001Everyone, welcome to tonight's meeting, June 14th meeting of the Chester Union Free School District Board of Education meeting. Could we all please rise for the pledge of allegiance? I'm going to ask Colin to please lead us in the pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, good evening again to the board. Welcome to the public and to anyone on this lovely evening who might be watching online. I'm going to need a motion 1.4 to adopt tonight's agenda. I'll make that motion. Is there a second? A second. Any discussion? All in favor? I. Any oppose? I'll need a motion 1.5 to approve the board meeting minutes of May 17th, 2023. I'll make
002that motion. Is there a second? I'll second. Anyone have any issues, concerns, or corrections for the draft? I had none. No. Looks good. None. All in favor? I. Any opposed? And as this is our last board meeting of the year, this is one of our favorite meetings, we'll start tonight with presentations and I'm going to turn it over to Mr. O'Hara. Thank you. Uh this evening we are honoring the dedication and service of some phenomenal employees and um I have much more to say on that but we will begin uh Rachel Loftess will be uh presenting Miss Maryanne Chafatelli. Good evening. It is my pleasure uh to make a short presentation about Maryanne Chifatelli who is retiring at the end of this school year. I did a little digging. Hopefully I have this all right.
003Maryannne got her bachelor's in elementary education from St. Thomas Aquinus and her master's of education from Sunni Newalts. She also spent time getting special education credits uh from Dominican College. She had experience in, this was new knowledge for me, the intermediate school 162 in the South Bronx, Cornerstone Christian School in New City, New Life Christian Nursery School in New Windsor, and Tuxedo Union Free School District before she landed at Chester in 1999 as a teacher aid. From there, she completed her master's degree and moved on to be a special education teacher at Center for Discovery in Sullivan County. She was there about three years until she rejoined the Hamos as a special education teacher here at Chester. some things that our staff will always think of when we think of Maryanne. How she worked at
004almost every grade level in the Chester School District and is currently working at both the elementary and the academy. She knows everyone. She's worked with some of our neediest students. And what's really remarkable about Maryanne is that if you've seen her with those students, she makes each one feel like they are successful every day. over COVID. Maryanne could be seen in her car dropping off hands-on materials at her students homes because that's how they learn best. Maryanne worked with students on life skills including driving the red van to Shopright for materials followed by preparing food and uh distributing breakfast throughout the school. working on money skills, customer service, food handling skills among many other skills. At one time they also offered a laundry service working on many of the same skills and she got the
005kids out and about in that red van to Winslow therapeutic ride riding as well. They were always out and about learning. Uh, Maryanne used creative teaching methods including incorporating her love of theater into the classroom. If there are two words that really embody Maryanne, it is patience and kindness. She never gets discouraged when teaching students any skill set. She just keeps going until they learn it. Maryanne had an has made an impact on the special education department at every single level in the school district. She will be missed by everyone and we wish you the best as you move on into new end endeavors and wish you many successful performances on the stage. And if you would join us up here, we have a presentation for you. Thank you. awarded students retirement. Congratulations. [Applause] Norin
006Clark, 25 years, the silver Hamiltonian. Good evening, Superintendent O'Hara, Board of Education President, Mr. Sambitz, members of the Chester Board of Education, and our invited guest this evening. It is my pleasure this evening to recognize and give thanks to Miss Noren Clerken for her faithful, dedicated, and loyal commitment to the students, faculty, and staff of the Chester Union Free School District for more than 25 years. 25 years is so special. It's a silver jubilee. In the 25 years of Chester, Norine has proven to be durable, exquisite, symbolizing healthy and sound years of togetherness. Norine has worked with me daily for the past nine years caring and assisting students. Does she care about our students? Yes, she does wholeheartedly as she guides and brings the students to me and the guidance team. Norine is a is
007part of the fabric of the Chester school community daily. Did you know in 20067 school year, Norine had perfect attendance in the first semester here at Chester? Norin's journey in Chester began in 1997 as she had the opportunities as a school monitor, attendance personnel, ISS monitor, Odyssey of the mind coach in 2000, school chaperon for student athletics and activities since 2009. Recently, Norina has been a daily staple in the Chester Academy building as the lunch and school monitor. She's well versed in knowing all faculty and staff during all lunch periods. She's aware of the needs of students and assists them daily, even the ones who need the additional attention to be spoken to by me. Norine Walt Disney once shared, "It's not the days in life we remember, rather the moments." Thank you for being
008a part of the great educational learning community of the Chester School District. Everyone, please join me in thanking Noren Clark once again, our silver Hamiltonian this evening. [Applause] My youngest one there was an accident. So he'll be here late. [Applause] Mrs. Bosch was unable to be here this evening. Uh she has her daughter's fifth grade moving up ceremony. And I do have a message for Miss Patty Kio to share on her behalf. But before I read it, I did I was happy that it had an opportunity uh to present for Patty. And um I I do have to personally thank you, Patty, because she was one of the first teachers to welcome me to Chester Elementary School more than 20 years ago. And uh we have a lot of stories to share in the classroom
