Yes. >> Welcome everyone. If we could all stand for the pledge of allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation
indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Before I begin, um, if there's anyone here that needs Spanish translations, was young. She's not coming. >> She must be sick.
She has Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah, okay. Okay, we'll move on now. Veronica, can I get a roll call for attendance, please? >> Miss Hernandez, >> present.
>> Mr. Organ, >> present. Miss Enriquez present. >> Miss Cabral >> present. >> Mr. Gomez Pereira >> present. >> Miss Valdas >> present. >> Dr. Neville >> present. >> Miss Kovas Caravayo. >> Miss Salaro.
>> That's seven present and two absent. >> Seven present and two absent. Thank you. Um we'll move on to the next. Um Dr. Alvea. I I know we were supposed to have a poem by um Maria Adams from
Chelsea High School, but I don't think she's here today, so I'm going to go ahead and skip over to um turn it back over to our chair. Okay. Thank you. Um school committee minutes. Um I ask for a motion to
approve the minutes of the regular meeting on October 8th, 2025. I make a motion to accept the meetings from October 8th. >> Second. >> Thank you. We'll move on to public comment. Is there anyone here that wants
to make any comment? Please raise your hand. Okay. Seeing none, we'll move on to presentations and I'll hand it once again over to Dr. Ala. Great. So, um I get the pleasure of
doing um our presentations for tonight. And our first presentation is going to be to honor our Chelsea High School boys soccer team. Um our boys soccer team uh were
championships for the GBL. So congratulations and I would like to call up Dr. Jennings and Mr. Adam Deady to say a few words because they've got to see them in action most recently and I have asked
them to share about the soccer team and the heart of who they are as a team. >> Thank you Dr. Beta. Showing heart in sports means demonstrating a deep passion and
resilience that drives athletes to give their all, fight through adversity, and to stay motivated despite challenges. It involves intrinsic motivation, grit,
and a willingness to overcome obstacles, often leading to performances that exceed physical talent alone. Yesterday when I had the opportunity to watch the boys play amazingly
at the very before the anyone kicked the soccer ball, I was taken a back and deeply impressed and actually took a photo of this picture that I'm that I'm going to describe. All the boys with their arms around each other in the middle of the soccer field got on their
knees and heads bowed. That right there was the biggest thing I could ever see. Honoring who they are, honoring their beliefs, honoring their t their passions and their talent. And
again, showing heart goes beyond talent. I want to commend you all for what I saw yesterday. first class athletes. To the seniors who have played all four years and have given your heart, your sweat,
and your tears, I commend you. I salute you. And um I would say in closing, job well done. >> Thank you, Dr. Jennings. I'm just going to speak real quick because he said it all. Um, I will say this. I didn't see a
ton of games this year, but the ones that I watched, I I was just blown away with the passion, the individuality that you all played with. You brought your own styles, your own talents, but you also played as a team. That was a tough
loss yesterday. But what I saw was the emotion and how important it was to you all. And I can tell you that I was bleeding with you on the inside watching how important it was to you, the range of emotions that you all felt. But I'll
tell you this, as someone who's a little bit older than you, just a little bit, you're going to look back on this and you're going to say, "We were the first GBL champions in years. I think first ever." Um, you went into a tough place to play and
I'll say it, although you shouldn't. There was some tough calls. There were some tough calls on that field, but you got to play through adversity and and you showed people that you can play with anybody. So, I'm looking forward to those of you returning because I'm going to be at most of those games next year
because you are fun to watch, gentlemen. You're fun to watch. Love it. And for those that don't know, um, all of our sports as a group were named, um, the most sp uh, the most spirited,
uh, team of the like teams of the of the season and good sportsmanship for all of our boys and girls that they were voted. um and won the um that award as well. Good sportsmanship. So th you guys on
the field and off the field display character, values and good sportsmanship and we are so proud of you. And at the end of the day, it's about who you are as a person and your character shines
through. And so again, congratulations on that award as well. And I'm going to have school committee uh rep. Daniel share um say each of your names. So what you'll do is he's going to say your name. You can come up here.
Um we have certificates for you and then stay as a team and we're going to take a group photo. All right. Um, first name Brian Andrade. Second name Brooke Ephraim, Hans Estrada, Josea Gonzalez,
Chris Gonzalez, Alexander Gonzalez, Eric Herrera, Emmanuel Ho, Jose Ho, Christian Lopez, Dariel Medina, Emerson Marino, Jorge Molina,
Ryan Orana, Stan Osugera, Joel Nosar, Jorge Perez, Michael Pomar, Gustavos Ramirez, Jorge Sanavaria, Vasquez, Darwin Pass Moises Ujo
Jose Anel Umansur Daniel Pencio. And if we could have the coaches on the back. >> Yes. And our coaches. >> Yes. >> The coaches. If the coaches can come up.
>> Our co the soccer coaches. See? Yes, there they are. if you can stay. Um, school uh school committee would like to take a picture with you. Dr. Beta, I just want to um also recognize um
coach Mick um who you and coach please raise your hand coach Mick who has been here coaching for many many many many many many many many many many years and so just give us support to coach Mick and his leadership. Thank you, coach. again. Um, congratulations to our boys
soccer. We're we're so proud of you. And then our next award, and I'm gonna have our school committee M member Mida Bales um share this award as she nominated this uh educator. So Mida, it's all
yours. >> Hi everyone. Good night. I hope everybody's happy we have a win. So everybody's excited. I just dominate this person because um it really break
like my heart in joy because that person went beyond his work. He's a teacher who uh spend time with kids after school and he doesn't pay for that. So he has a great heart. He wants to help other
students to succeed and he's very kind and I meet him and I feel like, you know, that's great. Um, my son was one of the kids that he helped. Um, my hand has been having a little hard time and
he spend the time with him without knowing me, without he didn't know that I was in the school committee either. So, um, he helped him um to have A's and B's and that was something that for me like made me very
happy because since he start school he never have those grades and he went beyond and I really want to appreciate the hard work that he doing beyond because a lot of teachers I know they have hard time to spend uh time after school but he had the heart to do it and
I think he's amazing teacher and amazing heart that's why this reward is for Jose Galves. >> I don't think he's here. >> We will make sure he gets it. >> Yeah. Thank you.
