001to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. All right. I have no report of action taken in close session because none was taken. And this leads us into our agenda hearing period or public communications. I do not see any little cards. Do we have any cards? Anybody wanting to fill out a card? Seeing and hearing none, we'll move forward with some great special presentations tonight. And we will start with our student representative report, Miss Falco. Perfect. >> Good evening everyone. May is bustling with so very many activities. Quiz bowl concluded last week with the chessmen taking home first and my team panic at the quiz bowl proudly taking second. Last week was also teacher appreciation week and we love showering our teachers with the recognition and support they deserve. We also had the hometown fair
002last weekend or two weekends ago with our high school clubs and grades selling some snacks. Prom tickets went on sale last week with a big night this Saturday. We also have biomemed capstone presentations in the band room on Friday throughout the day. I know some of you will be in attendance. We also will be doing a lip dub this year planned by your ASB officers. The last time we did this was our freshman year and we will be completing it on May 26th. So, this is a spirit video that goes around campus highlighting different clubs and organizations and it is a lip sync video um that we do in one take. So, we're all very excited for that. We also have validictorian speech auditions coming up on May 19th. And I'm very excited to announce
003that Swim won CIF finals last week. And boys tennis is headed to the se semifinals. So we are very proud of our Eagle athletes. And that is all for my report. Oh, and also girls lacrosse is heading to CIF finals. >> Excellent. Exciting stuff going on. Thank you for sharing with us. Um I'm wondering if there's anyone from the Elsagundo Ed Foundation here tonight. Oh, Dr. Moore, please come forward. Good evening, President uh Miller Zarnnei, members of the board, Melissa Moore, vice chair of the Elskundo Ed Foundation here this evening and we'd really like to kick it off with thanking the community at large. Was that or was that not a fabulous gayla of celebration of all things that are great about Elsagundo on Friday night? Um we are so pleased that we just had
004true partnerships with business, our school district, our faculty, our staff. Um everybody really came out and um put together an amazing event with a small but mighty team of volunteers. And so we are so thankful to our ED board members, the community of Elsa Gundo for their steadfast support, and certainly our business community in order to assist us in reaching our $2 million grant. Um, as we finish up this week, uh, we are reaching out to everybody and an email will be going out regarding an opportunity to quadruple your dollars. So, we're going to take your donation and it's going to be matched by United Airlines donation along with Chevron's another generous donation and our generous continental development to quadruple your dollars for ED. And this will help us reach that final tipping point to
005be able to have our full $2 million. I know at the gayla I had fun participating in the silent auction and I just wanted a certain board member to know that myself along with five of my closest friends or family will be joining you on a 35 foot Mexican divorce racing yacht. So I'm very excited to have this certificate and I'll be giving you a call. So anyway, I feel very honored and excited. So uh in addition our summer academy is open and registration is going on. There are many camps and classes for consideration new opportunities that partner with SCROCK uh our Southern uh California regional occupational center. Uh and lastly I just really want to congratulate the many um uh faculty and certificated employees here this evening and uh for their recognitions. This is
006a wonderful time of year and a time of celebrating all service and great accomplishments of the school district. Thank you. Thank you very much. All right. Do we have an update from ESTA that would like to come forward? Mr. Kelly. Well, I would I really wished I would have read the agenda to realize I'm far underdressed for this occasion. U with that being said, it is so great to recognize all the colleagues behind me for all their hard work and dedication. You know, it's an accomplishment one of in of in and of itself to be elected to this kind of position, you know, and mentioned and honored in this regard. Uh outside of that, another unaddressed underaddressed occasion for me would have been the ED gala, but that's a different thing. It's a great moment
007to which all the stakeholders come together and we get to see like-minded individuals that who want who are looking in the best interest of our students come together in support of them and putting money in positions that are going to benefit the students in the long run. So that's an amazing thing and it's a great opportunity to see people get lively on the dance floor amongst other things and you know all the money goes to the right place and that's all that matters. With that being said, at this point I'm probably rambling, but we greatly appreciate all your hard work and all your dedication, and we looking forward to the end of the school year wrapping up here sooner rather than later and all the hiccups along the way. So, thank you. >> Thank you,
008Andrew. And do we have a CSEA update? Welcome, Carlo. Oh, Carlos and Lelay, come on up. Good evening, President Milli, members of the board. Um, I just want to say that uh we look forward to continuing that conversation of our full successor um negotiation. Sorry about that. I'm I'm crossing my So yes, um and also wanted to say thank you to all the parents who volunteered and dedicated and and donated to making sure that all the staff and you know classified members felt appreciated this past week. Uh with that, I'm going to take this moment to give a heartfelt thanks to all our classified people. So, dear classified members, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your dedication, professionalism, and the sacrifices you make on carrying out your duties. Your commitment, often unseen, always
009vital, plays a crucial role in helping our staff and students succeed. Please know that your work is valued and respected more than you realize. with sincere appreciation your chapter 71 Elsigundo Eboard. So, thank you very much and again congratulations to anyone that's going to be recognized this evening. >> That's it. >> All right. Thank you everyone for those updates. We will move into a special presentation update on ESPTA council. Miss Smith, I believe you and possibly some walk up music are uh due to approach. >> Here we are. Turn it on. Now you can all hear me. Oh, should we go back and play James Brown again? >> So, thank you for being here. I feel so honored. Um, and thank you all for being here. This is going to be a great night. We
010have a fantastic update. It's going to be so much fun. We are the Elsa Gundo Council PTA. And, uh, we're going to kick it off with Center Street, who is not here right now, so Mariah is going to give it. She is our president at the Richmond Street. >> Hi, everybody. Um, hello board. I have an update from Center Street for Christina. Lots of things going on as all of the elementary schools are wrapping up some major events and luckily some of our things are similar so I'll know what she's talking about. Um supporting our family engagement the past few months they did an international night. Say PTA helped with that. Both elementary sites had daughters night out and son's night out working together hosting at Richmond. So that was a fun collaborative effort on