009uh complete with guess and check and all the other strategies that uh students have been learning. But Patty has an innate gift for modeling and teaching the importance of kindness, honoring differences in one another, and always striving to be your best. Your love of reading allowed to students was not deterred by wearing masks during the pandemic, nor by the constraints of social distancing. stories continued as did student learning. Do not make me cry. Your love of nature was celebrated with your students as learning extended beyond the walls of your classroom. Whether with bees or your favorite sea turtles need help or support professionally or personally, Patty's always the first to ask, "What can I do?" Beyond being an amazing educator and colleague, Patty is a great friend. Thank you for all of your support over
010the years, Patty. You're one of a kind and will truly be missed. And I wish you enjoyment in each and every day of your retirement. And now, on behalf of Mrs. Bosch. I am honored to speak about Patty Kio and reflect on her time as a teacher. Patty's career began in the Bronx where she was a second grade teacher for two years. She then moved on to teach first grade for four and a half years in Lake Placid. She followed that by teaching first grade in Liberty for one and a half years. This all before Patty landed a job at Chester Elementary School in 1994. Over her 29 years as a teacher at CES, Patty has taught first grade, second grade, and third grade. Patty's teaching career totals 37 years of service to the children
011and their families. What an accomplishment. I've only known Patty for a short time, just two years since I arrived at CES. I feel as though we have known each other for much longer. Patty and I have had many conversations about work, our lives, our pasts, and our families. She's easy to talk to and is open with her sentiments. I will certainly miss Patty in my doorway saying, "Do you have a sec?" The students, families, and staff of CES have been positively impacted by Mrs. Kio. She has been a dedic dedicated educator to the Chester Chester community for many years. Students from the high school return with their memories of being her student and her passion, specifically about the sea turtle unit she does every year. This year, the fifth graders recalled that during the CO
01219 pandemic, they missed out on the real sea turtle unit with Miss Kio due to school shutdown. It's it's something students look forward to going into second grade. Patty is also an amazing colleague that will sorely be missed by so many of her CES friends. She has been a mentor and a support to many CES teachers and their families. She is known to babysit her colleagues children so they can attend to life or just enjoy themselves on a Saturday evening without the worry of who's watching their children. She's become like another family member to so many. I know she will keep those relationships close and continue to be the amazing friend and companion to the people she has worked with and grown to love over her years at Chester Elementary School. My hope for Patty
013is that she embraces retirement with an ounce of the passion she has had for teaching and being a part of the Chester Elementary School community. My hope is that Patty travels the world and continues to love life. As much as retirement is the end of one part of your life, it is very much the beginning of a new and exciting chapter. Retirement represents the ultimate reward for all of your hard work and dedication to teaching. I wish Patty the best of luck, love, and happiness. With love, Mary Kate. [Applause] [Music] Too late. Thank you very much. All right, I'm back with Miss Garin. Right. I also did some digging on you. So, Elaine received her bachelor's in science of communication disorders and her mers in literacy both from Sunni new. Prior to coming to Chester,
014Elaine worked at Cornwall School District and Warwick Valley Central School District. She started at Chester as a leave replacement in 2004. She then took on a full-time position as a reading specialist in 2005 and switched over to her now position of speech and language therapist in 2006. some things that the staff and I will think of when we think of Elaine, even though you're going to be back visiting us, but her love of organization and throwing things out that are taking up space and outdated. Somebody who shall remain unnamed said her favorite saying is just throw it out. Offering talk and therapy sessions to her friends and colleagues in her office. So many of us will look forward would look forward to Wednesdays. This is from your elementary friends when she would be back in
015our building. They fight over her. Her punctuality. We could set our classroom clocks by the times that she would come for her students. Glitter not at all one of her favorite things. Her many years as a CTA treasurer. She is amazing with money and numbers. In the special education office, Elaine is known for her efficiency and work ethic, her use of technology, and continually updating best practices. Always, always the next thing. Always the next and best thing. Her organized and professional evaluations and reports, and her way of presenting them to parents in a comprehensive way that they can understand. She dots her eyes and crosses her tees and all of that will be very missed. Elaine is well loved by her colleagues at both Chester Academy and Chester Elementary as well as those of us
016who work with her in the district office. You will be missed and please don't be a stranger to our doors. Come on up. Elaine, I do have to add, uh, I worked with Elaine when she was the reading specialist and I was the math specialist. We did share an office and Elaine and I were in direct competition with color coding schedules, uh, which I still do to this day. So, you will be missed. Thank you for everything. I have many stories. We do, don't we? Oh, thank you. [Applause] Thank you again. On behalf of the administrative team and board of education, Maryann Chifotelli, Norin Clerken, Patty Kio, and Ela Scrain, we congratulate you on your retirement and express our sincerest appreciation for your dedication and commitment to the student, staff, and families of the Chester
