001All right. Good evening, everyone is June 10th and the board is, um, opening tonight's meeting for the purposes of taking a motion to adjourn to executive session for the purpose of discussing matters related to the employment of history of two particular employees. No action will be taken, and the board will return to open session at 630. Can I have a motion and a second for this item? Jen on the motion. Melissa on the second. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. We'll be back at 630. All right. Good evening everyone. The board is returning to open its meeting or returning from an executive session, so I just need a motion and a second to open the meeting. Cynthia on the motion and Melissa on the second. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero.
002So we will start tonight's meeting with the pledge to the flag. Please stand. Okay. And now we will move on to administrators, remarks Mrs. Andrea Lowe. Thank you. The last couple of days. We started our end of the year, which has been a real joy to attend last night. Have a pretty solid 2012. Uh, the 41st annual event for um. For that particular event, a number of students were honored. It was a great, uh, joy to be a part of. And, um, we are looking forward to tomorrow night getting started for our program. And as we go into the final days, we're just excited to show all our students another successful year in this. Okay. Thank you, Doctor Hancock. All right. You know interesting things on the comments. I just wanted to elaborate on the
003fact that we have ten minute separations at ceremonies, and I'm just I'm was amazed by our students. And the reason why we are in the first place. So I appreciate that. And then tomorrow we'll be celebrating our year one. Uh, educators will be going out there. You can go from other departments or they in the next couple weeks. Uh, a whole bunch of people to spend some time with them. And then what? Okay. Thank you, Doctor Rush. Yes. Thank you. Good evening. I want to start by thanking our wonderful student musicians Tiago Granados, Luis Diaz Alvarez, and Calvin Miguel Martinez. Thank you for providing such wonderful music. As mentioned previously, uh, we were we the district were awarded the Community Champions Award by the American Cancer Society at the relay for life event on Saturday,
004May 31st. So I want to thank, um, that core team that helps to plan that event each year with Michelle Villano, who is the advisor of Brewster Students Against Cancer. We do well, Schwartz, Bernstein, Monti, uh, as our, uh, three, uh, extra staff who really earned this award for us through their many years of effort and, of course, all of the, uh, efforts of our students as well. Uh, the event was a great community turnout, and the rain certainly didn't dampen the spirits of those who attended. Uh, we'll look for a permanent home for this plaque as construction settles a bit. But thank you again to the American Cancer Society and to all the individuals who helped to contribute to that effort. Um, switching gears a bit, um, as many of you know, New York
005State has required that every school in New York have a bell to bell, smart phone and smart device band come September. Um, along with that is a required policy adoption, which we will be able to meet prior to the required August 1st deadline. The policy committee did some great work today, and we anticipate having a first read, uh, up for your approval at the next board meeting. Uh, we sent out surveys last Friday to parents, uh, to teachers and staff and of course, to students. And, uh, we have received a very robust, uh, response rate for all groups. Um, I think it's safe to say there is, uh, some disagreement among the groups about the ban itself, excuse me. And what the implementation should look like. Um, you know, we're working through the details of
006this implementation, and we will, of course, uh, comply with the law. Um, you know, while we're still in discussions about what this all looks like at the high school in particular, I will say that this district has for many years abided by a responsible youth policy, which at its core, belief is that we need to teach our children and our students to use technology effectively and in a responsible manner. Um, surveys from the teachers and staff demonstrate that many teachers believe that, uh, cellphones are a distraction in their classroom and during instructional time as a whole. So we're sort of wrestling with that tension around, um, this responsible use philosophy and the reported distraction time, uh, distraction during instructional time. Um, so I, I share all that to say that if you would like to
007provide feedback, if you haven't done so yet, please do so, uh, by Friday. Um, we'll make sure that we, uh, work through all of that survey data, as we have been doing since it was published. Um, and, uh, we expect to give the board another update at our June 24th meeting. Um, another, um, this one sort of a happy mandate from the state. Um, is a student ex-officio board member. Um, so I know that, uh, Mr. Seaman and Mrs. Cunningham will speak more during board comments, um, about our work in securing student board members by the, uh, near state required date. Um, we have some amazing candidates. Um, and we'll be notifying them later this week. Um, as to who was selected. Uh, but from my, uh, comments, I just like to thank Mr. Seaman,
008who served as our Board of Education rep, Mrs. Kate Hammond, our, uh, high school counselor. And Mr. Jessica's in in high school science teacher, and, of course, Miss Waller. Um, feeling really good about the positivity and and energy surrounding this. And we look forward to working with the board on ways to, uh, effectively incorporate, uh, more student voice into our meetings. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. And just to follow up on that for my comments, um, we I mean, having a student board rep is is going to be great for the board and really is truly a great opportunity for, um, our students to engage in civic responsibility, civic engagement, giving back to their community. So it's a great way to get them started to do that. Young, although I'm sure these kids are already
009doing it. Um, and I just wanted to ask Scott, I'm going to defer my comments to him because he, he participated on the on the committee, and I think he wanted to share some insights from that. Thank you. Um, I couldn't say how thoroughly impressed we, uh, were with the, um, these young men and women. Uh, two days of interviews. They came. They had so much information, they were prepared. Um, to me, I'm really looking forward to working with, um, uh, these young men and women. Uh, the committee did decide for the first year to have two seniors and one junior. As this is an evolving program, it gives the students, uh, more opportunity to figure it out, to be available or not have the, uh, the other one be there, standby, and they'll train