So, I'm going to u read off our last name, strength, and story awardees. And this is actually this award goes to many people because it's a team. And
this team are these are our um our buildings and grounds and our custodial teams at the ELC, the Mary C. B complex, the William complex, Clark Avenue, Chelsea High School. So, what I'll what I'm going to
do is I'm going to first read the ELC and then if everyone can come up as a group and then the school commit or actually the school committee members have individual awards. They're going to say the award for all the custodians at
the ELC and then you can come up. We'll take a group picture with the school committee member that has your awards. So, um I'll go ahead and start with our ELC. Yes.
Okay. From the ELC, we have Manuel Ventura, Alex Pedano, Albert Alisa, Jose Lemus, Nelson Ernnandez, Vter Dala, and Mario Rivera.
So, so as as uh Miss Neville hands their awards to them, I will read um the what they said regarding the nomination. The custodial team at the ELC led by Manny Ventura plays an invaluable role in
creating a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment for our students and families. Their hard work ensures that our classrooms, hallways, and playgrounds are clean and ready for learning every day. In addition to providing a spotless learning
environment, and it is spotless at the ELC, they bring warmth and joy to our community, always greeting students with a smile, joining in schoolwide celebrations, and lending a helping hand whenever needed. Their commitment and
dedication helps to ensure that our youngest learners can thrive in a space that truly feels like home. And I know for a fact when I go to the celebrations at the ELC, I can often times see uh Manny dressed up as a dinosaur
um dancing or part of Busy Bees on his head and high-fiving the kids. He knows the kids. They know our students. They know the students who may be struggling that day
and they truly know our students by name, strength, and story. And so they are uh part of the family at the ELC and we're so grateful. Um thank you and stand.
>> Okay. So, we're going to do a little addendum to our um protocol. So the school committee member who re who um has the awards can um read them from ch the chair's microphone so everyone can
hear their names. Um so the next group is the Mary C. Burke complex. So I'm going to read the nomination. The buildings and grounds team at the Mary C. Burke complex is amazing. Principals appreciate their responsiveness and can
do attitude. From frosting the glass on the windows that overlook the cafeteria to some quick change setup and clean up for school assemblies, kids and staff appreciate their greetings at the door after unlocking in the morning and their kind way of helping kids clean when they
make a mess at lunch. Thank you to the Mary Se Burke custodial crew for keeping our building sparkling clean and a welcoming place for kids to learn. >> The first one goes to Mr. Richie
O'Brien. Okay, Mr. Jorge and Gabrielle Portillo, Armando Perez. Jacob Lasso Na. Mr. uh Jorge Omana and if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Jorge has
been at the ELC at the Mary C. Burke complex 25 years. >> Wow. Jose Portillo, uh, Ner Laa, Juan Gavada, Eric, uh, talk nurse. Nurses.
And I have to thank them. So I I also have to thank them because you know there are little guardians sometimes because if the door closes before a certain time frame, forget about it. You have to go all the way around. Mary Cber Burke complex like the ELC, it's one way in, one way out after a certain door. So our buildings are
very safe. So these guys do it all. So thank you so much Thank you so much. you, Aaron. Okay, I'll start over. The next group is the Williams Complex. You mean you guys couldn't hear me? So, so um the buildings and ground staff at
the Williams complex are the kind of people who make things happen without needing recognition. They show up early, stay late, handle problems before everyone else even knows they exist. When a teacher or student needs help, they don't hesitate. They just get it
done. Their work keeps our building safe, clean, and ready for learning every single day. They don't do it for attention. They do it because they care about this place and the people in it. Um, and thank you for all your hard work in keeping our u complex sparkling and
clean. Um, with his grandkids right now. Congratulations. >> Um, Danny Breto here. >> Danny's not here.
>> Jose Sanchez. >> Otto Orana. Eduardo Perez, Edgar Pñena. Um, and then last but not least, Brian Cologne. Thank you. So, Okay. And now I'd like to recognize the
Clark Avenue. And here's what um staff had to say about Clark Avenue custodial staff. We are so lucky to have our buildings and grounds team at Clark Avenue. maintaining safe, clean spaces to ensuring our classrooms and common areas
are welcoming for all students and staff. Your hard work never goes unnoticed. Thank you for everything that you do to make Clark Avenue School a place where learning and community can truly thrive. Okay, I'm going to see if I can reach
this mic here. Thank you. Appreciate you. That's my chair. Um, wonderful. Jose Enriquez, >> Edwin Vega. Hector Das, Elder La Pop, Estan Hernandez. And last but not least, our um custodial
staff at Chelsea High School. >> So, what I'd like to say about Chelsea High is, and this is actually coming from our staff there, we want to give a big shout out to our buildings and grounds team at Chelsea High School. Their hard work shows up in every
hallway, classroom and shared space in our building. Whenever something needs attention, they are there quickly to re and ready to help. What really stands out is how well they know our students. They greet them by name, build relationships, and help create a school
where everyone feels seen and cared for. Their pride in our building is matched by the care they show for the people inside. We are truly lucky to have such a committed team supporting our school every day. Thank you for all that you do. And a special Thank you for me
because every time I go in, I'm always seeing things. I'm like, "Could you clean that? Could you do this?" And they they are like, "Yes, we'll take care of it." So, I just want to say thank you. And I know that that building is our largest building with the most kids and
um you have quite a task every single day to keep the building clean because it's going 24 almost like all day long in the evenings. And you have I know you have staff that work different shifts and it's constantly in use. So, I just
want to say thank you because I know that it's it's a huge task to keep Chelsea High School clean and it looks amazing. So, thank you Danielle Ducet, Richie Estabbrook, Alberto
Phelix Torres, Michael Thompson Parada, Jesus Flores, Raul Boil. >> So they're not here. >> Okay. Then some of them are probably working right now.
