in the curriculum where it makes sense so that they can see how it's applied, right? So that we're not just doing a question randomly. We're pulling in a question when we're doing that fraction unit and adding those pieces into it. So we

086do we have a great resource that I I actually got from another district where they pulled all those questions by grade level. Um all the teachers have access to that. We have it on a share drive. um we've done we've started to do more work where we um align them to illustrative mathematics right so it makes it a little bit easier than just looking at it by like say fractions or whatever um so we are doing that work as as you know you say without like stopping everything and just trying to like get them ready for a test >> I kind of feel like it's a little bit like the SATs and things like that when the kids are taking these tests it's not sometimes it's not about when you go and they go to

087take training, you know, they go and pay for um training to take the SATs. It's basically training them how to take that test >> so that they can succeed in it. And again, I I don't believe that in that theory, but is it a way to get the students to start thinking in how to apply that math going forward, >> if that makes sense. >> Right. >> Yeah. and a lot of >> you know more than I do and what you need to be doing. But it's just it just seems like if we know that there's a shift there that maybe that's the direction we should be kind of going >> and and I think we did that with switching over to Luster of Mathematics because that has a lot of that we're applying that

088um >> we just need to make sure that we're doing more of it because like everyone can attest to no matter what subject that issue of time and how much time you have with your students to do that. Um especially like by fifth grade we're switching classes, we're rotating, we're not self-contained anymore. So we have that finite time of trying to get everything in and trying to do that. So yeah, it's it's it's a lot to do and the teachers are doing a wonderful job with it, you know. Um and I feel like each year we do a little better at doing that and figuring out the best way to balance all of that because I mean their schedules sometimes change year to year too in terms of >> Yeah, it's complicated. how many classes

089they're teaching, how many students they have, all of that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Just curious, um, on the last page, you talk about extended day opportunities. Um, parentmies, do we have that scheduled yet? Focusing on combating ma math anxiety. >> Yes. Actually, March 3rd. >> March 3rd. >> Yes. That'll be at Central Middle School at 6 p.m. >> 6 p.m. >> Yep. >> Okay. It was funny. I I was reading it and when I read that focusing on combating combating math anxiety, I was thinking of it like from the child's point of view and the children having anxiety over learning math. And then I thought about it and I said, "Well, maybe I'm wrong because it could be from the parents perspective of working with their children about trying to do math at home

090because I've heard an equal number of parents who say, "Oh my goodness, I have to help my child with math homework tonight. I have no idea what this says. I don't have any idea how to help them." and it's causing the parents to have anxiety. Absolutely. So, it almost could go either way on which direction this this is actually this parent academy is going towards. So, it's my next question was going to ask you is it which of the or is it both? >> She's actually going to address both. >> Okay, great. >> Um so, Dr. Sabdani actually was with us during um the November 4th PD and she did actually two different sessions. one was specifically geared to um for teachers to take where what to do with your students that might have math

091anxiety, but then she had another session where she talked about um if the teacher themselves have math anxiety and how to, you know, deal with that. And for this parent academy, she's going to meld both of those together. Um she's going to talk about the research, she's going to talk about um ways to help your student and also to help yourself if you do have that math anxiety of like, "Oh no, you're asking me a question in math tonight." you know, why can't it be something else? Yes. >> Um so, yes, she's gonna she's going to talk about both. So, we're very excited about it and we're um it's going to be opened up through elementary and middle school. Um and she'll give some um games and activities and stuff for the um parents to

092be able to bring home um or and students will be able to come as well to learn some games and activities to just help with math and you know, making them feel more comfortable and feeling like everybody can do math, which is true. Yeah, I I've seen a number of times on Facebook where parents will post a math problem and say, "I don't know how to help my child. Can somebody help me explain this to my child?" Very common. Um the other thing I was going to ask is um talking about parentmies, Greg Tang, are we going to get him back? >> Oh, you know what? It's been a number of years since we've had him. >> It's been a number of years. We can look into it. I don't know if he travels anymore,

