001Any questions? We're there are find there are um oh forget there are definitely fundraising opportunities for all the students. So the students will be able to pay for the entire trip through fundraising if they so choose to. Um we want everyone to be able to go on this trip. We don't want to have a financial burden of this too or at all. So I know it's going to be expensive like $1,000. It's a lot of money but it's from now until next >> the more we the more that go. >> Yep. It's true. It's true. Yeah. >> Yes, you can go. We We do need a couple chat rooms. So, our music boosters are helping us out with this, of course. Um and uh yeah, it's it's going to be a fun time. And yeah,
002I guess let me take some >> That's what I was going to ask. The boosters helping you. Okay, cool. >> Yep. Yeah. So, whatever whatever extra money that we need. Crazy. So they're going to actually pay the whole t >> kids. I was >> okay. >> It'll be this this grade. This this year's eighth grader to 11th grade. >> Cool. >> Supposed to approve it or something or does this need board approval? We haven't done this in a while. So >> yeah. Yeah. Okay, >> I'll motion. >> Second up. >> Chad would like to make a motion for to approve and Derek would like to second it. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. >> Motion carries 6. Have >> great juniors register before spring break so we can try to use
003registration meeting coming up that we I think scheduled it for next week. Um, and then we're, you know, we're right around the corner from MCA testing and, um, so we got those dates set and working on groupings and where they're going to test all those things. And then next thing you know, it's going to be field trip season and hopefully some more weather like we had this last few days. And we'll be think the biggest thing over next year trying to get that hammered down and especially with staffing and the changes that we potentially obviously guess I'll say keeping in mind budget way to balance that a little bit based on our numbers. Sounds good. Any questions for Mr. Bowler? Mr. Walsh? >> Yeah, biggest thing right now getting ready for MCAs. Um, just like
004Nathan said, it's a really, um, in the springtime, the span of I'm looking at the calendar right now, March, April, technically into May, um, if it goes that long. But just, um, great deal of work goes into that from a lot of different people, getting that all ready to go. um staffing for next year. Just like Nathan said, just looking at um sections and class sizes and what our needs are at, preparing for um any staffing changes that might happen. Um that's kind of the boring stuff. I want to I do want to highlight something kind of fun that our three through five teachers are doing this year. Something that they haven't done before. They took it upon themselves to have uh camping week. It is it's been a blast. It's obviously only the first
005day, but um if you went upstairs right now, you'd see there are there's a tent set up in both fourth grade classrooms. Um Mr. Mullen's brought in his duck hunting canoe sitting at the end of the hallway and they're doing all sorts of just kind of random outdoor education themed things. Um, one of the things Mr. Mullins was doing today was he's has a ton of pictures from when his family and kids and and friends of theirs have gone to the Boundary Waters and um, it's not just going through pictures, but teaching the kids where is this and what do you do and just um, all sorts of fun stuff. They scheduled me for each grade level to teach a lesson to the kids. Um, today I taught fourth and fifth grade about um, why
006Calonia is the turkey capital of Minnesota. And most adults don't really know why even um, it's not because there's a lot of turkeys in this area. It's because when uh, when turkeys were reintroduced to Minnesota, the first releases in 1973 happened right outside of Calonia. And then it expanded way beyond that, all along the river valley. So, I showed them some videos of what it the turkeys that we released in Minnesota were from Missouri. Um, so they had questions, you know, well, how do you capture turkeys and and um you know, they so I showed him a little video of what they call a uh >> bet they really had to twist your arm to talk about. >> Well, and here's what's funny. They gave me 30 minutes and 30 minutes in I had to
007tell the teachers like, "You guys cut me off when you have to go." But they had so many awesome questions and you know MCAs and academics are not MCAs academics are are the priority right um with MCA season coming up but I just thought it was so awesome and refreshing. You know public schools um have a lot of requirements that you have to to meet with standards and the amount of assessments we do and we just added a new assessment for grades four through 12. That's another strain. Um, and then there's going to be a new kindergarten assessment coming down the pipeline. And it's just so schools don't do as much fun random things as they used to. It is so refreshing to see, you know, three grade levels in our school just doing some
008fun education with the kids. Um, sorry, you got me off topic. They use what's called uh a net cannon to capture the turkeys and it is uh it's pretty awesome. But I had a couple turkey beards. But really, it was a cool lesson for kids, you know. Um I said, you know, when you go home and when you're driving by these signs, tell your parents that that claim to fame, there's some history with that. And they my big learning points to them were um there turkeys were native to Minnesota. There used to be a bunch. Then there was zero for a long time. Then they were tried to be it was attempted to be reintroduced. We used farm turkeys, domesticated turkeys rather than wild. So it failed. That was like 1940. And then in 73
