001Heat. Heat. I feel. Heat. Heat. N. >> [music] >> I'm going to Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. >> [groaning] >> I'm calling the regular school board meeting to order. Diana roll call. >> Marshia White >> here. >> Nico Butler. >> Andrea >> here. >> Andy Luther. >> Latina Goer >> here. Cory Giser. Kelly >> here. Let's stand for the president of the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I'm turning the meeting over to Dr. Box. Good evening. Thanks, Miss White. So, first we're going to start with positive descriptive praise. So, we're going to go by school. And when I call your name, you're going to come up. You're going to get a
002card from the board and a ball. And then by school, you're going to go to the back where Miss Alexa is standing with our backdrop that has all of our mascots on it and get your picture taken by school. Okay. So, here we go. We are going to start with how today. So, the first one goes to Dariela Guerrero. It's been uh great being your buddy class. It's been awesome seeing you be an amazing, caring, and funny teacher for your students. So, Dariela, if you are here, come on up. [applause] The next one is for Norma Nunees. Uh, it was given uh by someone unknown. And it says, "Miss Nunees, it's been such a great pleasure to have you here at How teaching our second graders. You can see how much they enjoy you as
003their teacher. Thank you for being part of our team. I'm so glad you're part of the How family. The kids respect you so much and your patience and knowledge is so admirable and valuable. I love being a part of your team whenever I get the chance to. So, Norma, if you're here, come on up. [clears throat] >> [clears throat] >> The next one is for Carla Gracios. Uh it's from Stephanie Ramirez. Carla, you've been an amazing addition to our how family. Your willingness to learn new things is very admirable. So if Carla is here, you can come on up. [applause] Chris Maraththal. Chris, your morning hells and kindness as you welcome students each day makes their mornings brighter. And that is from Ro Torres. Jose Guarda. Jose, I appreciate you and the calm you bring
004to everything you do. You are such a humble leader. I love the way you lead by example. You are an amazing role model to all of our students from Susie Adams. >> [applause] >> Jose, you get to go be by yourself with Miss. Yeah. Next we're going to do Newport. So this one is for Jill Py. Jilly did an amazing job decorating our tree for the holidays at Newport. My students commented about how much they would love for you to come decorate their tree. And that is from Lorie Squires. [applause] The next one is for Julie Reek. Julie, you always have a positive attitude and greet everyone with a smile. You have engaging conversations with students when working in small groups and supporting students in the classroom. And that is from Lori Garris. The next
005one is for Aaron Cranner. Erin, your organizational skills are vital to the success of our PBIS tiers program. You are instrumental in planning events as well as in disagregating and discussing data to drive student growth. Thank you for making yourself available to all staff and students who need your support. And that is also from Dr. Garris. Congratulations. >> This one is for Margaret Schaefer, our most amazing art teacher. Your attention grabber to students is one they will always remember as you say to them, "My amazing artist." You, alongside Lorie Squires, created a crafters club which allowed students time to learn how to create with various materials. This club has shown great success and our Newport students look forward to this time with you. Margaret is also instrumental in helping students support our station rotations for
006students as she collaborates with teams to continuously brainstorm and refine the scheduling process. And that is also from Dr. Garris. >> Hi This one is for Micah Miner. Thank you for providing our staff at Newport support on integrating our newest technology tools for our students as part of our school improvement day. Your expertise and assistance is greatly appreciated and that is also from Dr. Garris. I have to do the round. [laughter] >> You have to come on the stage. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >> We're going to move on to the middle school. This one is for Gage Rice. Great job on diving into learning labs. Seamless and perfectly executed from John Robin. >> [clears throat] >> Nice work, Gage. This one is for Kevin Collins. Thank you for all the tech help this week.