010the junior as they go along. So next year they would have a fully versed student that would then turn it on to the next one. And then we could do 1 in 1 every year. Um, this has been done across the state and I'm really looking for their input. And um, as it was, the interviews just went on and on because they had so much to say. So we we look forward to this. And, um, I thank the committee for letting me do this. Okay. Thanks, Scott. And we'll talk a little bit more about that during our short remarks. Um, but for now, I don't. Sebastian is not here. Right. Our student rep is too busy, probably getting awards and attending other fun events. So, um, he is not with us tonight, so we're going
011to move on to presentation, recognition and discussion. Number one, the presentation of retirees. Yes. Thank you. Um, in the spring, we have many happy board meetings. Um, this one we look forward to as a way to recognize and thank our colleagues who are leaving us after many years of service. Um, while the principals and directors will give more detailed testimonials. Um, I personally would like to thank all of you and your families for the many years of distinguished service that you have given to the district and to, uh, most importantly, our students. Um, at this time, I'll ask Miss Smith as our director of transportation, to come up and lead us off. Um, and then anyone from the Transportation department, as we'll do with each building and department, if you could please come forward at
012the beginning, um, and then come through and shake everyone's hand when you're done. Thank you. They're very humble. Um, our first retirees, uh, Miss Donna Cagliari. Um, Donna is, um. Sorry. I'm not looking at you guys. If you want to come down here, please feel free. Um, Donna is also known as giggles. I don't know if any of you have heard of giggles. I know, doctor Hancock has. So if you've ever heard her laugh, you would know why we called her that. Um, Donna, you have a flat tire. Uh. Come on. Donna left. So Donna is one of the most positive and happy people you have ever met. After 17 years of driving a school bus, she's still smiling as well as she's sad to leave. When I asked Donna what you love most about
013her position as a bus driver, she smiled and of course laughed and said, I love seeing the children outside of the school, outside of the school bus, in church, and in grocery stores. The children point me out to their parents as if they just saw a movie star or someone famous. Donna's daughter is expecting a baby soon, and Donna has decided to move on to her dream job as a governess for the next 18 years. Let's see how much she's smiling and laughing after doing that a second time in her life. All kidding aside, that baby doesn't know it yet. But I know that that baby's in for a lot of great things and a lot of great love. Her Nona is funny, caring, and filled with unconditional love. She has a great laugh too.
014Donna would like to share a piece of advice for the drivers she leaves behind. She says to always have a great attitude because it really makes a big difference. Donna, I want you to know that not only we will, we miss you, your smile, and of course, your contagious laugh. But most of all, I want you to know that you are famous and you are definitely a star in the eyes of the students in the Transportation department, and we wish you the best of luck. Yeah. Come on. They're going to beat me up tomorrow because I promised they wouldn't have to get up. No we would. No one would look at them. They could sit in the back. Keep quiet. Go shake all their hands. Lean or make her laugh. Incredible. Thank you. Donna. Um,
015our next retiree couldn't be here tonight, Miss Irene Farias. Um, so I can say whatever I want about her. In 2003, I recruited Miss Farias from the Garden Street school kitchen. You know the saying, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Well, I thought I was doing her a favor. I had no idea. Well, if you knew Irene. She has been talking about retiring ever since she got here. Wait. Here's the best part of this. She wants to come back as a part time driver. Well, I'm glad she is. Irene is a real role model for driving a school bus with special needs children. Irene's compassion, patience and genuine concern for her students gives her the ability to provide a service to her students. That is invaluable. Every year, Irene gave
016up her run pick selection to drive a student that would not have gone to school if she wasn't the driver. Irene's main concern was and always and is always the students. She always wanted to make sure that every student had a fair shot. Back in 2019, Irene tired of hearing her fellow coworkers complaining about their yellow vests and thinking about the students staring at the back of these boring vests started and embraced the vest campaign. Irene used her own time and funds to add logos and characters to her coworkers vests. Irene received national recognition for this and the article. She is quoted saying, when the students see the design, it makes the students realize the driver is a real person. It sparks a conversation and the students behave better. Her passion is always driven, no
017pun intended, by the students and how she can make their day better. She is amazing. While I would like to say we are going to miss you, Irene, we won't because you are coming back and I can guarantee that you will threaten to really retire for hopefully another 22 years. But that's okay because the students need you and we need you. You are appreciated more than you know and I wish you a happy semi-retirement. And I hope she watches this. Um, our last retiree is Elke Reiman. Elka came to us in 2005 after the young lady, which she was hired for as a nanny, grew into a young lady. Elka was beside herself with nothing to do with her free time and the loss of children that needed her expertise and caring for them. I
018would truly like to thank Elka friends for suggesting that she become a school bus driver at that point in her life, not only for the 20 years of her successful career as a school bus driver, or for most of the gray hairs I acquired, helping her to select her yearly assignments and navigate out of district trips. But more importantly, for her consistent dedication to the safety of the children on her school bus. I'm not sure if you were all familiar with the story, but Elka was the driver that acted swiftly to stop the stop the children as she was discharging them when when she noticed a car passing her at a high rate of speed on the right hand side of her bus. This saved the lives of two children that day. A day that