011both of our parts. Um center street had their teacher scoop at Creamy Boys. It was the first time trying out Creamy Boys this year and it was a great success. They had a chance to honor their honorary service award winners as all of our sites did. So, you hear about that from everybody. They also supported the run for education from the council's um major fundraiser for the year. For the schools, they had gifted two new water stations, the refill water um bottle refill stations, and they supported the Trashfree Tuesday and their learning garden. for their students. They focused on the book fair, helped with ReadAcross America activities, had the Penny Wars fundraiser. There's some um results up there in her graphic that TK actually came in first. So, that was great. >> Uh they had
012some author visits the past few weeks. And then they also had their reflections contest award reception. For the teachers, of course, we had teacher and staff appreciation week. Their theme this year was Star Wars all week. had some amazing donations and contributions and they were able to give out some cool gifts and they had their staff room decorated in a Star Wars theme. So, that is the update for Center Street. Now, I'll give you my update. Um, at Richmond, very similar stuff happening. We were able to fund four new outdoor tables so our teachers can have some classroom time out there, learning garden activities out there, or just kind of a hangout space during recess and lunchtime. We did get two new sheds for our learning garden supplies. As we focused on our students, we
013sent a lot of more classrooms out on field trips this semester. And also student focus. Sometimes um people get confused when it says teachers did this, but we know that when teachers submit receipts for instructional materials, it's actually a student focused program. So we always like to make sure it's known that it's a student, not a teacher treat. Um, our learning garden came back this semester and there is Chiming Row, our learning garden expert who's amazing and does great things out there with our kids. Staff focused, we also had our Tesaw. We had a Disney focus, so we did have one day overlapping with um, Center Street with our Star Wars theme and we had some taco days and some creamy boys and some fun things going on. Family and community. We also hosted sons
014night out and daughters night out with dancing and food booths and food and games. We did the run for education support and we also had our honorary service awards coming up at Richmond. We have our scholarship um that we get to present to the high schoolers in two weeks. I think my favorite night of the year. We have a glow party coming up on Friday at Richmond for our students. We have our installation dinner for the new board coming in. Fifth grade picnic that we also host with Center Street. And then of course our fifth grade culmination. So that's it. Lots going on. Oh, and as this is my last time to present to the school board, I get to hand it over to Tara Diaz. >> Tara is taking over as president of Richmond
015PTA. >> I am very excited and I will be leaning on this lady a lot because you did such an amazing job for the last two years. It's been such a pleasure to be under you and I am very excited for what's coming. >> Great. All right. Thank you. >> And now we're gonna go back in time and we're gonna introduce our awesome president from Center Street to give the report, but I just want to give YOU A HIGH FIVE. SO Christina Christina put together a lot of those graphics that you see for teacher and staff. >> Okay. you're next. >> Hi. Uh, the middle school was up to a lot this past quarter. Um, we also had honorary service awards. We had four teachers and one parent who were awarded um, honorary service awards
016and we have both a teacher and a student who goes through the applications and picks them out. So, I feel that that is special. Um, in January we had the Winter Ball Popup Shop um that is run by Wendy Bosch who was one of our recipients for the honorary service award. So, she gets donations of clothes and then creates this pop-up shop. We got to collaborate with Center Street and we use their cafeteria. Um, she has little dressing rooms, so it's she decorates. It's very nice. Um, we had our final Step It Up prize that is an In-N-Out party bus. So, the kids pile onto a bus by grade level. Um, the bus drives them that full five minutes to In-N-Out and then they get to order their meal and eat at In-N-Out. And I
017don't know, they love it. Um, what else did we do? We had we participated in the wellness fair. Um, our school counselors put that on and we help. So, we helped organize the kids. Um, and Miss Klein had probably 20 booths. I think the fan favorite was actually nutrition services from the district. They gave out fruits and vegetables. There was like a line out the door. It was kind of amazing. Um, yes, we had a we had speakers, Olympians inspire. So, five Olympians, I think five or six came. They spoke about their experiences and then they actually led our PE classes for the day. Um, so there was nothing more fun than watching Dr. Devlantis' son get chased down by a rugby player that I I really wanted to see what was going to happen.
018I also got to wear an Olympic medal. So that was very special for me and and some of the kids got that experience as well. Um, and then teacher and staff appreciation week next. Well, this slide and next slide, we did a friends theme. Um, so we made the teacher staff lounge into Central Perk. Um, and then the other teacher staff lounge was Monica in Rachel's apartment. Um, we gifted them a massage chair. We did breakfast and lunch all week. And then I think this was the most special. Miss Casai, the art teacher, had her art 2 classes um create portraits for each teacher and staff. And these will be gifted to all of the teachers once we frame them. Um my incoming president, Shalie, has a migraine, so she is not here to say
019hello, but that's what we're up to. So, next up we have the high school and Laura cannot be with us tonight, but I'm here to represent. So, as you can see right now, we're focusing on I put the S M PTSA. So, we love our students. We took a bunch of pictures. We just love our student leaders. It's fabulous. Um, just the support that we're getting. So, speaking of support, we of course are continuing with the new driver's workshop, CPR Saturday where we're focus where we're partnering with local um entities like the police department and the fire department. Did the women's safety class. We're supporting our parents by talking to them about junior talk and um sophomore and freshman chats. UM BUT NEW TOMORROW NIGHT, EVERYONE'S INVITED. Like everyone, we are having a turning 18
020panel discussion. We're going to tell you what it takes when your kid turns 18. Did you know you should probably update your trust? Did you know that they get their own banking account now? All these little things that I had no clue. Yeah. Um and I have a 19-year-old. So, I'm going to go learn about it. You're invited to come, too. It's going to be so informational. We have a lawyer, a banker, a financial coach, and a um oh, what's the other one? Uh another financial person. She'd kill me for forgetting it, but anyway, it's going to be a lot of fun. Uh we supported our teachers and staff with uh teacher appreciation week. Hold the door. Hold the door. We had a student Tesaw chair this year. A student led the effort. She reached
021out to the teachers and the staff. She got their ideas. She made it happen. Of course, she had some help with adult volunteers as well, but it was the first time and the teachers felt so honored and appreciated. Um okay. Uh we are also of course partnering with ASB. Thank you, Maddie. We um helped with the chess tournament and the esports and the quiz bowl by providing prizes. Um we are supporting our students of course. So I got to tell you, we've supported so many clubs that we've donated over $2500 back to our student clubs in town here. I mean like the robotics club, like AVID, like everything. It's just incredible. They come talk at our at our meetings. It's fabulous. We just love the interaction. Uh what else? Uh okay, so on to council.
