001All right. Um, I'd like to call the meeting to order. We will start with the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance 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. Roll call, please. Kristen Kambzzi here. Jennifer Ray here. Jason Zadunic. Jennifer Cliff here. Cheryl Maddox Smith here. Cassidy Thomas here. Eric Smith. Okay. And I would entertain a motion to approve the agenda. I'll make a motion to approve the agenda. Support. Okay. Motion made by Ms. raised support by Mrs. Maddox Smith. All those in favor? I. Moving on to business, Mr. Cedric. Thank you, Mrs. Kamenzy. We have a few items on business side of things. We're actually going to start off with based on some logistics.
002But the first item we actually this is our second time discussing the resolution to designate uh school board representative for Maurice's elections. So Mrs. Hopper, I don't know if you want to add anything, but I think they just have to do a second resolution to support their resolution is in your packet and it is really just designating the same people as you designated before. It's just to support that you you have designated them and there are three candidates for three open seats. So it's just supporting those three candidates. Okay. So um I would entertain a motion to um adopt the resolution as presented. Second. Need a first. You want to be the first? I'll make a motion to adopt the resolution as presented. Second. Okay. Motion made by Ms. Thomas, support by Mrs. Clip. Uh,
003any comments or questions? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Um, let's see. Consider awarding the Market Senior High School pod AC replacement project to Prime Specialty Contracting as recommended. I guess I'll just say we've talked about this project in the past. The pod um much like Bothwell similar design only smaller scale. The AC unit is not working. So this particular action item is to replace the two main units. There's three units at Bothwell. There's two for the pod and uh there's a bid recommendation in your packet for prime specialty for 358,000 and some change. Okay. Um I would entertain a motion to award the market senior high school pod AC replacement project to prime specialty contracting as recommended. I'll make a motion to award the Marquette Senior High School pod AC replacement
004project to combine specialty contracting as recommended. Second. Okay. Motion made by Ms. Ray, support by Mrs. Clip. Any further comments or questions? Hearing none. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Um, consider awarding the Cherry Creek Elementary School outdoor learning project to Primo Construction Incorporated as recommended. So, just a little bit on this project as well or this business item. We've talked quite a bit about outdoor learning spaces for the last couple years. Last year, we did Superior Hills, Gravette, and Sandy Null. Uh, although some of those projects aren't quite finished, but we've done the majority of that work. Cherry Creek was al always scheduled for this summer. They've been working on some grants. In the meantime, we're ready to move forward with the I guess phase one or the main phase of
005the project. The project uh is roughly $120,000 which includes some concrete work that we didn't include in the budget for the actual outdoor learning spaces or playground since it was a little more infrastructure and not so much the playground. So that bid recommendation is for Primo Construction for $121,152.75. Okay. So I would entertain a motion to award the Cherry Creek Elementary School outdoor learning project to Primo Construction Incorporated as recommended. I'll make a motion to award the contract to Primo Construction for the Cherry Creek Elementary School outdoor learning project. Second. Okay. Motion made by Mrs. Clip, support by Mrs. Maddox Smith. Uh, any further comments or questions? All those in favor? I I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Uh, moving on to the superintendence report. Thank you. At this time, I would like to invite Mrs.
006Caitlyn Jensen, uh, Spanish teacher from Marquette Senior High School, who's going to tell talk to us a little bit about a recent trip that they took to Costa Rica. And she has a presentation here as well. If you look behind you, you can see the presentation. Miss Jensen, thank you for coming tonight. Yeah, for sure. Thank you. And um I addressed the board uh earlier in January, I think it was either January or February after our um our hosting portion of our exchange had wrapped up. But um so for anybody who's not familiar with our exchange, um this was the third time that we've partnered with the same school um a bilingual high school in uh Guapilace in Costa Rica. and um the third time we've partnered with them as an exchange, the second time
007we were actually able to get there because of the pandemic during our first uh first exchange. Um so we took 13 students. Um some of them this was their first time, not only their first time out of the country, but for two of them, I think it was their first time ever on a plane. Um so that was a really exciting um experience for everybody just getting there and then knowing that we were going to see our friends who had been you know in our community just a couple of months prior. Um so unfortunately none of the students who put together these um slides were able to be here. They all had other commitments. So I will try to summarize as best I can for you uh kind of what their uh big impressions were.