017School District. We invite you to stay for a little while longer as following Board of Education employee recognition awards. We're going to be taking a brief break for refreshments in celebration of your accomplishments and a dedication to the Chester School District. So, extending our recognition this evening, Mrs. Naggler is joining me as we have the honor and privilege of recognizing our esteemed school board president, Mr. Frank Zambettz. Mr. Zambettz will be retiring from the Chester School Board following 15 years of dedication and service, 11 as our school board president. And I think that deserves a round of applause in itself. That's more than it deserves. Under your visionary leadership in collaboration with the board of education, previous superintendents, administration, teachers, staff, families, and community members, our schools are in a better place today than we
018were at the start of your tenure 15 years ago. Your strategic insights and guidance have paved the way for numerous achievements resulting in student outcomes, innovative programs, and a strong sense of community within our district. At the beginning of the STEM initiative, when no one knew what it stood for, along with the board of education, you supported off-site visits to expand our programs and opportunities for students. The Boston Museum of Science, the innovative New Techch High School, East Syracuse Manoa School District are among the few that were presented as an alternative approach to education and continuence to strive in providing our students the best education. We led the county in introducing engineering design and robotics at the elementary school, now with two maker spaces at Chester Elementary School and our new innovative Chester Academy maker
019space targeted for completion prior to the start of the 2023 24 school year. You have led our district with wisdom, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to educational excellence for all students. Beyond your role as school board president, you have touched the lives of countless students, educators, families, and community members. Mrs. Loftess and myself serve in our leadership roles today as a result of the continued support of professional growth and development you have supported in the Chester School District. Your genuine care, support, and I'll add appreciated calmness and sense of humor uh have benefited all during the most challenging of times and have left an indelible mark on our district. While we're saddened by your departure, we know without a doubt your passion, integrity, and vision will continue to make a positive impact in the Chester
020School District and for all those who have the benefit of working alongside of you. May your retirement from the Chester School District Board of Education be filled with joy, fulfillment, and the satisfaction of a job well done. Thank you. [Applause] Well, we're celebrating a lot of great people tonight and you'll all be missed, but I have the honor and privilege of speaking on behalf of the board of education. They say that school board service is often a thankless job, but tonight we say thank you to Mr. Frank Sambitz for his 15 years of dedicated service to us in the Chester School District. I've had the pleasure of serving alongside Mr. Sambitz for the last 11 of his 15 years, and he's been an exemplary school board member with extraordinary leadership and vision, always serving above
021and beyond the call of duty. Frank has always demonstrated his dedication to board service through his pursuit of self-improvement and growth in boardmanship. He's consistently active in school board activities, attending sporting events, extracurricular activities, and awards ceremonies, as well as board meetings and committee meetings. During his 15 years on the board, 11 as president, he's upheld this extremely demanding volunteer position, including serving as the voting delegate for the Orange County School Board Association and New York State School Board Association, a member of the audit committee and the policy committee. However, he's made time to attend workshops and conferences to obtain additional training in relevant topics that affect our district. Mr. Sambits is an inspiration to other board members to make similar contributions and make makes an outstanding role model. Mr. Sambitz has a firm grasp
022on school law issues and understands their ramifications including new and emerging legal developments to anticipate and overcome mandated challenges for the district. He's skilled at negotiating various issues including discussions of contracts. Further, Mr. Sambitz has always been committed to ensuring we have clear legislative priorities to communicate to our local and national policy makers so that our students remain a top priority. Mr. Sambitz has developed a strong collaborative relationship with our district superintendent as well as with local social agencies and community groups to foster an environment in which students can develop and flourish. A leader among his peers, Frank has always made outstanding contributions to supporting student achievement, staff success, the health and safety of the district, integration of technology, and development of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mr. Sambits encourages our board to foster a culture
023of respect and transparency, focus on student achievement, and create a school community that helps every child learn at a higher level and gives community members a voice in education decisionmaking. You can't always measure success by money, awards, or degrees, but rather by whether you've made a difference. Frank, you've made a difference. It's because of Mr. Sambbit's outstanding contributions and commitment in supporting the mission, vision, and beliefs of the Chester Union Free School District that he will be greatly missed. [Applause] We have go back to the table. We have to do Thank you. I have a long drawn out speech that I'll bore you with later. Stay up there. Yeah. You promise you aren't going to wear your high shoes today. These are the lower level. So at this point in the evening uh we are
