##VIDEO ID:WdFYUtIk4tg## e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e all right I would like to once again call meeting to order and ask everyone to please stand for the flag salute Al I'd like to ask our student representatives to offer us any of their words that they have to share um the big thing is that everybody is very excited for break coming up um in the past couple weeks there was the winter choir concert and the Winter band concert great job to everybody that performed in those um winter ball also happened recently which was really fun went really smoothly um and that's about it I think everybody's just ready for all the winter holidays and to not have school and stuff so that's fun yeah just along the lines of everyone's ready for break uh we had door decorating at student council runs and it's the whole school so everyone decorate the doors and a lot of the students helped the teachers with that so that was kind of cool to see everyone participated so right thank you good even evening uh we are well underway with our strategic plan you've all gotten emails from me probably several times now um students were surveyed in school in the grades 4 through 12 we got a good amount of student participation we did it during a class time to make sure that they understood and and were able to get help with any questions and any understanding um you've gotten parents Community have gotten some emails from me there's actually flyers on the chairs right now and there's a QR code that you can scan we need parent input I need to know what you love about aabon what you'd like to see changed we need your input in order to make this plan work um we know what we're thinking but you're seeing things from a very different place than say the administration the teachers Etc so please take some time to take that survey it shouldn't take too long if you have children in more than one building it is important if you have the time to take it more than once you may have likes and concerns that are different in one building than another um I put that out in one email and one parent let me know that there wasn't mistake it wasn't allowing more than one survey to be completed that has been fixed so you are able to do more than one survey if you don't have any children in the school uh we definitely still want you there's another survey called Community survey that's for someone who does not have someone in the school or even recent graduates again they look at the school differently and have a lot more input in different through different lens than others so we want and need as much input as we could possibly get we also this week did um forums for some of our students you get a lot of information out of a survey you get a lot more out of a conversation so we pulled together students in a variety of different grade levels here at the high school and at mansion and not me but our consultant Dr Oswald sat with them and asked them some questions went over some things he said he got a whole lot of information some were very talkative some were not that speaks volumes in and of itself uh but he was able to get a lot of information and he was very excited from what he gathered from those Endeavors this week um and like Miss Allen said you guys have a flyer on your chair it also lets you know of the um upcoming Community forums that we're going to have so please any opportunity that you can to spread the word like Miss Allen said The more input um the the greater this experience will be and the Richer the outcome will be as well all right now we're going to move on to arguably one of the um highlights of our evening we have our Spotlight program to recognize our students of the month our teachers of the month um we also going to be recognizing staff member of the month and we're going to be recognizing a board member as well so without any further Ado let us recognize our pre kindergarten students Avery loves her teacher says Avery loves to come to school she practices mindfulness by always using her words when she needs or wants something from her peers or teachers Avery is always encouraging to her classmates and her teachers practicing safety and respect by always listening carefully and following directions she often volunteers and Par participates in classroom activities Avery achieves her goals when she continues to work on writing and enjoys making books and cards Avery also works together with her classmates to clean up centers even if she is not playing there she is an amazing role model when it comes to kindness and friendship by including everyone in the class in learning new things we are so happy Avery is part of our preschool classroom Community the kindergarten student of the month is Reed miles yeah on up his teacher says I would like to recommend Reed miles for the kindergartens during the month Reed is safe respectful and responsible in all he does Reed shows safety by picking things up from the floor so others don't trip he is respectful in his kindness and helpfulness to his classmates he always uses manners and helps to solve problems Reed is a very resp Reed is very responsible with his schoolwork he is an active participant in all subjects and activities he always tries his best and has an enthusiasm for learning congrat congratulations Reed for first grade we have student of the month Haley Mard come on down haly's teacher said that she's nominating haly Mard for student of the month because Haley has already shown so much growth this year every day she comes in and shows respect safety and responsibility in class she's kind to her friends and always willing to help others when she encounters something difficult she's able to listen and learn from the teacher's help and apply it to her work whenever a friend is in need without asking she will try and help if the teacher's busy she's wonderful leader in the class and her teacher is so proud to have her this year keep up the great work haly and for second grade we have Audrey hoops Audrey how are you okay nominating Audrey Hoops her teacher said Audrey comes in each and every day with a smile on her face ready to work she's consistent she consistently shows what it means to be safe respectful and responsible here at havlin Audrey's a role model in the classroom always leading by example she's respectful and kind to everyone she comes in contact with Audrey perseveres when things get t in second grade and she has already made great progress this year it's a joy getting to know Audrey and having her in class this year great job Audrey all right Dylan wolf is being recommended as the third grade student of the month for the month of December Dylan comes into school enthusiastic each day he is so happy to greet all of his teachers with a big hug as soon as he sees them he is a friendly respectful caring and kind classmate Dylan also puts 100% effort into his work even when things are difficult he always pays attention during lessons is willing to participate and sets a great example for his classmates Dylan has great schema and is always willing to share information when he has learned or his experiences to connect to topics being discussed it is a pleasure to have Dylan in class he