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SAU#68/School Board Meeting/08-20-2025

Video

I'll order the public hearing on the
expenditure of funds from the facilities
trust fund the equipment trust fund
proposed projects.
Um
the first is the use of money from the
facility suspendable trust for the
replacement of floor and access card
readers for other school buildings.
That looks like total of 8550
that is going to be for the facilities
trust funds. The next is the use of
monies from the facilities trust fund
for replacement of the elementary school
multi-urpose room from doors and just
these ones right here that finishes off
that
>> and that's a um a safety upgrade
part of the um let's say fortification
of the entryway that we started a couple
years ago. Um and
I don't see that quote. So, there's a
few pieces to that. Um,
and Mark went over it with the
facilities committee, but the original
proposal is
something
I don't know if there's
a multi-page proposal, but this
turn. So, there's the base stores 8,560.
So they're both 8550 both projects
>> 8550 for the doors plus another 340 cuz
we wanted to
>> upgrade it to the level three
and then
there's no shipping on there. So we're
estimating probably another,000 in
shipping. So and up to say $11,000 for
that project depending on the shipping.
But it's $8550 for the base doors.
>> Yeah. 340 to upgrade to the level three
ballistics and then shipping.
>> To answer your question though, yes.
>> Yeah, I was confused.
>> They're both 85. Same project.
>> Oh, they're two different projects came
in at the same price.
>> Oh, it's just the way they set it up.
>> Okay. So, up to 11. Um
>> Oh. Oh, let's see. Yeah. Oh, okay. Oh,
no. Okay, that is weird. See the doors
on here.
>> Yeah.
>> Oh, I see it.
>> That's the base. The next page
here. Okay.
>> One sheet. Yeah.
>> That's funny. That's both I know. Okay.
>> Okay. So, so up to 11,000 for the for
that is the 8550 on the access system.
That's
>> that is it.
>> That's it. That's it.
And then the last one is um placement of
the uh evaporator and condenser for the
walk-in freezer that goes
>> with new refrigeration lines.
>> Yes.
>> With new uh that one's $13,892
and that's all in
>> with all coming out of facilities.
>> No one's
>> But we said equipment.
>> Equipment is uh the walk-in stuff.
>> Gotcha.
>> Right now it looks like we have 22,000
in equipment. Mhm. It
>> says plus 10. Is that what we
>> Okay. So I I added in the number the
amounts that will be going in for the
end of the year.
>> Yeah. Yeah. So another 10 will be going
in there.
>> And then 100 should be going with into
>> Is that the the 10 was
um that's coming like next year?
>> Soon soon. I finished the year.
>> Oh, so this is like the
>> this is what voted on in the spring. The
leftover from that. Yeah. So yes,
>> 32. So we'll have 250 that
>> do we have any other
>> things in the works that we expect to be
spending?
>> Um technology, it'll be money that we're
going to be discussing um for the clear
touch boards that we had originally put
in the budget.
>> That's the only thing I see right now
coming up.
>> And the doors were installed. I don't
see.
>> We're going to install the doors.
Um, we just need the doors to install.
So, this cost is just for the doors.
>> Oh, our
>> They're going to set it up. So, we just
have to hook it into the our
doors here.
>> Just that easy.
>> I guess
it always is. Just go in.
>> Hold.
I had that same question, but no. Yes,
that's what they're doing.
>> And will those also be doors that you'll
have to scan a card to get into?
Correct.
>> No. So those doors you won't be able to
get in.
>> Only out.
>> Okay.
>> You won't be able to get in from the
>> go. Right. Right. Right. Right.
>> You'll be able to just crash out.
>> Perfect.
>> We're wild.
>> Uh is there any thoughts on any of that?
I don't see any public here to make any
comments. So, I guess I will
We need a a vote on that, right?
>> Oh, individually.
>> Yes. Okay. Because each one has a
different amount.
accept a motion to approve the
expenditure
85
well $8,550 from the facilities
expendable trust fund for the
replacement of the door access codes and
reader and card readers.
>> So move for
Joe. All those in favor signify by
saying I
>> I post extensions and motion carries.
Next up, uh a promotion for the use of
monies from the facilities expendable
trust fund for the replacement of the
ele elementary school multi-purpose room
doors. And that is going to be up to
$11,000.
>> So moved.
>> Thank you. Thank you, Joe. And all those
in favor signify by saying I.
>> Opposed extensions. And that motion
carries. Last, um, let's have a motion
for the use of monies from the equip and
installation of a new evaporator and
condenser cool and freezer
>> totaling
$13,892.
>> So moved. Second job. All those in favor
signify by saying I.
>> I.
>> Any nays or sessions? And that motion
carries.
>> Thank you, Doug.
>> Thank you. Thank you.
>> And on that we will uh the motion to
adjourn the public hearing.
>> So
>> thank
all those in
>> I and the hearing is adjourned and we
will call to order the public hear the
uh the regularly schedules committee.
>> Um first up is the strategic plan futur.
>> Good evening.
>> Good evening. How are you?
>> Fantastic.
U my name is Katie Wilson. I am a senior
director with two revolutions and we
have been really excited and honored to
partner with you in the process of
building the next refuge plan for the
Lincoln Woodstock Cooperative School
District. Um this is Kate McClinton, one
of our colleagues. She uh came up from
Florida today or last night in order to
be here with us. Um, we've spent the day
talking with staff members about the
plan, getting their insights into what's
exciting to them in the draft, what
questions they had, what wonders they
had. Um, and our, uh, this afternoon or
evening, I guess it is. Now, we're here
just to kind of share with you what we
have accomplished so far. I want to
frame this few. I want you to think of
this as like first reading of policy.
So it's an opportunity to engage with
the plan to gather some thoughts know
that we're taking all of the feedback.
So we've taken the feedback from the
sessions we did this morning and then we
will have an online survey that people
will be able to provide additional
feedback through um for anyone who
wasn't able to be part of our work today
or has ideas beyond um and then that was
open to all of you as well. We'll take
all of that feedback, share it with um
Mary, share it with uh the community
planning group, and make iterations on
the plan as appropriate and then
hopefully be able to present a final
version to you on October 22nd.
So, um
and really our work has been to think
about how do we help set direction for
what are you going to be for your
priorities over the next three years?
So, what we're going to do is quickly
talk to you today about kind of the
process that we use, what's in that
plan, and then hopefully have you engage
in a bit of a conversation um about what
you see. So, just so you know, I
actually come to you from North Conway.
So, I just came over the K. Um been
doing that. I joined True Rev about two
years ago now. And prior to that, I
spent 30 years in public education.
Everything from elementary teacher to
building principal to an assistant
superintendent. Um, and then Kate has a
background in middle school from Chicago
to Atlanta and now she's in Florida. Um,
and then we also had another colleague
who's been working with us who's unable
to be here this evening. So, as we're
talking to you tonight, we're just going
to ask you to think about these norms in
that conversation, thinking about
really, we know that there's a lot going
on. You've got the rest of your meeting
and I'm sure you have kids that are
going back to school and you're thinking
about sports and you're thinking about
8,000 other things. So just you know as
much as you can to be present as much as
you're able to engage in the
conversation would be really helpful.
This feedback is an absolutely critical
part of plan development. As much as you
have something to respond to in writing
the word draft that is plastered all
over it is there for a reason. It is a
draft and it is the initial thinking.
So how did we get there? And this is
really about knowing where you want to
go. So we have started this process in
wanting to create that roadmap to help
inform decisions and it's informing
decisions at the classroom level. So as
teachers are thinking about how they're
planning, how they're assessing, how
they're gathering information about
their learners, it informs information
at the school level. So as the building
principal sits there and says, "Hey,
what do we need to do? How are we going
to make this happen?" It guides that. It
will guide the superintendent in making
decisions and hopefully it'll guide you
as a board in being able to say like how
are we going to allocate our resources?
How are we going to set priorities? How
are we going to make decisions about the
next steps that we need to take here in
Lincoln?
So we started back in December January
with listening and this process has to
start by listening. It's about listening
to your community and we ran different
sessions where we engaged and we asked
lots of questions about what do you want
for outcomes for students because at the
end of the day this plan is about
realizing the outcomes that are
important for this community for your
students and we asked people about what
that looked like. We asked we did 15
individual interviews with staff
members. We had design studios which
were like hourlong sessions with
community members. I think believe this
you as a school board um did a design
studio, we had them with teachers, we
did them with administrators and we
gathered all of that information
together and then we also sent out a
survey for anyone else who was not able
to participate and that gave us over a
hundred different voices and information
from that many different people to
inform
what went into your plan.