008Um so the circle there um is is where the community is located. Uh the capital San Jose is right in the middle. And while we were based in Guapulace, we got a chance to visit several other parts of the country, including a couple places I had not been. Um so the Pacific coast um in Liberia, which is kind of up, uh not quite all the way north, um and San Jose as well, and some other places around uh Guapilace. Um, so this is a student. One of the cool opportunities that we got today was to visit a bilingual preschool. Um, which was just a short walk away from our from our host school. Um, so one of the days while they were doing, um, some standardized testing, familiar to all of us in education, um,
009we took a little walk and got to visit um, some of the the kiddos there. along the walk. Um we had, you know, lovely flora and fauna. Um which is just kind of what everywhere is like. It was really nice in the, you know, the heart of the darkest months of March and April to uh be able to see some green and uh some sunshine and some fresh fruit. Um and we got to spend the morning with um these really sweet little children um who were learning English in this immersive environment. um got to have some tamales um with them for uh for snack and some juice and sing lots of songs and play bingo. Um then we went back to school where later up we we met up with everybody and went to a
010um farm, but it's more of like a a private like wildlife preserve um with a couple of places to hike and swim in some waterfalls, meet some barracude dogs, and eat some snacks as well. Um then, um sort of a nice segue from food. Um, one of my students was, uh, this is interesting because the person who put this together is actually kind of a picky eater. And I was really proud of her for stepping outside of her comfort zone and trying some new foods. Um, her favorite foods were on the far uh, left there. That's something called a copo, which is like layers of shaved ice with um, sweetened condensed milk and flavoring. It is super super sweet. um fried plantains or yuka or malanga, which are all different um really tasty root vegetables.
011Um and a couple of the kids are have came back just obsessed with um these gummy candies called Trulu. Um which I guess is kind of like Haribo. Um but they found a Trulu store at one point and just got lost their minds. Um and more typical foods in Costa Rica. um lots of plantains, lots of um really fresh food, lots of fruit, lots of rice and lots of beans. Um and you know, the student even saying like there's a lot of things I don't eat. I'm a really picky eater, but I tried a just about everything um that they gave me. And um here were, you know, some memories. On the far left there, that is the uh the True Lulu store that we found. And they asked permission. Can we please go over
012there and take a take a picture? So yes, go ahead. Um and then finally, um you know, just the critters. Um one of this is the student chose to kind of talk a little bit about some of the critters she observed. Um including dogs. Um there were two um stray dogs, but they are like the way stray dogs kind of works in Costa Rica is like people kind of the community kind of cares for them. you know, you have like just these dogs that kind of hang around and they know they hang around where people are kind to them and feed them. And so there's there were some dogs that just kind of hung around the school and teachers would bring food in for them. They were super friendly. They'd run around, come say hi.
013Um and um yeah, they were they we'd ask like, "Do they have names?" and they're like, "No, we just call them foli," which is kind of the general um Spanish and Central American name for like doggo. Um but of course there's animal the you know pets and critters that live in homes and are very well cared for. This particular student had um lots of lots of peros at their house. Um, one of the things that was really new on this experience is we went to Liiberia, which is on the Pacific coast, but we went on a safari. So, for some reason, these are not animals that are indigenous to and native to Costa Rica. These are definitely giraffes and zebras. Um, but it was still a really cool experience. Um, we got to go on
014a zipline there. They had um the zipline kind of ended at this like river and waterfall area. So that's how we wrapped up that day, which was great because it was like in the '9s and extremely hot that whole day. Um but you know, that really just underscores like the kids had such a good attitude towards everything, just kind of rolling with it. you know, if it's 90° and super dry or if it's, you know, in the 80s and kind of humid, which is what it was like most of the time where we were uh we were staying. Um last minute schedule changes, just kind of rolling with it and living the puravida um life. Um also got to see some some pretty cool insects there like the um symbol of uh of Costa Rica.
