001This is Joe Silio, president of the board of education speaking. Thank you for attending in through Zoom or in person. At this time, we'd uh before the meeting begins, we'd like to ask for a moment of silence for Bill Oile who passed away last week. Mr. Oaly was a bus driver here in the district for almost a decade. Mr. Roa was a valued member of the Garden City Schools community. And we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends, especially his wife Tina, who also worked for the district. Thank you. At this time, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Due notice of the meeting is provided to the public
002and each member of the board of education as required by law. Tina, will you please take attendance? Present. Present. Present present. At this time, may I have a motion to accept the agenda for June 17, 2025 regular session as presented? So moved. Second. All in favor? I. At this time, I'd like to hand the mic over to Dr. Sy. We're going to do some graduation uh ceremonies. All right. Thank you, Mr. Silio. So, uh we have two of our graduating seniors who are going off to Naval to the Naval Academy. And last night, um, we had the privilege of giving, uh, presenting Luke Cascaden with his, uh, diploma at the athlet athletic awards ceremony. And, um, this evening, we're equally excited and proud to recognize Katherine. We call her Kitty Clavven. Wait, wait. Picture and
003uh Mr. Sign over here. Right here. There you go. Congratulations. So, I do want to mention something about Kitty. Um, you know, when I came to this district, I'll be starting my eighth year in July. Uh, and I was at the middle school. She was a sixth grade student. And I remember having my one of my first student roundts where I really learned from our kids. And she was one of them. And at uh in sixth grade, she was articulate and she was you could see what Garden City meant to her at that time, which is I think even now as a high school senior going off to the Naval Academy. So, you know, we're so proud of you. It's um you know, you won't be able to attend our graduation, but you're going to
004do bigger and greater things. Um so, we're so so proud of you, Kitty. Congratulations. All right. So, next we wanted to acknowledge our challenger athletes and uh with participate in the challenger games. Do you want to come here? Come up and talk a little bit about the challenger games. Yeah. Come on up. Yeah, there you go. Yeah. So, uh yeah, games. Thank you. The challenger games are an amazing thing that happen annually. Um they're held at the uh NASA Community College athletic um Mitchell Field Athletic Complex, which is right by NASA Community College. And it's a wonderful two-day event. we go for one day um that honors children with different abilities and they have these wonderful events that children from all over Nassau County get to participate in. Families like to come out and support
005and it's just really a day that's about community and supporting all of our student athletes. And uh I'd like to shout out Mr. Chapudian for doing such a wonderful job with organizing all of this. It's all about inclusion and just highlighting all the incredible things that our students can do. Thank you. So, can we have all of our students come up to be recognized? Come on up. Come on up. Oh, wow. [Applause] Boyd, Miss Crystal, Log Boyd for their um you know their uh the work that goes into put uh with these challenger games. We had over this year the number of participants was over 500 students that was uh from Stuart Stratford Locust and 55 high school um volunteers 25 teachers and paraprofessionals and nearly 30 parents. So it's a big event but it's
006an event one of those events that we really look forward to and it's um I think we put a small video together didn't we Tina just to show what that day is like. You'll have to turn around to see it just so you can see what this event is like. It's um really beautiful. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] All All right. So, thank you again for everyone involved. Next, um you know, we've had an incredible um season this year uh for our um athletic program and um in fact, the whole year has been a pretty incredible uh year for the Trojans. So, beyond the wins and the titles, I'm most proud of the way our student athletes balance academics and and being out on the fields. So, they show up for each other. They spend a lot
007of time working together um building resilience in in both victories and even setbacks. So the lessons they learn out on the fields are lessons they're going to carry with them far beyond the high school years. So we're super proud. And I would like to introduce Ed, Mr. Ed Ramirez, who will introduce our our student athletes and our coaches. This work. Hello everyone. Can you hear me? Okay. Uh, first of all, I just want to thank the board of education, Dr. Singh, uh, Mr. Stein Groomman, and the administration. Without your support and your leadership, these kind of years, these seasons don't happen. Uh, I'd like to say it was the the best season ever, but there's so many great seasons at Garden City in the history that it's it's debatable. But definitely, um, in recent history,
008definitely in my career, Garden City had eight championships as teams this year and a number of, uh, individual champions and accomplishments. Uh today going to acknowledge the spring athletes and teams. I'm going to start with the boys lacrosse team and unfortunately they couldn't be here because they're being honored at their lacrosse dinner. Um but I do want to make sure that I honor them and celebrate them as champions. Not just in name, but in spirit in effort and the legacy that they built on this year. Garden City Varsity Boys lacrosse. They dominated at the New York State Class B Championships against Canondua with a 145 victory. This marks Garden City's 10th state championship, the second of most of any school in New York State. And I just want to note that that is out of
009768 schools in New York State. Uh it's the third time it's the third time in the last four years that they won a state championship, which obviously is a testament to the tradition of excellence instilled here at Garden City and the leadership of Coach Fenel and his staff. Our players demonstrate discipline and unity on the field. Every draw, every goal, every slide, every save reflected their commitment to one another and the program. To coach Fenell and his coaching staff, I want to thank them for guiding these young men with a purpose, pushing them to reach their full potential and preparing them for the biggest stage in New York. The program upholds Garden City's core values of hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship, and excellence. So, congratulations to boys varsity lacrosse. Next, I want to acknowledge our two