009they got it right first, too. That didn't work. >> Okay. I didn't even know that. Yeah. So So yeah, it was kind of cool. Um it's really fun. Really fun. I I'm excited. Um, I think with third graders, I'm doing a lesson with like skulls and I have some meat eating animals that have, you know, I have the skulls and then like deer and just we're going to be looking at the teeth and, you know, meat eatating animals have like scissor-l like teeth for gnawing at meat and just something simple like that to get the kids engaged with um, not math and reading, you know. So, yeah, it's fun. But it was awesome walking up there and seeing I think uh and written on written in marker on Mr. Mullins's canoe it says uh the
010mudcat or something like that. It's just it's and the kids were asking why it's called that and like well every boat needs a name you know so it's a good time. Yeah. Other than that any questions elementary stuff any questions about turkeys? the the new the new testing stuff. Was that statemandated or it was? >> Y >> what's that called? >> The newest one we just did is called So this all stems from the Reed Act which was May of 2023. The legislation that made quite a huge number of new requirements. Um the new assessment is called the CAPI CAP TI read basics B-IX. Correct. Um it's screened below grade level on the which is called fastbridge. So it's called a secondary um and it is a screener which I don't really like that they
011they because everybody thinks of you you know mix things up front to back. It means so much more than that. And so they that's why they've gone to characteristics of dyslexia terms because everybody my kid's dyslexic and it you know there's that sense panic within parents when we get a we have to send a letter home before we do that test. So >> dyslexia by definition means um difficulty reading. >> Yeah. Reading disability difficulty reading. It's not just the scrambled letters. Um so yeah that's new. The requirements by the Reed Act for this year were that was that every district in Minnesota administers the assessment once before the end of the year. Um it's kind of a pilot year >> just for the kids that are below that though. >> Yep. Yep. And starting next
012year it's required more than once. I don't recall off top of my head if it's three times or two times. But then you have to any kid that screens below grade level, you have to provide some sort of intervention services to that child. Um the biggest shakeup is 6 through 12 elementary schools. Like there's certainly some changes that came with the read Act, but elementary schools have kind of been operating this way for quite some time, which is if you if you have kids in each grade level that are below grade level, um you have intervention teachers and you work to support those kids and get their reading level back up. Um even even things like reading core and programs like that um fit that description. But really the big I keep pointing to Nathan
013because the biggest um the biggest changes that are going to affect create a little bit of chaos maybe I shouldn't use that word is middle schools and high schools haven't been operating with that model really ever. Um, so like we have two we have two and a half intervention teachers at the elementary and we we build our schedule that there's win slashintervention time at each grade level. That's time that th those grade levels aren't doing direct instruction with their core classes like math and reading and social studies and science. Um that's when our intervention teachers will pull small groups of kids and you know they're just getting like a little bit intensified version of um phonics or fluency or whatever that might be and we track their progress with data um weekly and bi-weekly to
014see if they're making growth. Again, elementary schools have been doing that way before the read act. the middle school, high schools are going to have to adopt stuff statewide and figure out staffing and schedules like when are you gonna when are you going to do this? Who are the intervention teachers going to be? What what um qualifies as intervention? So, we're kind of working through all that stuff right now. >> It's part of what I've been building my master schedule around intervention included in there as well that we haven't had especially the high school level. We've had access to the middle school level, but not no real reading interventions outside of school. >> Second phase of readact training is coming up. So, if you remember last year, we had all of the elementary and then
015middle school, high school special education teachers were doing required training on um on literacy, teaching literacy called the science of reading training. the next wave of those people is coming up. They'll likely be doing it next school year. So, you'll probably it'll probably come across the board in the form of we have to do anou. They they receive a stipen for completing that training. So, if you hear of that again, just it's all from the read act which was passed in 2023. >> Cool. next month. >> How many what percentage of So you take the fast bridge in the fall and then the read basics or whatever it's >> fast bridge is three times a year fall, winter, spring >> and the but what's the the read basic thing >> that is just >> if