add so much joy to the classroom communities as a new mountain lion Dylan Embraces the roar expectations each and every day congratulations fourth grade student of the month Joey Shields Joey consistently demonstrates the roar expectations at Mansion Avenue he shows respect to all staff and peers collaborates well with others and maintains a friendly demeanor Joey sets ambitious goals for himself and works hard to achieve them displaying a strong growth mindset his enthusiasm for learning is evident in his thought-provoking questions and active participation in class discussions Joey takes ownership of his education applying New Concepts across subjects and engaging fully in class activities he also shows responsibility by taking on classroom jobs and contributing to a positive learning environment Joey's peers look up to him as a role model as he consistently embodies the RO expectations I proud to nominate Joey as the fourth grade student of the month recognizing his dedication positive attitude and exemplary behavior great job Joey Cecilia mccan is the fifth grade student of the month her her teacher says I'm extremely proud to nominate CC mccan as the fifth grade student of the month CeCe is an outstanding role model and a dedicated student she is a remarkable learner because she is self-motivated and consistently challenges herself to excel CCE is very polite and always demonstrates the roar expectations for all these reasons and more CCE truly deserves to be recognized as the fifth grade student of the month congratulations CC Lena Sims is the sixth grade student of the month her teachers say we would like to nominate Lena Sin for the sixth grade student of the month since the start of the year she has displayed Mansion Avenue Role Model Behavior and continues to do so Lena shows respect to her teachers and classmates by always raising her hand waiting for others to finish speaking before taking her turn and making positive comments to others during GR group lessons she takes ownership of her work by turning in assignments on time and actively reviewing and checking in about her work Lena demonstrates achievement by thoughtfully participating in all group discussions asking questions and going above and beyond especially with her writing assignments finally Lena is responsible for her academic materials and preparing for class by being ready to learn Lena your hard work and dedication to learning are admirable congratulations and for seventh grade we have Gus Le Aon student of the month Gus Le is a dynamic and hardworking individual whose positive energy and sense of humor brighten every room he enters Gus is known for his determination and willingness to embrace challenges always driving to push himself to new heights whether tackling a difficult task or helping a gus approaches each moment with resilience and a belief in the power of persistence his efforts have paid off academically as well Gus earned an impressive 91 GPA for the first marking period and testament to his dedication and work ethic Beyond his academic achievements Gus is a well-rounded and passionate student with a variety of interests he enjoys practicing yoga and martial arts which showcase his focus and discipline and he has especially loved exploring his creativity in the elements of art class since moving from Brooklyn New York in the sixth grade Gus has enriched the Autobon Community with his unique perspective and Lively Spirit at home he cherishes spending time with his younger brother John and shares amusing stories about his sneaky hamster and Gus's blend of academic Excellence creativity and determination makes him a truly deserving student of the month our eighth grade student of the month is Charlie Lloyd Charlie L is is an exceptional student who embodies the qualities of a true leader both on and off the field as a year-round softball player she brings the same discipline and dedication to her academics that she does to her sport her strong work ethic and positive attitude shine through in the classroom where she constantly engages with her peers and actively participates in discussions Charlie's energy is infectious motivating those around her to stay focused and give their best effort whether collaborating group projects are offering a helping hand she consistently demonstrates a willingness to support her classmates and contribute to a positive learning environment what truly sets Charlie apart is her genuine kindness and respect for others she's always pullit fostering a sense of com com comaraderie and Trust among her peers her ability to connect with her friends and classmates alike speaks to her natural leadership and interpersonal skills Charlie has started this school year on an impressive note embodying the core values of responsibility teamwork and empathy for her outstanding character and contributions to both the classroom and the community Charlie Lloyd is undoubtedly deserving of the auton student of the month recognition congratulations for the freshman class we have William Graham freshman student of the month Will Graham exemp growing maturity and Leadership through his dedication and perseverance known for his drive on the football field and wrestling mat including Club wrestling will has worked hard to turn things around this year demonstrating a strong commitment to personal growth off the field he values time with his younger brother and sister often riding bikes with them and embracing his role as a positive influence at home Will's leadership was on full display recently when he stepped up during a medic emergency involving a staff member his calm quick response and genuine compassion highlighted the maturity he has developed through his hard work and determination Will's growth as both a leader and a person is truly inspiring making him a deserving role model and a shining example of what it means to represent Aon congratulations to well and for the sophomore class we have Casey broadhurst Casey broadhurst exemplifies the qualities of a dedicated and well-rounded student making her a deserving recipient of the audabon student of the month talented artist Casey demonstrates a remarkable commitment to her self-improvement by seeking feedback to refine her work and constantly pushing her creative boundaries her maturity and respectful demeanor make her a joy to have in class where she serves as a positive role model for her peers beyond the classroom Casey is an active participant in a variety of activities including soccer golf Unified sports as well as leadership roles such as Secretary of interact she is also a member of Health Club student council Civic club and French Club showcasing her passion for both academics and Community involvement Casey's love of algebra and her drive to excel in all areas highlights her dedication to academic success her positive attitude kindness and willingness to assist others in need create a welcoming and supportive envir for those around her whether she is demonstrating respect for herself and others contributing to group efforts or displaying Good Conduct Casey leads by example it is a privilege to witness her growth and achievements and her enthusiasm and hard work promise an exciting