019the families and I will never forget. While Elka remains humble and feels that she was just doing her job. We all know that she is a real hero, along with Elka. Modest personality. She is sincere and has a big heart. She's planning to retire transportation style, which means she will also come back to work with us as a part time driver. However, Elka has a plan. She will spend the other half of her day working with her other passion rescue dogs and horses. Elka, I want to thank you for your continued dedication and commitment to safe transportation. And I also wish you a happy semi-retirement. You have to come up now. I'll go. I'm sorry. Thank you. You'd better be sorry. Hi. Good evening. Uh, thank you for having me tonight. Uh, unfortunately, none of
020my retirees are here, but there's two that I'd really like to speak about tonight, because they. They have a lot of years here, and, uh, they've been exceptional for for us. So first is Ellen Lapeer. Ellen is a computer aide in our office. Our front office. She is our backup attendance person. And if you've ever been in the high school, you have seen Ellen. Uh, and today we celebrate her retirement for a truly dedicated and invaluable member of our school community, our beloved clerical member. Ellen is always there for everyone. Her. She has an unwavering commitment to professionalism. She is warm. Um, if you've talked to her for five minutes, she leaves an impression on you. Um, and everyone in the office has really been fortunate enough to work with Ellen for many years. She's
021been the heartbeat of our front office, managing a never ending flow of responsibilities like grading, uh, attendance with grace and unshakable calm, particularly at this time of year. Her work goes far beyond just paperwork and attendance and phone calls. She has been a trusted support for staff and a welcoming president for families and faculty. She is exceptionally organized. Exceptional attention to detail. I mean really very detail oriented. She really keeps all of us in line. A deep sense of responsibility. Uh, she has kept our school, our front office running with those details efficiently, smoothly, often juggling multiple tasks that I've thrown at her. Um, and does all that behind the scenes work without ever seeking recognition? Um, so as she turns the page of a new chapter in life, I want to reflect on the
022gratitude and the many ways that she's supported and strengthened our school community. Um. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for the years of timeless service, unwavering dedication, and countless lives that she has touched with her generous spirit. So, um, in her retirement, I wish it's filled with joy, laughter, and plenty of time with her grandbabies. So Denise Maza. Denise has been is a 25 year, um, veteran teacher here at the high school. Special ed. Um, and after many years of dedication, compassion and advocacy, um, we celebrate a well-deserved retirement for a truly exceptional special education teacher. Her career has been defined by a deep commitment to nurturing and empowering students with unique needs, helping them overcome obstacles and discovering their strengths. She approached every day with patience, empathy, and an unshakable belief
023in the potential that each learner who entered a classroom, uh, could do something wonderful. Whether she was developing individualized learning plans, collaborating with families and or specialist, or simply offering a comforting word to a student in need. She poured her heart into everything she did. Her classroom was far more than a space for academic instruction. It was a safe haven where students felt seen, heard and understood. She had a gift for turning challenges into opportunities and for celebrating even the smallest victories as monumental milestones in her classroom as she steps into retirement. Her presence will greatly be missed. Congratulations, Denise. I'm not sure, but can you hear me? Okay. I agree. Um. So. Thank you. Um, I'm honored to be here on behalf of you guys. Um, so first let's talk about, um, so, Lisbon.
024Um, first of all, Louise, um, expresses that she will miss everyone and noting that this decision is definitely bittersweet for her. Um, she began her teaching career in 1995 at Millbrook and joining Wells in September of 2001. Uh, prior to her teaching career, she attended New Paltz and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration. You could have told me that earlier this year, uh, with a concentration in marketing. After working in sales for a few years. Uh, she started pursuing a master's in education. She is forever grateful for her parents. Uh, for her parents, for their support in raising her child and helping her achieve a master's degree in education at Iona College. She feels truly blessed to have landed a job with the Brewster district, and does not regret her decision to change careers
025from business to education in her late 20s. Louise will miss the students and staff at Wells who have significantly impacted her teaching career and personal life. She's grateful for the opportunity to work in the district that supports technology and innovative teaching methods. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching for her is having a classroom full of eager learners, and when they've seen their progress and growth throughout the year. It is even more rewarding when former students express their gratitude for the impact she made on their lives. She thanked the Brewster Central School District for the opportunity to be a part of the Brewster community. It has been amazing to be included in such a special family, both at the district level and at Wells. She extends a special thanks to Doctor Ghosh. Who has
026been supportive and caring over the years as her principal and now as superintendent. However, she's eager to begin the next chapter of her life, moving to Arizona to be with her daughter, son in law and two granddaughters, age four and two. She also looks forward to spending time with her parents, who left the North Face over 30 years ago and are still in good health. Family is everything to her and she will never forget her Brewster family. Thank you for your years of service. Artie. Angus. Melissa Frady. She considers it one of the greatest honors of her life, not only to have grown up in Brewster and raise six wonderful children with her husband John, each of them Brewster graduates, but also to have spent her career teaching in the very district that shaped her.