022Hi, my name is Cheryl. I'm your council PTA president. Woohoo. Um it has been an amazing year. So we got the real deal day. That was awesome and phenomenal. We learned so much about AI and fake space. We had the hometown stars which totally knocked it out of the park. It's coming back next year. We can't wait. We had of course reflections. Uh what else have we done? the Young Entrepreneurs Fair. For the first time, we got a partner who actually donated money to this so that way we could give out shopping bags. It was so wellreceived. The chair, uh, Shauna, she looks, she's really excited about going forward with that. And we had a booth there, so people actually knew that it WAS SPONSORED BY PTA. WOOHOO. I know. Just so exciting. I dropped
023everything. We're building partnerships. OH MY GOSH. FOR THE first time ever this year, we have had the president and principal talk back in the fall and in the spring. It was so amazing to see everybody come together and talk about the coming year and just really get to know each other. Really a great bonding. And thank you Jason for supporting that. And actually more thank you to Tracy for supporting that. You are awesome. Sorry Jason, love you. But we had THE HONORARY SERVICE AWARDS. WOOHOO. WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED people up there on stage getting awarded. It was fabulous. What a great time. And then after that, we had the founders day tea. So, it wasn't just a hey, I'm going to go through the buffet line. We actually had a sit down. This this
024lady up here, you guys can't see, but she and CJ CJ ran the honorary service awards and Ki next to her, she was the one who put together the tea. She said, sorry, she said that she didn't want just a normal tea. She wanted to go all out to honor our volunteers. Just love that vibe. Yes. So, we also had the run for education. With that, we went around to every single unit and we g we took pictures of giving them money because we like to give money from the run. The run uh we give out I think it's about $40,000 that goes right back into our schools. Yes. And you're going to see more of that in just a minute. So, these are some of the things that The Run did for us and
025what they invested in at each and every school. It's just incredible what we can do with that money. More pictures from the run. There's our fearless uh leader right there uh enjoying a coffee on run day. I don't know how he found the time to do that, but he did, which is a sign of a good leader, right? He can sit back and let his team do the work. So, thank you, Jim Fenton, wherever you are out there. Okay, celebrating seniors, we also got scholarships coming up. $25,000 in scholarships for arena and the Elsa Gundle High School students that goes to from all of our PTAs. It's just Yeah. So, supporting our schools. This is the big one. I want you guys to take note of this. We are now our volunteer hours are now
026according to some standard that somebody came up with which I thought was a really nice high number. We are worth 40 $40 an hour because of that. And over the with this over 65,000 hours we put in, that's $2,600,000. Not to mention the nearly half a million dollars that we get in cash that we put back into our schools. I mean, seriously, that is like three4 of a million dollars. Oh. Oh, yes. Cheryl has the check. Cheryl wants a Kodak moment. Yes, she does. See? Yes. Let's whip IT UP. YEAH. THERE WE GO. COME ON, PEOPLE. OKAY. And there's my team. They are awesome. I want to give them a round of applause. So, unfortunately, Lori couldn't be here tonight. She's going to be taking over for me. Poor her. Yes, I know. Um, but
027I want my team to come up. I want a picture because, you know, PTA never gets a Kodak moment with the team. Come on, you guys. Rise. >> I need someone who's gonna take a picture. Annie, you're tech. >> I'll get out of your way in a second. Okay. That's fine. Hang on one sec. Okay. Right here. Juliana. >> One more here. Thank you. >> My pleasure. >> And not to end this on a really bad note, but but you ready for this? Byebye. >> MY FINAL ONE. WOOHOO. BYE. BYE. BYE. >> Thank you, Cheryl. Thank you all PTA leaders here and volunteers listening out there and everywhere. And you say bye-bye, but we know you'll be back, Cheryl. So, sorry we're not done with you and you're not done with us yet. But thank
028you for everything. What an amazing year. All right. Well, next we have another very special moment to share with an employee recognition through the CAC and Dr. Plin I think you can share this with us. Yeah. >> Good evening. Each year the SULPA community advisory committee uh recognizes individuals who demonstrate outstanding service and commitment to students with special needs. So this year ESUSD is proud to have three recipients of this esteemed award. And I am actually going to call up principles Olashian, Erenss, and Ghart to recognize our three winners. >> Good evening, President Tracy Miller, Zarnicki, Board, Superintendent Johnson, and the cabinet. Um, tonight I would like to recognize Miss Karen Proctor, who's one of Richmond Street's wonderful speech and language pathologist. Is she gonna come on? Listen up here. Okay. >> Okay. Um, she
029was recognized by the Southwest SULPA for her outstanding contributions to the academic, social, and emotional growth of her students with special needs. Here's what her colleague said about her. Karen is committed to seeing the potential in every student, building trust, and encouraging them along the way. She's dedicated to her craft and always finds ways to make learning fun, engaging, and motivating. She acknowledges and validates when things are challenging yet helps students turn I can't into I can and I did. Karen easily connects with students, parents, and school staff. And as a special education team member, Karen is flexible, approachable, a problem solver, generous with her time, the ultimate collaborator, advocate, team player, and co-orker. She is so deserving of this award and she is such an asset to the Elsa Gundo Unified School District learning
030and teaching community. Congratulations, Miss Proctor. Thank you. >> Don't go too far because you know we're all gonna want to take a picture, too. So, don't don't go as far. >> All right. Uh, it's my pleasure to be with you tonight. I would like to invite up Bennett Schaefer, our second grade teacher. >> Bennett creates the kind of classroom environment where all students succeed. His strong structures, consistent routines, and clear expectations create a sense of safety, predictability, and belonging that allows students to take risks, build confidence, and thrive. He empowers students to work independently while thoughtfully provoking, thoughtfully providing the guidance, encouragement, and scaffolds they need to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. What makes Bennett especially impactful is the intentionality he brings to meeting the needs of all learners. He is deeply thoughtful and collaborative
031in supporting students with a wide range of strengths, needs, and learning styles. He works closely with staff and families, including those through the IEP process when needed to ensure students have meaningful access to accommodations, supports, and opportunities they need to be successful. His commitment to inclusion is not simply something he talks about. It is evident in the way he builds community, plans instructions, and ensures every child feels valued, capable, and fully part of the classroom. His classroom is a place where students are not only supported, but truly seen, celebrated, and able to thrive. Congratulations, Bennett, for this welldeserved recognition. I have the pleasure of closing it down. Um, the person we're going to recognize from Elsagunda High School or who was recognized with it by the SELPA for the CAC was Jessica Aguilar, school psychologist.
032Uh, Miss Aguular could not be here this evening because as if she wanted to further reinforce why she deserves this award. She is in Utah right now visiting a school where some of our students are are currently making sure the school is up to par and those students are supported. Even though they're not in the Elsagundo community, she's taking Elsaundo to them. Just another indication. Um, but with her not here, I still would be remiss if I didn't say a few words for her. Um, Miss Agular is someone who is student focused in all that she does. She's always seeking ways to understand and value each student's individual needs, the I and IEP. She approaches challenges with creativity and compassion, working to identify meaningful structures of support that help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.
