##VIDEO ID:0CCF9pTpmx0## 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 it's time to call to order the meeting at 7:06 of little Lake Harbor School District this is to advise the general public that in compliance with the open public meetings act the little EG Harbor Board of Education meeting was advertised in the Asbury Park Press Atlantic City Press and posted in the office of Board of Education located at 307 Frog Pond Road Little Egg Harbor New Jersey and posted at the office of the municipal clerk of little Lake Harbor let's please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance [Music] Unice all right Robert say broll call Mr phello here miss Martin here Mr Barry here M Zed here M Berber here M Lawrence here Dr Snider we will Mark Dr Snider is after for now you have for thank you now approval of the agenda Robert I believe you have an amendment to tonight's agenda uh yes we do we are going to amend the uh travel and related expenses to add on any board members who will be traveling to the school board's Conference next week that would be me that would be we have one I'll be head that and and so we're going to add your names to the traveling related expenses as per law and uh just make sure for that particular vote stay for yourselves that motion up will remind you motion to approve the change in agenda okay all right we have a motion we have a second are there any questions all right we have a roll call please all in favor I I except for me now you can you can vote Yes for that yes okay uh any abstentions motion Carri okay so now the approval of the updated the agenda recommend motion to approve the agenda can I have a motion motion can I have a second second thank you is there any questions seeing none Robert can you please take roll call all in favor I I I accept me descenders any extensions motion passes okay this is just to approve the agenda it's not this is just to approve the agenda as amended okay this is not the actual vote for the travel related expenses do you want to uh are you yes I'm for it you're for it okay motion passes all right so next approval of the minutes recommend a motion to accept the following minutes second any questions all right seeing none we please have a roll call vote all in favor I I any [Music] descenders any extensions motion carries thank you all right public comment agenda items only the Board of Education now welcomes the public to comment on the items which are on our agenda tonight community members should first try to resolve their concerns by speaking to school administrators before bringing those concerns to the board it may not always be possible or appropriate for the board to directly answer questions during public comment period each speaker is allowed a maximum of three minutes to make their statement No one may speak more than once on the same topic you are required to give your name and address before speaking please keep your comments respectful and non defamatory and maintain the level of the Quorum appropriate for a public meeting where minors may be in the audience would anyone like to [Music] speak okay seeing none correspondence informational items the following items are being presented for informational purposes correspondence from Mr Cole facilities manager correspondence from Miss maruchi technology coordinator enrollment suspension totals for the month ending in the attachment and fire emergency drill reports for the month ending in the attachment any questions all right seeing none committee reports uh anyone have any committee reports before I do the president um the transportation committee met um so I don't have great notes because Christine do that but I will say that we met with uh several administrators Dr Antunez our new um transportation coordinator Mr kofer um and this this committee the board got a full update on how Transportation has changed this year there's been a lot of changes um we're still at a loss for educational time there's still a lot of things that need to be fixed um but they gave us an update on the fleets of buses and all the buses going to George Mitchell and then to frog Bond uh still some concerning things happening um we did uh Dr runz will talk in her in her update about meeting with Pinelands so we were able to meet with Pinelands which was a good meeting um and then next steps is we will be scheduling an additional Transportation committee very meeting very soon um to come up with our our our plan because we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to the bus routes and the transportation so that's it thank you Abby any other committee reports yes the policy let me do Comm uh the curriculum committee first we met on Monday October 7th uh with Mrs Antunez Mr Green and we discussed with Miss Mrs Gallagher the director of curriculum the New Jersey uh State learning assessment results and while they weren't super great they were moving in the right direction we're going to have a presentation on that tonight and uh Mrs Galler discussed interventions that she um is spearheading to try to increase our growth in math and Ela um science scores were a concern as well and so um the committee is discussing ways in which because the first formal science test is in fifth grade so the committee is discussing ways in which we can prepare those students better in science in elementary the lower grades to um include the concepts a little bit earlier you know before before the assessment happens so good things are happening on that front um we also discussed uh the social studies curriculum and I know Mr Barry and and um oh P was absent that time but Mr Barry had suggested that he was hopeful that we could include with all the basic standards that are required we could include our United States history and New Jersey history especially in the upper grades so we're going to have go ahead and Civics yeah basic Civics education and that would tie into our citizenship and and even conduct code of conduct so we're hoping that that increases the school climate and improves things um it all ties together right so thank you for that Mr Barry and we discussed a little bit about the PD and plc's and and the fact that there there may not be happening as much as we would like and that factor is being uh worked on with the directors and the the principles and the administration um what else did I want to say oh and the goals for the scores as you'll see I guess Mrs Gallagher is going to talk more about that but we do have District goals that tie into elevating our scores and and we'll talk to her about exactly how much we're looking to see the students improve this year it's an ongoing goal okay and the policy committee I'll report on since I'm chair of that we met for two hours on October 9th discussed some policies on cell phone use which we really want to implement but we haven't come come down to a final one yet we're looking at a couple of samples and hopefully we'll have something on the books and ready to vote on next meeting any questions from anybody input thank you for the teachers on the policy committee and your input and experience appreciate that awesome all right thank you Laura any other committee reports all right uh unfortunately Dr Snider could not make it tonight uh something came up at last minute but um she will be here in next meeting so I am filling in for her today um so next up is superintendent report thank you so as Miss Martin said building administrators along with Mr kofer our transportation supervisor continues to monitor Bus arrival and departures including the timing of buses as you may be aware we are in a shared services agreement with pilins the shared services allows both pilins and Little Egg Harbor to realiz fiduciary efficiencies across the board however the timing doesn't seem to be working for the students L like Harbor therefore in an effort to work collaboratively in developing a plan that works for all involved districts we that's Mr kofer and I reached out to Pinelands we met with the superintendent the business administrator and the transportation supervisor to review the challenges that little like Harbor is facing and inquire whether there's a collaborative solution that will ultimately be a win-win for all districts involved I want to give a shout out to pilins and thank them for taking the time to meet with us in their new district offices we are maintaining da daily arrival and part of data and will be reaching out to pinland again for a follow-up meeting we are hopeful that a mutually beneficial solution may be forthcoming however we will seek options that are best for the students of little like Harbor also please be aware that homeowners who whose homes are within the school area especially during arrival and dismissal it seems that there are cars lined up along the road with no shoulders on either side so it's turning the road into a single Lane forcing the traffic to drive onto private property to allow cars to pass so while that's happening personal property has been damaged or destroyed so we just ask the community to be respectful of others properties and remember that we are one Community supporting each other uh all the back to school nights have taken place and each School welcomed parents and Guardians and thank you to those parents who are able to join us and the teachers and staff who attended while students were enjoying a holiday on Monday our staff members engaged in a variety of professional development activities a feedback form was distributed and the results are varying however there are positives and certainly opportunities for growth for which we will review and Implement as necessary and appropriate a friendly reminder that there is a chain of command when working through an issue or a concern parents ought to be with the teacher and work their way up to supervisor