010All State tennis players and their coach, Miss Soaper. Uh, CJ and Ben, if you would come up. So, congratulations to the outstanding doubles team of Ben Whis, 9th grade, and CJ Bravo, 10th grade, on a remarkable season. and the duo captured a Nassau County doubles championship and went on to earn fifth place at the New York State Championships, solidifying themselves among the elite in New York State. At the championships, which was held at the uh tennis center in Queens, Ben and CJ displayed incredible determination and resilience, battling torrential downpour, playing late into they got there, I think at 8:00 a.m. and didn't play their last match till 11:00 p.m. Uh, which tells you the kind of uh not only commitment and passion, but mental strength that they had. Uh their toughness, chemistry, and competitive spirit
011displayed the future of Garden City tennis. Ben and CJ joined their older siblings in earning all state recognition. Nina, who was a state champ in 2025, and Angelina, I call her champ back there, who was all state earlier this fall. Um so they've obviously a special achievement for two families that continue to make their mark on Garden City tennis history. I want to thank Coach Stoer for her leadership, dedication, and commitment to helping these young men, these athletes re realize their full potential. and we are looking forward to 2026. Congratulations. Uh, this next team is our varsity baseball team. If I could have the members of the baseball team, Coach Iso and Coach Chapian, come up. Our varsity baseball team etched its place in Garden City history. Our baseball team captured both a Nassau County
012Championship and a Long Island Championship. Only the third Long Island Championship title in school history. It's not just a great season. It becomes their legacy. Through clutch hitting, lockdown defense, and unshakable belief in one another, this group delivered an unforgettable moment and moments that raised the bar of future Trojan baseball teams. Along the way, they inspired our school, our community with their class, toughness, and teamwork. To our players and coaches, thank you for the memories, the championships, and the way you've represented our school community. You'll forever be remembered as champions. Congratulations to the Varsity baseball team. on the stage. There we go. Go ahead, guys. Come all the way here so you can get your pictures. Come all the way here. There you go. There you go. Yeah, there you go. Maybe I know. Maybe
013the screen could be shut off. We don't need the screen. Turn off. Yeah, we could we should Can we turn off the shut down? The projector be shut down. Can we shut the projector? Hold on. Wait. Hold on. Yeah. Just give him one minute. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. It will. Okay. Good. Yeah. Rob went up to shut it off. Yeah, he went to shut it. There you go. All right. There you go. Congratulations, boys. fault. Next, I'd like to invite the members of the varsity girls lacrosse team and any coaches that are here. Unfortunately, Mr. Ettinger is coaching the Long Island um Allstar football team. He's the head coach for that and had practice tonight, so he cannot join us. But thank you girls for coming. Here we go. So, I want to honor our varsity
014girls lacrosse team who earned their fifth consecutive Nassau County Championship, a Long Island Class B championship, and advanced to the New York State Finals. So, that's out of again 768 schools. And I wanted to give them a message because this is a program that have has raised the bar so high over the history of girls lacrosse that it becomes a challenge for them. And I I have a little message for them. Um I want to be clear. You just didn't play in a state finals. You earned your right to be there through toughness, resilience, and unity. It's easy for outsiders to judge from the stands, the sidelines, or social media. But those people were not a part of your early morning practices, your film sessions, the injuries you pushed through, or the sacrifices you made.
015We call the critics in athletics, we call that noise. Ignore the noise that comes from outside your team. The only voices that matter are the ones that are in your locker room, on your sidelines, or in your hearts. You represented Garden City with pride, toughness, and class every step of the way. That final scoreboard does not define your season, and it certainly does not define your character. To the coaches, I want to thank them for their leadership and commitment. Players, thank you for reminding us what it means to compete with purpose and passion. You may have walked away, you may have not walked away with a title, but you walked away with something much greater, and that's friendship and memories. Congratulations on your feet. Oh, I'm pictures. Can they go up? I guess. Oh, they'll
016fit there. Okay. As long as you can get them. Next, I'd like to invite the members of the varsity girls track and any coaches that are in attendance. So, I did not introduce the other teams uh by name, each individual, because they're just they're big teams. Uh our track our girls track team had five individuals that qualified for the state championship. So I'm going to intro introduce them by name. Uh five of the members as part of the 4x400 relay team and one who qualified for the 800 meter race and coach Seth Messier here. Thank you. Uh so those members were Delaney Mcnobo, Riley Mcnobo, Taylor Magcguire, Eva Vitali, and Kira Leonitus. See I was I got to check Lanitus. Um, so they ran on the 4 by 400 relay team. They also ran at
017the pen relays advancing to the state uh championships. This group gave everything they had and finished seventh place at the states in the relays, one spot out of earning all state honors. An incredible performance at the highest level of competition. They also ran at the pen relays against 400 other teams, finishing near the top uh with their relay time, finished first in their heat. Individually, Kira returned to the big stage in the 400 meter and delivered an unforgettable performance. She finished fourth over fourth overall in the state, earning all state honors. Please give her a round of applause. What made this performance even more special was knowing that Kira missed the winter state meets uh as she get she fell ill the day before the state championship. So, she would have been all state at
