001Good evening and welcome to the St. Raymond Valley Schools Board of Education meeting of March 12th 2025. Please stand if you're able and join me for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag, the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Christy, would you please call the roll? Sure. Mrs. Babs, she'll be late. Mr. Berthold? Present. Mrs. Gilligan? Here. Mrs. Horanek? Here. Mr. Lechuga? Absent. Mrs. Ragland? Here. Mrs. Weiss? Present. And Mrs. Weiss, would you please let us know where you are joining us from over Webex and who is in the room with you? I am joining from 3730 North Goldeneye Road, Wilson, Wyoming. And is there anybody else in the room with you that we can't
002see? No. Okay. Well, thank you so much for joining us from afar and hope you're having a lovely time there. Christy, are there any changes to the agenda that you know of? No, there are not. Okay. Thanks. Well, welcome to everybody that's joined us. It's great to see student faces in our audience. Our meeting is being streamed on our website tonight where a recording will also be available. If you would please silence your device notifications, we would greatly appreciate it. The meeting is being translated into Spanish and headsets are available for anyone in our audience that would like them. I'll begin tonight's meeting by restating our district's mission statement to educate each student in a safe learning environment so they may reach their highest potential and become contributing citizens. This mission provides clarity of our
003purpose and our focus leaders make all decisions within its context. I'd like to introduce and point out a special student advisory council member joining us tonight. Taylor Kloss from Meade High School. Would you please introduce yourself and tell us, you know, your grade and your plans and what you're interested in at Meade? Thank you so much for the invitation today. I'm Taylor Kloss, a Meade High School student in 11th grade. I graduated in 2026. I've had an exceptional time in this school district and specifically at Meade High School. I've involved myself through many clubs and other activities. The main ones I'd like to point out is Interact Club, a non-for-profit club built for helping those in need, as well as many unified sports I've helped participate in, as well as SAC and lead team for
004freshmen. After high school, I plan to attend a four-year college supported by the military on the side. One of the main reasons I've enjoyed Meade High School and this school district specifically has been the amount of support and opportunities it has offered. Through the countless clubs and classes, I've been able to take an option to me. I've enjoyed my time and have been able to learn and enjoy learning, which I think is one of the most important parts when attending a high school. Thank you so much for being with us tonight. Please fully engage in our meeting tonight. At the end, we'll see if you have any questions or share your feedback about tonight's meeting. We're so glad to have you, so thank you for being here. We'll start out with our visitors. We have
005a robotics presentation, so I will call Axel. Good evening, President Ragland, members of the board, Dr. Haddad and Dr. Capuchin. We're very grateful to share with you tonight the status of robotics in the St. Rain Valley schools. If we go back 13 years or so ago, robotics was happening in St. Rain Valley, but only in small pockets. Scotland STEM Academy incorporated robotics into one of their classes. Upper Creek Robotics was competing at that time, and several families were participating with their own teams to the VEX program. However, aside from these examples, you would have been very surprised to see robotics in most schools or classrooms. Today, you would be absolutely surprised not to. So our goal tonight is not only to update you on where robotics is in the district, but also to share how,
006within 13 years, St. Rain robotics has grown into an internationally recognized program. Over the last three years, we've had three world champion robotics teams. We've had countless teams qualifying for the world championships. We hosted the Mate Aquatic Robotics World Championships, which brought over 70 teams from 13 countries to Longmont. Our social robotics students are consultants for educators in Great Britain, Qatar, and Bangkok, Thailand. And in a related field that increasingly is part of robotics, the district's AI leadership team has finished in the top three for three years in a row in the WACI, or World AI Competition for Youth, competition, and they won it all three years ago. You will hear about our competitive robotics programs and how these introduce many students to various facets of STEM. You will hear about the different types of
007robotics of STEM. You will hear about the wide variety of non-competitive robotics at all levels that hone students' skills in robotics-related fields and encourage them to look into these as possible careers. Finally, and most importantly, you will hear personal testimonies from students about how robotics has impacted them. This robotics journey, which takes students and educators and families through the full range of foundation innovation has proven worthy of the investment you've made, in other words, robotics by design. I'm joined tonight by three colleagues who will take it from here. Alex Downing is our competitive robotics coordinator. She has managed our very robust VEX program over the last three years. Nate Wilcox is the Innovation Center robotics program manager and oversees a fully viable robotics pathway. And Jake Roberts is a very early adopter, innovator. He started
008as a student at the Innovation Center and now works there as a program manager focused on game design and also helps support the competitive program and our social robotics program. Alex? I didn't know that happened. Good evening, board members. My name is Alexandra Downing, and like Axel said, I'm the competitive robotics program manager for our district. For the past 11 years, I've had the privilege of witnessing the transformative power of robotics firsthand, initially as a coach at Indian Peaks Elementary and Timberline as well as a robotics parent. My journey has shown me that robotics is far more than just building robots. It's about cultivating essential skills. Our students, whether participating in competitive clubs or STEM classes or exploratory programs, they are developing the ability to problem solve, apply critical thinking, and be creative. To help
009facilitate this learning, we utilize a diverse range of robotics platforms, including VEX Robotics for competitive challenges, Mate for the underwater exploration, Spheroes for interactive coding, VEX 123, and BeBots for our younger learners. This variety ensures that every student has the opportunity to engage with robotics in a way that sparks their interest and builds their essential skills. We're committed to providing every student with access to these opportunities, and by introducing robotics at such a young age, we're building a strong foundation that benefits them throughout the educational journey, from elementary school to high school and beyond. These skills are not limited to STEM fields. They are applicable across all disciplines, enhancing their overall learning experience. And we are incredibly grateful for the district's continued support for our robotics program. It's through this support that we can empower
010our students to become innovators and problem solvers. Thank you. Now it's Nate. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Nate Wilcox, and I found my home in the St. Varian Valley School District at Thunder Valley K-8 in 2017. As a STEM teacher at Thunder Valley, I saw firsthand how robotics transforms learning for students. I introduced students to robotics and computer science, helping them explore their massive and incredible career fields. For me, middle school is the perfect time for students to gain exposure and character development. Across our district, middle school students engage in design challenges, critical thinking, collaboration, and complex problem solving. Average opportunities to explore robotics extend outside of the school day through after school clubs and summer camps, many of which are supported by industry partners like Northrop Grumman and AMD. At the high
011school level, the focus shifts to deeper learning across four key robotics pillars, design and fabrication, mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and applied engineering. Through St. Varian High Schools, the Career Elevation Technology Center, and the Innovation Center, students can be educated into more content-specific verticals, building on strong foundational experiences. Additional programs like Erie High's Academy of Engineering and Aerospace and Skyline STEM Academy add to the growing list of CTE pathways available to students eager to pursue robotics-related careers. And yet, this still is not enough, which is a great problem to have. Our students want more, and that's where work-based learning comes in. As a project manager of a couple of robotics teams, I've seen students gain real-world experience through industry partnerships, industry mentorships, and client-driven work. Many of these students are compensated for their time,
