001Oh. Heat. Heat. Oh. Hey. Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat. Are you looking for a rewarding career in education? If so, join us on March 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Everett High School cafeteria. School officials will be there to provide onspot interviews. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. You're in education. If so, join us on March 4th from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at the Everett High School cafeteria. School officials will be there to provide onspot interviews. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. Heat. Heat. be back to Are you looking for a rewarding career in education? If so, join us on March 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the
002Everett High School cafeteria. School officials will be there to provide onspot interviews. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. Heat. Heat. Are you looking for a rewarding career in education? If so, join us on March 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Everett High School cafeteria. School officials will be there to provide onspot interviews. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. Heat. Heat. me. Nah. 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Everett High School cafeteria. School officials will be there to provide onspot interviews. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. Oh yeah. Are you looking for a rewarding career in education? If so, join us on March 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Everett High School
003cafeteria. School officials will be there to provide onspot interviews. Please pre-register using the QR code or the link in the description. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat. Good evening and welcome to the Everett School Committee regular meeting for Monday, March 2nd, 2026. The time is 6:34 p.m. Clerk, could you call the role to determine a quorum? >> Student Representative Emma Perry, >> present. >> Mr. Almeida Barrow, >> present. Miss Babcock, >> present. >> Miss Cardelloo, >> present. >> Miss Cornelio, >> present. >> Miss Cristiano, >> present. >> Mr. Denafhrio. Miss Garren, >> present. >> Mr. Lmon Monica. >> Mayor Vancampen, >> present. >> Chairperson Hurley, >> present. >> Eight members present. Madam Chair, >> eight members present. We do have a quorum. If everyone can join me in saluting the flag and then remain standing. I
004aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. If you remain standing, want to pay tribute to a woman that worked for our system, our district for a long time. Her name was Irene Ren. Some of you may remember her. I'm sure some of our teachers that aren't even working anymore. They may be retired had worked with her. Some people actually had her for a teacher. Irene Ren, she retired elementary teacher. She passed away unexpectedly at 92 years old. She had still been doing well, been very active. So that's why the family says unexpectedly. She died at the Melrose Wakefield Hospital a few days ago. She taught grades six uh
0053 through six exclusively at the Hamilton School which we now know as the George Cavarian School. Beginning her service in Everett public schools back in 196 1966, Irene was an exemplary educator loved by her colleagues and all students alike. May she rest in peace. Now, if you'll remain standing, I would like to offer a moment of silence for all the people that are fighting in wars right now. No matter what side they're on, everybody's a human. Let's pray for everybody. Let's hope that this works out well for all and not have a lot of loss of life. And let's just remember everybody in our prayers. Thank you. >> Thank you for the sentiments, Miss Cardell. >> Thank you. >> If I may from the chair, just let to let everyone know Mr. Lam Monica regrets
006that he was unable to attend this evening. Mr. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Item number three, reading of the records for Monday, February the 2nd, 2026. >> Make a motion to wave the reading of the record and place them on file. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Miss Babcock, seconded by Miss Cornelio to wave the reading from Monday, February 2nd, 2026, and place it on file. All those in favor? I. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Roman numeral four. Public comment. >> Make a motion to open public comment. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Miss Babcock, seconded by Mayor Vancampen to open public comment. All those in favor? I. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Public
007comment is now open. Um, seeing no speakers on the signup sheet, is there anyone interested in speaking at public comment? Seeing none, >> move to close public comment. >> Second. Motion made by Mayor Vancampen, seconded by Miss Cardillo to close public comment. All those in favor. >> All those opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent the >> Roman numeral 5 report of the student representative, >> Miss Perry. Thank you. Good evening. A lot has happened at EHS within the last few weeks. The boys basketball team made it to playoffs. Their season has come to an end. However, however, we are very proud of all their hard work. The winter sports banquet is next Tuesday. There will there we will honor all of our winter athletes for the 2026 season. The Ever High Theater Company
008competed against six other schools last weekend at METG Drama Fest. They were awarded excellence in acting, technical excellence of for set design, and the stage management award. The company is led by adviser Britney Mitchell, president Olivia Lelaw, and vice president Isabella Vos. All of the crew and performers did an amazing job. Last Friday, EHS celebrated Black History Month as well as CTE month. Senior Hayana Richmond and the medical assisting CTE presented the idea of a lunchon to celebrate CTE and Black History. It was a great event led by class of 2025 graduate Trayvon Carrington. Students shared recipes from Black Culture in the US and shared about their CTE or what Black History Month meant to them. I was honored to be in attendance and share the recipe for sweet potato pie, which was delicious, as
009well as why AP African-American studies is an amazing course students have the opportunity to take at Ever. An online cookbook is available so you can all enjoy the foods our culinary class made for us at the event. This March, EHS will be announcing an influential woman each morning to honor Women's History Month. Scholarships for seniors are now available online. Guidance is hosting scholarship workshops during intervention throughout the week. There will be a job fair in the cafeteria on Wednesday from 5:00 to 7:00 for students and their families. And the junior prom will be held at Oolio's and PBED on April 16th. Ticket prices have not been announced yet, but save the date for a great night hosted by the class of 27. The senior prom will be on May 19th at Danverport and tickets have
010not been determined yet either. The class of 2026 is hosting a March Madness tournament on the 12th and 13th. The two-day event will be held after school and available to all students and teachers. Get together a team of four and gather $20 to compete. We look forward to a fun event. The members of the Spanish debate team attended their fifth tournament this past weekend. They debated with four other team with four different teams. Natalie Ramireco and Kimberly Linda Verde received first place and Jonathan Chavez and Santiago Torres Escorsio placed second. The EPS string nights will be held this Tuesday and Thursday at the in the EHS auditorium at 6 o'clock. And finally, the Parland School is hosting a parent breakfast this Thursday at 8 a.m. to review MCCAST testing tips and strategies to help your
011students succeed on MCCAST testing days. Thank you. >> Thank you, Emma. Any questions or I would like to offer a heartfelt congratulations to the theater company and all their accomplishments. That's fantastic. >> Miss Babcock, >> I just wanted to talk about how awesome Friday's um lunch was, the food that was prepared, the cookbook. It was such an incredible collaborative effort of all the departments in our CTE program from the marketing materials to the culinary arts, um the student speakers introducing all this traditional food and um I'm just so proud of all our students. and just and uh machine shop had 3D manufactured the favors for the table too. So it was like this incredible collaborative effort of the entire CTE program. Um absolutely beautiful, absolutely stunning, totally well-run. It was wonderful. I'm so proud of
012our students. So and you Emma, you were there too. Nobody could pres present sweet potato pie better than you. It was good. I'm still thinking about it. That and the banana pudding. So, thank you. Well, and if you want, you can get the recipe in the cookbook. >> A motion to accept the report and place on fire. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Mr. Barrow, seconded by Miss Babcock to accept the report of the student representative and place on file. All those in favor? >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Roman numeral six, report of the superintendent. Item number one is my update. And as always, um, Miss Perry covers all the great things that are happening, not only at every high school,
013but throughout the district. And I, um, in the spirit of just reminding folks of all the good things that happened, I may repeat some of the things that, uh, Miss Perry mentioned. For example, the lunchon, um, that was a collaborative effort, not only internally, but with the city of Everett, Mayor Vancamp and his staff along with um, his um, equity officer were in attendance. They supported the event and worked collaboratively with the school department in what was by all accounts a wonderful afternoon of enjoying the culture, enjoying the fact that we have great CTE program offerings here at Ever High School. The talent of our students and the commitment by our staff and outside as we had some outside folks that came and made mention of of what energy, what excitement. And I had a
014local uh bank president call me today and said it's just amazing anytime I've been exposed to what's happening at Everett High School in particular cuz he's been to a couple events. He said they're really unparalleled and he's around more than ever and he really has a lot of high praise um for our students and the work that we do here at Everett High School. So thank you for all of the efforts put on by the entire CTE staff, Miss Parameter in the kitchen, the students uh and the energy and excitement. And really when you think about the way in which our students spoke, if you closed your eyes, you would never think you're at a high school listening to high school students speak. They were eloquent. They were they spoke with conviction, with knowledge, and
015it's really um a testament to the individuals as well. So, thank you for bringing it up for both of you. We are celebrating Women's History Month in the month of March. There are events being planned internally and at schools and there'll be um social media posts um to also celebrate what we all know to be true about the importance of women in our lives and in career paths. And certainly here at Everett High School and across our district, we have remarkable and talented um women who've devoted so much energy and their expertise and time to our students. Um so we're grateful to have these fine people amongst us all leading the effort quite frankly. tomorrow night and two and Thursday. As we mentioned, the Ever Public Schools um string will be here at the in
016Everett High School. It's open to the public and I think that if you haven't been to an evening with our performers um in the in the band, you you're missing out. It truly are group of young um energized, talented uh boys and girls really all becoming men and women quite frankly. Um, and they're just well behaved and so committed to their craft. And when you think of our students, and I'm always taken back. I always have been. When you think of fourth graders at the Lafayette School playing violin, 80 kids, 90 kids, and you sit there and you listen to them perform, you say, "I'm in a I'm at a grammar school." I mean, we have talent in this community and we're cultivating that talent so that these young men and women eventually will go
017on to greater heights outside of Everett, but um they got their start and their training here. So, um a lot to be um happy about, a lot to look forward to in all the things that are happening. And this is just a few items. Um, some bad news for students. I guess maybe um you all know you've had some time off because of weather and uh most recently we had two days off. But as you know, every day that you miss, you have to make it up in June. So, we had originally planned to close school um on June the 16th. Now, we're closing on June the 23rd, which is a Tuesday. it'll be a half day to meet our uh obligation of uh certain number of school days in a in a school year.