And then from there we pulled together a
group of community members. Um actually
Jasmine was part from the board on this
um and worked with us in the development
of the plan. The community planning
group worked as a collaborative unit in
order to make sense of the data
determine plan the areas of plan focus
establish priorities establish success
metrics and really think about what are
the actions that need to happen. It was
made up of a wide range of individuals
from school-based staff to
administrators to teachers to community
members to people who didn't even have
kids in the school. So, it was really
representative of your communities. And
they I will tell you, and I've said this
a few times today, they were one of the
most efficient, wellorganized,
active, and like let's get this done
groups I've ever had the pleasure of
working with. They were great. Um, and
we really focused on what does the data
say and what's possible? How do we dream
big about what the outcomes are that we
want for the students here in
so we started with that question. What
do we want students to know and be able
to do? We asked ourselves what could get
in the way of them actually being able
to achieve these outcomes. Then we
started to say how what are the best
possible ideas for getting at those
outcomes? What would success look like?
How will we know if we've gotten there?
And then we had to prioritize. We had to
think about we have all these great
ideas and if everything's a priority,
nothing's a priority. So, what are we
going to focus on first? And then we
took all of that to create a draft
document. And that draft document, I
believe, was shared with you. You should
have copies of that. Right. Okay. Good.
Um, and we are at that stage right now
of gathering feedback. And you know your
voices as board members are very
important in this feedback process. And
then we will gather that feedback, share
it back with you and hopefully have
something that you feel really confident
about when we come back in October.
So
in your plan, so one of the things that
came out of your NIAS review was the
need to create a portrait of a portrait
of a graduate portrait of a learner for
your students. And this is really the
articulation of those outcomes that your
community has identified as critical. So
with that work, we the image that is to
your right has been created. There was a
lot of thought that went into how that
was put together. Um as many of you
probably know, depending on who you talk
to or what document you look at, your
district has a different name. could be
Lynwood, could be Lincoln Woodstock
Cooperative Schools, it could be the
Lincoln Woodstock School
>> public schools. So, it's got a lot of
different names. So, the decision was
made to focus on the LW as kind of that
unifying piece. And then the image of
the lumberjack is important in this
community and they wanted to make sure
that what was there, there's also lots
of different lumberjack pictures around
here. So, there's one on the floor. I've
noticed there's a different one on the
signs. There's there's some different
iterations that language. Oh.
>> Oh.
>> So, you know, so you know, the decision
was made to try to recognize the val
like the historical piece of the
lumberjack and represent it with the red
and black plaid, but to create an image
that was clean and easy and not going to
that's not our right lumberjack. No,
this isn't the right one. Maybe talk
about do we include a mountain, but then
which mountain would we pick? Because
there are lots of different mountains
that are important in this community. So
that's where we've landed. Um the five
elements that are within it um are the
outcomes which I'll show you in just a
second of being critical thinkers,
global citizens, effective
communicators, independent learners, and
responsible collaborators. And those
outcomes
came from basically three chunks of
data. The first chunk of data was what's
currently the 21st century learning
expectations for the Lynwood public
schools.
The second set of data was that empathy
data that I talked about before, those
over hundred voices. When we asked
people, what do you want for your
children? What do you want for your
learners? We took that information and
then we did something really
revolutionary. We talked to kids and we
talked to the kids about what's
important to you. What do you want as a
result of your experiences here in
Lynwood? And we took that information
from all three data sets, synthesized it
together, and that's how we landed on
those five elements. Not that everything
else isn't important, but those were
kind of the five ideas that resonated
across all of those pieces that people
felt were really most important for
those learners.
And that became the grounding for the
plan. So that the whole idea is your
strategic plan is all about making sure
students when they walk across that
stage at graduation have those skills.
So no matter what they do, they are able
to succeed in life. that they are ready
to go out whether they go to college,
whether they go to the military, whether
they go straight into career, whether
they take a gap year like whatever it
happens to be, that they have the skills
that they need to go out into the world.
So,
we took all that and we said, "We want
you to dream big, community planning
group. We want you to think of as many
different ideas as you possibly can that
would get at those outcomes."
And they did. They came up with lots and
lots and lots of ideas. I think at one
point we had someone who was saying I
think we should send every child on a
European trip to go explore. I mean like
people were having lots of big ideas
which was great because that's what we
wanted to do. We wanted to remove the
the barriers and just think like what
could be possible. And they came up with
ideas that really focused around
experiential learning. They started
having conversations about well if we're
going to do all these great things for
our kids what does that mean for our
teachers? What are they going to have to
do? what skills are they going to need
and then oh how do we make sure that if
we want our teachers to do this that
we've created those systems and
structures in our schools that allow it
to happen. So kind of thinking on those
three different levels and thinking on
those three levels they landed on 40
suggestions.
What is a lot of things to put in the
strategic plan, but they went through
and they prioritized. And as a result of
that process, they looked at factors
such as cost. They looked at factors
such as like how much time and how much
effort would this take? What kind of
policy implications are there? Are there
local policy implications? Are there
state? Are there federal? What's the
potential impact? How many kids are we
going to have an impact with this action
step? Is it a few kids? Is it all kids?
Where where is that? what is that going
to do? And through that process, we took
those 40 ideas and they were able to
distill it down to four goals with a
total of 10 action steps in the current
draft. I've never seen a community
planning group go from that many ideas
that efficiently and I think we did it
in like two hours. Like it was like they
got to work and went through it. So it
happened to be a beautiful June day too
and I think it was like one of the first
days it didn't rain in June. So that
might have been a factor that helped
them get going. But uh
so
I don't talk I haven't talked this much
since I was assistant superintendent.
Um so those goals though are written in
three areas. So the first area is about
growing students and the goal that they
have come up with is about building
confidence and independence and net
readiness for life and doing that
through the engagement in um really
interested rigorous learning
experiences.
In terms of teachers, it's about
supporting them and developing those
experiences within their instruction and
their assessment practices so that those
experiences are super meaningful. And
then from a systems perspective, a big
conversation came around schedules. Like
how do we organize time in our school
day, in our school year to maximize the
impact for students? How do we make sure
that kids have opportunities to learn
inside school and also beyond the school
walls? How do we make sure we have a
shared definition of what success looks
like? What are those indicators that are
important and valued in this community
community and that we have that real
strong collaboration between the school
and the community?
I'm almost done. I promise.
you know, and I think within you've had
a chance to um look through the plan,
but within the strategies around
students, a real big focus is on making
sure they develop those competencies
within the profile of a learner and
doing that through project-based
learning, through STEM, through
interdisciplinary
um experiences. So, students are
understanding the connections between
what they're learning in math class and
social studies. How why do I need to
know math and social studies together?
If you want to look at a statistic
around why something happens, like those
two pieces come together a lot and
helping kids to see those connections
and make those connections in meaningful
ways and really thinking about flexible
and individualized pathways, your size
is such a huge asset. And while it can
be difficult, it also I mean if you got
14 kids in a graduating class, like
think about what you can really do for
those kids. That's it's so exciting. um
you know and how do we make sure that
each of those kids graduates knowing
like hey you know I'm really interested
in this I'm really good at that and you
know what here's my next step so that
they walk out of here with a sense of
hope and that they have possibility for
their future
in terms of teachers the areas that are
focus are really around a strong
professional development structure so
that hey you know what we're going to
implement PBL not go do it tomorrow and
figure it out but like how are we going
to support you in making sure that you
have the skills, the time, the resources
that you need in order to be successful
in doing that, that you really look at
your system of assessment and making
sure that we have lots of different
types of ways to measure and communicate
student learning. And then to also make
sure that teachers have an understanding
of, hey, you know what? If we need to
make sure we have global citizens who
can communicate, think critically, what
does that mean for me as a Spanish
teacher? What does that mean for me as a
math teacher? Like how does that it's
not you're not going to have an extra
class that's portrait of a learner go
deal with these competencies over here
and then you know keep doing English
math and science the way you always have
like how do we intentionally integrate
those pieces into those practices
and then the systems
looking at the systems looking at school
schedules what are the different ways
that you could potentially be innovative
and how you use and organize time here
in Lincoln Woodstock schools how do we
make sure that there's enough time for
those traditional standardized measures
which are valuable and have value and
the interdisciplinary and more
innovative approaches that are out
there. How do we make sure that the
resources you have available are
allocated in a way that is in alignment
with achieving the goals?
Um and how do we make sure that we're
communicating effectively within and
beyond the school?
And then finally really how do we
building those partnerships
um and being clear about what it is to
be successful.
