5/20/26 DCS School Board Meeting

001for it stands nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Okay, I'll read aloud our board norms. Work together and be collaborative. Assume good intentions. Be present and prepared for the meeting. Challenge the issue, not the person. Be respectful. First, we have review of the minutes from May 5th. I submitted some >> some changes. >> I submitted some too. >> Yeah. Just little things. >> Nothing. Uh yeah. >> Okay. I will make a motion to approve the minutes for May 5th pending the grammar changes from um Angela and Missy. >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose to public comments. Hello Danielle Palmer. Raone. Okay. Um I'm going to re reiterate what I said in a previous comment. words matter. I was really disappointed to hear in

002the last meeting that there was a comment made decided not to summarize a letter from a previous chair um someone who has experience sitting here um where you are because it was perceived as condescending and was said so in in a open public forum. How we communicate with each other is important. Choosing not to engage with information, especially from someone with experience and knowledge of the schoolboard format, brings some concerns. You often say you want to stop the us versus them mentality and create a more cohesive cohesion in our community. Well, that includes listening to others even when the message feels uncomfortable, even when we don't like the tone, even when we disagree. Cohesion isn't built by avoiding or ignoring perspective. is built by engaging with each other through respect and thoughtfulness. Modeling such engagement

003should start from the top, demonstrating openness, curiosity, and a commitment to informed decision-making over personal reactions. It's what our community and our school deserves from leadership. We need to prioritize understanding over dismissal. I hope you can reflect on how we can all do better and be better to embody the values of collaboration and mutual respect in words and in action. Franklin South Road. I'm at the last school board meeting. There was some talk about leaving the SAU. After doing some research, I found that leaving SAU 53 would give Deerfield Community School a chance to take back control of the school. Right now, the superintendent has a lot of say over many things, including administration contracts. By breaking away, Deerfield uh school board gets to have more say, which gives residents more say. This shift in

004the decision-making power away from the shared central office and hands it right back to the school board and local voters. Instead of dealing with outside priorities, Deerfield can hire a leader who answers only to the town, making sure the tax dollars go exactly where the families want them to. Deerfield wouldn't be the first to do this. I believe several um nearby towns like Nottingham, Straford, Chester, Fremont, and Barnes that have already done that. I also believe that there's a law that makes um it now much easier to lead the um we also need to revive some of the traditions that made DCS so special. Wonderful events like grandparents day and the old old uh all school walk have been completely disappeared. This con um disconnect was especially clear at Turkey Tree where I was surprised

005to see only a couple of teachers and no administrators in attendance. Sadly, the high teacher turnover means that very few current staff members even know about the rich traditions that used to define our school community. Um I also would like to suggest that maybe we do a school culture survey that is done by a third party so like people feel free to share their opinions and thoughts. >> Thank you. Any other public comments? >> I guess it's my turn. >> Um, good evening everybody. Mr. Michael Trong, one of the two music teachers here at DCS. Uh, now that concert season is done and festival season is wrapping up, I want to say thank you on behalf of Mrs. Davis and myself to everybody for supporting our program and more importantly our student musicians in a

006world that is moving so fast. I want to highlight that the support from admin, schoolboard, staff and families are not lost on us. So, thank you. We I also just wanted to let you know that we sent out a postcon survey this year to gather information to help improve future performances and strengthen our music program because and I always go back to this point, it takes a community and the perspectives and voices of our families are an essential part of growth and success for our music department. Beyond all the logistical questions, one question we asked families was, is there anything you would like school leaders to know about the DCS music department and we will be more than happy to share that feedback and comments to everybody uh towards the end of the month as

007we just pushed it out to our band and chorus families today. So far though, out of the 65 responses, 40 answered this question in support of our stewardship of the music department, which makes me feel happy. Um, I also want to share some data points as well. This school year, 18 student musicians represented DCS across five different statewide and regional band and chorus festivals. And across all five festivals, we were the only K8 school in our SAU to have student representation. And then we were joined by our amazing colleagues at Ember Hill and Three Rivers at two of the five festivals. I bring this up not to discredit the amazing work our other music teachers are doing with their students and not to highlight that our student musicians are competitive across the state because that's

008not the point. It's not about competition. But it is one of the many sources of pride that we have with our students, right? Look, the reason why I bring this up is that this is the evidence of what is possible when students are given consistent access to a strong music program rooted in both joy and community. We also set these high expectations and we offer students the support that they need to be successful. Successful and joyful musicians, yes, but again, more importantly, successful and joyful human beings. This is due to the intentional stewardship of Mrs. Davis and myself working in tandem with the collective investment of our school community. uh and you know we hope that that continues uh looking forward and I know it's months away but I am already thinking about budget season

009and when it is that time when folks share their creative ideas and when the conversations floats possibly into again not getting rid of but maybe reducing our IIA program again which I can from a professional standpoint point respect that we need to have these conversations to address the financial challenges facing and impacting families. I'm just asking that we keep in mind what our students are able to accomplish and who they will become because of the opportunities that are given here only at Deerfield Community School. I'll leave with this quote that the singer songwriter Jacob Collier said said recently when he spoke as the commencement speaker for this year's graduating class at the Berkeley College of Music. He said, "When we learn music, we learn all there is to know." This is deeply the case because

010music is powered by so many of the things that makes life possible and makes life worth living. These foundational pillars are at the heart of it. We have trust, empathy, courage, tenacity, a reverence, also reverence, mathematics, physics, syntax, spelling, and language. And at the heart of it all, this process of listening, listening that drives all of us to fall in love with sound and all the great things we can do with it. So, thank you everyone. >> Thank you. Any other public comments? Okay, seeing none, we'll move on to board discussion regarding public comments. >> So, I'm having um a little brain freeze and having Joanne come up and speak. Did we decide to um post for the committee for the SAU? >> Um >> we we haven't yet. >> We haven't yet. Okay. Because

011I Joanne reminded me that I was going to go back and look through my notes because I couldn't remember what our last decision was with that. >> Yeah. Um if if there's uh any members of the board, I think we'd probably want to similar to the format of the stage road committee. >> Yep. >> Um if anybody wants to volunteer for that, I know Missy, you're >> No, I said similar format to the stage road committee. >> No, no, no. Um, so if anybody wants to step up to um start that committee, I I know I have too much on my plate to be involved in that one. >> Yes, you do. >> Okay, we need one more if anyone else is happy to help. >> Just happy to be here. No, I'm I know

012it's going to be a long process, so I could maybe step in some, but I I know it could be it's going to probably be more than a year of getting all the work and so >> see put me on like I can >> as a backup if one of you miss it or something. Okay. So, that being said, um we will formalize that and then talk about I guess uh perhaps that could be something that goes on to the because that I know Carol was looking for >> Oh, yeah. Yep. >> items for that. >> I think our date our deadline passed on that one though. >> Oh, he said it was >> flexible. I heard 15. >> Yeah, >> he did say that, but then he said reach out anyway. >> Yeah. Um,

013and then what are we thinking like around uh to reach out to Arrol? I can do that. >> Or actually, you know what? Let's put it on the committee. >> There you go. >> Um, and then how many members are we thinking that we would want to be community members want to be on that? So, if you did it similar to what you guys did for stage road, you put out like a call to action to the community and we >> I just people emailed me and then I created a spreadsheet of everyone that contacted me who wanted to be on the commu committee and then I shared that with the committee heads. So, I'm happy to do that again. That's >> But are we gonna have like a cut off for the number of

014participants? >> We said around 10. I think there ended up being like 12 and that would be >> Yeah. But if there's like 12, is that okay? Like around 10. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Because So, is it going to be first come, first serve then? >> Like because you you have to set a criteria if you're going to limit it, right? >> Right. >> So, do you want it first come first serve? >> That's fine. >> Well, you said that we wouldn't be able to really pick the committee. Right. >> Yeah. You can't handp pick who you want on the committee, the public committee. So, um, it would have to be first come, first serve and then so I'll just take who time stamp whoever sends it in to me and I can put it

015on a spreadsheet. >> We'll send them to you to sign up. >> Yeah, that's what we did for stage ro. It worked fine. >> And so we'll use our Facebook page for that as well for an announcement. >> I was thinking website too if we can get it on the website. So it's >> Yeah, just send me a blur of what you want to. Okay. >> Yep. >> That's fine. Is there anywhere else that we should post it? Maybe in the bridge or >> uh Kristen, do you want them to send you just a blurb if they want to put something in the bridge? >> Okay, >> awesome. >> I'll put some stuff together and I'll shoot it over to you and then you can >> Yeah, great. >> Yep. >> Okay. >> Are we

016still on public comments? >> Yep. Um, I don't have any any specific public comments about the things that were said except I wanted to thank Michael and Melissa for all their work. Yesterday was so hot. You guys did such a great job. So, kudos to you both. It was a lot of work. >> Yeah, we attended the first and second grade last Wednesday. It was really good. Appreciate that. Any other discussion? Okay. Agenda review. Um we don't Oh, we were going to add um surplus conversation just because >> you want to add that as >> Yeah. Um because tonight is the last night I guess for us to make any surplus decisions. So >> Okay. >> Yeah. barring emergencies because we're almost in June. Another week will be in June pretty much. >> So, we'll

017we'll add that. Um review correspondence. Um we I think we only had one and it was um from Derek Barnes asking about um Alice training. >> Yep. >> Explain what that is. >> Yeah. So, it's basically a active shooter type practice drill for a school. So, police department first responders will come in and run an active drill with staff. And um I did find out that our last one was in 2018. It's not something that we do every single year. It's a huge undertaking. Um and the other superintendent and I have already been talking about the next round of what we want to do with that. So we were already in discussion about planning our next kind of phase for Alice type training for all of our staffs throughout the SAU. >> Okay. So >>

018because 2018 Yeah, that's eight years ago. So >> yeah, it catches up on you quick, >> right? Well, just there's um inevitably there's staff members that didn't participate in that. So >> um >> so do are we trying to get that slated for next year? >> That's the hope. Um it really depends on we usually run that when students are not here. So, it's usually like a summertime or a break type of activity or like a PD day type of thing. So, it just is coordination between Jack, myself, and uh the safety folks when we can do that. >> Okay. >> So, but we're we are in the talks of that already happening. Personally, I would love to see that happen at the end of summer, right before the new school year just to get

019everybody. >> Yeah, we have to work on the uh like the PD and safety folks schedules, so sometimes they just don't have the time available. >> Okay. >> Um but that's something that we're actively working on getting scheduled. >> Okay. >> Do you know he mentions grants or some federal funding? Do you know if that's something that we've been looking >> there? there often is attached with that. Um, it goes in cycles, so sometimes there isn't funding available depending on the year or the time that you request it. Um, I just haven't looked into the funding piece of it yet because we're not there yet, but once we're there, we will certainly look for any federal grants. Um, it's usually minimal cost to districts. So, >> all right. On to immediate business and we're gonna

020invite up our high school student from Co Brown, right? >> Yep. Berlin and Stella. >> Berlin and Stella. >> All right. Yay. Thank you. You can pull up another chair, girls. >> I told them to not be nervous, but I know that's a tall ask. and originally as an eighth grader at everyone before me went to conquer and so conquer was kind of the choice that I thought I had to go with. I was really adamant of going to conquer but after like taking the tour at Brown I kind of um decided that it was the school for me. It had it has so many um different programs that you can't find at conquer and there's a wide array of classes that you can take and I also love the open campus as well. It's

021one of my favorite things especially as the Yeah, I also had a similar issue trying to decide where I was going to go. All my friends were going to confer and I just wanted to fit in. But I also took a tour program and once I registered, I took I went to Milwaukee and I did fresh registration. And just like being in that environment really solidified it for me and I was ready to go was really intimidating because I knew that I It was a higher academic school, but DCS prepared me pretty well and I've always learned a lot about my academics. So, it was important that I got some get me where I wanted to be. And going on to that too, like the first day for freshman is one day before everyone else.