Okay. And for our final group, it is our team that works tirelessly for buildings and grounds. They supervise all the buildings, all everything, the maintenance. Um they are busy during
snow days um watching and and driving the c the streets on snow days letting me know uh I don't know I'm thinking of where Joe and Frank that they're here. I always call on Joe and Frank and say uh
should we have school or not? And I don't trust the weather per se the weather woman or the weather man on channel 7 or five. I trust Frank and Joe because they can tell me what's happening in Chelsea and they'll even
send me pictures at 4 in the morning or I don't know very early. But um I I also know what they do with honorable and Doug and Kim. Am I who am I who else I can I'm seeing you guys. Who else am I
missing? But I know I got everyone. Okay. I know what you do behind the scenes and it's from taking care of the HVAC if something breaks at the ELC. Hey, we have a one
floor part of the building that's cold and the other is hot. Joe, Frank, Doug, Edible, please fix this. Um, or whether it's a leak at a school or something and they're they're right there. Um, I just
want to say thank you. We have amazing buildings. We are keeping them up and we couldn't do that without this incredible team that we have and they work very hard and they never complain and you could probably call Frank or Joe
at 3:00 in the morning and they will pick up the phone. Um they're always available and Anible, Doug and Kim are always doing amazing things behind the scenes. Um, I just can't thank them
enough. The team, this is an amazing team that loves Chelsea Public Schools and I I'm I can't thank you enough because our buildings and grounds stay clean, stay safe because of you. And so
we are incredibly incredibly thankful and I know you are like you are family and um we're just so grateful that you're a part of our family. So thank you. >> Let's see if I can reach it.
Ephron Madrid Christian Satina, Philip Dyer, Calvin Land. You got it. Joseph Cooney, >> Frank Henry Thank you, >> Doug.
>> Doug, what is going on? What is this brutal welcoming they did to you? >> I know. >> This disrespect unacceptable. >> Unacceptable. >> Douglas Penna. Thank you, Kimberly Garasi.
You know, I don't know this guy very well. Ana um Santiago Santiago. >> No, I've known Ana my whole life practically. So, no, I know it's Aniva. this way and I'll sit in the middle.
>> I'm like glad you moved over. While they're getting situated, they are an amazing team and their job also includes um safety and security and all of our custodial staff. Thank you.
Fab. Hello. Gracias. Okay. So, we'll continue. We're going to start with um the report of the superintendent and we have a presentation tonight. Um our assistant superintendent uh Michelle
Martinelloo is going is going to be um doing a presentation on building a safer community, an update on school security and spring survey highlights. So I'll go ahead and turn it over to Miss Martinelloo. I bet you can hear me now. There we go.
So, we're going to be going over what we currently have for security at Chelsea High School. We currently have a total of 15 security guards. Um, all of our security guards are safety care trained, which is deescalation training. Um, they're also CPR certified and they are
sensitivity trained by our director of social work. We also have a school resource officer on site who was a student of Chelsea public schools. So, it's great to see that come full circle. Um, and Chelsea High admin have
established regular meetings with the lead security to improve communication and collaboration. One of the main focuses right now is really safety in the bathroom, making sure students aren't using the bathroom inappropriately. Um, and so there, um, the other thing we're really working on is keeping
students safe and in designated areas during lunch. So that's a big focus right now. Um, and things we're focusing on for safety in the building. We also partner with CPD and Mr. Frank Henry is a big part of that to provide training to our staff on the following. So, we do
run, hide, fight, fight drills. Um, we're also trying to overcommunicate this year when we do them so parents understand why there might be a police presence at school. Um, so those things are happening. We do deescalation training. Um, and we also we we partner
with them to identify criminal activity and with the CPD youth task force. One of the other things we implemented this year, and I know we spoke about it at the retreat, are random searches. So, the searches are truly random. Whoever
is on duty picks a random number, and it's just that number every time they go through the line. Um, and it's usually the the principal is out there and the assistant principal of operations is also present. Um, and they search the
students. We also have wands now. So students are wanded and we asked the principal to keep a log um as a school committee requested of items so that we could actually start looking at that data what we're what we're pulling from kids. I can tell you this year it's been mostly cell phones. So cell phones that
aren't in the yonder pouches. So that's really what we're finding which to be honest is a is a good thing. Um and we're using that too to help enforce our cell phone policy. So if they're pulling phones off of students at the door, they're taking the phones and locking them in the office and then they're are
doing the accountable consequences with students and it's really helping to enforce that the whole school is on board with the cell phone policy. The procedure for when we enter Chelsea High School. So doors for Chelsea High School open around 7:30 for students who
have passes to see teachers um or they can go into the cafeteria and eat breakfast. The library is also open and fully staffed in the morning. So students can go in there and they're able to um check out books, read, work on work,
and have internet access. Um I was there the other day and quite a few students do take advantage of that in the morning. So I think it's it's working out well. Um and tardy students are students who arrive after the bell at 8 a.m. They're given a pass and they're expected to immediately go to class. Um
there is there are security checkpoints as we walk through. students have to give their ID um and they're checked in by security every day. We are also really working on having student IDs worn at all times. It that's a work in progress, but it's something
that we're really trying to enforce this year um for safety measures and also the ability to take attendance quickly to be able to know who you're talking to. Um so it's it's something we're really working on and new this year so students aren't used to it. um they're just used
to having them if they need to like grab lunch sometimes, but for now it's we're trying to keep everybody with IDs. Um and the last is the cell phone policy. Um so students are required to put their phones in the yonder pouch as well as
headphones. Um anything that that any tech device really that that they could wear is supposed to be even smart watches, all of that is supposed to go in the yonder pouch. Um, and we're enforcing it with the searches. Teachers are also enforcing it. People
are trying to enforce it in the halls as well if they see it. Um, and what I've noticed, and I know there are bullet points, but kids talking to one another. You walk through the cafeteria and it's loud. That wasn't the case last year. Kids are talking to each other. Um,
they're upstairs in the library, they're playing dominoes, they're playing Connect Four, they're playing chess. Um, they're they're watching videos together. It's it's it's actually it's really I feel like it was when like I was in high school like kids are actually talking to each other and
they're looking around when they're passing each other in the hallways and and and saying hi like they're looking up. They're not in their phones. I've I've really seen a huge positive change with the no phone policy. >> And I'll turn it over to Dr. Abda.