027Throughout her lifetime, she has witnessed incredible progress in how Brewster supports students with special needs. In the early 1980s, she watched her mother, her role model, fight in court to ensure her brother, who was Down's syndrome, had the right to an education in their district. Today, she is proud to have been part of a school system that offers a strong and compassionate special education program, one that provides a continuum of support and opportunity. Growing up with a brother who needed extra love and patience to learn what came more easily to others, inspired her to follow a path she always knew was hers. To become an educator dedicated to supporting students who need that extra care, encouragement, and believe in their potential. What she thinks about what she is most proud of from her 31 years
028at Wells. It is not a particular program or milestone, but rather the relationships. The connections she has built with students and their families have been the most meaningful part of her work. She hope she has always made it clear how deeply she value their children, and how committed she was to helping each student believe in themselves and strive towards their goals. She truly believes it takes a village, and she has been honored to be a part of so many children's journeys. Now, with excitement and a touch of nervousness, she prepares to say goodbye to her Brewster family and embrace the next chapter. She would dearly miss her colleagues and friends at Wells who have become like family to her. She looks forward to reconnecting with friends who have already retired, and most of all, she
029is grateful for the time she will now have to enjoy with her beautiful family. She is thankful for the opportunity to live and work in the community she loves so deeply. It has been a privilege and it has been a privilege to be able to work with you this year. Thank you. Okay, then. I'm sorry I helped you. Valerie Gonzalez. Prior to Valerie's employment at Wells, she was employed at. With Modell's Sporting Goods. As Director of Information Technology. She retired after 28 wonderful years, and today is still very close to many of her coworkers that have become family. Cheryl has been raised a family of four children, one son and three daughters who are now amazing adults that they are very proud of. Their two beautiful granddaughters, Anastasia and Ariella, have brought much love and
030joy to their family. After about six months of being retired. Valerie decided on the life. Um. She wanted to work out a position local to her home. She was done with commuting into the city and started to look for work locally. Um, she guess she was just not ready to be free from the grind of work. Valerie applied for a position at DHS and was hired to work with the Life Skill Department, their students. Um, she will have never imagined, uh, she will have a role in this field. It has truly been humbling. Um, according to her, and what she has learned in her years with this program is invaluable. After about four years, she decided to take a position at Wells, working with the special ed department. There were her time at Wells. She
031provided eight years of steadfast support for students, teachers, and staff, contributing to a nurturing and effective learning environment. She built strong, supportive relationships with countless students, offering academic guidance and emotional support to help them thrive both in and out of the classroom. To work closely with teachers and fellow aides to implement classroom plans, manage student needs, and create a positive structure, atmosphere, learning strategies, and student needs in ways with patience, empathy, and professionalism. She mentioned that it has been an honor and privilege for her to spend the past 12 years supporting the incredible teachers, students and staff who make up this great community through a hard time with our district. She has always felt like so much more than just a supportive educator. She was an encourager, a listener, a helper, and most importantly, part
032of the team. Valerie leaves were her with a heartful of gratitude for her friendships, memories, and laughter she has shared with so many over the years to the teachers she worked beside. There are already everyday heroes. There are so many students that she has supported and bonded with. It has been a joy watching them grow. And to her fellow A's, she mentioned that they have been like family to her. Valerie's plans under retirement are to enjoy her new puppy, Roscoe, her children, her grandchildren and her beautiful home in Florida with her husband. Though she may be retiring, the lessons she has learned and the love she has received will stay with her forever. And I also want to say that she's going to come back for performances as well. Congratulations, Valerie. Thank you. Thank you
033guys. You get three of us for our next retiree. All right, so, uh, a TV star. But really, throughout several buildings in our district, we'd like to honor and recognize Rob McCullum for his years of service here, uh, to the district. I've worked with Rob for a long time here. Uh, when I came on board at CV star, Rob was friendly, welcoming, and easy to connect with. He also made great ham, egg and cheese sandwiches on staff breakfast Fridays. Shortly into my teaching career. Here, I recognize Rob's collaborative spirit in the interest of seeing our shared students received a best experience in Physical Education class. That collaborative relationship has been reciprocal over many years. Where Rob ones placed his trust in my expertise, insight and guidance for how best to support the needs of our
034students. I, and many of us across leadership positions here in the district, have placed their trust in Rob's expertise, insight and guidance on how best to pursue physical education uh, as adapted to meet the needs of our students. Rob's contributions to the P.E. department as a mainstay teacher for adapted physical education instruction has been steady now for well over a decade, and closer to two. This year, he closes the chapter on a 31 year career in, uh, in the district and in physical education. He has a unique perspective on programing and its impact upon students. Having looped with kids from K-2 through three five through the six eight levels, and has done what we hope any teacher to do over their time in this field develop over time, build upon prior years, and continually reach
035for opportunities for our students to enhance their experience. In his years here. Rob's snowshoeing with the kids back when it actually snowed. He's counted steps with kids and gotten them into fitness experiences. He's brought kids through orienteering. He's worked to ensure his students can safely and effectively access the playsets that have been, and are now at CV star. He practiced his belief in the comprehensive well-being of something as simple as walking and hiking, and along with his colleagues. He has brought Adapted Physical Education Field Day into focus for our students districtwide, to name some of the standout activities that come to mind that he's taking part in. For a guy who looks like he's only in his fifth year of teaching, the reality is his path now extends elsewhere in the near future. And to
036that. Rob, we wish you and your family well make new, great memories in the plans and path you carve out for yourself. And please know, we'll certainly be happy to see you back at TV star when you come to visit. Congratulations on your retirement, Rob. That's a tough one to follow, Mr. Selassie, but I will try. So once upon a time, coach McCollum and I shared a sliver of a desk at the Wells Middle School, and we were two of the youngest physical education teachers on staff and very simply to follow what Paul has said. I've always admired Rob's teaching abilities. He always had the uncanny ability to insert simple facts about bones, nutrition and fitness into lessons. He is responsible for developing developing activities such as the Wells and CVS biathlon Cultural Games, the