012talent, and energy, making these experiences true work experience and resume builders. From programming social robots for the district's human resources team to piloting underwater, remotely operated vehicles for Longmont's water treatment team to running tournaments and designing prototypes for local businesses, our students aren't just learning robotics, they're doing robotics. These experiences help them clarify career goals and give them a competitive edge for their futures. Robotics was a game-changer for me as an educator, and I'm confident that you'll see tonight that it's a game-changer for our students and for our community. Thank you. Hi, everybody. I'm Jacob Roberts. As Axel mentioned, I started my pathway in the robotics in St. Rain as a student designer at the Innovation Center right when it first started, about 10 years ago. And it's been a real awesome experience to be
013able to kind of grow through that experience in 2015 to when I graduated in 2017 from Skyline High School to now coming back and supporting more of their programs in robotics by being a mentor for our student teams in both our socially-assisted robotics group and our robotics leadership team. I don't want to take up too much time because I really want you guys to hear the stories from our students and how robotics has impacted them, so I'll hand it back off to them. I like it. First off, we'll have Ellie Ingemeyer. She is a 12th grader at Frederick, and she has been part of the robotics leadership team for four years now. Hi, everybody. My name is Ellie Ingemeyer. I'm currently a 12th grade student at Frederick High School. Robotics has been a huge part
014of my life over the past four years. I've been involved in the robotics leadership team throughout the Innovation Center and it's really given me the opportunity to develop skills and to be able to give back to my community and my school district. If I didn't have robotics in my life, I honestly don't believe it would be anything like it is now. I wouldn't have had the chance to get to meet the incredible mentors and coworkers that I get to work with, people like Alex and Jacob and Axel and my other student designers. They're all such incredible people. And it's also given me the opportunity to develop different skills and qualities that help shape who I am and that I can use in different areas of my life, like different jobs that I've had. Throughout robotics,
015I've learned how to problem solve, manage time, and collaborate with a large variety of people. I work with people ranging from little elementary schoolers all the way to adults who are much older and experienced than me, which is very interesting. Being part of the team has also taught me how to work under pressure when things go wrong, learning how to use critical thinking skills, and how to manage a group of people, whether it's younger students or our own team. More than anything, robotics has given me a community of mentors and peers who really inspire me and push me to keep growing and do my absolute best. I truly believe that there are so many skills that I've learned from my role and that I will be able to use them in the future somehow. I
016love being able to have this opportunity to work in the school district and to work with robotics, and I can't wait to see where it leads me. Hi, I'm Tessa Anderson, the robotics coach at Trail Ridge Middle School. I'm excited to introduce to you our robotics team. They are a sixth-grade all-girls team called Flower on Metals. They are going to be speaking towards some of the recognition they've received this year as well as what robotics means to them. I'm in sixth grade at Trail Ridge Middle School. This is my first year in VRC Robotics. My favorite parts of robotics are having fun, building robots, and learning. One thing I learned this year is how to code better. I am most proud of getting three awards in sixth grade. My team received the Judge's Award twice
017and the Inspire Award once. The Judge's Award is special because it recognizes teamwork, effective communication skills, professionalism, and problem solving. Doing robotics has helped me make more friends. At tournaments, I see friends from other schools. In conclusion, I'm glad I joined robotics and I encourage people who like building to join robotics. My name is Sarah Cobin. I'm in sixth grade. This is my first year in VRC. I did IQ and elementary for school year for two years. My favorite part of robotics is I learned how to build and code and have fun with others. This year, I learned how to drive a motor robot to get a high score in skills challenge. I also learned how to make pneumatic parts on my robot. I'm proud of our team for doing their best and working hard
018every day and working together. We work together to build our robot and solve difficult problems every day. We also work with other teams at fairways and at tournaments to make a strategy and try our best to win. All in all, I am very proud of our team. Lauren Peters, this is my second year in robotics. This is my first year in VRC, but I did IQ in fifth grade. I'm in sixth grade and robotics is important to me because it's fun and you get to be creative and build your robot the way you want to as long as it doesn't violate the rules of the game. Another reason robotics is important to me is because you can make friends you didn't think you were going to make. Also, Claire and I use sign language to
019talk about what we're going to do at club. With Sarah and at tournaments, we communicate game plans, parts we should fix, and who does which job all in ASL. In conclusion, robotics means a lot to me and I'm excited for the new game next year. I look forward to introducing Spencer Freeman as our next student to speaker. I've had the pleasure of mentoring him for the past four years, so I'm a little sad that he's leaving me at the end of the year to graduate. Thank you for having me. Like Jacob said, my name is Spencer Freeman. I am a senior at Silver Creek High School. Four years ago today, I never imagined I'd be standing here today representing the Socially Assistive Robotics team. My journey started when Jacob Roberts, now my boss, brought a
020Misty robot into my intro to AI class. I saw an opportunity not just to work with cutting edge technology, but to design something that could help people like me. Socially Assistive Robotics, or SAR, focuses on robot and human interaction. At the Innovation Center, we use Misty robots to help students, especially those in special education classrooms by improving communication and engagement. Seeing these robots make a real difference for students on the spectrum has been one of our biggest wins. Since joining SAR, I've worked on projects like designing a bubble blower arm for Misty, which taught me CAD, JavaScript, and electrical design. I also helped create an adaptive smart leaf blower to assist individuals with physical disabilities, an experience that showed me just how much robotics can change lives. Being on this team didn't just teach me
021robotics, it changed me as a person. Teachers saw a shift in who I was once I committed to SAR. And now, as the team's student leader, it's bittersweet to look back on everything we've built. SAR isn't just about robots, it's about making education and life more accessible for everyone. I am grateful to be part of that mission. For our final student, I have Ben Gunn, senior at Niwot High School and our team lead of the Innovation Center Aquatic Robotics Team. My name is Ben Gunn, and I joined SVBSD when I came to Niwot as a freshman with an interest in exploring robotics. Initially, I joined the FRC Team 1619, which, through connections, led me to the Innovation Center's Aquatics Robotics Team. This is a project team where students work for real clients in the community
022such as Longmont's Nelson Flanders Water Treatment Plant with the guidance of industry mentors to make and operate our own underwater robots. We get real-life engineering and collaboration experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, design, and fabrication. With these experiences, such as going to SparkFun to build a custom printed circuit board, like the one right here, to seeing my first circuit design fully functional with this one, my trajectory in life has benefited immensely from this opportunity. In fact, it was instrumental to help see my desire to become an electrical engineer to fruition, because before iCart, I thought that designing electronics was just a pipe dream of mine. However, with this experience and mentor guidance, I have designed three of my own printed circuit boards, and next year will be at CU Boulder majoring in electrical
023engineering. Now, without robotics at SVBSD, I would not have discovered my passion in electrical engineering that occurred from applying my skills in a professional environment. Thank you. Thank you again for having our team present to you tonight. While our topic was robotics, we hope that it was much more than about robots. Robotics has given so much to our students and staff. At the end of the day, for us, it's about how our students are learning about themselves and what their capabilities are, and how they are developing skills and particularly those durable skills that can transfer to any facet of life, and mostly about how they can master and leverage powerful technologies like robots to innovate solutions for their community. We are grateful, really grateful, for the ongoing support and leadership from Dr. Haddad and Dr.