018that meet, too. So, it was great to see the again mental strengths, the determination, and the grit to uh get it right the second time and stay healthy. Sometimes they extend themselves too much. We're proud of all these young women, not just for how fast they run, but how they represented Garden City at the state tournament. Again, with class, courage, and pride. Congratulations to all of you and your coaching staff. Great job. Great job, girls. And last, but certainly not least, if the members of our boys varsity track team and any coaches in attendance, please come down. We had 16 members qualify for the state championships. That's a large number and I'm going to say the largest number we've ever had in one year at the state championship. So, we honor a historic performance by
019the boys varsity track and field team who sent an incredible 16 athletes to compete at the New York State Championships, one of the largest and most competitive groups in Garden City uh in terms of qualifying at the states. An achievement that speaks to the depth, the talent, and the work ethic of the team. A special congratulations to Connor McHugh who took fifth place in the pole vault, securing a spot among all the athletes in the state, earning all state honors. Congratulations to Connor, our school record holding 4x400 meter relay team, Chris Burn, Connor Wellbrock, Luke Weber, and DJ Mcdana, who put together an outstanding race, finishing fourth overall, earning all state honors. Their teamwork, speed, and determination make Garden City proud on the biggest stage. This group also holds, as I said, the school record
020in this event. Congratulations. If you if you don't get a chance to watch a track, I take some time, go YouTube pen relays. What heat was that? The 67th heat, I think it was. our our boys ran against uh the top runners in the east coast and from the Caribbean islands. Um for anyone that thinks track is a non-cont sport, it is a contact sport and a relay. So there's only how many lanes? Four. And how many relay teams were on there? So 16 teams running on four lanes. You can imagine if I had to get to the front of the bus, where is he? Who is at the front of that race? That's who I would want. He He threw some elbows. We had four restarts. It was It was pretty uh physical. Looked
021like a football game. But definitely take time to see that. Uh I also want to acknowledge DJ Mcdana who competed in the 800 meter, capturing first place in the class B state championship. He is the New York State Champion in the 800 meter. Congratulations DJ. He becomes he becomes only the third male run in Garden City to capture a state title and the first since 1950. All season long, DJ broke records faster than I can post them on Instagram, setting new standards every time he stepped on the track. The team has set a new bar, not just in medals and results, but in character, leadership, and the way they also represented our school community at the state championship. Congratulations to all our state qualifiers, the coaches, and thank you for making this season an unforgettable
022one. And just in closing, I just want to say at Garden City, we're fortunate to have some of the finest coaches anywhere in high school athletics. Uh these men and women are consistently go above and beyond, not for personal recognition or accolades, but because they care deeply about our community, these programs, and most importantly, the young men and women that they mentor. Coaching here or in high school or anywhere, but specifically here, uh, is not easy. The bar set so high sometimes that even championship level success is seen as falling short. Being the best on Long Island, an accomplishment that would be celebrated anywhere else is sometimes not enough in the eyes of our critics. And yet, our coaches continue to show up, to lead, and to pour everything they have into developing student athletes
023who are not only competitive, but also resilient, respectful, and prepared for life. They do it because they believe in the process. They believe in what sports can teach and they believe in the power of athletics and what it does to shape character, build confidence, and create lasting bonds. So tonight, I just want to before I leave, thank our coaches not just for the wins, but for the unwavering commitment to the values that make Garden City athletics a model of excellence year in and year out. Thank you and good luck to everyone. Thank you, Mr. Ramirez, and thank you to our student athletes. uh a great season, a great year, and along with our coaches. Thank you so much. All right. And I and I know you guys want to leave, right? You can leave. Go
024ahead. They're ready to go. They have finals. All right. Thank you. what I wanted um you know um I also wanted to introduce another student um who you know on the board of education starting July 1st will have a student board member so we have Kayla Churnney who's here she's a she'll be a senior in um you know come September but she's a leader come up Kayla so you can meet meet everyone Congratulations. It's going to be great. Yeah, you'll tell them. Yeah. Yeah. I just wanted to talk a little bit about um just in terms of uh of the role Kayla has been um you know along with uh Claire who's not with us this evening she's going to be the alternate student uh member on the board of education both both students and
025I know I think Kayla you've been part of the student government since you were a freshman I believe and and I think I can speak for Mr. Stein group nur also because we meet with our students pretty regularly and Kayla is one that is extremely thoughtful really speaks to what our students are what the voices of our high school what are our kids uh looking for. We have um actually implemented me many of of the student governments and Kayla is not shy in telling us what we can do even better for our our school community. What's nice is that she'll be at our uh you know at the table and really bringing that student perspective because that's what the heart of our work is. So we're really thrilled and she's on the agenda this evening