093so I think it would probably have to be virtual. Yeah, I was going to say we had a Zoom with him many years ago and he is amazing. It was a really It has been a while since we can add him back. >> Yeah, he was great. Yeah. >> Okay. Um do we have anything from our student representatives? All set. Okay, great. Uh and with that, I have a motion to approve. Motion by Mrs. Partios. Second. >> Second by Mrs. Cahill. All those in favor? I >> thank you so much for your presentation. Okay, next on the agenda is um literacy program improvement plan. Miss Vong to present and you can begin as soon as you're ready. >> Thank you. Hi everyone. I hope everyone is doing well. Um, good evening, Vice Chair Hubley, members

094of the school committee, Superintendent Malvy, and all of my colleagues here tonight. I'm honored and thankful to be presenting the Quinsey Public Schools literacy program improvement plan. Um, I'd like to begin tonight not with a chart or a data point, but with a child. It's 8:15 a.m. in a Quinsey public school's elementary classroom. A second grader hangs up their backpack, grabs a book bin, and settles onto the rug. The teacher opens the morning message, and together the class reads it aloud. Some students glide through the words, others pause, sound out, and try again. Everyone is reading, and everyone belongs. Later that morning, during literacy block, that same student rotates into a small group. The lesson is targeted and intentional. They tap out phonemes, map sounds to letters, reread a decodable text for fluency, and pause

095to talk about what the text means, not just what it says. When they finish, they smile. Reading felt doable today. Down the hall, a kindergarten class is clapping syllables and playing with sounds. First graders are building words with magnetic letters. Third graders are writing about what they've read using evidence from the text to support their thinking. Across the building, literacy looks different, but the purpose is the same. At lunchtime, our student excitedly tells a friend about a character from their audio book accessed through Sora with a single sign on. After school, they stay for a literacy club where reading is joyful, social, and fun. At home that night, a caregiver opens up a home connect letter and sees progress. Not just scores, but growth. This is what literacy looks like in the Quinsey public schools.

096It's not one program or one test. It's a system designed to catch students early, respond to their needs, and build confident, capable readers. its phmic awareness and phonics, vocabulary and fluency, writing and comprehension, its data and heart and structure and creativity. Tonight, I'll share how our literacy program has continued to strengthen that system over the past year, what our data tells us, where we've made meaningful gains, where we still have work to do, and how our goals for 2526 build directly from what we've learned. Because every data point represents a child like the one we just met. And every decision we make shapes their day, their confidence, and their future as a reader. Over the past year, the Quinsey Public Schools literacy program has remained focused on one core belief that early intentional research aligned

097literacy instruction changes outcomes for children. In reflecting on 2425 goals found on page 10. Our first goal was to reduce the percentage of K through3 students identified as well below benchmark in foundational reading skills using our amplify dibbles with um amplify mclass with dibbles early literacy screener. We saw encouraging and meaningful progress. Kindergarten met the goal precisely with a 15% reduction from fall to spring. Grade two also met its 7% reduction target. Grade one made progress decreasing by 8% though falling short of the 15% target. Particularly notable though given stronger entry data compared to the previous year and grade three remained an area of concern with a slight increase in students identified as well below benchmark. This data matters not as judgment but as direction. In response, we're adding a grade three CKLA skills intervention,

098strengthening targeted supports at a critical transition point where texts become more complex and expectations increase. Our second goal uh on page 12 focused on reading comprehension measured by NWA MAP growth in grades two and three. Here the results were particularly strong. Grade two exceeded the growth target by nearly three RIT points and grade three exceeded its target by more than two points. These gains reflect the impact of intentional small groupoup instruction, consistent use of highquality materials and e and educators deeply engaged in analyzing and responding to data. Uh when we look across five years of map growth found on uh page 15, we see a clear pattern. Quinsey students are sustaining strong reading growth over time. Evidence that our systems are working and improving this year reinforced several important truths. Early screening and progress monitoring

099matter. Strong tier one instruction paired with uh responsive tier 2 and tier three supports changes trajectories. Professional learning directly impacts student outcomes and literacy success requires coordination across classrooms, schools, families, and systems. Our goals for the coming year found on pages 17 and 18 are intentionally calibrated, ambitious, but grounded in data and developmental realities. Goal one continues our work in reducing early reading risk across grades K through three with differentiated targets that reflect where students are and where they need to go. Goal two rema um maintains strong expectations for reading comprehension growth in grades two and three align with national norms and past success. To support these goals, our action steps listed on pages 18 through 23 focus on strengthening early literacy screening systems and guidance. Deepening data analysis through ILT collaboration, expanding access to