principal director Etc the appropriate employee will get back to you within a reasonable time frame typically 24 to 48 hours barring any unforeseen or planned circumstances teachers do get sick staff members do get sick they do go out on professional development and uh in some cases it could be a little longer it could be less time but it's best to follow the chain of command when you're doing that because you want to speak with the teacher who's actually working with your children our free and reduced numbers are are we're still we work on those all the time for lunches so there's a community eligibility provision which is called the C it's a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas every school district has it the total number we can utilize for C is 592 our total enrollment is 1683 for full reimbursement districts must have 60% of their total enrollment be directly certified we're not quite there yet we're at approximately 45% or so I know that Dr Snider brings that up and talks about that so I want to make sure that we've got that together Linda mean who who works on our in reduced lunch numbers along with our neut to serve people knows this inside and out it can be very confusing she knows this inside and out she was at every back to school night and she's making personal phone calls to people and we'll send an um we'll send a notification to all the parents and community and uh students who did not complete a an application just so that we're sure that we're getting everything that we can get and our students are getting all the services that they that they need I wanted to just bring this to the board's attention that since July 1st since July 1st we have had 30 new classified students since July 1st and 12 new special ed student transfers so since July 1st we've had an increase of 42 classified students that's huge that's a lot so when you see some motions on the agenda to hire teachers or that's the reason for it I'm bringing it to your attention because I believe it's going to continue to increase as the year goes on and we're getting into budget season so I want to make sure everybody's aware of that the audit fieldwork has been completed and the board and Community will receive a report soon I think next month Mr GRE okay so that will be coming up but so far so good looks good the week of respect took place from October 2nd through October 6 and this week affords an opportunity for districts and schools to focus on instructional efforts and programs geared toward the prevention of harassment intimidation and bullying as they work toward creating environments that are welcoming and supportive places for all to learn additionally New Jersey's week of respect coincides with national bullying prevention month which is annually observed in October again this allows school districts to observe the week of respect when there's a national Spotlight on bullying prevention efforts as we place an emphasis on promoting kindness and inclusion in schools requirements of the week of respect pursuant to statute include a mandate that school districts in order to recognize the importance of character education are required to provide age appropriate instruction focused on prevention on preventing harassment intimidation and bullying as defined in the law this week of respect is in addition to the requirement for school districts to provide ongoing age appropriate instruction on preventing Hib in accordance with the court brium content standards our administrators and teachers work every day take those teachable moments and work every day for for character education and hip prevention also October is proclaimed as National Down syndrome month National Down syndrome awareness month and this designation continues since it since they started many years ago from the national Dan syndrome Society it's a month to raise awareness and celebrate the many abilities of our loved ones with Dan syndrome the little L Harbor is doing a Step Challenge from our personnel office Mrs Tris know has been uh uh alping this Pro this this Challenge and in an effort to remind our staff to take care of themselves so that they can take care of the students approximately 88 staff members are participating in our 10,000 Step Challenge each day staff members are invited to take a break and engage in a short walk during during lunch or before after school many are forwarding pictures to Jackie and she's going to be sharing them out additionally C press is sponsoring Us in this Community Partnership so we thank cess and everybody's keeping up the good work everybody's sending little pictures with their steps of how many steps they got so that's kind of fun we are working on Shifting The Branding and the logo of little like Harbor so a brand as you know is the identity and story of an organization that makes it stand out we want to look at it so that when somebody sees something with little like Harbor they go that's little like Harbor and so to that end we're currently working on developing creating Andor updating our branding We Are One School District yes we have three schools however we are one District the students are our students and the staff is our staff so be on the lookout for Community input on the updated logo and any tline options if anybody has any great ideas send them our way we'd love to hear them and finally as Mrs Berber talked a little bit about we do have board goals and District goals the board has a draft of those goals that were sent they are separated between board goals and District goals and we can look at them you can talk about them once the board decides if they're fine with them then we will create smart goals and then we'll do a presentation to the community so that the community knows exactly what the goals are when the board approves the district goals then the administrators will know what the goals are for the year also so you have time to look at them you can talk about it revise them as necessary and then we'll present at next month's meeting that is it Mr pH thank you Dr antunes that was a lot we appreciate all that information does anybody have any questions for Dr anun so right now we're about fig we're about 50% and we need get to 60 yes we're actually a little bit less than 50% we are9 and but so we're basically uh about 7 something we are actually let me just see because I sent an email um this afternoon we are actually okay so we are actually why I want to put you on spot no that's okay we're we got you know we'd like to get everybody free to lunch we know anybody that has please have do that see we're at 63% of returned applications from our total enrollment but we need 60% from direct certification which comes from the state so that's that's the difference okay thank you okay see no more questions thank you again Dr antunes now on to presentations students of the month acknowledgements for George J Mitchell and Frog Pond Elementary I'd like to call the principles starting with George Mitchell Laura would you [Music] mind good evening I to recognize George Mitchell students of the month who were selected based on our character trat for September which is friendship Sophia Clark from Miss Burns class up to get a picture right I'd like to share what Miss Burns had to say about Sophia Sophia is an outstanding student who consistently adheres to the rules and strives to do her best she is also incredibly helpful and kind to her classmates demonstrating true leadership within the classroom I feel very fortunate to have Sophia as a student congratulations Sophia next Conor swager from Mrs panello for great congratulations Mrs cinello said Connor is a soaring first greader he is a friend who puts Safety First acts responsibly and treats others with respect Connor is kind and caring he always offers to help or lifts his friends up when he sees a need I'm so lucky to have Connor in my classroom congratulations [Applause] next is Dean Gallivan a second grader de is selected by our special Area Teachers Dean is a friend to everyone he consistently shows exceptional friendship and kindness to his classmates whether helping a friend with a problem or sharing supplies he always puts his best foot forward Dean spreads positivity and joy every day his caring nature makes our classroom a better place to be and we are so proud to celebrate him keep shining declin and last Stephen [Music] colen Stephen is a student in Mrs Chamberlin's class and Mrs Chamberlin said steu Steven is such a good friend he plays cooperatively with all his friends he is very polite and shares his toys he's a great role model for his peers congratulations everybody [Applause] [Music] smile [Music] CA okay frog pod Elementary good evening everyone we are going to start off the Frog Pon students of the month with a student from Miss cabone class Vincent Lupo come on on VC here's what Miss cavone had to say about Vincent it has been a excuse me it has been a joy to have Vincent in our class so far he's always an excellent example for all of his peers he goes out of his way to show kindness towards his friends and looks for ways to challenge himself academically when he notices he is in a spot that could possibly be distracting he makes mature decisions to move his seat I look forward to seeing all his accomplishments this year and in the years to come keep up the amazing work [Music] Vincent next from Miss mahan's class I don't see him but King Brown is another of the month King has worked so hard at the start of the school year he's put all his effort into following directions and doing his best work he started with the new math class and I'm so proud of the efforts he has shown on top of that he uses his manners in class and is a good friend to all the other students I have loved getting to know King this month and I'm so glad he is part of my class keep up the