022So, we got to like go to school and find where all our classes were before like all the other grades are there, which is a little intimidating, you know, going to high school for the first time. But, you know, once you get into the group, it's really amazing. It kind of gives you a break walking from class. You know, you get to go outside. And I also care very deeply about my academics. So having the option to take higher level classes is really amazing. I'm currently um for my junior year next year, I'm going to take two AP classes, but honors classes as well. And during my freshman and sophomore year, I've taken honors classes and engine classes as well. I have maintained pretty much my same honors for both classes from freshman year and

023I might even continue that for my junior year. But yeah, it's just really great environment and similar to what she said about the freshman coming in a day earlier. Um they also run all of your classes that day. So then you get to see what every single one of them is, not just because the rotation schedule can be kind of confusing. So they had you practice every class and then even the next day when everybody's there they do the same thing for the upper level people. So even this year we got to come in and run every single one of our classes and no one like you feel bad if you didn't know where you were going or wasn't if you you also get the opportunity to like drop classes and change things if you

024need to. So you don't feel pressured into doing anything that that you don't feel like you can or you don't want to. I personally had an experience where last year where I was taking a high math class and I didn't feel like I was ready, but I stuck with it and I was able to do that and continue with my um high honor role. Um, kind of going off of that, like the community at Coound is really wonderful. All the students are amazing and especially the teachers. A lot of the um, teachers there have been there for like years and they went to school there too, which kind of attests to like how amazing the Cobra community is. And also the teachers are so wellnowledged on like the topics that they teach. And it's really

025wonderful to see >> the teachers, I can always go to them and make sure that I'm getting what I need to be successful. And they're always open and willing to find time because I have a very busy schedule that I can't always make it in. But study halls, after school, before school, they always try and make it work for me. >> Yeah. Um, for activities at Cobran, I'm involved in the theater company. I was my freshman year and this year I was involved in the play musical and our one act too. And I would like to say that that is like one of my favorite experiences of high school so far is that um the two um the director and assistant director are um two of the most like amazing people I've met. They are

026so kind and embrace every student's differences and their strengths and everyone every student involved is so amazing and I'm so happy that I get to participate in things like that and it's just a joy. I as I mentioned before I have a very busy schedule so I don't I'm not able to do a lot of activities as I do activities outside of school but I am in FBLA which is Future Business Leaders of America and I think that that is a really great club that really lets you set yourself up for success if that's what you want to do with your life. Um, and also just the ability to do so many activities outside of school and still be able to get my work done, be successful, keep my grades up, just really says a

027lot about CO Brown because they make sure that you have what you need to get there. >> Yeah. And another thing about the um extracurriculars is like I hear my friends talking about I have a friend in robotics and she just talks about how like wonderful that is and it's like telling me all these things about robotics which I don't know a lot about but it's like so amazing to see her so happy about something and be able to do it for school. >> Are you girls want to take some questions? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So I think the only because we may have some students coming in from some of the other high schools too at different meetings. So if you do ask a question just write down what question you asked. You can

028ask the same question to other kids. >> But have them >> I have a quick question. Are either of you involved in any of the athletics that go brown? And if so what are you involved in? Uh, I'm not, but I know a lot of people who are, and I've really only heard good things about it, and that their coaches are really supportive, and all of their team members are really supportive as well. And there's like a lot of different sports that you can choose, too. Like, I hear it over announcements, it's like tennis, uh, >> lacrosse, softball, baseball, like there's a lot. I'm also not involved in any sports as I do them outside of school, but I have heard only good things. All my friends playing sports are very happy and um their

029coaches seem to be doing the right thing. I hear over the intercom every morning just like this person won or this team won or this person did amazing and they're very supportive in front of the whole school and even at like we have monthly assemblies and we hear sometimes they call down the team just to give them extra recognition for all their hard work. >> How do you guys feel about your integration with the other schools? I know Noddingham, Bington, Straford. I >> miss Northwood. >> Are you making friends with others? >> Yeah, 100%. >> Um, I would say that honestly once you get there, like after the first couple of weeks, as like the first few weeks, you know, a lot of people kind of stay with like who they know, but then after

030that, they kind of branch out and you're just a co-brand student now. Doesn't really matter like what town you came from. >> Yeah. Um, most of my friends now are from other towns and I just think it's really great opportunity to meet new people. For just like Berlin said, for the first like couple weeks, everyone sticks together. We had every single class together for the first semester and that was amazing because we knew that we had someone to fall back on, especially because like your lunches and everything are determined >> by your class that you're in. So that was really nice to be able to with all the people there, you pretty much are going to know somebody. Even now when you're like, "Oh, shoot. Who do I have lunch with?" or "My friend isn't

031here." You always know that you can find someone who you know to sit with. And it's just it's not bad. >> Um I heard you say that you felt DCS prepared you pretty well. I guess um my question is more like so how was the transition and what do you feel you might have needed that you didn't get from DCS? >> I think that it was just I feel like we were ready with our academics like everything like that. I feel like the one thing is like I mentioned before is that I felt like I needed to go to conquered because everyone else before me had gone to conquered like Berlin said and all my friends were going because they had like siblings or whatever and I just sometimes felt that we the people going

032to CO Brown were not getting I don't want to say the recognition but like we weren't getting the same amount of attention as others going to conquer record and we did have um co-ound students come in and talk to us and I was one of the people who came in and talked to the eighth graders last year and I think that was really cool and really a great thing to do and that made me feel a lot better because when the teachers would bring up going to high school it was always about conquered and I while I understand that that's all anybody's ever known um it just was kind of difficult to picture what my high school experience was going to be like and it made me a a little bit nervous. >> Yeah, I

033would say that like academically very well prepared and like the teachers at Cob Brown also kind of like let you like adjust to it. Like they give you homework and then it kind of picks up towards like the middle of the year or two. So, I really like that. >> Do either one of you take um a foreign language? We both do the same one. Yeah, we're in the same class. We uh both take French and we took French last year and this year we're currently enrolled in French to honors and our teacher is like a French genius. Um, he has his like PhD in French literature and studied in Canada for like a ton of years just learning French and he's so like knowledgeable at French it's kind of intimidating and sometimes we're just

034like be reading from our like book or something and he just goes off on like a language tangent because he speaks so many languages too. >> He speaks like he speaks like Japanese and like all these other things that we don't even take at school like >> Yeah. And like all the language teachers are so like knowledgeable. It's like kind of crazy. I don't understand how you can know so much. And I want to say that I have absolutely no experience with French at all. But this year I'm in French to honors and I think that that really shows that I think she had a similar experience. I'm not sure how much French she's been exposed to, but um like we were both like bottom of the barrel and we've been able to progress and

035we are at a good level for us and we're going into French three honors next year. >> Impressive. >> Do you guys ride the school bus? >> No. Be careful. >> How is that for you? Is it okay? >> Yeah. >> Did you take the bus as freshman? didn't have it as fresh. >> We didn't have a bus. That's right. We managed to create our um moms are friends, so we had our own little carpull schedule. >> Um and now I drive myself and um yeah, which is also really great. They have they just got a new like parking lot attendant and she seemed I don't really know what her job actually is but she seems to be doing it well as nothing is really happening in the parking lot. So um >> that's how

036it should be. Yeah. >> So, it's really great and it's just nice to be able to have a place that I can park my car and come and they have a lot of open spots and they have lots of like even now where a lot of sophomores are getting their license um and like continuing to get their license, there's still so many open spots. So, I wouldn't even be worried about that. you had mentioned um the the clubs and um I think it was future business leaders of America. Um what what do you both aspire to do after high school? >> That is a really tough question. >> Um I'm not too sure. I know that I want to go to college. I don't know what for exactly, but I'm like kind of experimenting with

037a lot of different um things that go around. I'm taking AP US history um and I'm taking like a beginner law class and I want to take um a pharmacology class as well in the coming years. So kind of just experimenting in high school when it like doesn't cost cost as much money. >> Smart. >> I am also not really sure, but I'm almost into the similar field. I looked into like law and business. Um, but next year I'm taking psychology and I think that that is really going to be my almost deciding factor on what I like really want to do. Um, but that's FBALA was a great way for me to like experience like the business world and also the adviser for the FBLA club is also the law and view teacher so

038we kind of get to see like into all of the worlds and >> it's kind of nice. >> Yeah. And um like we have we kind of have like required meetings with our counselors like yearly where we kind of talk about the future like what we want to do and what kind of classes could prepare us or like could expose us to new things. We did a like thing in our English class where we took like a survey or something online that gave us like top three careers for us to look into based on our interests. And I think that was really interesting. it kind of they pointed out I can't remember what mine was but I had never heard of it before and but it sounded really like interesting and I would have been

039taking all the classes that I needed to so it really just opens up like a hole >> yeah and also as freshman you have a required class you have orientation which exposes you to the school and then you also have futures which um you get to research like how to buy a car, how to buy a house, how to like use a credit card, like things to do like as an adult, but also um you kind of research careers, what might be good for you, you know. >> What do you guys think about the um the process of your course selection? >> I think it's um really easy. I mean, like when we were like incoming freshman, we just kind of like went into the garish gym and sat down with the teacher and it's

040like, "Do you want to take this?" And you're like, "Yeah." And just like you kind of go down this and you get to your electives and then you kind of just say what you want to do and then they write it down and that's it. And then when we chose our classes like this spring, again, kind of the same thing, like what you're recommended for and then what electives you want to take and it's just like kind of in and out five minutes. >> Yeah, it's really easy. Um, for the most part it's like because you have four core or three or four or four classes that you like have to take and so like your math teacher, your English teacher, and your science teacher. They all like recommend you for a level a level

041and then it goes off of your grades as well. So that's like it can be confusing for some people as there's like weighted and not weighted. But for the most part, you step into your counselor's office and they say, "Okay, you're recommended for this. Do you want to do this or do you want to go lower? if you want to like counter it and see if you can go higher if that's like an option. And if you do want to go into a higher level, you do have to talk to the teacher because they have to recommend you to your counselor as they know how you are as a student. But for the most part, it's just like I'm in this. Is this okay? And yep. And then it just goes down the line. And

042then you have so many electives to choose from. And that's like the hard part for me because you only have seven periods in a day. and I try to keep my study hall and so that's just kind of difficult because there's just so many options but for the most part it's like the easiest process and you are in and out in five minutes. Yeah. And also like having so many options is really good because if there's a complication when they're like making the schedules like the periods don't line up. Um you can just find something else that you're interested and take that instead. Yeah, I had an issue with my schedule and they even gave me the option because I'm on track with my credits to have a double a double study hall. So, I

043have two study halls in my first semester and I am looking forward to having that experience just so that I can see if I really do need more time with my homework or if I just like put it off and like just because I don't want to do it. And then it also will give me more time as I feel like the first semester is kind of the most hectic like mostly second quarter when everything starts to pick up. You get used to being back at school and then winter comes in and it's just everything is crazy. >> You um mentioned that there were courses that co offered that did not when you were picking their schools too. What were some of the things that co-ound offered you be able to offer? >> There are

044a lot of uh vocational programs and you can get certified and like a bunch of different trades that go around and there's also a lot of like science classes too. There's like a whole science building and all of the science teachers are again so knowledgeable that it's kind of intimidating. Um, my biology teacher this year, he is like the biggest like frog nerd. he got his like PhD doing something with tadpoles and just like him talking about tadpoles and just like knowing all of this and then like explaining um protein synthesis just like it's like the easiest topic in the world and it's just like natural to him is just like kind of crazy and like looking through the um program of studies and like scrolling through pages upon pages upon pages of courses is

045also intimidating because like what do I choose but I really like how many choices co-ound has because you know you can really do whatever you want and it's really nice. >> Yeah, I agree. I also want to say that I love our biology teacher. He is hands down my favorite teacher. We have so much fun in that class, which is so strange for me to say because I hate science. So, I just think that that should be put out there. But I think that the community is really great. I think that all of the the teachers know you for you and obviously I haven't gone to conquer to experience that. But we did I did take a tour of both schools. Even though I had to go to Cobround on my own time, I took

046both tours and I feel like I just felt more connected to the Cobround teachers even just like first walking in. Um I don't know if you guys know any of the teachers at Cobound, but Mr. Colby has been there since he he is a history teacher and a psychology teacher and he's been there since he was a freshman and he loves the school. He loves it. He announces everything. He is at every event. He is the first person to greet you when you walk in the door and the last person to greet you when you walk out. And I just like walking in it was really scary because he's kind of tall and he's really loud but he is so fun. And it just made me feel a lot better knowing that there is pe

047there are people who love this school so so much and I am so happy that now I get to be a part of that. >> Yeah. And like when they love their school so much, it they love you back and it's beautiful. >> Any other questions? >> Thank you very much for coming here. >> Thank you ladies. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> You guys are free to leave. You don't have to stay. >> Thank you. >> You can. Yeah. All right, we are on to the ELA curriculum presentation. I got something we'll have PA on June that Monday meeting there'll be some PA kids and then conquer is the last time to get back to Right. Um, well, thank you for having us tonight. My name is Andrea Clinch. I'm the reading specialist for students

048in grades four and eight. This is Amanda. She is the reading specialist for students. What did you say? I did say it. Um, for students in grades K. and we're going to present to you the um DCS ELA curriculum that was developed over the course of two years. It was um created through a committee of um members representing teachers and case managers from um all the grade levels um and feedback from the teachers as well. If you have any questions at any time, please um let us know and we'll do our best to answer them. We're hoping that you have your copy of the curriculum. Um, but you have the presentation as well. >> Okay. Um, great. So, one thing I want you to think about because I think this will be helpful as we're