015such as the um blue morpho butterfly as well as um a bullet ant. And um I was uh telling I was kind of telling some of the board members that they were coming in like I I decided not to include the the pictures and video of us ugly crying at the end when we had to say goodbye to everybody. Um cuz it was really emotional. You know, you get um you just we make such such strong connections. I've heard from so many of the students who participated in our last two exchanges that they've been back to visit um their friends or that some of the Tikos have come to visit them here during our summer um you know to get to see because they come in the winter and so getting to see um the
016summertime here is really cool too but just I'm so grateful that we're that we have the support of our district of our building admin of the board to be able to do this because it really creates just lifelong longl lasting um relationships and connections um with people and and to the language too. It's just such a a strong um component of our of our Spanish program here. So yeah, thank you. That's what I've got as far as presentation um and pictures for you and I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them or happy also to honor our retirees. So I don't want to take up too much time. Looks fabulous. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you very [Applause] much. Moving on. So, good evening everyone. Thank you to the board of education, our
017honored teachers and support staff of the year, our retirees, administration staff, family, and guests. Thank you all for being here to celebrate this very special evening. We've gathered to recognize a group of exceptional professionals. Some who are closing the chapter on remarkable careers in education and others who are being celebrated for their outstanding contributions to our district. Each of them represents the very best of maps. Our staff serve not just our schools but our entire community. They shape the lives of the children entrusted to us not only by teaching but by nurturing, supporting, and guiding them. Education is about far more than academics. It's about preparing our students for life. And our team does that with incredible skill and compassion. To our retirees, thank you for your years of dedication, wisdom, and the lasting legacy
018you leave behind. To our teachers and support staff of the year, congratulations on this welldeserved recognition. Your work inspires us all. And to the families, friends, and loved ones here, thank you as well. Your support makes this work possible. The demands of this profession are real and we know the sacrifices extend beyond the workplace. Tonight you'll hear from colleagues who know these honores best, those who've worked alongside them and witnessed their impact firsthand. At this time I'm honored to turn things over to Stacy Brock, principal of Sanol Elementary, who will get us started on this evening's recognitions. Mrs. Brock first woohoo. [Applause] Hello everyone. I have Mrs. Sarah Johnson here with me. I am honored to be up here speaking on behalf of Sarah Johnson who has been a part of S the Sandy family
019as a speech and language pathologist for many years. Sarah started her career in Gwyn in 1989 and then moved to Market Area Public Schools in 1993 um to start at Sandy Null. So her total combined years at Sandy Null has been 25 years but she was also at Cherry Creek for seven years and father murk. The total years that Sarah has spent as a speech and language pathologist is 36 years. Long career. Um, for many years, Sarah has been a guiding light for our students, helping them find their voices and express themselves confidently. Her commitment to fostering communication skills has not only changed the lives of many of our children, but has helped to enrich our entire school environment. Through her patient guidance, and I truly mean patience, her innovative techniques focused on the goals
020of many of our children, she has been able to turn challenges into triumphs, inspiring students to embrace their abilities. She has gone above and beyond to make her speech groups engaging by creating activities that are accessible for everyone. Each student can and has enjoyed success. She built a safe space where our students felt valued and understood. Her ability to connect with each child on a personal level has made a profound impact. Sarah has been a wonderful colleague and source of advice and guidance when planning for students in their education. We at Sandy Null want to thank you for your dedication, your compassion, and the countless lives that you have touched. You have truly made a difference. We will miss you dearly, but we celebrate this new adventure that awaits you. Happy retirement, Sarah. Thank you.