016the kids that sto below average on the bridge >> and you can use whatever so they use percentiles. So, like if you took if everybody here in this room took the FastBridge screener and say you and Lee scored below grade level, but there's there's flexibility in what you consider below grade level, like what percentile you you use, but um did we end up >> everybody was everybody was worked up when this came out because it said anybody below grade level. Well, technically anybody in the 49th percentile is below considered below grade level, but >> which is not >> 35 to 65 would be average, you know. >> Yeah. >> So, I think we're are we doing using 33rd percentile? >> No, I use 30. Well, I have >> you use 30 39th. >> Yeah. >>
017So, anybody below 40 would be someone that would need to take the cavity basics. What I've learned last week I went to the principal's meeting and they said anyone who was in the 30th percentile particularly at one school that had their done it they said if they were above this point they passed the capy you know the capy basics and didn't need an intervention but it basically it's well let's cast this natur if you're in this you know this area then let's double check and then a bunch of kids will get screened out at that So like I can tell you in you know in sixth grade there's 11 kids who qualified to take the cappy basics and then I have it by grade level there's 14 and seventh grade it's all here I guess
018>> it's interesting >> screened out >> say the number that qualified went up every year through seniors and part of it is could be how hard am I going to try? Um part of it is we know that the elementary school has made some pretty significant changes that I think we're seeing the benefits of um with some of those grade levels. So if we can gradually make that number who need interventions smaller, it's going to obviously be helpful as well. The assessments are just it's a loaded like the statewide the mission is to get more kids at reading level statewide because clearly the numbers are not so good. Um the screeners like you try to stay positive about it. It can be tough. Um you don't have a choice. You have to do it. So
019we try to have a positive outlook but there's definitely that. >> Hey Mr. Turkey. First want to let people know that uh congratulations have qualified for state. I was able to kidnap my mom on day and she used to coach for Houston way back in the brought her up to the gymnastics and I kind of I think um but she admittedly didn't really know what she was doing. She started program in Houston and um so um the flexible learning year calendar. You guys approved the memorandum of understanding with the teachers which just allows us to start and then I think sign the thing Lee and Mike need to sign that and then I'll send that out if we get approved for that. Um but I should be um other than that it's school board appreci
020get to be in the JDC tomorrow. Fisher took a couple days off this week. Nathan was out there today and I'm out there tomorrow. Um so hopefully we won't have too many customers. We have quite a few today. Any questions for me? >> How's that JDC thing been going? >> It's been going good. Fiser really does a great job with the kids. Um, >> we haven't had a lot of clients out there, but like I said, today there was five, which is the most I can ever recall having at the same time. Um, >> I hope you Thank you. >> I'll grab one on my way out. Is there any feedback on the survey yet? >> I I've only heard a couple people say it was a really good survey. Um, but I I don't
021have any numbers back. I know she on March 16th, is that our next meeting? Uh, she's going to come and share those publicly. Um, we've had several people request mail-in ones and uh or request that we mail them a paper copy. So, we've got a system put in place for that and uh we're getting those mailed out. >> My mailer came today. >> Just today >> in my mailbox. >> Others must have the ones that have requested the the ones be mailed to them must have gotten it already. So, is it just a postcard with a QR code and you do the survey on your phone or what? >> I just got the mail out of the mailbox. I let my dog out. I know it came. >> I didn't look at it yet. >>
022The difference probably is I bet that's a QR code whereas if people request a actual paper mailer, they'll fill the form out and mail it back. Does that sound right? >> Yes. Are we >> I don't think we're No, I don't think we're bound to them. >> We have a need to make we can always reach out locally and >> Yeah. The only right the we would be bound to pay them for everything they've done so far. Um if we were not to use them, then we would have to pay them for that. If we do use them, we don't have to pay them, but I'm sure they'll get that. Otherwise, >> okay, any questions for Mr. Barb? >> Um, we had our health and safety committee meeting before about excuse me, cardiac emergency response
023plan that the board will have to approve for next year and Dan Fitch from my work with Tiffany Hill on that. Um and then also some chemicals in the science department getting those disposed of if they're past their shelf diameters for the daycare. He's given us some insight some things to do and um thanks to EA for helping fund some of those meetings and um some training cost for new staff in the daycare. Senate reporting is due February 28th. working on that. Continue to have questions on Minnesota paid leave as people are filling out um their leaves, working on unemployment disputes and few cases. We were not approved for the summer egg program lar with you. Um so to see what we're going to do about that and the pay report was complete. We did
024pass state or beyond that. um working with Rachel Stag House too. Um there's a wellness policy that's new and we're having a review next year. So we'll have to have that place before we have that policy as well. Um I don't know if you've noticed, excuse me, there's vending machines in each building near the gyms that is provided by the food service and that just started later in December. So we'll see how that's doing in January for revenue. I think it's convenience for at least over here for people going to games or practices to grab a stick right outside the gym. Um there's discussion in the legislation about revenue. Um a lot of districts are seeing a decrease in revenue. We actually based on preliminary numbers would see an increase of just under $12,000. Um
025they're asking for another whole harmless year. This is not bianium for legislation, but we'll see what we'll do on that. Some districts are moving quite a bit of working on the revised budget that'll be brought to you in March and other using invoicing balancing. >> Just to add to the summer grant thing, this is the one that a couple years ago um they reduced it by half and then the school agreed to pay half. So, I don't know what we're going to do with this. I I I I think it's because they're trying to get new programs that haven't done summer programs to do them. I know there was they said there was $5 million over $5 million requested and they only had two million to give. Um the grant looks very similar to it
026has in the past. why it was approved before and not now. I don't understand why unless they're trying to give money to schools that haven't previously applied. It's the only thing I can guess, but that's a total guess. >> How long has that summer a program been going? >> Brad Hard was here >> over 10 years. We've got the grant every year. >> It's always been lots of money, but we've got this. >> Okay. Any questions for Barb? No old business. New business. Graduation ceremony on May 22nd. Do we have any board members interested in putting out diplomas? >> Lee. Kevin, >> Eric, anybody else or is it just a two two thing? >> You guys both did it last year, right? >> Okay. So, Lee and Derek and if anybody else wants to do
027it or knows that they're available at that time, >> just let me know. It's just helpful for planning purposes. But >> I can't I just I don't know. >> No, and that's totally fine. I'll write down Lee and Derek and actually have an email started. I'll get it to Angie and then if there more than welcome. >> Cool. >> Sounds good. Uh fill in the board vacancy for Spencer. So I think we have had three people. >> Yep. And I sent uh questions out yesterday. I meant to send them out last week, but Mike asked me yesterday if they've been sent out and I'm like, let me just check for sure. And they were sitting in my drafts. I sent them out yesterday to the people and told them they had a deadline of Friday
028the 20th to get me the answers and then I'll send them to you guys when I get them. I have one back already. Um, but I'll send them to you guys and then at the March meeting we can make an appointment or whatever. So, we'll just Is everybody okay with doing it like the last time we did it? Like rank choice voting based on the questionnaire and >> one through three. Is that how it is? three and then the person with the lowest number >> gets it. >> Is that something I can do feedback on email? >> Yeah, the March meeting I'm going to be >> Oh, >> we would do it with email. Last time we did an email and we just sent it all to I think it was Craig and Karen and
029I and we ran or did it and sent it back. >> So, it was just a it was just a matter of approving it at the meeting. It wasn't any discussion at the meeting. and Julie diplomas. >> Oh, okay. So, we got Lee, Derek, and Julie >> doing diplomas. Any questions, comments about the filling the board vacancy plan of attack? >> Autumn and Whitney were the only two ice. >> Then there was a mole that Bla Okay. Uh, school policies. Any questions, comments, concerns on the school policies, going once, going twice, going three times. All right. They get change every or review every three years as a group or >> No. Well, I mean, we review every policy every 3 years, but you just take a chunk every meeting because it's too many to bite
030off all at once. >> I'm just curious like with AI and Gener can't imagine that it's uh got easier. >> They I know they are working on an AI policy. >> That's great. >> Yeah, that was brought up at one of the So MSBA is working on a model policy. I'm imagining it'll be pretty generic, but >> we've come up with AI. >> Yeah, >> that's great. >> We've come up with expectations for now. >> You know, it's it's interesting because some schools are all in. Let's embrace it. Let's teach kids how to use it. Let's go all in. And some people are like, absolutely not. We shut slam the door. we don't use it. And so I think it's just it's a it's a tricky subject. >> Okay. Um board member reports Melissa Lee
031there. >> Same thing she said. >> All right. Sounds good. Uh any last words of wisdom? All right. Would anybody like to make a motion to adjurnn? I'll move it. Eric moves it. >> Chad second. All in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. Motion carries 5. It is uh 439.