100highquality instructional tools like Lexia Core 5, Read Live and CKLA and many others. Enhancing multilingual learner supports through native language resources. increasing student access to highquality texts through Sora and audiobooks. Professional learning remains the engine of this work. You can find our comprehensive list of professional development on pages 24 through 27. In 202526, educators will continue to engage in Ororton Gillingham certification and coursework, Lexia Amplify and Read Naturally, implementation coaching, writing instruction through the writing revolution in the writing pathway, conferences, workshop, and literacy institutes aligned to real classroom needs. This is not a one-sizefits-all PD. It is targeted, ongoing, and and directly connected to student data and classroom practice. In looking ahead, at its core, this work is about equity and access. It's about ensuring that every child, regardless of background, language, or learning profile,

101has the tools to become a strong reader, writer, and thinker. We're proud of the progress we've made. We're cleareyed about where we need to improve. And we are deeply committed to continuing this work with urgency, collaboration, and care because tomorrow morning, another Quincsey student will walk into a classroom, open a book, and begin again. And they deserve nothing less than our very best. On behalf of our amazing QPS literacy specialists and ELA educators, I want to thank all of you for the support you provide in reaching our literacy endeavors, and I welcome any questions you may have. Thank you. That was very eloquently done. Thank you. Thank you. We have uh questions from my colleagues. Mrs. Proteios, >> thank you. Thank you so much. Excuse me, Mrs. Vaughn for this. Um just so that I'm

102sure that I my questions are going to be framed correctly. So the the interventions in this PIP are just limited to grades K to three. Correct. um for the purposes of this literacy program improvement plan, yes, but many that you see listed here are also extended to many other grades as well. >> Okay, that's sort of my I have a couple of little questions, but I sort of that's my kind of overarching question is, you know, I remember from um when Quinsey High School came and presented their school improvement plan, I know a lot of their goals, and in fact, I asked um Mr. Smith and uh Mr. Ellis a little bit more about this, but their goals were focused kind of on reading and um getting students to understand the text better than they

103are currently understanding the text. And I had kind of asked them a little bit more, we really think, you know, comprehension is is an issue and they said yes. And so I'm wondering should we be expanding kind of what we're focusing on for our literacy program um in this to kind of more to go out right to go and I know we're doing things at higher grades but in a more in a way that we're looking at it sort of like we are here. So, I wanted to sort of get your thoughts on if you thought um knowing that that's happening at the high school level that they're feeling like comprehension is still an issue there. Um and sort of on page 17 here where our goal for the spring is for grade three for

10415% um of students to uh not be identified as well below benchmark. So, there is there are still students that are below benchmark at grade three. do do you feel that we should be expanding our um kind of official efforts and what we're tracking and what we're doing here um to include some of the higher grades? >> Yeah, I appreciate the question. Um for the historically for the purposes of this program improvement plan, it's been on early literacy foundational reading skills which includes grade three. Um, in fact, if you remember a couple of years ago, Massachusetts finally recognized that by making that um, early literacy regulation that all schools include grade three with their early literacy screening. Um, but I know I see what you mean and I do think that that is happening. Um,

105it does happen a little more formally. um say for example in the special education program improvement plan and in our district uh data presentation that we do when we look at all the data we include MCCAST with that. If you notice the the goals here are focused the data points I guess I should say are focused more on um the early literacy screener and the comprehension from the lens of the MAP test. Um but many of the interventions because we know it's still a need in other grade levels are continued beyond grade three. >> Okay. >> So that's something that we can discuss. I don't know Erin if you have >> Yeah. I mean I think that we focus on a lot of what Bridget does. Yes. She focuses on comprehension, but she's also focusing

106on the decoding and the phenemic awareness, particularly obviously in grade K to three because that's where it starts because if you can't decode the text, you know, you're going to have a really a harder time comprehending it. Um, so you know, so when she talks about the well below, that's really focused on the phonics of it, you know, and the funological processing of it. And I that is what our literacy intervention is. So Bridget, this plan was initially created be to support the literacy intervention team and so we those um educators which I think there's about 24ish of them right >> 20 okay >> so and they support K to3 students and pull small groups and things like that so we don't have um literacy interventionists at the older grade levels you know certainly something

