Good evening. Everyone stand for the pledge of allegiance, please. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. I want to let everyone know that there is a interpreter here for interpretation for anyone who needs it. Please raise your hand and just go to the back. Okay, can we get a roll call for
attendance? Go ahead, Miss Hernandez. Present. Mr. Organ present. Mr. Gomez Pereira present. Miss Balderas present. Dr. Neville present.
Miss Kovayo. Miss Sal Farrell is absent. Miss Caball is absent and Miss Enriquez is absent. Six um present, three absent. Thank you. I will pass this on to Dr.
Arda now for our awards. section. My favorite part. Well, good evening everybody. Thank you for coming. Um, this is always our favorite uh school committee and because we get
to celebrate so many of our our staff, our students, and um it's just a nice way to end the year. So, I'm very excited to start with our student of the year presentation. So, we're going to start with our first student who um the
from the Burkowitz School. So, if we could have the principal or assistant principal come up. Our teacher and our student of the year at the Burkowitz is Selma [Applause]
Sabani. It's okay. One thing that I forgot to to announce and my apologies. We're going to call up each student for to be presented with their certificate from the school committee member. Um, and then we're going to have them take a picture with
their family and their their principles and so forth. And then they can sit down again. Once we've given out all the student of the year awards, we will have them all come up and then and the entire committee will take a picture with the whole group. Okay. Thank you.
[Applause] words that she wants to share about how special you are. Selma was nominated to be student of the year for the Burkwit School with support from all of her teachers. She is a happy, hard-working student who is
always responsible and prepared for class. Selma is determined to succeed and she never gives up no matter the challenge. She puts forth her best effort in everything she does and demonstrates a strong commitment to both learning and growth. Beyond her academic
efforts, Selma is a role model in how she treats others. She consistently shows respect to both her teachers and classmates and approaches every interaction with both kindness and empathy. Selma demonstrates excellent collaboration skills when working in
groups. She has embodied all five of the school's core values and also is an active member in Girls on the Run, where she continues to grow as a confident and compassionate leader. Selma is the perfect candidate for student of the
year and I am extremely proud of her. [Applause] Just [Music] go and little Oh my gosh. Okay, our next student is from the Kelly
and if our principal from the Kelly, Miss Linew Weaver, hence teacher teachers and the student is Valeria [Applause]
Castillo. Good evening. I'm Lisa Lwaver, the proud principal of the Kelly School, and I'm here just to say how proud we are of her and introduce two of her teachers. My name is Siobhan Loving. I've been Valeria's English teacher in fourth grade. And my name is Mirand. I'm the
Spanish teacher of On the first day of fourth grade, Valeria arrived at school with a beautiful homemade poster introducing herself and expressing her excitement to get to know her class. And we knew from that moment that Valeria was going to stand out from the crowd.
We chose Valeria as the student of the year because of how she exemplifies the Kelly School motto of empathy, effort, and excellence. Valeria shows empathy by welcoming new students into her class and caring for others. She shows effort in every area of her learning. This
year, she wrote essays in both English and Spanish, aced countless math tests, and increased her English reading score by 285%. She also recently completed a 5K with Girls on the Run. Valeria's excellence shines in her biiteracy. To
excel in one language is wonderful, but to excel in two is a superpower. I have many memories from this year of handing Valeria an assignment and hearing her say, "I feel confident about this one." Valeria, we feel confident that you will continue to work hard, support the
people around you, and shine your light wherever you go. We are all proud of you. Congratulations. [Applause] Okay, our next student is from the Hook School. So if the hooks
principal and teachers can come forward and our student of the year is Aliyah Tropman. [Applause]
Good evening. My name is Dr. Crowley. I have the proud honor to introduce our student of the year, Aaliyah Tropman, and to tell you a little bit more about why she's such an amazing Hooks student, our teachers, Miss Cassada and Miss Apollo. Hello, my name is Miss Cassita and this is Miss Paulo. We are Aaliyah's
teachers this year for fourth grade. So, let's dive in. There's so much I could say, but so limited time. We've had the absolute pleasure of being Aaliyah's teachers this year at the Hook School. Aaliyah truly embodies the characteristics of a model Hook student throughout her four years at the Hook.
She has been respectful, responsible, and cooperative always. Aaliyah has such a bright and infectious personality and just radiates positivity. Whether helping a friend, leading a group project, or quietly supporting somebody who needs it, Aaliyah is always there.