018So, we will continue to put that on our school calendars and remind folks about all the the uh new dates and times. Let's hope that we have no more school days off so that we can continue. We've had some great rhythm and momentum in our schools and it's um after winter break um there's new energy, there's new attention. We've we've had and just a side note if I can one would think after a couple of days off with bad weather and you know we certainly have had people have had challenges right getting to and from school and work we had high attendance rates on our staff and high attendance rates for our students. That's a testament to people wanting to get to our schools. And while I know some folks have had challenges and we're
019going to continue and Mayor Vancampen and I have looked at all different ways to make sure that our kids get to and from school safely and without obstruction. They'll always be challenges when we have unprecedented snowfall, but our kids return in great numbers and our and our staff. We had 90 something% 92% 93% attendance Wednesday last week. Staff and students across the district. So, you know, you know, people want to be in our schools. So, I appreciate the the energy that each of our staff members bring and our students. Um, let me just also mention uh from that lunchon uh with Miss Aria who's the director of our um CTE programs. We also um we employ um Rosemary Hughes who does a lot of our special events and strategic initiatives. I mentioned Simone Holyfield from
020the city of Everett. Um, we had representatives um, from the business community along with our state representative Joe McGonagal and the members of the school committee, Miss Hurley in attendance of course, Miss Babcock, Margaret Cornelio, Miss Garin. Thank you all for being there. Um, and again, many outsiders who joined us at the invitation of our school. Um, and all of them left full and happy and proud. And, uh, that's what we hope to do every time you come to an event here at Everett High School or any of our schools. A couple of uh housekeeping items that I wanted to mention. Uh we received notice maybe five weeks, six weeks ago. Uh that we uh at the city, school department in particular, we're going to have an audit by DESIE, which is a department of
021elementary and secondary education and they conduct these audits. Most of the time they're we get a lot of advanced notice, but this is more or less they're coming I don't want to say they're coming to catch you, but they come to make sure that we're doing everything that we say we're doing. and they give you a short notice and they come into the building for several days in which we have to redirect existing staff to work with them, provide documentation, answer questions. We're all have to be available and they conclude their audit with um information that they have um discovered if you will while they were here. This grant uh this review was for our federal grants. Now, even though we don't receive them from the state, they are they come through the state and
022when we need to draw down grant money that's federal dollars, we have to get it from the state. They draw it down. We get it to the school district in any number of grants. So, title one, title two, title two, title three, and so on. I'm pleased to say that after 3 days here and a couple of auditors working alongside our people once again um the review of all of that material and there was quite a bit um the conference room at Vine Street was loaded with material and staff in and out answering questions providing support. Um we came out with one audit finding which is quite frankly a housekeeping item and it's not necessarily something we didn't do. We just have to find when it was done. It was a review of a vendor.
023It was one vendor, one action. It was just to make sure that that vendor had filed all the paperwork, all the expenses, all the paperwork, all the processing, all the reports that have been generated for the past year or so with these uh federal dollars were all perfect. In fact, the auditor who everyone has said is um I hope he's not watching. I I don't know if he's in our region. He um he's quite a tough auditor and I know everybody went in with account of that apprehension. um he came and had an exit conversation with me. He said, "Mr. Hart," he said, "you have a good school district." And he said, "It's evidenced by the work in which the detail which was done and they're using one of our reporting documents." And I want
024to thank out loud Tracy Hagerty who works in our finance division under um um Mr. Barrett. Um and he can certainly tell you more detail than I can. He said it was terrific. We're going to use it across the the state. He said because it is a perfect document. So it was a great as much as you all get nervous about audits in particular. Um you know when you think about the millions of dollars we do take in in federal dollars for supporting our title one in particular and other programs that's a great testimony to the work the workforce that we have here and the precision in which they do their work. So I'm shouting that out because often times you hear audit you think gh it's been good. So, um I wanted to just
025let the school committee and the public know that the the tax dollars that we're administering um have been done with um as the auditor says with precision and care. So, thank you to the staff. We did have uh during the February school vacation what we call February vacation acceleration academy and that was held at um our our K through8 buildings and we had over 400 students participate in this academy. We had uh approximately 49 teachers and staff working um with those young folks who uh signed up to come to our schools during that time. And they went from 8 um from we had originally started 8 to 12 in the previous year, but we extended it to an 8 to 2 day with with lunch and a little bit of a short uh period of
026uh gym or some kind of an enrichment activity. And again just to remind you that thesemies that we run are very specific in nature. It's not a fun time playtime week. It is a week filled with enrichment so that we invite students and families to come to thesemies and we hope that they do upon our invitation because they most likely the will benefit from from being there because maybe they've had a challenge during the several months prior to a to the February vacation. certainly we'll have again in April. Um it's very targeted on um areas that we know we want our students to be stronger in. So we did that. It was a great turnout. Certainly we would have loved more. But you know 400 students um was a was a good number and we'll
027hope to see at least that at our April school break. We do have uh for many of you who remember we run family universities. We had one uh this past year. We will have another family university this uh a week from tomorrow night on Tuesday, March 10th from 5:00 to 7:30. This time we're going to hold it at Parllin, the Parllin School, which is um it is going to be a district-wide event, but we're going to hold it up there. Um we have workshops that are being offered by not only ever public school staff, but the Cambridge Health Department and Health Alliance, the youth um development office from the city. We'll have interpretation available for um for families. Um and I I just encourage people if they'd like to learn a little bit more about
028Ever Public Schools, about the programs, about some of the things that Cambridge Health Alliance or the city has to offer. Um they should try to attend. Again, it's free. We always have food. We we always um make sure that people are fed uh when they come to our events. And there's several sessions that people can participate in. And then it's kind of a rotating schedule so that if you want to do a couple of those sessions, they're they're continuously running. So you move from classroom to classroom. Um and this is an opportunity obviously for um for no matter what language you speak, we well at least in the primary languages that we support here with interpretation that'll be available for families so that everybody can can listen and understand and learn new things um that
029are happening in the city and of course the school district. Everett High School Theater Company. I know that they had just competed uh as Miss Perry told you, but uh this coming Thursday, March the 12th, here at the auditorium, they are going to put on their performance of the lottery. And this is uh based on a short story by Shirley Jackson. Um this is what they performed when they uh went to the um weekend uh in Boston in com in competition. So tickets are $5 for adults and of course um we try to only take cash because we don't have um a way to collect charge cards at this point. Um March 18th following night uh we will have biliteracy night which is something we also hold on a regular basis. This is all supported
030by title one and title three grants. Again, back to the amount of activity that those grants support is significant and so recordeping and uh paying bills and so forth and doing it appropriately is important. That's what our audit was about. We do have a lot of events, excuse me, this by literacy night will be held at the Cavarian School from 4:00 to 5:30. Um and we we hope that um folks will take advantage of it. Again, we do serve food. We have free books for students and their families to take home and other literacy activities again that we run during the school year. And this is just kind of a family night to do it with family members. So hopefully the weather will be kind to us and we'll have families attend. Um and we've
031had very good attendance quite frankly on these events. last Friday um afternoon uh we not only was celebrating CTE month and the conclusion of the month with uh uh lunchon and in and um blacks history month at the same time at the state house one of our employees an ever high school teacher Claudia St. trust was being honored as um this year's uh Black Excellence on the Hill Award. As you may remember last year, we were also fortunate enough to have one of our staff from the Lafayette School, our custodian Shannon, who received that distinction last year. Um we were once again um pleased to hear that our one of our faculty members here from Ever High School was going to have that award. Mr. Lynch um took a contingent of Everford High School staff
032to celebrate and acknowledge this um distinguished award uh that was given at the state house. And I want to thank um the committee who selected um Mr. St. Joe from a number of um candidates from across the state. Many were honored from different parts of the state, but um we were happy to once again um have an Everett person represented um at the um awards ceremony on um on the hill. And this is issued by the Massachusetts Black Caucus and Latino Legislative Caucus. And again, this is a relatively new award and we've been fortunate enough to have recipients in the last couple of years. Um Friday also was a very busy day uh as usual here at Everett High School. I attended in the morning right here in the Siri location the tide rises award.
033If many of you already know that each um each month the committee receives um recommendations or nominations for the tide rises award for vision of the graduate. And again, I'm going to remind you that the things that we hold true for vision of the graduate are kind of listed behind me on the posters and each of them represent a particular um value that we hold true for our vision of the graduate. So those are behind us. And this um this particular month was um asking staff and and uh teachers to nominate students that um showed self-awareness and they nominate and send forward to the committee and then they're acknowledged at this awards presentation monthly. Parents do come, teachers who nominate them come. Um their nomination is read out loud. They take pictures with um family
034and others here and they receive a few um kind of ever high school promotional materials. We're always promoting uh our school and t-shirt in the summer as we get closer to summer sweatshirts. There's all kinds of things that we give our students to recognize their resilience, their innovation, their self-awareness, their empowerment or service-mindedness. And it is never shy of nominees. I mean, there was a number of young people that again were um and they're not always the same students. So, it's it's great because different faculty and staff um nominate them. So, once at a blue moon, I think you may see the same students show up from month to month, but generally, you know, again, it reminds us how great our students are and they're being acknowledged. And I think they love the fact that
035a member of the faculty or staff took the time to write it about them. And you see a lot of smiles on their faces. And I know the parents are very happy. Um, very happy too. One of our Lafayette school students, so seventh grader Natalyia Mel has been selected to perform in the 2026 Massachusetts Northeastern Junior District Music Festival. This is a very prestigious um annual showcase which features um grades 7 through nine students from across approximately 58 cities and towns. She is an accomplished violin player. And remember earlier I said fourth graders, this young lady has been with us and um she's going to be she has been selected to participate in this uh program which will be held on March the 14th. So we all wish her the best. Again, lots of talent
036and it gets recognized outside of our school district, which I think is wonderful. Um, we also have um a young Ever High School junior, Miss Verma, will be joining a select group of 24 students at a prestigious summer science uh program led by professors and researchers from worldclass universities in what they call BioBuilder Educational Foundation's summer research program. Again, another competitive um opportunity for our young people who've distinguished themselves here at effort high school. They're invited to participate because of their their work here. And uh we know that uh many students deserve to go, but they do select one and we're very happy that Regav Verma will be joining that select group of students in July. So, we wish all of those folks um folks very well. Madam Chair, that's my report for this evening.
037>> Thank you, Superintendent Miss Garren. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, just a couple of questions. >> Sure. >> Um, first of all, is the DESIE audit uh results are they public at all? >> They don't issue a final report until 90 days. So, we get the official email that says, you know, okay. And then we we have 90 days to say that we disagree with something. So, let me say that. So, there is a letter. So if somebody foyered me, I would give them the letter, but it isn't final until really 90 days after the report has or the letter has been issued. So it's a letter. Okay. >> And then they would uh we would so we're going back with the item that they found to ensure that we and it really wasn't
038actually even on our end. It was um at another level, but we have to find out if it was done. And once we do that, I mean the finding is is really mood at that point. But >> okay. So, yes, it's public, but not official until 90 days. >> Okay, that's fine. Um, and then um I actually wanted to hear uh just a little more about uh the uh vacation weekmies that you're doing. Um I assume it sounds like they're uh more academic. >> Yes. Um so do uh do like the parents sign the students up for it or do the teachers recommend it? So we look at um we look at data. So if we want to help young people get stronger in reading and language skills, mathematics, there's a number of areas that
039we focus on depending on the academy. We look at the data points about which schools which students would benefit from having that little little boost. We invite them. We can't make anybody go. Okay. So they get invited by >> So the school invites the students. >> Yes. Great. Thank you. >> But it's open to anybody. It's just that we do invite some because we want them to >> Right. Yes. Okay. Great. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you, Miss Garen. >> Any further questions for the superintendent? >> Make a motion to accept the report of the superintendent and place on file. >> Second. >> Motion has been made by Miss Babcock, seconded by Miss Cornelio to accept the report of the superintendent and place on file. All those in favor? >> All those opposed?