107we can talk about I mean I think obviously you know, more literacy intervention is a wonderful thing. Um, you know, so as Miss Bon said, we do we do do those things and the teachers do do them in the classroom, but we don't have that like intervention piece where we're pulling them out because a student has, you know, struggled on the map for comprehension or struggled on um, you know, another screener for, you know, sound fluency or something like that. Um, we we that we don't have that. So, it's all happening in the gened classroom or, you know, in some cases with the special education teacher. So, it's just something when we look at, you know, budget priorities, you know, maybe something to talk about and consider. Um, you know, because I do think more

108literacy is great. I think more math is a great thing. You're never going to get me to say more of those two things are are not good, but, you know, it's just a matter of uh what the budget allows and then um where we place our priorities. But we certainly work with staff to make sure those things are happening in the classroom, >> right? Yeah. No, I think more my question was exactly what you answered at the end was that our interventionists kind of only pull up until grade three. And that's sort of what I was asking about is just to try to, you know, it was surprising to me to learn that reading comprehension, they're still they're seeing that as a struggle that they're having at the high school level. And so I've been

109waiting for this presentation so I could sort of say, you know, how far down the stream should we be going to kind of support these kiddos so that when they're getting to high school, they're not struggling with reading comprehension, right? So, um, so just that might be something that we need to look at at budgeting time if you if you guys feel like, you know, as you're working with the high school teams and just sort of seeing how that's connecting to the early literacy um, interventions we're doing, maybe that is a priority that could be helpful um to some of those outcomes at the high school level, too. Um, so thank you. Thank you for your thoughts on that. >> I'll just add one more thing. So, um, also at the high school, you know,

110we h we didn't we have only implemented highquality instructional materials. um in a cohes a really cohesive way in the last few years. So those students wouldn't be in high school just yet. I can tell you that the middle school teachers are seeing a positive impact with those students coming up. um you know with all the continued training and coaching that we do with new staff in the at the ele elementary level and I know many of you um on this committee have commented about the knowledge topics and the level of language comprehension orally that's happening at the same time that those foundational and decoding skills are happening the oral comprehension and the knowledge base the building knowledge along the way is also now happening at the same time. So hopefully we will see um

111you know less of that need for um understanding and comprehending complex text as they move up through the grades. >> That's great. Thank you for that context. Um and just my couple other kind of shorter questions on um when you're reflecting on your goals from last year. The um I appreciated the context and uh the ways you're addressing the the goals that you didn't quite hit on those. So, I appreciated understanding the context that, you know, we didn't quite hit that um on grade one, but that they started kind of well below. Um so, that was a helpful context to have. So, thank you for including that. Um, and I was going to ask you on goal number two, and again, this is sort of your reflection of last year, but do you think setting

112some kind of a a map increase goal just for the kids receiving tier 2 and three um literary supports, do you think that that might be a helpful way of of tracking progress to sort of instead of kind of looking at all the MAP tests, just sort of looking at the MAP test for the kiddos that are receiving the more targeted um instructions just to see if that those are making a difference. you know, typically we use MAP as growth as a growth versus the achievement of MCCAST. So, um I I I could consider it and and and maybe um disagregate it that way. Um but I like the idea of everybody feeling responsible for all students growing and and using that goal for all. Um but we could disagregate it, you Yeah, maybe taking

113a peek at that just to make sure that what we're doing is, you know, we're not being kind of offset by the kiddos that are fine with the tier one supports and just, you know, just so we really see if if we're making a difference in the kiddos that are really needing those supports. That would be great to see maybe just in a separate graph. That's perfect. Thank you. Um and then just to see the um next year, I'd love to see the plan just include which items um the action steps are new and which are continued and which are um revised. that that's super helpful just to sort of understand what we're doing that's different and new. Um so we can sort of focus on that. Um and that was my only suggestion on

114that. But thank you very much for all the work you're doing. It's super great. Um and your staff as well. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Um, I would just like to say that I have recognized how comprehensive the literacy program seems, um, and how much it has changed or maybe grown over years. I have a kindergartener and first grader and anecdotally I hear them playing with sounds all the time and curling each other like saying a word and saying, "Okay, what's the middle sound?" And I find it really interesting that there's a lot more um sound sounds that they make instead of they're reading differently I guess than my older children learn to read and I find it much more effective hearing them um try to you know learn learn how to read.