great work this year King so congratulations for King next from Miss pero class uh for Miss pero class we have Kylie fresa come on up Kylie thank you Kylie is such a good candidate for student of the month she is brand new to our school and she has already fit right in making friendships and working hard in class she has a clever sense of humor and makes me smile every day she is helpful to her classmates and tries her hardest with whatever task I ask of her she's a pleasure to spend the day with thanks for making me smile Kaye you deserve this next from Miss gun's class Alexander lasi come on up Alexander Alex comes into class every day with a bright smile positive attitude and is excited to learn Alex is friendly gets along with his peers and is very helpful I can always count on him to participate in class discussions provide an answer or explanation and even share a story Alex takes much pride in his work and is willing to accept help or suggestions if needed I am so honored to be one of Alex's fifth grade teachers this year and I look forward to seeing all of his accomplishments as we we progress with the year congratulations and last but not least from Miss Cook's class Jia eston Martinez Come [Applause] on Jenia is an absolute joy to have in my class this year said Miss cook her smile brightens up the classroom every day she's a very hard worker and a talented sixth grade student Jess is kind helpful and respectful to all students and teachers thank you Jess for being you love Mrs cook [Applause] congratulations everyone all right next i' like to call up Jackie [Music] folina yeah at this point if you would like to go home can I just say I'm sorry but I feel bad that we have people sitting on the floor well in a minute people who are going to [Music] leave at this point if you'd like to go home uh get a good night's rest we're going to continue with the meeting we'll give you about 2 minutes please come get cookies there's about 50 of them first come for [Music] serve please get some cookies thank you very much [Music] your [Music] eyes e all right so I think there's uh some people here want to say a few things um so we're going to have to amend the agenda slightly simply to make an agenda a motion to go out of order on the agenda make a motion you have a second what's okay okay got it any discussion questions all in favor any extensions no votes motion passes thank you okay Abby um so we we got wind and and we noticed that uh there were a lot of people here and we we kind of got wind that um a lot of the parents uh were here for particular reason um there's a a very special uh first grade teacher who was retiring in the middle of the year um so if there's uh any folks that would like to come up and say something on behalf that have maybe put something together you're welcome to do that now we just um change the agenda so you could leave before the presentations that we have if you'd like to so you can come up to the podium [Music] yes yeah all right away okay good okay hello okay um this is for Mrs Mason as Logan and Jackson's favorite teacher you've left an indelible mark on our family it's impossible to express just how much your guidance kindness and passion for teaching have meant to us over the years from the very first day they stepped into your classroom you created an environment where they felt safe valued and inspire spired you nurtured their curiosity challenged their minds and supported them in ways that went far beyond academics you didn't just teach them lessons from above you taught them to believe in themselves and to approach the world with empathy integrity and a sense of wonder watching grow under your care was one of the greatest Joys as a parent the stories they came home with the excitement they had for Learning and the confidence you instilled in them are things we will always treasured you were not just a teacher but a mentor a guide and a friend to them and to all of your students we're not quite sure if we should thank you or blame you but thanks to you Jackson has officially become a dieh hard yanies fan or excuse me Eagles fan suffice it to say it was a hard Hill to swallow as the born and breed Giants fan but in all seriousness it's been amazing to see Jackson so passionate about something that brings him so much joy and we know that's entirely because of your influence so from one newly initiated Eagles household to another thank you as you step into this new chapter of your life we want you to know that the impact you've made will last a lifetime you have shaped not just Logan and Jackson's Futures but the futures of countless students and for that we will always be grateful thank you Mrs Mason for everything as you step into retirement we wish you all the happiness and fulfillment we deserve and rest assured that Logan and Jackson are lifelong fans of yours even if you only manage to convert one of them to an eagles stand anyone else well um I was asked if I'd like to speak tonight about Mrs Mason and I truly feel honored to do so honestly it's the least I could do for someone that has made such an impact in my family and all these kids lives when my kids left kindergarten um Co was upon us and I didn't know if they'd ever learn to read especially with me being at home teacher because it was not good but the um the patience and the commitment and really just the love you showed these guys um reassured me that it would be okay and it is um you know exactly what they needed both physically and mentally you've always believed in all of your students um and they know it and they want to they want to do better for you and that's part of why you are so special um you motivate these kids to want to learn and want to succeed um and you do it while making it fun and that's such an important life skill my kid never complained about going to school and they had you they just enjoy your jokes your competitiveness just being around you your um incentives of Milkshakes pennies basket shots um you had your classes show up at your brother Mr Lawrence's house to trick-or treat on Halloween with the rumor that he gave out full candy bars so he did um we loved the competitiveness you showed them and the fear you instilled in them to win tug of wars and bucket brigades we love that stuff um you just brought the fun um you not want to only make these kids better students but also better people you always display such passion and love and kindness um and not only or will our kids never forget you but I'll never forget you Ed will never forget you our family feels so lucky and so blessed to have had you as part of our Lives little like Harbor really is lucky and blessed to have you you're legend or as the kids would say the goat um and you have impacted the lives of so many and like Amanda said it shows because of how many young ones you've turned into Eagles fans again Giants K my husband couldn't do it he's an Eagles fan but she did it and now we have to cheer for the Eagles I don't she do we just wish you so much happiness in your retirement you're so deserving um to spend the time with your family and friends and finding more more things you'd love to do September Beach days um we just wish you all the best and we look forward there better still be more Jeffrey ice cream trips and barbecues and we just love you and thank you so much for everything and McKenzie actually had a little something she wanted to say but she's getting nervous so all right Jord will talk though Dear Miss Mason you are the best teacher I Ever Had You make me feel like I can do anything you do so much to help others in need and I love the way that you try to make me an eagle span but that will never work you you are the best teacher of all times I'm so sad you are retiring but have fun on all the adventures you are still waiting for I love you sincerely Jordan [Applause] [Music] no [Music] dear Mason we just want to say thank you for everything you've done for it's crazy to think that we might in class 5 years that we met in class 5 years ago back then we had no idea we become such good friends but but because of you we did you always made School fun you made sure we work together and help each other now we've been best friends ever since you didn't just teach us stuff like math and reading you taught us how to be kind and how to look out for each other that's something we'll never forget we're sad that you're retiring but we hope you have lots of fun thank you for being awesome an awesome teacher and helping us become such close friends so in conclusion me and Nathan both strongly agree that you are one of the best teachers we've ever had best wishes for your retirement you will be M sincerely and Nathan [Applause] [Music] so I'm a little out of order I should have been up here with them before so I apologize I was chasing around two-year-old uh Miss Mason as you prepare to embark on this exciting new chapter of your life we wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for the incredible impact you've had on kayy and Jordan countless other students as your time as a first grade teacher from the very first day of school it was evident that you are oneof a kind your energy and enthusiasm created a vibrant class environment that encouraged curiosity and love for love Lear Kaye and Jordan would come home eager to learn eager to share stories of your engaging lessons and Adventures they experienced in your class you made every day unique and your students looked forward to going to school your warmth and genuine caring nature shown through in every interaction with all your students you understood that each child was unique and you took the time to connect with them on a personal level even the eagle son Kaye and Jordan have often shared how your words of encouragement made them feel special and valued helping them build on their confidence