049going through this presentation is if you can remember how you learn to read and to write or if you can remember how your children or Mrs. did because um things have come and gone and come back again. And um one of the reasons it took us so long to um complete this or took us an extra year to complete this is there is so much science about how to teach reading and writing and how kids learn best that we wanted to be sure that our curriculum reflected that. So um this is kind of the way we're going to go through the presentation is we're going to share with you the background of the science of reading and writing um the structure of the curriculum which includes those five areas which are standard in all curriculums

050at GCS. Um and then instructional domains and this was a change within the curriculum this year that was K to 8. be divided at K3 and four to eight. Um because there are some significant differences in students um at different ages. Um so that's kind of our outline for how we're going to go. Um please ask questions at any time. Um this first u slide is just to give me an opportunity to talk with you about our researchbased approach to teaching literacy which is based on the science of reading. Um you may have heard that term before. It's not a program. It is a way of teaching. It's really a a body of research. And we based our curriculum on this body of research. Um the teachers at our school use materials and programs that

051um are currently available to them and have been available to them to support these best practices. Talk to you a little bit about what is the science of reading. Um it is a collection of research that's been gathered over 50 to 75 years. There have been a lot of metaanalysis studies to look at the best way for children to learn to read. Um a lot of bra research has been done as well. Um, and it is a wonderful resource to be able to look at some uh expert opinions on really important instructional strategies to use as you teach kids today. It it like I said again, it is not a program. You can't buy the science of reading. You can't buy a box that lets you teach the science of reading. Um, it's based on

052five big ideas. Um, they're listed there. They are a key component to uh children learning to read and write and we will be talking about those. Um it is an ever evolving body of research. Amanda and I are both quite um excited about listening to podcasts and reading information and getting books and um trying to keep up with all the research. So it is an ever evolving Okay. So, um, at the bottom of the slide, it does say curriculum page four. So, if you are following along along in your document, you can see where we're at. This, this is the vision and vision statement of ECS. It is at the beginning of every curriculum. So, here it is at the beginning of ours. Okay. So now that we know the underpinnings of um our curriculum

053and the science of reading um each curriculum here at BCS has five familiar um components. They include guiding principles, essential environment, essential understandings, essential actions, instructional domains. So I'm going to start um with guiding principles and it's defined as a way to communicate effectively um and is essential for students to succeed as learners in schools. Um and our goal is for all students here at Deerfield to become proficient readers, communicators learners. Um so there's four categories within guiding principles. um reading, writing, speaking and listen listening and language reading and writing at the world level. And the first one reading um our curriculum has a foundation of common beliefs that guide our reading instruction. Um and we believe strong readers develop through exposure um to daily literacy instruction. Also within the curriculum is a link to

054the anchor standards as well as the competencies, the DCS competencies we have here. Um then there is the writing component. So we believe all students need exposure to quality literature and opportunities to express their learning um and instruction that expands vocabulary and strategies to grow as scholars. On to the next page um is where we talk about speaking and listening under guiding principles. Um students must have ample opportunities to participate in a variety of rich um conversations whether it's in a poll class or small group of partners. Um ample opportunities to generate questions in lead classroom discussions and keeping in mind that speaking and listening skills must be expected in all content areas at every grade level here. Um and the last one is language reading right and writing at the word level. You need

055to have frequent opportunities to engage with rich vary texts that build vocabulary and word knowledge. Um the the amount of student reads is highly correlated with vocabulary and word knowledge. Um and also language learning should be embedded in all of our content. Um at the bottom you'll see that we have our anchor standards. There's um the New Hampshire anchor st stand standards. Um so it is incorporated into all of our competencies that guide our instruction. All right. The essential environment. So the essential environment in an ELA classroom or curriculum refers to a supportive and engaging learning space um where students can feel safe, encouraged and ch and challenged to develop their reading, writing and speaking and critical thinking skills. Um here there are four concepts to an in essential environment. Um we're going to highlight

056an example under each. So the first one is immersion and we want to be sure learners are immersed in texts of all kinds. Um expectations. We want to have assessment that drives our instruction and rigorous instruction that challenges students and stretch to stretch and grow as readers and writers and educators. Um the third is modeling. Teachers model all literacy skills and strategies through something called a gradual release of responsibility and teachers provide models of quality writing mentor texts and people house and the very last one is validation accountability. Um students are held accountable for using the skills they have learned. All right, essential understandings. Almost there. At Deerfield Community School, essential understandings are the core learnings that encompass developmentally appropriate concepts and their connections both with ELA and to other subject areas. So within essential

057understandings are three components. um active in involvement. Students engage in meaningful learning experiences, purposeful context where learning takes place in context that are relevant and meaningful and ongoing improvement. Um our teachers are committed to improving instructional methods and responding to students and all of this is connected to our DCS competencies. Okay. Essential actions. Um there's a table in your um curriculum that includes um the feature which are these um action or actions, the overview of the feature and then characteristics of the feature. Um an example is a scope and sequence that we hope teachers will use which will allow for explicit and systematic teaching and instruction. Um another feature is um Scaffolded and differentiated instruction um gives students the opportunity to um be supported and um do their best learning. Um then instruction is driven

058by data and which supports students in their grow and their growth and success. Um also see we have a link on the bottom that is for the ED 306. Um it's an administrative New Hampshire administrative code um that is lists the minimum standards for the English language arts curriculum for public schools. Um we have thoroughly reviewed that and we're meeting those minimum standards. That was the bulk of kind of the background. So, you can see why it took us two years to write this. There's a lot of that it entails. Um, I'm going to have you go forward to page 15 in your curriculum. The page before that explains what the science of reading is and what it is not. Um, but I wanted to share this with you. Um these are two different models

059of the science of reading and we chose to include both of them in the curriculum because they both work um they work together. The first one the simple view of reading the WR stands for word recognition times the LC which stands for language comprehension and those together equal reading comprehension. And if you think about it like a a formula, if a student is having trouble recognizing words or decoding and you give them a score of a zero time one, they have language comprehension. 0 time 1 is still zero, right? You really need to have both of those skills in order to be a successful reader. Um, Scarboro's reading rope was developed by person named Scarboro and hence its name. Um, you can see that it has the language comprehension and the word recognition. Um, and

060they're divided further and each of those are like a rope in a in a a straight up rope. So, for language comprehension, there are those five areas. We're going to talk more about them um as we move forward, but you can see how they have to work together in order for a student to become a strategic um reader, right? You need your vocabulary and your background in order to um connect and for you to use those strategies to skill. Word recognition is also equally important. There are three areas within that which we will talk more about. And as those strands are woven together, these become more automatic. And once they're automatic in recognizing words, saying words, it builds their fluency and their language and their comprehension of what they which is considered skilled reading. And

061that's the goal for kids. Any questions about that? Okay. So, we've organized the instructional domains to match the reading role model. Um and within each component we have suggested practices and programs. So we divide into um we decided to divide this category into K to three and four through eight um which was a major change in um our curriculum because we know that children go through many phases of reading development on a continuum. We wanted to be sure you could see this through our instructional practices. So in the lower grades you can see there's an emphasis on um word recognition and this is where our students are learning those foundational skills um for reading. So we have three of those skills within word recognition. One is funological awareness and that's the ability to recognize and

062manipulate parts and words. And here at Deerfield, we have this program called Hegy, which supports that learning of phonological awareness. Um, syllification, rhyming, phone names, which are sounds in words. Um, and so this this program is a guide for developing our our phonological. Um, and then there's phonics, decoding, and spelling. And this is where they begin to learn the relationship between letters and sounds. So the program that we use here to build that is called foundations. It's Wilson's foundations program. Um and each grade level K to three has a book with a scope and sequence where um they work to teach students um their phonics skills. Um then lastly we have site word recognition which is also a part of this program the foundations program. Um and site words are words that we want students

063to learn you know instantly and effortlessly often they're not spelled as expected. Um they don't have a regular pattern. So that's also part of this question. I have a question on on the phonics part of it. I couldn't I've got a lot of noise in the back and I'm a little bit deaf. Did you say that was a Wilton's >> Wilson's. >> Yes. >> Wilson's Foundations. Yep. >> Okay. So, that is a major emphasis at our lower lower levels is word recognition. But we must also teach language comprehension as part of that multiplication problem. Right? so that we can we can accomplish our skill reading and reading comprehension. Um so um that has four components background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, language structures, verbal reasoning. Um and in the early grades for the most part we model

064and practice these through readalouds um using strategies like an IBU where the teacher models and then the students practice maybe in a partner group and then they practice alone. Um and this can be done you know within a large group or small group discussions. It's also supports um the curriculum that we have in math and social studies and science is also very supportive of building our language comprehension with students. Um we have a great teacher resource um a couple versions of this. Um it's called the ramped up readaloud which gives us some great um ideas for using picture books to help develop language comprehension. It's a great resource for teachers. Um, so what I have decided to do, let's break this up a little bit, um, and provide you with an example of how we

065might in the younger grades use, um, a picture book to develop those foundational skills in language comprehension. Um, so sorry for all my notes, but can't do it. Anyway, um, this story is Squirrel's Leap and Squirrel Sleep. Um this is a non-fiction text for our young readers. Um which helps develop that literacy knowledge and exposes students to various genres, right? Um it would it's a great thing for our great story to use for our first grade teachers who um do the woodland animal science unit. Um so they can discuss what they know about these animals in advance and um specifically squirrels here, right? and um that helps build their background knowledge. So that helps in their comprehension by using things that they already know and being able to make those connections. So I tell the

066students that as non non-fiction readers um we would want to remember key ideas and details. That would be my goal or my purpose in reading the story is to work on that skill, right? Key ideas and details. Um, and so what I might do, and this is just my little helpful tool here, is I might give them a piece of paper with four categories. And as we're reading this story about squirrels and they're learning about squirrels, I would prompt them, right, after we learn about different kinds of squirrels, draw your own or draw the one that you like like best in the story. um and continue reading and maybe make a quick sketch showing the part of the squirrel's body that you learned about and they'll be able to tell me why the tail swaps

067back and forth or what the eyes do or or and then maybe draw a sketch of what the last two pages were mostly about. They realize that it's mostly about acorns. So, in that way, we're helping students grab those key ideas and details to then eventually discuss with each other um what the story is about and that helps build that summarizing and retell that our students in the older grades are going to be doing, you know, in the future. Um, so that's the verbal reasoning portion of it where they can monitor their comprehension and talk about what they learned in the story based on their sketches. So that's just one way that in the lower grades we um practice that portion of um a problem and then or the multiplication problem and then in the

068end right we hope we reach skilled reading um with increased fluency automatic word recognition and we build that comprehension. >> Uh question. >> Yeah. Um so in the early learning younger grades uh and you talked about phonics uh coming in kindergarten first grade um how much time or effort or emphasis is there on the basic phonics or learning of phonics >> there's a very strong emphasis in the area >> absolutely >> which is why you bring in the Wilson program >> which is why we have the heerty >> for the funological awareness piece of it and the Wilson program which is a key to teaching those skills. >> So there's a lot of emphasis on phonics at the beginning. >> Yes. Yeah. >> Every single day >> and and often right through in different formats

069but yes >> decoding is important obviously. >> Okay. So with those programs, what is it that in terms of the materials that you guys get as teachers and then what the kids get or is it just um some guiding materials for you to for your lesson or do they get tangible sheets or >> um so the students in the younger grades um we have Oh, I wish I >> Yeah, we have a magnetic board. It's a very handson program. They have this magnetic board with all of the individual magnetic tiles. And so part of the program is being able to manipulate those tiles to concentrate on letter names, letter sounds, building words, blending sounds together to make words, and so they can manipulate those pieces. Yeah. And then it also provides you know um a

070very concrete scope and sequence to our teaching. >> Just so I'm understanding this created process that you have here these are this is a process that you two have created for the school or how much outside influence is brought into this? >> Do do you mean >> the whole curriculum >> of reading? Well, this the entire curriculum is based on um best practices um from research. So, if you look through our curriculum, you'll see almost everywhere there's citations of um resources where we gather this information. Um and a lot of it is best practices that have been going on for many years anyways. Um, this is just kind of putting it together all in one one place. Oh, look at this. So, here's an example of one of our magnetic boards. These are some glued

071sounds down here. Vowels are highlighted in pink. This is used as a suffix. Make it built. Very helpful. And there's more um I guess child as the children learn more skills here. >> Another piece of it is is there is a writing component to foundations which looks that the formation of letters um which the act of writing letters can help the brain remember the letters and associate them with the sounds. So that is also a piece of it and that just requires paper that has um special lines to represent different parts of the where the letter goes. Yeah, we have a lot of um these whiteboards that we use for the students to help guide them with the skyline, the plane line, the grass line, and the worm line to help direct them as they're