024Capuchin, from the school board, and so many other people across the St. Brain Valley schools, all the programs who support our work throughout the year. We'd also like to thank Joe McBree and our assistant superintendent of innovation for his ongoing support of this work. So thank you very much from deep in our hearts. If you have any questions or comments, we'd love to hear them. Well, this is amazing, and as always, this is one of my passion areas that I've always supported. I thought back as the students were talking, when I first moved to Colorado, a robotics team in a different district, but it just happened to be, that was one of the first community service projects that I did when I first moved here. And since then, I've obviously made a lot more of
025that work here in St. Brain Valley, but I'm seeing so much creative spirit and creative work with our teams, not only from the robotics games, but also from how you're using it at SAR and in the FRC. I mean, just in so many different ways and working with the community and some community partners, we've advanced and we've made that trajectory grow more than just working in teams. So I'm so proud of each one of you and gosh, the things that you all are doing in these areas, I could only imagine doing this as a student in high school or even elementary school. So I'm so proud of you and continue the great work. Well, first of all, congratulations. I wanna ask just a couple of questions. You made the comment that you'd be hard pressed
026to find a school without robotics. How many robotics teams do we have now in St. Brain across the district? How many teams? Yeah. We have 265 teams from third to 12th grade for competitive clubs. That's amazing. And then I would also like to ask, you've had two competitions recently. Yes. One a week ago at Trail Ridge. Yes. And then you had a second one just this past weekend at Alto Nine. How did the students do? They did fantastic. Those were state qualifying events for World. So our teams, we had 26 St. Brain elementary teams participate and 13 middle school at Trail Ridge. Out of those teams and then out of those, we had seven teams qualify for World. They qualify for World at elementary level. And then last weekend, we had 20 of St. Brain
027V5 middle school teams participate and we had nine of them qualify for World. And we currently have one high school team qualified for World. And then this upcoming weekend, we're hoping to get at least two more. Yep, and I was gonna ask you about, so you had the elementary at the in St. Brain, the middle in St. Brain, and next week at the high school, Erie High School. Now who won the state championships at this last competition? There were two middle schools that I think came out. Who were they? We had, at the last one at Eltona, we had Trail Ridge and Eltona win the tournament champion. And then at IQ level, we had two St. Brain teams also win. And at the first one, there were seven awards given, seven categories, and were they
028all St. Brain students? They were six St. Brain teams through the school district, one Flagstaff team and one community team, but the community team is also from St. Brain too. And that's great. And then the last question that I had is, what is next for you guys? And the reason I ask that question is because every time I turn around, I'm being overwhelmed by the work that you're doing, and one of the things that we all talk about, and I know is really important to this board and to our team, is that we want our students to graduate with a strong competitive advantage so that you can compete with anybody, anywhere in the world, and that the world opens up for you. And that comes through programs and outstanding mentors and teachers and stuff. So
029when I see all this and I hear all this, all I can think about is we are in good hands. We are in good hands. Our future is in good hands, and I'm so proud of you. So thank you to all of you. Thank you. Yeah. I can't believe how fast this robotics and our district schools have taken off and advanced. It's just absolutely amazing to have seen what you've all done, your leadership, Axel and Jacob and, I mean, everyone. It's, Nate, sorry. It's been, it's just been amazing to watch. Congratulations on all of your achievements. I love your uniforms, your purple uniforms. Those are wonderful. And you all did such a wonderful job presenting. So thank you for joining us. Beyond the intellect and the durable skills that you mentioned, Axel, I love how
030you all mentioned. It's just wonderful to hear opportunity and collaboration and friendship and helping others. So there's so much that's to be gained from these programs. And thank you so much for sharing this experience with us. Can we all get a picture or? Next up we have, I'd like to invite Tony Jo to introduce our CETC culinary program. I was waiting for the desk to raise up on me. So that was the dramatic pause. Good evening, President Ragland, members of the board, and Dr. Haddad and Dr. Capuchin. Thank you so much for having us this evening. What a great celebration of recognizing back-to-back strong career and technical education programs in our district. I often get to present at conferences, and I'm often reminded that our school district and our programs are just seen as diamonds
031and rock stars across the nation. And just seeing these children from the Innovation Center's robotics team shine tonight and our students get up here to share about their nationally recognized program, I think it's just a celebration of the power of public education and all of the great work happening in our communities. This evening I'm delighted to introduce our talented ProStart culinary arts program. This program has been a long-standing success at CETC thanks to our dedicated teachers and our students. So to share this evening about our program accomplishments, I would like to introduce our most recently recognized nationally recognized this past summer in Seattle as an FCCLA Master Advisor, Mrs. Hope Nazzaro. Good evening. Thank you for having us tonight. I'm Hope Nazzaro, ProStart instructor at the Career Elevation and Technology Center. I'm gonna let our
032team introduce themselves. Hi, I'm Ada Cook. I am a level two ProStart, and I go to Skyline High School. Hi, I'm Kira Ward. I'm a level one ProStart student, and I go to Frederick High School. Good evening, I'm Yvonne Justice, the other ProStart instructor. We are so proud of our students at our program. We would like to thank Dr. Haddad for the support you provide to our school. There are many opportunities that we are able to provide for our students because of your ongoing support. We also want to thank the Board of Education for your commitment to our students' education. We are going to take a moment and share with you some highlights and celebrations that are happening here at the ProStart program at CETC. Through hard work and desire to learn, ProStart students continue
033to build skills in restaurant management and hospitality that support and empower us to navigate our futures. These skills are not always just in the kitchen but also in our day-to-day lives. This can include skills such as communication, accountability, responsibility, and a good work ethic. In this video shown, the ProStart student, Brayden Fairbanks, demonstrates that cooking is more than just cooking. In the ProStart program, students have the opportunity to earn extra concurrent enrollment credit through Metropolitan State University. Additionally, students are expected to achieve several key professional outcomes, including mastery of culinary and hospitality skills, leadership and teamwork, industry service, career readiness, and workplace professionalism, an entrepreneurial mindset, and networking and industry connections. These outcomes positions ProStart graduates as highly competitive candidates in culinary and hospitality industries ready to thrive in various roles and pursue long-term careers.