021[Applause] Thank you very much. Next up is Mr. Brandon Wheeler, principal of Marquette Senior High School to introduce our retirees from MSHS. Come up to Thank you, Mr. Sedick. And good evening, everyone. Um, again, for those of you that I haven't had a chance to meet, my name is Brandon Wheeler. I'm the principal of Marquette Senior High School and I have the honor of saying a few words tonight on behalf of these two lovely people who have left a lasting mark on this school and the students we serve. Um I haven't worked with either of them for very long to be very frank just the past couple of years but it didn't take long for me to see the impact they've had. It's truly a privilege to help recognize them tonight and I'm grateful for
022the opportunity. So I'll do my best to put into words just a little of what they've meant to our students and our school community. So, first Chris Okconor. Chris has been a vibrant part of MAPS. Okay, vessels, calm down. Did you know it was her? I Well, I didn't even have to look. Right. The teacher vision. Teacher vision. Um, Chris has been a vibrant part of MAP since 1997. Known for her energy, quick wit, strong personality. Chris has brought a spark to every hallway, classroom, and conversation she's been a part of. Her presence has always been bold, passionate, and uniquely her own. Over the years, students have gravitated towards her authenticity, and she's formed strong relationships built on honesty and humor. And she's never been afraid to challenge them to think differently, especially about the
023world around them. Her passion for civic engagement encouraged many students to become more aware, more involved, and more thoughtful about their place in society. So, as Chris retires, we thank her for the connection she's built, the energy she's brought, and the spirit she shared with our school community. And we wish her all the very best in her next chapter. Congratulations, Chris. Oh, okay. I won't shoot. All right. So, I apologize to anybody that walked up the stairs here over by the canopy. Um, I actually found a copy of Katie's first teaching certificate. Um, but I dropped it on the stairs and the stone tablet shattered everywhere. And so I'm gonna have to call the Smithsonian and let them know that. Sorry, Jatie. Um, I'm used to that. And that's what we love about you. So,
024for those of you that don't know, if you haven't been around our building, if you've ever heard a distinctive laugh coming from our guidance office, chances are it belonged to Katie Vessels. Her laugh is infectious. Her honesty is refreshing. Her commitment to students is genuine and her presence is going to be truly irreplaceable. Katie has a way with students that's real. No fluff, just straight talk, but also a quick smile or laugh. And it's the kind of support that sticks. She's been a mentor, a teammate, and for more kids than most of us will ever know. She's been a lifeline. And she's quietly helped students in ways that go far beyond the job description, including reaching into her own pocket at times to make sure that they have what they needed. as so many educators
025do. She's also been a favorite target for some good nature driven. Never by the principal. That would be inappropriate and unprofessional. And she gives it right back. Um, but behind the laugh, she's someone who truly knows her stuff and deeply cares about every student who walks through the door. So, Katie, thank you for everything that we missed more than you know. Thank you. Thank you everyone, school board community. It's been a long hall and you always help. Thank you. Bring your walls. A short hall. I have lots left to do. You'll never know where I'll pop up. Zach, sound like a Okay. I Zach and I worked together many years ago. Katie and I co-taught uh when I was a math teacher and the kids did not know what to think about us cuz it
026was non-stop banter all day long. But they learned math. They did. Yeah. It was a really positive, fun environment for both of us and the kids. So I wish you all well. How about one more round of applause for our retirees. Okay, moving along to our teachers and support staff of the year. I'm going to start by asking Mrs. Rhonda Tolsma from Marcus Junior High School to come up and introduce Pam Cornock, our MAP support staff person of the year. Yay. We will not try to follow Katie vessels because we will get in trouble. It's a hard act to follow. She gets away with things that not everyone gets away. This thing is like I am Rhonda Tolsma. I don't know if it's evening yet, but good afternoon, good evening. Um, I have taught right
027over there for the last 15 years and Pam Corno has been with me 14 of the 15. Yes. Yes. All right. Pam is a pair professional at Marquette Senior High School. She's been a part of the Marquet area public schools for over 30 years. 31. She's currently assigned as a parah to MSHs in the life skills program. Pam can read a room upon entry. She's quick to assess a situation and insert herself where most useful or needed. She is genuine, hardworking. She's well-liked and respected by all those who have worked with her. She will do anything that you ask of her and she addresses difficult situations efficiently and consistently so that just okay while most view the paraprofessional's job as academic support that is merely one piece of our puzzle on any given day at