040The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business, >> item number two is school spotlight, the Webster Extension School. Now, normally if we had a group of students in front of you, I would ask you to let me have them come forward first and then I would do my report. But because this is a younger group of students, so Webster Extension School, for those folks who may not realize, is located at the Old Everett High School. It's been in operation for a number of years, and that serves our prek students. It's led by our assistant principal, Miss Larry Stokes. And because those young students are probably should be on their way to bed pretty soon and it is quite cold. Um I still wanted our young folks to be highlighted. So Miss
041Stokes, uh with your permission, I'd ask her to come forward to tea up a very nice little video that you'll watch here. And she's going to tell you a little bit about what it entails. I think she's left something at your place to review. and she's joined by members of the Webster school Webster Extension School community. So with your permission, Madam Chair, I'd like you to ask Miss Stokes to come forward. >> Second. >> Motion is made and seconded to invite Miss Stokes before us. All those in favor? >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Welcome, Miss Stokes. >> I am kind of bummed we don't get to have the preschoolers here with us today. >> They're here in spirit. >> I just turned it off. Sorry. >> Good evening, Superintendent Hart, Mayor Van
042Campen, and members of the school committee and Emma. Um, I am um honored to be here. I'm Mrs. Stokes. I am the assistant principal of the Webster School Extension where we focus on promoting student school readiness in many ways. Boost confidence and independence, foster oral language and communication skills, as well as build a strong academic f foundation. As I sit here with Mrs. Fabiano next to me and many members of the staff um behind us, we um proudly represent one of Ever Public Schools preschools. Since this time of the evening may not be age appropriate for our students to attend, we do have a video to share with you. It spotlights all of our students who are heading off to kindergarten next school year. At this preschool age, literacy doesn't just mean reading and writing.
043As you will see, um the video that we have has our students engaged in a daily um poetry party that they participate in um when they come in every single day. So, we highlighted that um on behalf of all of the Webster Extension staff and our students and in celebration of National ReadAcross America Week, we say thank you. Um and we'd like for you to see our video. >> Thank you very >> Hi, I'm Mrs. Stokes, the assistant principal of the Webster Extension. Welcome to our prek poetry party. Hi, I'm Mrs. Fabiano, a preK4 teacher in the Webster Extension School. Children are rapidly developing language at the preschool stage. Reciting poems in a daily poetry party plays a valuable role in its development, and it's a powerful tool in kindergarten readiness by supporting background knowledge.
044Poetry also supports cognitive development as well as social and emotional skills. I'm Mrs. Langoni, prek teacher. First, reciting poems strengthens language and literacy skills. Poems expose children to rich vocabulary, sentence patterns, rhyme, and rhythm. Repeated oral practice improves pronunciation, listening skills, and funological awareness, which are key foundations for reading and writing success in later grades. and sound and I wonder. >> Hi, I'm Miss Mitchell. I'm a special education ILP teacher at the Webster Extension. Second, reciting poems supports memory and cognitive development. Memorizing short poems helps preschoolers practice recall, sequencing, and concentration in an age appropriate and enjoyable way. These skills contribute to overall academic readiness. >> Valentine Valentine. Will you be my Valentine? We are friends of mine. Happy Valentine's Day. >> Happy Friday. Hi, I'm Mr. Estbrook, a special education inclusion teacher. Third, reciting
045poems builds confidence and communication skills. Standing in front of peers and speaking aloud helps children become comfortable expressing themselves. This early exposure to public speaking nurtures self-confidence and positive self-esteem. >> I am a circle. I am three sides. 1 2 three. I am a square. My sides are four. 1 2 3 4. >> I am a rectangle shaped like a 1 2 3 4. I am like a >> I am a sparkle and glow. 1 2 3 4 that you know forever. Hi, I'm Jean Dixon. I'm a prek par profofessional. Finally, participating as a group, reciting poems promotes social development. Children learn to take turns and listen respectfully, as well as explore emotion and imagination in a safe and structured way. This reinforces cooperation and classroom community. Hi, I'm Miss Hardy. I'm a preschool teacher
046at the Webster Extension. In summary, reciting poems is not simply a performance activity. It is a developmentally appropriate educational practice that supports language development, cognitive skills, confidence, and social skills. This activity helps lay a strong foundation for lifelong learning and communication. That was very nice. Thank you so much. I um it is truly uh an excitement when you go into those buildings with the prek programs. We have one at the one program at the Adam School and one at the Webster Extension. And if you ever have a bad day, that's the place to walk through because the uh the the smiles and the innocence and the fun of those uh young boys and girls is truly uh makes a joyful day. But at the same time with Miss Stokes and all the wonderful folks you
047saw on on that uh video and certainly many more behind that um our kids are learning and we're helping them develop as Miss Stokes and the others have said um it gives them confidence. It gives them the ability to work with one another at an early age. There's such socialization going on and um the kids are happy. This is a great foundation and there's many many stat much much much research done about um having students learn at such a young age and that's why we're going to have full day kindergarten excuse me full day uh preschool um here in Everett uh for next school year and so Miss Stokes and the rest of the staff um will have a lot more time with our young folks in developing their skills and more poetry. >> Thank
048you very much. Any questions or comments? Miss Babcock >> through you to our guests. I just want to say I loved the poetry especially the last poem because it's just physically you're using that kinesthetic skills. You're learning about math at the same time. You're connecting your numbers. You're connecting the shapes, the visual part of it, too. And they just look so excited to do it. to make the triangle shape, to make the rectangle shape, to compare it and understand that it's compared to a door. So, I I feel like that is such a great sort of um integrated skills approach to, you know, total uh what am I thinking of Philip Moslo or or you know, it's just using everything all together. So, I thought that was great. >> I I do have to give
049credit to our our team here. You guys are awesome. um they they come up with the poems they every week. Um >> that poem was so cute. >> That was just perfect. >> Um so thank you so much for sharing that with us cuz I'm you know it reminds us of um >> how so many ways there are to learn and and how that small option there looks so small on the surface but it's actually so sophisticated. It's offering so much. So, social skills, shapes, kinesesthetic learning, >> vocab. It's awesome. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you, Miss Babcock. If I may from the chair, just I have three children that have gone to Ever Public Schools since preschool. Um, and they still talk about memories way back when they were in preschool.
050Um, so thank you for all that you do. It's very important um to educate our children at a very young age. and my son William actually had Miss Hardy. >> So, thank you very much for all that you do every day for our students. >> Thank you. >> Is there a motion to excuse? >> Motion to excuse our guest. Thanks. >> Motion has been made by Mr. Barrow, seconded by Miss Babcock to excuse our guests. All those in favor? >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. >> Thank you, Miss Stokes and Miss Fabiano, and everybody from the Webster extension. Thank you very much. Motion passed. Guests excused. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Item number three, I'm asking for favorable action for an acceptance of a grant from the Bar Foundation in the
051amount of $160,000. And if you'll permit me, I wanted to say that this is really a very unique and innovative partnership that Everett has never had before. Um this is going to help us think strategically how to best deliver instruction uh to our high school students including those who enroll in our alternative high school. Uh the bar foundation is a very wellrespected um nationally known foundation that supports innovation in schools amongst other places and colleges. But they're this pl this is a planning grant and this planning grant is going to help support Everett in co-creating a unified instructional vision uh that um will help us deliver instruction in a different way to see if that will produce stronger results in our outcomes of our students. Um so that once this is in full effect in
052time uh we anticipate seeing um a more unified approach to how we uh address education. Um, I'd like to publicly acknowledge the work of several people. This is not a quick and easy application. There is a lot of back and forth. It's been in development for about a little over a year. It gets reviewed by a panel at the bar foundation. There's some critical questions that are posed to the district. Um, and once the bar foundation sees that you can deliver, they continue to invest in innovation in the schools. And so I'd like to thank um former principal uh Dennis Lynch, current principal Dr. John Brager, our assistant superintendent of teaching and learning uh Dr. Margaret Adams and our um director of grants and professional development, Carrie O'Donnell, along with our assistant principal here at
053Ever High School, Karen Hughes, who met um on a regular basis internally and with internal constituencies and looking at research and data and back and forth with the Bar Foundation and um they applauded our application and they know that great things are happening and can continue happening in Everett and they're willing to support that effort kind of thinking outside the box having us do things um and think a little differently about how we um look at our our implementation eventually of a of a strategy that will help move our students quicker and stronger through our our um academic experience both at the high school and at the alternative school. Um so with that, I'd ask for your favorable action. I move for a favorable action to uh accept the grant from the Bar Foundation in
054the amount of $160,000 and to uh send a letter of customary thanks. >> Second >> on the motion. >> Motion made and seconded. On the motion, Miss Cristiano. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I just like to say that u this >> Thank you. This is really terrific news. I mean, uh, the BA Foundation is highly highly respected foundation in the Boston area and beyond. And for them to recognize, you know, it's a lot to say, you know, the kids are great, this and that. This is concrete proof that, you know, people that know what they're doing, that know how to invest uh charitable dollars are recognizing our students, our teachers, our administrative leaders, and our superintendent. So, I I just want to thank you, Mr. Hart. I'd like to also publicly thank the Bar Foundation.