She's the first to lend a hand and even a pencil from her own pencil case without hesitation. Her effort and motivation are contagious. She uplifts others and she inspires them to do their best simply by being herself. Aaliyah's dedication and hard work doesn't just stop in the classroom. Outside of
school, Aaliyah is deeply dedicated to her dance group, Funk Phenomenon. You can find her dancing for the Celtics. [Applause] Whether she's rehearsing after school,
performing at a Celtics game, or traveling to New York for a competition or show, she's always shows up the next day ready to learn with her homework complete and a smile on her face. When when we asked Aaliyah's classmates why she deserves this honor, many of
them enthusiastically said that she is kind to everyone no matter what and always helps them with their schoolwork. One student shared that the reason why Aaliyah deserves student of the year is every time someone is feeling sick, sad, or any type of emotion, she is always
there for you and she makes me feel better when I'm sad. Aaliyah has been such a beloved member of the Hook School community over the years. We know that everything that she has shown us here, her compassion, dedication, and positive spirit will carry her far in middle
school and beyond. Aaliyah, we are so proud of you. Congratulations. [Applause] [Applause]
Okay. Our next student of the year is from the Sakolki school. So if we could have our principal, Mr. Cams and teacher teachers come up. Nope. Okay. So the student of the year from the Sakalaski
school is Mate Martinez Garcia. [Applause] Good evening everyone atos. My name is Camila Mashado. I'm the proud principal of the Sakasi school and I'm joined by Miss Drew which um is mate's teacher in fourth grade. So I'm we are very proud
to recognize mate Martinez Garcia as our student of the year this school year. Mate joined our school in second grade um in our foundational classroom and she came in with very limited English proficiency. She worked really really hard um and she learned how to read,
write, she learned how to do math while also improving her English skills. In third grade, she transitional she transitioned into a general education classroom and continue growing every single day academically and personally every step of the way. So this year in
fourth grade, uh my truly found her voice. Her teachers describe her as humble, kind, determined, and a quiet leader. She always pushes herself to do her best. She treats others with respect, and she lifts up those around
her. Mate's journey is the definition of what it means. She strives, succeed, and soar just as our motto at the Soloski school. Not only in school work, but also in character. She truly embodies what it means to be a Sakowski Shark. We are very proud of you, Monte.
Congratulations. [Applause] Our next student is from the Brown Middle School. So, if we could have our amaz Katie Cook and teach is there a teacher with
you? No. Okay. So, the student of the year at the Brown Middle School is Ashley [Applause] Hernandez. Good evening. I'm Katie Cook, the proud principal of Brown Middle School. And on behalf of our staff and
eighth grade team, it's an honor to recognize Ashley Hernandez as our student of the year. The daughter of Salvador and parents and born here in the United States, Ashley has been a dedicated member of our Camino dual language program since first grade and
now graduates 8th grade truly living out the Brown's core values of community, identity, growth, rigor, and joy. Every day she lifts others up, offering help freely and often, even when there's no grade attached. She embraces and
celebrates who she is, a proud, bilingual, biiterate Salvadoran student leader and advocate and represents our school with authenticity and pride. She consistently challenges herself academically in both Spanish and English, always striving for excellence
and deep understanding. She is always evolving, not just academically, but as a confident, respected leader and person deeply committed to making a difference in her community. She brings light and positivity into every space she enters. Her energy and
smile are uplifting, and she truly makes our school a joyful place to learn and grow. Congratulations, Ashley. We can't wait to see all that you will accomplish next. [Applause]
[Applause] Okay. So, our next student is from the Morris Seagull Middle School. So, if our Mr. Mr. Talba and and teachers from the Morris Seagull Middle School could come
up. And our student is Xander [Applause] Jose. Good evening. Uh my name is Mike Talbin. I'm the principal at the Clark Avenue Middle School. And this time of year, I always enjoy when I get the email from Veronica that it's time to
pick student of the year. I then reach out to my eighth grade team and say, "Let me know who you decide." And it is not an easy decision. We have a lot of welldeserving students that could easily have been in this spot. Um, but I'm going to turn it over
to two of my eighth grade teachers, Miss Meetsky and Miss Pereella, to speak a few words about Xander. Good evening. I'm Mrs. Metsky Xander is a model of empathy and inclusivity. In a time when many teenagers retreat into their own digital
worlds, Xander stands out for his genuine connection with others. His teachers have observed him celebrate, welcome, and include fellow students, especially those he doesn't know well or isn't naturally close to. Whether he's chatting about a video game or walking
through the hallway, he makes the effort to acknowledge others by name, offering kindness, recognition, and a sense of belonging. In the classroom, that same warmth shines through. He approaches learning with enthusiasm, lifts others
with encouragement, and brings a spirit of curiosity and positivity that enriches every class he's in. For someone just 14 years old, this level of awareness and warmth is both rare and remarkable. The eighth grade team at the
Clark Avenue Middle School is proud to recognize Xander, not only for his achievements, but for the heart, integrity, and spirit he brings to our school community. [Applause] [Applause] Okay. If the principal from the right
academy, Mr. Myers and any teachers that will be presenting the student of the year. Okay, our student of the year at the right is Ara Shahim.