future ahead congratulations Casey the junior class student of the month is Morgana mausi I got that right morgana's teacher says in her nomination Morgana is what you look for in a model student making her an outstanding Choice as an Autobon student of the month a pleasure to teach Morgana approaches her studies with professionalism and determination consistently striving to deepen her understanding of the material her diligent work ethic and positive attitude serve as an inspiration to her peers fostering a collaborative and motivated classroom environment outside the classroom morgana's Talent shine just as brightly she excels in gymnastics particularly on the beam showcasing her skill and dedication additionally she is an active participant in field hockey and track demonstrating her versatility and commitment to teamwork morgana's interest in physical therapy reflects her ambition to channel her athletic background into a meaningful career where her discipline and passion will undoubtedly lead to success congratulations foran welcome student of Vivia Vivia welcome epitomizes the qualities of a dedicated and compassionate student not only does she consistently demonstrate a strong work ethic and diligence in her academic responsibilities with an impressive over all GPA of 96.5 but she also goes above and beyond her role as a student her awareness and kindness were evident when she brought attention to a fellow students crisis ensuring that necessary outside interventions were put in place her ability to balance academic Excellence with a deep sense of empathy is truly remarkable outside the classroom Viva is an accomplished athlete rowing crew and also enjoys music and working out she has two younger a dog a parrot and four chickens possibly a part par tree with a passion for engineering Viva has already been accepted to a plethora of colleges a testament to our hard work and dedication Viva as a student you would want your son or daughter to hang out with as she is kind responsible and a great role model her ability to thrive in multiple areas while staying grounded and caring makes her a standout student and a deserving nominee for student of the mon [Applause] congratulations next we will move on to recognize our teachers of the month for November 2024 so first we have Miss [Applause] Neo yes you do need to come up nice try though certificate and Mrs ledard will speak on her behalf flowers are hard to come by in the rain and traic so I apologize iuc for November is Mrs Pam neilio Mrs Neo's kindergarten class is a very busy place and to be quite honest I'm not quite sure how she manages to keep up you will never find her idle and rarely sitting unless of course she is sharing a story with her class as part of a lesson in addition to teaching Reading Writing and math Mrs neilio teaches kindness personal responsibility safety decision making good manners and hard work in short she is teaching her students to be good students and good people Mrs neilio collaborates with her grade level team to create engaging learning opportunities for students and she seeks new opportunities for herself as well she brings high standards and high expectations to our professional learning communities and grade level articulation meetings and she is open to feedback that helps her to grow as an educator she is also an advocate for students who maintains positive and open communication with families so that they too can be part of their child's education Mrs neilio serves on our school safety team and is an important part of our havin PBIS team she sets an example of professionalism in her interactions with other staff and families and goes out of to make sure that every student in her care feels special and receives the individual attention that they need in order to be successful and well if you ever need to talk or just need a hug I can guarantee you that Mrs Neo will never turn you away Mrs neilio is the kind of teacher that makes me want to be a better educator leader and principal and I am proud to honor her as our havland educator of mon [Applause] am I staying for or Mrs no I have Mrs vich all right so we would like to have Mrs mean from Mansion Avenue [Applause] School Maddie is we are happy to nominate m as teacher of the month each day she's prepared with engaging lessons that have all that all have varied ways of giving the students info group discussions reading sharing with a partner roaming the room and finding out more one might be audio one is video others printed each student is focused and knows the expectations of the day she also has a positive outlook for every day that and that flows to her students in her presence they are calm and focused just as she is while watching her teach has made me rethink what I do and wonder how to do it the way Maddie does so thank you for not only teaching the students but also teaching me too go Maddie you're amazing that was Miss Meltzer and for the oton High School Junior Senior High we have Mrs null [Applause] it is with great pleasure that we recognize Mrs Mary null as the teacher of the month your unwavering dedication to students attention to detail and commitment to Excellence in special education are qualities that make you an invaluable member of our ottobon high school family your student- centered approach is evident in everything you do you consistently go above and beyond to meet the individual needs of your students ensuring they they feel seen heard and supported in their learning your ability to tailor your teaching strategies to help them Thrive is truly inspiring in addition to your incredible work work with students you are a team player always willing to collaborate and share your expertise with your colleagues you bring positive solution focused attitude to every conversation and are always ready to lend a listening ear making you a trusted and respected member of our staff we are truly grateful to have you on our team your hard work compassion and commitment to our students success makes a significant difference day thank you for all that you do now we're going to recognize the staff members of the month for November start again with the preschool hav Avenue with Miss vich the hav Avenue staff member for the month of November 2024 is Mrs Christina phich as our library clerk Mrs phich does many things to keep our media center running smoothly in addition to supporting our library teacher with book selection ordering organizing planning Mrs vich checks books in and out for students creates themed educational displays and creates books for different projects holidays seasons and research topics she even recently did a collection for Mrs McCutchen is part of our character education and social emotional learning program she keeps our media set are tidy helps to decorate and was an integral part in the planning phase when we recently did the remodel Mrs vich is a self starter who always seeks ways to support and improve not only services and programs for students but also her personal role as a professional those of us who are fortunate enough to work with her know that she is and does so much more than her job title requires Mrs vich is kind and funny and she greets everyone with a