and their self-esteem you have a remarkable gift for seeing the potential in every child and inspiring them to reach for the stars thank you for being a caring teacher a nurturing guide and a true inspiration your legacy as an educator will live in the hearts and minds of many students you have taught we will always cherish the positive influence you've had on Kaye and Jordan and the solid foundation you've helped build during the for of years as you step into retirement we wish you all the happiness and relaxation you so richly deserve and en every moment knowing you have left a permanent mark on the hearts of your students and their families you're extraordinary and we are grateful for every moment you had on our daughter's lives with much appreciation the L family [Music] [Applause] hello Julie baretto so I wrote this um about you I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it out of the house today but for you I'm here the varetto family has been blessed for the past 11 years to know Mrs recent our oldest haly now a senior at Pinelands had her in first grade and as new parents with our first child starting through the school system we couldn't have been more blessed Mrs Mason was not only an amazing fun-spirited and supportive teacher to Haley but she was that to us as parents she always welcomed us with her beautiful warm smile she was always super supportive always reassuring always listened to us and helped us navigate our haly and our other children through their years whether they had her or not AR Reese now seventh grade and me now fourth grade were also so lucky to have Mrs Mason and by the time they had her Mrs Mason welcomed us like family always wanting to know how all five children were doing and always asked how my husband and I were doing in parenting and in life she was always genuinely invested in us even after the children moved up through the school system and her caring spirit always shined through she always went above and beyond even coming to support Haley at a middle school volleyball game seven years later just an amazing person I know of many um other 1 MA families and I know they all feel the same way thank you Miss Mason for everything through all the years we are truly blessed and grateful for you coming into our Em's life in 2013 we love you cheers to your well-deserved retirement Lany for little something she said Mrs Mason was an amazing teacher one time she got my class McDonald's she did so many special things for my class she gave us presents she was the best first grade teacher I could have asked for [Music] yes we just have a couple more to read I'm sorry no and thank you thank you to thank you to the board for um letting the you know all the One MA family speak so Mr Barry and I actually got a few others of folks that couldn't be here tonight so I'm going to read it real quick um Dear Mrs Mason the Wallace family would like to wish you a heartfelt congratulations on your retirement you are an amazing educator and you have an amazingly big heart every child that has been lcky lucky enough to be in one Ma has experienced the feeling of being part of a class that is more like a family because of you with fun inside jokes and friendly banter between Eagles and Giants fans you made your classroom somewhere every child felt safe to be who they were we are sure you will never forget the time a bunch of the kids decided to surprise you by wearing their giant jerseys to school and Jump Rope for Heart night the field day tug of wars uh winning and the crazy water balloon fights at the end of the year you set expectations very high for our son Michael's future teachers and it seems as though every year is compared to his year in 1 MA thank you for pushing him to his utmost potential and showing him that success comes from more than just good grades we love you Mrs Mason and are forever grateful for the place you hold in our hearts we hope you enjoy your well eared retirement and spending time with your family and all that Diet Coke your heart desires love always Mike Mandy Michael and Maxon Wallace Dear Mrs Mason thank you for being such an amazing teacher to both of our boys the foundation that you built for them has allowed them to flourish in every aspect of their lives your name is regular regularly brought up at our home and at our dinner table you are the gold standard Little Egg Harbor is losing a great one and we wish you nothing but the best in retirement much love the consilio family and the last one I'll read is um Dear Mrs Mason I would like to also speak tonight once I heard about this event um to honor you CU I feel inclined to let you know how special you are to my family as many of you know Mrs Mason is retiring after 25 years and I can't let her go without sharing how much she's meant to my family especially to my son Nathan when the pandemic hit it was scary and confusing time for all of us but for young children it was even harder schools closed everything moved online and we were all struggling to figure out how to help our kids stay on track that's when Mrs Mason really showed her magic she didn't just teach through a screen she made sure each of her students felt connected and cared for every day she she brought warmth and patience to Virtual learning which was painful making sure the kids felt safe and loved my son Nathan looked forward to her class even though he was at home and even though he couldn't be in the same room he felt like Mrs Mason was right there cheering him on she made learning fun she kept things calm when the world felt uncertain and most importantly she helped my son grow not just in reading and math but in confidence too Mrs Mason has a special gift and I know every student she's ever taught here at little like Harbor feels lucky to have had her so tonight I want to say thank you to Mrs Mason for all you've done for my son and for so many at little L Harbor over the years you did not just teach them you made a lasting impact on their lives we will always remember your kindness and dedication and the way you kept everything together when the whole world was falling part you are truly amazing and we will miss you so much enjoy your well-deserved retirement and know that your legacy will live on and all of the students whose lives you touched here at little EG Harbor little EG Harbor School District you are truly one of a kind with love always the entire Martin family I have the privilege of reading uh something here from your colleagues uh when we were asked to write about P we really struggled how do you take uh the respect and adoration and Prestige of a prestiged veteran teacher and put it into a single paragraph it's not easy it's not an easy feet Pam has been a staple of the first grade team a constant so instead of writing a paragraph We decided to describe her in a few words words wonderful P has touched countless student lives and has been nothing short of wonderful well spoken Pam has a way with words like no other she can make a difficult Clap the class look easy team leader Pam LED with strength and Grace and someone you can go to in times of Celebration as well in times of need graceful Pam is poised and put together she made dress down days look like a Runway Irreplaceable this word speaks for itself how can you replace someone who has been a constant and not only first grade for 25 years but also with our district respected M respected those around her and earned our respect as colleagues and a dear friend and we can honestly say when they hired Pam Mason they really got it right we love you and we'll miss you with so much love the first grade team [Applause] [Music] [Applause] for you speak I do have to say that you truly deserve this send off and you are a phenomenal person and teacher and I don't use that word L and the George mitell School will not be the [Applause] same well I've had some week Sunday we were at the Eagles game I got that uh teacher recognition Mike and I celebrated 30 years of marriage and um here we are tonight so I'm very emotional I can't thank everybody enough who has gotten up here and speak about me thank you to Mrs Martin for inviting me my glasses on this get thank you Mrs Martin for inviting me here tonight I truly believe my success as a teacher here in Little Lake Harbor was never about the instruction yes I taught the curriculum to meet the state standards however it was about making connections with students so they could succeed I am most proud of these connections that I've made with the school Community I will miss a lot of things but I will also look back on my career and my time in education Fally thank you to all who came out tonight and thank you for adding to the joy of my retirement with all these great well wishes forever one and May [Applause] everybody red would you like get a picture right up [Music] here whoever like to come up FR come [Music] on guys come right here right [Music] looking thank you very much if you'd like to head out now we'll give you a few [Music] seconds please take some cookies all right thank you uh Abby thank you for that that was uh inspiring everyone that participated that was very inspiring thank you all right let's return to the agenda I'd like to call Jackie Leno director of personnel planning and evaluation to give us a 2023 2024 hip self [Music] assessment good evening everyone I'm Jackie tresino director of personnel planning and evaluation and part of my uh one of my roles is also to be the district's anti-bullying coordinator I am presenting to you uh the 2324 Hib self assessment this is something that is required for every school district in the state of New Jersey to do every single year it must be presented to the board of education and approved by the board which is on the agenda um the attachment link has the full report and it has to be submitted electronically