>> So in the spring we did uh we conducted a survey and I I I wanted to make sure I'm doing I I I share about the survey and the results. We had uh over a thousand people fill out the survey and one of
the items on the survey Thank you. One of the items on the survey was about safety and security and so what I would like to do is just go over that. So if you can Thank you. Um so English lang so
this is just a summary of the survey we had over 1,200 respondents um and this is only regarding safety and security. There were other topics on the survey such as should we uh keep or change the mascot based on uh the high
school redesign and then how would we like what um smaller learning communities would we like the high school to have? And then there was there were questions regarding safety and security. And so these are these this is
just a summary. Um so English language respondents reported that mental and behavioral health support was the most important category of security whereas Spanish language respon respondents reported that physical building security
was most important. um Spanish language respondents held consistently more favorable views towards security awareness and effectiveness than English language respondents. And then respondents indicated that they believe that students would be safer if uh metal
detectors were installed. The design of the survey does not allow for determination of why respondents believe Chelsea High School would be safer if metal detectors were installed or whether metal detectors are more or less effective than any other security
measures. Spanish respondents were comfortable with the negative consequences of metal detectors while English response respondents were strongly divided. And then oops I feel like there was should be
there's yeah so that there so basically overall there was really a mix regarding metal detectors and because that is some uh an item that we were trying to get information about is there was a mixed
response to metal detectors. Um, more of the English respondents said basically they they were not they were divided about metal detectors and then Spanish responses people said that they they
think that students would feel safer with metal detectors. And again, that we asked that question because that was an item that had come up last spring and we wanted to make sure that we were listening to our community when it came
to this item. What we found though in general is that it's it's a mixed reviews. There's no there it was it's not like everyone's saying, "Oh, we want metal detectors." And some people saying we don't want them. Others are saying
we'd be fine with them. But there was it it's very inconclusive and there are mixed results. And so that completes this and um we'll take any questions. Does anyone have any questions? >> That's Johnny.
>> Um thank you so much Michelle uh for this presentation. I have a question about the operations of um searches. I know that during the youth listening session some students reported feeling targeted and I know that you um just
explained how essentially numbers chosen. Is there a grievance process process for students to sort of like I guess vocalize their their concern if they are for whatever reason feeling targeted? That's one question. I'll let you answer that before I get into the next. Um
>> I Okay, talk. Um yes, I think I think really for students, we always want them to feel like they can. So I'm I'm talking to this instance, but I would say that this is sort of the instance for all students and what we're really training all staff to do and all students to do is come forward when they
feel uncomfortable. So, I can't say that there's a formal grievance process, but we do tell students and we talk with students. Um, Dr. Abda has an advisory council, so she's talking with students. Um, and Mr. Hian and Dr. Jennings and I
are talking with students. So, I think they know that they can come to us and tell us things, especially in that situation. So, I think actually for feedback, it would be nice to, you know, just let the principal know that he should be talking to students about that as well. So just keeping that going.
>> Yeah. Awesome. Thank you for sharing that. I think that's like useful. Whenever um in front of students, whenever I'm interacting with them, if they share something like that, I'm like I can point to some, you know, here are some admin folks in your building that you can go and talk to and share um some of your thoughts or concerns. Um the
second question I have is regarding operations for entering. Um I know that you mentioned anyone after arriving after 8 p.m. is considered late. Um, and with the sort of lines, my experience
going to CHS when I was working there, it's sort of just like a mass, this is before yonder pouches were introduced. It's just sort of like a mass of kids just going in. Um, so I was talking to some students recently after yonder pouches were implemented and they had
concerns about the operations of like having their pouches unlocked. they reported having to wait upwards of 15 minutes to have their um their yonder pouches unlocked and we know that students have uh places to be and other responsibilities outside of school. So, I'm just wondering if there are any
steps that are being taken to sort of alleviate some of those initial kinks and I recognize that this is we're we're just getting started, right? Like we're um this is the first year. >> So, yes, I think it's it's a couple of things, right? So, especially in the
first few weeks of school, I was present, it was bumpy. So, um, security had to time unlocking all of the boxes at the right time for kids to come down the stairs. Then, all the APs were trying to get outside and inside and and have sort of the port portable unlocking
devices. What I've noticed is that the timing has improved. So, we're getting the padlocks off of the ones on the walls. What I think we might have to do is maybe deploy some um wall units further down past where the health office is to add another exit point plus
the to have places to unlock. I think that ultimately it's gotten better. It's definitely not perfect, but I think there are steps we can take to improve it even more. >> Glad he has Oh, go ahead. Um, so
to just go off of his point, um, I would say if a student feels targeted or not targeted per se, but if we have identified a student that might require additional intervention, I would hope that that student would have then
be um, knowledge of the support team that they would have, which would I would guess would be the principal, assistant principal, um social workers, um our our SRO's only because at that point
then you know the safety is the the goal. Um and if we do feel that a student needs to be constantly wanded, it's because we do know that there's additional activity going on that safety
concerns might be the case. So um and I guess I'm I'm not don't want to make an assumption. So um that's that's one thing I think um when we discussed the the points of the um
uh the metal detectors we discussed the facts that um our students do um are able to have multiple abilities to and liberties as far as like going outside and coming inside. So that that was something that we were really
considering at that at that point. Um to touch upon the fact that after 8:00 um they are marked tardy. Um how does that work for example because I know that right now there's the ongoing
construction and all. Is there any leeway or anything along those lines if it if there's matters beyond their control or anything like that? So, all of Chelsea public schools has the excused attendance policy. So, essentially, if a parent calls and
there's something um that the parent is reporting, usually it's excused. A doctor's note is excused. So, there there are places where we would excuse it. And then there are places that we wouldn't. Um and so that that's just the general attendance policy. If kids are
struggling though, we always encourage them, listen, let's we'll work with you. um talk to us so we know what's going on and can respond accordingly. >> Um and lastly, you said that we are working with the youth um the youth
department or the youth task force. Um have we noticed any concerns or anything along those lines as far as um from the staff or from the youth from as far as timing is concerned? Um, you did say that the bulk of the information is the
cell phones that but other than that any any reason to call for alarm? >> I would love for our student reps to share their experiences and um yeah
>> um I guess for me I just have like one question regarding the IDs. Um, I know that last year the every every student took an updated photo and uh, every student got like an ID, but what other steps have been taken um, to kind of enforce or have that um, in our school?