072forming their so larger version on the back here. often used at the beginning. >> And again, I know I'm going back to phonics again, uh, but the Wilson program, um, >> tell me a little bit about why you would pick that particular type of phonics program. >> Yeah. Well, Wilson is is a wellestablished um, program for teaching students to read, and it's for students that are learning typically and for students that are not learning typically um and that need a a much more specialized kind of instruction for their um ability to learn to read. But if one thing that has been established is is a sequence in which kids learn the sounds and the letters. Um there can be some slight variations but there's generally an accepted um order of which way the kids learn

073the sound which letters and then as they go further it's the syllable types. There's six different syllable types and um foundations supports that and it also is important because it teaches the same language to kids that they use along the way. Right? So some of the vocabulary that you're using to teach kids, you want them to hear it in kindergarten and then use it again in first grade and not have it be all new all over again. So there's a lot of benefit to having a program that runs in years. And so Wilson does that for multiple needs. You know, like you said, there's intervention practices that we we have through Wilson that help us with the codable books that match the skills that they're learning in there. so that if we're providing intervention to

074a student, we can utilize those books in the same language that the teacher is using in the classroom. Um and then you know it also is used in the special education program. So the similar concepts are are used um in special education and then it continues up into you know just words which Andrew will talk about um into fourth grade fourth grade. So it's a it builds upon each other and the same language is used which is so helpful. >> Sorry, I don't mean to be taken all the time. Uh but talk to me a little bit about dyslexia and and dyslexic kids with the Wilson program and how effective it is or isn't. >> So we um have a assessment system that we use to determine if students need additional help. And so, like

075we said, we we don't we don't typically say, "Okay, this one has dyslexia," but it's more about, "All right, let's take a look at all of our assessments and determine where students need help and then provide that assistance using an intervention program that is similar to um the foundations program or an intervention program through Wilson. Um so, we and we continue to progress monitor and assess. um we do screenings that give us information on how to help students who have challenges or needs in reading. And so it's very important to have these programs to assist us. >> Do you find that it can consistently transfer through those reading challenged children into moving through your whole process and your whole program up to 8th grade? >> That's the idea, right? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Thank you.

076Yeah, >> there will be times when a program isn't working for a student and when we get to that point, there are other options that we can consider. So there's like Orton Gillingham, there's lips, there's >> there's a variety of things. >> I mean, we incorporate so many things into our intervention and practices. This is just an example. >> So, I'm going to talk about the instructional domains in grades four through eight. Um, board recognition continues to be um something that is addressed. Um, students as they get older continue to learn skills related to phonics, but it's more within multi words and it's more related to morphology, which is looking at prefixes, suffixes, and Latin, which lets kids um opportunities to understand, to read, and to stop. So, that is a piece that um happens

077as students get older. Um, sometimes kids are still struggling to some basic to coping when they get into the upper grades other either up upper elementary or into school. And so those kids might need specialized instruction through a reading interventionist or a special ed education teacher. Um, and that piece um can be addressed as kids are older if they're still really struggling with their coding. The main focus is on language and um those five areas there background knowledge, vocabulary knowledge, language structure, spoken reasoning, literacy knowledge um are all pieces that need to be woven into lang comprehension instruction in order for kids to be able to become a spoken word. Um, as far as the programs, uh, fourth grade for word recognition does use just words, which is this manual that teachers have. Um, it

078is an extension of the K through three program that ends at third grade. This is four and beyond. So, this can be used um as a regular classroom instruction tool. It can also be used as an intervention tool for kids up through um, fourth through 8th grade. Um we're using it right now to support kids in the fourth grade. Um and we found that uh we're having some good success this year. Um as we're looking at what kids are reading and what kids are being able to spell, we're seeing some nice growth and make statements of what they've learned as they've come through. Um it is important because they they teach um how to divide words into syllables a certain way and we were trying to do something that was different and that was I

079think confusing. So this has been a much better option. Um the other materials that students have are a workbook where they are practicing reading, practicing writing, they're taking um their unit tests and there there's some samples of different decodable texts to read. So other than that, this is um what the teachers are using um to to teach um the phonics piece in fourth grade. Um in um fifth grade, they're using an program called advanced phonics or word connections which um teach different syllable types. um which um some kids are still meeting in fifth grade. As far as language comprehension though, a lot of it happens around subject areas um and around um readalouds and discussions. And so my example for you is not nearly as exciting as squirrels, but gone are the days where you

080would just say to a kid, open up page subject such or here's this text about ancient Mesopotamia, first civilization. go ahead and read it and then answer these 10 questions, right? That really is not good practice anymore. Um, what is better practice is to build kids background knowledge. And with this text, I did that through connecting it to what they were learning at the stone age, which is the life of the person in the stone age with some questions. and then the life of the person who has with some questions so kids can have a chance to read it, think about it, talk about it, compare the two, and start to get some basic facts about the differences in life um of the people in Mesopotamia versus the stone age. In addition, vocabulary is um

081major. When you think about psychic theories, like how's code, polytheism, even just being able to say Mesopotamia, there's a lot of opportunities to learn for kids to practice dividing words into syllabus, reading them as well as what they and all of that work ahead of time can happen collaboratively. So, the kids who did this activity took them um the words and the definitions and tried to categorize them. How do they what's important about these? And now you explain your thinking. Um, and that builds a lot of conversation and comfortability with the words before they actually get into the text where the goal is to read by main ideas, details, take two problem notes, whether it's pictures or words, be able to summarize and have a conversation. So, there's multiple steps in order to have kids

082be successful in accessing a text. This one is a sixth grade level text. Um but those are all things that build skill instruments. >> Um sorry. >> So um how much of what you're working on or the children working on are printed text materials versus screen materials? >> Um that's a great question. I I think there's a there is a combination although I think that we have been moving um more towards print copies. Um some of our social studies programs and science programs have textbooks, others um are using more of printed materials. Um there is still some digital use of materials. Um but I think for the most part it's more paper and I think it's helpful because kids can write on it, highlight it, annotate it. Um they can actually interact with it. Um,

083and that kind of couples with actually writing on paper too, which we have really tried to make a shift to in fourth and fifth grade because it assists handwriting and memory for spelling. Um, and there are some things that are just handwritten in in the upper grades. Um, most often things are shifted over to um typing for like final drafts. So there is still um you know it depends on the class and what the teacher is doing but there's definitely still work on the computer because teachers are using classroom um instructional domains page 22 to 24 like a marathon marathon. You guys are doing amazing. >> We practiced just a little bit ago. We're like we're keeping it under 40. Not sure where we're at. >> We're trying our best. >> I didn't mean to

084ask so many questions. >> Talk about it all day. >> This is our bread. We love it. >> Well, it's important for people to understand what actually is curriculum. >> So, this this is good because I think there's I pictures of what curriculum is, but then there's actually what curriculum is. >> so these other four areas are very particular to older students. Um it sometimes is termed adolescent literacy. Sometimes um professionals pull fourth graders in that and sometimes they started at fifth grade. Um but uh it's safe to say fourth through eighth grade can be considered adolescent literacy. Um and there are four areas that need to be addressed as kids are speech. One of them is disciplinary literacy and it comes more into play in middle school when kids are going to science class,

085music class, class and they're learning about vocabulary and certain ways that things are written, things are read in a specific subject area like social studies and how do you read a primary or secondary document in science lab. Um, and it's I think in many ways much more complicated than that and not being a science teacher or a social studies teacher. we've worked with our um teachers in the middle school to address literacy and start to have conversations about. So that's important. Uh the second is the complexity of the selection of texts and this is the job of the teacher. Right? So the common core state standards emphasize that kids need to be reading grade level text. It needs to be complex and um if students are not at a level of what you read it,

086you have to build scaffolds or differentiate in such a way that they can access it. So that's another piece of it. Um the curriculum includes some ways for teachers to measure text and we've done this at PLC's as well where we look at how do you determine if the text is complex and how do you get to that point where you can introduce that to a student. So that's another key consideration. Also recognizing reading and writing connection and that's across all of our subject areas. Um and then engagement and collaboration is really important especially at middle school because kids um interest in reading. And one way that um you can pull them back into text is through collaboration and creating opportunities for kids to communicate with each other about a text. And so we recognize

087quite clearly that that piece of engagement is really you want those kids to stay with you. You want them to be engaged in what you're doing. So that's what those four extra sections are there for that. Okay, we're nearing the end. Um this section is K to8 which covers all grade levels. The first area is speaking and listening which is integrated into all classes also varies. It can be as simple as conversations with two people. It could be group discussions. It can be syncratic seminars um which they do in the middle school for discussions. Um there's a lot of presentations that happen the upper grades a variety of different kinds of presentations. So that is a really key part and it is one of um the next area is writing. Um we are using the

088simplified writing program program which is a program that um we purchased. It's um teacher licenses that are good for three years and it's a digitally based program so teachers have to access it and print what they need. All the materials are there. Um there are some pieces that can be pushed out to kids digitally especially in the upgrades. Um it covers grammar and it covers all the different styles of writing. Um we've been using it now years um and we're seeing some nice um growth across the grade levels um as kids are writing more and they're comfortable with the vocabulary that's being used. So that is a key program for us assessment. Oh, you know the rain. There's another rope. >> This is the writing rope and the simple view of writing. And it's very

089simp mirrors the reading. So the simple view of writing is composition or the act of creating your ideas, organizing your thoughts and transcription which is getting them down either via paper pencil or typing. And those two together are required in order to be a skilled writer. So um the writing rope framework for explicit writing instruction in all subjects comes from Joan Sadita who um has created the keys to literacy program some pieces and parts of which have been used here at Deerfield. It's divided into those five areas which are then further divided. um our program simps the writing growth. It supports the science of reading and it um covers those areas um in um in completion through KA. >> Okay. Assessment. So, um as a teacher, we we usually ask ourselves a couple questions here.

090um how do we know if students have learned? So assessment is a very part of a very important part of um our instruction and the way we complete our instruction. Um and we have multiple measures. We have a very robust again um screening um assessment um collection data collection that we complete here at Deerfield. Andrea will explain in more detail the different types. We also ask what is database decision making. So we want to use that data to again inform our practice. Um and that's why we're continually collecting that data so that we can take a look at our students and see where our students may need additional assistance. Um so she is going to explain the various types of assessments we use here at Deer Deerfield. >> So page 29 there are three different

091assessments. Screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring. On the next page, page 30 gives you some examples of those. So I'll just touch on a few. Universal screeners are essential because they capture all students in your entire school. We use um I Ready um to measure math and reading skills three times a year from grades um one through eight and takes it in. >> They start in the winter. Yeah. Um and so we are able to um get a a read on how students are doing at those three during the year. That also lets us know um well let me I should add this. Um at K through three they have a a collection of assessments that are all around phonics and awareness through the dibbles program which is a free um program that um it's out

092of Oregon and those assessments are administered at least sometimes. Um if a student is struggling and we we notice uh something that comes up on their partial screener then we go on to doing diagnostic assessments which are generally done by the special education teacher or by the reading specialists. Um and there's a variety of ways that we use to those and try to dig down and determine is it um a decoding issue, is it awareness issue, what what is it that we need to focus our instruction on for that student. Progress monitoring is what you do in order to check and see how kids intervention and we have a few programs for that as well. We also participate in SAS state assessment system which is actually ongoing right now. Um kids are tested grades three

093through eight and writing five and eight also take science. Um and then in classrooms teachers are using both formative and summitative assessments. Think of like quizzes or like formative like just do a check and see how you're doing. And summitative assessments are more like unit tests, but those um are also being used to determine what kids are learning and how to adjust your teaching. So they're getting an understanding of the concepts. Um this leads into MTSS which is multi-tered system of support which is now I think expected by the state of New Hampshire. Um it has been running for quite a few years here in Deerfield. Um it is a system of supports. Um and they're called tier one, two, and three. Tier one indicates instruction for all kids in the regular classroom. And um

094we have a tier one team that does meet to ensure that our kids are getting good instruction across the entire school. Tier two and three are for additional levels of support. Tier two generally means um kids that might need temporary support and then they don't need it anymore. Um and that would happen with um in the classroom it could happen in a small group can happen with interventionist. Tier three is generally specialized instruction for kids that are um struggling in a significant way. Um we have a tier 23 team as well and that can assist teachers in um brainstorming problem solving on behavioral. So that is definitely a program that's well established here and is continuing to to move forward. There is an appendex but we're not going to go over it. There were a