[Applause] Hi everybody. I'm Nate Myers. I'm the principal at the right. Uh this is my first year at the right and I can say before I turn it over to our teachers to speak about Arwa that Arwa is one of the first students to welcome me and with her natural warmth made me feel really
included right from the very start and I shared that with her family today and I think it just speaks to who she is as a person and who she will be but many other great qualities that they'll share but I just wanted to share that. Congrats Ora. [Applause] Hi, I'm Mr. Bailey. I am Arwa's ELA
teacher. It is not very often that you meet a student like Arwa. She's ready to help others at the drop of a hat, and she seeks out the most difficult problems possible, tackling advanced problems with ease. She's thoughtful, inquisitive, relatable, and reliable at
all times. She's a critical thinker who is excellent at getting everybody in the group involved and helping those who need a hand. Her kindness, thoughtfulness, and bubbly spirit uplift all those around her. And she spent this year reading everything from personal narratives, historical non-fiction, and
even a book or two on some stock tips that her dad gave her. During her Ramadan fast, she continued to display tenacious work ethic and leadership at all times when other students were not able to. She's also one of a kind in terms of looking for the problems in the world around her
and not stopping until she finds the answers. No matter where her interests take her in the future, we have no doubt that she will achieve and [Applause] persevere. Hello, I'm John Roger. I'm the lead science teacher over at WSTA.
Um, I met Awa when she was a sixth grader when Michelle invited her to give a speech at uh our faculty meeting and I was just blown away by the poise that she had and just the infectious
enthusiasm. Since then, she's rose to crazy heights. U being my head TA for two years, being a two-year participant of the Chelsea Research Festival, as well as a two-year participant um of ideas in medicine, and this year joining
the crew for Nor Eastern's I super. She's always on high honor role, but she's also a kind and gentle leader. Arwa, it could not have been it must have have been difficult to do all of
these things. However, you never made it look that way. Thank you for making our school a better place. It's been an honor to have had you. Thank you. [Applause]
[Applause] One minute. Okay, if um our principal of Chelsea High School could come up, Mr. Alan Bis and is there a teacher with you from Chelsea
High School? Call representatives. Okay. Yep. All right. So, our Chelsea High School student of the year is Aked Sanchez Romero.
[Applause] Hi everyone, my name is Alan Bosley. I am the interim principal at Chelsea High School. Um, real quick note about Anhill. when his name was nominated to be the student of the year, every person we went to said, "Yes, he is the
absolute right person for this award." So, it was pretty near, if not unanimous. So, great job. Um, I have here tonight with me, Assistant Principal Elas Reynoso and family liaison Jay Valz to say a couple words. Good evening, everybody. Um, I
just want to say to Anel, um, the choice to pick up was an easy one. Um, and I'm glad that I was able to or we were able to convince everybody else that I was going to nominate someone else that this is the choice. Um, I spent a lot of time with Anel because he's one of my he is
the president of Kasanida club that we started two years ago. Uh, it's something that we've been passionate about and he's always telling me how he can improve the school. Um, I've also talked to him a lot about what plans are for next year or what he's planning to do with his life. right now he's actually an avid cricket uh person
because he makes t-shirts with me all day long when I'm supposed to be working. Um so I appreciate the time that I spend with him. Um I do talk to my son a lot about Anhill. Uh so this is the first time he'll know about that and I actually tell him about the qualities of this young man. My son is 13 years
old. He thinks he knows everything. Um but Anel is someone that I'm always talking to him about about the opportunities that Anil has, things that he has to do and how he's doing them. So I appreciate my time with him. I am very grateful that I got to know him and I'm a better person because I know him. So,
thank you. [Applause] Anill. Hello. I'm Jay Villa's family liaison. I think he said everything. Um, I can't believe I sound nervous already, but four years ago, Angel, quick story
real quick. How much time I have? Three minutes. Two minutes. One minute. Okay. Thank you. Uh four years ago for about five to six weeks we would go to the second floor and teachers would work out in the morning do push-ups. Angel would sit there for with his headphones always
quiet um not truly interacting for like six weeks. So I find but we will pound each morning right we will pound. Finally I went up to him I said take off the headphones. What's your name? Angel. What are you listening to? Envy. Right. A week later, I go, "Look, I downloaded
the playlist." Like, "Hey, Envy is pretty cool." Long story short, got him involved with parent teacher conference volunteering. He says, "But mister, what am I going to do?" I said, "What you mean you're going to do?" "You belong to the CHS community." After that, we gave him the bug. We planted the
seed. Reynolds and I, he couldn't, we couldn't keep him away. He wanted to volunteer. He became the president. um his leadership skills. We seen it mature and I'm truly proud of you. Um and this is when you believe we treat our kids
the same at Chelsea High School. U students, right? I should say students, but to me they're all my kids. Um when you plant that seed and you see it come to fruition because okay, you believe in them and I also learned a lot from you and from Mr.