welcoming smile she can be found outside every morning greeting families in the Carline she assists us with schoolwide events helps checks in Vis check in visitors she's part of our registration team she covers the office every day so that Mrs Chisum can take a lunch break and wear in a pinch she always helps to cover for other AIDS or substitute teachers when we're in need they say it takes a village to raise a child and we are very fortunate that Mrs phich is part of our village congratulations for being member of the month and thank you for all that you [Applause] do for Mansion Avenue School we have miss manetti I miss Meltzer am nominating Rachel as staff member of the month because she has been so helpful for me especially in my classroom this year and the entire fifth grade as well as a whole oh not miss Melton she is always there when I need help or to lend a hand and when I have a question I don't know an answer to I feel as though she has always knows the right just the right thing to say and is very eager to help you out she always puts others before her and strives to put a smile on everyone's face I believe that Rachel should get staff member of the month for these reasons and a whole lot more from our Junior Senior High School we have Mr may we are pleased to recognize Mr Nick may as our staff member of the month for November 2024 December since joining our team in September Mr May has quickly become an invaluable asset to our school his commitment to Student Success and his proactive involvement in extracurricular activities have had a significant and positive impact on our school community in addition to his role as guidance counselor Mr May has immediately stepped up into several important leadership positions he has taken on the responsibilities of class adviser and co-advisor for the National Junior Honor Society furthermore he continues to dedicate his top time as an assistant basketball coach demonstrating his versatility and dedication to both our students in and out of the classroom what truly stands out about Mr May is out his outstanding approach to connecting with students his genuine care and dedication to their well-being and growth are evident in everything he does whether he's guiding students through academic College challenges supporting them in extracurricular activities or mentoring them on the court Mr May's presence has been a amazing we are incredibly fortunate to have him as part of our counseling team his positive attitude enthusiasm and dedication make him an amazing addition to our school and we look forward to all the wonderful things he will continue to accomplish thank you Mr May for your exceptional work and unwavering commitment to our students we are proud to have you as a member of the otton high school family all right and our final uh recognition for this evening is for Mr James bloomenstein so come on up so I've been a little bit like Scarlet o'harrow since the moment Jim said he was not going to seek re-election to the board and I just thought well I'll think about that tomorrow but tomorrow is today and I have the task of recognizing and thanking Jim for his years of service to the otton Board of Education Jim has served on the board since 2016 and has been a M of the education committee chair of the governance committee a vice president and president during those years some of his more public accomplishments include developing and implementing our very successful committee structure adding a winter retreat to the board calendar streamlining the public participation portion of our meetings and leading interim and permanent superintendent searches he is championed for green spaces on our properties and took a leading role in the safe roots to school initiative as governance chair he worked tirelessly to ensure that our policies were not only current but were implemented with Fidelity and of course who can forget the pandemic in his role as board president he works side by side with the superintendent to support the district in navigating uncharted waters these public accomplishments show the high level of dedication Jim has demonstrated in his years as a board member and in his leadership roles but those of us that have been at this table can attest firsthand to the hours of meetings conversations phone calls and emails that Jim has facilitated and now having lived in the role of President I can also attest to the mental load he carried worrying and caring about the issues facing our families students Administration faculty and staff Jim I want to say publicly that it has been a privilege to serve on the board with you and to have worked as vice president with you your integrity thoughtfulness Focus to always keep the needs of our district at the Forefront our traits to be admired and imitated I thank you for your leadership your Insight Global thinking and showing an example of what it means to serve on a board of education personally I thank you for the conversations and the inclusion I thank you for the hours of work and planning and I thank you for your sacrifice of time you will be missed I wish hang on I wish you all the best with your newly found extra time with your family and just remember there is an election every year so you always have an opportunity to join us back at the table now we are going ask all of our students faculty and staff of the month to uh assemble over by the glass doors over there we're going to take a picture so that we can add that to our Facebook page insta and other social media venues so all of our let's do all of our students first and then we'll do our faculty and staff for te e e than e all right I think we're going to continue on thank you to everyone who joined us this evening for our presentations we have our superintendent and District reports the student Representatives acknowledged some of the um winter festivities that have gone on here at the Junior Senior High there have been just as many exciting things happening at preschool and at havin and Mansion are um um performing arts and the uh the gift shops and the uh PTA events there's been many things that have been happening day and evening um events and I just want to acknowledge the great opportunities that the staff and the principals and the the teachers work hard to put on for the students to make sure that their experiences are varied and wide and and fulfilling thank you thank you um and on that note I just want to thank um Miss Co she's here this evening but um thank you for um her work with all of the um uh flyers and Banners and um digital media for our strategic planning process um that was a really quick turnaround time and she HIIT it out of the park she did a fantastic job and I also wanted to thank Miss Allen and Mrs Ron case I know they did um a lot to to get the word out as well as I personally was at winter concerts here at the high school and Mr Leb made sure that he made announcements to um to the audience um as well so just kudos to everybody huge team effort quick turnaround time to get all that information out so thank you very much okay um I have need to have a motion to approve the minutes for November 20th 2024 executive and public session roll call please Andrea