095few things that we wanted to have more explanation in there, but we didn't think it's necessary to be included in the actual document. There's the link to the document you have in front of you. Um, if you have any questions, happy to. Thank you for being such an audience. Oh, I here's a question. >> Somebody else Go ahead. You go first. >> Are you teaching handwriting? Um, >> cursive handwriting is taught in third grade. The foundations program does um have a um set of instructions. Yeah. It's a component within it to learn cursive >> For third graders. Yeah. Yeah. That's one of the state requirements by 306 that by fifth grade kids are taugh. So, as far as assessments go and data and seeing how the program's working and not working, um, you're measuring that,

096you're looking at all that. >> Absolutely. >> Obviously, we have standards like state minimum standards, which is fine if you're meeting state minimum standards. Um, but do you calculate or look at the comparison year-over-year >> so that when you're if you're above standards, where are you at? and then the following year are you moving in an upward projection rather than an equal flat projection or a decline in so you're watching over that >> data analysis happens at many different levels in our school it happens at the teacher level where they get back what it see look like as far as um their skills right now it happens at the C level which is professional learning community which would be Amanda I leading meeting with a grade level team. We look at the data whether it's

097I ready or it's um dibbles or it's classroom assessment. Um we're looking at that and then at another level at tier one um we're currently looking at um our our data as a school and our trends and we're also looking at it for literacy. So yeah, there's a lot of looking at data. an incredible system for keeping track of all of that data via spreadsheets. So if um if you're looking at that data and that data is available um do you see um the the success of a program if it's in in a with uh phonics and in and everything that you're describing um how well are we doing are we moving away from or I don't know exactly how to word it um have intervention hopefully a program is being successful so that our

098intervention stuff shrinks. >> Okay. So do we have a correlation between success and shrinkage on on the on the intervention and or the um special needs? Uh it would be great to have that information to see how successful it is. Yeah, that's a really difficult question because there are so many different factors that you have to consider because you have to look at what programs, how long have they been running, have they been run to fidelity um and how long intervention has gone on, how many sessions, what length of time, how how intense um and so yes, there are a lot of factors um to consider and we do I mean our goal is for every kid that comes in front of us or in front of a classroom teacher to make sure that they

099are getting the best education that they can get so they can become a reader and a writer. And some kids will learn a typical trajectory and other kids won't. And that is, I think, part of that bell curve where you're going to always get kids that are um struggling and always get kids that are really at the tiptop. So, I don't know that it can ever go away, per se. Uh I do hear what you're asking. Um, and that would be a question that would require me deep data dive. >> It would be if it was able to be, you know, accumulated just to see some data and some results that, you know, I'm I'm looking for a very high level. You know, um, you guys are in it and into the weeds even. That's

100not where I'm going to be, but I'd like to know how well your program's going. And you've spent a couple years, you're saying, developing this. It would be really good to see how it is working two, three, four years from now and be able to have the results that we can look at. Um because a lot of people do judge us us the board the school on results >> and when we have flat results that's you know that's one thing. If we have rising results that's a better thing. you know, if we have declining results, well, then we know we have to look at it, you know, something different. >> We have some we have some really good data that we can share, I think, from I Ready that would be >> Yeah. Yep. >>

101And it's got some good representation of different skills within each of those things. So, we've got some stuff that we can put together and share. >> It would be good for us to see it and it would be good also for the public to see it. Y >> and I do think that um there's quite a bit on the website that Amy Parkinson has posted around results for each of the schools and SAS results over the course of many many years and that's the stuff I'm talking about. I mean I think one thing that's important to mention is that it has taken us time and many teachers have been involved in this but the next step has to which is how do we get this information out to the teachers and how do we try

102to make sure that our practices across the board are um research based and instructionally good practices. So we've got a really great foundation. We've got a lot of things in place. We have a plan for how to do that in the next few years. So, um, that's where we're going to put our time and energy. >> How do you feel about the incoming kindergarteners and where they're at coming in and and then where you expect them to? I mean, obviously that's the very beginning, but we've been told that the kindergarteners just in general are not really where, you know, we'd want them to be, whether it's behaviorally behavioral or um, you know, in this development. >> Maybe that's too early kindergarten or >> are you talking about current kindergarteners at this point? >> Uh, yeah.

103Yeah. Yeah. Not specifically a class. I'm just saying in general like the kindergarteners, you know, where they're at when they come in as kindergarteners. >> I mean, many of um the students come into our school with previous preschool experience and, you know, we do a a screening to do a little assessment on, you know, some basic skills in all areas, math, literacy, and fine motor. Um, so I mean we're we're following that. I've only been in this position for two years, so know I'm still learning that piece of it as well. But this is a newer program here um for our funological awareness um growth and it has proven great results I would say um for our young learners in the area. But again, we'll be able to track that over time. >> I am

104uh I think Wilson's program is great. So, from a phonics, you know, so I'm happy to see that a key element. Um I do like less screen and more text writing in both in print and handwritten. um as you get up into the upper grade, sixth, seventh, eighth grade and you're you're working more on typing in in computers and I understand that and we need to um what do we do in the writing portion about um AI and the and the challenges that that brings along the way? I'm assuming that you have that on your radar and that that is definitely part of every school's challenge. Um >> absolutely. I mean, our um technology department has an we have an AI policy for school and I'm probably not the best person about it. >> I

105don't need a lot of details. I just want to make sure that it's you know um I'm mentioning it because it's a concern for a lot of people and I want to make sure that you know we're we're stating that we recognize the issues and we're working with the issues and we have programs with dealing with that kind of an issue and so on. I think we've seen, sorry, but I think we've seen a lot of this at the high school more than middle school yet. >> Doesn't mean it's not coming down, but I think that's why >> we're being more intentional about the draft creating process because that's how you prevent a lot of the misuse of AI is that students have to produce a written draft, right? Multiple copies of a draft, getting

106the feedback from the teacher so that the teacher can see the stages of written development instead of relying just on one completed essay sample. So >> yeah, that was good to hear about the handwritten drafts versus >> Yep. >> I like that. >> I had a question about um you had mentioned a couple times about uh and it's on page 33 about uh scaffolds. What is what is that mean? >> That's a great question. Yeah. So scaffolding um is um a teaching technique where you if you picture a building that's starting to fall down, you're you're creating some system where it can stand upright. Right? And so you're you're giving a student what they need in order to be successful. So an example might be um you are um having students write about something and

107um you're giving them sentence starters or stems. um you might be having kids take two column notes, have many of the notes filled out and only some pieces that they need to put in >> for some, right? And it depends, you know, it depends on the needs of the students or the whole class. Um but scaffolds are something that that teachers do in that's just good practice in order to be sure that all kids have access. There's lots of different ways to scaffold, but that's essentially kind of the idea. >> Yeah. >> Couple differentiation helping students in different ways to learn the same concepts, right? Hands on materials. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> I had a quick question. Um, is there any one area or two areas that you think might have the biggest

108opportunity for our kids in their learning when it comes to ELA? And and if so, what maybe is that? And is there any tools that you might like to have to help support that learning for them? That's a really great question. Thank you for asking that. But I I do have I have an answer, but it's not like you go buy it. My answer is um that we do have a literacy planning team that is looking at literacy within our school and we're trying to ask ourselves those kinds of questions. How are we doing as we assess kids literacy? How are we doing instruction kids literacy? How are we doing um with the leadership around literacy professional development that happens? And so that's a process that's going to take us some time. We've already started

109on it. Um we're looking at it really carefully, but any kind of process like that is a multiple year process, right? You're going to assess and you're going to make some determinations and then you're going to take a play and then you're going to start it, right? So that kind of change is significant and time and it's time. It takes time and so I don't know the answer to the question, but I can tell you we're looking for it. >> Yeah. We would like to do as much as we can our kids. >> I think it's really important for you to be here tonight to go over curriculum because there has been discussion at meetings the difference between curriculum and programs. So yes, we do write the curriculum and then showing the programs that support

110the curriculum. I hope that will answer questions for people. We do too. >> Yeah. The other thing um I like showing that yes, phonics is a key part of it obviously, but the comprehension piece is as important. As a teacher, I had a student, I will never forget, who could read anything you put in front of him, and this was when he was a second grader, no, third grader, but could never tell me anything about what he read. He could read for he could pick up anything and read it. So for him, although people would have said, "Wow, what a fantastic reader he is," he wasn't. And so we had to help him learn what to be reading for. So all the pieces, the phonics is huge, the comprehension is just as big. And again,

111I the screens keep coming up. And I just know and I can't imagine it's changed that much since I left. But screens were never a huge part of the reading instruction. It was a book in hands and paper and pencil. So they have their place. But no, I think everyone here agrees the book and paper are the most important. If I could make a quick comment, too. My daughter is in Miss um Bonjiovani's class and um I hadn't actually seen this with my other two kids. So, I don't know if this is something new that she's doing, but um she has the book and the whole class is reading the same book and it's very enthralling. It's like a really cool. I want to read the whole series. It's not at all my level, right?

112But um it's it's neat because they all have a ton of different jobs related to the book. >> Excellent. I don't know if you can speak to a little bit about what that is, but it's you could probably say it better than I can, but there's these different jobs and there's a different way that you have to read that chapter to be able to dissect the information and then come back to your group and say, "Well, my job was I had to be the" and they have funny names, but they're, you know, they're they're enticing and so the kids like them. But Kobe will come home and she'll be like, "Oh, this is my job." And we'll read it together and we'll go through it together. And it's interesting to see like every week she

113has a different job and like some jobs I don't like but like she does. So, but I thought that was really cool because it's different ways for the kids to come together and bring different components of that chapter or those two chapters together and then they talk about it as a group and I just I love that idea. I thought that was really cool. And Colby loves to read and I think part of it is that like just it's a nice fun way for her to get involved. >> You've captured it perfectly. That's exactly what happens. It tends to be um small groups though. Um she may have started with one class book and kids learned those jobs and then they divide out now to different kinds of >> It could be it could be

114that. Yeah. >> Yeah. But um but yeah and the thing about our curriculum is that there could be many different ways to teach a kid to read um as far as comprehension and that is a great example of one but another teacher might do it slightly different and and that's okay. So, our curriculum gives them the flexibility to be able to do that because as long as you're following the best practice, um, that's great. Yeah. So, >> any other questions? >> Thank you very much. >> Um, so the board does have to adopt the curriculum. >> So, that is a piece of this. So, ideally, if you're ready to vote tonight, I mean, you you've had the materials for a few weeks now, but the um the board does have to make a motion and

115either approve or not approve the curriculum. >> So, but you can do it tonight or you can do it at the next meeting. Whatever your pleasure. >> I'll make a motion to approve the ELA curriculum as presented. >> I'll second that. >> Any discussion? I would say uh I I'm pleased I'm pleased to see or hear phonics is important in the early age. Very important. I love comprehension. Have to know and grasp and pull out and learn from whatever they're reading. That's wonderful. Um less screen and more print I think is absolutely the right direction to to continue in. Not that you can't use screen, but I think there's a lot of there's a lot more data coming out about how much more effective uh a book in hand in writing by hand is in

116learning reading, you know, in comprehension. So, so I'm I'm pretty happy with uh with that being a a big part of your whole curriculum. Any other discussion? No, >> I just had one comment. I know we're going through all of the statewide testing and things and I think most of that is done or we're about to finish some of that. Um I'd love to see if we can't like get a hold of some of that data and just see like year-over-year how how are things progressing? Are you noticing any sort of key areas that we should be focusing in on further? I think that would be nice. Maybe you could come back and do some maybe something not as long. I know that was a lot for you. um it's fine for us a lot

117for you to have to put together but something that you could maybe come back and say, "Hey, here's where we're at and this is what we're thinking and um this is what we're focused on now and you know just kind of share your progress." I think that'd be really nice. >> I think we'd be happy to come back. I'm not sure that we even know that information by the end of this year. the testing makeup week is next week and um there's always some data that's kind of still trickling in especially related to the um reading and writing assessment because those scores are combined and sometimes they pull writing for it. So yeah, but we definitely are getting results and you can definitely look at the website and see what past year's like. >> I

118did make a note to bring data back. Yeah, I think if we could maybe put it like on the docket for the fall for them to come back and chat with us again, that'd be nice. >> Remember the state testing is done on a screen. >> Yeah, >> I know. I hear all I've heard all about it the last >> Oh, no. But I just I just know over the years the difference with my students taking them on a screen versus when they did have paper and pencil >> because we could encourage them to go back and check their answers and >> do those things where >> we do that do test prep for kids and one of the pieces is to go back and review the ability to know it's not Yeah. >> Yeah.