115Um I also have noticed um how intentional the small groups seem and I I mean that's kudos. It seems really impressive. Wherever you fall, whatever level you fall at uh for with your literacy, there is a group of support for you. And it seems like the teachers utilize the students to support one another. And >> um also in playing games with one another uh and so that it seems more fun, I guess, is what I my what I have noticed that my girls are really enjoying literacy differently. So, thank you for that. >> Thank you. That's great feedback. >> Thank you for the presentation and thank you for painting that uh vivid picture at the beginning. Um it sounds uh similar to what goes on in my house. I have uh three young readers. Um

116but there's always room for improvement. Um, I'm curious uh to hear your opinion um andor if you have the research on the role that audiobooks play um as a tool or um a supplement in um building literacy skills. >> Um sure. So we've sort of just added that in formally this year at the suggestion of um a QPS parent. And um the great thing about Sora this this application is that now with single sign on students can access the the curated books that we choose that connect to either the curriculum or the decoding skill or the diversity. We're just adding in um texts from raising multicultural kids into Sora. But also they don't need to have a library card. So they can also access any book from the old colony library network which is you

117know what um Thomas Crane Public Library is part of. Um and they can read audiobooks. My opinion on on the the good or the bad about audiobooks um I think you know when we're talking about access and equity uh I think it's a great thing. It's more access for more students for for what they need. I mean some so um Sora is an application where depending on what the publisher offers it those books can be available in ebook form um with dyslexia fonts with um you know students with visual impairments can make the text bigger or smaller. They can highlight they can annotate um and then other books the publishers release as audio books um which you know we just had um a presentation uh was that last week? I think it was last week

118um with citywide PTO um about the benefits of Sora and and so we talked about you know things like audiobooks being played in a car ride >> um and and and you know if you're out for a walk you know when you can't you can have stories available to you no matter where you are with an with an audio book but you know if you're asking my opinion I think print is is super important but I think access and equity um language comprehension orally and and then also be being able to decode and print is is obviously the goal uh for literacy. So um I think more access is always better. I don't have the research around uh specifically what um those those specific benefits are but is that does that answer your question? >>

119Yeah. >> Okay. If I if I could just add, I am a big fan of audiobooks as a former special education teacher, you know. Um, so I agree with Miss Vaughn. I I think we think fairly very similarly on literacy. We're very aligned. And I agree with Miss Vaughn that print is really important and exposing students to print. Sometimes when you know you have a student, especially a student who may be dyslexic or a struggling reader, you know, and they they need to access grade level text, you know, it re it relieves a burden because the whole time that they're reading it for students who are either learning to read or struggle as dyslexic um students or students with dyslexia, that that's a lot of effort for a student to decode when they're learning how

120to do that. Um, and so when you take that lift off of them for like grade level text, like if your class is reading because of Win Dixie or, you know, some something like that, right? And you want the student, as Miss Bon said, to have access and to be able to read what all of the other students in their class are reading, you know, at a pace that's going to let them keep up. I think audiobooks are a really wonderful option. I always encourage families to have their child, you know, read along with it. So, have the hard copy with them and listen to the audiobook at the same time. It also, I think, is really important because it um it provides a student with a model reader. So, they're learning intonation and inflection

121and when how you pause when you read. So, I I think it's all wonderful. Um but as a special education teacher I I can tell you and as a special education director and administrator and having done extensive work in special education um there's a lot of research to support that when you're providing I used to do it way years and years ago it was um called like recording for the blind and dyslexic and I used to have audio books for all my kids so that they could access the seventh grade materials. Um, so I think you know you're you're still teaching these students t how to read, how to decode. You're still really pushing the exposure to print um and the decodable text and things like that, but to provide access to grade level curricula,

122I do think audiobooks is a really great option. >> Excellent. Thank you for that insight. >> A couple questions. Are all our resource room teachers certified in Orton and Gillingham? I believe so. We if if not we um are at a at a really good place right now. >> I'm sorry. Education. Um yeah, education. Yes. E many of our EL are also certified and our literacy teachers are also certified. >> Very good. >> So I just sent out an email. Um are there any new staff that we need to that that aren't, you know, that we may have missed for whatever reason? Um we're at a really good place right now with with Orton Gillingham, but we continue to sponsor um QPS teachers in doing the full uh level two training, which is the associate