033Miss Aguular is also a collaborative advocate for students, partnering closely with the families, with teachers, counselors, and all staff to ensure that appropriate accommodations and services are in place so that every student has the opportunity to thrive. Miss Aguular's dedication has made a positive impact on students and families and we are incredibly proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition for Miss Aguular. Thank you. Well, nobody's gonna take it. Are you the designated photographer for Richmond tonight? >> Okay. Ready? One, one, two, three. Bucky Badger. That's right. One, two, three. Okay. Okay. My turn. Ready? One, two, three. All right. Good. Thank you everyone for that. It was lovely to hear the tributes that were so welld deserved. And um next we've got more tributes to do. So we have our recognition of 2026 employees of the
034year. Miss V, if you'll lead us through this. All right. Good evening, President Miller Zarniki, members of the board, Dr. Johnson, and fellow cabinet members. Tonight's always the highlight of the school year as we take time to recognize the dedicated individuals who make Elsa Gundo Unified such a special place for our students and families. Every day our employees go above and beyond in service of our students and each plays an essential role in supporting their success and fostering a culture of excellence, care and community. The strength of EU uses SUSD is found in its people and this evening we have the privilege of recognizing a group of employees who exemplify the very best of Elsagundo Unified. These individuals have made a lasting impact through their dedication, their professionalism, their leadership, and their commitment to our
035students and our families. So, it is my honor and my privilege to recognize the 2026 employees of the year. As we celebrate these outstanding individuals, our site and department administrators will join me at the podium to share a few words why they are so deserving of this recognition. And so I'm going to ask um invite uh Rose Erenss to join me as the podium as we recognize our first two. >> Thank you. Thank you. All right. So um I'm going to invite up Kyle Kuna who is our classified employee. >> So it's my true honor to recognize Kyle Eskuna as our center street classified employee of the year. While his title may be student safety assistant, anyone who knows Kyle understands that his a impact reaches far beyond student safety. Kyle's superpower is the way
036he makes every student feel seen, valued, and connected the moment they walk through our school gates. He knows every student by name, but even more importantly, he knows little details that matter. their interests, their hobbies, and what's happening in their lives. Every morning, students and families are greeted with Kyle's warm smile, kind words, and genuine care. Kyle's dedication to our school community extends well beyond his daily responsibility. Through his work on our safety committee and Cougar's care committee, he helps create a school environment that is vibrant, welcoming, and full of joy for our elementary students. Kyle is a perfect example that the heart of the school is not found in a job title, but in the people who make every child feel safe, valued, and loved. We are incredibly lucky to have him as part
037of our Cougar family. Please join me in congratulating Kyle, our Center Street Classified employee of the year. WE have another quick announcement though. Kyle is also our classified employee of the year for the district as well. So, congratulations yet again to Kyle. Welld deserved. Yes. All right. and Center Street again are Center Street Teacher of the Year, Michaela Barnes. Come up, Michaela. Michaela. So, we are also thrilled to celebrate celebrate Michaela whose warmth, heart, and dedication shine in everything she does. She is a passionate champion for students social emotional well-being and has helped bring ruler to life across our school community. She deeply values the teaching profession and carries herself with a quiet strength and high integrity that is respected by all. There is never any question about the quality of her work. Everything she
038does is thoughtful, beautifully designed, meticulously crafted, and truly beyond compare. She believes deeply that every child can succeed and pairs that belief with meaningful work each day. A true Potterhead, she uses her love of stories to spark imagination and make reading and writing magical for students. Michaela is a trusted colleague, a loyal friend, and someone who shows up with kindness, generosity, and joy. Whether supporting staff, cheering on students after hours, or giving her very best to our school. It is my honor to celebrate Michaela Barnes as our our certificated our certificated teacher of the year. Yay. Congratulations. >> All right. And now I would like to invite Carrie Oashen to recognize the Richmond Street employees of the year. >> I'd like to start by inviting Miss Nurali Patel. I am thrilled to recognize classified Richmond
039Street classified employee of the year, Miss Narali Patel, who is one of our amazing special education instructional assistants. Here is praise from those who work the closest with her. Nurali is a forward-thinking, patient, and flexible team member. She balances a calm demeanor with clear expectations and students really respond to her. She's such an asset in the classroom. Nurali builds strong, positive relationships with students and consistently goes above and beyond to support their individual needs. She works extremely well with teachers to ensure that students receive appropriate support and are set up for success. Nurali has a gift for making students feel seen, heard, and valued. and she is truly a safe and trusted adult for so many students at Richmond Street. Congratulations, Nur. And now, Miss Juliana Fel. It is my privilege to recognize kindergarten teacher
040Miss Juliana Fel as Richmond Street's educator of the year. Here are the beautiful responses from the colleagues who nominated her. Miss Fel consistently goes above and beyond for her students, treating each child with fairness, respect, and genuine care. No matter the challenges a class may bring, she leads with grace and kindness, creating a classroom environment where students feel safe, valued, and excited to learn. Even on the toughest days, Juliana finds a way to make learning meaningful and fun, inspiring both her students and her colleagues. She has an incredible ability to meet students exactly where they are, providing the compassion, patience, and skill needed to help each one grow. Juliana genuinely wants to see all students at Richmond Street succeed, and she greets each one with a warm, friendly smile that makes them feel welcomed and
041valued. Her dedication, positivity, and unwavering commitment to her students make her an extraordinary educator who inspires both children and colleagues alike. Her nurturing presence and dedication make a lasting difference in the lives of her students and their families. Congratulations, Miss Fello. >> And I want to make sure we heard the distinction. She's not only the uh Richmond Street teacher of the year, but she's also our educator of the year. So, congratulations again. And now I would like to invite Dr. advant to recognize the Elsagundo Middle School employees of the year. Good evening. It is my profound honor to ask Mr. Eric Palma to join me up here. Eric Palma is an invaluable member of our Elsagundo Middle School team whose calm, caring, and professional presence makes a difference on our campus every day. Eric approaches
042student situations with compassion, fairness, and support. Always working proactively to build rapport and trust with students before challenges arise. Known for being vigilant, equitable, and dependable, Eric consistently strives to support both student safety and positive school culture. One colleague shared, "Eric is a team player. He is always stepping up to help, is always vigilant, and provides a strong presence of safety. Whether assisting students, supporting staff, or skillfully utilizing our campus cameras, he's really good at them. To help investigate and resolve concerns, Eric handles every situation with professionalism and care. We are incredibly grateful for the positive impact he has on our Bulldog community and proud to honor him tonight. >> Congratulations. All right, I'd like to call up I'd like to call up Warren Croft. Warren or Pro Croft is the kind of educator who
043leaves a lasting impact on both students and colleagues alike. Having served as a teacher at both Elsagundo High School and Elsagundo Middle School, although we know he loves us Bulldogs most, Prof consistently leads with care, compassion, and a deep commitment to the whole child. Colleagues describe him as a fabulous and caring teacher, a voice of reason, and one of the most level-headed people they have ever worked with. Students clearly adore and respect him, and his positive relationships with young people are evident across campus every single day. Profay is also known for being a true team player who prioritizes the needs of the entire school community. Whether supporting colleagues, helping at school events, leading through ESTA, or simply offering encouragement in the hallway, he brings kindness, professionalism, and thoughtful leadership to everything he does. It's truly
044an honor to recognize Warren Croft for the incredible difference he makes in the lives of our students, staff, and Bulldog community. Looks like Steve already knows what he needs to do. I'd like to invite Steve Ghart, the principal of the high school, to please come on up and recognize us high school employees of the year. >> Oh, perfect. >> Thank you very much. I have the the privilege and the honor of welcoming up Miss Lorena Hernandez as the classified employee of the year. It is truly my privilege to recognize Lena as the Elsagundo High School classified employee of the year. For the past three years, she has been the most important and central force that keeps our school running smoothly each and every day. And to go off script for a moment, I will just