119>> Any other discussion? >> Okay. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? >> Thank you guys very much. >> All right. Next is board meeting reschedule. So the June was it 17th? >> Yes. >> Meeting. >> Um is graduation? Is that correct? >> Yes. >> Yep. >> And we've decided as a group to >> 15th to the So Monday. Okay. Y >> Yeah. So we have to move the planned June 17th meeting to June 15th. >> No. We are moving it to the 15th. >> Yep. >> Monday. >> That'll be on the website. >> Yep. I already had Yep. I've already got it prepped ready to go. So, that'll be >> all set. >> All right. Next is the modulars. Um, I know at the last meeting we we were talking about

120um that that was those conversations were happening. I don't know if there was any um any progress on that or kind of where we were at an update I guess. Yeah, I mean we don't the biggest one was the around the safety concerns and so um I've watched several kids come back and forth and they are using a buddy system. Um and when there's an adult available, there's adults who are because there's a couple of parent educators who are able to support sometimes with that. Um so kids are coming into the building with buddies. Um so that was at least a a great thing. I know we're still going to be talking about a fence to help with, you know, blocking traffic coming through. So, that's something that we still uh need to button up

121um and need to work with the fire department on. I know they had some concerns. So, addressing that um I know we met tonight to walk through that with uh the new facilities director. Um so, I don't know if you want to add anything about the fencing piece. Um, yeah, I was gonna bring that up during uh, well, we can Yeah, we can talk about >> Oh, surplus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Um, there I guess it was first talked about like in May or June of last year during um, when we were talking about spending surplus and there was the we still haven't got approval from the fire department to install that fence. So, there would be a fence basically at the beginning of the drop off line um just past the modulars and then

122another fence connecting the school building to the modular that's on the um I guess the parking lot side >> and then potentially another um different style gate instead of a fence. And I that would be a privacy fence, >> uh, double swing gate, and then there would be more of a a gate. Um, I don't know how to describe that gate that we talked about, but it ju just just to prevent vehicles from being able to pass. And that would be essentially where the um before the parking lot widens out, where the gravel is by the blue shed, >> where the start of the pickup line is. Yeah. >> Before they release the cars, >> right? Yeah. At the end of that um last zone there. So, >> y >> um and that would just

123be closed >> until it's time to >> Right. Yep. >> So, it would just essentially replace the cones that Brian moves back and forth and >> um it's a lot safer because I don't know, some of those cones look like they've been run over, but >> yeah, >> sometimes they don't look like there's enough cones and so you think you can go by the thing. >> Are you speaking from experience? Maybe one. I got confused once cuz I'm not the only one. >> Yeah. >> So, a gate over here as well. >> Yeah. It would be a different style gate, not like a privacy fence. It would be like one of the um >> like a triangle. >> Yeah. >> I mean, a pole gate. >> What about deliveries during the day? >> It would

124be able to be opened, but it >> it's not going to be locked. That one's not but it would prevent people from just coming through. >> Correct. Because I know years ago we talked about it. >> I mean, this is something that came up years and years ago just because of kids walking out of the building to get to the playground. >> My class could never understand why I wouldn't let them just run out, right? Like, no, >> I go first. And we were told back then we couldn't have a gate because of deliveries coming during the day. And we wondered why deliveries had to come during the day which we have no control over because we can't control everybody's so like drivers would be able to I mean even the dumpster get emptied >>

125during the day. >> Y >> so they would be able to go down and open that gate so >> it's going to be unlocked. >> Okay. So, I'm just It's just something I mean, a lot >> It's the same thing with I mean, well, we were talking about whether that other one's going to have a padlock on it that the fire department has the key to >> um or if that just it's it's not locked, but it's, you know, at least contain a barrier. >> Yeah. Barrier. >> Yeah. They're really just meant to be protective barriers. I mean, you >> if you want to get through a gate, you're going to get through a gate. Well, and at the end of the day, that gate that's there, you could go in the woods by the

126pond and come around, >> but >> Right. I'm just thinking more for deliveries. I had I knew we were talking about one over here. I didn't know there was discussion of one over there. And so, again, just trying to think of >> it wasn't in our last May or June when we talked about it. That wasn't >> But it's something that Brian wants to do. >> All right. So just again the where the single file cars exit past the modulars. Is that what you're block from the parking lot to the modulars right there? Okay. That's not what originally what I was thinking. >> So so the consideration is that if you're going to block one end, >> you you need to block the other. >> Okay. Because otherwise people are going to run all the

127way up and come to the close gate and then have to back all the way out. >> Yeah. >> You know, in there. Could we at least put a sign up that just is like, you know, exit only so that people know they can't drive down there from the parking lot, >> right? >> I mean, that even might be >> fire department safe and also >> normal people aren't going to do that if it says exit only. They're not going to enter there. You know what I mean? >> We we still need to get approvals from the fire department. And so we're >> yeah, I think I think that I'm willing to have a meeting with the fire chief, you know, um because clarity needs to be gotten >> and you know, and I think

128that a conversation needs to be had. So, so I'm offering to do that. Um, and that that handles some of the drive traffic, but what it doesn't answer, and this is my my own opinion, I I just don't I want to look at an opportunity to do something other than third grade out there. I just think it's too young. And and this is my own personal opinion. It's been my own personal opinion for a long time, you know, ever since they changed it from being fifth grade, which even that is is on the border. Um, it, you know, but uh I I want to look at what are the other options >> besides having any class, right? >> Well, having no classes out there would be great if we can put everybody into the school.

129We're just we're not there at this moment, >> you know, in history. Whether we will be somewhere in the future, I don't know the answer to that, >> you know, but in the meantime, >> well, and I think that's I'm open to that, Ed. I just we don't have a better solution right now because we're not allowed to have and I talked about this earlier, but we're not allowed to have our K to3 on the second floor of the building. Like, we're not allowed to h house them in classrooms. And so, we become restricted on what classroom spaces we have available for those younger grade levels. Um, and that was this a a coding issue. Um, so if I'm open to a better solution, I just don't have one right now. And so in the

130meantime, the plan is to continue with status quo until we find a better solution. I just don't have one right now. And I know that it's been talked about getting um the layout of the school, the drawings, somebody >> Yeah, we're still working on that. >> Working on getting um a defined square footage per room so that we can better look at that. >> Um and I know we talked about doing that. I think we should move continue to move in that direction. we are. >> Um, and then if we're and if so if we have to stay with what we have, I think that we need to have some kind of conversation about uh added securities >> other than just defense, whether that's a a person that walks the students or whatever that looks

131like. >> It has to be more than just a buddy system for third graders. >> We're talking about that as well. >> Yep. So, >> well, I just want to make sure that the public hears that that is in the works or there's conversation happening and that we're not just walking away from this meeting with no thought process move to move it forward. >> What What um what floor is fourth grade on? >> What floor? This floor. Second floor. Y >> second floor. Oh, so that doesn't that doesn't >> No, I know. That's what like it's it becomes tough when we're we've got so many restrictions. >> Any other discussion about the modulars? >> Um yeah, I guess to your point, I think that one of our policies that we're going to be reviewing was

132the school safety. So, I don't know if that's something that we can >> I don't know if that would fit into there. I mean, maybe we can edit something in there, but that's more around our state requirements for school safety and reporting. Um, most of that policy is guided by state law for the for the school safety piece, >> but the board can amend policies and add things in there that you want to. >> Right. Well, that's I'm just It sounds like we're pretty stuck on what we have in terms of who's out there. So, >> for now until Yeah. >> You know, I'd like to I just feel like something needs to get done and I know you're working on it. I'm just saying I think >> I I think we can implement something

133to to make it safer than just a buddy system. >> Yep. Um, so whether we implement that into a policy so that it kind of forces that hand to get it done or I mean it's not my that's not my preference. But >> I just don't know that this policy would be the one you want to put that into. Um because this is this is more around like our required trainings and reportings to the state for safety pieces. Um >> I you could but I wonder if there might be a better one that you already have in place that you could incorporate that kind of procedure. I mean, you might be able to put something in here around um transitions between buildings, but then what what are you going to be your guidelines around that?

134Like, are you looking to set it for like an age level? Like no child under 10 can walk independently outside? Like is what are you what's the what's the caveat? Because if you set if it's just between walking between buildings, then what happens when the kids are in the outdoor classroom? Like what if they need to go back into the bathroom? like what if they're out on recess and somebody's got to go back into the bathroom. So just thinking bigger picture like I know you're thinking just modulars right now but it has a trickle down implication for all outside activities. >> Yeah. Well, if they're at recess then a teacher can visually watch them go back into the building, right? maybe >> unless they're dealing with an active situation or an injury or like there's

135there's many different caveats of what could happen outside or if you know they're playing on the outdoor classroom and a kid falls down and teachers are running over there. You know that it may be two seconds or a minute without eyes on every single kid because accidents happen, right? Like stuff happens when kids are playing outside. So just thinking big picture. I'm not saying don't do it, but just think about those bigger implications of if it's just walking between the building, there's a dozen to 20 times a day where a kid walks between the building in a given circumstance. So, what is it that you're actually looking to make sure it happens? >> I mean, I guess for me it would be that there would be some supervision of them. >> So, supervision of students.

136>> Yeah. And I I don't I don't love them, you know, leaving an outdoor classroom to go to the building on their own either, >> you know. >> Well, and so but and I if there's an age, you know, I'm sure like for me, I I would >> I would think fifth grade would be >> a good um >> So, you're talking 11 years and under? >> I know my kid's in fourth grade and she's 10. I mean to walk through the woods on back to the school unsupervised. I mean >> there's a pond right there. >> Yeah. No, I I'm not discrediting any of the concerns for sure. I just want to make sure that whatever policy we put into place, just know that there's like several different um circumstances that it might apply,

137not just modulars. I I I wouldn't want to try to shoe in something quick just in haste. I wouldn't want to do that because like you said, there's I'm sure there's something we're not thinking about. Um but I would like to have more specific answers to you're working on it. Um you know, hopefully by the next meeting, okay? Um so that something is actually happening. we can discuss whether we want to make a policy change. Maybe we find the right policy it fits in better. Um >> well that's yeah I want an opportunity to look through our policies to see if there's >> and I would love you to walk you know to look through it and not me. >> So that would be great. Um, you know, but I think like like Canon's saying,

138I we don't want to strongarm, you know, but the the safety issue is going to, you know, could be at a point where if we have to strongarm by setting a policy, even if it's not the greatest policy in the world, we can set a policy and always change just like you said. So if we set a policy and we find that we don't like it, we can make an adjustment. But setting a policy, if that's what it takes to make things happen, then we'll set a policy. >> Right. Understood. >> Yeah, I think that's good. If we have a little bit more research for the next one, then we can discuss it again. >> Okay. >> All right. That brings us to CBNA joint board meeting. So Angela, Missy, and Ed attended that. So

139if you guys want to just give us a brief report on what happened and if there's any highlights. >> Okay. >> Yes, we did swing it. This did a great job. She helped um share what we're working on as a board just like every other. So to preface this, we got invited to the co- brown joint board meeting. Is that what we're what it's called? And so all of the towns had all of their school boards invited and they were able to come and share a little bit about what they're doing in their own schools. We got to hear high schoolers talk to us about their experience at that one as well. Um so that was really good. I think the um the outcome is essentially they kept it to a you know short time.