123level. >> That's great to hear. Um >> you know, when do kids is it um a certain grade level where they finish learning how to read and then they are reading to learn? >> Ah, so >> which maybe could help answer Mrs. Perios's question. >> Yeah. So, um, typically it's it's, uh, you know, when you talked about math and grade that that transition in grade five, it's it's grade three. That that's the grade. Uh, but we still have students and I we may be kind of at, you know, for lack of a better phrase, a sweet spot with that well below benchmark at 15% because we've been watching that, you know, since COVID to see like where is that going to level off a little bit. Um and you know we're still going to have

124ambitious goals but um sometimes that that's where it happens. So um even in our curricula right in our K to2 curricula there's um foundational skills instruction and building knowledge instruction in grade three and on those two are integrated into one. Um and that's where we start to see the students that um you know are really struggling that need more support with that. So what we are doing in addition to the things that are mentioned in in the program improvement plan um is continuing to focus professional development for nonresource room teachers for general education teachers about uh about small groupoup instruction on having students be able to code multi-elabic words. you know, when uh Miss Campbell mentioned playing with words, using games, things like that. Um you know, she was kind of speaking my language where

125we're not just memorizing lists of words, we're learning how to decode them so that when they become when you're reading more complex text and the words, you know, if you know how to decode pieces, then you can put that multi-elabic word together and move on, right? And when you know roots and and Latin and and Greek root words, you can decode a lot. You can understand the meaning and comprehend a lot of other words, right? So, we're trying to come from that approach. Um, but I don't think you ever stop just read that learn to read, read to learn. I would I would that's sort of like um I know we all have heard of that phrase. I would say it's around third, fourth grade, but I would want to say that we continue to

126learn to read, you know, for our whole lives really. The more we read, right, the better we get at it. So, >> thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Appreciate that. >> It's the term lifelong learner, right? >> Um, one thing I noticed on the back page here, you have National Schwah Day Celebration. you're going to ask me about >> and well, I read the whole packet at the back and I said I had to look it up because I'd never heard of that before and it is coming up on April 7th. So, I was wondering how we're going to celebrate if the kids are going to indeed wear their pajamas to school and and talk about banana um you know. >> Oh, yes. Right. So, um, yeah, National Schwah Day is, um, a national holiday

127that is recognized now by an author that we've had speak to some of our QPS teacher, Iet Mans. Um, so we have books surrounding that. Teachers get dressed up. They post words all around the school. They do a lot of fun fun activities just to recognize it because it is sort of, you know, underrecognized in the in the literacy world. So to make a big deal and um and put it out there um makes it more accessible and understanding it. >> Um one of the reasons I got into being on school committee was because of the massive literacy specialist cut we had many many years ago and um so I I love that you've gotten to this point now where this is a fabulous fabulous plan and love that I'm still learning about Schwad and

128had never heard of that before. Well, we'll invite you to some of the celebrations. >> Um, so I also noticed you have a parent academy on here. Um, why a variety of books is important. Do you have a date for that yet? Because I'd love to tell parents about that. >> Yes, I believe it's May 5th. >> Um, Oh, yeah. It's not. That's just a list on on that at the end of the plan. >> Yeah, it's May 5th. It's a Tuesday evening and that's with Victoria Malcern and myself. Um, we've worked with Victoria before. She's from the National Center on Improving Literacy. um and she's a BEu doctoral student in literacy. Um so she's she's we've worked together on things. So um this one was a little bit more timely I think for what

129we're doing with our texts and explaining to families you know why diverse texts are important um for many many reasons different types of books just like audio versus and and and raising multicultural kids and those kinds of texts just kind of bringing it all together. Um so yeah we thought that was a timely talk. Yeah, that sounds like a great topic. Um, did you have a time and a location? >> I mean, that's virtual. >> Oh, it is virtual. Awesome. >> It is. Yeah. And I think it's at 5:00. >> Great. >> Super. All right. And do you have anything from our student representatives? All set. Okay. Great. And I have a motion to approve by Miss Campbell, seconded by Mr. Begali. All those in favor? >> I. Thank you so much for the presentation.