Robinson Bill Wilson Steven Wilson yes Jim blumenstein Alison Cox yes Mark Gaddy Alison lipsky yes Amy Davis yes motion passed thank you moving on to our public participation session um the rules apply as are stipulated in the agenda is there anyone who would like to make a comment on board agenda items at this time seeing none we will move on to governance and I'd like to recognize Miss lipsky so we have some policies that feel like we've talked about a lot uh because we have some questions and things like that but they're here for second reading although we did not uh at our meeting this month talk about them we had address these and any questions were addressed by Miss Garen our the board's lawyer um so basically everything that we talked about previously uh with the pupil Suicide Prevention we did have want one caveat in there which would specifically state that the school would not be responsible for payment for anything other than the clearance letter clearance evaluation to come back to school um firearms and weapons that basically they took out more we kept in the defining language some of it they took out but ultimately it just there really was not much of a change it just was they wanted to add firearms and weapons uh curriculum content also there wasn't much of a change uh just some little standard things here and there and so we've kind of been through it multiple times and so we are are asking the board to approve it for a second reading um and I will talk about what we talked about at our governance meeting I think after because it's not specifically on the agenda so that will be other stuff to talk about okay wonderful okay so this was this packed audience this was really cool um we had a round T discussion with Educators who volunteered to come and just sit in a room and be plied with Candy by me um um about Ai and that they were interested in it and creating an AI policy and regulation for um aabon and I believe it will be the first substantive AI policy in Camden County so we are all really excited and it was great to see Educators coming out and being really talking and and being involved we also had administrators so principal Leb was there Miss Allen was there we also had not just the student Apprentice representative she also got the voice of the students by creating a survey and then I think there was what over a hundred responses yes so from the junior senior high school and then she made pie charts which she had to do a lot of individual work with because she didn't take the easy route and say yes no she said list me Pros list me cons and then she had to go through and kind of group the ones that were together ones that were different and then did a whole pie chart uh for both the pros and the cons it was actually really wonderful we were able to look at that as well and then we had Miss Robinson as our alternate for governance Miss scholin and myself there and it was it was a really interesting and Lively discussion and we have some kind of leads of where we want to go and what we want to look and we have some homework to do um and then you know I I found out right before the meeting because it's good to find out what your family members do with their careers um I knew that my cousin was in technology but technology is not my jam so it kind of was like um Charlie Brown's teacher when he would talk about what he was doing w w w turns out he is like one of the high up in a in a net security firm and his whole job and he's one of the big wigs and Cent right now is the NFL just saying so we're kind of special um is how to create AI policies and the ethical and responsible use of AI in you know business education and anything that technology is used and he has very kindly offered and volunteered his time to give me some information to share with this panel and um we have understanding of what's going on and um so this is like a really good thing so yay people that married into my family um and so that's that's very exciting and so I think we are on a really we at a very exciting time and I think everyone kind of understands the dangers and are learning the positives and we kind of see this as having something that's flexible that can kind of grow have some wiggle room kind of needs to since AI is constantly changing but we don't want only negativity we want to embrace the positivity the change which is also essentially the directive of the New Jersey Department of Education and Governor you know so we're like it was it was really it was just really awesome and and Helena did a phenomenal job so that was also seems like this is something that is very um kind of can be very divisive but in this in this group it's also bringing everyone together and we kind of are are riffing off each other seeing the positives kind of going this way that way and there's a wide variety of people that know a ton or even educators of AI I didn't even know we had a responsible uses of AI course in sixth grade and that teacher is on the you know the panel and and um yeah there she is there she is Trisha and she goes by Trisha so there you go there's other trishas but not they Trish she's Trisha I've been taught and I respect it so it it just it's I think it we are in a really good place and it it was really nice to see all the pieces of the puzzle coming together and collaborating and working you know and just this is g to this is going to be a good thing knock on so there we go I just want to thank Miss lipsky for taking the lead on that I know it's a lot of additional labor um but it's really important and I like the fact that ottoman's going to be leader in this in C County so thank you very much I just want to Echo what she said it was a really great meeting we had a lot of people there was a lot of input there was very diverse group of people lots of different um grade levels were represented and lots of different insights and everybody's very interested in moving forward with us like everybody was what do we do next what do you need us to do it was it was very engaging and very exciting all right anyone else okay can I get a then for item number one under governance roll call please Wilson Steven Wilson Jim bloomenstein Alison Cox Mark Gaddy Alison lipsky Andre Robinson Amy Davis yes motion passed thank you I'd like to recognize Mrs Cox for operations Mrs Davis uh we did have a meeting on uh December 3rd uh the gym the main uh gym is completed and the claim has been sent to the insurance company so done and it's been tested no leaks so that that's a positive thing and I see them practicing all the time so there was also an opportunity col years had brought to our attention um potential grants like they we've done other things we'd have to match money so we kind of tabled that for right now because there's no Monies to match right now but it's in the back of our heads so we'll see where we move with that um for other playground kind of Renovations and that kind of thing um the uh everything all spending has been frozen um as of well as January 1st all the purchase orders and everything will be Frozen and of course the budget for 2025 26 will be started um so uh there's also um Ju Just some movement with um placements within the district