007We wish you well. Uh, and it is from an unknown person. So, Kevin Collins, If you don't know it, Kevin is like the master of AI. >> Next is for Satie Coleman. You are doing a great job. You've got this. Keep it up. And that is from Erica Smith. [applause] >> [clears throat] >> Oh, they're all running away. >> And the last one, nope, not the last one. Uh, this one is for Mike Facert. Thank you so much for organizing all the fun after school events for us. You are the best. And that is from Victoria Cobberly. >> [applause] >> And I have one for Devon Ael. Your positive, upbeat nature is welcoming for both students and staff. You make everyone feel feel valued and included. Thank you for being such an amazing team member
008of our team. >> [clears throat] >> Make sure you check out with Alexa to get a group picture for your school. The next person we're going on to OC is Lily Highly. Thank you for partnering with me to provide students with the opportunity to engage in inquiry and project-based learning. It's been fun to watch your students grow in the areas of communication, collaboration, and creativity. And that is from Sophia Garcia. Our next one is from Megan McNamera. Thank you for supporting us and believing in our work. And that is from Suanne and Cameron. [applause] Thank you so much. The next one is for three people. looks for Ellie, Megan, and Katie Hilstrom. Thank you for always being supportive and an ear to listen. You are the best. And that is from Cameron Strathman. >> Can
009you guys want to take care of these? >> [clears throat] >> Thank you. >> The next one is for Connie. She is a great helper keeping the buses organized and kids safe at dismissal. And that is from Megan McNamera. >> Thank you. The next one is for Laura Caposo. Thank you, Laura, for always thinking outside of the box and sharing your thoughts and ideas to make Oakrest a better place. Your insights are invaluable. You are the best. And that is from Jennifer Con. [applause] >> And now we're going to move on to KM Oak staff. Make sure you stop by Alexa and get your picture taken together. This one's for Angie Solita. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. I love how you love and nurture each and every one of your kids.
010And that is from Laura Crossweight. [applause] The next one is for Christy Gville. I truly appreciate your constant collaboration and support. I'm so thankful to have you on my team as we dig into data to make decisions to best support our students. I couldn't do this without you. And that is from Christa Dao. >> The next one is for Tim Jansky. Your passion for this job is unwavering and there's never a challenge you can't handle. Thank you always for going above and beyond. And that is from Zim. [applause] >> The next one is for Matt Stubner. Mr. Studener gives his heart and soul to our students. He inspires them to reach beyond their comfort zone and try new and different things. He is an inspiring teacher and the kids learn so much. And it doesn't
011say who it's from. >> [applause] >> And last is for Nicole Parney. Miss Parney has brought a running competition to KM. She has made a year-long goal to get our kids moving and they are excited about the lab challenge. Thanks for getting our students excited about fitness. And again, there is no one associated with it. So, congratulations. Next, I'm going to call our principles up here to do our staff spotlights. [clears throat] >> We're going to start with how today. >> All right. Good evening. We have All right, good evening. We have Lisa and Gina tonight. Lisa is being recognized for her exceptional dedication and impact on RTI reading instruction at How Elementary. She consistently uses a thoughtful, methodical process to identify students with the greatest needs by triangulating multiple data sources, engaging meaningful teacher
012discussions and collaborating with staff to ensure the best instructional fit for each student that she serves. Lisa is highly skilled and effective in teaching reading, and her instructional expertise results in measurable growth for students who require targeted support. She approaches her work with a strong sense of responsibility, precision, and care, ensuring that interventions are both intentional and responsive. Her passion for learning and commitment to student success are evident in her daily actions and her active involvement within the school community. Lisa's work strongly aligns with our district's core beliefs and our mission by pri prioritizing equity, collaboration, and highquality instruction for all learners. Thank you, Lisa. >> [applause] >> For this one, you're going to come get your certificate and then you're going to meet at the back cuz Alexa will take all of your picture
013together. Next, we will do Newport. Rachel Rachel Calfell is our instructional coach at Newport Elementary School. Her knowledge in core subjects help provide our staff with the framework and balance necessary to plan for learning. Rachel embodies the mindset of collaboration and working as a team. Her support isn't just for teachers. She also helps support me as an instructional leader to continue with our district goal that all our students can learn. She is essential to our work that we do collectively from BLT meetings to PBIS support and being our students and staff biggest cheerleader. We are so fortunate to have Rachel be part of our school community to help us continue to grow. [applause] We will have the middle school come up next. Our spotlight award goes to Anna Maria Ramos. We wanted to thank you
014inspired on a kindness note left for you that says brave and kind. Our kids and staff are lucky to have you. Anoria supports our students who are English language learners as most especially those who are native Spanish speakers and creates growth wherever she goes and also brings her heritage into spaces for us all to rejoice in culture together. Thank you. [applause] Next one will see the spotlight award goes to Sophie Cantu and I've named her the jack of all trades. Thank you for being so helpful with student arrivals and dismissals. It's greatly appreciated. We always can count on you to get kids safely in and out of the building. You always make sip day lunches more enjoyable with your festive decorations and you are appreciated for helping out with after school activities. You make Oakrest