>> So, Mr. Bosle was working with the parent information center to be able to get all the IDs printed and out to you all. So, once that happens, they'll be handed out to you and then um, they will let you know what the the rules are going to be.
Thank you. Um and then in terms of just um the like student life and everything like that, I know that for sure like the honor pouch is like it has improved like the time in which you get them unlocked and everything like that. Um and then I know for me like I think in the
beginning of like the school year I would come like 7:55 and like there was just a huge line of like um students who were getting the honor pouch and that's when it was like rocky. Um but now I've been going to school pretty early so I haven't really experienced that. Um but I think like now seeing it it's just
very like even entering school and there's a few kids coming in it's very like seamless. Um and it's like now students know like that what they have to do. And I guess I have to point out another thing is that in Holio um I know that for a student that I've met um they
have that policy u of no phones. Um and even then like um when I went to DC um there's students who the school has that policy of no phones for the high school and students are like oh like because that's something that's enforced even if like you know they don't have pouches but for us we have pouches and I know a
few students who like may not put their phones in pouches just so they have a little bit of time at the end of the day but because there's a policy u there to be enforced it's that incentive of like not having their phone out right um and so like even then like the principle of that policy is really helping students.
I was really working and um Dr. Ba has seen like the changes in this advisory um council for the students um has you know as they um attest to just how it has been a positive impact and has really changed the student culture within our school.
>> Thank you. And I I believe I shared an article with Dr. Abeda. the um cell phone um or the yonder pouches actually have been implemented even overseas in Europe because I shared it um in Spain as well. they were and they started
implementing it as a middle school and initially the same results came about that the students freaked out at first they were like oh my gosh I can't go to you know the bathroom to check my what's up um thread but then afterwards the results came about the same the students
started interacting and um going back to learning and they had no choice but to talk to each other that those were the ultimate um feedback >> m you had something Um I just want to say that I mean um
when a policy change I think it has you know in the beginning like you say it's a little hard to manage because it's the first time they're doing this but after like a while I think it's going to go better but I mean we can see the
positive side. So I feel that I mean that's great because sometimes um we seeing uh when the kids used to have the phones it was not relationship each other it was more phone issues and I have been going to the Chelsea high
school and I have seen a big difference I see people talking I see people you know having fun and not like this so I mean I really thinking it's working I know usually the kids are going to be upset because they used to be doing
this. But I think in the end they going to be happy that their grades are getting better and relationships are more better too. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, I also think that I mean I think that kids are resilient and kids
do adapt very quickly and like Daniel said you um when you see that you need more time then you know that you need to adjust your time because you need to get there earlier in order to not be stuck in that commotion of people. So I think it also
puts responsibility on the students. Um because in reality this will be life going to work. You have to be responsible for what time you get there. They're not your boss is not going to listen to excuses of why you're not there. So I think this is all part of
the learning process that is preparation for life. Um, so I think that this policy I think all around is going to be a wonderful wonderful thing and I and a lot of schools have taken this on and I'm very happy to see they've taken it
on because we need to detach kids from these phones and get back to the connection that existed before CO because I think CO had a tremendous impact on this. Um, so I think this is a wonderful beginning for for Chelsea High
and I'm really happy that you guys are adjusting well. >> Um, I do I want to say I'm like one of those students that does come a little later to school like like reaching 7:50 sometimes, but I like there's still
really no difference to me. I mean like I've also come to school like at 8:20 sometimes, sometimes I arrive like at 8:50. It's really like in between. But regardless, the lines move really fast. They're really proficient. They have security in the front and then sometimes
on the sides of the other entrances or exits. Like it's very proficient. It's getting faster and it's like really like I don't think there should be an excuse for like a student to have their phones out or stuff like that. And it's not as time consuming. I don't think it's 15
minutes long or something. I think >> yeah, that we just need to learn how to adapt. And I think that we should >> like us as representatives but also just in general adults and students should push forward to maybe learning how to adapt our time.
>> I think it's a it's been a learning process for both ends for the students and the school. So you're sort of learning at the same time. So just be patient with each other. Um, I would also like to add on I think that this has been like a learning process for all because I feel like at
the beginning like staff like the people that were in the entrance, there used to only be like two doors that were like um checking the pouches. Now it's four. So I feel like that is what makes it go by fast because at the beginning like I've always left my house at 7:50 a.m. and I
arrive at 7:57 every single day. >> Yeah, I do. At first, um, it would be really slow and students were like coming late and they would like announce, "Okay, they're coming late." But as like the days passed, they started to have four people on each
store, so the lines move way faster now. And I get to class at 8 on the dot. >> She's on a schedule. >> Okay. Um, I think we're all set to move on.