024honoring our recipients of the board of education employee recognition award and we have two recipients this evening. The first recipient of the board of education award is Mr. Matt D. Rosa, who looks very surprised at this moment. Matt, your dedication, professionalism, and meticulous attention to detail extend beyond the district goal of maintaining and proving our facilities in the most efficient and economical manner possible. Whether it's responding to a 3:00 a.m. alarm that has gone off in the building on the weekend, traveling to the school before most are awake to ensure we can open safely when faced with weather challenges, supporting meetings for our student athletes and parents or neighbors to Maple Avenue. You are all heart when it comes to doing what's best for our students. You have led safety initiatives in collaboration with the
025administrative team, local law enforcement and staff, contributing to numerous improvements impacting the security and safety of our buildings. Your dedication to the continuous improvement of our emergency preparedness and risk management protocols are truly invaluable as is your expertise and leadership overseeing the construction of the Chester Academy maker space. On behalf of the entire school community, I extend my deepest appreciation for your exceptional contributions along with the board of education. Your diligence and proactive approach have fostered a sense of security that allows us to focus on our core mission of education. Your efforts are genuinely commendable and we are fortunate to have you as our director of facilities which does not encompass all that you do. We have some additional comments to share with you from our staff. I have been in education for 24 years
026and I've not come across a better example of what it means to be a leader, listener, communicator, and teammate. I've personally witnessed Mr. D. Rosa conduct himself with unmatched professionalism when addressing our staff, community, countless vendors, inspectors, administrators, and our board of education. Mr. D. Rosa possesses highlevel knowledge of the technical aspects of facility management as well as the laws governing those facilities. Managing an entire district's facilities is already a daunting task, but there is also the new CA maker space that Mr. D. Rosa is expertly supervising. I've had numerous positive interactions with Mr. D. Rosa as he has assisted with upgrades of several athletic facilities. He is always eager to make sure all of our fields are game ready whenever we need them, even on the weekends. We are one of the few programs
027in section 9 that rarely loses games to issues related to extended inclement weather. This speaks volumes to the preparedness and expertise of the staff that Mr. D. Rosa supervises. He makes each person that meets with him feel as though they are important and encourages input from everyone. The students of the Chester Union Free School District are fortunate to have an employee work so diligently to make sure that students receive the complete school experience that we all believe they deserve. Whether it be academic, athletic, or extracurricular related, Mr. D. Rosa and his team continuously prove that they are the embodiment of our student centered philosophy. Thank you and congratulations on behalf of the board of education on your recognition this evening. [Applause] I mean my my head is sweating right now. I was not expecting this
028at all. Um certainly certainly uh I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the team that I work with. They make it very easy. Uh Mr. Samich for giving me the opportunity coming from the private sector to schools. Um, I owe you, you know, a tremendous hug for this opportunity. Uh, um, and, uh, I'm kind of blown away. I was not expecting this. Uh, I'm genuinely grateful and I'm humbled by this. It's amazing. Thank you. I officially have to read that your plaque says in recognition of your dedication, exceptional performance, and valuable contributions to the Chester Community School District. Thank you for everything you do every day. Thank you for [Applause] [Music] that as you break away in embarrassment. But um when we were out looking for a manager of facilities, that was not an
029easy task. And actually he brings up the point about someone from outside education. Matt's eyes are some of the best eyes in engineering and building management and facilities and maintenance. So, as we went through that process, and I appreciate you saying that because, you know, I was just one of the people, it was a long draw down process of um working through to try to find the right person. And I think you can see over this last it seems like 10 years as we've had some things that come up that since you started I think that I don't like to say anymore um you know getting us through the pandemic everything that happened in this district Matt was ahead of the curve on everything. It was it was incredible that alone aside from the and
030everything that's gone into these buildings, keep them up and upgrade even though we have one of the most beautiful buildings in the town. Uh his expertise and not only that, I think Kathy touched on its his ability to look at every situation that we have and find a solution. Um I think of the water. dream about water because of that and how our district, you know, how we tackle that problem and his leadership in that really it's it's not so fast. So Matt, thank you again on behalf of the board of education for an outstanding service to [Applause] give Kathy a break. Um, do you have the uh you have the other one? Get the other thing. That's Yeah, I don't want to do that. So, our second I can add lib as good as
031anybody. Our second employee of the year on behalf of the board of education should be no surprise to anyone in this district, but the board would like to recognize Mr. Nick Patel for his outstanding service [Applause] on one of the many letters that we received, Nick, in support of uh your nomination. You should be recognized as a valued employee of the outstanding contributions to the school's technology infrastructure. With Nick's expertise in computer hardware and software, he has played a crucial role in maintaining school's network, ensuring that is always up to date and functioning at optimal levels. Nick's exceptional work ethic, attention to detail, and ability to troubleshoot complex technical issues have not only saved the school time and money, but have also enable the students and staff to work more efficiently and effectively. He is