015a much better place for staff and students. Thank you, Sophie. [applause] I guess that leaves KF Mr. Versati. >> It does. Um, I am glad for the opportunity to highlight one of our outstanding special education teachers whose impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Stephanie Schneider is a constant source of support for our students and staff and helping to find strategies and problem solving approaches that ensure students needs are being met. Her solutionsoriented mindset and deep understanding of students make her a trusted partner for teachers across grade levels and her work plays a critical role in creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment throughout our building. Uh but it in addition to her work within our schools, she actively collaborates with colleagues in other buildings to share her expertise and strengthen special education practices across the
016district. Whether she is consulting on complex student needs, modeling effective strategies, or contributing to collaborative discussions, she consistently demonstrates leadership in her field. Her commitment to students and willingness to support others exemplifies our values as a school community. Thank you, Stephanie. All right. Next is our district champion award. And for today, I'm actually going to call Mr. Gabe Caposo up to the podium. Those of you that are going to get a district champion award, you will come up to the board, we do have a pin and a magnet for you once Mr. Proposal is finished announcing you. >> Good evening, Board of Ed. Thank you for having me and giving me this opportunity. This is my page of thought here in the audience. So, good luck following us. Um few years ago the state of
017Illinois provided our district with an opportunity to have a teacher vacancy grant and um it was new and the thoughts behind the vacancy grant from Illinois State Board of Education was if you had some extra money what could you do to improve your retention and your recruitment efforts in a district and we've gone through different variations uh the the directors of the district office the superintendent the board of ed has been involved with what are the things that we could do to not only retain but recruit people to our district cuz we have an amazing district. And I like to just just looking at the crowd like this is awesome. Look around the room. These are all people who are being celebrated for the great things that they're doing in our district. It's phenomenal. And
018there are children here and there are family obligations and there are sacrifices that need to be made to be here to support the [clears throat] people that are sitting in the chairs. Some of you aren't getting an award. You're just here to say nice work to your colleagues. And that's profound. So we are building something and it's great. And I don't think it should go unmentioned. The other piece of it being is I think the very number one piece of recruitment is retention. [clears throat] The if we can keep our people, we don't need to recruit more people, right? So how do we how do we do that systematically and how can we utilize funds from the state? The grant is over. This is the last year we're going to get it. And we've explored
019many different options uh in this last year. In fact, it's ironic. A year ago, this week, I started working with an organization uh called Bloomboard. And Bloomboard works with pair professionals uh in education to provide an alternative apprenticeship program for on the job education to complete teacher certification, which is awesome because teaching is hard, but going to school is is really hard, too, right? It's hard for our kids. It's hard to do it as an adult. the older that you get, you never know when you're going to find your passion for education. I started education late in my life. Uh this is not the job I started out with and it's the job I ended up in through substitute teaching. I've had a long littered past of uh getting to the seat that I get
020to sit in today and thank you for all of that and support from the district as well. Um anyway, a year ago I really started digging into like what opportunity can we provide to our pair of professionals who have families with an obligation to complete their certification with all this other difficulties all these other difficult things on top of it the work that you do every day and Bloom seemed to fit that mold for us. Um, I provided an opportunity, I believe it might even been at an institute day, if not a SIP day, to throw it out to all the pair professionals just to find out who would be interested in furthering their career. How is education treating you? Do you want to become part of you going to take the next step in
021your certification to be part of our family here? You're already you're already our family members. And some of our pair professionals, that's what they want to do. and other pair of professionals unfortunately for all many different circumstances have had a difficult time being able to navigate life and education and this seemed to fit the bill. So we had 22 members that are pair professionals show interest in furthering their career through this Bloomboard program and it's courageous to look at a different type of model for continued education and then put yourself out there for the commitment. So at the 22 when it really got uh down to business and was we're finally making a decision as a district that we are going to financially invest in our pair of professionals, we committed with Mr. Frank Adams
022who's been my right-hand man walking through this and the approval of the board of education to allocate a significant amount of funding through the teacher vacancy grant to the entire education of a number of pair of professionals and we were only able to do that for six. So of the 10, we had a rigorous application process that that con that consisted of your years of service, your attendance, your evaluations, applications, and the recommendations from the principles that you work with to whittle down how we were going to identify six out of 10 people. hoping that if this goes well and we can establish this relationship and their success and more most importantly our our family, the pair of professionals that are in the trenches working hard, taking grenades at work all day then doing school
023found that there was value in this and I wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate the six because the first semester just ended and I personally had no idea how much work it was going to take for me to do this. I thought I just found an idea and they could go they go to school and everything was going to be great. But I meet with them every 2 weeks. So every two weeks I I meet with Bloomore, the company, the school through Lake Erie uh College and they give me updates on the path, where they're at, how much work they've completed, what they've got left to do, what I need to do to encourage them. And you've all been so gracious. I know I send you emails and I don't know you personally, but