026for we're recommending Kayla. So congratulations Carola. Okay. And then um we have one more award. Um we have the Nancy Mar Maxwell award to be given this evening. So um we have two teachers that are going to be honored this evening. So Miss Chapman. Okay. First before I say we'd like to thank every for everyone's help especially you guys are amazing many of you are here for the board for providing 300 t-shirts for everybody. So, we'll continue to do that as we grow. But, thank you guys so much and thank you to the families for having, you know, supporting our children so much. Miss Chapman, do you want to use the microphone because I know you're going to read Oh, there it is. Perfect. Yes, I'm here. But, uh, my name is Kirsten Cook. I
027am uh acting co-president of SEPTA for the upcoming school year. Um, each year Garden City Special Education PTA awards the Nancy Mar Maxwell Award to a deserving member of our district. Um, this award was created in memory of the former head of pupil personnel services, Miss Nancy Mara Maxwell, and is bestowed in her honor to an individual who goes beyond his or her her job responsibilities to help the special education students in our district. Hey, girls. Tonight we honor two exceptional individuals who are dedicated to supporting children with special needs. Mrs. Cornelius and Miss Mandonis. Both of these remarkable educators are a source of hope and strength for these young people and their families. The commitment to the children is unwavering and drives them to go above and beyond. Every child's potential is recognized. their
028strengths um and needs are acknowledged and their growth is fostered with patience and understanding. Um every success is built on the foundation that has been laid, every struggle overcome, every accomplishment celebrated. Um and they're all stepping stones to a future not possible without this dedication. So, thank you ladies for everything. The impact is immeasurable. So, um is Mrs. Cornell? Yes, they're both here. Great. So, Mrs. Cornelius. I'm going to let Linda Valant speak. Hi, I'm Linda Valiant and I am the treasurer. Um um Mrs. Cornelius, I want to start by saying that you are special. Um I am Dylan's mom who will speak in just a moment. Um whom you had four years ago during CO. At the end of that school year, I wrote you a thank you card that said, "You are a
029teacher he will never forget." It is absolutely true. For my for my child, between COVID and all the difficulties that came along with that with that and learning differences while wearing glasses and having to wear a mask made for what felt like an impossible year possible because of you. Whether it was staying late to create a personal personalized learning plans, partnering closely with families, or celebrating every small victory like it was a major milestone, you consistently put the needs of your students first. Your classroom is safe, nurturing environment where every child feels valued, understood, and empowered to reach their full potential. I cannot thank you enough for making a difference back then and how you continually make a difference today. Speaking of today, a fellow community member and friend Anna Senovich gave me a few
030words to say as well, and she really wish she could be here to tell you herself. With unwavering dedication, compassion, and expertise, she played a vital role in helping our child successfully transition from a special education setting to into a general education classroom. This was no small task. It took patience, thoughtful planning, and an incredible understanding of both our child's needs and potential. Miss Cornelius didn't just provide support. She built confidence. She saw the strengths in our child the that others may have overlooked and she used those strengths as a the foundation for growth. She collaborated with general education teachers, adapted materials, communicated openly with us, and created a bridge that made the transition not only possible, but positive and empowering. The ripple effect of Miss Cornelius's commitment is felt in the confidence of students
031who once struggled, the gratitude of parents who found a true partner in their child's journey, and the admiration of colleagues inspired by their tireless effort. Miss Cornelius, thank you for being more than an educator. Thank you for being an advocate, a cheerleader, and a difference maker in our child's life. Very nervous to get up here and speak in front of her. My name is Dylan Valent. I'm finishing seventh grade soon. I would like to say a few words about Miss Cornelius. I had Miss Cornelius for third grade that my school year was very different than other years. Because of CO, we all wore masks every day and there was a lot of chaos. I have ADHD and all the changes from CO could have made my school year very difficult. For me, the school year
032was very great and that all and is because of Miss Cornelius. Miss Cornelius is the perfect person to win the Nancy Meyer uh Maxwell Award. She went above and beyond for me and the other students in my class. I cannot thank Miss Cornelius enough for caring so much. Congratulations, Miss Cornelius. Thank you. Oh. Oh, sorry. I didn't realize they were Yeah. feel like I always cry when I come up here. I don't know. Is that a problem? You've just um Miss Mandonis, having a child who's non-verbal with ASD and a hatred of being told no is hard. Having her mother, well, for that alone, you deserve this award. Children with special needs were often educated separately. In Garden City, we believe in the value of integrating students with special needs into the general education classroom.
033The work goes beyond accommodating diverse learning styles and needs. It creates a culture where differences are celebrated. Students in Miss Mandona's classroom learn academic skills and life lessons and empathy, compassion, collaboration, and most importantly, acceptance. You have opened your classroom to our family to come and speak to the children about Raina and her differences. You made sure she was not just parallel to the students in shows and recess and electives, but embedded into their dayto-day. As a result of your dedication to making sure Raina is part of this classroom, she's been invited to birthday parties, children ask for playdates, and stop her on the street so they can say hello and give her a hug. And parents reach out in hopes their child will get to be in class with her again the next year.