to the New Jersey Department ofed by October 31st 2024 they will review those scores and then the official scores are released by The NJ doe Sometime Late spring in 2025 and then I'll be presenting that again to you those District scores will also be posted on our website at that time it does include eight core elements that address the anti-bullying bill of RS act uh that all schools must follow these are those a core elements everything from the hi programs and approaches to training of the policy to our staff members and support staff um other staff instruction and and training programs uh for our school safety climate teams curriculum and instruction on hi and related information and skills our Personnel that we hire and approve for um hi investigations uh our school level procedures our district level procedure and then our state reporting there is a new um reporting requirement that started last year we are now required to report the number of times a preliminary determination was made that a possible Hib was outside of the scope of the definition of Hib and therefore not investigated as a possible hip those are typically investigated as our code of conduct uh discipline uh issues I do report those whenever I do the ssds um um presentations twice a year as well so this uh H self assessment is done when the school safety climate committees get together in September which is led by our school anti-bullying specialist at the Frog Clan school that's John McGrath the Mitch school is Sandy clo and at the ECC Megan gunson every single school in the state of New Jersey is required to have an ABS an anti-bullying specialist and they are required to be trained every single year on the anti-bullying biller rights act so after scoring that assessment they do it at their meeting um out of 78 possible points the Frog Pond's uh committee scored themselves with 76 out of 78 and Mitchell and the ECC are 78 out of 78 Frog Pond um they still think that um they would like their school safety climate team to have a little bit more training in order to get that top score um there is some discussion about possibly over interpreting the rubric and um I'm like go with your gut if you feel that that committee needs to have more training score yourself appropriately um and that's what uh they're going to be focusing on for their committee this year during that meeting they also discussed different Focus areas that they want to address during the school year at the ECC they want to continue to do um a lot of schoolwide activities they do an amazing mindful March program they want to bring in some yoga uh and teach the students that they want people coming in from outside organizations like compus to support our parents and our families and to continue to hold various different types of um evening programs for our families they're going to continue their positive behavior supports and social skills development continue to get grant funding to have those programs and they have amazing staff members like their bcba RBT social workers family partners that um support our families and our students at the mitchal school in the Frog Pond they're both going to be continuing their positive behavior in the schools um program with uh having defined expectations assemblies bus and sentive different programs to improve bus Behavior having social skills small groups and and one Focus area mostly at the Frog Pond school they identify that they really want to look at that discipline policy look at the consequences to see if there's anything that they can um suggest uh that could be changed in there as well i' like to thank you for your time and if you have any questions I'm bre it thank you very much this Bo have any questions I what was Compass what is compass uh it's an outside organization that provides supports for families um everything from grief counseling or they might be able to help with uh food insecurities different services that we can provide our families outside of our school that's that ECC utiliz there that was one of the things that they want to focus on is bringing them in or finding out having them come and do presentations for parents got it thank you any other questions thank you thank you very much all right our next presentation by Miss Melissa Gallagher [Music] njsla good evening everybody M Rachel Harper is passing out the presentation so you have it in front of you there's a lot of numbers and data so I want in all right so this is the njla L data results from the 20 uh 23 24 school year the first slide I go back yeah hold on just kidding I wanted to show you the score interpretation guide so Ela and math is a little different than science Ela math have five categories level one 2 3 four and five level one is not meeting level two is partially meeting level three is approaching level four is meeting level five is exceeding for science it's different there's only four categories and scored 100 to 300 where um ngla Ela and math is 650 to 850 and they have four categories which are uh Advanced proficiency proficient near proficient and Below proficient so we're going to talk about Ela first and there a lot of comparison data here from 22 to 23 to 24 I want you guys to see the progression that we're making here I think it's really important after um Co so when we look at this first uh total number of students tested was 781 students in ela that is an increase of 26 students from 2022 and we had an influx in third grade we had 36 extra students that came into doing um the njsla the next three are going to be about subgroups so this first one is subgroup by race I'm going to let you know the population percentage for each one so our first is Asian it's only 1% of our district that took it from grades 3 to six we have um 4% were black 10% Hispanic 5% multiple races and then total white was 79% of our population so when we look at this chart the majority of subgroups didn't the expectations as our highest um category other than black black was [Music] approaching the next is our gender which was female and male um female is 48% of our population and and male is 52% and for both female largest majority was 42% male uh very close between partially meeting approaching and meeting but meeting was the number one [Music] category all right next is our subgroups so free and reduced lunch is 50% of our student population um Section 504 is 7% elll is 1% 25% of population is special ed and 75% is General Ed when you look at this for ELA majority um for free and reduced lunch Section 504 and the General Ed population um met expectations with are highest percentage elll and special ed highest percentage is not meaning elll is a language barrier and special ed they have learned dis ability so they're both at not a good spot when we can take our njsla our next is Ela and language arts above among the grades so third grade was very close with par uh with approaching was a little higher than meeting both both about a third fourth fifth 6th and all grades was um meeting was our highest percentage so it's nice to see more green so this is one of my favorite charts I'm not going to lie I know there's a lot of data on here but it's showing the shifts that are happening with our data from 2022 to 2024 and when we look at like level one we were the all grades we were at 15.4% now we're at 13.8% we're going the right direction we're going down we want those numbers to go down we want level one and level two to go down when we look at level four from 2022 um and I I cirle things in Orange that I thought that was important um it was 35.1% 35.1% we improved from 2022 about 6% when we look at the changes from level one and level two that is how many people got out of that category so we went down 2.2% that's we want to go and then we went up 2.2% for the district now if you look at um sixth grade if phenomenal they actually moved 10.4% of the population from level four and level five so the teachers did a phenomenal job students doing a great job I think these are um a good shift that's happening within our district this is comparing our Ela to our state so I I like to highlight a lot um I highlighted the green as what we're doing above the sea and then the yellow was a little bit we're almost there so these are the comparison numbers for little leg and the state average for each grade level um fourth almost where the state's at for um meeting expectations we were actually above in fourth and sixth um but then we have uh the exceeding expectations we we're not where the state's at we're below but we did improve from last year as well um for four grade 45.9% met or exceeded expectations and in sixth grade 43.4% met or exceed expectations um and last year in sixth grade we had only 33% that met or exceeded expectations so it's it's a good growth and a good shift that's [Music] happening lastly I also enjoy this slide um if you look at like grade three grade three we went down 7.2% that's a substantial amount that left level one and level two and shifted to either level three four and five so we have some great numbers and some great growth happening and we're also comparing it to the state so if you look at sixth grade we went down 3.7 in level one and level two the state went up 4.2% so we're actually doing better than the state in the shift from level one and level two same thing with level four and level five the state they went down they're not going the right direction from level four and level five we went up 10.4% in sixth grade um and as a district went down 2.2% went up 2.2% from level one level two to level four level five so we're we're not we're going in the right direction and I think we're going to continue I believe not think that we are going to continue to go in that [Music] direction and I just want to again say great job with our staff and our students for the hard work