045say like Cheryl, when you were saying, "No, thank you, Tracy, for that." That's what I do every day for Lena. So, as others as others before me have said, here are some quotes from those who work most closely with Lena. These are my quotes because I work most closely with Lena. Um, being in the front office, in many ways, she is the focal point of campus operations. From managing substitute teachers and daily class coverages, which we all know make sure our students keep learning, to coordinating supply orders, processing work orders for repairs, organizing senior scholarships, and helping oversee senior recognitions. She handles an incredible range of responsibilities with professionalism, efficiency, and care. One of the most impressive things about her is her ability to manage multiple people, priorities, and challenges all at the same time
046while making it look effortless. She brings calm, positivity, and organization to even the busiest days. But what makes her truly exceptional is not just what she does, but how she does it. Because it's how we make people feel, not just what we do for them that they remember. The front office is often the first impression people have of our school. And she's the first person that students, staff, parents, and community members see when they walk through the door. No matter how busy the office may be, she always greets people with a smile, kindness, and a welcoming attitude that reflects the very best of our school community. Lorena is the best of us at Elsagundo High School, so it's my honor to recognize her tonight. Congratulations, Lena. And now it is also my honor to recognize
047our certificated staff member of the year, teacher of the year, Mr. Paul Jean. Paul, will you please come up here? Mr. John is an outstanding educator who has made extraordinary impact on our students, staff, and school community over the past four years. Mr. Jay, like me, is a senior this year. It's our first four years at the school. And so these seniors, we're we're going out together with well, not out, but um yet as as an English and AVID teacher, Mr. John consistently creates engaging and creative learning experiences that allow students multiple ways to demonstrate understanding and mastery, which is critical because students learn in multiple ways. So demonstrating that learning in multiple ways is just as important. His classroom is one where students feel supported, challenged, and empowered to succeed and where learning is
048both meaningful and accessible to all students. And for that reason, it's also no surprise that Mr. Jean next year will step into the role of department chairperson. Beyond the classroom, beyond the classroom, Mr. Jean is the definition of someone who steps up for both students and the school community. His leadership of link crew helps students transition successfully into high school and feel connected to our campus. And Mr. Jean has also built opportunities for students through his sponsorship and leadership of the esports club, the Battle of the South Bay competitions, Operation Smile Club, the board game club, the chess club, and numerous other student involvement opportunities and activities that help students find belonging, connection, and purpose. Mr. Jean is the embodiment of Eagle Excellence and the staff archetype for supporting students in feeling seen, heard, supported,
049and loved. And it is my honor to to recognize Mr. Jean as a certificated teacher of the year. >> And now for the district office. It is my pleasure to recognize the Elsagando district office classified employee of the year, Chamille McKay. Please come up. >> Chamille's role in human resources places her at the center of so much of the day-to-day work that helps our district operate smoothly. Whether coordinated substitute coverage, assisting administrators and supervisors with interviews, or simply navigating the countless details that arise throughout the day and that I throw at her, she approaches every task with professionalism, care, and consistency. What makes Shamil especially deserving of this recognition is not only the important work that she does, but the way she does it. She's quietly helpful and always willing to assist with a smile.
050She never seeks recognition or accolades, yet her impact is felt by many throughout the district every day. Sheila is also the welcoming face of the district office, greeting visitors with warmth, kindness, and professionalism. No matter how busy the day, she consistently brings a calm, dependable, and positive presence to everyone around her. We appreciate Sham for the countless behind-the-scen ways she supports our students, our staff, and our schools. And it is my honor to recognize her as a classified district employee of the year. Congratulations. And now I would like to invite Dr. Lind and she's going to recognize our administrator of the year. >> I'd like to welcome Marie Herman up to the podium. Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Well, I guess I don't need to say anything. That was pretty much it. Um, but
051it is my pleasure to introduce Marne as the ESUSD administrator of the year. As director of maintenance and operations, Marne brings hard work, humility, and steady problem solving to everything she does. She is a leader who always finds a way, whether she is addressing a facilities issue, supporting a school site, following up with vendors, or responding to something unexpected, which is kind of her everyday. Under Marne's leadership, the M department has become more responsive, proactive, and serviceoriented. Response times have dropped significantly with many most requests now addressed in about a week. She has strengthened systems, held vendors accountable, that's her superpower, and built trust through consistent follow-through. What makes Marne especially deserving of this recognition is not just what she accomplishes, but how she leads. She is a servant leader who is humble, calm, hardworking,
052and always willing to help. She brings service with a smile to difficult work and keeps the focus on supporting students, staff, and safe, well-maintained schools. Marne's impact is felt across the district every day and we are proud to recognize her as administrator of the year. >> Thank you again for the opportunity to recognize these amazing individuals and um thank you again. Yes, we would definitely like a picture. That's why I had you guys all stand up here. Please do come in with for a picture. Well, we'll let folks uh clear out and go about their evenings celebrating hopefully with a lovely dinner or something more exciting than sitting here listening to us. So, we'll take a pause for a moment while we do that. All right, I think our room is reset. Our name plates
053are straightened. All things are in order. So, let's move on to some other exciting news here. Uh we have as our next item introduction of our new program specialist, Miss Vil. >> Yes. It is my pleasure to introduce Miss Samantha Hill as the district's new program specialist. Miss Hill, if you would please come to the deis, the podium. Miss Hill holds a bachelor bachelor of arts um degree in dev studies and a master's degree in special education with an emphasis on deaf education both from California State University Northridge. She joins us with more than 11 years of experience as a deaf and heart of hearing teacher, a special education coordinator and an American sign language professor. Missile comes highly recommended as and is known as a collaborative leader, a thoughtful problem solver and a strong
054advocate for students and families. Samantha, please tell us a little about yourself. >> Thank you so much for that introduction, Miss V. Um, and good evening, uh, board president, uh, Miller Zordicki, uh, board members, Dr. Johnson, and cabinet members. Um, I'm really excited to be here. Um, thank you so much for the opportunity to join, uh, Melagundo Unified School District as your new program specialist. Um yeah, I thank you so much for giving me um that introduction, a little bit about my background and I look forward to starting the school year next year and supporting your special education department. Also, congratulations to all of the amazing staff that were recognized tonight. I'm excited to work with all of them and get to know them as the year progresses. So, thank you again. >> We're happy
055to have you. Thank you for being here with us. >> Thank you. >> Look forward to the fall. Thank you. >> All right. And another item from Miss V, an introduction of our new AI and instructional innovation TOSA. It is also my pleasure to introduce Miss Carrie Hammersmith as our new AI and instructional innovation TOSA. Miss Hamish, come if you please come to the podium. Miss Hammershm joins the ESUSD team with 18 years of experience as an educator and technology TOSA. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in law and society from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a master's degree in education from Pepperdine University. I had the pleasure of participating on her in her interview process and we were all impressed with her knowledge and her passion and the thoughtful approach to
056the use of artificial intelligence and education. Um so we're excited to welcome her to Elsa Gundo as our AI and instructional innovation. Tossa, please tell us a little bit about yourself. >> Thank you so much. Uh good evening board president Miller Zarni, members of the board, Dr. Johnson and cabinet members. Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am ecstatic to be joining Elsagunda Unified School District as the AI and instructional innovation TOSA. Um throughout the interview process, it's very evident that this is a district that focuses on collaboration, innovation, and student centered learning. Um throughout the rigorous multiple rounds of interviews and um having students on the panel, it was very evident that the district was dedicated to finding a good fit person as well as prioritizing student voice and uh future ready learning.