055Um, and I think they'll be uh very excited with uh, you know, continue to work with us. >> Thank you, Miss Cristiano. A motion was made by Miss Cornelio, seconded by Miss Cardillo to accept the grant from the Bar Foundation in the amount of $160,000 with the letter of customary thanks. Roll call. >> Mr. Almeida Baros? >> Yes. >> Miss Babcock? >> Yes. >> Miss Cardelloo? >> Yes. >> Miss Cornelio? >> Yes. >> Miss Cristiano? >> Yes. Miss Garren, >> yes. >> Mayor Vancampen, >> yes. >> Madame Chair, >> yes. >> So moved. 8 Z. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Item number four, acceptance of a career connected learning program development grant in the amount of $35,000. This is issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. And these funds
056will support the development and implementation of a state designated pathways program, which also includes work-based learning. So I'm asking for your favorable action. Move approval action. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded to accept the career connected learning program development grant in the amount of $35,000. Roll call. >> Mr. Almeida Barrows? >> Yes. >> Miss Babcar? >> Yes. >> Miss Cardelloo? >> Yes. >> Miss Cornelio? >> Yes. >> Miss Cristiano? >> Yes. >> Miss Garren? >> Yes. >> Mayor Vancampen? >> Yes. >> Madame Chair? >> Yes. >> So moved 80. Motion passed. Superintendent the next order of business. Item number five, the acceptance of a partnership for Prism 3 continuation grant in the amount of $182,000. Uh this is also a funded grant through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. It is
057a continuation grant which means in the first round we did what we said we were going to do and pres and produced results. in this round for $182,000. We will continue to work um with grades four and five in this in this period in time and it'll be looking at curriculum, making sure that our curriculum is um I'll call it coherent, meaning that it naturally flows from fourth to fifth grade. It'll look at instructional practices and ways in which we can support our students and provide uh high quality instructional material. So, it's all a whole bunch of activities for grades four and five in uh in this in this cycle. So, I'm asking for your favorable >> move favorable action. >> Second. >> Motion made for favorable action to accept the partners acceptance of the
058partnership for Prism 3 continuation grant in the amount of $182,000. Roll call. >> Mr. Alita Barros. >> Yes. >> Miss Babcock. >> Yes. >> Miss Cardelloo. >> Yes. >> Miss Cornelio. >> Yes. >> Miss Cristiano. >> Yes. >> Miss Garren? >> Yes. >> Mayor Vancamp? Yes, Madam Chair. >> Yes. >> So moved. 8 Z. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next >> item number six is acceptance of a grant from the state treasurer's financial education innovation fund in the amount of $3,700. I'm asking for your favorable action ever high school math department chair, Mr. Dave Bavinau, secured this grant to hold a credit for life fair here at Ever High School. And this uh fair which is run after well it'll be run during school and it'll offer students um some opportunities to learn how to budget
059and money manage and also even right down to how to balance a checkbook if they still use checkbooks nowadays and and be able to build a budget online and um the date for this has yet to be determined until we accept the grant and then he can go and plan it. >> Move favorable action second. Motion has been made and seconded to accept the grant from the state treasures financial education innovation fund in the amount of $3,700. Roll call. >> Mr. Alita Barros, >> yes. >> Miss Babcock, >> yes. >> Miss Cardelloo, >> yes. >> Miss Cornelio, >> yes. >> Miss Cristiano, >> yes. >> Miss Garren, >> yes. >> Mayor Vancampus. >> Madame Chair, >> yes. >> So moved 8 Z. Motion passed. Superintendent the next order of business. Item number seven is an
060acceptance of an Everett Cultural Council grant in the amount of $500. I'm asking for your favorable action on approving this. This grant is going to fund and schedule an interactive workshop in US history 1. They'll be held here on the school library with a local with an author and historian, Mr. Steven Pulio. Um he had recent piece of his work was called the great abolitionist. Um he will uh bring through students through a journey here at Everett High School and I'm asking for your favorable acceptance of the 5. >> Move favorable action. >> Second. >> Motion has been made for favorable action to accept the Ever Culture Council grant in the amount of $500. Roll call. >> Mr. Almeida Barrows. >> Yes. >> Miss Babcock. >> Yes. >> Miss Cardell. >> Yes. >> Miss Cornelio?
061>> Yes. >> Miss Cristiano? >> Yes. >> Miss Garren? >> Yes. >> Mayor Vancampen? >> Yes. >> Madam Chair? >> Yes. >> So moved. 8 Z. So moved. Motion pass. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Item eight is request approval for a late entry for Everett High School grades 9, 11, and 12 on March the 24th and 25th and then again on May 19th and the 20th to accommodate MCCAST testing. Um we're asking for favorable action on that move. We did that in the past. So grades um 9, 11, and 12 will report to school at 10:30 while grades 10 uh conduct the MCCAST test. >> Second motion made for favorable action. Um on the motion, if I may, just ask a clarifying question. Proper communication will be going out to families beforehand. >>
062Yes. And we'll have it on social media and other usual. And I want to also recognize Principal Brager who's here. Um he's excellent at communicating all kinds of good information to our parents. Um so if someone says they haven't received um an email from Dr. Brager, they're missing out lots of good information and this will also be included. >> Okay, perfect. Thank you. Motion has been made and seconded to approve the late entry for every high school grades 9, 11, and 12 students on March 24th and 25th, 2026 and May 19th and 20th, 2026 to accommodate MCCAST testing. All those in favor? I. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Roman numeral 7 is item submitted by school committee members. Item number one is a
063discussion of current cafeteria offerings and potential improvements offered by Miss Babcock. >> Miss Babcock. >> Thank you. >> I'm just going to open my computer here because I took some notes. Um so, um let me just see here. So, I just I I I brought up this topic and first I want to acknowledge our cafeteria staff and all the hard work that they do who feed our kids within a real time and a real budget and and and what what you know um regulations are are mandated. They do a wonderful job. So, school meals play an important role in our students health, their ability to learn, their ability to focus during the day. I did a little bit of uh research. 25% of kids in Ever live below or at the poverty line. So, school
064meals are a huge part of it. I want to share a few observations and comments that I've recently received from parents that I just want to share with you um that that I think I think could be easily resolved, but I just want to bring it up. There have been topics that we've discussed before, too, but they've been brought up again. So, uh there's three things that came into mind. portion sizes which I think are are measured out by the state. Um the the comment that they're that the older kids are saying in the elementary schools it's it's not enough food for them whereas the younger kids are not really eating at all and maybe disposing of it. Um so I don't exactly remember what the solution is but that's something that we can discuss.
065So the other topic was that uh older lunch like later lunch periods they run out of the specials of the day or selections of food. So uh and again that so at the elementary school level that tends to again be the older kids as well. And then at the high school level it's just whatever period you happen to have lunch that day based on your school schedule. So later lunches some options are not available uh any longer. Um, I had a couple of parents that were sort of not that thrilled with the quality of a couple of things. Um, and was sent a few pictures and just wanted to let you know that they were concerned about some of the quality like perhaps like food not thoroughly cooked or overcooked, etc. I mean, obviously when
066you're doing food service, it is hard and we're talking about 7,300 kids across our district. That is a lot of food. And when you have a meal plan, no matter what, whether it's a college, whether it is a a school system, you know, the food after a while, there's only so many times you can have a certain thing and then it's not exciting anymore. So those are some of the concerns uh that that parents had brought up to me was so options, right? Um portion sizes for older kids and I believe they had had a solution to it, but let's go back to that solution and reiterate it for parents. um what was available if you were at later in the day as well like that certain things specialties were gone and then the third
067thing is some inconsistent like I had a parent said that the milk was warm for example as an as an issue and like I said it's 7,300 kids so um I'd love to see do we have anyone from Wilson's here today to be able to help answer >> yes I did ask if representatives um not understanding all the items that may be asked. I know that two of the representatives are here with us this evening. The district manager just u I think many of you have met before, Joe Amante and the um the manager of location here in Everett is um a new gentleman, Mr. Damasio. And I'm would ask um chairperson to have them come forward and maybe address some of these questions. >> I have some some questions. That's was what I heard
068and I have some questions. Maybe they can answer them and we can all contribute a conversation with this. Make a motion to bring our guests forward. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded to invite our guests from Witson's before us. All those in favor? >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Welcome. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Thank you for having us. >> Thank you for being here. Just to add to that, um we feed about 5,000 of that 7,350 on average a day. Um we've um also uh begin communicating. Um since uh Michael's the new uh director here, uh we've uh went to the high school and each um grade has a student council and we've already set up dates uh with each of their principles to uh have us go
069in and speak with the uh students to survey them what they like uh likes and dislikes so we can um alter the menu. Things change all the time. New items come up. Some things they like, some things not so much. So, we've already begun that uh process. Um, also our menu program that we have uh the FD meal planner. Uh students and parents can go in, they can rate meals, they can leave us notes. So, that's another way of us communicating with them. Um, one of the, uh, things that not everybody, you know, and and we probably need to put more signage out, is that the students, if they're still hungry after they eat their meal, they can come up and get a second portion of vegetables or fruit um, to help fill them up.
070Um but again I think you mentioned with there's dispion sizes that we have to follow. Um and that's regulated by the USDA. Um the later lunch we'll we'll look at that to make sure that um that doesn't happen that uh they should have uh all the choices available throughout the lunch. Uh we'll monitor that to make sure that's not happening. Um and um I think some of the improvements, some of the things we're looking to do, we work with the um Everick Community Growers. Uh they uh give us a lot, we purchase a lot of fresh produce from them. So, what we're looking to do is uh set up a salad bar at the high school. So, students would be able to come and get a a salad as an entree. As long as they
071get a protein, like an egg or cheese or chicken to go with it, then it would be able to be an entree. So, we're going to uh add that to the high school. Um I see she she looks pretty happy. Uh so um we have a spot we're going to um put it at the end um at the end of the line. Um so that'll be new. Um also uh we have a rotisserie. We're looking to do more scratch meals. Um so we have a rotisserie to do some uh pork loins and chickens and turkey and things that uh some of that we get from the government to be able to use in a rotisserie at the high school. Um, and again, I think at Webster, we did a survey with the students with the
072younger kids, and they got to try different items and they put a sticker up if they like it, if they love it, um, if they don't like it, and they would put a sticker up and let us know. Uh, that's the way we would survey them. Um, >> any other >> Thank you. Any further questions, Miss Babcock? >> So, just to clarify, two things. So, I love what you just said about giving the younger kids an option to like say, "I like it. I love it." And pull little stickers on it. I feel like the group that is is is really feeling like they're under reppresented as the middle middle school students because what's happening is is you the younger kids there's they're the earlier lunches. There's enough food for them. There's enough choices for
073them. They're getting a portion size that most of them, you know, that's enough for them. The high school, I've been here. The food at the high school, even, you know, like anything, after a while, you're eating this this this, you know, I work in a university. We have a food service. I've been there for 25 years. There's only so many times I can have the same meal, but they're still lovely. So, I've been seeing the meals at the high school. There's a lot of variety. Rotisseries sounds great. a salad bar. That's my favorite actually at at the university because I can make it whatever I want it to be. But it's the middle school students that I feel like that like the seventh and eighth graders in particular, they're feel like >> there's not much