So that is nine months worth of work in
like
15 minutes. So I guess you know my
questions for you and Kate's going to
take as many notes as possible and hope
and you know for discussion you know
thinking about like what is exciting to
you about this plan? Are there any gaps
that you're seeing? Do you have
questions? What are the implications for
you as a board? And also like what are
you thinking about in terms of like how
do you want to hold accountable
for achieving these goals? What kind of
progress monitoring do you want? Is it
something you want a monthly report? Is
it something that you want to an
official report twice a year? It's like
what what kinds of strategies do you
want use to communicate progress and
continue to make progress towards
achieving those goals?
Mr. Chair, I will let you run your board
discussion the way you would like to run
your board discussion.
>> I don't know if anyone had any comments
or questions at this point.
>> Oh, I have a comment, I guess. Yeah, I
was I was surprised to see the focus on
systems like obviously the the growth of
students and growth and educators
obviously like those are given but I
just like made those assumptions that
those you know would be part of a role
or be assigned to go but growth in
systems was something that I hadn't
anticipated. Um, in your comments about
managing time, I think there was a
comment in here about like
about how finite time is and the
organization of it and how critical it
is. Um
it's really given the complexity of how
every how small we are as a school and
how I say multiaceted our our faculty is
can imagine that would be a very
difficult thing to track and monitor and
and show like
real progress for improvement and I I
struggle with the idea of like how do
you how do you say yeah we did much
better on organizing our time aside from
I say some maybe it's teacher feedback
again
I don't know just
in thinking about that you know my my
sort of thought was we will see the
success in in in the growth of the
learners and the growth of the teachers
only if we are able to properly manage
the time so I think it's going to be an
indicator of whether or not we're
improving our systems
is going to be how well we do in in the
other sort of measurable goals that are
like, you know, some of the ones that
actually have some benchmarks that we're
what we're shooting for. Um
because we do have limited staff, we you
know, and there's limited hours in the
day. So, you know, it seems like if
we're going to if we're going to have
inter interdisciplinary
learning and project- based learning and
all these teachers doing, you know,
co-eing and all this stuff, there's
going to have to be changes to how we're
doing things to accommodate all of that.
And so, if we're if we don't I guess
we're not doing well in the systems
aspect of it, we're not going to make
any progress in the other areas. Um it's
kind of like a necessary under under
layer there which is kind of more
logistical than anything. And that's a
challenge you know because we we have we
have often when we have a teacher leave
or something or we can't fill a position
that's we do a lot of shifting things
around already.
my
in terms of the um I think the question
that you had sort of started the
conversation with was what are the
benchmarks? How are we going to evaluate
how well things are going? Um is it
you know I I know that we there's a
there's
a list of success indicators for each of
the goals. Um and
so you know obviously those are the
things that we're we're sort of
targeting and those seem relatively
easily measurable.
>> Um I wonder
the what the utility is of measuring it
too often. You know if we're saying oh
we want a monthly update that seems like
too much. um you know that's
be committing a substantial amount of
resources and data gathering you know
for that and
I'm maybe twice a year seems more
appropriate to me you know at the be at
the end of the first half of the year
and it's of the end of the year and so
how are we doing um
in those areas but
>> I've seen boards do it from asking for
updates on a monthly basis from wanting
principles to include efforts in their
newsletters to full reports to the board
once or twice a year. I mean, I I've
seen the gamut of all of that and it
really is what works for your community
and what you think is most valuable.
>> I you know, I I think the community and
I know that I appreciate the updates
that we do get in the newsletters and
stuff like that about what's going on in
the school and certainly like you know
if there's any exciting project based
stuff that's going on you know I think
everyone likes to hear about that. So um
but in terms of you know like an
official report to the board or sort of
an update to the board I don't maybe
others have different ideas but it
doesn't seem I mean twice a year seems
sufficient I think though in terms of
implementing a lot of this stuff there's
some there's some big changes or at
least some
you know we'd be implementing a a
budgeting requirement we are we
anticipating you know taking an ELO or
CTE thing as a graduation requirement.
Are we anticipating, you know, um,
you know, having like a requirement of
like a senior project where, you know,
you have a, you know, you you you have
the students pick the interest based
project that they want to do and it's a
year-long thing that kind of cuts across
all of our um disciplines in terms of
the
um,
you targeting what what we're the
interdisciplinary aspect of it.
Yeah. So, there's some I guess some
things to be worked out in terms of what
what are the expectations for this sort
of stuff.
>> One thing I didn't say um which I should
have said, you'll notice that there's no
timing in there yet. That was
intentional. So, not you would not start
everything that is on this plan tomorrow
or October 23rd. Um you know, it'll be
important to think about what happens
first, what happens second, what happens
third. we wanted to wait until we kind
of landed on the final stuff to see if
there was something that people wanted
to oh we you missed this whole thing we
want you to add this whole thing in or
we want you to take this whole part out
before we did that and made those final
decisions because there's a lot of like
dependencies
um so that was an important so know that
it will not all happen on year one
>> and then I guess one of the other things
I had a question about was what do we
what do we cons what do we even consider
an interdisipline ary project based unit
>> and I know that
um you know for example Miss Pamplin
brings in tadpoles I think tadpoles
every year
>> and they they write about them they draw
about them you know they observe them
they you know it's a it they do a lot of
work around these sort of things and
that seems to be like an example of one
for the elementary school um you know
obviously we would think that those
things would be sort of getting a little
bit more complex and involved with
student involvement as the as they get
older. But you know what's and I I
thinking back to um David Webster's uh
presentation a project like that that
could potentially span years where we
have you know students working on it and
then new crop of students coming in and
you know following up with the work
that's already been done things like
that. Um, you know, there's not a lot of
information in here about what the what
a project based unit is expected to look
like. And but I, you know, maybe we're
not supposed to be getting that specific
in in this, but it seems like
>> I think we're going to have to get
specific so the teachers know what that
expectation is. Some of this um maybe I
should go back because I was in charge
of the conversation. Can we go back to
the system and is our schedule set up
that we can do these bigger long
projects? Does it mean academics are
first thing in the morning, afternoon,
all experiential
going out doing ELOs's? Like that was
one of the conversations about the
system. Do we have to drastically change
it that way at some point to be able to
get where we need to be? um when we
spoke about some of the
interdisciplinary projects, some of the
conversation we had and um I think
Heather had suggested this years ago
that offering more of a humanities
class, so social studies and English
together. So you're having that co-eing
and so there is some relevancy there. If
we had um like the project you saw with
Mr. Webster, does it make sense to then
have some marketing and some English and
uh those type writings to be able to
market? Who would your audience? So, I
think taking one small area and growing
it um makes the most sense. And that's
part of the reason that we have Megan
Gold doing some of that STEM project
base so that at least at the elementary
school, it's not this heavy lift for the
teachers. she's really um working with
them to create some of this. And these
are
just kind of some targets initially. My
initial thought was if we're starting
this October, by the time we really get
into it and understand it, it's January.
That's not going to happen. Like two of
them unless they're already happening.
>> Oh yeah.
>> Yeah. So, so some of that stuff, but
really articulating what does a
project-based learning look like? what
are there's
>> really key standards that's already
outlined in PBL world what that looks
like. So making sure the teachers
understand what that looks and it's it
is a checklist to make sure it has a so
I think that making we could say um
based on research
you know that we're using a clear rubric
and standards for that but teachers will
need some training on that but and
remember PBL is one of those things that
first time you do it you're not you're
not knocking it out of the park you just
keep building on that, but you do have
the standards and the experience and and
there's a lot of excitement around it
and would it be great eventually to have
K to2 PBL everyone involved in it
together? Yeah, it'd be really great.
you can build that instead. And the nice
thing about PBL is you've got your
academic content standards, but then
there's also a focus on those elements
that are within that profile uh portrait
of a learner that are also embedded so
that you're saying yes, I'm teaching
this math standard and this English
standard and at the same time I'm
focusing on making sure that students
are thinking critically and all of those
elements happen and they're framed
within kind of a big overarching
question that is engaging to students
and has no one right answer so to speak.
so that they're going through these
cycles of learning and gathering some
information, doing something with it,
reflecting on it, and doing that
multiple times before they then pull
together and create for some type of an
authentic audience to share their
learning.
One of the experiences that some of the
teachers saw when they went to a
different school system that was a
little bit smaller than ours but has the
same complexity. Um that twice a week um
for their during their social studies
and science the K to five groups work on
one project all of them together. So, it
could be setting a schedule up like
that, but that's where the system piece
is going to be important. So, they can
do that.
>> And I I think it was you and maybe a few
teachers went out to a school maybe in
the Midwest last year.