034You are a needle mover, a force, and one heck of an overachiever who takes every theme to an extreme. But most importantly, you care so deeply. You care about every child's academic achievement in the same capacity as you care about their social emotional growth. We were lucky enough to have you for two years in a row. We are lucky enough to have your impact in our lives forever. Rock, paper, scissors. Hi, my name is Riley Maher and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you about my second grade class. Having Raina not only as a classmate but a true friend has been a great experience for me this year. Raina is funny, creative, and unique. My teacher, Miss Mandonis, is such a loving, caring, and supportive teacher. I'm so lucky to have Miss Mandonis
035and Raina in my class this year. It's crazy that I only have a few days left in the Mandonis class. Thank you, Miss Monis, for being a great leader and for helping us every step of the way. I want Do you want me to figure out for you? I wanted to figure out something like cuz like I didn't want this. Should we read it together? Do you want me to read it? I don't want this. You want me to read it? I read without it. Yes, you can read it later. But Audrey wants to thank Miss I am. What's your name? [Music] Can you read? Thanks. Uh Don't run away. Michael. Thank you, Lord. That was just um that was beautiful. Congratulations. Well well welld deserved. And I really um for SEPTA like to recognize
036uh you know a a regular education teacher and a special education teacher and the magic that happens in the classroom is um special. And then our students, you did such a wonderful job speaking on behalf of your teachers. You did a great great job. All right. Okay. Now you can go on with the regular. I'll come back to later. I have more to now. You want to go just be uh before we go on to the treasures report. Um, one other award or not really an award but uh a a thanks of gratitude uh to trustee Janco and Trustee Odani who's not with us this evening. He's having some uh minor touch-ups but he uh you know he's been on the board for three years. Trusty Neko has been on the board for three years
037and I know uh Dr. SH and others can attest to it. It's it's a lot of work. Um they put a lot of effort in. They care about the community. They've they obviously um stepped in and ran for the election to help make a difference in what we're doing here in the community, much like people up here try to do every day. And I can say I'm appreciative as a community member and a board member for the work and the time and effort that everybody puts in here. But for the two of them, uh the last three years has been uh it's been fun. It's been interesting. And I think they've dedicated a lot to their community. So, I wanted to uh say thank you and you'll be missed and I expect to see you
038in future meetings on the other side hopefully not asking tough questions. Um now, Mr. Capua, if you could please go through the treasures report. Certainly, this is the treasures report for April 2000 2025. We had a cash balance at the beginning of the month of 48,556,658. During April, we had receipts totaling 7,888,4746. We had dispersements of 10,894,611, leaving us with a closing balance of 45,550,793. Thank you. Thanks, Dr. Cinn. Would you like to go through the superintendent's report? Sure. Thank you. I have um you know some additional uh just student recognition that I wanted to go through. um first in math competition are you know this uh three of our students are first grade students from Locust they go as a team um they came in first last year if you recall they were in
039third place one of our teams this year they it's actually pretty impressive the children go to Albany and uh they compete it's a a statewide competition so today we did a celebration we c and honored them in in at Locust and it was a wonderful event Miss Voda did great job um in recognizing our students along with our um Miss Cardella, our coordinator for mathematics and steam and the you know our coaches, our math coaches. They do a tremendous job in getting our students ready. In fact, the three students I know every morning they practiced with m with Miss Voda in her in her office to um secure this. But you had to see the trophies were just as big as they are. So, it was really a nice uh event this morning. I also
040wanted to recognize um uh through the National Council of Teachers of of English, there were five high school students, Sarah Finny, Ashley Wang, Aneas Bartisanian, Valentina Calvo, and Alexander Gre Gregory. They were honored uh with the 2025 achievement award in writing. And this is impressive to have five students recognized. and uh we wanted to congratulate them along with Miss Kaufman and their um our who was our coordinator of ELA and along with their English teachers. They were it's a pretty impressive uh number of students that um got this recognition. We also had um for the young authors contest contest we had Ahmad Jane he um he he won the Nassau reading council's 42nd annual young authors contest. So I want to congratulate him and science research, you know, the science research symposium that's held at
041the high school. It is so impressive with what the students um you know with with what they present and the research that they're involved in and and you know when you hear them talk about you're you're actually you I don't know if I could ever go back to high school again cuz it is so complicated what these kids do and it is um it is extremely um you know I think of our future and I think of these kids what they're doing some of the research from um you know cancer research to environmental to um social it is um again impressive and I wanted to thank Dr. Gordon, Dr. Foley for mentoring our students along with many of our faculty and staff and uh Miss Rogosich who's our coordinator for um science. We also had
042our very first science middle school science symposium that was held uh this year that was also a tremendous success. students shared um their projects with real excitement and pride um and and with that scientific understanding and uh Miss Dizzo and Miss Bagatti and our again Miss Rogosich um for really leading this initiative and I think this will be an annual occurrence um in our school. I also wanted to recognize our our high school principal Mr. Stein Grubner for receiving the NASA NASCAR award from NASA Boseis and this award honors educators whose who innovate with technology to enhance learning and Mr. Stein Grubner really models technology integration in meaningful ways and regularly engages in professional learning alongside his uh faculty um that we offer here in our district. and we're we're really proud of this well-deserved
043recognition. So, congratulations, Mr. Ste. And um you know, we we'll give u you know, some of the work around the facilities this year. We have quite a bit going on over the summer because you know, with the bond project, those things are are going to start as soon as school's done. It's going to start. some of the work has already started. Miss Dicapia, do you want to speak to it? Sure. So, around the district, we have um air conditioning projects that are underway in the uh cafeterias of uh the uh Steuart, Stratford, and the middle school. We are starting to do air conditioning projects in all of the classrooms in the three primary schools. And uh also over the summer we'll be starting the the uh new parking lot over at Steuart School. So those