074of a selection left if the by the time my lunch period comes along and an extra piece of fruit may not be enough if you're only got say an x amount of chicken tenders and the kindergarteners are getting the same amount. Is the proportions of food for seventh and eighth graders a different portion than it is for like for example K through sixth? That's my big question. >> There's a difference in calories. So when you say portion, it's it's it's regulated by calories. So we have a dietitian that reviews the menus. Yes. So, um, you know, the I guess what we can do is there's there's different meals that will fill up. If you have a shepherd's pie, if you have heavier meals, then there's lighter meals. Uh, we have a meal that's a parfait
075at the K8s, >> uh, a parfait and say a pretzel. And that's that could be a meal, but that's not, you know, that that's a lighter meal for young for kids, uh, that do like that. that that's what they like. But I I see what you're saying. If if you do heavier meals, more um more meals that are more filling, then that would you give those kids that choice. And then you also have the salads. We do salads. We do wraps. We do uh bento boxes in the K8s. So, you're trying to get >> trying to get the kids that want to get filled up that need that. And you also want to give kids a choice to have a wrap, a Caesar wrap, um a turkey sandwich, things like that, cuz they they're so
076active and running, they don't want to get filled up. So, we're trying to get No, >> let's see. >> Both groups. If you look at, for example, the eighth graders, the reality is is that they could be the same age as our ninth graders so easily, depending on where their birthday falls, and when you get to the high school, it's plenty of food. That's not the issue at all. Um, but when you're in that in between spot, >> yeah, the short answer is is that it's 4 ounces of protein for a 5-year-old and 4 ounces of protein for a 18-year-old. And that's regulated by >> Oh, for it does irregardless of >> grade level. Mhm. which is about the size of a >> 4 oz. >> It's the size of a card deck for >>
077So it sounds like to me that you're kind of regulated in the portion and I think that's what Miss Babcock wants to understand as as do we all. >> I I think the key here was um we do have options for students at all the grade levels so that they can pick the hot meal, they can pick the pizza line. So they have a few options. And so a student who may already understand that a piece of pizza is not going to make him or her filled at grade seven can pick the hot lunch line and get that 4 oz option with others. >> Yeah. Right. Like uh right macaro and like Yeah. pasta and meat sauce, things like that is going to fill fill them up. >> And I think I heard you say
078that and and I know that I had this question before because Miss Babcock brings up a very good point about kids who want full just period. you know like it may be appropriate the way the government tells us to feed them. Um you know I don't want to see any child leave these school buildings that isn't we talk about feeding our kids we have to feed our kids right so we offer breakfast we offer you know a good lunch and sometimes it isn't necessarily desirable but it meets all the requirements. Is it not true that you also provide or give them an opportunity to um get more fruit and vegetables which is not regulated? Is that would that be a correct statement? >> Yes, that'd be correct. So they can come back and get another
079portion of fruit and vegetables. So instead of instead of them in line getting double fruit and if they sit down, they they have their meal and they're hungry, they want to come back up and get an apple or a banana, they're allowed to do that to come up. that's not regulated. The more fruit they eat, the fruit. Yeah. The fruit and vegetables. Yeah. I think the the the meal is is more um what's regulated, >> right? >> When you get into the proteins and the in that part of the dish, then you're dealing with the sodium content and the fat content and that's what what we really are regulating with the children. >> You know what would disturb me and and if if I'm I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm hoping that nothing gets thrown
080away at the end of the day. We are we seeing when things aren't eat eaten up. So in other words, we don't need a survey to tell us that meal X is not a good meal. >> No, what we have is production records. So if we try something new uh tomorrow, say we try something new to see people say in a survey they like this. If we try it, what happens is we gather the data that would tell us we made, you know, 500 portions and they only took a 100 portions. So, we'll know that's not a good meal. Take it off next month. It's not going to work. If in reverse, if it's we made 500 portions and 470 went, then we know, oh, wow, that's that's a hit and we'll put it on
081the next month. So, we keep that data. That's uh required by the USDA for us to keep that data, but that helps us in our menu program of what's working and what isn't working. >> I know I've expressed to you myself personally and to to a predecessor of yours here. I don't want any child to leave our buildings hungry. Period. And I know there's regulations, but there's always I'll say it on right here in public. There's ways around it. I don't want any child who comes to our schools. We talk about feeding them and getting them ready for school. I don't want any child to walk away hungry. If there's a way that we can support that effort when a child is hungry and comes back, we need to find and I again I didn't
082mean to interrupt, but I would hate to think any child is leaving our schools hungry. And we have food everywhere around here. We feed people at night. We feed them in the day, in the morning to get them into school. I I I think we have to look at that and I don't know what that answer is. I'm not trying to put you on the spot. I think we all would feel the same way, right? We don't want our kids to leave hungry. We want to give them nourishment. We want to give them options. We want to make sure it's healthy and and hot, but if it's supposed to be hot and cold when it's supposed to be cold, >> but at the end of the day, if they're not eating it or they're not
083getting enough, that doesn't make us look any better. So, I'm just I wanted to interrupt because I hate hearing this part that somebody may not get what they need. But I I apologize for interrupting. >> Yeah, even even the breakfast like it's breakfast after the bell. So if a child comes in uh that misses the misses the bell and they want breakfast, they'll come down and we'll give them breakfast so they don't miss breakfast. So we always >> uh have we call breakfast after the bell, right? >> Uh so they can come and get breakfast. Um, I know there's food sometimes in uh the nurse's office if it becomes an issue there that they have uh food that we provide over there for them uh in those cases. >> Yep. >> Miss Cornelio. >> Yes.
084I have a question. I've gotten certain complaints from students and parents that they don't have enough time to eat. I know I worked here for five years in this building and by the time if you were on the fifth floor I don't know how the bells work how the time by the time you ran down literally and got your food and sat down you had like it five minutes boom you're throwing the stuff in the barrel and it's time to go back the bell rings. How can we um find the right time for people to sit down? At least they have to have a certain amount of time to eat the food by the time you're in line to get it. >> Yeah. That's not We we don't um do the schedule. >> Yeah. >>
085You do this. I'm sorry. >> Right. Scheduling lunches is on us and to get enough kids through the line in a reasonable time. And you know how >> Oh, I know. >> You know, we're serving lunch in in some of our buildings at 10:30. >> I know. lunch is at 10:30 for the first group of lunch at 10:30 in the morning. It's inconable. We don't have any space. We have to feed them, >> you know, and we from 10:30 to >> everywhere I've been it's an issue. Some some places I think the minimum is 20 minutes for lunchtime and 15 for breakfast and some schools go right to that minute. Some give you an extra five. >> Uh but yeah, it's it's not a lot of time for the kids. We understand that. So, we
086try to make the food as quick as possible. We have it up on the line for them to >> grab because I know going through those lines I had student was insane. >> Well, I hope uh at some point that can be addressed and maybe >> the students want to go to school till 4 p.m. Is that okay? We can a lunch hour. >> No, just take your your lunch after. But yeah, I'm glad they have an at least a good breakfast to start the day because your protein is necessary even for your thinking, you know. >> Agreed. >> Thank you. Thank you, Miss Cranio. I just have one question that kind of plays off of that. Um, I know you don't handle the scheduling of lunches. Um, and I've been at the high school
087during lunch and I've been at K through8 during lunch. It's very efficient. The students come in, put their stuff down, go in line, get their food, sit and eat. If there's not enough time for them to sit and eat the first portion and not enough time for them to get up and then go grab something else, could they if they know they're going to be hungry and they're getting something lighter, could they when they're in line the first time ask for an extra banana or fruit? >> Sure. That's okay. >> Yeah. I the I could tell you what the rule I could tell you what the rules are, but I could tell you the ladies that I we have here over the years, they they're from the community. They take care of the kids. >>
088I didn't want to publicize the fact that we do get plenty out when kids get I don't want to get myself in trouble, but I can tell you >> I know we're all going to get in trouble for that. >> They uh they kids. We have wonderful people here. They're caring and um >> they make sure. >> Yep. >> Um >> they're wonderful. >> Okay. Thank you. Um could I actually go to Emma and then take Emma? Go right ahead. >> Yes. I just wanted to say that lunch is very efficient at the high school. I have last I had last lunch today. So going down it was very efficient. I got a hefty load of mozzarella sticks. So last lunch was not bad at all. I would like to bring back the Italian combo
089sandwich. That is my favorite lunch, but I'll talk to you in the advisory session. Um but it is very efficient going off what Miss Cornelio said. And then there's options for everybody at lunch. I don't see anyone really with an empty space in front of them rarely. Someone at least has an orange or a fruit or a vegetable if they're not getting the special, which is very popular at DHS. There's always a long line, but again, it moves very efficiently and there's something for everyone. There's a salad, there's a smoothie, so our students are being fed and I can see that each day whether I have second lunch on A days or last lunch on Bdays. >> Thank you. Thank you, Emma. Miss Babcock, >> like I said it it what I was hearing from
090what I brought to you today. I was hearing this more from the middle >> middle school students. They are in because honestly the high school selection my daughter used to say you know she's like it was sometimes it would be something that I would love and I just want to eat it every day and then other times it would be something that she didn't think it was so great when she was a high school student here. Um, but you know, so you're you're telling me that you're surveying the meals if it's if it's not if like for example, I had a middle school family parent, they had tried an attempt at poutine that did not go over well at the at the middle school and it didn't look very good. It was fries and gravy
091with some cheese, but it wasn't it was just like shredded cheese and obviously cheese cheese has protein and that was the meal and that did not that they did not love that. >> Yeah, we we we realized that before that we we realized that. >> Yeah, I got a few a few images of it. >> I was like, it doesn't look like that in France. >> We had a I think the chef uh thought he uh >> be creative. Yeah, he he has a lot of hotel experience and thought that uh it to to give it a try. And again, you want to try different things for different kids to see. He used Moroccan vegetables um with it. So again, not every not not everyone's a home run and that that wasn't and that will
092go by the wayside. >> So I I have two things. So and one is for Mr. heart because maybe you can give us give them a suggestion. It says, "How can we promote the FD meal planner to families and students so that they can see the menus in advance and and and take a look at, you know, what is being offered?" Because a lot of times they're like, "Oh, I didn't even know what was available. So, what can we do?" >> Well, I mean, I we did make that I mean, not that everyone listens to our school committee meetings or follows us necessarily on social media, but those are our ven our opportunities to get the word out. But we have we have done that in the past with a similar conversation oh back in
093the fall. I think it was before the school committee and we talked about the planner and the way in which people could participate and provide feedback. >> Um you certainly could go back to the students and I think uh Mr. Amente mentioned the ways in which they were going to do some outreach themselves >> to remind students that they have that option to go on and if they >> and again I think that we've we could certainly send it out through class dojo and the K through8 schools I know that you're interested telling families hey weigh in if you >> want to and talk about our food >> that's the share that with you >> and I and I actually have a sheet that I could give you that uh would explain a quick summary.