032a true asset to the school district and deserves recognition for his invaluable contributions. There's about well there's multiple letters that pretty much in this encapsulates everything that what you do and it sounds maybe a little bit like us talking about Matt. It's your passion for what you do. It's your ability to problem solve. You also helped carry us through one of the biggest technological disasters uh with uh our computer server issues a couple of years ago and I think since that day even though we always knew that as a board but your dedication to this district is above reproach and your outstanding service like this letter says that enables our students to be able to be great students concentrate study. It's everything that goes into what you do every day, which I'm sure some things
033you don't even think about, but that the the result are our students. And like we'll see this next week at graduation, you're a big part in all those students making it across that stage. So, I'd like to invite you down, Mr. Nick Patel. Everybody [Applause] [Laughter] And Nick, you'll be surprised to find out that this says in recognition of your dedication, exceptional performance, and valuable contributions to Chester school. Thank you for all your hard work. Something right. You do right every day. So, thank you. Thank you. [Music] [Applause] So, we're going to take a short break for refreshments to be served for our honoring our retirees and our employees of the year. So, if everyone would like to There's hug somebody, slap somebody, come on down. Don't be shy. Don't be nasty. Oh, and take
034a group photo. Not even knows his family. He said, "No, I told him." His wife was waiting, but he didn't say. And I said, "No, I have service." The first time I service, we're up. Okay. I just hope the public didn't hear me call Miss Garcia slacker. High fashion. I don't wear jewelry, but thank you. You are very frugal. I think I might have been walking around. All right, we're going to we're going to bring this out of control meeting to order. The only thing missing for these last 15 years was my gabble. We have it somewhere in the closet, just so you know. Try looking for it. So, I just had one or two quick things to say. One or two. First, I'd like to recognize Miss Diane Arnett is here tonight. congratulations to
035join the school board. And uh that's always the problem with going into an intermission is that the room clears out. So um but at least for those watching at home and the stragglers that come in, there's always some good ones that might come in and uh bless us with their appearances. So there's always some good ones. So um I just want to say a couple of quick things. Um, if I can get through it, I'll try. But it has been a privilege and an honor. We were just talking about it up there about what it means to serve on the board um, all these years. And I could never have imagined back in 2008 that I'd still be sitting here today. uh partially because when I ran for the school board, there was a few
036things going on in the district like a possible merger with Greenwood Lake and um someone accused me of only running for the school board to start a wrestling team. So, you know, there whenever someone runs for the school board, there's usually a reason behind it and hopefully it's to make the district better or there's something about the district that you want to help improve. And I think I remember saying that I wanted to um there was giant problems in the district and I wanted to help be a bridge to bridge the chasm between the community and the board. And I, you know, I think that's gotten I know it's gotten much much better. Even though to this day we still hear that sometimes the community doesn't know something or hear something. But I could say
037look around the room, right Diane? We were just talking about this and what can we do to get people to come into a schoolboard meeting and some unfortunately sometimes people only come when there is something wrong. So back for me it was Greenwood Lake uh possible merger and I was kind of for it and I was trying to understand it but the board was not it was a very strange time and things didn't kind of go it was very odd and it was bad and it was it got ugly and um I was challenged not personally but the audience was challenged that there's always an election in May and if you think you can do a better job come on down and run for the school board. So, that was really the impetus for me
038running for the school board on top of starting that upstart wrestling team. Um, but that was my passion because I had a sixth grader who said, "Oh, I want to wrestle and they want to start a team." And that's how I got involved. I was involved in little league and all those things in the community that you do. And then somehow I wound up to the school district. But three or four years later when I wound up uh as the president of the board, I had to go to a meeting in Westchester and I was only on the board like three years or so and we were in a big meeting of people who were going to be leaders for their districts in New York State and it was training basically and they went around
039the room and embarrassed you to stand up and say how long you've been on the school board and how big was your district and all the things in my life that I always had envy of. One was my small school district and the one gentleman stood up and he literally said, "I am on my 10th year and God help me. It's my last one. I can't wait for it to be over." And he was the president of their school board. And I stood there going, "Wow, yeah. Who could ever last 10 years on a school board?" And I would never have dreamed that day because I figured, yeah, you'd probably do a term or two and you'd move on because whatever you were working on and and the district moved that way. But this district