057My years of service and education has focused on technology integration, instructional coaching, and most recently AI literacy. So, I'm really excited to continue that work and bring meaningful and innovative uh experiences to the students and staff. So, thank you for trusting me with this position and I'm very proud to join the team. Thank you so much. >> Well, we welcome you. We're happy you decided to come along this way, too. So, thank you so much. >> Thank you very much. Have a good evening. Okay, now we get back to regular boring business but important business. So, uh we are going to move into the consent agenda. Do I have a motion for approval? >> I move to approve consent agenda items 5A through J. >> Second. >> Do we have any discussion on these items
058or any of these items? All right. Seeing and hearing none, I will ask Maddie for her her preferential vote. >> I. >> And board members in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion carries 5. Action items. Uh, we have item 6A, acceptance of notice of completion for the weather proofing weather proofing technologies shco roof replacement at center street. Dr. Lince, what else would you like to tell us about that? >> Um, not much. This is acceptance of the notice of completion for a roofing project at Center Street School that has been completed. I do recommend approval. Thank you. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion? Maddie, your preferential vote. >> I >> and board members in favor. >> I those opposed. Motion carries 5. All right. Next on our agenda, we have
059approval to enter into an agreement with the Baldwin Group to conduct a health benefits study and request for uh proposals process. Miss V. >> Yes. This item is a recommendation to approve an agreement with the Baldwin group to conduct a health benefit study and facilitate an RFP process for the district's health and dental plans. This work was recommended by the health benefits committee as part of our effort to evaluate the district's current offerings and ensure employees have access to quality benefits at competitive rates. I recommend approval. >> I move approval of action item 7A. >> Second. Any discussion on this item? >> I mean, good teeth are very important, too. So, >> yeah. >> All right, Maddie, your preferential vote. >> I >> and board members in favor. >> I those opposed. Motion carries. 50.
060Item six. Oh, sorry. 7B. Miss V, I'll let you read the whole thing out. >> Um, I'm I've just introduced it. Yeah, we don't need to. Um, this item is a recommendation to approve resolution number 16 authorizing the reduction of services for 13 TLC lead teacher positions. The resolution reduces the hours for these positions from 8 to 6.5 hours beginning in the 2627 school year. I recommend approval. >> I move Oops. I move approval of uh 7B. >> Second. Okay. Any discussion on this item? Maddie, your preferential vote. >> I. >> And board members in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. >> Nay. >> And any abstensions? All right. Motion carries 41. Next item on the agenda, 7C, approval to enact education code section 44043.5, catastrophic leave. Education code allows a school
061district to establish catastrophic leave program allowing employees to donate leave credits to a fellow employee when that employee or member of their family um suffers from a major illness or injury. CSEA has requested that the district enact this for a period of 14 days to support a classified unit member who is a caregiver for a parent who's managing a serious illness. I recommend approval. >> So moved. >> Second. Any discussion on this item? I'm just happy that we're allowed or we're able to do this. It's our pleasure. >> Yeah. And it's lovely that the union will support this member at this time for sure. >> Okay, Maddie, your preferential vote. >> I and board members in favor. >> I those opposed. Motion carries 5. All right. Next on the agenda, we'll move into section 8
0628A. We have approval of new earth and space science course at Elsagundo High School. Dr. Young, >> this item is the addition of earth and space science course at Elsagundo High School which is designed to expand the science course offerings and better support students in meeting AO to G requirements. This interdisciplinary NGSS aligned lab course provides an additional pathway for students to complete three years of science and has already received UC approval for A to G credit. I recommend approval. I move approval of item where are we? 8 A >> second. >> Do we have a Okay. Any discussion on this item? >> Um is this going to be just like is it for like what age group would it primarily be? >> It would be an alternative option for chemistry. >> For chemistry. Okay.
063>> Any further questions on this? >> All right. Maddie, your preferential vote. I This is awesome. >> And board members in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Those opposed. Motion carries. 5 Z. >> Tracy, I'm sorry. I need to pause for a second. I have to go back and correct the vote. I was one number off, so I need to correct my vote for item 7B. I apologize. >> Okay. Um, for the record, do you want to >> Yes. For the record, my um my vote is nay. So, it's uh 32. >> That was one off. I apologize for the disruption. >> Okay. I think we're okay in procedure. Just to note that in the record, anybody concern. All right. So, noted item 7B is uh passes with a 3-2 vote. All right. Back
064to item 8 B. Yes, that's where we are. All right. Approval of Emerge by McGra Hill as the English uh language arts curriculum for Center Street and Richmond Street elementary schools. Dr. Young. >> Thank you. This item is the adoption of Emerge by McGra Hill as our K through five English language arts curriculum for our elementary schools. This followed a year-long comprehensive review with representative members from each grade level at both schools as well as special education teachers and our reading specialists and our principles. and a full school pilot was held between both schools and feedback was obtained by our students as well as teachers. Um this was the recommended uh curriculum with consensus and the curriculum was placed on public display at both schools front offices beginning April 18th through May 8th and the
065community was invited to provide feedback. We've also provided copies in the back of the boardroom as well as um in front of you for your perusal. No feedback was received and I recommend approval. Do a motion for approval. >> I move to approve action item 8B. >> Second. >> All right. Any discussion on this item? All right. Seeing hearing none, Maddie, your preferential vote. >> I. >> And board members in favor? >> I. >> Those opposed? >> Motion carries. 5 Z. All right. Item 8 C, approval of the renewal of EXL site licenses for ELA and math in grades 1 through 12. Dr. Young, >> thank you. Il provides a comprehensive standards aligned platform that supports targeted intervention, personalized practice, and diagnostic assessments to identify and address individual student learning needs. It is currently in
066place for grades 3 through 12. I'm sure Maddiey's familiar with it as well, >> but we will be expanding access to include our primary grades as well, which will allow for earlier identification of learning needs and provide foundational skill development in both literacy and numeracy. I recommend approval. >> I move approval of action item 8 C. >> Second. >> Any discussion on this item? >> It was my best friend during CO. my best friend during co >> I can attest to that in Miss Beachley's class during co >> I like I like this testimony >> but it was good right >> it was it's fabulous >> testament okay all right any other comments Maddie your preferential vote >> I >> and board members in favor >> I >> those opposed >> motion carries 5 all
067right we'll Move into section 9 information pending action. We have consideration of National Geographic Lift as a designated ELD curriculum for Elskundo High School. Dr. Young, would you like to expand upon that? >> Sure. Thank you. Following a comprehensive review by the district ELD coordinator as well as a high school ELD teacher. This program was identified as best aligned to prepare our multilingual students with academic language and literacy skills to study crosscurricular subjects. This curriculum has been placed on display in the high school library as well as the front office during AP testing with an email notification sent to the community on May 8th and is also available at the back of the boardroom tonight. It will be brought back for your approval at an upcoming meeting. >> Okay. Thank you. Did you guys have
068a question on procedure? Anything? No. >> Well, I have a question. Was there any other curriculum um looked at? >> Yes, she did review multiple options, but this was her first choice. Thank you. >> Okay, great. Thank you for sharing that. Um, next for our report section, we will take a look at theformational calendar. I sense it is still going to be busy >> indeed. May May continues to entertain us well. >> Um, some mostly fun things here for. So, thank you for sharing that. We appreciate having all of that in one place. All right, we'll move into board member reports now. We will start down there with Mr. Glenn. >> Thank you. Um, so lots happened in the last two weeks, but um, I just really want to talk about one particular thing that
069happened on Friday night around 8 o'clock. And guess what? It's not the mob dance or whatever. Not Jason's shirt, >> although that was spectacular. Um, no. Uh, on the stage, um, Richard and Melanie, uh, Lungquist came up to speak. And um I just want to say that I found it very emotional to listen to a man who was um talking to us about his giving, his philanthropy, and the fact that he was just coming to the end of a fiveyear span where he donated $1 million to the Ed Foundation at $200,000 a year. And I was in my head lamenting the fact that this was coming to an end. And then he said that he was recommitting to give the Ed Foundation another $1 million over the next five years. And just to have this
070man in I mean he doesn't even live in Elsagundo. his businesses here, but the support that he has given our schools throughout the years. He mentioned the number of years I think it was 30 in the 30s that he's been a part of the Ed Foundation. When the Ed Foundation started, they had a goal of giving $100,000 to the district per year, which has now grown to $2 million. and he has been there all the way uh leading sometimes leading as a cheerleader and in the early days he led as the uh the president of of the Ed Foundation chairman and um I just didn't want it to go unspoken or unnoticed and it's all I want to mention today because um to have someone like that supporting our schools is just an amazing gift.