034One of the most powerful aspects of the ProStart program is the emphasis on community, This isn't just about learning culinary skills, it's also about connecting with the community, gaining real-world experience and developing leadership skills. Community involvement in the ProStart program involves helping students grow into well-rounded, responsible, and motivated professionals ready to make a difference in the culinary and hospitality industry. One of the great benefits of the ProStart program are industry partnerships, which help bridge the gap between culinary and hospitality. Our industry partnerships, which help bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experience. We work with several industry members who have provided many opportunities for our students. A perfect example of this is our collaboration with Moulet Sausage. Through this partnership, Moulet generously donates their products, giving our students the opportunity to get creative in
035the kitchen. Students use these high-quality sausages to craft innovative recipes, experimenting with flavors and techniques. This hands-on experience not only enhances their culinary skills, but exposes them to the importance of working with industry partners to create products that meet the needs of consumers. Here are our students' creations this year. ProStart students have the opportunity to showcase their skills and compete in prestigious events like the ProStart Invitational and FCCLA competitions. In these events, we bring together top culinary talent from across the state and the country, and our students consistently shine. In the ProStart Invitational specifically, students compete in cooking challenges, menu planning, and business scenarios, all while demonstrating their culinary expertise and teamwork. Students must complete a three-course meal for two, utilizing only two butene burners and no electricity in only 60 minutes. Many of our
036students have earned top honors securing scholarships and career opportunities along the way, which is really cool. Similarly, in FCCLA competitions, ProStart students get the chance to showcase their leadership, creativity, and innovation through culinary and hospitality-related challenges. Our students have proven time and time again that they have what it takes to succeed, winning awards and recognition for their hard work and dedication. We are incredibly proud of our students' success and the recognition they continue to earn in these prestigious events. As we conclude today's presentation, I want to thank you for your time. The ProStart program is more than just a culinary class. It's a pathway for success for our students, providing them with the skills, knowledge, and real-world experiences they need to thrive in the hospitality and food service industries. Through hands-on learning, industry partnerships, and
037opportunities for leadership development, we are preparing the next generation of chefs, restaurant managers, and industry leaders. Our students' successes in competitions, their dedication to community involvement, and their passion for excellence are just a few examples of the impact ProStart is having on their lives. We appreciate the ongoing support of this board and Dr. Haddad. It's crucial in helping build a brighter future for these young, talented individuals. Thank you, and we look forward to working together to make the ProStart program even more successful. I've had the pleasure, I think, for the last three, three-and-a-half years to witness the impeccable hospitality of your students. They are amazing. I mean, I was just thinking and looking at some of the meals. Can they just come prep for me? I mean, she's like, yeah. It is so amazing how
038well-organized and polite they are. And in addition to that, I know the SCCLA program is very important and so to be recognized nationally, we are so proud of you. Continue to keep up the good work and I expect and hope to see you all in some of those restaurants, owners, restaurateurs, whatever you choose to be in hotels. I know you'll be great at whatever you decide to do. Great presentation, great video. I love that, and it made me very hungry. I'm so happy. Thank you so much. And it made me very hungry. Congratulations on your achievements at ProStart. You're such a successful team of individuals and I could say the same thing I said to the robotics that so many special and important qualities come out in this work that you do together. Leadership and
039hospitality, teamwork, presentation, and needless to say, delicious creations. We've had the benefit of eating your food and being served by you all and could not be more proud of your achievements. Thank you. Congratulations. We follow you all the time and see all the awards that you win and the recognition and the exciting thing, you guys have built one of the best programs in the country and there's so much interest in the work that you're doing and the work that others are doing at the Career Elevation Technology Center that as you know, we're going to be opening another center on the east side of the district and you all will be called in to mentor and help start new programs but it's blossoming and booming and you guys are amazing and our principals always look forward
040to the holiday breakfasts and all that stuff that you guys serve. They're always like, can we just do that on a regular basis? We have to, I don't know. I know, you guys are amazing. Really, thank you. Should we get a picture? Yeah, let's get a picture. At this time, I'd like to turn it over to Jackie Weiss who would like to introduce our next guest. Thank you. Francisco Borja is a Mexican conductor, clarinetist, and music educator. He holds a master of music in wind conducting and a bachelor of music education from the University of Colorado Boulder. Borja has performed and conducted internationally in prestigious ensembles including Mid Europe's World Youth Wind Orchestra Project W.A.S.S.B.E.'s World Youth Wind Symphony and Music for All's Honor Band of America. Borja has been a participant in several conducting
041workshops led by esteemed conductors Jamie L. Nix, Craig Kirkoff, Kevin Giraldi, Mallory Thompson, and Jerry F. Junkin. In 2024, Borja was named Teacher of the Year at Timberline PK through 8 where he is currently the director of bands in Mariachi. Borja is an active member of CBC and is an active member of several professional organizations including the Colorado Music Educator Association and Texas Music Educators Association. Please welcome Francisco. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Dr. Haddad, President Ragland, Dr. Capuchin, members of the board. Let me just get this fixed. Nothing like display issues on a work laptop. You're going to see all my work stuff on here. Okay, great. Thank you. As Jackie said in her wonderful introduction, my name is Francisco Borja. I'm the artistic director and conductor of the Longmont Concert Band as well
042as the director of bands in Mariachi at Timberline PK 8. I'm joined tonight by a few members of our ensemble. Madeleine Hartley, who is our associate conductor. She also teaches at Sunset Middle School. Doug Rasmussen, who is our president. I'm also joined by Peter Alexander, who is our concertmaster, our principal clarinet player, and the Ronia King family, of which Ronia King is a wonderful oboe player and student at Longmont High School. And Ronia will also be traveling to Japan in just a few hours with the life band to perform and share some music over there. So very happy to be here, very honored to get the invitation to speak with you. The Longmont Concert Band started in 2003 with just 15 members, and I believe it was called the St. Brain Wind Ensemble at that
043point. It was founded in 2004 and began recruiting more members from around the area, Longmont and Boulder, and the band has only had four conductors up to this point, which I'm very lucky to be a part of. Three main conductors, and Peter Alexander was also an interim conductor while they were searching for a replacement. In 2022, when I took over, the band had about 45 members, and now we are up to around 85 active participants. It fluctuates by concert. Usually we have people join and leave as they need to, and I think that's one of the great things about a community ensemble like this is that people can participate in this passion to their capacity. The band consists of people of all ages and professions, but we all share a love for music. There's engineers,