140We were able to hear about what they're doing at Co Brown to support the kids and then we were then able to share what we're doing here um in our town as well. And then Missy and I took a little tour um which I've been on it. It's pretty fun tour. Um but we got an assistant headmaster to show us around um and kind of just take a peek at all the different areas of the school and some of the programs they have and was a good experience. That was my That was my summary. I see. >> Um helpful for our teachers to do this, right? We talked about that. >> Yeah. >> Um not that I think you talked about the bridges meeting. So >> do our eighth grader eighth grade teachers go? I

141think that's so great. Um, so that gives them an opportunity to see what how they can better support our eighth graders moving into next year. >> I don't know. >> I think the bridges has been helpful. that bridges meeting has been helpful so they know what our teachers know what to expect or our kids are going to experience for curriculum when they get up to Cobra. So that that has been helpful. >> Yep. that the students and families that are coming to the very >> I could hear what you just said I could give you a good answer. Stop whispering. me. >> Um, yeah, there was trustee from, I think, Northwood that was sitting in front of you that said they were happy to hear that the Deerfield kids were happy they had the opportunity

142to go. So, >> yes, >> that was what she said. >> Yes, thank you for that. >> Yeah, I thought it was a great meeting. It was >> I think it was it was a good meeting of them showing, you know, talking about the school and what it offers to our students. It was a good meeting to listen to uh three students, two seniors and a junior, I think, right? Um talk about their experience, you know, in uh very similar to the, you know, to the to what we heard from the two young ladies earlier, you know, a great community, uh great teachers, um you know, very positive. I personally think having options like trade school options or work options, you know, is a plus for for some students. I you know, I I would

143say it's a very positive move for Deerfield to have included Co. Brown into an option for high school students. I always just felt very positive and I was trying to self that >> we definitely asked some questions too like the kids that were presenting we asked like how is your transition are there things that you know you could have you felt like your school didn't help provide you before you went in and so they have lots of really good ideas. But, you know, for the most part, those kids were just like so happy to be there. It was just um it was cool to see that they all had different experiences. Some were involved in athletics, some were involved in extracurriculars, but they all had their own, you know, sort of opinions about like, you

144know, how things were. And none of them had any big gripes. And when Vizzy asked the assistant headmaster what his favorite part about Koban was, he was like, he almost was like emotional about it. was like the culture there and and just the feeling of being there. He was really um very proud of the school. You could tell there was a lot of pride. So, um I loved having the high schoolers here tonight. I thought that was really great and I can't wait to hear from the other two schools as well. >> I think that's really important for us to get that feedback. So, >> again, yeah, I have gone to that board meeting a couple and gone. They do have treats. >> We don't have treats. We should do that. >> I didn't go

145this time because it was our first treatment class. I wanted to make sure I was there. >> Yeah, that's where Canon was too. >> I saw him there. >> I was at executive last night. I'll tell you that. >> And I do want to clarify something that one of Stella had said about the tours. You know, our our eighth graders are born towards the after high school and public academy, but co-ound does it very differently and they want families to sign up and go on individual or small group tours rather than a whole group. We've tried a couple of times to say, "Hey, can you come on over for a visit with our kids and uh they don't encourage that. So, I just want to make sure that the board is aware that it's not

146for not trying, but that's the way that they like to do things." So, we obviously respect that. They do the shadow days and does do that too. >> They do. >> Yeah. I think that's great that kids get to go and like spend a day with a freshman and experience it themselves. It's just really nice. >> Yeah. So, just make sure that >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Also, maybe I'm wrong, didn't I thought in the summer they started having some days that the freshmen go >> to um I mean the first day of school is just freshman but during the summer they have like an orientation for the kids to go to. >> Yes. And then also as we've had three years with the two other choices now I it'll be nice to see like

147how these eighth graders feel because we've already had two other years go through. So this next group is the third year and it'll be fun to see like how is their experience. I'm sure it's just gotten easier, you know, and a little more fluent. >> Yeah. Well, one of the speakers talked about all of the kids above her >> had all gone to conquer, right? Because there was no choice, right? So So I'm sure it's going to make it easier and easier. >> Yeah, I would think so. But it'd be nice to keep a temp temperature gauge on that. >> Yeah. ownership. >> Awesome. Um, we are on to surplus. So, we're just we added that tonight because um tonight is unless there's an emergency situation, tonight's our last night to choose to spend any

148any surplus funds. >> What's our tally? Uh, it's still the same as last time. >> Or Oh, you mean year to date. Or do you mean surplus spending? Sorry, I was thinking surplus spending. >> Year to date. >> The year to date. I put the most recent year to date in the drive. >> Um, so let me pull that up real quick. So, we are currently at as of this as of last week on the 14th, I had Amber pull this on the 14th. We were at just over a million dollars in surplus. Um, all the building spending is pretty much done at this point. So, I'm going to have Amber pull this again in a couple weeks. Um most of the stuff that's going to be coming forward now will be um any bills

149that we haven't gotten yet from like vendors or tuition or things like that from other schools or service providers um and maintenance supplies because we had a transition in facilities directors. So our current facility director has permission to go beyond the spending cap date. Um so we will see some facility supplies come forward because he's just getting his um right his sea legs and figuring out what he needs for supplies. So he he should be the last for like supplies coming through for the school. Um but beyond that it's really just going to be any kind of vendors that we didn't capture already in here. So, but if we knew of an expense, so most of our tuition, if we know how much it's going to cost for the whole year, we put it in

150there as an incumbrance. So, it shows it's already expended. So, it would just be things that we didn't know were going to be an expense or if it went over and above what we had already planned for an encumbrance. >> Yeah. >> so we're now we're talking talking about starting at 1 million and then working back from there. So, we've got 250 for the warrant article and then was it 150 that we decided to retain? >> Let me go back. I thought it was >> I think it's 200. I know that that was some of the discussion I went and was relisting. >> Oh, okay. So, and I Yeah. And I remember >> I guess the uh I I'm just concerned, Jess. I'm I'm concerned because a third of what we were told is gone.

151I don't know how, you know, but to go from and and I look back at the meetings we were two week two meetings where we talked about a million half dollar surplus. First meeting, we're told about it. Second meeting, we talked about how we're going to spend it or not spend it. And we're substantially less than a million and a half. >> So, and I and again, I went back to the meetings and I know what we were talking about. I know what was said. I know what the public knows or heard, you know, but to be 33% difference in a very short period of time is is mind-boggling to me when it comes to un trying to understand where could it go. And I'm not saying it didn't go where it needed to be.

152That's not what I'm saying. I guess my question really is how did we come up with the number to start with? And it looks like somebody didn't do something right because we're not even close to what we were talking about six weeks ago, five weeks ago, four weeks ago, whatever it was. So I just don't know how that >> I >> and I know >> I wonder Sorry, go ahead. >> No, I'll let you go. So I wonder if part of the perception of it is because I think the schools and it's not just Deerfield, there are other schools that do this too. I think the schools try not to spend as much as they can't like they don't they try not to spend their supply money period. They only spend it when they need

153it. And I think schools have a bad habit of waiting till the end of the school year to spend their supply money and then come the end of the year when they get their deadline, they order a whole bunch of supplies that they need for the next school year. That is something that I think a lot of schools do. I'm not saying it's the right thing to do. I think it's a habit and I think it's something that we need to improve upon because we should be supp buying our supplies for the school year in the fall that we're going to need for the whole school year. That is what's best practice and I think that's just a shift in behavior um that needs to happen. Beyond that, I don't know how else to explain

154that. I It was anticipated, anticipated, anticipated. We put in POS that we know they're called open POS. We put them in. We say we know CO Brown's tuition is going to be X amount for this number of kids, but if kids move out, kids move in, that's going to change that PO that comes out. We know that when a special education service provider gives us an anticipated cost for a student for the year, we put that in as an incumbrance. So, it takes that money out of the bottom line. As we get closer to the end of the year, they tighten things up. They're like, "All right, well, you know, I thought it was going to be this, but this student only needed this x amount of hours, so we can reduce that PO." Or,

155we have five sessions to go. I um a kid moved in. I had to add additional sessions because we didn't plan for that kid to move in. Then we have to go back and change that PO and that increases the PO based on the services that we didn't anticipate. So there's there's a hundred different moving pieces at any given time. So never is it going to be 100% solid until all the books are closed. And that doesn't happen till August. That number is going to move up or down until the books are completely closed. Um, there's bills that come in beyond this point that I we don't have control over and that we may not know are going to come in because the vendor didn't send it to us yet. So, that wraps up in

156June. All those will be coming in and so everything will be um pushed out at that point. Any supply purchasing, there's deadlines that our business administrator puts out to our principles. So all of our principles throughout the SAU get sent messages that after May was it 15th this year supply ordering deadline >> way earlier. So but the email that Amber sent out was like May was like May it was the end of May like the middle of May. It was like May 12th or 15th or something like that. She puts out deadlines that you can't put in any more purchase orders after this point. So, there shouldn't be any more bills coming from the school for supplies or anything like that. It would be from vendors, tuition, things like that that are not captured in

157there yet. Um, but it would be a fluke thing. It wouldn't be something we knew about and planned about. >> I guess that's my question. >> No, I don't know how else to explain it. >> Yeah, I guess that's my question is how how much anticipated should we have known about? we being the SAU um you know running tallies on everything and keeping track of everything and forecasting for future and seeing where we're at as far as our spending goes. All those are important things that we need to know and we and we as a board count on the SAOU to keep us informed, you know, and when we get and when we get informed that this is what the surplus is looking like and the question gets asked, is that pretty close? Yeah, it's

158it should be pretty close to that. Well, a million and a half to a million isn't pretty close to me. Maybe there's a new world out here that I'm not quite aware of, you know, but to me that's pretty bad. And I'll put it in, you know, in in even a worse situation. If we were projected to break even six weeks ago and now we had a half a million dollar deficit, there'd be a big problem. we were if we were in that situation so there's if we ever come to the point where we have very little left in I would freeze the budget we wouldn't get to that point >> okay and that's good that's good that we would freeze the budget but to some it looks like there's been a massive spendown that

159that has occurred >> okay and uh and that doesn't look good it doesn't look good on us it doesn't look good on the SAU doesn't look good on anybody from the public's point of view. And I'm making it a big issue because it is. And I'm making it a big issue because I want to make sure that we don't give out information that's not close to accurate. And this is not close to accurate at this point to me. So >> I think for next year I probably won't even talk about surplus until April then because we I got pressured all through NBC meetings in the budget season in January to give a surplus and we were at 1.5 in January. There's no feasible realm where we would have 1.5 surplus in January and end up

160at 1.5 at the end of the year. So, I think then when I get when we start talking about those things early on, I'm going to push out and say, you know, we can't forecast that. It's too early because I don't want to create the misperception that we're saying generally, yes, we're going to have a surplus. Will it be 1.5? No. It should be high, but it's not going to be 1.5. So I think then I will I take that feedback and I will change the language that I use moving forward to make sure I'm more clear about the timelines and what that means for surplus and how the school budgeting system goes. So I I hear that feedback. >> Yeah. And I I I think that it I you know I went back and

161rewatched the meetings to make sure that I and I I think we talked about it the last one was like I think just the wording the way that it was presented and we can't go back and we didn't like I think it was just >> just to Ed's point just about it the perception is that there's been this $500,000 spend >> but we've only as a board have only voted to spend $27,000. So, um, >> yeah, because these things were budgeted for. >> What's that? >> The items that we spent were things that were budgeted. >> Yeah. Right. Right. Right. So, and it was just it was just a difference of the misunderstanding that that was a year-to-date number. It was not a projected endofear number. >> And that's where the big >> got it

162>> confusion is. Yep. Um because you know we even spent the following meeting talking about where we were going to spend or how we were going to spend or not spend the 1.5. >> So and that's you know I'm hearing that from the public of you know how are they going to spend this massive surplus where and so I just wanted it to be clear that that that was the the miscommunication. >> Yep. >> Um >> and we we're not. And so, like you said, I I don't want to not have that conversation as early as we did. I think we just need to be clear about where we're at. And and it might tie into the conversation that we were talking about in terms of forecasting. um you know on a monthly basis so

163that maybe we can start talk you know talking about it early because I don't like the idea of waiting and waiting and then it's like you know >> where we're going to spend the money and it's hard to plan where we're going to spend the money or what we're going to spend it on if we don't have a forecast. >> Um >> I hear that. So I you know I don't I don't I don't want to put all the blame on you because at the end of the day those you know incumbrance numbers are there like you said >> um but >> for us to digest it's a little bit that was where the confusion was >> I will change my approach the 1.5 was that before or after we took out the warrant article

164before >> because the warrant article came out of that and we took that left 1.25 million >> and then we were given 200,000 we were going to put into um reserve um and then we were going to spend 50,000 towards other things >> and approximately a million was going to go back >> to the taxes taxpayers. That's the conversation that we had had. Well, we would like to put a million back, but it is a moving. I mean, >> I I understand it is moving and I'm understanding it more now and I'm sorry to cut you off. I apologize for that. So, let me be quiet and let you finish. >> No, but it's just I think and I'm not a business person. I was a school teacher, but a school runs very differently than

165a business. And there are so many different parts to it. I mean, something as simple as you think you ordered enough pencils in September to make it through the year and then all of a sudden, huh, that was the year that pencils disappeared everywhere, you know? I mean, it's a little thing, but then you got to order more pencils that So, I mean, it's there's just so many different pieces that are different than a regular business. And, you know, so I think it it is and even as far as students, a student can move in on a day after we're given the number and that's going to totally change something. So, >> however, I could have done a better job anticipating the needs of a new board and so they you have that understanding because

166you've been a teacher. You've been a board member for several years. New board members don't have that same experience under their belt. So, that's just something that I need to do a better job predicting and planning for. So, >> yeah. Um, yeah. I think I think I mean I kind of hope to I think the school does function a lot at like a business. I think there's unexpected costs just like there is in a business. Um but you know whether it's repairs or you know stuff like that it's all there's all those unexpected costs but um and it it just like a business it can be a moving target. Um, and I I to me I I literally just, you know, in terms of trying to put that that to bed is just that it

167was just a miscommunication and I think it was simply that and we we just >> um so if any does anybody else want to Well, so I guess in terms of the conversation >> uh I did look it up in our minutes there from last it was 200 that we decided to retain. Um, so that's 450. So, so then I guess just for discussion and to ask others on the board, we base that number off of what we had anticipated or thought. Do we want to change that number at all? Because that would require us to make a motion for change. Or do we want to leave that 200 the way it is? Or do we want to reduce it? >> Sorry. >> Talked about at the last meeting whether to change it or not.