which would be uh money so we're just keeping an eye on that the audit um they were in uh looking at the books a us on November 4th um through the 11th that week and um state has been applied for and strategic plan we were just got getting some updates on the Strategic plan the website progress and all of that so it was really a very quick meeting um but interesting um and then on the agenda oh and our next meeting and I'm not sure who's going to be on it would be um January 7th on the agenda does anybody have oh that's true that's so forget that strike January 7th because we have the reorg on January 8th so all right um on the agenda we have the October reports and transfers and the drills as listed the bills lists for November and December St of assurance for the School Safety and Security plan and health and safety evaluation of the school buildings statement of insurance we received another donation from the uh class of 1959 for 2220 2,224 128 um and then we have two joint Transportation agreements one with Gateway and one with West ORD that's to help us uh with the busing so that's all I have Miss Alan do have anything to add to that okay all right any questions comments or discussion on non-agenda items under operations all right then can I have a motion for items one through 13 any questions for items 1 through 13 all right call please Wilson Jim bloomenstein Alison Cox Mark Gaddy Alison lipsky yes Andrea Robinson Bill Wilson Amy Davis yes thank you I'd like to recognize Miss Robinson for Education the last Education meeting was on December 9th and we were presented with the high school in service agenda for last Thursday um we also looked at the agenda for students um during the for PLC on December 17th just yesterday so we saw what each grade level was going to be doing yesterday morning uh we had an overview of a grammar pilot program which will be used in second and third grade maybe sixth and seventh definitely second and third um and I thought it was particularly um good terrible language but um that Miss Allen ended the meeting with saying that she had been encouraging administrators to give teachers positive feedback about whatever they could find and um really creating that culture of POS feedback in the high school building in particular maybe in in the whole District I think um we don't have a next meeting planned but I'm thinking it'll be January 27th if we keep with our same theme and then on the agenda tonight are the student statistics the facilities requests um field trip requests and professional development that is my report uh just a piggyback on the the um December 12th in service here at the high school was very successful it was very well received we got a lot of PD done a lot of positive feedback we did a lot of things different than what have been done before like you said just trying to change things up a little bit and I think it went well and the PLC um we had talked about some of the activities that were offered before we're going to be working on getting them and there should have been a communication that went out to all the parents telling them the kinds of things that went on we had talked about Naviance was something the ninth graders were going to do and that the parents don't always know that that's going on so in talking to the administration we decided that everything that's happening should be discussed should be sent home to the parents so you could have that conversation with the kids hey I heard you today talked about whatever so that starting to try to open that communication more and make sure that those that PLC time for the students is useful in some of the topics that the board has been interested in us exploring a little bit more for so thank you all right any questions comments or discussion on non-agenda items for Education yes I just wanted to say that um Mansion Avenue's Holiday Market which was the third this was the third they did it um was lovely I was there as the parent of a vendor and but I did walk around it was just wonderful and the art what the kids do is just because they have student vendors too and I want to give a huge shout out to Mansion because they sent something out for student vendors and I just replied is this only for Mansion or is it can Junior Senior High do it too they were like of course I think my kid was the only high school student but I will let you know um as she was like taking her W of cash and like this she was like oh I'll be doing this again next year now I know what the sellers are and I was like okay a little scary but you know she's a new entrepreneur but it was it was truly lovely and there was even a student that was making his own Comics um and there was another student who I don't know if their parent or if it was a gift to them had a 3D printer and was doing cool 3D printing stuff it just was it was really really wonderful and just the whole vibe there was just positivity and joy and inclusivity and it just was really lovely Mr Wilson I want to thank Mr Burke for bringing that to our attention showing that to us what they piloting it was a really great program I really look forward to hearing some of the teacher feedback pilot hopefully under education roll call please excuse me Jim blumenstein yes Alison C yes Mark Gaddy Alison lipsky Andrew Robinson Bill Wilson Steven Wilson Amy Davis yes all right and then may I have a motion on item 2 through 10 under education roll call please Alison Cox Mark Gaddy Alison lipsky Andrea Robinson Bill Wilson Steven Wilson Jim bloomenstein Amy Davis yes thank you thank you all right moving on to Human Resources the human resources committee did not meet last night we uh had a consens among the committee members that there just wasn't a lot pressing on the agenda that needed our immediate attention so we chose not to meet last night um I did give um I wanted to make sure that we had the negotiations update uh we had a meeting with the administrators Association on Thursday December 12th and we're anticipating a next meeting to be arranged for late January and last Friday Mrs Ron case Miss Allen and myself met with um a newly elected board member uh Miss D Franchesco for a brief orientation uh that went really well she was I think she was a little overwhelmed with the with the vast amount of information to process but um she seems very enthusiastic and and we are very happy to welcome her to to the board um on the agenda this evening there's a motion to approve resignations and uh I would be remiss if I did not note the retirement of Mr Carbone we thank him for his many years of service and I'm looking forward to recognizing him at a board meeting I'm sure to come in June so that we have a chance to um to honor him for his years of service to the district we are approving a health and PE teacher at the Mansion school we have a motion to approve school psychologist maintenance mechanic a cafeteria Aid and a special education Aid there's a motion to approve an extended long-term substitute mtion motion to approve several medical leaves of absence and an FMLA request motion to approve an extended unpaid leave of absence and we have motions to approve substitute teachers a new bus driver and a mentor