044there are doctors, there are managers, there are teachers. All sorts of professions are represented and really showcases some of the best parts of our St. Vrain community. We're a proud member of the Longmont Performing Arts Initiative, the St. Vrain Alliance for Arts and Entertainment, and recipients of the SCFD Grant Foundation for Cultural Funding. Band has strong ties to SVVSD, of course. As I mentioned, Ronia is one of our student members. We have, I think, four or five student members in our band. We have 10 alumni, which is a growing number, as I keep going in my tenure here. We have 14 staff, mostly current, and some retired music teachers, but also classroom teachers and substitutes, so not necessarily applied music teachers. And then, of course, we have the occasional parent and grandparent of SVVSD students,
045and, of course, your very own board member, Jackie Weiss. The Longmont Concert Band rents SVVSD facilities for performances. We just had a performance at Vance Brand a couple of weeks ago, and it was hugely successful. We had about 300 people in our audience. Our concerts are always free. I view this band as a service to the community, a continuing service of the things that I do at Timberline and provide music and provide those musical experiences to students and community members, families. We proudly utilize District Techs as our sound, light, and stage crew, students and SVVSD employees as well. And we're really proud to be able to represent SVVSD and Longmont in our upcoming performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. This is a especially momentous occasion for this band because Carnegie Hall is a very,
046very prestigious concert hall to be playing in. There has been a great history. There have been so many important figures in music history that have performed there, many composers, many conductors, and to be able to add Longmont, SVVSD, and, of course, our name to that list is an incredible honor. The reason that we are going to Carnegie Hall is because last year we started streaming our concerts on YouTube as part of my attempts to modernize the band a little bit more, and a production company from New York happened upon our concert, and they listened to the whole thing, and they reached out to me in the summer and said, we're really interested in having you come out and perform on our stage, and I initially thought it was a scam because, you know, you're wary
047about these things. You go, well, you want this group to, out of the blue, I don't know you. But it's been a very, very positive interaction we've had with this company. We have 65 of our members going, so a large majority of our band is going to perform at Carnegie Hall, which is really impressive, and that performance is going to be on Memorial Day weekend on May 25th. I want to close here just with a few words from my experience and what music means to me as an educator, as a person. Music has been incredibly powerful in my life. When I was growing up, my family immigrated from Mexico, and we lived in Florida for a short while before we relocated to Texas, and it was there that I started my music instruction. I was
048not a model student in middle school. I was constantly getting in trouble. I was, the principal and me were like this in a not-great way. But luckily, I had music. I had the band room. I had my band class to keep me out of anything worse. When I was going through middle school, I was never very good at clarinet, which is my primary instrument. I was mostly in it because I enjoyed the people that were there. I enjoyed that I didn't have to be very good at something to enjoy it, unlike some of the other core classes where my grades weren't the best. The feeling that I got from playing music was very visceral. I immediately felt an emotional connection with music. It wasn't really until high school that I started becoming more serious about
049it. In high school, I joined the marching band, and I met some of my lifelong friends who I've known now for several, several years, 15 years, 16 years up to this point, and I credit them and music with having saved my life, basically. Without them, without music, I would not have matured, I would not have progressed, and I wouldn't have gotten the curiosity to learn that I now have. I strongly believe that music is an avenue for personal growth. It's why so many of these people that you see in this picture are in our ensemble, is because aside from their careers as engineers and doctors and what have you, they are there to enrich their lives and fill their cup with things that improve their daily routines. Several of these members participate in more than
050just one community band, in fact. Music is a powerful driver for our emotions. It has the ability to broach our deepest sorrows to alight our greatest joys and connect us at the most human level. My prevailing message always, whether it be in my classroom with my sixth grade students who are still learning to press the right note at the right time, or with these great musicians that I have in the Longmont Concert Band that are able to play anything at whim, the prevailing message is always that music takes you somewhere. Music gives you power. It gives you freedom to not only express yourself, but also to have self-actualization and self-realization. I see this every day with my students. Whenever they leave my class, they always are singing or humming the last song that we played,
051and they take that all the way to their next class. Sometimes I'll be walking around after making copies and I'll run into a group of them between classes and they're arguing about something in their music about, you got this note wrong, no, you got this note wrong. They're just so, so fervent about what they're doing and what they're able to accomplish with music that it brings me such joy to be able to teach them every day. And I would like to extend my gratitude to you, Dr. Haddad, Dr. Capuchin, the board for your support of the arts in St. Brain, and for your continued support of our students in their journeys, whether it be through our great robotics, our wonderful culinary team, or through their own individual journeys through music. If you have any questions,
052I'm happy to answer, but thank you so much for having us out tonight. First of all, thank you. The arts is so important. I learned a very valuable lesson on... I know how robust our programs are here, but it really came to light. I was in attendance a few years ago at a middle school all-state choir concert, and one of the conductors that they had invited every year, there are three different conductors, and the school that his own child attends at a district far east of here, but in the state, doesn't offer choir. This is not an option. And it really came to light that this is not available everywhere. I don't understand it, but I'm very grateful for what you give to our students and put out into the community. It's so important. My
053question is, Carnegie Hall, that will be amazing, so congratulations. That's so exciting. Will that be on YouTube as well? That's a great question. They'll record the concert, and they'll provide us with copies of the produced video afterwards, so we'll be able to, after that, put it up. We do have a preview of that concert on May 18th, however, so May 18th, at Vance Brand, you'll be able to hear every piece that we're going to play at Carnegie Hall. So much more accessible in my life to be at Vance Brand, so thank you so much and enjoy your trip. Thank you. That's so amazing to be able to go to Carnegie Hall. I've been there once, and it's fabulous. So, you know, you brought, you said, when you were talking about music in general, and you
054said how it's universal, I can totally remember, I totally agree. I still have my fifth grade, fifth, sixth grade band folder. Well, come play with us. But I do. And my instrument. And, you know, and while I don't play it now, these days, now, I still can remember lots of the songs that we played way back then. I mean, I really can. Smoke on the Water is one of them. I didn't appreciate it then, but now I can hear just when people, when they use snippets of it or when they, you know, remake it, I can hear it. It's like, oh my gosh, it's Smoke on the Water. So my band teachers would be, they would be very proud of me for being able to do that. But I thank you so much for the
055arts and I know as a former band student myself, the arts also was a way of, you know, channeling some of my energy and being able to think outside the box a little bit more. And so I appreciate how Dr. Haddad and the staff have really put their efforts and their time into our arts programs as well as supporting you all in general. So thank you so much for all that you do for our community. And I hope that your music uplifts, you know, the people who hear it. And those who don't, maybe someday we'll uplift them as well. So thank you so much. Yeah, I was going to, oh, go ahead. I just wanted to say a quick word. I'm Peter Alexander. And I want to say you're extremely fortunate to have Francisco here.