037Adaptive Physical Education Field Day and most recently, fantastic feats in physical education as a coach. Rob and I discussed many times how to increase the number of athletes that play in to tennis teams, or how to make our volleyball programs. In fact, we also started the Southeast Volleyball Recreation Camp together. He overall has been an advocate for increasing students enjoyment of movement and physical activity. It's been a pleasure to work with him, and I thank him for all he's done for our students and athletes in his career. Congratulations. Maybe I shouldn't touch that. A final comment. Since Rob has had such an influence on so many of us, as you've just heard from Mr. Starkey and Mr. Corrado at JFK. A little blurb about his affect in the way he works with the students. Rob
038could always find a reason to smile. His encouragement, lightheartedness fostered an atmosphere where the kids truly felt safe. The student is struggled with a task. We're trying to master a skill. And they struggled. Out came that smile. He would help students work through those struggles, just as the English or math teacher would with solving a problem. He would never enable them but this but support them with again encouragement and that smile. The special skill set that Rob possesses. Like you miss just a lot by having that behaviorist inside of you, that innate ability to blend both the behaviorist and a PE coach at the same time. It was magical. So Rob, also thank you for your three C's calm, collected and always consistent. I wish you all the best in retirement. Thank you for everything
039you've done for us. Is it a break? Everyone needed a break. Hi, everybody. I'm John Conroy, a principal, JFK Elementary School. All right. My goodness. As I look. Not just that the board, but it's also a reflection on myself. I've had the privilege of working here for 25 years. I've known the people whose names are on this screen longer than I've known my own children. And I have a son who's now 19 years old. Karen. Barky. Where are you? Karen? Karen Barkey. All right. We're going to start with Karen because you are present and first on the board. How do you put into words? You know, I have the reputation of being a talker, but how do you put into words the experiences you've had with somebody for 20 something years? What I would say
040is almost a backwards design. Karen. To start at the end or the beginning. Here is my compliment and appreciation of you and for you. The comments you shared with me at Garden Street back in the early 2000. Are the exact same comments and concerns you have for the kids this year. So talk about going out on top of your game and still being able to perform. Perform? Excuse me? The way you did that many years ago is so impressive. Karen would always say no matter what was happening, it's okay. They're just kids. What are we so worried about? They just need some time to do whatever it is they need to do or to play. You never lost sight of the fact that they're just little kids and everything will work out. It was that
041confidence also in your ability and our ability as a school and as educators to pull that off by the end of any given year. I observe you this year? Only several months ago now teaching pre-K. So from the grades you taught at Garden Street to JFK and kindergarten and now pre-K. You did not have to step out of that comfort zone. But you did. And thank you for doing it. I watched an environmental lesson with pre-K in this building. Not only did the kids understand the concept of what a tree was and photosynthesis, but the kids were sharing what? The bark meant on the tree and what its purpose was. And we're talking about pre-K. And then, Karen, you always had this ability, the art of teaching, to make it seem like the kids were
042just sharing another comment, but that was because you led them. You probed. You persisted, you guided, and then they take over the conversation. That's not by accident. As smart as you make those kids seem, there's a lot of hand-holding and then handing off, and they feel like they deserve to. They're rock stars. It was fantastic. And to be able to do that. In your 32nd year on the job is remarkable. Thank you for everything you have done. I will always try to be like you and say, it's okay everybody. They're just kids and they will get it. Thank you for everything. Congratulations on your retirement. If you think. Okay, Lisa Cardinale, you are next. A page in your life. Also 23 years at JFK. I remember you at Wells as a parent. I remember the
043staunch advocate you were for one of your children, and I left that parent meeting and I was like, wow, that mom is on top of things and she is on top of us. I will always remember that day in that parent meeting, and then I meet you as an employee and as somebody who still is such a staunch advocate for the students like Karen Barkey, the ability to just roll with kids, being kids in any given moment of the day, what they'd be up to and what they were looking at and interested in. But I will always remember. Your assessment. Why would you. Formal. Informal. Formative. So on and so forth. Summative assessments. Your assessments where your affect when I would get the eyes. Or a look from Miss Carter now. I knew it was
044something for me to look into. I'd follow up with her where there was the cafeteria or the playground or in the classroom, and she would genuinely say, no, John, really, this student needs more. And then I'd have to meet with every after and say, tell me what you mean about that. What is it? Sometimes you'd be able to articulate what it was, and other times you would say to me, I don't know what it is. But I'm going to figure it out. And ultimately, you would come back and you would figure it out. But it was always enough for me that Lisa radar to be keyed in to whatever that student may have needed. And wouldn't you know, every time you had that Lisa concert, there was something for us to address. So thank you
045so much for that consistency, that care, that concern for every group of kids you have worked with for all of these years is remarkable. It's steadfast and I can't thank you enough, and I wish you all the best in your retirement. Come on up. The compliments. Okay, Lisa. Thank you. Mary. File. 20 years. Mary is the mom of JFK. We always talk about, uh, especially with the little ones where a family of JFK family, we have always been that and Brewster is a family, but that extra emphasis on the little ones and the culture of being with elementary school. The list goes on and on. Mary is the consummate professional. Cares about the system. Education system. Cares about the Brewster system. Cares about protocol and procedures. So, as an assistant principal, that's why I always
046appreciated Mary and the way she operated. I mean it truly. I almost appreciate your support. When parents pick up at 5:00 more than I appreciate your support. From 9 to 330 every day with the children when they're in the building. Those are those special moments. Everyone's tired and you're trying to figure out how to ensure that little one just went off with the person they were supposed to. Talk about pressure on a daily basis. There was never a day that Mary lost her patience couldn't be clear and concise with protocol and procedure for a family. That gentle reminder of. Yep. Even though we're in a stressful moment, folks. Here are the rules. And here's how we operate at JFK. But not so that the parent follow the rules so that it made their lives easier.