Ren also. But real quick, all right, because I didn't know I was going to say something. I'm like, let me pick up something quick. All right, I got 30 seconds left. Thank you, Angel. May the path you follow surround you with faith and love today and all your tomorrows. May May the
spirit that guides you protect you day and night in all you set out to do. May the path you seek be guided by hope and prayers. Even when you reach the highest peak, remember even when you write reach the highest peak, you keep on. Thank you for allowing me and Mr. Venoso to be
part of your journey and CHS community. Thank you. [Applause] I remember Jay telling me a couple years ago. Well, Jed's already going up there. So, you're
going to have [Applause] to We need to fix We'll need to fix this. Great. If our Chelsea Opportunity Academy principal, interm principal, Mr. Ron Schmidt, and any teachers from COA
could come up. And our student for Chelsea, a student of the year for Chelsea Opportunity Academy is Kevin Mendes. Good evening. My name is Ron Schmidt, interim principal of Chelsea Opportunity
Academy, and it's my pleasure to present two of our teachers, uh, Salea Kennan and the one and only very first recipient of the name, strength, and story award, teacher Max Benford. [Applause]
Hello. Uh, my name is Max Benford. I am a science teacher at the Chelsea Opportunity Academy and I am pleased to name Kevin Menddees as student of the year of COA. Um, so Kevin joined us in the fall
of 2023 needing 32 credits to graduate. This was something that no one had ever done before at COA, but Kevin was determined that he could do it. Over the last two years, Kevin has managed to
come to school every day while working 40 hours a week. [Applause] He has earned 25 credits and is on track to graduate next year while also quickly mastering
[Applause] English. Kevin embodies the spirit of what it means to be a COA student. Resilient, determined, and deeply committed to his growth. He has made tremendous strides this year, pushing himself academically, showing up for his
peers, and consistently demonstrating the values we hold close as a community. Kevin's positive attitude is infectious as he takes on every challenge optimistically and does so with that with Kevin's smile. He's always ready to
go. He not only pushes himself to continue growing, but he pushes his peers to continue going as well. When you don't see Kevin focusing on his own work, he's helping his peers around him. Whether that may be through academic support or motivational, telling his
classmates to always keep going. Kevin is an inspiration to everyone around him, students and staff. Congratulations, Kevin. [Applause] [Applause] Okay. And if uh Miss Mancini, our
principal from Chelsea Virtual Learning Academy, could come up. You're here. Is there a teacher with you today? No, there is not. All right. So, our uh student of the year from Chelsea Virtual Learning Academy is Chris Ravara
[Applause] [Laughter] Lemus. Greetings Dr. to school committee colleagues and most of all our students of the year and families. My name is Meg
Msini and I'm extremely pleased to present our CVLA student of the year 8th grader Christopher Gravara. Chris, you are a Chelsea Virtual Learning Academy student of the year. Tonight we celebrate not just your
achievements, but the incredible person that you've grown into before our very eyes. Teachers use words like kind, curious, honest, creative, and intelligent to describe you. Over the past four years that you've been with us, we've had the
privilege of watching you grow, not just academically, but as a leader, a thoughtful communicator, and someone who brings energy and heart into every room, whether it's virtual or brick and mortar. You ask tough questions, share
your voice with honesty and humor, and show your classmates and teachers what it means to show up fully. Whether you're through your writing, your art, or just your presence, you've made a lasting impact on our
community. Thank you for three years of service on our school site advisory council as a student representative. Thank you for your dedication to excellent grades as a consistent high honor role student every single
term. Thank you for always participating in our suitup challenges which are really challenging. Corporate volunteers work with our students online to solve a problem virtually and then students have to present. It's not an easy thing
getting students to participate. But Chris, you were always there with humor and asking if there was an Amazon gift card [Laughter] involved. Thank you for always participating in field trips, afterchool
movie afternoons where you ate more popcorn and embibed more hot chocolate than anyone I've ever seen in my whole life. And most of all, participating in your classes. Your keen mind enriches us all.