168>> I think in the past you've done what 150. So we were going high anyway. So I'm I'm virtually still fine with that >> with what? >> 200. Um, so what else? So, so then there was, um, was I right on the 27th? >> Yeah. Wasn't there something else we added on to that and we we anticipated more? >> No, I think the discussion was uh, willing to spend up to 50,000 in surplus expenses, >> right? But what have we approved to date? >> So, it was the 27250. >> Okay. Yeah, he's taking care of that under his facilities line. >> All set. >> Cool. Um so the facilities committee had talked about um doing the paving project out of um trust fund money that we have for uh paving and site improvement and we

169anticipate that being a pretty small project. So um we're uh Dave's going to be getting quotes for that this week. So We don't need to. That's not going to be a surplus item. We discussed potentially it would be, but I think we're going to try to do it out of the trust fund. So, >> um, >> we did >> the only other thing was the >> we did talk about setting up maybe a high school trust fund, right? >> I that would be for a warrant article for next year. >> For next year, right? So, that's something we don't have to talk about right now, but we should consider in the future when we come back to budget. >> Yeah. I mean, I would love to see that happen. We've tried two years, you know.

170>> Well, yeah. And and to that point, um, if there can be like a a running list of things that are kind of out of season that we talk about. um so that they don't get lost when it's in season you know because that happened I think a lot last year was that >> you know conversations for budget season got we wait until budget season then budget season happens and it's so busy certain things may get lost and >> warrant articles items we're certainly looking for and um >> we didn't even put it on this past we didn't because we were not to I don't know why we We were trying to be careful of asking for money so that we could try to get the budget. But >> um so the only other thing

171that I know of um would be the fence. Mhm. >> Um and we could do that with a contingency by the fire department. >> Yep. >> Um >> we had that covered last year. >> We have to get approval from the fire department. It was going to come from surplus last year, >> but it didn't happen. So yeah. >> Um and yeah, so our quotes our quotes are uh a year old. So that's the only and we we're the quotes did not include the gate on the other end. >> Yeah. >> Um so is that something you guys want to entertain or the quotes last year? >> We do, but we could we could approve up to a certain amount. >> As long as it doesn't over send that 50,000 that we were planning on.

172>> Oh, no. No, it's not even No, it won't even be No. So the quotes before were 6 to 10,000. They varied because between three different companies because they weren't necessarily quoting the same gate. >> Yeah. >> Um but now we're adding that other one. >> Um but that's a very simple two post. >> Yeah. Um >> I'd like to additional >> I'm I'm sorry. I guess I like this setup, but I'm having a harder time hearing >> that noise behind us. >> And yeah, and just but in general, and I don't know if the people in the audience can hear. I know we were concerned about people watching if they could hear, but I'm I still another time we No, but I mean, and I don't mean to get us off topic, but we

173might still want to think about some kind of >> microphone. Thank you for bringing that up because yeah, at the beginning of the meeting I was thinking because Kristine brought that microphone over there >> and so I was thinking >> you don't have one. I thought there was one more >> don't help us hear each other or the other and I'm allowed. >> Um so what we only have would require a whole lot that would require a whole system. Yeah, but we didn't this system may not be able to add another microphone was the concern. >> Because there's not like a plugin that you can just add another microphone. >> I don't know. >> Are they saying anything about >> I think online's hearing well now. I think we're having trouble and the audience out

174there I don't think is hearing. >> Yeah, because the microphone way over here >> here. You can have our mic. >> Oh, thanks. I think Canon might eat. >> I'm loud enough, but >> Sorry, he didn't mean to get us off track, but I'm >> I'm having trouble hearing. >> I can't remember what I was telling you. >> What was I doing? There was another item you were going to mention that didn't wasn't the fence. >> Oh, well, it was it was last year when we were looking into pricing for the fencing. It wasn't taken in consideration that people weren't looking into local companies. >> So, I think that local companies got looked into, but I'd like that to stay the same for this year when you start looking for somebody to put fencing up.

175Try local, please. >> And I think Chris did try local and nobody got back in touch with him, so I think he did. >> Oh. I thought somebody did. Okay, >> maybe it'll be different this year. >> Maybe it will be. >> So, and remembering another conversation as well about when we do this up to something has to do with a bid that we should do that public so that we're not disclosing how much we're willing to spend that. I I would be concerned because then you're not disclosing money to the public. >> Well, it would get we're going to get the report on the bid that was accepted. I >> as long as the followup is clean, I guess. Yeah. >> I mean, if that's the way it needs to be. I just remember

176there was a conversation that happened that we're we're telling local contractors how much we're willing to spend. >> Yum. But >> yeah, I was just making sure but make sure that we follow up in our clean it up and be in clear. Yeah. >> Um so we can talk about that if you want >> then the microphone thing. I mean I do want to do something about it. >> Yeah. I mean, >> yeah, but to do a microphone to enable us to hear each other means speakers and everything. It's not it's a sound system. It's not just a microphone, >> right? >> Okay. A microphone is good for the public, >> right? >> Okay. But if we need something to enhance our own voices, then we need a whole system >> and that's not going

177to be an expensive system. >> We have FM systems. We might be able to solve that. Well, we all just get hearing aids and then we solve that problem. But we have we have amplifiers. >> I assume that's >> is that solved. >> What's the server room? >> Yeah. >> Yes. You want to know what? >> I was thinking so like the the FM systems like the amplifiers. >> Yes. Something that we can utilize. >> It's still the audience. >> They're still going to have the noise if they're over here. reduce that sound. >> You don't hear it as much because you got >> back to this thing. >> Yeah. >> Terms of the microphones, we're not going to do anything. teacher voice. Come on. >> I'll train you how to do a teacher voice.

178>> Where we at with money? >> I can't hear Canon either. He's >> really can't talk about it. >> In terms of the microphones, do we want to do anything with microphones? >> We need to do something definitely probably for all of it. I'm not saying a big production thing, but if we're having this much issue with background noise over there, you guys can't hear. There's water bubbling behind you right now, too, with the tank probably, right? There's AC or something going on over here. So, I'm kind of getting a little bit of that, too. Um, we should do something. What should we do? I don't know about this techy stuff. I mean, I a couple I think about a month ago now, I provided several different resources for options for sound systems, >> but

179then it was said that >> it was fine. >> Everyone could hear us then. >> Yeah. Yeah. We thought we had it kind of corrected. >> Yeah. >> All right. I'm gonna say we stay with that. >> We just need to speak up. >> Yeah. Start yelling. your big girl voice, Missy. >> So, in terms of the fence, do we need to talk do we need to decide whether we want to do it now and then approve like an account? >> Do we have a trust we can pull it out of? >> Uh, we can pull it out of a trust. It's just more that you're going to have to put in there for the other projects on the capital improvement plan. I just don't think it's wise for us to willy-nilly a number online

180that everybody can hear. >> And that if >> Yeah. So, um, can we if we have to do it on public to talk about it, we can do it on public if you want to do it right now. >> Talk about the amount, you mean? >> Yeah, >> that's fine. But I think in the meantime, we can just say at least yes, we want to look into quotes. >> Yes. And do we want to do a nonpublic tonight or do we want to push it off till next meeting? >> I would caution putting things off financially when we're in >> I think just do it tonight. >> Yeah, >> good with tonight. >> Okay. >> J letter J should >> be pretty darn quick. Yep. All right. Any other surplus items that anyone wants to

181discuss? >> No. >> It sent agenda policy. policy that's in the drive. There was some updates that the um state had made in regards to some laws that required updates to this policy. They're very minor changes. Um, but you can always table it so I can bring back um more information around for you guys to consider adding language that would demand us to um put in whatever you would like to see for um buddy system or monitoring or however you guys want to end up wording that. Um, so I you can table it or you can re or adopt the recommendations from the state for the legal updates for that policy. >> I think we can adopt this one the way that we want a new policy for that other purpose do that. I think

182that needs to be something separate because after I went back and was rereading this and looking at all the other policies that this is the umbrella for >> I mean it's firearms it's >> all those kind of things it doesn't >> requirements >> fire drills it doesn't fall it doesn't make sense to add that other into this I think we have to have something separate so I I personally think this one is fine as is >> as recommended by the school association. >> Missy, you and I talked about this one a while ago and it was more seen, you know, the superintendent piece was >> and this has been updated, too. So, it's Yeah, I'm okay with this the way it is now. I make a motion to accept policy EBV school safety as written

183through the >> second discussion. >> All in favor say I. We have no policies in our folder. >> We have to make a new one. >> I'll give you a list. >> Yeah, >> I'm saying that jokingly to you. I know you will. >> Yeah, >> I'll have some in there for next time. >> Oh, you don't have to go that soon. I know you have a lot on your plate. >> We have a lot of policies. >> Yeah. >> All right. Public comments. I want to thank the board for me very seriously. I know that like it's hard to you know understand my granddaughter's going to be in third grade and I do not feel at all comfortable with her walking will be bloody um and you know just taking it seriously. Um the

184other thing a concern regard safety that the Alice training hasn't happened since 2018 and there have been a lot of new teachers and staff in this building. Are they at all trained on the Alice system or is it just like randomly every 10 or 12 years? I mean most schools they do it every couple of years and they train new people that come in. So that staff members are not trained at all. They haven't been here and there's been a lot of new staff. So I think that's something that needs to be kind of addressed for sure that that piece another safety piece that is obviously not you know taken care of on a yearly basis or even you know close to where it should be. Just wanted to say that I think that we

185might be challenged if we go to any other district and try to find um a more precise um uh account of the of the unsigned fund balance. Uh it and I I know that it's hard to wrap your brain around. I I understand it because if you're looking at it logically, you're like, "That was $500,000. Where the heck did it go?" I I get that. But having like seen it over and over again, um and been in three different districts in New Hampshire, that's how it works. This is how it works. it it gets it it's it's a it's can be a pretty big gap and it's hard to plan for about what you're going to do as a board and I've sat through that in multiple capacities as both as an administrator and as

186a board member and I I don't know what else to say except I just I it's it's not a shell game and I I I'm probably speaking to the community as Well, it's not a show of like anywhere now just quickly spend down this money and you're never going to um it is just it is an unwieldy unwieldy budget and um when you go to wrap it up at the end again it's hard the book would you suggest they close in August so it just it becomes very complic complicated and I know that's not a satisfying story for people to hear, but in my experience, it it is the way that it's played out. So, I just I just wanted to say I I I can both understand your frustration with it and I also

187just want to say as long to get used to it here. Daniel Farmer Range Road. I just wanted to piggy back off of what G said as well. I'm sure the last speaker said um that it wasn't too long ago there was a spending freeze in was it September or October I think at the start of the school year and that left I think that left teachers in quite alert like they they couldn't purchase the extra supplies that they needed for the year. So keeping that in mind like at the end of the school year. I would not be surprised I don't know if they do but I wouldn't be surprised if the teachers think ahead of time and saying okay we are not on a spending freeze yet. So let's get let's start piling

188up some of the stuff that we're going to need for next year because they don't know what happens in September and October emergencies occur. Um and I think it's just unfortunately I think it is a lesson to be careful what is promised to the town before things are settled. So, I know there was discussion over, you know, returning the million dollars back to the town, but I think it's really important to like hold yourselves back on that. It's like, okay, we can't say that yet. We can't promise anyone this yet until we know >> Tom Dylan. Um, what concerns me about this money is not so much that it's not there. You know, that concerns me too. But what concerns me more is nobody seems to understand that you work with that. Make sure the

189town knows where was that money spent, what did you cover? Because that will answer why you people think you think you're scrolling away or they spend much at the last minute. just let everybody know where it went and what happened. I think we'll all get through this. >> Thank you. >> Any other public comments? Okay. Board discussion regarding public comments. Uh I just want to be clear there were no promises made. I don't know when we're supposed to discuss where we plan to spend money other than in this meeting. So when information's presented to us, that's when we talk about it. So there was no promises made. That was our goal. So there's I don't want to ever say that we promised anything. Any other comments? All right. Does anybody have any agenda items for

190next meeting? Um, okay. So, we are going to I'll make a motion to move into nonpublic via NHSA 91- A32-J. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes.