001Good evening. Welcome to the November legislative meeting of the Rose Tree Media School Board. This meeting is called to order. Please stand if you are able for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge 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. Dr. Scott, please take the role. >> Hillary Fletcher >> here. >> Jackie Gusig >> here. >> Susan Henderson Udis >> here. >> Shelley Hunt >> here. >> Robert Kelly >> here. >> Carlen Kreniki >> here. >> Kelly Schaefer >> here. >> Miles Foster Lner >> here. >> Erica Jonahan. >> Grace Moore >> Ken Dennis >> here. >> Terresa Napson Williams >> here. Madame President, we have a quorum. >> Thank you, Dr. Scott.
002Uh, we will move to the approval of minutes. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion passes. All right. We have a a couple of presentations and awards. See, we will start with the Simon Youth Foundation has chosen [laughter] has chosen Amanda Sheldon as the 2025 SYA foundation teacher of the year. >> [snorts] >> Each and every day, students and staff in the Rose Tree Media Simon Youth Academy are lucky to experience firsthand all the things that Amanda, the phenomenal educator, things that make Amanda the phenomenal educator that she is. On top of that, her unwavering focus on creating connections and building relationships truly makes Rose Media's SYA a better place. Congratulations, Amanda. Unfort Amanda's not here, but yay, Amanda. [laughter] >> All right.
003Um, now we have two outgoing board members we would like to recognize. First up is Robert Kelly. The district and board of school directors recognizes Robert Kelly for his eight years of service to the students, staff, and community members of the Rose Tree Media School District. Robert served on the education and wellness and curriculum and instruction committees. We thank Mr. Kelly for his dedication and his many years of volunteer service to support our students. All right. And next we have Kelly Schaefer. The district and board of school directors would like to recognize Kelly Schaefer for her five years of service to the district. During her tenure, Mrs. Schaefer served as the chairperson of the education and wellness committee. We thank Mrs. Schaefer for her integrity, commitment to excellence, and dedication to our students and our
004district. All right. Um, we'll move on to reports. Uh, the student liaison reports. Thank you. Sorry about that. Good evening to you all. I'm Erica Jonan and I will be reading the reports for Glenwood Elementary and Indian Lane Elementary. Glenwood is continuing one of its favorite activities and traditions this year, which is buddy classes. Each class in grades 3 to 5 is paired with a class in grades kindergarten through 2 grade. The classes get together periodically to read, work on writing, and even perform readers theater productions for each other. It is a wonderful way to build camaraderie amongst grade levels and positive relationships. Fall is an exciting time for all. Students enjoyed a lot of various fall activities. Students in fourth grade enjoyed time outside writing sensory details about autumn as well as performing fall
005themed readers theaters. Last but not least, students enjoyed the fall Halloween parade and the annual fifth grade thriller dance performance. Glenwood fifth graders enjoy their opportunity to walk in the media veterans day parade. It is a great day to pay respects and tribute to our veterans both locally and nationally. The students feel a sense of pride walking amongst the other fifth graders in the district and carrying their school flag. At Indian Lane Elementary during American Education Week, fifth grade families had the opportunity to visit the classrooms and hallway as students worked on their Thanksgiving parade float project. Inspired by the book Balloons Over Broadway, students re researched the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, wrote anformational article, developed a design plan, and began constructing their own model parade floats. The floats were still in
006progress during the visitation, allowing families to observe the design and building process firsthand. In recognition of World Kindness Day on November 13th, Indian Lane launched a schoolwide hall of kindness project celebrating the individuals in our students lives who embody kindness. Each student created a profile honoring someone meaningful and many included photos to bring the display to life. This project supported our focus on kindness while reinforcing equity, inclusion, and belonging by inviting students to share the diverse relationships that shape their lives. Students received a veteran star to honor a veteran or active service member in their family. Each student had the opport opportunity to write the name of their honore and share their branch of service, creating a personal and meaningful tribute. These stars were added to our wall of honor outside the main office. Hi,
007my name is Grace Moore and I'll be reading for Media Elementary and Ro Elementary. At Media Elementary, first graders had the chance to celebrate Veterans Day out on State Street with a front row seat to view the parade. They also learned their very first first grade wide PBIS reward, sidewalk chalk. Learners filled with the pavement with colorful creations. Fifth grade students from media put a cap on their Earth Science Unit to a trip to Tyler Aubber. Students enjoyed a morning in nature, learned about their local ecosystems, completed leaf prints as a craft, and at a picnic lunch. On Veterans Day, MEES fifth grade students proudly march in the Veterans Day parade. At the courthouse, the students helped furl the unfurl the American flag during the singing of our national anthem. This is also a very
008special day to honor our veterans. Last week, students in Miss Kelly's class enjoyed helping out at the media elementary garden with Miss Antezy. Students helped to plant bulbs that will bloom this spring, shovel and mulch the garden. They also enjoyed the extra benefit of harvesting cherry tomatoes, eating them for a snack, and taking them home to their families. Our MAS garden has become a wonderful learning environment and a beautiful addition to our school grounds. At Rocher Elementary, students engage in a study of artistic traditions from Pacific Northwest tribal nations, exploring the distin visual styles and cultural significance of this artwork. As part of the unit, they read Raven, a trickster tale from the Pacific Northwest and discussed the themes and cultural perspectives presented in the story. Students created collages inspired by the character of Ra
009Raven and imagery from the folktale. Our school community celebrated the grandparents and special friends day for connection and learning. Guests took part in a variety of engaging activities together. The halls were filled with excitement and smiles as students proudly shared their school day with the people who mean so much to them. Fourth grade art club students have been diving into this excitement world of 3D technology. Using the studentfriendly CAD program, Tinkercad, they've been exploring how 3D printing works while trying to learn to design their own digital creations. Each student selected a building to design for a fictional community. During the morning club STE sessions, students bring their ideas to life in Tinkercad, carefully crafting the unique buildings that will form their imaginative townscapes. >> Good evening. I'm Miles Foster Lner and at Springton Lake Middle
010School, Springton Lake's annual career day was a tremendous success. Our sixth and seventh grade students had the opportunity to hear from three inspiring guest speakers. Sadie Gust, a talented singer songwriter. Michael Doyle, assistant basketball coach at Lasal University, and Colin Kendrick, entrepreneur and CEO of Nonprofit Partners. Our eighth graders participated in a dynamic career fair featuring representatives from all 16 national career clusters. Students were able to explore a wide range of professions, learn about local job opportunities, and make meaningful connections across the county. On Tuesday, members of the Salute to Service Club attended the Veterans Day parade in media. Club members stood along the parade route and handed out thank you cards to each veteran they could find along the route. The Springton Lake JV and varsity football teams had a fantastic season. Each team
011broke its previous records. There was a record number of students who participated and all 75 of them had a great time building relationships that led to our best season yet. Eighth grade social studies students on Team Endeavor just finished up presenting their business projects to their classmates. Students were tasked with creating a business for a new product and then attempting to convince a panel of quote sharks to invest in their companies. At Pankress High School, Pankress had yet another amazing and energetic fall pep rally to celebrate the fall sports season, recognize distinguished alumni, and provide an opportunity for the classes to battle it out with the grade level banners and Lions cheer competition. The sophomore class took home the win for the best banner, and the seniors brought home the win for the Lions cheer.
012On Wednesday, members of the international club participated in the club's travel through our taste bud series and attended lunch at Georgian bread. Students learned about Georgian culture and witnessed traditional Georgian bread making. Miss Starky's entrepreneurship students attended the fall innovation sprint held at the University of Delaware on Thursday, October 9th. Students were given a real world problem to solve and had to pitch their idea to several several investors. Penrest Sydney Reed and Jackson McNamera were members of the winning team. Thank you. >> Good evening again. Now fully in sync with the routine of our classes, the school year has been progressing smoothly and we hope that everyone has been staying warm as we quickly approach the official start to winter. Speaking of the temperature, due to the profuse number of students who are unhappy with
013the current situation regarding the school heating and cooling system, including the lack of air conditioning in the gym, we met with a few people who are in charge of the school's facilities. We were able to receive valuable advice and we learned a lot of information that every student will benefit from knowing. Hence, we are working on a facilities report that explains the school's heating and cooling systems, hoping to advance ourselves towards an improved situation where students would know that they have to tell their teachers about temperature issues in order for them to get fixed. Grace and Miles have contributed great ideas for improving the situation with their school sinks as well. Separate from these topics, many AP students have been expressing concerns about next year's block schedule plan for AP classes that would make non-combined
014AP classes only one semester long. This is an issue that has yet to be discussed and we believe it should be for the upcoming school year. We thank you for listening to our concerns and we hope that you have a wonderful rest of your month and a happy Thanksgiving. >> Thank you. All right, we will move to board liaison reports. Uh, Miss Hunt, do we have anything from um Delaware County Community College? >> We do. It was uh there's actually a lot, but I'm going to try to hone it down to a few minutes. Um, several of us went to the new facility for a tour of the southeastern campus, the old Archbishop Prrengrass High School. Um, Mr. Dockerty, Mr. Who else? >> Yes, right. Mr. Roth. Yes, Mr. Stango. Thank you. I couldn't remember
015who all was there. It was um [clears throat] incredible. Uh it's 120,000 square ft of space. There are six programs. Um and I I was delighted to have so many people from the high school there because really they this this really applies to them. But um the school will be open in January with the exception of the early childhood education um center. Um it's a gamecher. I think we're very lucky in this school district that our students have options. We live very close to the main campus, but the uh the new campus is the media trolley right away. So, um it's very flexible. It's all state-of-the-art. Um the chemistry labs, the biology labs, the nursing labs will be second to none. They're nicer than a lot of other four-year institutions. you know, the if your
016if your kids are interested in health care, they have an incredible program with, you know, interactive faux patients, even a patient that gives birth. Truly, it's amazing. Um, so, uh, when it opens, I urge everyone to to, um, walk out there and take a look at what it looks like. It's just really incredible what they've been able to do. Um, on the short notes, um, they've increased their goal. They've exceeded their goal of a 3% increase in growth. So they had 4% increase in growth of students and credits taken. Um I think some of the most important things that they've done recently is they hosted the Pennsylvania STEM seed program which is steam gosh it's to um make sure that the STEM programs there is equity and inclusion and diversity in these programs. Um and
017they hosted it for the state of Pennsylvania. They've also um have a professor who is extraordinarily engaged in AI, ethical use of AI um and has spoken held conferences um worked with Manhattan Community College has worked with um Westchester University all over the place about really trying to coordinate ethical use of AI and they have a number of really interesting publications that I think um would be beneficial to anybody who's interested in it. So I'll put my plug in now. It's not too late to enroll in January. It's $200 for our high school students to get a three credit course and almost every college accepts those three credits. So, um, consider dual enrollment. It's a really, um, probably one of the best value educations that you can get. And as adults, if you're interested in
018career changes or just learning something new, you go for half price if you're in our district because we're a sponsoring district compared to other districts. So, $400 for you guys. So, that's it. >> All right. Um, let's see. Um, committee highlights and reports are contained within the minute. So, we will move to the superintendence report. Dr. Malage. Thank you, Dr. Napson Williams. As we gather tonight, one week before Thanksgiving, I want to begin with sincere gratitude. This season always offers us a moment to pause, something that can feel rare in the rhythm of a school day or an academic year, and reflect on the people who make our district the caring, dynamic learning community that it is. I am deeply thankful for our teachers, our support staff, our administrators, our facilities team, our bus drivers