071So, thank you. >> Thank you. Um so, since our last meeting, uh we have started the end of the year festivities and all the thank yous that go along with that. So the first one was the high school choir concert which I attended and I was absolutely blown away by the Hamilton medalley that they sang and as always I cried at the end. I always do. Um, next was my middle school visit where I was really excited to hear um about some of the new classes that are going to be added for next year as we continue as we move away from IB and into kind of our next stage. Um, I'm really excited for some of the opportunities uh that the middle school kids are going to have. I attended that night then the
072roundt where Dr. Devlantes came in again and shared um some of that with uh the roundt members which was exciting and I would like to thank connect for um hosting that wonderful event. Um I was honored again to be asked to judge the biomed prosthetic arm project. Um, this is one of my favorite projects. I actually did this with my sixth graders. So, to watch the growth of the kids from when they did my little project in sixth grade to what they're able to do as juniors is incredible. Um, and they're not just building this prosthetic arm model, but they're having to kind of sell it to the judges as to why this is good um in kind of moving getting ready for the Shark Tank um that they will be traveling to um later
073on. The hometown fair was mentioned. It was nice to see so many students out selling. I was busy um selling ducks, which is my whole day that day. Um last Thursday night was kind of the start for me of honoring some some um excellence as the president of SoCal Rock. Um I was um invited to be part of the um Night of the Allstars and Jason joined me uh for this event. Um, we held it at the Shades um, hotel in Roondo Beach. Um, a place that was pretty much donated by one of our old Scrock students. Um, which was it means a lot. And we were able to give about $20,000 of scholarships to both high school students who are either moving on in the trades or moving on to college and also to
074some of our adult learners who are moving to get certificates and so forth. Um, we do have one student, but I'm not going to celebrate him tonight because I am going to celebrate him at the scholarship award night in the end of this month. Um they the Ed Gayla I had a quick thing a thank you obviously to the Ed Foundation for such a lovely event and I had an even bigger thank you to Richard Lungquist um who continues his very generous donations. And finally a big um thank you to the PTAs um and everybody who donated food and gifts and all of the other wonderful things. um so that we could spoil our amazing teachers and staffs last week for teacher appreciation. And that is my report. >> Thank you. Um over the past
075two weeks, our district has been incredibly busy with many events and accomplishments worth celebrating. The Ed Galla was an amazing success, a fun and memorable evening with incredible execution from start to finish. A huge thank you to the entire committee with special recognition to Barbara Bry for leading the charge and helping make the event such a success. We also celebrated teacher appreciation week recognizing the dedication and hard work of our incredible educators throughout the district. In addition, PTA Council held the installation of their new board last night. Congratulations to Lori Burkwitz on becoming the new PTA Council president. We appreciate all of the volunteers who continue to support our schools and students so passionately. Um, like Maddie mentioned, last Friday our girls swim and dive team won CIF at Mount Sack. Um, they also broke
076seven school records. Um, you mentioned lacrosse and tennis and boys baseball begins their CIF playoffs um against Gar High School this Thursday um at GAR. And our girls softball team is starting their CIF run this Friday against Edison. Um, there's so much to celebrate and so much to so much so much as we so much support that we have to give as we close out the school year. Thank you for everyone who helps make these opportunities possible for our students and congratulations to all of our athletes for representing Elsa High School with pride. So, it's May and I want to start off by saying a happy belated Mother's Day to all of the mothers within our district and within our community. I would also like to take this moment to recognize that May is me
077M mental health awareness month. It is also AAPI, AsianAmerican and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Jewish Americans Heritage Month. On April 29th, I attended the AP research presentation on the topic of health care disparities in the black community by one of our students, examining both the historical inequities and present day challenges in access to quality health care. Now, I just want you to pause for a second and think about that. I mean, even getting that out, that was a mouthful. And this is the level of research that our students are doing. And it takes a lot because not only are they reaching for looking forward to the present, but they're reaching back to the past and they're making a realistic connection. And that is the type of education you receive here within our
078district. On April 29th was the high school choir concert which was highlighted already, but I just want to take a moment to highlight the talent, the dedication, and the hard work of the student performers. A special thanks to Gianna Summers for all that she does inside and outside of the classroom and of course as well as on stage for all of her students. On April 30th, we had the superintendent roundt event hosted by the Ed Foundation. The evening reflected the strong connectedness of our community, beginning with opening remarks from Dr. Bill Watkins, the original founder of the superintendent roundt event and concluded with an inspiring middle school update from an ESUSD graduate with deep roots in the community. Our very own ESMS principal, Dr. Sarah Devontis. On May 8th, we attended this year's ED Gala,
079a wonderful evening under the stars, celebrating the strength of our community while raising funds to support enrichment programs and education opportunities across ESUSD to help bridge the gap. And this is very important. Everything that they do helps to bridge the gap in traditional public school funding. We are the community that we are. We provide the education, the enrichment, and all of the glitter that goes with it. Not from the state funding, but from the support that we receive from our very own community, community partners, and various stakeholders. And as Frank pointed out, $2 million is what our ed foundation commits to us every year. and they work until the very end to secure that and I thank them for that. The event was a meaningful reminder of what we can accomplish when our community comes
080together in support of our students. Lastly, I would like to close with something that's personal to me. And I would like to wish a very happy 22nd wedding anniversary to my amazing husband who spends so many evenings here with us in the audience in the front row. And um I just want to say thank you for the support that he provides to me and our family which allows me to free up my time to give so graciously to our school district. Thank you >> indeed. Happy anniversary. Um yeah, I I want to flash back to there there were a lot of good things that happened in these last couple weeks and and yeah, as soon as we left the door, I went to the band concert that was happening right there. It was amazing to
081get in there and see that um middle school and high school together. I think that's lovely to watch the progression of our students as they come through that program. And again, Ed Foundation makes that possible. So incredible that we've got that that and the choir. I mean, again, beautiful performances again. Definitely weepy for both. Actually, a little bit for me. I'm sorry. I'm just that way. Um, I I uh I want to say um that I was glad to go spend some time on the middle school campus as well for a tour, but I'm sorry that I had to miss the staff appreciation day. I love pushing a coffee card around and and treating folks to, you know, caffeine being our friend and um other treats. But I want to say thank you to Lisa