028any moment Pam may be a cheerleader. Show them your cheerleader. Okay. counselor, nurse, detective, problem solver, nutritionist, confidant, realist, and parental figure. She is always on the move and contemplating what may be coming next. She gives unwavering support to her students and to our staff. Pam is a Marquette graduate and the pride she has in MSHs is clearly visible. She loves making our building a place where we all want to be as she puts students first and looks for any way possible to help in any situation. Pam is an out is outstanding as a paraprofessional, as a teammate and as a human with a purpose and that is why she be who she is. [Applause] Okay. Love your job. I will say [Applause] congratulations, Pam. Next up, we have Cara Gracie, who is here to
029introduce Katherine Layman, our MAPS elementary teacher of the year. Okay, for someone with so many opinions, I actually really hate being up here. So, um, I'm a school social worker here in the district. I've only been here for about two years, but in that time I've watched Katherine work with a number of very unique students. Think like once in a career type situations and all in the last year. I can't really explain a lot of them without breaching confidentiality, but this year only buckets. Catherine has worked hard to learn new ways of communicating and teaching students, communicating with and teaching students. For example, she spends countless hours outside of her working day researching curriculum for students who are 100% deaf and learning both ASL and the English language at the same time. She's made various
030connections with leaders in the deaf community to provide families with learning and socialization opportunities outside of the classroom. Katherine is patient with students as well as the system and is constantly finding ways to overcome financial or other systemic barriers getting in the way of providing students with the support they need in order to make progress. Catherine's able to build rapport with students quickly and doesn't hesitate to jump in and help when a student may be having difficulty regulating their emotions. Catherine brings a calming presence to a room. I can't tell you how many meetings I've been in before or after school where the student is playing in the corner of the library and somehow ends up curled up in her lap at the table by the end of the meeting. She exemplifies what we refer
031to in therapy as the therapeutic use of self, the ability to connect on a personal level, tapping into different aspects of her personality, experiences, and interest to build interest and trust rapport. She has a remarkable ability to meet students where they are. Whether that means engaging the student in a playful therapeutic session or guiding the student through the more technical exercises required of her field. One therapy session she might be on the floor with a young child engaging in silly playful activities and in the next she's holding an in-depth conversation about the technicalities of movie credits or another area of the students very special interests not hers. Finally, in another session, she may be conversing with that student fully in ASL. And again, this last interaction is only possible because she took the time to
032learn the language in order to engage, relate, and teach this one student. Navigating the world of special ed can be overwhelming, especially for families encountering it for the first time. Parents often find themselves in a vulnerable position, sitting at the table, surrounded by professionals, discussing their child's challenges and sharing their personal experiences. It's a moment that can be fraught with anxiety and uncertainty. Her calming demeanor, professionalism, and empathetic nature instantly puts parents and caregivers at ease. She's able to explain complex processes and terminology in a way that feels approachable and never condescending. In fact, we've used Katherine as a model in our district to guide how we structure and approach student meetings. And her influences is felt across our entire team. In our school community, we encourage students to ask a friend before approaching a
033teacher. And Katherine is a trusted friend whom we turn to first for guidance. Her extensive knowledge of the special education world combined with her constant commitment to staying informed on the ever evolving policies, procedures, and standards makes her an invaluable resource. She just doesn't stay up to uphate with these technicalities. She excels at translating this information into accessible language that both her colleagues and the families we serve can understand. Her dedication to personalized care and attention is the embodiment of MAPS's mission statement, maximizing the academic potential of every child. Her work represents the heart and soul of what we strive to achieve every day. Her impact extends far beyond her direct interactions with students and families. She's a model of excellence and compassion in everything she does. [Applause] Thank you everybody. [Applause] Congratulations, Katherine. And
034next up is Ble Reiko, Marcus Sior High School teacher, is here to introduce Chris Okconor, our math 6 through2 teacher of the year. Not sure yet. Simply put, here we go. Simply put, Chris Okconor is a Market Area Public Schools treasure. With a commitment to highquality planning and instruction and an even deeper devotion to her students, Chris has been the embodiment of masterful teaching since she began with the district in 1997. Often caffeinated and always entertaining, Okconor challenges her history students to think critically with their heads and also open their hearts to the deeper lessons that can be learned from studying the past. While studying history can often be dark, Chris is a radiant and steadfast light that for decades has served as a spark for a myriad of students to grow their skill set,