040uh became so important to me and as my kids graduated that we actually saw progress. We hired the right people, the right administration, the best teachers, and a vision that has only been improved over time. And this year under Miss O'Hara, and the vision of this district moving forward is you you couldn't ask for more. So, I know I'm leaving and the district is in a better place than it was in 2008. That goes without saying. Um but really even for the last 5 years where we are now it's an amazing movement in this district and where we've come. So um I didn't know that my plan to be on the board would last this long. Um but I so as I sit here now the reason really I've been pondering it and everyone's been
041asking me why. But I couldn't have done this without the parents, the teachers over the years in this district. Um, every administrator and we have lost some good administrators. You know, it's it's some people leave to look for better things, some people leave because of budget woes. We've had those issues over the years. And and that's really my um swan song to the board is, you know, as a school board, you know, as you work together with your administration to move the district forward, it's all about working together, having that shared vision like you see in our district now. It means so much because the community responds to that. They see that. The reason there's no one in this audience right now is because there aren't quote unquote problems. So, I don't take that as
042a slight that there aren't people here. It's like someone said last year, no one ever runs for the school board. No one ever challenges anyone because there's something to be said about a school board that is working diligently and improving the district and the district is moving in the right direction. So, there's a lot to be said about uh a district like ours that's very effective. Um these 15 years have come with big ups and downs. I don't like to dwell on them. There was quite a few. Mr. Brennan lived every one of them. and uh he's one person that I keep forgetting to thank over all these years because without a strong financial mind and the leadership to get through every budget year, developing budgets is not an easy process and it never got
043easier. The 2% tax cap uh certainly is not easy for school districts, but it it did one thing. it it kind of to me helped pass budgets because people think oh we're not going to raise you know tax rates and I once suggested that we have 13% tax increase in our school district and when that budget was burning to the ground. So um he has been an incredible uh pillar for the administration in this district and I thank you for all your Thank you. Um, and I wanted to thank all our past board members that I've served with because regardless of differences, everyone that you serve with helps form you, helps form decisions. Um, I used to be reactionary. I appreciate all the words that were said here tonight because Sandy can attest. I used
044to be very reactionary. I took things personally um because I think the people who work here are giving their all and you know you it's as a board you will get attacked because people don't understand even though you're being clear um but I learned as someone told me to do is let things simmer you know take the take that information in let it simmer and then listen to the professionals and come up with the best plan for our district. And I know that's what we've done. I know that the district is in great hands. And to our current board members, Kim and Caroline have been a great breath of energy into the board. Um something that can be said about when we have elections. Yeah. people never ran, but the fact that you step stepped
045up and ran and it really helped the district, I think, and it helped people see because I think you need parents, younger parents coming in, help develop the school district, help move it forward. I made fun of someone I defeated 15 years ago because they were on the board for 15 years and I said, "What? You're not moving the district forward." So that that went into my thinking about not running again. So and to my longest serving board members, Sandy and Dawn, who we've served all these years together. They helped bring the most positive change to this district because they lived through some of those arduous times that really um shaped who we are today. And we've had amazing superintendent even when things weren't going well. I believe as a board member, we've always had
046good superintendents who were trying to do the right thing for our district. Well, when we brought Shawn Michelle into this district, as Dorne can attest, it was turning the light switch on about where our district can go. And then we brought in Dennis Petrolac to run our high school. Sean and I knew right there where our district was going to go and we had a plan and we moved forward and he filled those shoes. And all the while, the best thing about our district is that we have people from within that we've developed and helped move this district in that right direction. And that's why when Kathy came into view through Sean's leadership and Dennis's to bring uh Kathy up as our possibles as we're moving forward into the future. That's why we where we
047are today. So I thank the both of them for all of their really expertise, patience, uh the ability to solve problems and and really having that vision that Kathy really picked up a mantle and not only took that vision, she recreated the vision of this district. And I can't thank her enough for that because that was when I knew that I could move on, that we could just move on as a district. And we have the right people in place. We certainly have the right people in place in our leadership role. And I knew that it was time to um let let everyone come up from behind and continue to run with it. It's not that I won't still be watching. I can't promise that I'll be watching every broadcasted meeting, but I will tell
048you maybe I'll go to the town board meetings and annoy those people a little bit. But um in that I'd like to thank the town. I know tonight they're voting um so I'm off my soap box, but I I want to thank the town. Tonight they're voting on the property that is uh being gifted back to the school district, which is going to be very important as this district moves forward. It's it's really a gamecher for our facilities and I would hope everyone in the public pays close attention and helps this district because all the things that we've always said about our small district and not having the best facilities and not being able to do the things that we can do. those things are sitting on our doorstep now uh with this action by