056He has raised the level of this band beyond anything I could have imagined when I first joined the group. And it's so fulfilling to be a part of a group that has, as an organization, ascended so much in quality. I spent my life in music and it really is deeply meaningful to me. And I just want to share a little anecdote with you. You are aware of studies showing the value of music and arts education and what studying music contributes to the rest of a child's development. But just a personal anecdote, I remember when my son was in about second grade, he'd been taking Suzuki violin and he was going to play for his class. And I was going to accompany him on the piano. And I drove to the school, and as I was
057driving there I thought, you know, Ben and I haven't really talked about what he's going to play. He's got an entire book, any one piece of which he could play from memory, just on request. And that's a lot of memorization, and where else in schools do kids get the opportunity to do that? That just really hit me how powerful that was for him. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. I was just going to say thank you for everything and I'm very proud of the work you're doing in our system. And I appreciated your story. My next door neighbor when I was growing up was an outstanding, and still is an outstanding musician, and I was always just completely impressed. He would spend six to seven hours, literally, a day on the piano and became
058brilliant with it. And I appreciated that so much growing up. And one of the reasons we support music so much is because we all believe in the power of it and what it does for our students. And at Skyline we wanted to have the STEM but also the performing arts because they complement one another. One thing I would be interested in, our young lady from Longmont High School. Is that the Japan trip that I read about in the paper and talked to Dave Merrill about? Do you want to come up and tell us just a little bit about it because that's got to be an exciting trip? Just a little bit of the logistics. You don't have to say much but whatever you're thinking about. So tomorrow to go to Japan for 10 days. And
059so for part of that, we're staying with host families as well. So they get to kind of learn a bit more about the culture in Japan. And then we're playing with the Tokai Band there as well, which is students in Japan. Well, that's a lifetime experience. Take lots of pictures and very proud of you. Keep up the great work. Thank you. Have a wonderful trip. I have a question for you. Is this going to Chino? Yes. It's with the Sister City program. Sister City, yeah. Okay, cool. And my daughter went there. So yeah, Chino. My wife lived there for eight years too. So you'll be amazed at the stuff they do there for you. You're just not going to play music. You'll probably get to play drums and stuff and all kinds of stuff. Just
060enjoy the trip. It's going to be a long one. Chino is a beautiful community and the families there are very gracious. Thank you. And Jackie, I'm not sure if you had any comments. I see your hand. I don't know if that was applause or a hand raise. Just applause. And yeah, I'm just so proud to be a part of this band and have such strong ties to our district and a continuation of the excellent fine arts programming that we have in our schools. Well, thank you all so much for your partnership and for sharing your gifts of musical talent with our community. And congratulations on your tremendous success and your trip to Carnegie. That should be an unbelievable experience. Could you take a picture with us? Of course. Thank you. Do we have any members
061of our audience that would like to address the board this evening? Nothing on the sign up? Okay, great. Moving along to our superintendent's report, Dr. Haddad. Yeah, I'm going to just keep it brief, but I did want to share we had a really productive meeting today. We're excited about opening the new schools that we'll be opening in the Career and Tech Center and the Innovation Center. Our first project, which we've already broken ground on is the new elementary and middle school, which is a pre-K through eight out in Mead, and it's located right behind the high school. So we'll have a really nice, powerful education campus there. And that will be opening in the fall of 2026. And we will be hosting a meeting for the community this May that will talk a lot about
062the logistics, the plans, the dates, and all of that information. So we'll get that out to the board and to the community and we'll be accepting any kind of feedback. Then we'll get into the process of naming the school as well as the colors and the mascot and all of that. And the community will be heavily involved in that. And they will make recommendations to the board. And you all will make your final decisions around those three. And that will be an exciting process that we're looking forward to. We do have a principal that has been hired. And that is Josh Barnett. And he is the current principal at Mead Middle. So he's very familiar with the area. Extremely successful. So we're excited about his leadership. And then we also have hired, which we'll announce
063not too distant future, the principal at Mead Middle School that will be taking Josh's place. The boundaries will be discussed and shared. And it's a pretty simple boundary division. But we'll make all of that information available in May. And so it's very exciting. And if you drive by there, you will see that the ground has already been broken. And it'll be one of those things to just watch it go up. So exciting. Thank you. At this time, I'd like to interject and invite Amanda Thompson to come on up and introduce new hires. Thank you. That was a nice transition because we'll be talking about introducing our new principal of the pre-K-8 school. Good evening, President Ragland, members of the Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Haddad and Dr. Capuchin. It's my pleasure to introduce Mr. Josh
064Barnett as the principal of the new pre-K-8 school in the Mead area. Josh joined us as he graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, went on in his education at Ohio University where he earned his master's degree in history, obtained a second master's degree in instruction and curriculum from the University of Colorado Boulder where he completed his Ed Prep program as well. Additionally, he completed his principal licensure through the University of Northern Colorado. Mr. Barnett has been with us as a dedicated and long-standing employee in St. Varenne Valley School since 2001. He's in his 17th year as principal at Mead Middle School. Previously, he was assistant principal at Altona Middle for three years and social studies teacher from 2001 to 2005 at Silver Creek Middle Senior. Additionally, he
065holds other leadership skills and experiences, including development of a unified sports program, earning the school designation of a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, and creation of innovative student programming and courses such as energy courses and forensic science courses. It's my pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Josh Barnett to join me at the podium. Thank you very much to the board and Dr. Haddad. I really appreciate you having the faith in me to do this. You know, 17 years ago when I was announced as the principal at Mead Middle School, Dr. Zieler remarked how young I looked, and nowadays I've got all the gray hairs, so nobody will say that anymore. But it truly is an honor to take on this project, and I'm really excited the fact that it's going to be in Mead, a
066community that I've grown to love over the past 17 years. And I think that any principal would just jump at this chance to open a new building, to build the vision, to build the vision, and to bring the community together to do that. So I'm just incredibly honored that the board and Dr. Haddad have chosen me for this, and thank you very much. Congratulations, and well, not welcome, because you've been here for a while, but you're going to do great, and what an exciting opportunity in your career. Yes, thank you very much. Josh, one thing that I think we didn't share is you guys have won that Schools to Watch recognition. Want to share a little bit about that? Yeah, that was one of the early years. I think we were one of the first
067schools in St. Vrain Middle Schools to earn the Schools to Watch, and we actually hosted a conference. My first year, it was sort of a baptism by fire for people to come and see all the great things that Mead Middle has done over the years, and what's great about St. Vrain is then you just keep building, and you just keep adding, and you just keep adding, and I recently sort of compiled a list of all the opportunities we have provided for children over the years, and it's just amazing just how far we've come, and I know, keep going. Good job. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you again for the opportunity to introduce another one of our administrators joining us starting July 1, 2025. It's my pleasure to introduce Mr. Dustin Cady as the principal of Mead