019and aids and mechanics, the people who work in the office, food service workers, and everyone who contributes to the well-being and success of our students. Their dedication, long hours, and quiet, steady commitment often happen behind the scenes, but the impact is unmistakable and felt throughout our community. Our staff members give more than their time. They share their hearts, their creativity, and their compassion every single day. It was an absolute pleasure to attend the annual Veterans Day parade in Media Burough. The Rose Media students again featured prominently in the parade. Each of our students engaged in activities to honor our local veterans. A special thank you to all of our veterans, all of the veterans in our community. The respect and maturity shown by our students is a credit to the work our staff and families
020do to nurture empathy and civic responsibility. Several of our schools organized food drives and community partnerships ahead of winter and holiday season. These efforts not only support families in need, but reinforce the values of service and compassion that we strive to instill in our students. Whether on on the athletic fields or the stages through leadership initiatives, our students continue to demonstrate excellence. Coaches, advisers, and teachers have spent countless hours guiding them, and their efforts shine through in the achievements we've witnessed this month, highlighted by the fall stage productions and the tremendous success of the Penrest football team and cheer team. I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the privilege that we share and being part of this wonderful Rose Media community. Our students benefit every day from a network of adults at
021home and in school who believe in them, challenge them, and support them. I'm grateful to know and work alongside such committed professionals and with such dedicated and passionate families. We all benefit from the board's continued guidance, leadership, and partnership. On behalf of the district staff, a special and heartfelt thank you to Robert Kelly and Kelly Schaefer for their volunteer service to our community as members of the board of school directors. Thank you and I wish everyone a restful and meaningful Thanksgiving holiday. [snorts] >> Thank you, Dr. Malashsh. Uh we will move to the solicitors report where we have a vote, a vote to approve the taxpayer assessment appeals settlements. Is there a motion? So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion passes. Right. We'll next move to the president's report.
022As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I want to thank Robert Kelly and Kelly Schaefer for their dedicated service to the children, staff, and community of the Rose Tree Media School District. Serving as an elected board, as an elected member of the board requires a great deal of commitment and time in order to be effective. I am grateful to Rob and Kelly both for the insight, wisdom, and perspective. sorry that they shared during countless hours of work sessions, retreats, and legislative meetings. They both went beyond the expectations of what it means to be a successful and contributing member of the board. On behalf of the full board of school directors, we wish everyone a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving. All right, we will move now to schedule presentations from RTMA. We have Sharon Williams. Is this
023on? We good? Okay. Good evening and thank you for the opportunity um to speak with you this evening. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Sharon Williams, eighth grade teacher at Springton Lake Middle School and the vice president of RTMEA at the secondary level. First, on behalf of RTMEA, I would like to congratulate Amanda on her being named the SYA teacher of the year. Then I would like to continue with the Thanksgiving and the things that have been happening um through American Education Week. We would like to send a heartfelt thank you from RTMEA to our dedicated support staff for the Rose Media School District. Every day, our support staff show dedication, patience, and professionalism that keep our schools running smoothly. And our students support it. Whether they work in offices, classrooms, cafeterias,
024libraries, maintenance, or on our buses, their efforts create a safe, welcoming, and efficient learning environment for our students, teachers, and administrators to rely upon. Their commitment does not go unnoticed and we are truly grateful for the essential role they play in helping all of us succeed in our roles within the district. I also want to inform you of the generosity and community commitment shown by RTMEA Education Association and the Pennsylvania State Education Association. Both of these groups continue to support our community through donations to the Delaware County Food Bank. This type of outreach reflects our shared belief that strong schools and strong communities are interconnected and that we have a responsibility to help our families beyond our classrooms. And that same spirit of compassion is thriving in all of our school buildings. Each one of
025them has been collecting non-p perishable food for our neighbors. For example, at Springton Lake, the community service club led with enthusiasm by Devon Hartzell and Kylie Buchcci, the has I'm sorry, has had an incredibly productive two weeks collecting generous donations of non-p perishable foods from staff and students. The students have already packaged 20 full meal kits for our local families in the last week, ensuring that those who may be struggling have access to nutritious meals. These kits have been forwarded to Bernardet Dhakin for distribution to families throughout our community. And our work doesn't stop there. An additional 20 kits are already in the works and will be delivered next week before the holiday break. Any remaining items after the kits are delivered will also be sent to the media food bank. The dedication of these