047A lot of times they wouldn't recognize the need. Mary, you were also steadfast, consistent. You would walk the parent through it. You would explain what needed to be explained, and if the parent would still press and still push where you had the concern. The final comma would be. Let me see if Mr. Conroy's in his office. You always knew. You did everything you could until the last second to then turn it over to an administrator. You never quit. You never gave up. Now to the classroom. Working with the kids. Mary. So old school, but supportive. This is why you need to be respectful. She would explain it to the kids, not just expect it and have the expectation. But she would explain to the kids why it's important to behave, why it's important to listen.
048Why it's important to follow the rules, and why it's important to be a good friend and to care. To care about one another. That's really the essence of Mary. She wanted us, and still does, to care for each other as staff members. She wants the kids to care for one another because it's the right thing to do, and it's the essence of a community. Mary had the ability. To have missing spoons. Return to the faculty room with a carefully politically crafted email, which basically meant return the stuff you took. And eventually it came back. Mary. Thank you. But your consistency, your steadfast approach to taking care of every kid and treating every Grown-Up with the dignity and respect you give to everybody you interact with. I can't thank you enough for all of your years
049in service, not just to the kids, but even the working relationship we have had. Thank you for everything. Please come up and accept your retirement gift and our appreciation for everything you have done for us. Thank you. Thank you. Mary. Sheila mellado. Sheila. My Lado could not be with us this evening, but the gratitude and respect and appreciation and admiration I have for Sheila is immense. Sheila is one of those. Be careful what you're good at, employees. Sheila has been, as you see on the screen, an aide for us for 25 years. She worked side by side with Lorna Ruben in the library. Doctor Zeppelin came to town and worked at JFK with me, and shortly after he arrived, he recognized and saw really, the talents that Miss Mellado had as a computer operations aide
050and the ability to manipulate and utilize data, put things into effective, organized spreadsheets for us, help with the master schedule. So she became an computer operations aide with us in the main office. She has literally kept us afloat this year more than ever. She's assisted and helped with the leave replacement. She also, like us as administrators, makes sure that every single aspect of the main office, whether it's her responsibility or not, is handled and taken care of with dignity, respect and results. She works so hard. She really does the work of three people on a daily basis. Never shares it. Never complains about it. Just leaves at the end of the day and says have a good night. Sheila. I have the utmost respect and admiration for you. Thank you for everything you have done
051for us, JFK. For myself. You are the consummate professional. And congratulations on your retirement. All the best to you, your husband and your family. And you head down south. Thank you for everything you've done for us at JFK. And last but not least. We have in Spanish. But the page is not turning. There we go. All right, Lily, in Spanish. Last but not least, everybody again. Now 25 years. So for each of the people I have just shared comments about, we are talking about accumulation of 125 years of service to either Garden Street or JFK, 125 years. So for Lillian, a reading teacher, also been here a long time. So knowing her family, one of her daughters comes over several years as a senior to JFK, and she did the mural that we still have
052inside the cafeteria. A little comment about her and the character of her family, which will reference herself. The kids were in there, and the Nemo was popular at the time and still is. Wouldn't you know? Like her mom. Her daughter was able to take what the kids had shared and put it into the mural. She was to do a marine mural and then became an octopus. Ed. Dory. Ed. Nemo. Oh, okay. She had to list out everything the kids asked for. Ended up in that mural. Very organic, very child. Developmentally appropriate and friendly. Now we turn things to Lilian. It's no surprise this is the way her children are. Because this is the way Lillian is. Lillian has the most positive attitude and affect with the kids she works with. Even if they only had
053two right out of 20, Lillian would say outstanding. Good job. You're on your way. You at least did this right. You at least did that right. I love to see the effort you made with this. With that, her feedback was always appropriate. Timely. Another comment like I shared about Miss Boracay. Very similar to Miss Spanish from the beginning of her years with us to the current day. I just observed her recently. She is still positive, affirming with the kids, never lets them quit, never lets them give up and even after making a mistake. You see the smile come out on the child because she turns it into a positive. For the effort they made and the attempt they took to either solve the problem, give the correct answer, or make a correction. Well, Ian, I
054thank you for everything you have done for us, from where you have been, to where you are going. I wish you and your family the best of health. Thank you for everything you have done for us at JFK, and I wish you all the best in retirement. Thank you everybody. All right. We just, on behalf of the board, wanted to say, you know, it's really a pleasure to sit here for this meeting and hear about the many years of service that you have given, not just to our students, but when you work, when you contribute part of your life to public education, you serve the entire community. So on behalf of the board and the students and our community, thank you very much for all of your service to this district. And we will now
055allow you the opportunity to leave without taking any offense whatsoever. Somebody's got to eat the guacamole at last, man. And he does. It's not going to happen on its own. So enjoy and congratulations. Thank you very. Okay, so now we will move to our first opportunity for public remarks. So this is limited to our action items on tonight's agenda. So we just ask that though these remarks in this public remarks period be limited to the action items. If anyone has any remarks they'd like to make, we ask that you make your way to the podium, state your name, address your comments to the board. Every speaker has three minutes to make whatever remarks they'd like to make, and we just, um, ask that you not identify any students or staff in your remarks. So if
056anyone has any remarks regarding the agenda items, please make your way to the podium. Okay and seeing no one in person. We also did not receive any emails about action items, so we will move to action items. Action item number one approval of management. Confidential and nonunion salary increases for 20 2526. Yes. Thank. Okay. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second for this item? Cynthia on the motion. Jamie on the second. Does anyone have any questions or comments? Okay. Seeing none, we'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action. Item number two. Acceptance of donation. A district wide from John Lowery on behalf of the Littlejohn Foundation. Yes. Thank you. While we are most certainly grateful and appreciative of all of our donations this evening, we are
057blessed with a unique and special one. Little John Foundation, founded by John and Cynthia Lowery, have made an incredibly generous donation of $100,000 in memory of their late mother and mother in law, Victoria Lowery, who was a fixture of the high school, college and career room during the 90s. There have been countless countless alumni who made comments such as, she was like a second mother to me, or she always looked out for me. So this donation will allow for, uh, her memory to live on, uh, through providing opportunities for students. Um, essentially, uh, we will have b be able to take students, uh, to college campuses. They'll pay for transportation costs and any other associated costs, um, for students in grades five through 12. So we'll have these assured experiences for students in, in all
058grades, uh, or entire grade levels, I should say. But then as students get older and they start to think more about, uh, what their post-secondary, uh, planning would look like, they're going to be able to step foot on, on certain college campuses, so they'll be able to see the two and four year schools, big and small, major specific visits, urban, suburban. It really just opens up a world of opportunity for our students to make better informed choices. Uh, which is an amazing testament to Victoria Lowery, the official ribbon cutting, uh, for the Victoria Lowery Dream big center, uh, in our current college and career room. And the guidance office was a week from from tonight. Um, and again, I just thank the family and the foundation. This will be a game changer for our students.