094So that could go out with a newsletter at the schools how to use it and >> so that that would >> and that's the best way for families to give feedback is using the >> Yeah. I mean if they want and that goes directly to to Joe Amenti and his staff and then they review it. >> Yeah. >> Right. So the last thing was to just go back to that portion thing. We said that our lunch ladies are you know we off the record are awesome. Not off the record. They're actually really awesome. And my do daughter daughter was the one who was going back to get more fruits and vegetables always they're like go ahead take it enjoy it but a a lot of times because of the limited time it isn't as easy
095to grab that extra food if they need it and in particular like I said just take a look at the middle school maybe when you're meeting with the student councils maybe meet with the middle school because they have student councils too and they are >> that was yeah we we will we'll do that and >> not just the high school ones but also the uh the middle school ones because those kids will >> they they're they're smart and they're assertive about their opinions. We've met them a number of times. So, and just check in to see what you know what other adjustments that could possibly make those special meals at the end of the day still available. It isn't here. It's it's it's that's where the parents and some of the kids have mentioned that
096they're and um a lot of times like if you're the last last lunch at the middle schools you go up to go get something else and they're already cleaning up. They're already because they it's the last lunch of the day and it's time to clean up and which they have to do. So that's also part of it. By the time they're done eating, they go back to go get something and it's already put away. we'll we'll make sure that um potentially take care of that >> depending on the you know how how how quickly they ate or so forth. So th those were the things that I had heard from some parents and they wanted us to ask um so you know having specials available the what they especially those middle schoolers and and um
097a variety not the I guess poutine. >> Thank you Miss Babcock. Thank you. I have Miss Cardillo and then Emma again. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. We could talk about this subject because sustenance is very important. We know that at every level of our life, it always is. So, we need to feed our children, no matter how old or young. In order to do this right, I honestly think this whole thing needs to go into a subcommittee and invite the appropriate people like the nutritionists, someone from Witson, and probably like some of the cafeteria work because they know you don't want to be pulling people off the job, but if there's a time of day where you could get them there, like the head person in the cafeteria, because when you brainstorm together like that,
098you'll come up because they're there. I have been to several different schools over the years and watched more food being thrown away and it just annoys me. I'm not saying from the cafeteria, from the trays, they take stuff, they try it, whether it's they don't like it or they don't have time to eat it, whatever it is. And I'm thinking, you know, maybe we should just go with soup and sandwich. I mean, like, you can't ruin soup and sandwich. Well, you can ruin soup, I guess, but it's like if they're not going to eat it, why are we serving it? if they're gonna bite into it and think it's gross and throw it away, they're not eating. You look, it looks like they're eating because they filled up their tray. So, I mean, I like
099the idea of smoothies because those are quick and easy and they taste good and they have vitamins in them and that is good. And I I just think to resolve this issue once and for all because this has been ongoing over the years. I can remember this and I want to say that I've been around a while, but it's been going on. I would like to see this go into the committee on cafeteria and I am going to defer to the chair of the cafeteria committee right now to decide who she should invite and that would be Margaret Canelio. Thank you. >> Thank you, Miss Cardillo. Um, Miss Perry, did you have any more comments or questions on the middle school topic? I haven't been in middle school for four years now, but in eighth
100grade every day, I ate a Greek salad and when it wasn't available, the lunch leaders would make it for me. And I remember that distinctly. So, I just want to say how great our lunch staff really is at the high school and in the middle schools. And if it wasn't available for a student, they would make it. And I think that the options with the special each day, my last period class, we look at the schedule online. It's on the website. It's like you scroll down a little bit, it's like the third one over in a gray box. We look at it every day. and we like me and my friends in my class were like, "Oh, it's quinoa today." And we're excited to try new things. So, I think that's important for students, too,
101to be able to try new things that they're not getting to be able to try at home cuz my mom makes pasta three times a week. So, I would enjoy trying something new, >> just threw her mother under the bus. Just to just to add just to add to the um Cadillo said um we have a monthly meeting with all the leads. So up at the high school each month we bring all the leads together and that's when they talk to us about the menu and what you know what works at Lafayette doesn't work at whatever and we we brainstorm. So that would be a good time if um you wanted someone from the committee to come and and we would have all the leads for all the schools there. Um but >> so let
102me know when the next couple are planned and and we'll pass it along to the chair of the committee and if it works we'll post it and they can go and attend. >> Yeah. But but really you you should see there's a lot of kids that are hungry and there's a lot of kids that eat. I I could tell you they're they're and You can tell me, you could say it, too. There's a lot of kids that do eat the meal and eat everything. Um, and um, we we realize how important it is and so does the staff, how it is, how important it is to them. So, >> thank you very much. Any Yep. M >> just one last comment. We just we do have to keep in mind like not all of us
103are privileged that if we don't like the meal we don't have to worry about it because when we walk out the door we can go to Dunkin Donuts or we can go get whatever we want to eat or go to Alivanders or whatever we want. Some of these kids I remember that um Mr. Brady when he was at the Lafayette he said to me and it is it has stayed with me for the last six years. I said, 'Oh, the kids seem real excited about break. And they said, you know, a lot of them are really nervous because over vacation for winter break means they may not eat. >> Yeah. >> So, you know, if I I feel like every kid should have the opportunity to eat because not everybody's going to leave school and
104have their parent or guardian pick them up and they'll say, "Oh, I didn't like lunch. Can we go out to lunch instead?" So, um, you know, I know that my daughter was was sometimes she would eat lunch and sometimes she wouldn't. And if she didn't, she I she knew I would take care of it. But not a lot of our kids don't have that same opportunity. They do not. And when vacations come, that like time in between uh when summer starts and school ends and school lunches don't start back up, there's there's food insecurity. So I want to make sure that that for sure the kids who want to eat get to eat or need to eat get to eat >> if I may as the new guy. >> Yes. >> So I've come from
105public schools where uh you you know Everett is very fortunate to have Witson's here in the se amount of selections that we give our kids >> uh here at the school. should be really happy with I they might not like everything all the time but three salads, four sandwiches, you know, an entree um you know at every level where it self op schools you might get one salad and one entree and one s like the the the selection is much more limited. So yes, I I know you know 7,000 kids is a lot to please. You're never going to get everybody happy on the same day if it's even 20 30% that are happy uh during that day. But I can tell you that we have a lot of selection and if a kid doesn't
106like a meal and again we we'll figure out a way to how to communicate this. But if kid takes a bite of a meal and throws it away, they need to know they can come back and say, "Look, I really didn't like this. Can I get something else?" And we are more than happy to provide them with a second meal. >> And I know that's And I know that's been the practice quite frankly. >> So if that is a great that's And one other way I want going to communicate with the upper school and I don't know how much the younger schools uh do it but I usually start a social media page for the high school cafeteria and for all the lower school cafeterias for the kids. They're always on their phone. Uh I
107don't know what the plat I usually use Instagram. I don't know if that's gone by the wayside or what you use these days but that's where I usually start on. And um but at these meetings that I go with you, you know, to the school school uh meetings, I will ask, you know, what would be the best platform for you kids to uh to, you know, follow along. I'll have the menus posted the week before so you can see what's coming up that week. Uh any specials that are coming up, I'll put put them in advance just to kind of create excitement and get the kids looking at it and kind of draw them into the cafeteria. I found it re it was really helpful uh in the last school I was at and I
108you know, I think it would be a big impact here as well. He does a he does a cooking show on uh Foxboro, the town of Foxro's um public access channel. >> Thanks for keeping the paparazzi out. >> So um so maybe we can have a >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to get Chef Charlie on my show and you know if we I know that this school has a culinary program. It's a long way to Fox. I don't know if the kids could get there, but I would love to get some of the kids on the show and uh it it is on YouTube as well. It's called Let's Cook with Mike. You can be one of my many tens of followers if you uh get on board with that. >> How about Let's Cook
109with Mike and Everett. >> There you go. We can do it. You have a production crew here. Yes, we do. >> We do. And we and we work with the We have culinary students that work in the kitchen. So, some of the kids actually work in the kitchen. We also do the um culinary competition with the culinary department every year. And and the winner gets to do their meal at the school at the high school. and they actually serve it. So, >> you just bought yourself some new activities. >> We have a production crew. >> I love it. >> Thank you very much. If there's no further questions or comments, could we entertain excusing our guests? >> Excuse our customers uh for cost my thanks. Our guests for my thanks. >> Second the motion. >>
110Motion made and seconded to excuse our guests with the customary thanks. All those in favor? >> I. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Thank you very much. Thank you. >> Welcome, Mike. Thank you for coming tonight, too. >> Uh before we move on, if anyone would like to entertain a motion to refer this piece to uh cafeteria subcommittee. >> So moved and seconded to refer the discussion to of current cafeteria offerings and potential improvements um item to the cafeteria subcommittee. All those in favor? I. All those opposed? The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Item number two is a discussion of the Ever Public School attendance notification process and procedure. It was offered by Miss Babcock and chairperson Hurley. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Miss Babcock. So, I
111I am bringing this item to the agenda record uh regarding student attendance and notification policies because some families have shared concern about receiving notices that don't always reflect their students actual attendance. Um I have to say that when my daughter was here, there were times that she was marked absent when she shouldn't have been marked absent. She was um for example like Emma, she was uh in the student council and Mr. Enrico would call them down and then there might be a substitute that would then mark them absent thinking they weren't there but there was an email sent and they didn't know. So there are sometimes errors that happen in reporting to the like parents will get a call and some of the parents seem to be really upset about it because they're like I
112know like I know my kids in class I don't know why they were marked absent. Um and so I guess I just wanted to just see if we could discuss some of the communication inconsistencies. you know, maybe you can we can identify what they are because you know it there's nothing worse than having a discussion with your kid who's like you were supposed to be in school today and said you weren't in school and I got a call and they're like no I was and then you know with modern technology you can literally be look at your phone and be like nope I can see that my kid was in school or you dropped them off yourselves. So maybe we can just talk about what might cause the inconsistencies. I I think that's that Miss
113Chair chairperson Lambert would like to add that. I I have it in the form of a few questions, but I'll let you go first. >> Different chairperson. >> Chairperson. >> You said Lambert. That's the other Samantha. >> Hurley. That's okay. >> I'm sorry. >> Samantha's a great name. >> It is a great name. >> Um thank you, Miss Babcock. To play off of what you just said, yes, I I um I've brought this up multiple times to the superintendent. I'm a parent that gets some of those phone calls and sometimes it's tardy and absent and stuff like that. I think I wanted this on the agenda just so that out in the open and and on public record we could have it explained um when attendance is taking where our students should be when attendance
114is being taken and how does that um reflect in the system for parents to get those phone calls? >> I had those questions too. same as Miss Hurley. Um, and so those and I have just one more. So what steps can like for example it have I think it's going to happen. It's just there's there is a human element to taking attendance. So, um, if if a parent has received an incorrect notification, what is the established record for kind of like trying to set it straight for the student so that they're not marked absent or not marked tatty tardy because those that there is a legal ramification to attendance as well. Plus the trust between like the parent and the child as well. you know parents really most parent well not all but I know