motions to approve overlords over wow is that subliminal motion to approve overloads oh boy it's two meetings in a row now motion to approve a volunteer position for book club at the high school motion to approve a volunteer Art Club assistant motion to approve volunteer winter coaching positions of course a motion to approve a resolution recognizing Mr bloomenstein and a motion to approve Personnel to facilitate professional learning um any questions comments on non-agenda items under Human Resources I just wanted to make one comment I just want to make sure number 21 okay um that the amount changed in red um oh I didn't I have the old agenda okay okay thank you so under number 21 it should be partial and the pro-rated dates are January 2nd 202 24 through January 24 is that 25 or 25 oh 25 I'm sorry so be prated January 2nd 2025 through January 24th 2025 corre and the salary is $ 33330 thank you Mrs rones printed I printed my agenda out too early when we first right right right right okay all right did you have anything else to add under agent okay all right then can I get a motion I motion for items one through 25 under Human Resources any questions comments or discussion on items one through 25 Mr Stephen wion yes number 25 I'd want to thank Mr blumenstein myself um I started attending the meetings during the pandemic and um was very impressed with your leadership and your guidance through that very difficult time in the district uh and then decided to join the board and learned when miss lipsky and I joined uh our training how high functioning our board was and the more I got into the board I understood How Deeply you were involved with setting us up for success as a district um so we all owe you a lot um you also mentored Miss Davis who exellent current president so we really are in a good place because of you and you should be very proud and your family should be very proud of the sacrifice you made and the hard hard work you put in to make the district what it is today so thank you thank you um I mean I'm not sure that I should be thanking you for saying that you would recommend me to be the governor's chair but um thank you uh thank you for basically when I was a new member I told you I printed on you like a baby duck and I made you be my mentor and that you had no choice and thank you for accepting that graciously and it's just been been a wild ride so of course I can't let you can't I have to say something about you Jin um we've not always agreed but always professionalism and coming to consensus and that's what a good board is made of you know we we're all different Minds we come from different backgrounds and have different ideas but in the end it's what's best for the district and you never lost that sight even through all the crazy that we've been through and it's been much but thank you so much for your dedication and hard work and Sacrifice from family to be with this family so I appreciate everything from the bottom of my heart that you've done and the committee work Stellar thank you for having that Vision all right may I have roll call please on items one through 25 Mark Addy Alison lipsky Andrea Robinson Bill Wilson Steven Wilson blumenstein Alison Cox yes Amy Davis yes motion's pass thank you all right you can see our Hib District reports and moving on to special program Representatives Mr Steph Wilson do you have anything for ed services the meeting minutes from the October meeting um nothing terribly exciting honestly nothing that pertains to oton um but the business of the ed services committee moves forward and I continue to encourage Miss Allen and she is doing this to see what kind of synergies we can create um to save money and use ed services as much as we can because we all know how tight the budget is so I appreciate all the work that you do to try and find savings there thank you great um Mr Maxon is not here with us this evening and I was not able to attend the count school boards meeting did anybody is anyone able to make no okay um Education Foundation Mr bloomstein did you have something to so I was contacted by the um Education Foundation there's some confusion because we are now approving grants on the board the teachers seem to think that that means that they're granted the grant but we were I guess the process maybe a little bit different than what it was before apparently the board is looking at the grants and we're approving them to go forward to the a to then decide which ones they're going to but the teachers are seeing it on the agenda and thinking that their grants are then granted uh awarded and wanting the application right so I just want to make sure that we clarify and we have someone that and I will work on it too but I just want to make sure that I understand that we're all on the same page and that's what it is we're in fact approving the applications to go forward so that the a is not things that we wouldn't want them doing we're approving the application and then they still have to go to AF but I know that she had contacted me and was very concerned that people were not understanding with this extra step of the process so it's just something we want to make sure it's easy to understand and easy to fix okay makes sense um Miss Robinson anything for community outreach right now okay uh Mr Gaddy for ad hoc right okay and Miss lipsky I guess we're gonna be kind of busy coming going forward I did have an I I did send to Miss D Francesco the um the new member handbook that we had created so I sent her that digitally and uh went through and made the necessary updates Personnel changes and date changes and things like that so she did receive that and um she also received the um handbook Mrs Ron case gave her the handook New Jersey school boards provides so she does have those two pieces of information in her hands but we'll need to make sure that we meet with her and set up mentors and things like that yep all right uh board member comments anything yes Miss Robinson um I was thinking about very loud this I was just thinking how loud we are this evening should I just turn it off you back okay oh um Miss bantel's presentation from last um board meeting and just how what a great program that is and that there are probably even more students who could benefit from a similar program who might not be in her actual class and if we could look to expanding practical skills for more of our students I think that that would be really useful but I really did appreciate the detail that she gave and um that she's doing all that stuff on that note they did take the bus today to hfield I have the pictures they did today take the public transit to haddenfield school and came back and there's other programs um under the special ed that I know that there's not miss bantle but another program that went over to Mansion havin and did havin came here and did some activities and things as well I was invited to go see something and I couldn't make it to that there's other besides Mr Miss bantle and Mr bantle's programs there's some others that are doing a lot of those types of things the special department is doing a lot in in matriculating the kids and having them interact with different populations it's great life