>> Thank you, Michelle. >> Thank you so much, Michelle. >> Okay. All right. >> So, the next part of my report is our um student achievement indicators of
success. Um, I don't think we have a lot tonight, but I will call up Dr. Blake Kanty, our assistant superintendent to review what we do have. Hi, good evening everyone. Um, just a reminder to everyone that our
indicators of success are not just about numbers, but they serve as evidence of our commitment to our polic to our priorities. We consistently monitor and analyze and we're really open about our data so that we're demonstrating
integrity in our work. We hold ourselves accountable. We honor the goals that we have established and we ensure that our actions align with the outcomes that we expect for all of our students. Tonight I will only be sharing three
indicators of success, daily attendance, high school dropout and mobility rate. Our first indicator of success as it aligns with our priority rigorous and culturally relevant instruction for all
students is our daily attendance. PreK through 8th grade we're holding strong above 90% above the 90th percentile. High school we're holding steady close to 85%.
Our second indicator, high school dropout. Our high school dropout rate is very low. It is 1.19%. This indicates that nearly all students
are remaining enrolled in our school. The low dropout rate also suggests that school conditions such as positive relationships, sound instruction, and intervention practices are successfully meeting the
needs of all of our students. The final indicator of success for tonight is our mobility rate for the month of October. Cumulatively
we've had 60 students in 36 student out. That is a difference of 24. Totally combining the month of September and October. At the district level we've had 224
students in 93 students out. That is a difference of 131 student. The ELC in elementary shows modest shift. The net gain shows that families are continuing
to enter our school district at a high rate than leavein. Thank you. >> I just have one question. I was wondering if our um mobility rate especially our Well, no. So I I I'm wondering if our
mobility rate at this point in the year is similar to what we usually see for trends for like this time this part of the school year. >> We would have to look into that. I can Yeah, >> I can definitely we can definitely get that compar to monitor to see if the
trends are going for the year. >> Yeah, I'll get that out to everybody. Thank you. >> Oh, thank you, Dr. Kanty >> Dada. All right. And then next is our our student representative updates.
>> Good evening, Dr. Beta, Chairwoman Hernandez, and school committee members. Um, I wanted to start off by giving a quick update about um, seniors. Um, we finally have our venue um, which is super exciting. Um, but now that that's
all set, we've been exploring some new and creative ways to fundra um, because we have to pay for the venue, which is, you know, not cheap. Um, but also we're trying to have more events and try to make our memorable year memorable, of course. Um, but there are a lot of great ideas being
shared and we're looking forward to seeing how we can make this year um events and celebrations the best ones. Um, yep. On the athletic side, um, a big congratulations to our soccer team for becoming GBL champions. Um, there's a huge that's a huge achievement and we're
really proud of the team. I wanted to give a special shout out to Jose, our captains, Jose Ho um Brooke Efron and Christian Lopez for being leaders um on the pitch and outside the pitch and also coach Estrada and coach Mickey um for kind of really making an impact in my
life throughout my four years. And also I know for all of my teammates um uh yeah, they're very very very um cared for and um we love our coaches. Um, but as we move on to the next sports season, we got basketball, wrestling, and indoor
track starting up soon. Um, so make sure to come out and support these teams as they kick off their seasons. I also wanted to uh mention the unified sports team um within our school. I think that's something that's been amazing and I'm glad that our school is giving opportunity to all of our students. Um
finally I recently got the opportunity to go to Washington DC um for uh which was with NGLC. Um during the trip we visited both middle a middle school and a high school and honestly it was really interesting to see how differently they function
compared to us. Talking to the students gave us a new perspective on school life leadership and and what makes each community unique. It was an inspiring experience that gave me a lot of ideas to bring back home. Um that's all for now and thanks for listening. Thank you.
>> Good evening, Dr. Ala, Chairwoman Hernandez, and school committee members. I'll be giving an update about the college applications for seniors, the end of quarter 1, and the student panel at the Chelsea Children's Cabinet Retreat. It feels like the year just began, yet the first quarter is already
coming to an end. For many students, it's been an eye-opening experience. Over time, most have adapted well to using the yonder pouches. I've heard fewer complaints and seen more acceptance overall. Without technology in class, students are focusing more and as a result, time seems to fly by. As
the quarter wraps up, many students find themselves busy catching up on missing assignments or making up quizzes to improve their grades. When I talk with students, some share a sense of relief knowing summer will be here before we know it, while others feel the pressure of staying focused as we move forward.
Looking ahead to quarter 2, we know it can be challenging to keep up with classes. homework, clubs, sports, and other activities. Still, students continue to work hard to maintain good grades while balancing their academic and social lives. This past month, many seniors submitted their college
applications, whether for early decision or early action, which was due at the beginning of November. I spoke with several seniors who shared the process felt stressful, nerve-wracking, and a bit chaotic at times. Throughout the month, I checked in with them to see how things were going. And by the deadline,
everyone was able to successfully submit their applications with the support from their counselors, Trio, and Levida Scholars. In the end, the seniors expressed feeling happy, excited, and most of all, relieved. Last Friday, I had the pleasure of speaking on a student panel at the Chelsea
Library for members at the Chelsea Children's Cabinet. The group included representatives from the school department, city agencies, community organizations such as Green Roos and Boston College. The retreat focused on ways to improve the lives of children and youth in the city. One of my biggest
takeaways was hearing how passionately members spoke about the unity within Chelsea. I loved listening to the students on the panel share meaningful memories about how staff, students, and overall environment of Chelsea have positively impacted them. I was especially moved when Dr. J spoke about
how mentorship has transformed the lives of so many students. I tr I truly believe in the power of having someone who leads, motivates, and supports others towards success. This experience reminded me that Chelsea is a city full of people who genuinely care about their students.