082and to the whole team that helped put that together because I mean, if we could do that every day, that would be incredible. But I do hope that our our staff enjoyed that special treat to kick off what seems to be an incredible week of appreciation that our PTAs, PTSAs put on. I mean, incredible. So, I I love this community and the way it comes together and appreciates all the good that it has. Um, uh, we had a facility advisory committee meeting that we haven't reported on yet to say that particular meeting focused on things I hold dear to my heart. energy, water, waste p waste, well waste lessening practices, all those things that that keep us on the greener path and you know, I will continue to champion that, but I appreciate that that
083Dr. Lince has put a lot of that in motion this year and that environmentality is in our strategic plan so we can keep that moving forward. So, it's great to hear an overview of that at uh the facility advisory meeting. The other meeting that happened that is a special thing when it actually does happen is the city school subcommittee meeting came to be in the last couple weeks. So I want to thank uh Frank and Dr. Jay for being there in the room while I was zooming in. But I thought it was a really great time just to put city and school heads together to talk about how we can help our community as a whole but most importantly to help the constituents that happen to be our students that are a very important part
084of our Elsagundo community. So, um it was great to see that time together and and more of it is always welcome. Um the gala indeed, what more can be said? I I too had that emotional roller coaster with when when Richard was talking about, oh, it's the end of this and I was like, oh, I mean, but wow, how amazing is that? Then all of a sudden, he's re rebooting it. I mean, I literally was jaw-dropping in that moment to hear that. So he he is a prime example of that generosity, but man, this town again comes together from businesses, individuals, and and the hardworking committee that put that event on. I I'm so grateful to be in this place and to see all that love and support coming in. So, thank you for bringing
085us all together that night for a beautiful evening. Um, I went right from being all well somewhat cleaned up for that night to working in the dirt the next morning with the Elsagando Blue Butterfly Conservancy. And there were at least 20 of our students out there doing it, too. I mean, amazing to see um through the scouts and through the high school programs, a lot of students out there getting their community service hours in for the year and having a great time. I mean, they couldn't be more excited to find a lizard that they dug up accidentally or all these fuzzy little caterpillars. It was super fun to see so many kids engaged and literally getting their hands in the dirt to clean up that place. So, it was it was it was beautiful morning.
086Um, I'm looking forward to some bio capstone presentations on Friday. But yes, those AP research uh presentations were equally incredible. I'm sure our kids are so smart. Our kids are so talented. They could be out there giving TED talks all the time. I mean, I'm just I I'm in awe of what our teachers are doing with them, what our families are doing with them, what the students themselves are bringing to the table. It's incredible and I'm I'm thrilled when we get to see that. Um, lastly, I'll just say we have our final Laxton meeting of the year this coming Monday night at which time we will be electing our new board and saying goodbye to my term as a president there. But I will still be, I'm sure, in attendance because I can't tell you
087how important it is, I think, for us to connect with other districts in our area to really understand what's happening across Los Angeles. And I have to say, every time I come away from those meetings, like, you know, guys, we have it pretty good here. We really do. But honestly, I learn a lot from from the other districts here that I I always have in the head, back of the head, somewhere in the head to bring into consideration because I I think we're better together. So, I will continue to champion Laxi even when I'm not on the board there. Uh, with that, I think I will say uh thank you and see you around at one of these many events we have coming up. >> Thank you, Madam President. On the PTA side, I uh
088there was the council installation meeting that Heather and I attended and then next week you have sightbased um uh installation meetings across the board. I think sometimes there's a misunderstanding that PTA uh PTSA volunteers uh don't have careers. Uh it's actually the opposite. The majority do. Um you know, it's the classic line, if you want something done, ask a busy person. So, I just want to give a a very large thank you for those that are signing up for a year of that commitment um with their jobs and their families. Uh it is um a noble effort and it's also one that's not paid. So, just very much appreciate um their volunteerism. On the ed side, second everything that everyone else said, uh but the summer classes um are still available for sign up. Um,
089and so if you want to show your appreciation for Ed, what better way than enroll your child in the summer classes and to help with the continued fundraising effort. Um, I want to give a shout out to the Center Street staff um and families. They had international night um last week, I believe. Uh, and uh the turnout was incredible. I I think well over 25 countries at least were represented. And there was also an incredible amount of staff represented. I I believe there was almost a staff member at every single table in country. So, thank you to the Center Street staff for lifting that effort off the ground. Um and then going on the high school side, I want to thank the high school staff who's in the midst of AP testing among a lot
090of other assortment of testing as well too. Uh they have done just a fantastic job. I've also talked to several students and I just really appreciate staff making it also a calm environment for students. It's a very stressful time. It's very competitive as we all know um for college entry and so I just really appreciate that effort that's made um on the students uh congratulations to the uh Richmond Street students who won the rubber match uh for the ultimate frisbee game and took the it's it's not really being called the goat trophy uh the goat trophy home um for the end of the year and then of course the staff and the coaches that helped run it as well too. We had so many students able to participate that they had to do a pre-ournament
091on the sites before they had the is it inter site competition. Okay. Um then uh also with the students uh there are so many capstone projects that are happening right now from AP research to the biomed projects um business uh engineering and so just a lot of work at the end of the year and I really appreciate seeing those opportunities um that students take to do those projects uh including those related to the capstone for the grad profile. So thank you for that commitment to the work. I do think it's a a longl lasting um uh skills that are being built there. Uh speaking of Richard Rungquist, uh come on down to his pet project, The Plunge. Uh it's grand opening is on May 18th. Really excited to be there and credit to the city.
092um and uh all the donors including ourselves uh that have made the plunge happen and uh we had a great it's part of our conversation about how we can work with the plunge in order to give our students our elementary students in particular an opportunity and then uh uh elementary open house is on May 21st. There's so much work that goes into an elementary open house. So I really want to thank the elementary teachers and staff. um parents uh always come out. So that's awesome. But it's just it's a lot of work. It's super awesome. It's maybe one of my favorite events and just education generally is open house. Uh so looking forward to see people there. And then finally um on the board side, thank you Frank. He came out and did our arena
093uh was visit um for our self-study and did a great job. And we were I think we all came away feeling proud of you mean like the what we've been able to do at arena and just kudos to Dr. Wan um for his leadership there uh as well as Jean um and and company uh and we have a retirement coming from uh uh arena soon. So we're looking forward to honoring one of our retiring teachers. And that concludes my report. Thank you, Madam President. >> Okay. Well, with that, we do not need to go back into close session. So I will adjourn us at 7:33 p.m. Good night.