115that some the parents that have brought this up were like my kid was in school so and the problem is is that incorrect notifications may lead parents to just be like oh that's just a mistake I'm not going to even listen to it anymore so >> we'll let you >> I'm going to give you some general comments to address again items like this >> can be so different depending on the circumstance and who may have registered a complaint let or or a call or an email. And yes, can errors occur in a system? And I'm assuming that most of your concerns come out of Everett High School because the 2,300 kids in a building um and trying to jam into the building at a certain time in the morning can be crazy at best. The
116fact of the matter is, and I'm going to talk about generalities because I don't know every specific instance, and I know a couple of us received an email from a parent who raised a concern about uh recorded tardy. When a student comes to Ever High School, our building is open at 7:30. They're allowed to have breakfast, so to speak, roam the building, and get to their home room by 8:00. There are bells to remind them to get to that place. At 801, attendance is taken. If you're not in that room, but maybe in the building, that doesn't help you. You're not recorded at 801 or 802. Bad weather days, that is a little bit more lenient because we know that it's trying at some point in this process, especially with bad weather or a circumstance,
117for example, out here on Elm Street that may occur that prevents pedestrians and/or vehicles from coming up to allow the kids to get into school at a certain time. When we know those things, while we may record them at that moment in time as tardy, it does it is an excuse tardy, it is not because they're skipping school. So, but by 20 minutes to 10, and I know Mr. Lynch and Dr. Bger are both here uh to fortify um what I tell you and certainly answer specific questions. By 2010, the parent or guardian whose phone number is recorded with us and recorded with us appropriately because some people don't get the calls because they've changed their number, they don't update the the system, they get a recorded message that says, and I know that we
118had an issue because I think at one point we had an older principal's voice that was no longer here recording the message and we never changed that recording. The message was still correct. It was just the wrong principal at the time. Um, and it would say your child is tardy or absent from Ever High School. And same would be at the K through8 buildings, which we don't have as many of those calls. So I I'm using Ever High School as the example. Um, at the end of the day, which I'm looking at the time, we a parent would get a call at 6:00 and I'm going to move it down a little to be a little bit earlier. parent, guardian, whoseever's name and phone number is on their contact would get a follow-up call confirming
119what we reported earlier. So, let's just say for argument sake somewhere along the line it said that, you know, Bill Hart was absent. We picked that attendance up because he's not absent. He's still in the building. He just didn't go to home room and he he his his attendance is picked up at a later class. the phone call that you get at now I think three o'clock Dr. Dr. Brager or Dennis, we were looking at 3:00 as potentially, but right now it's 6. Um, it would say, "Nope, your student was tardy. This is Ever High School calling. Your student was tardy." So, it corrects the record, so to speak, in that particular example. Now, there's lots of other scenarios that could exist, um, including just being wrong completely because somebody came in um, and didn't
120show up to class. They just didn't go. And so we record them as absent. They might be here. Their mother or father of guardian thinks they're here, but they're not. Now, we record tardy even though they may still be in the building because legally we have to do that, too. But that that's just a quick scenario that I know occurs. But I I want to just make sure that all you all folks understand. While you may get a call or two from a parent, and Dr. Brager, you can correct me. Doc, Mr. Lynch, you're here. I don't think that we get a handful of phone calls from parents at the school that suggest that we that something's wrong, but I could be wrong. I'll let you guys speak to that. Um, and I hope that
121helps. I mean because an incident may occur that may have been somewhere an error, it does not mean that that's prevalent at the school that we have to redo our system that we have to say, "Oh gosh, oh gosh, we're really we're really bad at this cuz we do hear from parents on a lot of things and that really isn't one of them. However, I'm not saying even if it's one parent, if we made a mistake, we own up to it." And I know in a particular case that has happened. So, um, if you want and ask more specific process questions and maybe give you a lot more scenarios, um, I would ask you to invite both of those folks forward. Dr. Bragas here, uh, Mr. Lynch, assistant superintendent of student services. Both of them,
122um, kind of monitor this for us. So, I welcome that. >> Would anyone like to entertain a motion to >> make a motion to bring Dr. Brager forward? >> Want a second? Second. >> Motion made and seconded to invite Dr. Braa before us. All those in favor? >> All those opposed. The eyes have it. Welcome Dr. Braa. >> Do we want >> Could we also entertain a motion to invite assistant superintendent Lynch before us as well since he stayed? >> Thank you. Motion made and seconded to invite assistant superintendent Lynch before us as well. All those in favor? I. >> All those opposed? The eyes have it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And once again, I'd like to mention that um Dr. Brager communicates attendance policy to students and and staff, excuse me, students
123and families on a weekly basis. I saw our most recent one actually. It's very clear about the expectations especially at Everett High School and how you can get recorded tardy or absent depending on uh which scenario you fall under. But I think both of these gentlemen have had firsthand experience with um the system and the activity of our students and you know concerns that Miss Babcock and others may have chairperson Hurley. So I don't if you have specific questions maybe they can address them better than I do. >> Sure. Miss Babcock. Um, I can honestly say that when when my daughter was here, at least once every six weeks, someone would incorrectly report her absent because of random circumstances. The superintendent gave us some great examples of how that happened, like you got called down
124just to to do the the school committee and somehow the home room teacher didn't. She's like, I told them, but then they were like, yeah, okay, whatever. And then it just didn't happen. So, and I do believe like maybe in the past some each home room was slightly like if you're okay, as long as you're in there before we switch periods, I'm uh and before I bring it down, it's okay. And then maybe and then there's a maybe a substitute. So, I'm just curious. I just to if you could just clarify exactly the time and this is for everybody who's listening so that the parents will know too. Um the time that attendance will be taken in home room. >> Yeah, no problem. I'll be happy to. So in this past well first I'm Dr.
125Brager principal ever high school. Good evening everybody. Thank you for inviting me here. Um so in the most recent uh communication I sent out to families and all our communications are posted on our website as well. um if you'd ever like to see them from this past Sundays to all the other Sundays. Um but each Sunday I send out a different communication and some things are recurring, but for this week I did put that um policy right at the top. And so I'll just go through it with you shortly. So 7:30 a.m. the Ever High School doors open. Breakfast is available. Sometimes I'll open it a little bit earlier if the weather's cold or if it's raining. Um 7:45 students move to their home room. So students then move to home room. Home room begins
126at 8 a.m. At 8:01 we begin to mark students tardy and that's both for students coming in the door and also students who arrive to home room at 8:01. At 8:07 home room ends and students move to their first period class at 1A or 1B depending on the day and then we do take in consider different conditions that may be taking place in terms of excusing tardies. So, you know, I know that that policy seems a little rigid. The reality is is that we have to make sure that we have accurate attendance to the best of our ability every day. So, that's why it's so important that at that time we start marking students tardy so we have an accurate record. We have a couple things that do support us during the day. We do
127have a messaging system that we work through here in the building. So, if a student arrives to first period and for some reason they're marked absent, but they're in the seat, a teacher will email or send a message and then we'll change that record. Um, so that's helpful as well, too. So, we try to be as consistent and um with attendance, do mistakes happen? They do. Uh, when I do get calls, I I I will make the change. I'll have a personal conversation with the parent or if it's by email. So those are some of the things we have in place to support with overall attendance and we are checking attendance on a regular basis. So we are checking it throughout the day. Um if there is any mistakes we'll go back. I mean like
128for example uh on Mondays we have my cap so students go back to home room so we get a a second chance to make sure that attendance is accurate. So that's again the the policy and procedure we have in place. Could a mistake happen? It definitely could. Do we fix mistakes? We do. I mean, that's why we have to stay in communication throughout the day to have um accurate attendance. >> I don't know if that addresses because that's something that's been in place even, you know, maybe back when when um when your daughter was here. And I'm sorry to hear that every six weeks you had a an issue like that. Um because I again I don't think that we've had that kind of feedback if you know both members Hurley and Babcock have heard
129from parents. What's been your experience? Have you had that many phone calls of people concerned about errors, mistakes, parents coming or has it been what you told me last week that it's been very few? >> It's been few. I don't I don't get too many calls of um complaints in terms of attendance. Yeah. >> Okay. Thank uh Emma, >> I wanted to say it's the student's responsibility to be in the right place at the right time and to be in home room on time. If a student's marked absent, it's usually because their home room teacher didn't mark it correctly, which isn't always their fault. It's not necessarily the system. And my first period teacher, if that ever happens, will tell me, "Email your assistant principal." And then again, it's still the student's responsibility. Like your
130daughter is probably in her coach's room, and there was just a discrepancy within. So, it's the student's responsibility to make sure their home room teacher knows they can send them an email. So, I I believe it's students need to be more aware of where they are and communicate with their parents that it's just an issue that's going to be revised by their assistant principal. >> Thank you, Emma. Um, Miss Babcock, um, how is attendance taken? I assume it's taken electronically >> through Aspen. Yeah. >> Through Aspen. >> Yeah. >> Yes. So, yeah, you're you're not you're not wrong because she would come in and she would say, "Hey, I'm here." Then drop all her sports equipment somewhere. That's just her particular case. And sometimes they would not they'd be like, "Oh, really? You were?" Um,
131so no, it's like I said, it's not infallible. I don't think the whole system is wrong. It's just that I there was a parent that was concerned that their child was being marked absent when they weren't and they asked me to put it on the agenda. I think it's very smart for us to have a conversation because when we everybody has now heard exactly how it works, what time the door opens, what time home room starts, what time attendance is taken. and Emma was very kind to say, you know what, if something like that happens, email your vice principal, um, if there is a mistake and it will be adjusted. So, >> I hope everybody does hear that because not everybody watches this. That's why it's important for folks to look at the website, to
132follow the emails that they receive from Dr. Braa to take some personal responsibility. Yes. And of course, we do have from time to time reminders. We send in the lower grades, we send reminders through class dojo for parents to get their students in on time. I just um I'm just cautioning this conversation because it is not a huge problem and I don't want people to be mis mistaken by this. This is just information about practice and policy and sometimes mistakes happen. 2400 kids in a day. A parent was correct in calling us and we would have corrected it upon the phone call and we did. It can happen but it is not rampant. It is not a systemic concern. We want to be sure the kids are in the school and on time and you
133know we appreciate um you know parents and guardians and others to help us get their kids to school on time so that we won't have this. we did get better with the information and how we call folks and again we always ask parents to be sure parents or guardians to be sure that their contact information is also up to date because that's another issue we have that you know people change numbers left and right with cell phones and we have to have current information to contact them through the system because the system can work if we have that information we've had a lot of you know bad information that we're trying to correct as well >> I I just want to indicate Okay, that I don't think this is a systematic error. I think that
134it's it's more, you know, students not being as transparent as they probably should um as well, you know, and being so um I that was not the case. It's just just just so if a parent had a concern about it, that would at least. The one other question someone had asked was about the possibility of it not being a phone call per se, but the possibility of a text messaging system. >> We're looking into that. Mr. Lynch has uh started that process. We do know some other districts do both or just a text. We're looking at the option. Currently, our system that we currently own does not allow us to do that. Otherwise, we would have already done that. It's just we may have to buy either an additional software and we're looking at that