>> That had sort of a heavy project based
learning curriculum. Um, you know, and
and I'm just looking at like the four
project based units a year. Is that, you
know, is that what we're is that what
we're looking for? Four sort of smaller
units as opposed to maybe one or two
bigger units. Is that is there some
flexibility in that or is that like
>> is looking for?
>> I think we're looking for people to get
their feet wet and let's get and do it.
And then I think as there's more
experience then you're going to build
project base. But I think if you tried I
think used the perfect example of
Diana's class of a project based
learning around the tadpoles and things
like that. But that's really small
doable. It's interdisciplinary. They're
already co-eing in that classroom
together. So they're already hitting
some of these marks. Not all of the
teachers are doing that, but they have
been moving towards that in the last
couple of years. So we're seeing a lot
more of that right now. But I would
think that um you could count each
teacher doing it, not necessarily four.
So you could have a teacher have one
project and four teachers working on it
and that would count as their theirs. So
it would be each teacher doing four
separate ones that they're working
together on.
>> But the idea would be this each student
would have the experience in four
different units.
>> Yeah. And what do we have for a plan in
place for
training for teachers, you know, that
want to get more to to feel more
comfortable with these things? Like is
there
>> what we started for this year is we have
Megan at the elementary school K to 5.
You know, you're aware of that. And the
um middle school, they have an
additional period. It's block one where
they're trying some you unique things
like STEM Megan supporting two teachers
working on STEM projects this year with
that group. We hired um Sean Woods to
come in the afternoon. So that would be
an interdisciplinary supporting those
kids there. Um at the high school we're
we're not there yet but there there's
some conversation around some of the
humanities talk. We we spoke about that
when we were looking at the schedule
this year. Um when we spoke to Mr.
Webster, how does he move his STEM
programs to include other disciplines in
that? So it it's not there yet at the
high school, but I feel like the
elementary is getting more traction and
they're starting some at the middle, but
we're not there at the high school yet.
There would need to be we'd probably
need to scaffold it like we'd probably
need to say elementary doing this this
year, middle of this and you know high
school's getting training and more uh
collaboration. Um but we did start some
of the opening days so that conversation
could we had meetings this year which we
haven't had in the past where they're
called collaboration meetings. Let's
meet with each other talk about some of
those things you might want to do and we
had some department meetings. um so that
some of these exciting things that we're
starting to do, the teachers are able
to, you know, start to have those
conversations. But we're going to have
to have those type meetings like we did
when we did the STEM. We had every every
um other week, every two weeks, we had
30 um 30 minute meetings where we
discuss what does this look like K to2.
So, we're going to have to do those type
things with the staff to get them on
board. And um we spoke to Megan about
really because her job is K to2 um
really getting um trained and being
proficient kind of our guru on project
based learning so we can train others.
But I think the elementary school is
probably more poised in the middle than
the high school right now.
looking at the the portrait of learner
when I first saw it I was like well of
course you want all this
right like but then as as we've been
discussing and digesting a bit I
kind of see how it fits our our
situation right fits our location and I
was I kept thinking about like what is
what is Manchester's portrait of a
learner you know like and how is that
And I can start to see some of how how
we're unique here.
So I think I think what you've got here
is five are strong.
Guess my push is is that this has to be
very present like very visible and dare
I say you know at the entrance of every
every door and sitting above every every
you know every screen it's like these
are the expectations and these are the
five things that you know we expect of
our faculty and our students and are you
meeting all of those things and and it
>> it just can't be buried in a document
>> has to go into our curriculum our
syllabus it has to go to our grading it
like you said it has to be visible some
of the work that is required through
MIAS too. So they did take the NEAS
document um to make sure that when we're
working we have one kind of evaluation
plan when we're working on things where
we're hitting multiple things but you're
right um and when you look at that
hyperlink document um attached to the
portrait of the learner the language all
has changed um so you really should it's
really about it's very student focused
friendly it's not in a negative you will
do this um I think so there was a lot of
there a significant amount of work that
went into word smithing that to make
sure
>> and there'll be more work and that's
part of the plan is really articulating
it. So what does it look like for a
second grader to be a global citizen? It
looks different than it does for a
senior in high school. And that's
actually okay. That's a good thing. And
as you build these, I mean, I will say
in, you know, with the teachers today,
they incredibly
positive about this image and that
graphic, like saying, I mean, you were
there.
>> We were very positive.
>> I mean, they really were. It was They're
like, "This makes sense. Can we replace
the 21st century learning stuff
tomorrow?" Like, like they were ready to
be like, "This makes sense." And you
know, as you move forward in thinking
about these goals, it has to be
everywhere, but it has it's more than
something that hangs on a wall. It has
to be embedded in practice. And
honestly, at some point, not tomorrow
and not by this June, you're going to
want to think about how do we give
feedback to students around these
skills? How are students embedding these
and when they demonstrate their
learning? How are we communicating back
to our community about how our students
are doing on this? Because if you do not
measure and communicate progress towards
these, they will not have currency in
your community. It'll be like, "Yep,
that's a nice picture.
Where's my report card?" And I'm not
saying get report cards. I'm not saying
get rid of anything like that. I'm not
saying get rid of testing. But if you
don't report on this too, it will not
have value.
>> I was thinking about those post-graduate
surveys. You feel like you're affected
fluid.
There's lots of ways to gather data and
there that you can use. Um, and it's
just a matter of figuring out the system
that you want to use to do that. And I
kind of do like the idea that, you know,
when we're designing the curriculum for
some of these interdisiplinary projects,
we can we can say, okay, well, we're
checking a box for for the science and
we're checking a box for the writing and
we're checking a box for um you know,
the sort of traditional academic goals,
but also, you know, we're also
integrating working and collaborating.
Um we're integrating, you know, you
know, independent learning. were
integrating with communicating and
critical thinking in and actually
building that into the specifically
building that into the curriculum of the
project and how we're going to hit those
goals with these different units. So I
think that's if we're it's kind of
exciting that we're if we're building a
whole
not not so new way but we're we're
implementing a new way of of of teaching
that we have an opportunity to then to
sort of build all these things into it
that we want to see. And I I will say,
you know, when you do work around a
graduate profile or a portrait of a
learner, um those pieces, you're going
to see a lot of commonality in the
outcomes that people want for students
from state to state or within the state.
And yet they're indiv like what's most
important
is very community specific. Um but when
you start to look at research right now
around what employers are saying they
need from students, like these are the
kinds of things they're looking for. And
you know, we're seeing kids come out of
schools and employers are saying they
don't know how to work on their own.
They don't know how to communicate.
Like, and those are the types of skills
like they they might, you know, I was
talking to a community college head the
other day and he told a story about he
was working as a finance director at a
college and he was told by a bank
president that no, the bank was not
going to hire any of his students. not
because they didn't know their
accounting, but because they couldn't
actually have a conversation. And it's
like those skills are just as important
as the academic content. So, it's really
finding ways to make sure that that's
embedded in those their experiences as
learners.
So, what we will do, our goal is to
gather feedback, which we have been
doing all day. Kate has been writing
down your conversation.
If you have any other thoughts, we have
a survey. Um, Mary, are you able to
email that to them, too? Great. So, I
will put it up in a second. Um, but if
you have individual thoughts, if you
have feedback, if you leave here tonight
and you know, you wake up in the
morning, you're like, I wish I had
thought of this or want I have this
question, please give that to us. This
plan is stronger the more voices there
are that inform it and the more feedback
that we have, the better we can iterate
to make sure it is super reflective of
your community here. And then we will
take all of that. We will organize it.
We will synthesize it. We will figure
out what has to be what of the feedback
needs to be changes to the plan. What in
the feedback is communication with
teachers? What in the feedback like
there's different things you do with the
feedback based on what it is. Is it
comment that's made once that's one
person's worry or is it something that
is across a number of people? Um, so
we'll go through look at all of that and
then you will see me again on October
22nd with a prettier version um of that
plan and it will have the finalized
content and hopefully you'll be like all
in favor say I.
>> Do you have any questions for me before
we let you have the rest of your
meeting?
I'm I would just add that they had us do
an activity today that
I'm not going to talk about the hat
building although I was really good at
the hat building.
>> Ally Furby was my partner like we
crushed it. It was not every day. I
might wear it on the first day of
school, but no, the the they had us
using present day language, but speaking
like it was 2028 and we were already
like several steps into what our um
what the pot like what we would see if
we were being successful. And it was
really hard to talk in present day about
these things that were like it you know.
So what was it called?
We called it back to back to the future.
So then we had to do that for four
minutes and then we had to go as if it's
2028 but talk about like what it was
like in 2025 using past tense. And then
we had to we had to like make the gap
like how do we get from here to there?