>> Good evening, Dr. Alvea, Chairwoman Hernandez, and school committee members. I'll be speaking on grades grades upcoming performances at CHS and a great opportunity student representatives had on meeting our congresswoman Ayana Presley. As quarter 1 comes to an end,
students are now able to determine their grades better. My peers and personal friends have talked to me on how their grades have increased drastically from years. They say that starting off the grades that they received first quarter almost gives them a sense of relief and a hope that they will continue to accelerate with their grades. However,
there are some students that haven't been doing their best. From what I've gathered, a lot of the times it's because a class isn't fun or it's too boring. I hope that we can account for what these students are saying and try to make classes more engaging. At CHS, the performance art groups are
getting ready for their big winter concert set to be in December where groups like band, jazz band, and guitar will be performing songs and musical pieces that they've been learning from the from the last few years. In addition, CHS Drama Club is in its last few weeks of rehearsals for their play
Rumors. They will be running from December 4th, 5th. The show will be running from December December 4th, 5th, and 6th at 7:00 p.m. in CHS auditorium. The drama club is also still taking out donations. If you'd like to donate, please do not be afraid to come up to
me. This is the form for donations. They look like this. So, if you want to donate, you want to help out the CHS drama club, please let me know. I have some on me right now. Lastly, one of the biggest opportunities
I've had was being able to be in the same room and watch our Congresswoman Ayana Presley in action. Being able to see how Congresswoman Presley was across the the room and listen to all students and teachers issues and worries and giving her input on an issue, offering
advice, but also being transparent and telling us what she is and isn't capable of. It was really inspiring. How she was able to communicate with both the student representatives and the adults at the same time. And also being able to word herself in a way where everyone in the room is capable of understanding
meant so much. I see my reflection in her. Someone who advocates for those voices that cannot be heard. Thank you. >> I agree with you. >> I believe with I I totally agree with you and I feel that we would should feel honored that she took it from her from
her schedule and her busy life and everything that's going on right now. And she wanted to come meet with us. This was not that we asked her to come. she herself wanted to come spend time with us which means a lot. So I want to
thank her. Ayanna Presley, thank you so much for coming and spending time with Chelsea. Um we are forever grateful to anyone that's willing to spend time with us and help us in our battles. And you
put it very nicely. Thank you. >> Yes, Johnny. >> I just have a question for Daniel. You mentioned uh United Sports Team >> uh >> unified >> the unified sports team. >> What is that? >> So the unified sports team u from at
least what I know um is a it gives opportunity to special education kids to be able to play um in sports and be able to be cheered on. And um the the uh specific sport is basketball. And so they team up with um volunteers who I
believe they call them I forgot what they call them but I know that someone here works um with them and if if he wanted to present about it he >> if we can have um Mr. De share a little bit more. Yeah. >> He actually got unified sports off the
ground >> um and was very passionate about it. So, um, we had a game today and it was the first game I've been to and it was a lot of fun to watch and just a lot of joy. >> But
>> your microphone, >> you did a great job explaining it. Um, I'll just add a little bit. So it is an opportunity to create a varsity sport that is inclusive of students with and without um significant cognitive
disabilities and physical disabilities. Um so you have just a variety of types of players together. Um and they play against other teams. So every um every GBL or Greater Boston League school high school has a unified basketball team.
So, we played River High today and it was an amazing game. It was just an opportunity for kids um to get out there and be themselves. There's lots of celebrations and um it's kind of growing into a a really cool thing. Um the thing that sort of warms my heart are the
partner athletes, students without the without disabilities who are um wanting to join this team. We have varsity basketball stars from both the boys and girls team on this team and out there with their friends. and it's a way to create friendship and an inclusive
environment and it's just really a wonderful thing. I will say it's been um a huge team effort. There have been a lot of people getting into getting this off the ground, but now that it's off the ground, I think um we'll be able to run this for years to come.
>> Beautiful. Thank you so much. Thank you for working towards inclusion in our schools. >> And we had one student today after the game give us all Bad Bunny um auto uh signatures and you want my autograph. And so he he signed a piece of paper.
Bad bunny. And so we all have we all have a souvenir from today's game. >> Huh? You you Yeah. It was like all of us. We have we we have a momento. Bad bunny. >> Thank you S. That was very nice.
Okay. And now move on to our personnel report. Um we keep track of uh the uh the demographics of the educators and staff that we do hire because it's something that we are trying to be very
aware of in um diversifying our workforce. So, we've hired 27% Caucasian, 55% Hispanic, 9% black, and 9% AsianPacific Islander.
And then in terms of enrollment, which I've been keeping everybody uh updated on, our numbers as of this count are 5,776
students. >> And that completes my um reports. And I'd like to commend these two reports to the record. And thank you. That is the lowest number that I've seen in a long time. I'd like to we'll move on now to
committee reports and I'd like to get a motion to commend the committee reports to file. >> Make a motion. >> I second the motion. Thank you.
Um, see no, we're moving on now to new business. Veronica, what do I have to um, what is this called? What I lump consol
Thank you. I went blank. Could not remember. >> Um I'm going to read the new business um items in in consent. What?
So, we need a motion to um to vote on a consent agenda for items 25 SC66 through 25 SC68. I missed that number there, guys. I'll just >> I make a motion.
>> Second. >> Okay, I'll have this straight for next month. Um, first item, consideration and action to accept the awarded allocations for a private grant from the Tide Center in
the amount of $6,000. Next item is consideration and action to accept a gift of backpacks and school supplies in the estimated amount of $4,000 from the family resource center. And the next it next and final item is
consideration and action to approve on the recommendation of the superintendent an overnight field trip for 20 students and two chaperones to camp in at Chelsea High School on Friday, November 7th to
Saturday, November 8th to practice outdoor skills and practice skills in a safe environment. Does anybody have Any questions or motions on any of these?
Okay, Veronica, roll call. Okay, roll call to take a vote on items 25 SC66 through 25 SC68. Miss Hernandez, >> yes.
>> Mr. Orian, >> yes. >> Miss Enriquez, >> yes. >> Miss Cabraw, >> yes. Mr. Gomez Pereira, >> yes. >> Miss Valdas, >> yes. >> Dr. Neville, >> yes. >> Miss Kovayo, >> yes. >> And Miss Alaro, >> yes.
>> That's um eight in the affirmative and zero absent. >> Nine. >> I I said eight and then I said nine. I don't know if you heard a little nine. >> Nine in the affirmative. Zero absent. nine in the affirmative.