059And we have immense gratitude and thanks to to them for making this donation. Okay. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second for this item, Leonore on the motion and Melissa on the second. Does anyone have any, um, questions or comments? This is obviously a wonderful donation that's going to have a tremendous impact on the district. And so thoughtful of this family, um, to honor their mother in that way. So very appreciative of that. Anyone else have any comments? Okay. Let's go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action. Item number three. Acceptance of donations. A bus from the Star Foundation bus Cyber box from 12 Learning Foundation and Cbse Science Department from 12 Learning Foundation. Thank you. Um. This year received a number of generous, generous donations to
060benefit our CTC program. Okay. Thank you. I misread that eye too. That's just how my eyesight is with the computer. Um, can I have a motion and a second? Um, Jan on the motion and Leonore on the second. Does anyone have any questions or comments? Seeing none. We'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action. Item number four. Approval of agreement with Suny Binghamton. This agreement between the university and the District. Conservation Partnership for Student Teacher Experiences, or students at the university here in Houston is limited by our time this is submitted. Okay. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second for this item? Cindy on the motion. Jamie on the second. Does anyone have any questions or comments? Jamie, I have a quick question just to understand
061it. Do we normally enter into agreements with schools for this? I don't I don't recall it. I know we have special relationships with certain schools, but. Or is it more like you kind of seek that out. So. Like doo doo. We have this like with Suny Cortland, which is a big school for teaching, you know, some of the other Suny schools and stuff. I'll have to get back to the specifics. Okay. This. Because some schools have, um, insane programs and then others. Is it like, hey, this kid went to Brewster and we're able to offer that? Okay, so that's normally a more common theme that we do. Yes, we normally see a lot of, uh, alumni who want to come back and do their student placements. Okay. And then the balance of being able to
062not, uh, to not boot first. Boot first, your kids. Brewster alumni, I think, is very important for us to make certain that we stay homegrown as a launchpad for those kids so that they could go out or whether they get hired here. But being able to make certain that we don't replace our Brewster kids with other school districts of kids that don't necessarily circle in is just, you know, something that comes to mind that actually. Does anyone else have any questions or comments? Okay. Seeing none, we'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action item number five. Approval of second read policy 5670. Records management. Yes. Thank you. Uh, 5678. Doesn't the law requires just checking on the language regarding the disclosure of employee references as well. Um. Not its
063own policy. And if you are unable to automate to the language for the rights. That. So us is us. Okay. Thank you. Could I have a motion and a second for this item? Jamie, on the motions and on the second. Any questions or comments? Seeing none. We'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action item number six. Preliminary approval of eighth grade trip to Washington, DC. Thank you. We're excited to see as many as many people. Uh, 2026 each for 12 people aged up to Washington, DC, which is planned for April 20th. Next. Okay. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second for this item? Um, Lenore on the motion. Melissa on the second. Any questions or comments? Uh, I do. Um, uh, outside of other activities? Not
064not certain. Um, what other activities fall in mind? But, um, definitely one of the things that can interfere with that. That's a big community commitment is confirmation. So if, uh, just making certain that the church is called to find out confirmation dates because a large portion of kids always do that on the Thursday and Friday, and they would, uh, that would definitely, um, conflict. So I just want to make certain that that's something that is always checked, um, for that. Thank you. Any other questions or comments? Okay seeing them. We'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action item number. Did we. Did we do a motion? Yeah. I did do a motion. It was, um. Yeah. Action item number seven. Approval side letter of agreement. Employee number 378. I
065guess I did joke about the size of the file, and I was. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second for this item, Jen? On the motion. Melissa. On the second. Any questions or comments? Seeing none. We'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Action. Item number eight. Approval of MOA for occupational therapy assistance. Uh, yes. This MOU to establish a position of responsibility to certify that this assistant, uh, this position, will be part of the teachers association. And additional details supporting the investigation and discussion process. I want to say that when we take the partnership position to establish this and irrespective of this. Okay. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second for this item? Jan on the motion. Leonora on the second. Any questions
066or comments? Seeing none. We'll go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. All right. Moving on to the consent agenda. Yes. But I would tell us that we're going to go over year and pull out, you know what I call a casting? Okay. Thank you. Can I have a motion and a second on this item? Cynthia on the motion. Jamie on the second. Any questions or comments? Seeing none. Let's go to the vote. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. Um. We are now at our second opportunity for public remarks, which is not limited to anything on our agenda. So once again, if anyone has any public remarks you'd like to make, we just ask that you make your way to the podium, that you state your name and direct