044would be what's happening outside of the high school. In the high school is really where where we'll be hipping and hopping. We've got the um additions project that's going to be towards the back uh which will be the um the the wait room and uh outdoor concession and outdoor bathrooms. So that's uh going to be going up uh the start of this summer. We've got the three fields. So, we have the infield of the softball and baseball fields. We have the new athletic allpurpose field that's also going to be going in this summer. And that is where we are. So, uh there's going to be a lot going on. Uh we're also doing work in the main gym. So, we're switching out the bleachers and installing new divider curtains. So, uh there's a lot. So,
045that whole additions project, as we've been reporting, is going to go on. It's starting this summer. It's going to go all the way through till through till next summer. Um most of the demolition and uh the start of the foundation will be done for the new additions this year and then next year we'll be breaking into the high school uh doing the connections and then doing the interior work. So should be good. Thank you Mr. Capri. So our campus particularly at the high school there will be um again quite a bit of work taking place. Uh Mr. Ramirez, he has already made plans for the field usage because again they're going to be uh worked on over the summer and we've been working with u the commissioner because the parking will be a challenge when
046in the fall. We will give an update in August uh uh you know full update and then again be right before school starts. But I would like to thank Mr. Capu for working closely with Mr. Foley and our project manager, our architects. Um, you know, things just move very fast. We only have a small window of time to do a lot of work and um and they're meeting weekly. So, we're getting those updates as well. for um I also wanted to remind parents that on our school website there there's some wonderful summer resources, learning resources for our families, our students and families to access which our principles will be communicating with parents in their last newsletter, but they're they're already up on our uh website. So, we really encourage our families to take a look
047at that. Um I'd also like uh Dr. Bowman to give us an update on the literacy uh review that we were having the uh UPK and then also summer the summer curriculum work that's on the agenda. Sure. Absolutely. Um so last week Dr. Sinha and I met with CASDA virtually um and during that meeting Tim Bachis shared that they've been culling through the data that they've collected through the um surveys through their visits and through the focus groups. Um there are themes that are emerging that will inform the recommendations that they're going to make. We expect to receive their report in the coming weeks and we're hopeful that prior to that we will learn more about the themes and the nature of some of the recommendations that they'll be making to us. Um for UPK
048we currently have 147 students enrolled. uh meaning that we have 27 only 27 spots available uh left for folks who have not yet registered for our UK UPK program. Our Shelter Rock location is hosting an open house next week on the 25th from 3:00 to 5:30. So if any families have not yet committed and are interested in seeing what we have to offer, please feel free to um stop by. Again, it's on June 25th from 3:00 to 5:30. Uh this summer, we have approximately 660 hours of of um summer curriculum writing planned. Um, just to highlight some of it in science at the high school, we are going to be having curriculum uh written to address the shifts in the region's exams and the region's courses um to align with new standards in Earth and
049Space Sciences, which is the course currently known as Earth Science. um biology which is the course currently known as living environment and chemistry the course currently known as chemistry. Um we are going to have curriculum writing in our world language department which was a recommendation made by uh prior year to have alignment in the act standards. Um we have a lot of curriculum that will be written either directly or interdisciplinary uh curriculum regarding literacy. So in the middle school we have integrating social studies and literacy. Um developing vocabulary units that align directly with anchor texts. We have a project that is going to be addressing literacy and chorus. Uh we are writing exploratory curriculum that will make sure that our sixth grade students have an opportunity to get acclimated to the middle school but also
050developing units that will um give them opportunities for independent reading and to develop stamina as well as research. Um we do have another project on independent reading and projects that go along with that. We have elementary writing revolutions and in kindergarten another unit of study is going to be created for science that integrates literacy and performance assessments. So it will be a very busy summer here for curriculum writing. Thank you Dr. Bowman and Miss McLaclin. Um any hiring updates? Thanks Dr. Sinha. Yes. Um, we have some uh new hires on the agenda for this evening. We also have a science hire for the middle school that we we just missed tonight's deadline. So, that should be on the July 1st agenda as well as the recommendation for two OT's, occupational therapists, and also a special
051education teacher for Steuart School. Other than that, we'll be fully staffed. We do have a few leaves to hire, but we don't typically start that process until the summer because if we hire them too early, then they go get other jobs, then we have to hire again. So, we're really in good shape, although I really shouldn't say that, but we're really in good shape. And I'm pretending this table is what. So, thank you. Thank you, Miss McLaclin. And then just a couple of other items. We have several board policies on the agenda and um you know uh what we are doing now is going through all of our policies and just reviewing them and updating them and Miss Jacobson has been uh assisting us with this. So you'll see there are several first read policy
052updates uh on tonight's agenda and most reflect just language updates without any substantiative changes. There is one new policy um required by state that addresses the distraction-free schools and student use of personal electronic devices. Muire, Mr. Stein, Grubner are co-chairing a committee with students, parents, and staff to develop the protocol. So, you'll see that policies on the agenda for uh first read. And again, we're looking at it very carefully and we're developing the protocols that make sense uh for our schools and align to the new requirement. You'll also see on the agenda that regulation uh 5030 is being rescended as its contents are addressed in other existing policies already. And then uh let's see and then some items on the agenda. What you have is uh there's some new staff appointments across the departments. There's