all right next is math so total number of students in math um was 785 there was a 30 um in increased in our difference from 23 to 24 from the previous year and our first subgroup is race it's the same percentages um but if we look at the data in math it's distributed similarly in each subgroup everything is very similar no matter what subg group they're in in race a majority is is the approaching category and the approaching category is only a couple questions off like we had a lot of people in the 730s and 740s that could be anywhere from one question to three questions they're so close so um this is what we're at with our race category the next one is our gender so again this is very similar in female and in male um for female we're one3 was for in approaching one3 around one3 was in meeting same thing for mail the next subgroup is free and reduced lunch Section 504 elll special ed and General Ed and um free reduce lunch Section 504 majority was partially meaning um elll instead they were not meeting was the majority so that is something that we need to improve for the upcoming school year um the general education majority was either me or [Music] approaching so now we break it down by grade level um third grade is about the same it's about a third of approaching the third of uh meaning for fourth grade we had 37% meeting fifth grade the majority was meeting as well sixth grade is approaching and then math and all grade levels it's about a third between partially meeting um approaching and uh meeting and we do have some improvement as well in exceeding I don't want to ignore the exceeding there was something that we talked about last year at at the uh presentation we didn't have many exceeding expectations and we are getting better numbers there right so the next slide again loving the slide I know there's not a lot of data on here but let's look look at the AR and circles that's we want to look at so if you look at all grades from 2022 to 2024 we go from um level one we went down 177% all the way down to 11% we're going the right direction we do not want that number to be high when we look at our level fours we had 22.1% now we're at 30.4% if you look at fourth grade two years ago only 18 .9% met expectations we almost doubled that we're at 36.8% that's tremendous growth um and across all levels if you look at the change in level one and level two and level four and level five we are all on the plus side we're all well above 5% and at District we are 7.3% um and if you look at level one and level two we're down 6.2% there's less students in that category so we're making a positive shift and again great job to our teachers into our students because the teachers help make that happen it's also our first year of a new program so it was our first year of implementation of a new program so they're they're still learning as well this is um compared to the state so again yellow is almost there and the green is above state so we're in sixth grade we're very close to the state average fourth grade very close to meeting expectations of the state average and fifth grade we were above meeting expectations for um the state average so we have some great highlights and I also wanted to add that the third grade was only 24.4% last year um and we improved to 33.5% for meting and exceeding fourth grade last year was 31.7% this year we were at 37.8% for median exceeding fifth grade last year was 35 I'm sorry this year was 35.2% compared to 27% last year and then sixth grade is 28.3% this year for median exceed last year was 22.7% so we are [Music] growing and then lastly this is our comparison to the state from level one and level two um for level two in all grades we were down 6.2% um if you look at the sixth grade number in the state they went up we went down significantly got out of that level one level two and then we look at level four and level five all grades were up 7.3% the state didn't really grow much in level four and level five um in some grade levels they went down some they went a little bit up but we were significantly above 5% in each grade level so great job again to our our teachers and our students science we need to improve on to be honest so we have fifth only fifth grade take science is their first grade exposed to science we had 148 students tested which was a decrease from 41 students so it's their first time taking this assessment when you look at by race um we had 1% of the um population was Asian 3% black 133% was Hispanic multiple races was five and total was 78% and really in each category it was either below proficient or near proficiency with our subp groups by gender female majority was near proficient and with male is uh 48% that was below proficient so not the best numbers and also by subgroup the majority either was below proficiency or near proficiency so this is our um distribution amongst the fifth grade we had 41% below proficiency 42% near proficiency 177% proficient and 1% was Advanced now I just want to say this is not just a little egg issue that's happening this is a state issue when I go to the a monthly Ocean County curriculum meetings a discussion the state actually came down to talk to us the state and you'll see in the next slide their average was 169 that's still below proficient 200 is proficient so this is a state it's not just a a little EG um issue it is the first time you're taking science and against every three years we're not taking it against the eighth grade so it's hard to compare these um numbers that we get as well because it's you're just going year to year we don't know if they're growing if you look at the comparison of level one we did decrease in level one but we're kind of staying in the level two category there's not too much movement so the plus two we did go plus two in level one and level two and then we went down level three and level four so it's kind of going in the middle than your proficiency piece and then again what I talk about comparing to the state 200 is proficient the state's not even near 200 so we are 12 points away from the state average um only 21% of the students in the state were proficient and 6% were Advanced so that's not really spectacular numbers either for the state so all right so our next steps so first and foremost there's been a lot of changes since I've been here and we really want to keep things consistent this year all the changes so so we're just with math we're year two of implementation of the IR math program the teachers did a great job with implementation last year of it they're doing a great job this year so we're keeping it we're we're going with we're going with it we're getting better at it the students know the expectations of it and then also with the daily focus of the math calendar Ela we just had our first year of implementation of the Wonders Ela program um I've got a lot of positive feedback on this program not only that but in our self-containing resource classes we have the WonderWorks Ela program as as well so that correlates with what's happening in the regular education classrooms we're going to continue with hegerty which is K and uh first which focus on the phic awareness and then foundations focus on the F construction for K and K through thir we're going to continue with beable in grades 3 through six and Target those Lexile levels and then we have also just words and Orton Gillan programs for our tier three interventions that's are most at risk students in our ASI and in our special education classes for Math and Ela you also just updated the curcular documents so it's brand new upto-date curricular documents with the essential questions the enjoying understandings all that is in there lastly Ela Math and Science this all correlates together we have the ASI supports we're targeting those atrisk students implementing small group and personalized instruction fron has an RTI period in their day scheduled so we have focuses on small group pulling those students and what they're struggling with their standards and um working with centers special education the curriculum is not consistent with the regular education classrooms they actually have a program using that classroom so if there's a shift happening for resource it's very simple for me to go to the in-class support class they're using the same similar curriculum iel is supplemental resource that Target skills We are continuing with our Summer Splash and high impact tutoring programs and then we also are collaborating with the teachers looking at data with the focus on looking at our new programs how can we improve what we're doing and Future pday um the other piece we're really focusing on cross-curricular activities the great thing about the new Ela programs is it has science lessons and topics in there so they're being exposed to that science piece in ela as well and same thing with social studies they have that social studies component as well I ready has some stee and stem um activities and projects so it's really bringing everything together in all the subjects and that's it thank you there's a lot any questions for me does anybody have any questions comments yeah so this was given at the end of last school year right yes and then um the fifth grade science piece I know uh that's the state we take that to in fifth grade because the state says so yes um I know you know we talked about in the curriculum committee maybe putting something in place to prepare the fifth graders a little bit more because it seems like out nowhere now we introduce science and now used to you know what I mean so I mean is that something that we're thinking about for next St the Focus right now is the El Ela program to be honest with you and bringing that science piece into Ela and I already have some science components as well maybe moving forward looking at our programs and what we can do or