And although orally the language piece
was hard, it helped us think in a
positive way about about those
opportunities that are really just like
fingertips away, you know, but it's all
those building blocks that we have to
put in um in order to get there. So I I
thought that was a really effective
>> thank you activity to do on the second
day of like PD like you know where your
brains are all over the place. Here I
am. I'm like I need to talk in present
tense in 2020 about doing an
but it was good. It's good. So thank
you.
>> I I think just one last thing that you
felt that or you shared with me that
there were more lights and support from
the were than there were saying this
isn't something we want to do. the
hesitation was just a little around if
there was some like okay how how are we
going to get there with these few
training pieces so and and that's all
you know strategy right and stuff that
we can do
>> absolutely they they were able today to
kind of synthesize the initial feedback
that we got and the list of things that
people listed that they liked far
outnumbered the things that they wished
were there or the things that they
wondered and the wonders and the wishes
were like, "Oh my god, how are we going
to do this? Oh my god, how do I like
what's going to happen if we don't
achieve like if we don't get both units
done?" Like it was more that kind of a
worry that it had there was not a single
like this is a bad idea.
>> So that was the prevailing
the piece of it. It was really just like
how are we going to get there? And it's
like you'll you'll get there.
>> And building that together and then
having their wonders and stuff allows us
to say okay what are the steps we have
to put in here to say this is what would
>> that was funny too like I it took me a
second to realize like the wonder it's
like what you didn't like about it like
I wonder that's the positive way of
saying I don't think this is a good
idea.
But, you know, you need to go through
the it's it's important to stay positive
because, you know, at the end of the
day, it's about the kids. You know, it's
it's it's we want to make sure that what
we're doing is addressing any concerns
and at the same time continuing to push
forward, be innovative, and do the
absolute best you possibly can for your
learners here.
>> Thank you.
>> All right. Thank you. It was wonderful
to be here. Appreciate your time.
and Mary will send you a survey. So if
you have additional feedback and you'll
resend that to me, thank you. We will do
that on the top of my email.
>> Exactly.
All right. Um
>> exciting stuff.
Uh, next up is the
approval of the minutes uh from July
23rd.
Does anyone have any comments?
>> I'll make a motion to approve the
minutes from July 23rd as presented.
Thank you.
>> Thank you. Any further discussion on
that? All those in favor signify by
>> opposed extensions. That motion carries
and then such as approval of the minutes
from August 13th. this special session
for the policy of
the personal communication device.
>> I'll make the motion to accept the
August 13 meeting minutes as presented.
>> Thank you, Tammy.
Oh, Joe second. Thank any further
discussion on that. All those in favor
signify by saying I
>> Kevin. Um,
all right. Um, we have the North Country
Education News Services. I think it's
the only correspondence that we've
got that I got
to study received any additional um
communication correspondence.
>> Uh, no, but I think we I didn't receive
um something last month and we didn't
report on it. It was the the bargain
with the parents union. You received
that?
>> Not that I have a file. Oh,
>> that usually comes to my email and I did
not see that. So, double check.
>> Maybe they have your email wrong, but I
went back through my emails and we were
both But it could be at the wrong they
could have bounced back or something.
>> I'm going to check right now just
because that's um when did you say it
was
>> the last one I have is from 7:25 to
>> June 20th. It looks like
>> doesn't look like I got that. Let me
look. Sometimes
uh schoolboard stuff gets sent to my
personal email, too. So,
>> um I think this one was sent to Unless
they
name looks like it's spelled right.
>> Yeah, the only email I have about intent
to bargain is from last year.
>> We did receive that. You received it. I
was CC. So, um, we just probably need to
schedule some meetings this fall or the
fairy.
>> Yep.
>> We knew that was coming.
>> Question.
>> I think it was just a lot and they got
>> uh Deb business administrator report.
>> Uh, yeah, a few things. Uh, facilities
update, but I facilities committee would
do a little bit more, but I I'm just
always amazed since June 16th, the
facilities crew has been busy tearing
things apart and putting them back
together again. And in approximately 10
weeks, Mark and his crew have cleared
the buildings, groomed the grounds, did
annual maintenance and repair work, and
put a new shine in the campus in
preparation for the return of the school
year. Um, yes. So, they did all their
regular annual maintenance, painting,
cleaning, deep cleaning the classrooms,
uh, the gym floor, ceiling tile
replacements,
the list just goes on and on. um outside
grounds were
um as you know we did the eighth this
was the eighth year the schoolwide
flooring replacement project um went on
this summer. We had some roof repairs um
to fix some leaks that had sprung up and
the facilities committee will talk a
little bit about that. Um as yeah as
usual something breaks and this year it
was the the walk-in freezer. So we
addressed that. Um, you know, just when
you walk through the build buildings,
just even little things like some
improvements they did in one of the
bathrooms down the high school, the the
teachers bathroom, and then little
things in the teachers room up here, you
know, just a lot of little touches going
on. Um, we do have a few more things
going on as we just voted on. The the
new door access card uh system will go
in. Um some we still have some fencing
replacement and repair work that Mark is
actually doing. Uh it's you know we put
we tried finding some fencing companies
but he's actually doing that work. Um
yeah again it's just it's always just
amazing to see in two and a half months
or less what what they what they do. So
um well done to the facilities committee
uh facilities crew this summer.
Um you asked about p uh trust funds. We
will need another um trust fund coming
up for the technology a public hearing
and commercial technology trust fund um
during the budget process. There was a
request for more clear touch panels and
Trey just gave me um a quote the other
day. So I said I would bring it to the
school board and we'll probably do it at
our next meeting. I'll put that on the
agenda. Right now we're looking at
purchasing three three more clear touch
panels. Um it's about 13 a little over
$13,000. The original budget was for
seven and we again we had pulled those
out and said when the time came to
purchase we will we would look at the
trust funds.
Um,
>> you was the you said the original was
for seven panels. 7,000
>> uh seven units
>> about 31,000 was the original, but right
now I don't I think he's might just be
doing a little bit at a time as teachers
get trained. And so just looking at
strategically where we're putting those.
we met with Freshpicks Cafe and our new
food service director Darlene. Um, and
we usually meet with them at the
beginning of each year to discuss our
meal times, our breakfast after the bell
program,
menus, any equipment and maintenance
needs, things like that. Um, so, you
know, we even talked about how can we
incorporate the hydroponic garden and
some of the vegetables that are coming
out of that and they said they have
worked with other schools. So, we're
going to work on that a little bit more
this year. So, that's exciting. Um, we
also met with Durham, our transportation
services. Again, we do that each summer
just to make sure we're ready to roll.
And we're ready to roll. We did have an
issue come up, and it's a great issue
that we have an increase in uh students
going to the CTE programs in Littleton
and Whitefield, which necessitates a a
bigger bus, which necessitates a driver
with a CDL license. So they are they
provide all those services but it's like
one step at a time. Again it's a great
problem to have but you know when you
look at other schools and sometimes
sending kids to the CTE centers because
that's how New Hampshire does it.
There's centers all over the state. One
of the um prohibiting factors is
transportation. How do you get these
kids to these programs? So, we're lucky
that we have Durham and they've been
able to come up with a solution for that
because we want these kids in those
programs.
>> Real quick, one of the things we are
evaluated on as a school district is if
we're giving those options and kids
participating in them. Um, it's one of
>> 16 kids going through the different
>> Um,
last year or maybe it was this year, we
did get some state monies to pay for
some of the announced last year, but
what I'm going to bring to you will be
>> Yeah, I don't I don't think they're
going to do it again. Um, but yes, that
was a huge chunk of money that came at
the end of last year as a surprise. So,
it kind of was um
we hadn't factored in those revenues,
but that will factor into our uh retain
plan balance.
So, but anyway, we could see an increase
in our we might see a slight increase in
our
>> transportation because again, we hadn't
our contract didn't call for this size
bus and and and anyway, he said we
might, but we're just trying to juggle
things around. I mean, if it's a slight
increase, but yeah, right now doesn't
look like the state has that money, but
maybe we
>> didn't know we didn't know about last
time either. Yeah. Didn't know about it,
but they was sitting on that supposedly
for two years.
>> But
>> and that program is just for high
school.
>> 16 students out of
>> it's more than we graduated class.
>> I was going to say
>> and a lot of them it looked like was the
all the health which is leads into
nursing or fantastic. Yeah.
>> Where does that take place? Is that in
Littleton?
Nice.
>> And that's all I have for now.