053consultant agreements for the business office, special education, and there's printing service bids there. And um let's see, we also have several PTA grants uh on the agenda. These range from new recess games to quiet pods at the high school. In fact, those quiet pods at the high school came from our student government meeting uh one that we had this year. So that's on the agenda. So, they should be in before hopefully before September. And uh we definitely we want to thank our PTA for their continued uh generosity and partnership. And just a couple more items I have is, you know, this is our last meeting of the year. So, as we close the year, I want to just um you know, thank um our parent organizations, our PTA, our SEPTA, our TMA, which is now
054the boosters, and all of our friends of groups. Um your commitment to our students, our district, our staff, which we saw here tonight, they really strengthen everything we do in our district and um you know, your partnership is in invaluable to us. So, thank you for that. I also want to thank um you know our GCPD Commissioner Jackson, Detective Formalitis, and again the Garden City Police Department for their ongoing partnership and presence in our schools. Um and we thank them for keeping our district really central and the work that they do. And then finally, I know Mr. Silio touched upon it earlier on behalf of the uh the administration and staff. I also want to ext extend our deep gratitude to Mr. Janco and Mr. O'Donnu for their years of service on the board of
055education. Board service is um significant and it's a a responsibility and your leadership and uh commitment and advocacy for public education. They have an impact on you know in schools and there's you know that work is um it's a volunteer role. So we thank you for that. So, we do have something small for you just to remind you of your time here on the board. And wait. Oh, behind me. Okay. Oh, here we go. And one for you. And this is this has Garden City School. It's it's one of our buildings. And you'll see our little Koopa logo here. So, this is uh for you. And we have one for Mr. O'Donn. I know he's not here, but I'll give this to you, Mr. Janco. Maybe you can. Yes. Okay. Thank you so much. All
056right. Thank you. You can just take two. I'll take two. Yeah. Thank you again. And then just a couple of other items, some upcoming events. Uh June 25th and 26th, there are half days for our primary and elementary schools. June 26th is the senior prom. Last day of school is uh June 27th followed by graduation on June 28th. And really we're looking forward to a beautiful s ceremony to celebrate our class of 2025. And finally, I wish everyone a joyful, restful, and a safe summer. Thank you. Are there any questions or comments from the board of education on the agenda? Citizens questions for comments. Wait, are we okay to go or? Yeah. Yeah, sure. Sounds good. Good evening. My name is Benjamin Fishello. My address is 61 Magnolia Avenue. I am an eighth grade student
057at Gar City Middle School and have participated in the speech and debate program for three years. Gosh, I'm getting old. This year, I had the privilege of serving as the president of the speech and debate team and was able to see firsthand the benefits that the program has to offer, not just to me, but to other debaters like my colleagues Grace and Charlotte, who stand with me this evening. Three years ago, before I started debate, I would have never had the confidence or courage to stand here before you and speak. Speech and debate has helped me overcome my fear of public speaking while also helping me become a better writer and researcher, teaching me to understand both sides of an argument and exercise critical thinking skills and has helped me improve my typing skills. Additionally,
058speech and debate has allowed me to collaborate with my peers more effectively. as I am constantly working with others on achieving new goals and becoming a better speaker as well as a debater all while operating in a competitive environment. These skills learned from speech and debate will help me and others in a variety of careers and situations. Whether you are trying to prove a theory, become a lawyer or politician, or even are presenting in front of clients at work. However, unless we receive your support, this year will be the last year of the Garn city of the Garnity Middle School debate program. It is unfortunate that the program has not received enough focus, dedication, and funding from the district. This year for instance, we were going to go to Harvard for a tournament which would
059have been such a special and meaningful event which would have not only been an impactful experience for the participants but would have also attracted the attention of potential new members. But unfortunately, we weren't able to go due to lack of funding and support. Tonight, I ask that the board create an allotted budget that will help better compensate our teacher and can and will pay for the cost of league fees as well as other debate expenses. Thank you so much for allowing me the time to talk about how important speech and debate has been in my life and why I believe the club should continue. Now, here are two short commentaries from Grace Polio and Charlotte Storm on how debate has benefited them in their lives and why they believe the club should continue with the
060backing of the school board and become stronger than ever. Thank you for listening. Good evening. My name is Grace Polio and my addresses are 360 Stewart Avenue and 67 Hilton Avenue in Garden City. I just finished seventh grade at the Garden City Middle School and have participated in the debate program for one year. Speech and debate has had major positive impacts on me, including but not limited to furthering my public speaking skills, becoming a more strategic thinker, and learning how to think on my feet. To me, debate club is so much more than something that looks good on a college application. It is always a learning experience. The debate club has introduced me to new friends and amazing opportunities. Debate also improved my ability to understand other people's points of view. For example, in one
061of my debates, I had to argue that animals should be used for entertainment purposes. While this is not my belief or that of most, it was interesting to learn another side to the story. While debating the topic of these times, I have gained an understanding of the opinions and ideas of others. In turn, making me a better citizen. When I started debate this year, it was pretty much a near-death experience every time I had to speak in front of the team. But since then, I have grown so much as a debater and a public speaker. I believe many more children should reap the benefits of the debate program and should continue for years to come. I strongly urge all of you to support our Garden City Middle School debate team. Thank you so much for
062taking time to listen. Now, here is Charlotte Storm to conclude our presentation. Good evening. I am Charlotte Storm and I've been on the debate team for 3 years. My address is 45 Brmpton Road in Garden City and I'm now finishing 8th grade and going to be in the high school next year. I recently won debater of the year along with Ben Fishillo who started our presentation and our team's best constructive speaker and best cross-examiner awards. Uh debate has truly been one of the most important experiences in my entire middle school career. It has improved my writing so much as well as my public speaking skills. I truly believe that every student should have the opportunity to participate in debate if they wish to experience this formative moment. Debate teaches skills that are essential for successes