maybe there's an assessment we can look at to have the students practice yeah yeah okay and then um is is there a I know we pil I know we did a lot of curriculum changes and have changed but um isn't there something in sixth grade that we're piloting because the ELA program we are we're piling two programs we weren't ready to choose something last year so we have one class using study sync that's the sixth grade of Wonders and then we also Dre my perspectives which is what they're using in Pilot junior high school so we want to see which would be better for our districts okay perfect thanks and I just had one question I know curriculum committee we didn't I didn't really ask you this so approaching and meeting like you said could be a couple questions off but do you see um the kids on the edge of that on the on the upper edge of the you know previous levels the levels drive me crazy all this approaching and meeting um but do you see them coming so close they're they're not on the lower end there no there's a there's a whole chunk that's like 7:35 to 7:49 and 7:49 like a little it's like one away just give it so they're leaning toward out of that yes okay yes all right good news thank you for all you're doing thank you I do want to add though that that with reduction of ASI staff and the reduction of some other staff that will have an impact on how we see that growth occur over over the year so I just want to put that out there the uh professional development when when do you have what will the teachers have time for that we had we had a wonders training that just passed and already this Monday okay so they had so wers train happened in May session one session two happened the in the October pday um I already we had outed abundance of training last year um and I brought them in again this year we do have consultants for already that come in for wonders I actually was speaking to the consultant who came in the other day to see if she can come in and help teachers lessons in their classroom and we we're working on that right now okay so you're being patient with the teachers and try and get absolutely people in here to answer that's good yeah and I also appreciate you and uh Dr Tim's reading the books and stuff like that for the ELA and looking at them first that's I think that's great that you're doing that thank you so just to sum up um based on the data that you presented that since 2022 the district is trending in the right direction in ela and math yes so what we're doing is working so it's looking like it that's awesome great great job to our teachers they're doing an excellent job I was gonna say and to our students too it's an adjust it's an adjustment for teachers and students in new programs absolutely thank you to the teachers and students who are at the front lines every single day and then also to you and your staff and the whole Administration team for sticking with this and you know taking a chance on making change and we always said let's see what the results say and looks like they're heading the right direction they are I was I was happy with them yeah just wanted to uh confirm too you had said you're ordering more Hands-On consumables right the I ready is very computer based but I ready is both we have consumables for I ready but the my path is what their path is and it goes to their instructional level that's online so that targets you it's but there's also a workbook with I ready as well um difference with Ela this year they didn't have consumables last year is very Mentor text where now every student has a consumable in front of them there's writing components happening the kids are like involved in it it's colorful I mean I mean I've heard nothing but positivity about the Wonders br and the new books that they have in front of them kids need books in front of them I'm a first grader need a book right we were happy to hear that thank you yeah I'll just say too I love seeing the paperwor come home like just seeing their work on paper and then the grading it's just wonderful I mean even for the kids just so so excited I got an A you know it's just it's just a really good change so thanks do the kids like P the paper to think it's going to change the page I I don't think so I think they're doing all right they like the pencil in their hand a little bit too good you know that's good all right thank you very much thank you appreciate it thank you all right now on to action items recommend motions to approve Finance items a through F can I have a motion please motion can I have a second second any questions or discussion I just want to point out that we are adding uh two board members uh to the travel and related expenses as per law uh to attend the um school board's Conference next week the rest other that item is under Finance number one I'm sorry it's under number two you know what I'll mark I'll mark the two board members I'll I'll mark those two board members as abstaining I see it on page is it page four up at the top no travel and related expenses reimbursement [Music] per I I my my agenda goes out of order because I'm already adding notes to the easy way to do it is say [Music] okay perfect thank you and I'll and I'll I'll make it under Finance okay that's the discussion I have any other [Music] questions no I had lots of Bill questions and Robert answer so thank you good I'm sorry no I just said thank you for answering my questions okay you're [Music] you're okay and there is a donation uh listed uh that for uh some uh kitchen Furniture to George Mitchell School it's noted here on the agenda that is from the PTA when it is in fact not from the PTA and we are going to make that change in the minutes it's a personal donation from Mrs middle Cooper oh from Tiffany middle Cooper thank you Mrs that's great going to special ed classroom will there be any other discussion no it's just nice that people are donating stuff all right so recomend recommend a motion to approve motion as as amended as amended motion second roll call please Mr phell yes M Martin yes Mr Barry yes Miss zesn yes M Berber yes um abstaining on any Finance Financial item that pertains to same with me and and we have that no Mr M Lawrence yes motion passes facilities recommend motion to approve facilities item eight motion second any questions see no questions roll call please M Mar yes Mr Barry yes m zes m arber yes M Lawrence yes Mr Phil andell yes motion passes all right recommend motion to approve School Bo School business administrators non-personnel items a through e can I have a motion motion can I have second thank you are there any questions or [Music] discussions seeing none call please miss Mar yes Mr Barry yes M zeso yes M Herber yes M Lawrence yes Mr phello yes the motion passes all right recommend motion to approve Personnel items a through J can I have a motion motion can I have a second are there any questions I uh I just have the you know problem with the uh with a r numeral one I I uh afraid with I don't know what's going to happen in uh in the in the spring with the state and I just hate being in the position of cutting staff um and I'm I'm sure this is this is really tough um but uh and I know that you know the administration needs help uh but God uh I wish I wish this were coming up later uh later in the year so we knew exactly how we stood but it's not so uh that's has nothing to do with uh uh the diligence you've done uh to find Qualified people were certainly the African but uh that's that's where I stand with this so you know I apologize but I just in conscience that's I have an exception to that so I'll be accordingly thank you Mr Barry anyone else I understand the SP positions were added to remaining compliance with the added students that we have we have choice that um just real quick I know we talked about this a little bit but um Mrs shine will will do a perdm work okay to kind of support the new hire or will it be just get us through to January when she starts before the new Hier before the new okay thanks all right I see the dates now sorry thanks okay anybody else seeing none roll call please M Martin yes Mr Barry yes with the exception of the uh uh with ran one yes I have it M um Yes except I need tostain on one Roman numeral please thank you Mr Les all right thank you recommend motion to approve super Miss arber yes yes Miss Lawrence yes Mr phello yes the motion passes on to the next we good guys recommend motion to approve superintendent schools non-personnel items a through F can I have a motion please motion thank you can I have a second second thank you are there any questions or discussion just making sure the nurs Services um plan was revised you said to to reflect the right numberb of CPR training okay thank you anyone else all right seeing none roll call please M Martin yes Mr Barry yes M zesn yes M Herber yes M Lawrence Mr vichella yes motion passes all right thank you is there any new business all right seeing none public comment the floor is now open to the members of the public the Board of Education recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues the board requests that each statement made by a participant is limited to 3 minutes as is cited in policy number 0167 there is a signin sheet located on the podium please sign in before you speak would anyone like to approach the podium all right seeing none board Forum anybody like to start start I just want to say so nice to see all the kids get the recognition I love the fact that it had to do with friendship um especially in the world that we live in today there's not a lot of friendship being demonstrated in some instances and then just to comment on Miss Mrs Mason's um the Honors that were given to her tonight were just amazing and again it's so great to see how teachers can impact and families and again we live in a world where right now teachers