035challenge their own thinking, cultivate their passions, and to find their voice. The ultimate goal that she has for all of her students is to equip them with skills to be positive contributing members to society. If you want to know what kind of an impact Chris has on her former student students, spend a day with her out on the town. Uh from the grocery store to a hockey game to walking the streets with her on music on third. You'll see former students stop mid-sentence, cross traffic, sometimes without looking for cars, uh and come running when they see their favorite teacher. Whether it's been two days or 20 years, students are so excited to share with her how they're doing, what they're doing, and what kind of an impact they're making, and what kind of an impact
036she has made on their lives. It doesn't matter if the individual was a standout student in her accelerated world history class who went off to study in an Ivy League school, or a student who just eaked by and missed all sorts of school yet somehow found a way uh to make it to just her class. Crick uh Chris is quick to celebrate each individual and the overwhelming display of gratitude and mutual respect and love is truly a sight to behold. It has been the greatest honor of my teaching career to share a brain with and be challenged and inspired by Chris for the last 18 years. She has made me a better teacher and a better human being just by being in her light. Winston Churchill quipped, "You make a living by what you get,
037and you make a life by what you give." Chris O' Conor's life at Marquetary Public Schools has been a rich one, and we have all benefited exponentially by her philanthropy. I love you, sister, and congratulations. [Applause] So, that concludes this evening's recognitions, and I just want to thank you all for being part of one of the most meaningful nights of our school year. We have a little bit more to go in the meeting, but to our teachers and support staff of the year, your dedication and excellence lift our entire district. To our retirees, thank you for a lifetime of impact and service. You leave behind a legacy of learning, care, and inspiration. Congratulations once again and well done. [Applause] All right, we would like to take this time to recess for reception and for picture
038opportunities with our retirees and teachers of the year and sports staff of the year. All right, I'd like to reconvene uh superintendent report continues. Mr. Sant, do you have anything further? Uh, no. That concludes my report. Thank you. Okay. Uh, comments from the public? None. Board member comments. I'll start out with Mr. Smith. Uh, no comments. Uh, Miss Thomas. This will be public. Yeah. Um, thank you to the um the retirees and the teacher and support staff of the year. Teachers and support staff of the year. Um, thank you Miss Jensen um for presenting on the Costa Rica trip. That was very fun to hear about. And that's all. Thank you. Uh, Mrs. Maddox Smith. Um, ditto Mrs. Thomas's comments. Thank you to our retirees and our support staff just for making such a positive
039impact on our students lasting a lifetime and I loved the Costa Rica experience that is just widening our students to a global vision from you know our Marquette vision. So that was awesome. Thank you so much Mrs. Clip. Costa Rica is great. I'm so glad that you had an opportunity to take kids. I'm so glad that they got an opportunity to go. I'm jealous they got to go over spring break time. Um because this particular year I went nowhere. Um so I'm super jealous about that. But what an amazing place. It's an amazing country. It really is. Um and again just echoing thank you to our retirees and our um support our staff support staff and otherwise of the year. We are so exceptionally lucky to have such competent um and effective teachers. It's uh
040exciting for them to move on for the retirees, but they are definitely going to be missed. So, thank you again, Mr. Zone. Yeah, just thank you to uh the individuals that um said all the great words to um our uh celebrated staff tonight as well as the recent graduates um for this year. Um congratulations to all those recent graduates and best of luck uh in future years. Missouri. Um it's been really fun this year because it's I think been two years that I've had to be out of town um for graduation and for this um celebration and it just kind of took me down memory lane of my kids uh and all that they really got from these this school system and the teachers that are have tremendous impact as well as particularly the Spanish
041program. I was just thinking I just have a son who just spent three months in Guatemala and a month in Costa Rica doing intensive medical Spanish um before he finishes his last year of med school and it just the impact continues and I see how it has helped form my kids and I'm really appreciative of that and the years 30 plus that people have devoted to our community and our kids and it's really spectacular to be here and witness it all. So, thank you to everyone that has given their heart and soul and the Costa Rica trip is fabulous for our students. Thank you. Uh, moving on to board president comments. Um, just like to echo what everyone else already said. Um, you know, I think we have a a wonderful staff and, you know,
042I'm just really appreciative of our retirees and our uh support staff and teachers of the year. Um, just wonderful. Uh, moving on to announcements and other meetings. Uh, June 9 through 11, 9 through 12 early release. June 12th, last day of school, half day for all students. June 23rd, 2025 budget hearing/regular board meeting here in the library at 5:30 and I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. Make a motion to adjurnn. Support uh motion by Mr. Zadun support by Miss Ray. All those in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion passes. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you. Just down the hall. Not like I had to come across the district or anything.