skills oh I anybody who hasn't been into the library L needs to see the the unified program which Miss ble talked about the unified students along with were you guys involved in some of that art class students worked with um some students and they together planned well you talk about it you know more about it than I do of the students involved in UniFi along with some students uh specially selected by the art teachers um spent a day planning out what they wanted to build their Ginger red house as and then spent a day building it my younger sister was involved this is why I know so much about it um there's a bunch of different ones up there that I can see right now they have one that's Snoopy they have one that's supposed to be the eagle Stadium hooville there's one modeled after the high school which I think is really cool it has the big pillars they have the London Bridge very true um so there was a lot of fun stuff and then like you were saying um preschoolers from havin came I believe the program is called shape or at least it used to be called shape um and they came and they did like pin the nose on the Snowman I think that's what's up in the lunchroom currently and they did that with some unified students as well so it was students from that program at havland uh meeting up with students in our unified program here um me and Jane are in choir and the choir sang to people that came over kids from havin came over and they just came a couple of songs that we sang we just caroled and they um sat in the cafeteria and it was really fun a lot of the kids were like feeling it they were they really they really enjoyed the songs it was really cute and really fun to interact with all them the preschool walked over to the senior to the rec center to sing for the senior citizens I hear that also was a huge hit they did little walk over they sang jingle bells oton park yes I'm Sor that's a really long walk aabon Park went to wherever night of the races was because I'm not oton and I don't know the they walked over I was going to go but they were there before I even got there but they sang and and then they all like jingle belled their way out it was apparently very well received the senior citizens very much enjoyed it you there you see that that's great great lots and lots of great K really amazing I had the pleasure of being invited to the preschool to read a Thanksgiving book the day before Thanksgiving and it was so cute so wholesome and the kids are just awesome and the teachers there do such a good job and it's such a nice part of being on the board right you have this there's a lot of work in a lot of meetings there's also like these cool little wholesome invites that we get and they practiced for me as well the the songs that they did for the seor so it was pretty awesome everyone for the kind words and um you know one of the things I miss the most and one of the things attracted me to the board was um um have different points of view and argue and and build a consensus and working through all that through all these years is one of the things that I'll miss the most um through over my time on this board I think every year as a group we've set higher and higher expectations for ourselves and I don't see that stopping and I'm you know proud to have been a part of that and proud or look forward to seeing this board as it changes continue to do that um thank you for the kind words I means a lot I'm really proud of some of the things that I was able to help um Institute on the board I think will certainly outlive you know my time on the board and I'm looking forward to you know my kids are in in the district for a while now and there's still a lot of work that needs to be done and I have an intimate um knowledge of a lot of those things so I you know will continue to follow that and and pay attention to that but you know um no you got you got three minutes three minutes but um no thank you um you know I knew I I had made this decision actually pretty much when I ran the last time so I don't have any regrets you know I I plan on doing some other things with my time but um I just want to thank you very very as I walk away very proud of of this group and um you know looking forward to seeing guys carrying on the carrying on the torch yeah thank you all right any other comments I just want to put on everybody's radar we have our reorganization meeting on January 8th we're going to need to um pick a potential Retreat date so I might send those out to you and then we're going to need to also approve meeting dates Mrs Ron case we'll approve them in at the January reorganization I just wanted to give a propos if we wanted to talk about any dates I sort of went through just to try to stay with our normal uh third Wednesdays um but if anybody sees any conflict please if we want to talk about it oh okay okay and and oh go ahead well I was going to say just right under there is May um and that always has to be before May 15 so no this has to deal with um approval of staff for next year yeah so actually May 14th is is is fine it's actually good it gives them a a long a little bit of a longer time to make sure that all that ISS to be right you know that agenda where HR has like 75 motions yes yeah that's the long n right no that's a good that's good to call out and there will are are we okay with budget are we gonna need to have an extra meeting in May uh may we do when the budget calendar comes out it will from my guessing of last year's it's we will either have the public hearing on April 30th or May 7th usually we go for the May date um okay so but we don't really advertise that now no no no no I um but we will have to have a special a budget hearing sure well and then we run into also the um Governor's one the weekend yeah right um I put the dates on there when they are yeah yeah so now the board retreat doesn't have to be advertised with our listing right now so if we oh right we can decide that later yes yes yes yes yes yes exactly yeah um I 100% weekends are looking not great for January so we may need to Pivot to a week night agreed we can definitely talk about that at reorganization any other potential pitfalls with just the proposed regular board meeting dates for 2025 it is late it is it is but the only thing I worry about is that if we do it earlier do we run into complex with concerts and stuff yes and again we have that same setup as as a late Thanksgiving that's the holiday yes we I know a few songs know a few songs I can do that all right so that looks good de okay thank you absolutely thank you for putting that together for us all right any other public participation um speakers open to anything doesn't have to be agenda items only okay none all right we do not have a need to go into a second executive session so our next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday January 8th at 6:30 no at 7 at seven de right okay yes that seven there is no there's no executive session executive and our regular board meeting would be then January and that will start at 6:30 all right um You have a motion to adjourn the meeting all in favor any opposed all right happy holidays everyone and have a wonderful new year as well you're welcome for