068High School starting July 1 of this year. Mr. Cady graduated from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish and International Studies. He continued his education at Colorado State University, Pueblo, where he earned his master's degree in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. The completion of his Colorado licensure as principal was earned at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. He is currently in his fifth year as principal at Manitou Springs Middle School in Manitou Springs School District. Prior to that, he was assistant principal for two years at Stratton Meadows Elementary School in Harrison School District. He also has held elementary, middle school, and high school teaching positions both in Harrison School District and also in Spain. His additional leadership experiences include coaching baseball, serving as a camp counselor, and was a guest lecturer
069at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. It is my pleasure to invite Mr. Cady to join me at the podium. Good evening, Amanda. Thank you for that kind introduction. I want to sincerely thank the Board of Education for the work you do on behalf of our students and Dr. Haddad for this incredible opportunity to lead Meade High School. Also, Taylor, I appreciated your comments as a student from Meade. I look forward to getting to know you better, too. When I began looking at St. Rain Valley Schools, I was drawn to the district's high standards of excellence and its belief that every student deserves to attend an exceptional public school. Meade High School exemplifies this for me. I was looking for a school where I could put my roots down for many years to come and be
070a part of something special. And Meade's strong sense of community and pride made that an easy choice for me. Students at Meade High School have access to rigorous academics, including AP courses and concurrent enrollment, as well as career-focused pathways like the Meade Energy Academy and real-world internships. And beyond the classroom, Meade offers strong academics, exceptional performing arts, and a deep commitment to every student, making it a place where all students can thrive. I'm looking forward to being part of the Meade feeder, working closely with the leadership at Meade Elementary and Meade Middle School. I'm also very excited to partner with Josh Barnett to build a strong connection between Meade High School and the new pre-K through 8 school. Sharing a campus will create valuable leadership and mentorship opportunities for our students while strengthening the culture
071of both of our schools. My family and I are relocating in June to this area, and we couldn't be more excited to become part of the Meade community. So thank you again. I look forward to working together to support all students in St. Brian Valley School District. Thank you and welcome. Congratulations. Thank you. One of the things that I was so impressed by all of your experiences, and they're broad and deep, and that's an outstanding thing, I also was impressed by the references how deep and sincere everybody spoke to your commitment, your character, the work you've done, and that it extended beyond just the school that you were nominated and selected as, I don't remember the exact name of it, but like the citizen leader of the entire community, and you can speak to that
072or not, but it just really demonstrated your full commitment to a community, and that's what Mr. Young has done and created. And you shared that same interest in doing that and your commitment, and one of the things that I really appreciated is because we had other opportunities in our district, and when you were asked a question about any interest in any one of those, it's like, no, this is what I want, and you were focused and clear, and I just think you're going to do a great job, and I think the community is going to really embrace you, so welcome to St. Brian. Thank you. And Mr. Katie, when Taylor sat down at this table, the thing he said first was, am I going to get to meet my new principal? Great. Nice to meet
073you, Taylor. I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you. Happy to be here. Thank you. Congratulations. Next up, we have consent items. Would any board members like to pull any consent items? Then I would ask for a motion to approve all consent items as listed in our agenda. So moved. Thank you. So moved. Jim and Meosha? Yes. Mr. Berthold? Yes. Mrs. Gilligan? Yes. Mrs. Horanek? Yes. Mr. LeChuga absent? Mrs. Ragland? Aye. Mrs. Weiss? Yes. Thank you. And next up, we have action items. I would like to invite Diane to come on up. And Greg. Thanks. Good evening, President Ragland, Dr. Haddad, Dr. Capuchin, members of the board. What an amazing display of student excellence today. Seeing them perform here, you know, I kept thinking about just where they will be and where they will go and the
074impact on the community. And the connection to our next action item really exemplifies the strong foundations and why having a real robust course of academics for our students is critical. If they're going to exceed in those higher-level skills, areas, and career pathways, whether it's in the culinary arts, whether it's in music, whether it's in STEM and engineering, math, we know, is central to our core academics. And so it gives me great pleasure today to bring forward Greg George, who is our math curriculum coordinator. I have just been so gratified to be able to work with Greg closely during my time here in St. Vrain. And I just wanted to take a moment to just recognize his stewardship of math in our school district and really just share a little bit about him and the leadership
075he provides not only here in St. Vrain but across our state. Greg is absolutely recognized and held up as a respected member of the math community, often asked to participate on statewide coalitions and task force. And even myself, when I was a director of curriculum and instruction in another district, would call upon St. Vrain for advice and support in our own work. And so I've had that amount of time to be able to work with him. So with that, I would like to introduce Greg George. And he's going to share with you the work they did with the curriculum adoption and some amazing teachers from our school district. Thank you, Dr. Lauer, for those kind words and that introduction. Good evening, members of the board, Dr. Haddad. I am Greg George. I am here this
076evening on behalf of the Elementary Math Adoption Committee bringing forth a recommendation to the board to purchase and adopt Envision Mathematics Copyright 2024 for elementary math. Envision Mathematics has been recognized for its strong emphasis on developing foundational skills in the elementary grades, according to Ed Reports, which is an independent nonprofit that reviews K-12 curricula. Specifically, one of Envision's core strengths is its intentional focus on procedural fluency, ensuring that students understand mathematical concepts and can apply them efficiently, flexibly, and accurately. For example, in first grade, the curriculum emphasizes foundational strategies for addition and subtraction using visual models. These strategies are designed to enhance computational fluency in second and third grades with the introduction of formal algorithms. In third through fifth grades, multiplication concepts are scaffolded across the grades, beginning with multiplying one-digit and two-digit numbers and
077advancing to multiplying three-digit by two-digit numbers using what we call the standard algorithm. This is an example of the curriculum's coherence, ensuring that math concepts, numbersense, computational algorithms, and algebraic reasoning and thinking are thoughtfully developed over time. Through the use of manipulatives, visual models, interactive activities, technology integration, and step-by-step problem-solving strategies, students gain confidence in their ability to do math using Envision. The curriculum's design, with explicit teacher-led instruction, a variety of exercises, and various assessments, support in helping all students meet grade-level expectations. By adopting Envision Mathematics 2024, we are committing to a curriculum that not only fosters strong computational skills, but nurtures critical thinking and mathematical reasoning through a balanced approach. In addition to Envision's strong national reputation for quality, there were two other significant factors that led to the committee's decision to pilot Envision
078Mathematics 2024. The first factor was familiarity and favorability. For the past seven years, St. Vrain has used an earlier version in addition of Envision for Elementary Math. In 2023, we conducted a survey of the teachers soliciting feedback on the current curriculum and its strengths. The results reaffirm our confidence in Envision's effectiveness as a highly effective mathematics program by the following results. A significant majority of respondents expressed high satisfaction with Envision as a comprehensive instructional resource. Teachers recognized that Envision aligns well and strongly with the Colorado Academic Standards for Mathematics and CMS expectations. Teachers appreciate and appreciate the flexibility to use various teaching approaches to deliver instruction, including whole-group and small-group instruction models. Envision's resources for students and teachers were deemed as very useful and helpful. These include digital tools, lesson videos, and structured lesson plans.