Dr. Steady,
>> I just wanted to give you an update
because a lot of stuff coming up policy
that there were 86 bills passed this
year that impact public schools. This is
record-breaking. So, uh we've been
spending a lot of time um being pseudo
lawyers um
learning all about how this impacts
that. the staff. We have some staff
training on coming up on stuff that um
they need to know immediately. Um
holding those after school and we did
some problem solving this week around a
few of them. But just so you're aware
there's a lot impacting this thing.
Um we looked at the literacy data that
we pulled. Um we we measure the kids
three times a year through niwire. We'll
be adding a cadence a cadence data, but
this is what fed into that system that I
showed you guys last year and you liked
how you could see the kids movement a
little bit more called branching lines.
>> So I pulled from last September, the
beginning of the school year to the end
of just put July one um to see are we
providing the core education around
literacy that we need to be providing so
kids can move forward. And the good news
is we're making growth. Um I I really
want to point out um as a districtwide
we're making growth. There was a huge
huge growth with the elementary school.
Um and we went back to some of the
models that were in place when you guys
were a blue ribbon school.
I mean, you guys had all that success
and some of those uh best practices got
dropped along the way and we've been
putting some of that. We've been putting
co-eing in place so there's a couple
teachers in the classroom at all times
so we can really break those groups
down. As you know, when I was in my
other role, I started looking at some of
the literacy and doing an evaluation on
our system and there were some
recommendations that came out of there.
So that group is still meeting and we
decided um that we would have one
uniform approach to teaching literacy
especially those foundational skills and
you can see that that approach has um is
paying off um and uh we'll continue that
work. We have, as you know, a grant um
to really uh push our teachers to all uh
be trained in something called letters,
which is how do I teach the science of
reading and why am I teaching what I am
and how do I get the most out of uh of
my day with the student. So, um um I
just really wanted you to see that we're
starting off the year in a really solid
place.
You have saw the strategic plan. They're
coming back at the October meeting. Um
we will have to have that second meeting
in October the 22nd. They can't make it
for the eight. So that'll just be around
um the strategic plan.
And I think that we we're back
and busy and um I don't know, Heather, I
think it's been a pretty good smooth
opening days and some
>> Yeah. been great.
>> Yeah,
>> it's been a good balance of
collaborative discussions with
colleagues and time in our classrooms,
which is always appreciated, especially
when one gets a new floor.
>> And all of one's books have been packed
up and stored away and I feel like a new
teacher like, "Oh, look, put that on the
shelf." I I think one of the approaches
that we did differently this year um and
we'll continue and we're going to dive a
little deep. We have something called
team leaders who sign up to really try
to inform um how the district operates
and um we had the administrators had
their retreat. We developed the opening
day schedule and then we had a threehour
retreat with just the team leaders to go
over that and you know things that we
think are necessary important aren't
necessarily with teachers so they can be
that disconnect. So we were able to
rework that schedule. So there there was
that balance of all the things we have
to get done required by law and allowing
the teachers to collaborate. So it will
continue that. Um I asked them if they
would like to do that midyear too. Um a
reflection of how the first part of the
year and what they need differently
moving forward and they really want to
meet and you know a half day retreat um
discussing how that they can um really
inform how we're operating. So and I
think I've heard really good things
about the it's been a good balance this
year. So thanking the team leaders for
their time and informing us.
>> Thank you,
>> Mrs. Dalic.
>> Yeah, thank you.
>> Hope
you
>> Oh, yes. Sorry. Um, we're having a
screening tomorrow night here for the
community. um Hopeville which is really
around how the science of reading does
work and all the research and how it's
turned some schools around. So it's
really the approach that we're using
which was probably some of the approach
you guys used about 15 years ago. Um
making sure that that is here but please
come and then we'll have here add it.
>> We have one volunteer.
>> so yeah or we'll have pizza and ice
popcorn candy. Um bring them. It's going
to be boring for them. They can play
outside.
>> Yeah. Yeah, the one volunteer was a
student. You know, we were looking for
student volunteers,
but a lot of people are busy with the
sports of start or the
work. Oh, yeah.
>> And this will be played tomorrow for our
staff so they understand what we're
doing at elementary and how it impacts
them at high.
>> There we go. I'm done now.
>> Promise.
>> All right. Now, Mrs. Thank you. Thank
you. Um yeah, just you know, as you
know, Heather says, thank you, Heather.
We're and um about the smooth start to
the to the year. you know, we're in we
just finished up with our day two of um
welcome back to staff and see things
seem to be going smoothly and um having
some great conversations about you know
the new year and everybody seems well I
can't say everybody but it seems like
it's excitement is in the air and u
probably a little anxiety too as we you
know start you know getting back into
something you haven't done for a while
right build up your stamina and your
voice and um but other than that, yeah,
it it's been good. I sent out a message
today reminding parents about our um
communication device, our personal
communication device policy and yeah.
Okay.
>> What's been the feedback?
>> Uh I haven't had any. Okay. So far,
>> um I sent it I sent that out as an email
and then I did an all call today just in
case, you know, sometimes parents don't
all have an email address. So, I try to
get it back out there. Um, yeah. Well,
I'm I'm sure it'll come. I'm sure it'll
come.
>> You were lucky they didn't The freshman
at orientation today did not give you
the feedback when you came out that they
gave me.
>> Oh, okay.
>> So, I did get some feedback.
>> Okay, good.
>> But it was good that they could I I felt
like it was good they could talk it all
out before the first day of school.
>> So,
>> yeah, because I I did went I did go out
today. we had our record orientation and
and kind of
>> give them a little brief about um it's
really not debatable guys.
>> Well, it's funny just what they qualify
as a personal electronic device like
they are just beside themselves
like that is going to be the thing
>> with those younger kids.
>> How are they going to use those?
>> Well, there's so many
>> so many so many potential
>> so many ways. Yeah, I'm here to say
>> they're going to start to create.
>> Yeah. I want a kid to bring try to bring
back like a cassette like a Walkman cuz
they were like they were those things
that they used like a couple years ago.
I think they were called iPods. I was
laughing at
>> I think they were called iPods. Yeah,
>> I think they were.
>> I do too.
>> Yeah. Too funny. Um I've heard a lot of
um positive feedback from teacher from
parents and such that I've spoken to
that this is great. It's about time they
need to do something and then the same
from the kids going come on you know
>> it's um it's going to be a hard uh curve
for them to
>> Yeah. Well, we expect some bumps in the
road.
>> Yeah, we all do.
>> And there were a bunch of them were the
other night sitting around saying,
"Well, you know, there's there's ways we
can do this." So, they're trying to
figure it out already.
>> Yeah. So, we're glad that they're going
to be creative.
>> Oh, no. We're already on to the bring
the second phone thing like
>> Yeah. So um and then I also sent out um
our attendance policy make sure that
everybody um received that. Um and then
just a reminder today as as said about
Hopeville. So tomorrow right as Mary
said teachers will watch it during the
day and then we'll have a community
meeting. Um
>> yeah we reached out to a lot of students
but unfortunately they're just still
busy trying to wrap up the summer and
athletics has started. So that's that's
also gets into their time because a lot
of them have evening practices. Um so
but yeah, other than that, we I think
we're we're looking good. Um Megan's
very excited about STEM as as I said. Um
she finished up with Kristen Fatten over
the summer of our STEM camp and that
went really well. Um, and we're going to
try to continue to build that STEM camp
now that we're going to have STEM, you
know, during the year and be, you know,
focusing K5 and try to build that camp
up a little bit more rigor um as we move
forward.
>> But yeah, other than that, I think it's
we're, you know, we're looking pretty
good. Yeah. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Yeah.
Uh
we had um facilities committee had a
walk through tonight. You guys want to
you want an update or you want to say
it's amaz
she missed because she did it
>> did a uh for the elementary school
windows
>> there's a grant that De's put in for
>> well we're working on
>> working on it.
>> It's due in September. So, there's a
property of energy.
>> So, hopefully we can get some money to
do do the windows up here. If not, some
of them, but Mark had hoped to do them
all in one shot.
Uh, we did the walkthrough down below
and by God, the difference in that
flooring, the library
down at the high school with the carpet,
the band room with the carpet. I mean,
and it's bright. It just brightens
everything up. And
I forgot what wing they call
>> the map wing. Map wing.
>> The map. That makes sense.
>> I call this used to be Mr. Baker's wing.
So I
>> still call it that. But
>> but with the new white flooring in
there, everything's just so bright and
clean and the hallways are clean and it
just they did a really good job.
Uh walk-in freezer. That part is done.
Uh Mark is redoing some of the fencing
here ourselves because once again our
fencing company decided that they didn't
want to come in that we're going to use.