Okay. Um, moving on. Does anyone have any announcements? >> Yes, Johnny. >> Um, I just wanted to uh mention for families that might be watching and experiencing food insecurity. Chelsea City Hall is currently running a um food
drive. So, if anyone has any sort of abundance that they would like to offer to our families, please feel free to stop by City Hall. Um there it's mostly non-p perishable items or exclusively non-p perishable items, no items in glass. Uh and they could be donated
within the basement. Um and then the second I want to thank everyone who came out to vote um in this most recent election. We had some of the highest voter turnout um which is awesome. That's how our democracy functions. And then I also want to thank one of my
interns right here, Matthew. Um yes. Thank you. Thank you. Um, so I want to thank everyone here that has been so patient today. Um, um, so I just have a couple of um, just
so it turns out that November is uh, Movevember, which apparently I thought this whole time that, you know, it's like no shave November. Um, but as it turns out, it's brings awareness to men's health in general. Um, and I'd
like to highlight that it's also mental health awareness um, for men. And I would like to highlight that only because I would like to continue to bring awareness to that to help bring down the stigma um, regarding that aspect of it. It's also youth
homelessness awareness. Um, and it looks like daily we see um the local uh uh police pages and searching for missing teens, family conflicts, abuse and poverty. Um, children aging out of foster care and
many other reasons contribute to these um situations and what the possibilities might range um as to why. Um there's different types of uh teen homelessness. Um
there's hidden homelessness that I didn't even um know of. So it just reminds us to just be a little bit more empathetic. Um and when it comes to our youth um and then the the age group of our youth, right? Um because it does start to range at a little bit of a
younger age. Um, so if you know of someone that's suffering or might be at risk, we do have youth um, homeless liaison. We do have staff that specialize within our Chelsea public
schools um, department that help and are able to um, help stabilize them. And we are also all obviously here we have community partners as well. Um, and Jonathan already touched upon this
as far as the city hall um doing food banks. Um, there's also additional local, you know, resource centers. Um, but this really is all hands- on deck. Um, Chelsea public schools within our weekly announcements. There's constant
um initiatives. The schools are also doing uh food banks, um clothing drives. We have the Rotary uh club. We have Kowani's club. This is going to be um the holiday season approaching. So, it's going to be,
you know, clothing drives, toy drives, food drives. Um so, we it's just time for us to keep an eye on each other um collectively. So, thank you for your patience and it's just a time to remind each other to be a little bit more
empathetic. That's all for me. Good evening everyone. Um I just wanted to give a reminder. This was um an event that was um elevated by our secretary Miss Dyer um who um raised an
opportunity to share show and showcase um you know our concerns around the fiscal crisis that we're facing um not only here in Chelsea but across the Commonwealth. um there's going to be a virtual opportunity to be able to share your concerns of potential impacts that
um federal cuts that we're seeing and um the impacts that they might have in our school district and across the Commonwealth. So on November 18th, this is a Tuesday from 4:00 to 7:00, there's going to be an opportunity to share testimony on um just the different ways in which uh our community may be
impacted by the direct threats um that we're seeing from the federal level. Um and just echoing, we've seen so many amazing examples of the ways in which our our school district is making positive impacts on our students and um
this is deeply tied to um our funding and the opportunity to be able to do this um is intertwined. And so I encourage you if you have the opportunity to attend part of this um and all of our members just wanted to give you a reminder Tuesday, November
18th from 4 to 7 uh would love to to have a contingency of school committee members there too. Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Yes. >> It's not an announcement, but it's more so like a reminder for like students. I know that the quarter just ended and
it's like really hard to see sometimes your grades. Um just a little reminder that grades don't define who you are. Like your grades really don't define where you stand, where you're going to be in like 10 years from now or something like that. I know that sometimes cuz it is also mental health
month, mental mental health awareness month. Um, I know sometimes school is one of like the biggest things that can impact a teenager, especially like when a teenager has big dreams and stuff like that, but maybe their grades aren't like the best. It could be so demotivating,
but reach out for help and there's so much support in CHS. CHS has so much support. Your student um your student counselors, we have social workers and stuff like that. reach out and if you need help um yeah just reach out and
don't let grades define who you are as a person. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Yes, Maida. >> I just want to say that I mean um I am the representative of the SH
collaborative. SH collaborative is for special education. It can be for kids. It can be for adults. Um and is very good program that um you can be part of it. If you have anybody that you know that it has a special needs, very
special needs, uh this is a great program for you that you can go and you can um uh check um they have uh especially a lot of special education, a lot of people um specialist that helps
um with anything that you need. And I think um this is a great environment for the kids who really need the support. Um if you have any questions with it, this um with this short collaborative, you
can call me and I will let you know. It's uh my phone number is 857222 8244. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you, chairwoman. So, I just also I don't want to like repeat everything
that is being said that is already being known by everybody about the SNAP program that is being cut off just for the young adults at the high school, but also for community members that are listening in the community. I had the opportunity this um past uh weekend and
distributing food to the elders and veterans. So reached out to your food local food pantries, reached out to any of these um housing complex that are really in in greater need. there is a lot of people with disabilities that
cannot go to the food pantries or cannot uh go to the to the supermarket and so please go and reach out to them and I also would like to applaud uh you guys you have a a great report and we have a great future ahead of us.
>> Thank you just so I think everyone has said anything that I could possibly say. So, I thank everyone for coming out tonight, for listening to us, for being a part of everything that happened here this evening. Um, you're right, just any we
have the best representatives, school representatives, and I'm very happy that we have three of them. Um, and they're such a big part of um because you are our connection to to the students and you can really tell us honestly what's what's happening, what they're thinking,
what you're thinking, what's and we need to know. Make sure that you guys have the resources you guys need. If there's stuff that you guys don't have, please speak out. Um, bring it to us. Let us know. um because that's what we want to
do more than anything is make sure that we have the resources for you. So I want to thank everyone. Have a good evening. I'd like to ask for a motion to adjourn. >> Make a motion. >> Second.
This meeting has ended.