130>> Thank you. Great job. Thank you. >> Okay. Next on the intend agenda we have school nurse appointment superintendent Milby. >> Thank you. Um before you is the resume of Josephine Master Povich. Um she is a candidate uh for your approval and cons consideration and approval for the nurse position at the Squanum Elementary School. If we could have a um motion to approve in a second and then a roll call vote. >> Okay. Motion to approve by Miss Cahill, second by Mr. Begalie. All those in I'm sorry. Roll call. >> Roll call. Yep. >> Uh Mr. Begley. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Cahill. >> Yes. >> Miss Campbell. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Hubley? >> Yes. >> Mr. Lee Young? >> Yes. Mrs. Perios? >> Yes. >> Thank you. Okay, moving on. We have um Mrs. Mrs.

131Cahill to refer sub to policy subcommittee. >> Um referral for the school committee policy book section 9.4 um in regards to the school day for updates to the policy. >> So moved. Uh Miss Cahill, we have another referral to policy subcommittee. >> Um school committee policy book section 5.6 food service management for updates to that policy. >> So moved. Next we have Miss Cahill. Referral to policy subcommittee >> school committee calendar for 2026 to 2027 for referral to public for the policy committee. >> Okay. So moved and miss. Yes. >> I'm sorry Mr. Le Young. >> Sorry on the next one. >> I had a question. >> Okay. Uh Mrs. Cahill policy subcommittee um referral >> QPS school year calendar for 2026 27 to the policy subcommittee. >> So move to the policy subcommittee. >>

132So on that >> ask a question. So regarding the school calendar um I wanted to request the committee or the subcommittee to consider um denoting Lunar New Year with an H as a holiday. Um it does fall on a Saturday this year, but I think giving it the uh holiday designation um would just be uh a strong uh acknowledgement uh of its importance to uh all the families that celebrate. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay. Next on the agenda, we have um memorandum of agreement between Quinsey School Committee and SEIU Local 888 Quinsey Power Professionals Union for Sik Bank. We have a motion to approve. Motion by Mr. Bgalie, seconded by Mrs. Cahill, and we need a roll call vote. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Cahill. >> Yes. >> Mr. Yes. >> Mrs. Hubley? >>

133Yes. >> Mr. Le Young? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Perios? Yes, >> Mayor Coke. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um, next on the agenda, we have establishment of ad hoc subcommittee for districtwide facilities master plan. >> Point of order. >> And scale. >> Um, I'd like to move this to a meeting when all the members are present. >> Table it. Yes. >> Okay. We have a motion to table. Do we have a second? Mr. Begali is seconding. Um, okay. So, moved. We'll move it to a meeting where we were going to have >> All members present. >> Yep. >> Okay. Next on the agenda is the consent agenda. Um, we need a roll call vote. >> I need to read it. >> A motion in a second. >> Motion to the consent agenda. >>

134Motion by Miss Cahill. Second by Mr. Begali. Roll call vote. >> Mr. McGulli. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kale. >> Yes. >> M. Campbell. >> Yes. >> Mr. Le. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Okay. Next on the agenda is additional business. Seeing none, move on to communications. All meetings are held in the Cottington building in the school committee room. Upcoming school committee meeting on at 6:30 February 11th, 2026, March 11th, and March 25th, 2026, upcoming subcommittee meetings February 4th, 2026, teaching and learning and policy. February 11th will be the quarterly budget, finance, and audit. and starting at 6:00. Next on the agenda is reports of subcommittees and all right we had the report of the December 10th joint facilities transportation security teaching and learning subcommittee and a joint meeting of the facility security transportation teaching and

135learning subcommittees was held on December 10th 6 p.m. in the Cardington building. Mrs. Lebo introduced the item before the joint committee reopening Amelia Delicazar Early Childhood Center for the new pre kindergarten classrooms and kindergarten classrooms from the Lincoln Hancock School. Mrs. Lebo reviewed from the teaching and learning perspective. Mrs. Hubley spoke on the facilities perspective. The meeting minutes are online in full and I do not see any corrections to these minutes for Mrs. Owens. So, we will move that. So, moved. Um, next on the agenda is the executive session. We have none because we already voted on the on the item that was going into negotiations. And next on the agenda is adjournment. And seeing that we have the end of our meeting, we will adjourn. Thank you. >> Thanks, everyone.