079With substantial support of Envision and familiarity with this instructional approach, we are confident that the updated version of Envision Mathematics 2024 will continue providing a high-quality math education for our students in St. Vrain. The second factor that influenced the committee's decision for pilot was St. Vrain's continued achievement in elementary math based on CMAS. Many school districts across the United States have not experienced a rebound with student achievement in math since the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Vrain Valley Schools proudly stands as an anomaly in that we've seen our highest CMAS scores in students meeting or exceeding expectations in grades three, four, and five within the past two years, and our trend line for achievement over time continues to outpace that of the state. Our greatest achievement success continues to be in fifth grade, where St. Vrain's percentage
080of students meeting or exceeding expectations on CMAS outperforms the state by 11 percentage points. This is true academic excellence by design and a testament to the strength of Envision as a tested comprehensive elementary math curriculum that yields high levels of achievement as students leave our system in elementary school. This allows more students to access advanced math courses in middle school based on a strong foundation providing students with that strong competitive advantage throughout their middle school and high school math careers. And at this time, I'd like to introduce two of our outstanding pilot teachers from this school year, Mrs. Ariane Tasker and Mrs. Lisa Alexander. Hello and thank you for having us. My name is Ariane Tasker and I teach first grade at Highlands Elementary in Erie. Tonight I'd like to share a bit about Envision
0812024 from the primary grades perspective. I have had the opportunity to explore this program last year through the adoption process and I'm currently piloting Envision 2024 in my classroom. Since our district has been working with Envision since the fall of 2018, the transition to Envision 2024 has been very smooth and productive for students and teachers. Envision offers a complete mathematics learning experience complete with topic introduction, real world application, visuals to support instruction and opportunities for student exploration, practice and extension. Each Envision unit offers a great deal of resources for supporting current mathematical learning and ongoing review. In the primary grades, topics open with an animated math story designed to engage students with the overarching mathematical concept. Additionally, each topic and individual lesson comes with family support materials which can be easily shared to allow families
082to have a more full understanding of what their students are learning. Each lesson also gives students access to a daily review which contains three questions promoting ongoing review of previously learned concepts to reinforce mastery. This speaks to the amount of practice exercises available in Envision to support student learning, skill building and confidence in math. Envision 2024 has a consistent lesson format which aids in routine building and familiarity for students and teachers. Each lesson opens with a solve and share which gives students the opportunity to work through a problem which allows for divergent thinking and strategies for solving. Teacher instruction is then supported by a daily visual learning video which gives students an engaging format for interactive practice of the specific skill or concept. Student practice begins with a guided example supported by the teacher and
083peer input before moving into independent practice which contains a mix of basic level exercises and more challenging application with built-in critical thinking. Throughout each lesson is a variety of supports and tools that allow the best possible learning experience for students at all mathematical comprehension levels including a task called Convince Me which allows for explanation of thinking. Another for reteaching which gives another opportunity for practicing in a supported format and there's enrichment which extends student thinking related to that day's content. Furthermore, Envision 2024 has added even more opportunities for student application and practice with real world authentic application. The new elements Let's Investigate and Three Act Math give real world scenarios that allow students to engage in productive struggle and mathematical reasoning and modeling. The Digital Practice Buddy provides exercises related to each day's learning with
084immediate feedback to correct any misunderstandings. Combining all these elements with the already robust Envision lesson format provides a complete standards aligned mathematical experience for students at all levels. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Lisa Alexander and I'm a fourth grade teacher at Timberline PK8. I was on the selection committee for the new math curriculum as well as piloting the new version of Envision this year. I want to share how the Envision 2024 math curriculum supports student learning and why continuing with it benefits both teachers and students from an intermediate grades perspective. One of the most valuable new features is the use of digital manipulatives which helps students progress from a hands-on conceptual understanding to solving problems abstractly with formal operations using pencil and paper. These interactive tools allow students to visualize math in a
085way that deepens comprehension and encourages them to explain their thinking to others. In addition to practice exercises with each lesson, the curriculum also includes projects and extended problem solving tasks giving students the opportunity for authentic application of mathematical concepts in the real world context. These activities not only make learning more relevant but also teach perseverance and essential skill for problem solving and beyond in supporting students with readiness for STEM-based habits of mind and exploring potential career interests. For our multilingual learners, Envision provides vocabulary cards with pictorial representations helping all students build mathematical language alongside content knowledge. In addition, concepts are typically introduced and developed using visual models providing access points for all students especially those with learning disabilities and those with emerging English language proficiency. This is a benefit of having a program with comprehensive
086print and digital resources allowing teachers to design lessons with a variety of resources available to accommodate specific student or whole class needs. The lesson flow is another strength. Each lesson begins with a solve and share prompt which ties into prior knowledge and fosters collaborative conversations. This leads into explicit instruction, guided practice, and independent practice creating a clear, effective learning progression for teachers and students. Learning goals are clear and explicit with concrete examples that students and families can refer back to. Finally, the exercise sets in the student workbook include a variety of depth of knowledge levels providing the right balance of skills, practice, challenge, and support. These exercises serve as formative assessments ensuring students get the practice they need to master concepts and inform me as a teacher where and how to support students that need
087additional help. By continuing with the updated version of Envision, we maintain a structured, effective curriculum that enhances skill development, problem solving, reasoning, and engagement for all students. Thank you for your time. I just wanted to share when I was reading the board packet I saw that my son's second grade teacher was one of the pilot teachers and recently he told me that he would be willing to give up his recess for some of the math enrichment programs so this program must be really good because he won't give up recess for anything. That's a good sign. First of all, Greg, thank you for your leadership. I don't know if you remember about 24 years ago when you were at NIWOT and we were walking around the track. How are you going to get NIWOT students from
088here to here and you articulated it beautifully and then when you started at the central office, I want you to bring that same level of energy and excitement to the entire district and your leadership and you have very, very proud of you for that. I wanted to say that to you. I also want to say congratulations on your achievement levels to our teachers when you have that kind of result where you're outperforming the state by 1% even after COVID and it's starting all the way through the elementary schools and if you remember there was a time when we moved algebra and even geometry into the middle school and people were wondering will the great experiences that they've had at the elementary level have prepared them and now algebra and geometry is it's not unique anymore
089and so we're seeing kids move through 3 and 4 years of math starting in the 8th grade at the high school level and so you've got a lot to be proud of all of you and so thank you for the great work to our teachers and thank you for your great leadership and just grateful to you. Thank you for your comments. At this time we'll entertain any other comments or questions from the board. Thank you. I appreciate your comprehensive review and sharing your findings with us and the data that you shared as well and the commitment of time and thoughtful consideration in this process. I know it goes beyond your everyday already lots of work so thank you for that and I would just ask for a motion to approve. So moved. Mrs. Babs? Yes.
090Mr. Berthold? Yes. Mrs. Gilligan? Yes. Mrs. Horanek? Yes. Mr. LeChuga absent? Mrs. Raglin? Aye. Mrs. Weiss? Yes. Alright well thank you so much. Alright thank you and good evening. Okay well we have no discussion items but I would like to turn it back over to Taylor. I just want to thank you all for inviting me again and having me here. After listening through this meeting I'm extremely proud of my school district our school district and grateful to be a part of it and be able to have such a large student input. Thank you. Thank you. It's great to have you and thank you for sharing your time with us tonight and you know how to reach us if you have any further feedback or questions for us. It's always wonderful to have students and we
091had so many tonight. Thank you. Our next meeting is Wednesday March 26th we have a study session for financials and then regular meeting immediately following and with that I would ask for a motion to adjourn. Second. All in favor? Aye.