So he's replacing that as he can along
with a few other things on the path out
here. Uh I guess we rented an a small
excavator and started doing the work on
the outdoor classroom and cleaned up
some of the stubbage and all the stuff
out there to make that look good. I
haven't been out there to see it myself
yet, but evidently that has gotten uh
cleaned up.
middle high school gym. The elementary
is done. They're putting in brand new
emergency lights because the ones that
are in there when they do go on there, I
don't think the light reached the ground
in there. So, they're upgrading all the
emergency lights in there and putting
new cages on.
That should be done this week. I think
he said
uh parking lot striping is behind, but
it should be done within the next two
weeks. So, it may be done on a weekend
after, but we'll see.
Uh, we already did the trust fund, the
budget, the flooring. Next phase is up
here. They're going to divide it up into
sections and we'll get prices and stuff
on that. We don't need anything from the
board on that. And then the windows.
One thing that I've got to talk, Mark,
about where we we're spending all this
money on the lawns and hopefully next
year maybe we can get a schedule to do
the watering the lawn before it gets to
this point while why while we have
water. Because right now I went to the
town and asked the town, we're on
voluntary, but they won't allow us to
use the cannons right now, but it would
be nice to get on a schedule during the
summer to actually they used to allow us
to do it in the mornings when the
reservoirs were really full. They would
let us use it in the mornings for 20
minutes. So, if we can get on a schedule
to do that, it would really benefit
instead of I mean, think of that. What
is it? $13,000 we spend to treat the
lawns, but we don't water it. And they
burnt up a little bit this year.
So, I mean that's it. Other than that, I
I have to say that the school's looking
really good. Did a really good job.
>> Sorry, the roof. The
>> rail.
>> Well, oh, no. I just said the the stuff
out out there on the walkway that we're
going to do, but that's
>> we're going to take that railing out
right now going up the hill because it's
a little bit dangerous. We're just going
to take it out. And
Angel, is it Engles that was going to
replace it?
>> Yeah, we have a welder coming in. He's
going to put in a steel railing up
there, a permanent railing coming down
the hill for now.
>> What is the um at some point that's
going to be realigned with the to come
down the other end of that crosswalk?
>> Possible.
>> Oh, possibly. So, that's not a definite
>> Yeah, because of the new handicap
requirements and everything, we might
not be able to get back far enough to to
bring
>> do a switch back. Well, can't you do a
switch back
>> efficiently? Probably not, but we'll
see. We are looking into it, but yeah,
>> we may bring it down a different way.
So, does it make sense to spend that
kind of money on a railing?
>> This cost
>> it ain't going to be that much.
>> 16. It's $1,600.
>> Well, that isn't much.
>> And we need a we need
>> just looking three figures of community
center. That's the
>> We need a railing because it's basically
>> You definitely need a railing, but I
mean I was thinking it was going to be
weighing more than that. That's all.
>> I mean, that was it was 16. Little
railing at my house cost more than that.
So, yeah. He's doing a great favor to
the town.
>> Yeah. Absolutely.
>> Or to the school, sorry.
>> And the high school roof leaks. It turns
out that the lap joints and all the new
roofing that they put in actually broke
down prematurely, so that they were all
basically crap.
>> So, they honored our warranty and they
came in and replaced every lap joint on
that roof. And
>> fantastic. So evidently we're all set
now. It's all it's all been redone
already.
>> Prematurely it's been a couple years.
>> This last phases basically the last
three phases
>> would have been
over the last millennium.
>> Right. Right. Right.
>> That that stuff should last 25 30 years.
>> it's nice that they came and honed their
the warranty and just took care of it.
Yeah. And that was what the leaks were.
This pet was from that. So Right.
>> One of the other ones was a curb stop,
but that that's been
>> minor. Yeah. Yeah.
>> That's it for goodness.
>> Uh policy committee.
>> We have
um bunch of stuff or first
um and we have a bunch of stuff for
second.
if you want to brief us on that.
>> Sure.
>> Um, some of the first reading policies
coming to you tonight are things that we
looked at um at to go into the that we
had to get done.
>> No, that that'll be next time.
>> Oh, that'll be next time. Oh, that's
okay.
>> These first readings are from our
policy. We've been meeting policies been
meeting every day
>> because we had so many policies come in
right school board association. So these
are were actually policies that we had
reviewed already. Okay. So sending some
>> So that's not what this is.
>> Yeah. But there'll be more on first
reading that we went over today.
>> Yes. Tons. Tons. Um and then that'll be
it though. That's at the end of the
spring.
update. So then fall update a fall
update spring in summer.
>> So honestly I have no idea. My brain is
wrapped around over tonight.
>> I have them here.
>> I don't think there was anything that
stood out if any.
>> Yes. Oh, okay.
Oh, yeah. I remember these. There was
nothing. I remember these now. Um there
was a couple of things we changed in
these um a couple of words, nothing
major. Um and most of the changes were
all
um New Hampshire School Board
Association recommendations.
I don't think there was anything.
I I we changed it to um make sure that
PE fit into an exception.
>> And we put there was one IHBI where we
put a um
>> $5,000 limit where we need schoolboard
permission over that. Um,
>> did we have
did we have a any limit before or what
was the
>> or was or was the the it's like we were
deciding what that limit was going to
look like?
>> Yeah, I it hasn't cost us. I I've
written a few since I've been here and
there's been no cost associated with
them.
>> But because of all the changes in open
enrollment EFAs and alternative learning
plans becoming more robust, they're
recommending putting uh for budgeting
purposes. if someone does do an
alternative learning plan um that you
put a budget associated and we thought
that 5,000 was probably a safe cap and
anything more than that then we have a
more robust but um
>> and we figured too that if it becomes
the norm and it's consistently over
5,000 then we just change the the limit
but it was a good place to start.
The other one that now I'm looking at it
IB
it was um class size to student educator
ratios
>> they had in that maximum class sizes
would be limited to 25 students 20 30
whatever it was our old policy said
we'll strive to achieve a class size I
didn't I was concerned with saying is
limited to because then if we had 26
students in kindergarten And you know
we'd have to have I mean we're very
lucky that our class sizes are very
small anyway and we have um the co-eing
model in the elementary right now which
is proving the success. However, I was
afraid to put or hesitant I should say
to put is limited to and instead
requested will strive to achieve a class
size. Oh
>> the copy that I got does say strive to
achieve
>> and I had asked that it be change. It
does strive to achieve. Yes, the
district will
last,
>> but it came to us saying is limited to
>> this change.
>> Yes, this is the change that we
recommended. Yeah, we also added Oh,
it's in there. Never mind. Thanks. Um,
just these down here, the exceptions on
the bottom didn't have PE, library,
media, anything like that. So, we added
those.
>> One of the things the district will need
to pay attention to is that the size of
the classrooms can't actually hold very
many.
have it anyways classrooms
>> and and I hope we never get to a point
where we have to have
>> rightact
>> 25 students in one classroom. However,
um you know if there was ever a
is Mrs. Pool's STEM
program something that we want to add
into that class size
>> a really good point.
Yeah,
>> if they're going to be in the labs and
stuff, you may want because it could be
multiple grades coming together.
>> You should add that STEM programming or
something to that effect.
>> It's a good touch.
>> I don't see anything else that we really
change. Did you guys get that thing for
>> I was looking at the sing
that typo
effective date
one stated immediate resolution
once the stated
resolution
>> once see once yeah
>> once the stated
Good catch.
>> Um, did anyone have anything else on
those?
>> Um, the generative AI policy is this
like was this basically just a
new, right?
>> Yes. So,
it looks like it's a
got a bunch of statutory references on
there. Um, was this one of the 85 86
bills that we were dealing with? Is this
something that was like required or is
this a school board association
>> versus a school board association
recommendation?
I think it what they're pulling together
the other like the copa and all of those
type policies on student privacy and
this AI the AI that we use in the school
um is if we do use some generative AI we
use Gemini the it's part of the Google
suite which is pretty secure so when you
put something into Gemini you can pull
information from the world web and all
that information to you, but it doesn't
take from our databases at all and send
it out. So, it's it's a lot more it's a
secure one. We're not using the chat GBT
and things like that because the
security it's an open AI. There may be
times where um there might be a reason
like if you're doing coding or
something, but that's going to be made
very secured, very clear what it's for.
But a lot of those coding programs we
can get that aren't so open source.
There are ones. So if you're coding like
our friend Daniel did for his project,
we did a work around of that so it
wasn't impacting our security or
screens.
But those will all be approved ahead of
time so we know what the kids are using
and the staff thing.
Insurance tilings.
Yeah, complicated move.
>> I think so.
>> I'll make a motion to move all of these
um first policy reading first policy
policies to second policy reading.
I'll second.