aren't wanting to stay in the profession and it's people I'm not sorry um I don't it's people like Mrs Mason that really are the ones that go to the VA and they're not there for the paycheck they're there for the passion and the love of children in the future so kudos to her I'm jealous as all heck but I'm coming up [Music] soon yeah it made me feel like we shouldn't even accept her visit or her retirement it was just fabulous the testimonies people had and and it's true teachers are the it's it's the second family really at school and it it's phenomenal to hear her her tenure here beautiful um I wanted to give a shout out to Frog Pond for self assessment with the school climate I I've served on some of those committees in the past and it's true it's hard it all feeds into the other like the school thread assessment and all that you really do need a good school climate and that's important to I'm glad that they want the training and that they can uplift their staff because if the staff aren't healthy mentally then they can't give the love and support to the students so that's so true so I just give a shout out to frog Pon for um wanting to improve um and I'm really looking forward to a cell phone policy because in that in that same vein we want to encourage mental health and not decrease mental health with the kids and I think a lot of electronic use does decrease mental health so I'm excited to work on that and I I forgot to say that we're meeting probably November 12th policy committee um prior to the next board meeting we'll have something for you to all review I'll email U the board regarding the um shraffs that we have for cellone policy that's a very hot topic across the country yeah it really is a lot of districts are doing it and it's I think it's overdue thank you thank you Laura Abby um just congratulations to all the students of the month um and thanks to all the folks that came out to talk about Mrs Mason congratulations on her retirement um she is truly an amazing individual and teacher and uh you know I'm lucky that my family my kids got to have her so we wish her all the best in her retirement um the school board's Conference next week I was supposed to go but I have to go travel for work so I apologize um wish I could be there and then I also will miss the next meeting in November because I'll be traveling again so that's my absence J life thank you Ben um I just congratulations to all the students this month um I think this month if I saw something correctly cyber security aess yes October you know another thing that we have to be aware of so I think this is a great policy to implement and I know that you know the second factor of education is kind of a pain in the butt but it's something that's really important I know we've beened it at my office um and uh it's just something that we really have to be aware in the society that we are and the kids that we deal with on a regular basis and what they're fa on a daily BAS to all that great thank you Ben um I just want to uh agree with all the students of the month and that's another job that's hard for teachers because I believe there's probably a lot of kids you got to just only pick one for the month or whatever and it's got to be a tough choice I you know might be optimistic about that I'm sure that there's a lot of great kids um and as far as Miss Mason goes uh you know there there's a lot of problems in education um and one of them is it's even a societal one where I don't think that we really value and respect um you know experience like that uh it's it's you know other cultures do they like to compare us to other countries and stuff and those a lot of those other countries um senior uh leadership is is uh really really looked upon uh as a you know as a as a leading force and it's a shame that you know get to the point where just you get drained and and I can appreciate that because teaching is really I I know a lot of people like to say you only work 10 months and that's uh uh well that's true because you don't get paid for the other two and uh but it's a hard job I I worked for 10 years before uh I I taught and uh as a carpenter residential and high-rise instruction and that was much easier than teaching uh you know it gave me a job to do I just did it and uh you could see right in front of you whether or not you succeeded or not um it's teaching is a tough job um and as far as you know I don't want uh uh the uh Administration you know I appreciate all you're doing I know that you're working uh over time to uh you know uh fill in do everything you can and please don't misunderstand you know the way I I wrote that stuff but I I do appreciate what you're doing and you know helpful to bring bring the teachers up uh uh to uh giving the teachers what they need to succeed is really your job and and uh you're doing that and look forward to uh seeing even more of that as far Miss Mason all I can say is I remember my first grade teacher I don't want to say her name but I still remember her name and if I have had a teacher like uh Miss Mason I think I probably would have thought a lot of better maybe but uh maybe not but I I wish my first grade teacher was like her but uh but I thank you all for what you're doing thank you Mr Barry uh before I give my comments Robert wanted to to say something yes I I I want to uh give a big compliment to a member of the business office staff uh Kim wellfield uh this week um we hit a big milestone in the business office uh our Esser funds have now been depleted and we have finished our final report to the state uh it's a big report um there was millions of dollars and and and uh Kim did all the accounting work uh for all the Essa funds um it was it was a lot was it was a lot of changes throughout the whole process and um throughout the management of the grant but she handled it well and this week the final submission went into the state and um I just want to give a big compliment to Kim wellfield of the business office because she did a really fantastic job on taking care of that thank you Robert all right um want to thank Dr antunes and the staff for the organizational chart it's one of those things that kind of gets overlooked uh but when you need it you need it and they've been working on it since the summer to make it clear make it concise and most importantly make it up to date so thank you very much for that and anyone that wants to know how our school district runs and who to talk to about things and how decisions are made an organization chart is a great start to see um you know what the positions are and who reports to who and that's on our website it's in our agenda tonight but it's also going to be on our website so uh it's a lot of hard work when you look at it you're like this is a great finished product but there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make sure it's correct and updated so thank you for that um thank you also for mentioning about Down syndrome Awareness Month uh I am a father of a son with Down syndrome and he has excellent teachers uh in Place season third grade this year and you know this district and this community has been extremely accepting of him uh with Down syndrome and as a parent of a son with Down syndrome and behalf of my wife and our kids we want to thank everybody for that uh Matteo loves going to school uh he literally runs out of the car to go to school um and then in class when he's going to different places when he shouldn't he does run to the next class because he's so excited to go to that class uh and so just the environment uh that has been created here for someone with Down Syndrome I just want to say thank you uh Miss Mason I guess from all the accolades I would suggest she writes a book because she seems to know how to do it right uh it was just amazing and thank you for you know interrupting the flow of the meeting to do that because that was very refreshing it kind of reminds me of why we're up here to you know uh create an environment for our teachers and our staff to Excel and just really make memories uh because you know this is where you're growing up this is where you go to school this is where you get your foundation for the rest of life so thank you for doing that um also just want to acknowledge again uh Miss Gallagher and her presentation that the district is heading in the right direction and you know we thank the teachers we thank the the students and we thank the administration but I also want to thank my fellow board members uh since 2022 you guys have made a lot of tough decisions even before I got on the board and Abby um and so since then our dist district has been heading in the right direction and we can see it in the results of the scores compared to what it was in the past and also Statewide so you know kind of feel appreciative of that that you had a a small part in that and finally I just want to thank my board members for your patience tonight as I took over uh at the last minute I thank you for your guidance and your support and uh I really appreciate you tolerating me tonight as your present thank you choice either but thanks Mr bar all [Music] right if I can ask the board uh two items came up uh we have information regarding the U an executive session item new information regarding an executive session item and if the board would mind just adjourning to Executive session for a short while and no action will be taken Okay so we we need an executive session no action will be taken contractual cont contractual discussion in executive session no action will be taken you're not coming back out and no we're not coming back out we will not be coming back out can I have a motion second any questions all right we will now enter executive session thank you that that was the motion to to Executive session yes all in favor I any exensions or no votes okay thank you