049the town and we I thank them personally and on behalf of the board we thank all the hard work um that went into that. Um, and let me just say again, thank you to uh the community for allowing me to serve and to our amazing school board because uh like Sandy said tonight, we heard it last week about a thankless job. And I was just telling Diane, yeah, because this is not a job and it is not thankless because really we are serving the community and that's what you do on a school board or anything that you volunteer to. anything you volunteer and you put your heart and soul into and and to me I always say it's my passion and you saw it here tonight in our honores our retirees every one of those
050single people it's the passion of what they do every day our administrators it's not a motto right we we're not future focused as a motto it is a passion and a desire to make sure we're doing the right things for every child that goes through our district So, I will close with that off of my soap box and I will uh turn it over to our superintendent schools. Try to follow that. I cannot and therefore I send it over to I I do again want to express my sincere appreciation and and as you stated uh Superintendent Michelle and Superintendent Petrolock in collaboration with your leadership and the board of education is the reason why I have the genuine honor uh to be in this role and it is a service role. That's that's truly what
051I believe um in this district and uh one of the unique aspects of the Chester Board of Education has been and continues to be uh the collaborative shared vision and because of that and because of the outstanding leadership and members of the board of education, we are able to progress initiatives on behalf of our students and staff, our families and our community. and I am truly um I can't say enough how appreciative I am of your support and all of your um guidance in this first year as I serve in this role and I look forward to continuing what you've begun here in progressing innovative education for the students of this district and I thank you so much. Thank you. And I will be calling you often. I'm sure. Thank you. Okay, Miss Loftess, I
052will be very brief to but I would be remiss if I did not too say thank you. Uh as a teacher uh who came up through the ranks uh here at Chester, I couldn't have done that without the support and the vision of the board. And it was truly the board and the administration at the time who tapped us and believed in us and supported us through that process. Um, and so I am very grateful uh to be where I am and supporting everyone else and I hope I can continue to live up to that role into the future. So thank you. I do want to also thank all of the board for your support of Special Olympics this year. Uh we had three Chester School District athletes compete on June 13th. Two of them
053competed for uh Chester UFSD and one through U Boseies. So I want to congratulate Eli Beling, Sophia Van Dunk, and Logan Stamp for their participation. Um they competed in skills competitions inclusive of different soccer skills and basketball skills. It was a full day event. We were there from 8:00 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon. Um and the smiles and enjoyment that were had by all was uh well worth everything that went into it. Um I want to thank the coaches. So, uh, Lisa Ringle, um, Mary Kate Boch and I, uh, trained the students. Uh, Lisa couldn't make it that day, but she was integral in the in the practices. Um, and then Audrey Cutler, although not an official coach, was instrumental in communications and then spent the entire day with us. So, uh,
054just thank you for all the support for the families who spent the entire day there cheering and cheering all day. Um, it was really a great day and we look forward to continuing and hopefully expanding the program next school year. Excellent online. It looked amazing. All the pictures posted, it was really it looked amazing. It was a great day and thank you for keeping us all in the loop. I think Kim, you were a big uh keeping us in the loop. Thank you to Kim who was also a coach and was uh continually cheering for team Chester as well as Monroe Woodbury. So, thank you. It was really nice to be there as a coach, but to have my hometown represented and to see that was just um it is, you know, for a special
055education teacher, it is the highlight of my year and to have my hometown there this year was even more special. Excellent. Anything else, Katherine? No, I don't. No, sir. Colin, last time turn. Oh, we're going to go to uh public comment first, right? Did I blow that or not? Go for it. All right, we'll go to public comment. That should not be surprising to any incoming school board members that there's no public comment. Every now and then there'll be somebody if you're lucky. Um, all right. So, uh, is there anything else for round table? Could I've gotten my last meeting right, Colin. So, you'll see I don't have a notebook with me today. Um, I want to do something a little bit different. Um, being my last day, I had my last day of school
056yesterday. Um, first I want to apologize for my tardiness. It was uncharacteristic and unprofessional and um obviously it's never going to happen again because it will not happen again. Um but you know, one last one, it shouldn't have happened. Anyways, um I want to thank everyone seated here with me for this opportunity to be here. Um Mr. Samage for always turning to me and giving me a chance to speak at each meeting. Um, the these were some I I honestly enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Um, I came home from every meeting with a smile on my face. Um, and I'm I'm going to miss this certainly. Um, if out of everything from this school. Um, this was a huge opportunity. Um, the the next person to come here is going to be