>> Thank you, Tim. Thank you, Jasmine. Any
further discussion on the first policy
reading? Hearing
none. All those in favor signify by
saying I I post extensions
I hear. Okay.
>> I'll also motion that motion carries
>> the BVA-R
for withdrawal to second readings
>> which was in there as well but it was on
the last.
>> you're doing what?
>> Moving this one to second reading as
well. Oh, do we need to do that when
we're drawing a policy?
>> It needs to go into second, doesn't it?
We don't want to throw it. These are
>> Yeah, I don't know. We need to
>> just follow. It just follows. Okay,
never mind then.
>> Let's get We'll add the list of Oh, no.
Because we're withdrawing these policies
tonight.
>> Um
All right.
>> This
is
policies for second reading. Yeah, I
didn't have anything further to add on
these.
>> I was looking at uh DB, the annual
budget.
The
third paragraph,
the board of special superintendent work
closely with the principles and other
administrators to assess the needs of
the period.
No, mine says school. Oh, because I have
mine's for the first one. Never mind.
>> Should that be school or district?
>> Schools. This says schools.
>> The original
>> schools.
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah.
>> Good catch.
>> Any further discussion on the second
reading policies?
>> Make a motion to approve the second
reading policies.
>> Second.
>> Thank you. Any further discussion?
Hearing none. All those in favor signify
by saying I
>> I oppose.
Extensions and that motion carries.
>> And I'll make a motion to withdraw the
second reading if we have the DBI, DJG,
and JIC CJR.
>> Thank you, Tammy. Second by Joe. Uh any
further discussion on that? All those in
favor signify by saying I. I post.
And that motion carries.
I think that's it for polish and stuff.
>> Well, the next
whirlwind.
Um, do we have any resignations,
recommendations, nominations?
Um, substitute rates.
>> Yeah. Um, we're recommending that we
increase our substitute rates. The last
time we increased our sub rates was in
2324 when we moved our sub rates to $100
a day and at the time that seemed okay.
there was no increase last year. So
things have kind of really jumped up the
last two years in all states and so
we've kind of fallen behind. Um so
working with the other North Country
schools and the North Country BAS we we
track a lot of these things. So, um,
I've just gathered data from other
school districts and and the rates range
anywhere from like $85 a day
up to $150 a day. Now, honestly, I don't
think the schools that are paying $150 a
day are are getting subs even at that
rate.
>> But I do think we need need to increase.
And what we're looking at too, we want
to make sure that our rates are because
we pay per the day that it's above
minimum wage,
but we also don't want to go above what
we're paying like our
>> Paris.
>> So I'm recommending that we increase to
at least $115 a day. So that would bring
like that hourly rate to 1643. Our paras
are starting at $1850 right now.
Um, I think that would be reasonable.
Looking at the other districts and
budget-wise, we did increase our sub
line a little bit knowing that we're
probably going to need an increase.
Again, I don't know if it's really going
to help us get more subs, but it, you
know, I feel like we need to pay our
subs for.
>> Do we know what our nor what our what
our sub budget is right now or like what
we spent last year? Um, I I can get that
for you, but um, yeah, I'll get that for
>> It's effectively a 15% increase in what
we in our sub budget. I'm just trying to
>> Yeah. And we put in at least another
5,000 on
25 $30,000 sub budget.
>> Okay. So, it's not
>> a huge increase.
>> What are the current vacancies for
positions?
math um position is vacant. We do have
those classes covered by having um our
middle school teacher teach a high
school. She's already teaching a high
school math, but she has an extra period
in the day. So, she's teaching that. Um
and then we're using mapping theou to do
the AP because we have that remote
option and that's it. I mean, all our
classes are coming.
>> All our classes,
>> math is the one
>> that is math. And if that's set and
ready to go from here, I don't
anticipate unless something like
miraculous happens. I don't see that
being filled this year.
>> Um, but all our pairs are filled.
All all the other positions.
Yep.
We're in good shape.
do you need any uh action from the
board?
>> Yeah, I think you'll be good at Yeah.
So, based on our recommendation, I would
recommend that we increase to $115 a day
our subs.
>> So, moved.
>> Thanks, Dan. Second.
Thanks, Kevin. Um, any further
discussion on that? All those in favor
>> I
>> opposed extensions and that motion
Um, no new business, no continuing
business, no students. We do have Miss
>> So I alluded to freshman orientation
earlier today. We had 16 kids of the 20
that I think are attending school.
We did lose a few freshmen and we gained
I think we gained one freshman. Um but
they were great today. Um we had
sophomores Hazel, uh Brier, Nora, and
Kiara um organize some team building
games. They participated in a scavenger
hunt to find their lockers, which you
would think is not that hard. Um meet
their teachers, find their classrooms.
Um, and then I always we always do ice
cream sundaes because it's kind of a
bribe, you know, come to the school. We
can make ice cream sundaes. And and I
also picked up some bananas and the kids
ate all of the bananas and only two kids
had ice cream and I bought this ice
cream, which I don't know if it was the
soccer game they were headed to, but you
know, health is doing a great job
because, you know, a really good healthy
choice with the bananas. Um, so I'll
reconsider maybe fruit salad next year.
Uh, and they ask great questions, which
I think is important because we forget
that even though they are in the same
building, there is a tremendous amount
of um, nervousness and anxiety about
just coming down to the math wink. Um,
so they were they were great.
>> Um, also I just no nobody had anything
else to share um, from staff. So, I
added that the Booster Club is doing a
fundraiser this year um this fall at
Maple Haven Campground on August 31st
and we're doing a lumberjack wood
raffle. This might have been done like
back in the 70s, probably kids swinging
axes and chainsaws. We're not The
children are not using chainsaws. Um
but,
>> uh we have some adult lumberjacks
including Shawn Woods and Spencer Kelly.
They are bucking up the logs tonight and
tomorrow. It's a new term I learned. Do
you all know what that means?
>> And I think the varsity soccer players
should all know what that means since
they are helping. um soccer teams and
cross country teams are going to load
the wood into the trucks and we're going
to deliver it to the can where former
lumberjacks Andrew Wilson and Brendan
Engles have offered to do the splitting
and then the kids are going to under Sha
Woods guidance put it into the right
amount of wood a per cord. Yeah,
>> we were hoping for three to four cords,
but Sean reported to me tonight via text
message, there's a lot of rot, but the
wood is all like around our school
property.
>> Um, so Mark Hood said it was not um
being allocated anywhere else, so we
thought it was a good way to clean up
them and and the kids are helping. So
that's awesome. So if you would like
actual cordwood harvested by real
lumberjacks,
>> this is great.
>> This is you should check in with a
soccer player.
It's a raffle and the raffles will be
called at Maple Haven on the 31st. You
don't have to be present to win your
quarter.
>> What time?
>> 5 to 7.
>> And I'm tasking Wyatt Weeden with making
a real. Um, so we're going to like
document all of the different and I
think making a lumberjack short film
will be awesome.
>> Very cool.
>> I am not the person to do that though. I
just know the kids.
Anyway, that's all I have.
>> Are you gonna deliver it? Thank you for
having
me. I actually Andrea did volunteer to
do that, but local delivery only.
>> And then we had to tell all the kids
like wood can't cross state lines and
they did not understand that. That was
hilarious. Yeah.
>> They're like, why? I was like, bugs.
Like mostly because of bugs. They they
were funny.
>> That's awesome. So, it's fun. Yeah.
Thank you, Miss Grill.
so you said talk to a varsity soccer
player if you want a ticket.
>> Yeah. Okay.
>> They are one ticket for $10, three
tickets for 20. So really, that's your
better option.
>> Will they also be available at the Maple
Haven?
>> They will be.
>> Um, Andrea Calder made the um the
tickets and the flyers and she's really
good at that stuff. Um,
>> good to know.
>> Yeah. So like the graphic design stuff
is I was showing Mary these are awesome
>> great
just saying it's a good interdisiplinary
project based learning project
>> I mean because I didn't know the math
that went into what a
yes
like trying to educate me and I'm This
is Sean. Can you just help him?
>> That's another one of those things I
never really wanted to know.
>> Isn't there soccer this weekend?
>> There is. There's a jamine on Saturday.
Soccer all day
>> here.
>> Here.
>> Nice.
>> And the booster club is doing food. Yes.
>> It's the senior class.
>> Senior classes. Somebody's doing food
sessions.
>> Yes. You
>> say all day Saturday and Sunday?
>> No, just not on Sunday. This Saturday.
>> All right. Thank you. Um I don't see any
community so uh I think we are we don't
have anything for nonpublic
>> motion to adjurnn. Thank you.
>> All those in favor I we are ready.
>> Thank you. Check your Robux.