063of all varieties. To be a good debater, you have to be able to argue both sides of a point irrelevant of what you personally believe on the topic, think critically about controversial issues, and master the difficult art of public speaking. Garden City has many business people professionals and lawyers who all benefit immensely from the skills taught in debate and best learned at an early age. In addition, the skills imparted by debate if learned by today's students can help make our country a better place and avoid political polarization and intolerance in the future. Because debaters need to be able to think critically and talk in a sane, sensible manner in a way that is respectful to all sides even about issues they may care very very deeply about. These these skills are essential in the functioning
064of a democratic state and make debaters better citizens. With all of these benefits, it's obvious that the middle school should continue to have a debate team. Thank you. And I urge you to support Garden City Middle School's debate team. Thank you for that. We'll look into that and we'll come back to the three of you. Uh I'll talk with Dr. SA, the administration. We'll we'll come back with an answer in our next meeting. Yeah. I I just I just wanted to make a comment um to our students that came up. you did a really wonderful job expressing yourself and the why behind the debate club. So, we will definitely get back to you to you. Okay. Uh also to um uh the president, I I have to tell you one of the better electives I
065took in college was public speaking. It definitely increased the capacity of my writing and uh very very impactful. We don't know. Sebon Chapman 70 willow feel like I should bring them back to make this point for me right now if they want to come and please whoever the teacher is have them apply for grants have them come to the community. You guys deserve it. Very well done. Um, so if we're going to ask for money, I just wanted to point out something that I've noticed within my child's classroom of the 812 and then a few other classrooms. Students that are in special classes use a lot of material that is photocopied. One of the things I want to say this is it, but this is not it. This is from my printer and it came
066out 10 times better. Um, unfortunately I didn't go back and forth between the retirement parties, so I couldn't get it for you, but I'll be happy to forward it. The material that my child gets is basically kind of looks like this entire thing. It's very, very dark, very black. She does not use textbooks, not a lot of computer because clearly very difficult for her. What they do is a lot of guided reading, a lot of picture walks and so on. Um, for these special classes, having a color printer is important. They read a lot of books. They go through a lot of material that's physical that they photocopy all day. And we get this much paperwork every single day uh brought home with us. And we have to look through this and explain to a
067child like mine. You know, show me the mom, show me this, what are they wearing. It's very difficult on something that's already difficult for them to decipher to decipher something that's hard for them to see. So, I don't know what we need to do if we need to lock them up in a cabinet in the special classes or give them access to it, but today's day and age, they should have access to a color printer, especially in those special ed classrooms and the lower levels. Thank you. Uh, Tina Marshall, 171 Garden Street. I had a question on the summer curriculum writing. Um, a lot of it in the middle school is all focused on literacy, which is wonderful, but I'm trying to understand why so much focus on that. Um, is it tied to the
068NWA scores that as a district the majority are below 70 79th percentile or 60th percentile? And also, how does literacy blend in with chorus? Just seems like a lot focused on um literacy. And I know it's a challenge having a child that is dealing with some things around literacy right now as well, but I I don't understand how this is all incorporated. So, I didn't list every project. I just gave highlights. So I may it may have seemed that there's a disproportionate um number of hours um and each project has a different number of hours. So I just want to start by saying that um we are focusing a lot of our projects on the integration of literacy skills because they are so important to the success of students in every discipline as they get
069older. Um and so making sure that the work that we have that's going on in the classrooms is in alignment with the most current best practices that we know um is the thinking behind that. But we do have math curriculum writing happening. We have MTSS curriculum writing. Um to address your question about how literacy is integrated into chorus. Um when you think about first and foremost the lyrics that the children would be singing um there is a literacy component to that with the phrasing and to making sure that you know what the kids are singing they understand so that that can inform the way that they read them and yep that's important at least before they um perform. form for sure. And no other questions and comments. Anything from the board? No, we're all good.
070Um, if I could uh just have a moment um as I complete my tenure on the board of education, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the entire school district, our dedicated administrators and supporter community. It has been an honor to serve alongside Superintendent SHA and assistant superintendent Dicapia, Mlaclin, and Bowman along with obviously principal Stein Grouper. individuals who are so deeply committed to the success and well-being of our students. Having the pleasure of working handinand with President Silio, trustees Gaffne, Papus, Panu, and even Odonahu, it was an educational experience that I will forever cherish. I've witnessed firsthand the passion, collaboration, and resilience that make the district so special. Thank you for the trust, the partnership, and the opportunity to be part of something truly meaningful. I leave with deep gratitude and confidence in
071the continued strength of our schools and community. Thank you. Now for the last time to make efficient use of meeting time the board authorizes a consent agenda as part of a meeting agenda. President will ask for a motion to approve the consent agenda and ask if board members wish to have a discussion or clarification on any spec specific items contained within the consent agenda. Following the discussion, the board will then vote on the consent agenda motion. In addition, a board member may request to have an item removed from the consent agenda in order to vote on the motion separately. At this time, may I have a motion to approve the consent agenda, which includes business of the board items I I1 through I7, personnel matters items J1 through J12, business office matters items K1 through
072K24, curriculum instruction matters L1, special education matters M1 through M13. So move second. All in favor? I. Future Board of Education meetings. Tuesday, July 1st, 2025, board of education reorganizational meeting and regular session at 8:15 here at the Garden City High School. Um, at this time, may I have a motion that there be no further business to come before the board that the meeting be adjourned? So moved. Second. All in favor? I.