026students and their adviser is a reminder of the positive impact young people can have when they are given the chance to lead and to serve our community. And it's important to recognize and celebrate the many people who make Rose Media such a caring and supportive student centered district. From our support staff to our educators to our students and our community partners, we all contribute to a culture of kindness and service that strengthens the entire community. Thank you again for your time, your commitment, and the opportunity to speak with you this evening. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. All right, we will move to unscheduled presentations. There is a sign up in the back. District residents and taxpayers wishing to address the school board are encouraged to do so at this time. Written items are strongly suggested. Speakers
027will state their name and their municipality for the record before commenting. Comments are limited to three minutes. The school board may suspend the public comment period after a reasonable amount of time. Use of profanity, shouting, or personal attacks are discouraged. Please note that the public comment period is intended to provide an opportunity for citizens to address the board. However, it is not an opportunity to participate in public debate or a question and answer dialogue. Therefore, contact information should be provided to the administration and board so that the school district can follow up with citizens concerns following the meeting and there are no unscheduled presentations. All right. So, we will move on to old business. Letter A, we have policies for second read and approval. Is there a motion? >> So, move. Second. >> Second. >>
028Discussion. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion passes. Next up, we'll move to human resources. Uh, I suggest we group letters A through L. A through L together. Is there any objection to this? Letters A through L. Hearing none. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> I. Opposed. Motion passes. Next up, we'll move to letter N. Letter N as in new year. Is there a motion? So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion passes. Next we will move to letter O. Letter O. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. I actually would just like to thank Jackie for keeping us on track with um this resolution and um I had a conversation with PSBA today and they're also
029very thankful in sharing it with other districts throughout Pennsylvania. So it it was a I just thank you so much for bringing it up. >> I'll explain what it is. Um, it is a resolution uh encouraging our governor and state legislature to provide um Oh my god, you caught me off guard and my brain like, you know, is old. Um, accountability and um reimbursement for any um investments that they had to make in order to meet their budgets because of the budget impass. All in favor? >> I I >> opposed. Motion passes. All right. Letter P is for policies that are first read and review. So there is no vote. We will move on to finance. I suggest we group letters A through M. A through M as in media. Is there any objection to
030this? Hearing none. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. >> I would just like to call attention to number H. The donation from the Springton Lake Middle School music boosters um for the donation of a trailer for the safe transport of instruments, sound equipment, risers, and event materials for the school concert, community events, and music festivals. Um, we're a wonderful district because uh it's boosters and parents and community groups who continue to make these donations to make us great. >> All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion passes. Next up is letter O. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. discussion. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion passes. We'll move to financials and bill lists. Is there a motion? >> I'm sorry. >> Letter A under financials and
031bill list. Is there a motion? >> Second. >> I'll second. discussion. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion passes. All right, we'll move to the addendum. I suggest we group letters A to C, A to C together. Is there any objection to this? Hearing none. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. Discussion. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion passes. Next letter E. Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Discussion. All in favor? >> I opposed. Motion passes. We'll move to announcements. Executive sessions. There was an executive session held at 5:45 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. before the legislative meeting on Thursday, October 23rd, to discuss privilege matters with the board's council and hiring of an administrative employee. The executive session held from 6:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. before the
032work session meeting on Thursday, November 13th, 2025 was to discuss privilege matters with the board's council. our future meetings. The board reorganization meeting will be held on Monday, December 1st, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at Springton Lake Middle School in the library. The next work session will be on Monday, December 1st, 2025 at 6:45 p.m. at Springton Lake Middle School in the library. Our next policy committee meeting will be on Monday, December 8th, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. at the education center in the boardroom. And the next legislative meeting will be held on Thursday, December 11th, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at Penrest High School in the auditorium. All right. Now, as we have come to the end of our agenda, this meeting is now adjourned.