057very lucky. Um, and you know, it's it's uh I'm happy that my last experience here was seated here. Um, I had a lot more I wanted to say, but I'm working out right now. I got you. Um, it's just it it was incredible. And um, my speech teacher was actually honored earlier um for being for her retirement. Um, I've I've had a problem with public speaking for most of my life and I think coming into this I was certainly scared. Um, but just over time I've I've it's been a lot better and um I think given this opportunity I've molded myself into a a better person for the future. So I thank all of you for that and I'm going to miss this. Colin, thank you. I think I said it to you in our
058last meeting. you have been uh really he's been such a great piece of this board. Um we say it a lot each year because the input I said it to you at each meeting the input from the student representative on the board is key. It helps board members understand the perspective of a student in the building. Um it's been crazy over some years where we've learned about lunches that we didn't want to really learn about and you know certain things but You weren't about lunches. You weren't about a baloney sandwich. You were about content and you were thorough and you gave it the proper attention to it. And that's what I found impressive. And I would have known that you ever had an issue speaking in public because you represented yourself well. You represented the
059student body well, which I think rep this is what we are in Chester. And so you amplify that and really uh we're really impressed by you and we look forward to all the good things you're going to do in the future. So and thank your parents for me. Great job. Anything else for round table from the board? Caroline, did you attend an Orange County school board meeting? I did. Thank you. I was pulling up my notes. Uh so the last Orange County School Board meeting, the annual meeting and dinner took place on June 7th. Uh in attendance was Mrs. O'Hara, Mrs. Nagler, Mr. Samba, and myself. Um the meeting included the adoption of the Orange County School Board budget and the election of officers for next year. Um the presentations that evening formally recognized students
060from several of the Orange County school districts uh who earned the seal of civic readiness. Um the students that presented that evening were remarkable. It was very um motivating to hear them share about different projects that they've developed uh for the benefit of their school district and their community. Um there was also recognition of retiring board members which of course included our own Mr. Sambit. Um he's out. It was very clear from listening to what some of the other board members had presented that evening that you will be missed far beyond these four walls. Thank you. Um, so I just wanted to acknowledge that. Um, I wish this is why I asked you to speak just now because I wanted to hear that one more time. We loved the Chris Farley references. Um, all of
061the other wonderful stories that they had to share. So clearly you'll be missed outside of here by many of the people who you have you've worked with and served with. Uh, on the county board as well. Thank you. So I wish you the best on your retirement. I wish that our crafts our paths cross sooner. They're going across. Um, this year I'm going with you to those town board meetings. Um, yeah, but the year went very quickly. I wish we had more time, but yeah, I'm sure we'll be reaching out to you often and I wish you the best of luck. So, the Orange County School Boards is essential to school districts, uh, component districts in Orange County, and I would encourage the board, uh, it's we've always participated in it. It's uh I've always
062say to people it's where board members learn from other board members and what seems to be a big problem in your district is you know it's repeated all over and you get those ideas of sharing and how they resolved it and I can think of the big one coming up would be the electric buses I think for school districts in the future. Um, but for everything through the pandemic, I can't thank the Orange County School Board enough for all they've done over the years and our past president, John Passik, uh, serving on that as president for two long terms. Uh, really gives you insight into the district and uh, ways to solve really big problems. So, they're really key. So, we thank all of them. Anything else for round table? Okay, with that we're going
063to move to consent agenda. I won't mess this up. I promise. We're going to need a motion. I'd like to make a motion that the board approve consent agenda items 5.1 through 5.20. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion? All in favor? I. Any opposed? That'll bring us to our final public comment section of tonight's school board meeting. Is there anyone in the public would like to address the board? Seeing and hearing no one for my last act. Oh no, I have a graduation to do. Please come out to the school graduation if you're invited. That'd be great to see uh parents for our graduation ceremony next Friday. I'm sure it's going to be a bright, sunny, beautiful day. Just hold me. Kathy has everything to do with Why are you Kathy does
064control the weather in my world. Trust me, it happens. Um right, Matt? I mean, if it's going to snow, she'd know first. That's for sure. Um, but uh I'm going to need a motion, but I do want to again thank everyone. Thank all of you. Thank Kathy and all our administrators that you get me choked up. I was going to be worse than Norin, believe me. Um, thank you for everything over these years. You doing everything that you do makes this district a better place. It makes our town, our community a better place. And uh we need a lot of that and you are the right people to take care of that in this district and beyond and our students are going to benefit from it. And um I can't thank you all enough for
065the privilege to be here with you. So with that, can I please have a motion to adjourn? So moved. Don't we're going to stay here longer. Is there a second? All in favor? I. Any opposed? Thank you everyone. Thank you everyone at home. The next meeting of the Chester School District Board of Education, I don't know. It's going to be in July July 5th. July 5th, 2023. Thank you everybody and have a great night.