135already. We we've talked about that for a bit. I think we're just waiting for some cost analysis. Is that >> so we yeah we use school messenger which speaks to Aspen. >> Yes. >> And so that that would go through. So um one point that I did want to bring up which was an important distinction that was made uh back in 2021 we did change the way the calls went out where they were combined. Your child is either tardy or absent. So recently um which makes sense we went back to the other way that says your child is tardy your child is absent. So it differentiates between the two rather than you know because that does create confusion. All right. Well, especially for the older kids, right, the high school, they're self-sufficient. They could be
136leaving in the morning doing their own thing. Mom, dad, whoever's at work, you know what? Well, was Dennis absent or was he tardy? So, we've we've made that correction there, which is good. U a lot of districts don't do the tardy, just the absent. Uh we think it's important here to have the tardy as well because if you take an hour or two to to get to school, you know, mom and dad wants to know that. Um so, that was a change that we did make. I think the text is probably the way that everyone it's just easy. They can see okay and check it up. Um so looking through constant contact is another one. We've been using school messenger here in this district for for years and years. Um I mean it works well
137with with Aspen. So that's what it does. It will pull that file and then it it sends out those automated calls so they know. Um just to go back a little bit of the history um when I became the principal here now 3 or four years ago um I reinstitated uh reinstateed uh home room. So home room it was first period there was just that wide 75minute block to take attendance. Um having the home room you should know by 8:07 when that home room bell rings who is in the school and who is not. It's the most important thing is to know if your kid is here or not. Your student is here or not. Um, do mistakes happen? They do. They're usually corrected. The other important thing at the high school level, home room
138has taken every class. So, usually those mistakes, if there are mistakes or someone missed home room, they came in tardy, they were with a coach, they were doing anything else, that that will be caught by the first period teacher, the second period teacher throughout the day. Those discrepancies are sent to the assistant principal by grade level. Um, and then those are usually corrected through there. We've gone to an automated system for tardies that automatically speaks to Aspen. So if they get through it will be they'll scan their ID, it automatically puts them into the system and then they're marked and then those calls will go out later. So just as a little bit it's um at the elementary level when I was there little different because most of those students are self-contained other than that
139you know they're with the same teacher all day until you get to the seventh and eighth grade where they will start to switch classes. Um so it is you know I don't want to say a little easier but they're with that same teacher all day. So those are they're much easier to catch if there are where you have a home room of 30 students and go forward. That's why we keep the same home rooms with our students hopefully to form that relationship and find out. I mean, I know Dr. Braa since, you know, since he's been here and in his past and we've talked about it, taking accurate attendance is extremely important. To your point, there is a human element into it, particularly if there's a substitute in the class and they may not be
140familiar. Um, that would be but they do have access to the traditional home room teachers attendance. So they could mark that in real time as well, but it's more of a the whole roll call vote. You know, is Dennis Lynch here? Is John Brager here? And then, you know, raising their hand and then marking them down. So, but uh to the superintendent's point over the over the years of there have there been some incidents I've got a call, but um very rarely. And if they are, they're usually corrected. But it is I mean, you're their parent, their guardian. You want to know if your child is there, what time they got there, and if they stayed the whole day. Personally, I'd rather get an incorrect call and then try to straighten it, have it straightened
141out than than not know that my child was missing. >> Absolutely. >> We've had instances, just as a quick FYI, last year um when a student goes home and tells their parent, "Oh, no, I was there." We can actually tell you what time they logged in. So, we say, "No, she came in at 8:39 and I had a conversation with the parent cuz well, I dropped them off her off at 7:30." Yes, I'm >> She came in the building at 8:39 and I went through the whole I had a whole list. >> It happens. I mean, so that's what I'm saying. We cuz even if they come, as Mr. Delynch just said, they come through the back entrance. We listen to parents about getting people in the building instead of coming around the front. If
142you're coming from the housing projects or North Everett, you want to come in the fourth floor. So, we instituted a we we bought a new a new check-in system. So, when they come in, they scan their their uh ID. we know exactly when they came in the building. So, we're trying to find every way to get them in here. And just as an FYI, as I report every month, our attendance rate is is strong. Our tardies are down. I mean, so we we're doing some things right here. And, you know, can things potentially because of human, you know, it can happen. But by and large, um, the system's been working and sometimes a person's child falls through, but it is not something that we experience on a day-to-day basis. >> Well, it sounds like there's
143a lot of nuanced improvements to this that I think are going to make a huge difference. Anyway, when this was originally asked of me, it was almost two months ago. So, it sounds like there's been some nuance changes already. So it sounds it it Thank you for >> No, I I think these have these have been here since the beginning of the school year. It's the only thing that's really changed is maybe the >> the between the tardy and the absence. >> Yeah, that that's I mean >> but that's a big thing >> if I may from the chair. I missed my opportunity to ask I was actually going to ask about a text messaging system along with a phone call system um because maybe people don't answer the phones or listen to their messages.
144I think it's also important, and I'm not sure how we could communicate this, for parents to have their updated contact information at every school where their children attend. Um, everyone knows who I am, but someone may have changed a phone number, may not have the same email, and when is that opportunity to update that information with the office? I remember we used to fill out a million um emergency cards and hand them in. Um, so maybe asking parents to have the proper their proper contact information um, updated at all the schools. But to Miss Perry's statement, I think it was important to mention like the students really need to be where they're supposed to be. Um, school starting at 8 a.m. doesn't mean you step foot in the building at 8 a.m. You're in your
145seat in your classroom at 8:00 a.m. whether it's K through 8 or high school. That's how we're um taking attendance and we're being monitored. Um, so we do take attendance in the morning and then we check again throughout the afternoon at least at the high school. >> Correct. >> Um, there is that difference with the phone call between absent and tardy now. Um, thank you for that change. Um, I like that we're looking into text messaging uh system and phone call system. Um, you are communicating on your end. I like your emails. They're so there's links and you can click on them and you give the whole schedule for the week so parents can see the students schedule for the week. um upcoming events. Um and parents have the ability through talking points to communicate
146with their students guidance counselors with you directly with the dean's assistant principles now um that correlate with the students. So if there is an issue with the attendance they more than um have the opportunity to reach out on talking points or via email. Same with the K through8 class dojo. you can um direct message your child's teacher. Um and obviously if there's any questions or concerns, parents are more than welcome to reach out, phone call >> directly to the school and get your answer right away. And you know, not to belabor this point, but we do all this messaging and I can tell you I can go and tell you how many people open the dojo account. I can tell you how many people open John's. And sometimes you'd be surprised important messages that we
147send directly to parents aren't opened. I mean, you know, let's put let's put it all out there. You got to open them when we send it to you. That's why I don't allow on dojo, for example, advertisements from youth groups in the city. As much as I'd want to support that, is because when you get a dojo message from the school, I want you to open it as a parent because more than likely it's going to have some relevant and important information. If it's not specific to your child, it's certainly about the overall operation of that particular school building. So, when parents receive a dojo, please open it. When parents receive message from the principal, please open it. It's vital and it's good. And you know, we go through all these steps to make sure
148the parents know. Oh, and we put it in multiple languages. And you can call the school, you can email the school, you can talk to a teacher, you can email a teacher, you have parent teacher assoc nights. We make ourselves available. Take advantage of that opportunity. Come directly to us if there's a concern. Um, and more than likely it can be resolved the day that you have a concern. Um, so you know, I it's a two-way street. We have to have parents and the guardians open the messages. >> Well, thank you very much. Any further questions or concerns? >> Thank you. >> Excuse with a customary thanks. >> Second. >> Motion has been made and seconded to excuse Mr. Lynch and Dr. Vargo with a customary thanks. All those in favor? >> I. >> All
149those opposed? The eyes have it. Thank you both very much, >> Madam Chair. >> Mr. Baris, >> on on that topic, I just wanted us to remember that what the superintendent mentioned, there are 2300 kids here, almost 2400 kids here. And I'm looking at our new mayor. It's 700 kids more than this building can fit. It's pretty much a middle school inside of the high school, right? Uh I know that the mayor will fix this. This needs to be fixed. 700 kids. >> No pressure. >> Well, that's why we voted for him. >> Thank you for that low expectation. I appreciate it. >> That's That's what That's why we voted for him. Um, seven, all jokes aside, it's 700 kids that Dr. Bra needs to deal with. It's pretty much you got a middle school,
150you put inside of a high school. Um, that this build was built for 1,700 kids. We have almost 2400 kids here. Are you kidding me? It's like 700 kids more that Dr. Braen team have to deal with. It's it's a lot. I mean to manage 1700 in a building that is 1700 that means that you are at capacity. Then you you add 700 on top of it. I mean I'm sure some you got a a call that your kids not in school and your kids in school. I mean right. So we need to keep that in mind. This issue needs to be resolved and it's not on the high school level but in the middle school level. If you go to the parling we have a thousand kids. That deal was built for 700. Come
151on. >> So we need to keep that in mind. Thank you. >> Thank you Moses. >> We entertain a motion to refer back to sponsor. >> Oh second. Motion made and seconded to refer EPS attendance notification process and procedure back to sponsor. All those in favor? I. >> All those opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent. The next order of business. >> Roman numeral 8, subcommittee reports. Item number one, finance and negotiation subcommittee for Monday, February the 2nd, 2026. >> Miss Christristiano. >> I'd like to wave the reading. Accept the uh committee report and place it on file. >> Second. Motion made by Miss Cristiano, seconded by Mayor Vancampen to accept the finance and negotiation subcommittee report for Monday, February 2nd, 2026, and place it on file. All those in favor? >> All those
152opposed. The eyes have it. Motion passed. Superintendent the next order of business. >> Roman numeral 9, bills and payroll. >> Madam Chairman, Miss Cristiano, >> I'd like to submit bills and payroll in the amount of 1,472,537.94. Second >> motion made by Miss Cristiano, seconded by Miss Cornelio to submit bills and payroll for the bill packet dated February 24th in the amount of 1,472,537.94 cents. Roll call. >> Mr. Alita Barrow. >> Yes. >> Miss Babcock. >> Yes. >> Miss Cardell. >> Miss Cornellio? >> Yes. >> Miss Cristiano? >> Yes. >> Miss Garren? >> Yes. >> Mayor Vancampen? >> Yes. >> Madam Chair? >> Yes. >> So moved 8 Z. So moved. Date zero. Motion passed. >> Madam Chairman, >> Miss Cristiano, >> I'd like to pay bills and payroll. Make a motion to pay bills and
153payroll in the amount of 1,472,537.94. >> Second. >> Motion made by Miss Cristiano, seconded by Miss Cornelio to pay bills and payroll from the bill packet dated February 24th in the amount of $1,472,537.94. Roll call. Mr. Almaros, >> yes. >> Miss Babcock, >> yes. >> Miss Cardelloo, >> yes. >> Miss Cornelio, >> yes. >> Miss Cristiano, >> yes. Miss Garren, >> yes. >> Mayor Vancampen, >> yes. Madam Chair, >> yes. >> So moved. 8 Z. >> So moved 8 Z. Motion passed. Superintendent, the next order of business. >> Roman numeral 10, unfinished business. There's none before you. Roman numeral 11, new business. There is none before you. Roman numeral 12, hearings. There is none planned. Roman numeral 13, matters for executive session. There are none before you. Uh, Roman numeral 14 adjournment. >> Motion to
154adjurnn. >> Second. >> Motion made by Mr. Barrow, seconded by Miss Cornelio to adjurnn. All those in favor? I. All those opposed? The eyes have it. We have adjourned at 8:34 p.m. Thank you everyone.