067your comments to the board. All speakers have three minutes to make whatever remarks they'd like to make, and we just ask that you not identify any staff or students in your remarks. So if anyone has any public remarks they'd like to make, please make your way to the podium. All right. I don't have anybody in person. Um, so we will move on. We'll close public remarks and move on to summary of email communications, which Cynthia will handle. Okay. Um, June 7th, we received an email from a community member expressing concern and safety concerns about the stairs and lighting at the um, Packet High School. Yes. Thank you. We thank that community member for pointing that out. Um, our our, uh, facility staff. Um, as you can see, put additional reflective tape on each of the
068stairs. And we also have some, uh, planned, uh, safety enhancements, uh, planned, uh, coming up. Okay. Thank you. And, um. Um, we also received another email from cpat, um, letting the board know of an event to commemorate the upcoming Juneteenth holiday. Um, special guest will be Jane Elliot, globally recognized activist and diversity educator. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Um, okay. Moving. Moving on to board remarks and BOE Committee updates. Um. Same one. Have anything they want to share? I have something that you want to go. I don't want to begin to go by without mentioning the Metro Awards. Something has happened that has never happened to Brewster before. They have won the best performance and a number of other items were handed out in some scholarships. So this is a feather in the cap. It's
069an incredible accomplishment by the staff and of course the students. I just wanted to highlight that and to let everybody know the high school graduation is coming up on the 18th, and as we do every year, I ask the community to keep that in mind. Um, celebrate them in any way fashion, green lights, uh, presentations, whatever we can do just to highlight, um, the years these students have had and to celebrate them moving on. Thank you. Thanks, Scott. Um, I just wanted to follow up. Um, we talked briefly before about our, um, student board members. Um, so the two students who will be selected are going to be up on the, um, rail. There's going to be three. Okay. I know you said the junior. I wasn't sure if they were an official. Okay. So
070they're going to be. That's going to be on our agenda at the reorg meeting to appoint those individuals. Um, and one thing that I wanted, and I think we're going to invite them to the next meeting, we're going to invite them to the next meeting just to sit in, you know, just, you know, we'll obviously acknowledge them, but they're not going to be a part of the board yet. Um, so they'll be appointed at the reorg meeting. So I wanted to just um, because that is these things are coming up for us to decide. Now, we had talked about at our summer retreat, we will talk about the protocols that will govern the student, um, the student service. Um, some things are, you know, set by law and some things are going to be set
071by us. So we just wanted to talk through those and have that set up. So one thing I wanted to bring up to see how you guys felt is should we consider giving the students the summer off and having them come start, you know, with the first meeting of the school year? Um, or, you know, do that not only would allow us to set up the protocols, which is not the end of the world, we can have them, you know, come, but it is summer and they are kids. Um, so I just wanted to get your sense of that because I think we should. And we don't even actually probably have to decide the second. But think about that, because, um, we should, you know, we should let them know the organizational items that we've
072got. Can you just grab a Michael? Sorry. Thanks, Melissa. Oh, I didn't realize you. Are a lot of organizational items that we go over in the summer that might be good for them to experience if they want the option to come. I think we should get them there. Okay, so we could put it out to them. Okay. I agree, I think it's slower in the summer and it will give its, you know, 1st September hints at life for those kids is going to get chaotic. So I think giving them a little bit of an intro, um, is, is helpful so that they get a little bit more confidence of when they are on the board to be able to have their voice. So I do think that attending at least one meeting during the summer,
073definitely not the first one, the reorg, because that's torture. Um, so really sorry I'm going to miss it this year, but you can live stream. But I think that is, uh, after that it's a good experience. Yeah. All right. So is everybody okay that we'll just leave it to them and we'll figure it out, okay? Um, anyone else have any board remarks or BOE committee updates? Um, I one thing I would just add, as we've all been attending, I mean, end of the year, if you don't have something to do some night, just come down to the schools and go into the school where there's a lot of cars because somebody is getting an award or, you know, something. But it's a great time of year, and I know a lot of the, ah, all
074the board members are attending, um, some of these events and, um, it's really Scott mentioned the Metro Awards, but it's really nice to see all the recognition for the kids. And, um, it's a good time of year. Anyone else have anything they want to share? Just wanted to comment on, um, the the track, um, project and the new turf. There's noticeably huge progress there. And it's it's looking good. So thank you. Okay, so our next meeting is, um, June 24th. And, um, as usual, if anyone has any remarks that they'd like to make to the board and to the superintendent, they can do so by, um, sending an email to BOE at Brewster schools.org. Um, the board is going to go into executive session again just to complete, um, the discussion we started before the
075meeting. So I just need a motion and a second for that. Scott on the motion. Cynthia on the second. All those in favor? Motion passes seven zero. We will not be returning to open session. No decisions are being made and exact. Thank you very much for coming. Have a good night, everyone.