024we're getting to know each other. Um, and they completed their very first semester of school. So, imagine [applause] imagine what that must feel like for an adult who for whatever reason found furthering their education maybe an impossible endeavor. And through a coordinated effort of the district and their commitment, not only did they have the courage to put it all aside, put their head down, grind out, have the courage to enroll, but go through an entire semester just worried about how much work is it going to be? How much is this going to take away from my family? How how am I going to be able to navigate the workload? And they've done it and it's absolutely amazing. Um, I'm just so super proud of of the six of you. So, my hat off to you
025and I am here to absolututely do anything that you need for yourself through my capacity to make sure that you're successful. The directors of this organization and of our of our district are ready to grind it out and they will do what it takes for everyone's success in this room board. You've clearly proven it. you've allowed us to take this risk because it was courageous for us to say we're going to allocate money. Um, and we're going to put that on the table and we need the commitment of these six people and let's see how they do and you've done a really great job and I just congratulate you for putting that that work in. So, at that I know you get the point. Um, I'm going to read out the program. So, the certifications
026could either a dual certification for special education um and elementary education or you could choose to do one or the other. So I'll start with Orest you would like them to come up to the front. Is that correct? So if Clarissa Balden can come up is in the dual program special [applause] Sanchez. She is in the program for uh duel uh right? Is that right? >> Um elementary. >> Elementary. Okay. She's gone for Annis Elementary in the special ed certification program. >> [applause] >> Nancy Mareno from Power Elementary for full elementary certification. [applause] Taylor from Murphy Elementary full certification. And Jar from Newport. Awesome girl. [applause] >> I'm super proud of you. Your district's super proud of you. And every one of these class uh students have to have a mentor. They each of them
027have a mentor in their building that has stood behind them, held them up. They've been able to lean on them for their success. So maybe we'll be seeing them at the one of the board meetings coming up. They should not go unnoticed. Um thank you everyone that's here at the meeting. I'm so proud of everyone. >> Thank you board of editor. [applause] Thank you, Mr. Heraposo, and congratulations to our TAs for all the work you did for this semester. I only have two more things on my superintendence report. We have Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday observance, so Monday, the district is closed. And three upcoming dates. We have the superintendent coffee on January 20th. Uh this was a pretty big hit. We did it in the morning for the first time. This time it's going
028to be at night, so it'll be from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Starbucks on 173. On January 22nd, we have the state of education here at Beach Park Middle School. That is one of our joint board meetings with our three other sister school districts. And then last on January 29th, and this is a big one, we have our foundation kickoff at the Shanty here on Wadssworth Road from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. If you are not aware, I announced it at our last board meeting. We have been working on getting a foundation up and running in the district that will give grants to teachers to extend and enrich learning for all of our students. So, the kickoff event, which will be a fundraiser, will be at the Shanty on January 29th from 4 to 9:00
029p.m. Uh, and the Shanty is going to give us a portion of the proceeds from that evening. So, we are very excited to run our first event for the foundation so that we can give back to our staff and our students. And that is all I have for my superintendent report. Thank you, Dr. Wilcott. Do I have a motion for to approve the agenda? >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Christina Gowitzer. >> I. >> Andy Luther. >> Hi. >> Kelly Roberts. >> I. >> Marsha White. >> I. >> And I. >> Do I have any correspondence? >> Any questions on old business? Moving on to new business, long range planning. Andy, uh, thank you. Uh, long range planning businesses last week. We had a chance to read the report in the report
030packet. Um, one of the things we're working on right now is start working on summer projects for this coming summer. and some major things that we're investigating and working on the details and things of that nature certainly to you uh when it's time but looking at putting some new concrete on the new port exterior working on the middle school phase 3 floor replacement and looking for TL continent for Thank you, Andy. Any questions for him? Right. On to finance committee. Betina. Uh, sorry, I apologize. It's my first time doing this. Uh, finance committee met today. Um, and we approved the, uh, bills and, um, there are a number of agenda items to discuss. Good. All right. See it all. No report. >> Thank you, Andrea. Any questions or comments on the building reports? Any questions
031or comments on department reports? >> Just congrats to Frank for his certificate of administrators on school finance operations. Do I have a motion to go into close session? Okay, I'm going to cancel close session because the one item is discussed this time. But with that, do have a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> I'll make a motion to approve agenda. >> Second. >> Roll call. >> Sally Ro. >> I. >> Andrew. >> Hi. >> Marshall White. >> Hi. >> Andrew. >> Hi. With that, do I have a motion to approve? >> Yeah. See, to for the approval of the policies that we read, >> roll call. >> Andy Luther. >> Hi. >> Marsha White. >> I Right. Now, do I have a motion to adjourn? >> Sorry. >> Roll call. And >> I go,
032>> I bro. Hi. Marsha White. Hi. Andy >> Ler. Hi. >> Great. Have a good evening everyone.