Chris, your next school, the Northeast Vocational Technical School, will be lucky to have you. My heart is is really breaking because we're going to miss you so much. We'll miss you more than you know, but we're so proud of you and
can't wait to see what's next for you, keeping exactly who you are. You are the bigrained everything. Congratulations again, Chris, Mr. Gavvara and Miss Lemus. [Applause]
[Applause] I'm going to ask at this time that all the students that received the student of the year award come up to take a picture with the school committee. [Applause] He's like me. [Applause]
Listen. Eliminated. Let's see. Okay everybody, let's move on to the next section which is the retirees and we will do the same thing
we did with the students of the year. We'll present the awards and then we will take the picture with the entire group at the end. Okay. Did everyone hear me? No. No.
Maybe it's possible. Okay. We're going to do the same thing we did with the students of the year. Once we give the awards out for the retirees, we'll present them with the award. Then we'll take at the end, we'll call them back up and we'll take a picture with the entire committee. Okay.
Sound good? Okay. Okay. Dr. Aveda. Great. So, I get to do all of our retirees. Um, so I am going to We're starting off with Mary Fus. So, Mary,
would you like to come up? Okay. M Mary is not here, but I still because retiring is such a life accomplishment, I am going to read her certificate. Um, Mary has been in the
Chelsea public schools for over 29 years and one month. Um, Mary has been a dedicated assistant cook baker since 1995 at Chelsea High School and the Williams Middle School. And she has been a positive role model for students and
staff throughout the district and has conducted her responsibilities with dignity and professionalism and has brought honor to herself, her family, and her colleagues through her contributions and dedication
to the youth of Chelsea. And therefore, be it resolved that the superintendent and the members of the Chelsea School Committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Mary Fus on her contributions to and
career with the Chelsea School Department on this the occasion of her retirement. Congratulations, [Applause] Mary. Our our next retiree is Donna
Arsenalt. Okay. So, I'm going to go ahead and read because I do want to honor our um our retire our retirees. Donna has been in the Chelsea public schools for over 23 years and 11 months.
She has been a dedicated assistant cook, baker, and security guard at the Mary C. Burke Elementary complex. She has been a positive role model for students and staff throughout the district and has conducted her responsibilities with dignity and professionalism and has
brought honor to herself, her family, and her colleagues through her contributions and dedication to the youth of Chelsea. Therefore, be it resolved that the superintendent and the members of the Chelsea School Committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Donna on
her contributions to and career with the Chelsea School Department on this the occasion of her retirement. Okay, our next retiree is Antonio Colio. Nope. Okay. Our retirees have decided that
they have retired. So, he Antonio has been in the Chelsea public schools for 23 years. Um, he has been a dedicated building maintenance man since 2001 at Chelsea High School. Antonio has been a positive role model for students and
staff throughout the district. He has conducted his responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. He has brought honor to himself, his family, and his colleagues through his contributions and dedication to the youth of Chelsea. Therefore, be it
resolved that the superintendent and the members of the Chelsea school committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Antonio on his contributions to and career with the Chelsea School Department on this occasion of his retirement.
[Applause] Okay. Our our next person is Ramon Ayala. Ramon, you have to come stand up. [Applause]
otherwise known as Chubby to to to all of us. Um, and Chubby, before I read, I just want to thank you for your 32 years of service and um, all that you've done. Our children and our staff love you. Um,
thank you for always being there for us. I know you've driven me on and and students on many occasions to field trips with stu students from the high school and just I've gotten to know you and um I'm going to miss having you
drive us to the state house or to wherever it is that we're going. Um, and I know everyone here knows you and um, you're going to be very missed, but I know it's time for you to retire. And although we don't want you to, I I know
there it's time. So, but thank you. Thank you. And be before before um I think Anieball has something he wanted to share. Oh, you have to You have to go to the
mic. Look at me. Go to the mic. You thought you was going to talk over there. I know. Good try. You ready, Chubby? All right. So, I started I'll make it short. I started at
the senior custodian at the high school in 1997. 98 1998, I'm sorry. Chubby was my employee. Uh, and he's been my right-hand man ever since. So, so right off the bat, like
Chubby knows where everything is, Chubby knows where I mean, I'm talking like if you can't find something, Chubby, I need this. So, in this closet over there, you know what I mean? So, he find it in the hobby. So, when I became heads custodian, he was already, you know, he became the, you know, the carpenter
slashmaintenance, whatever. And then um he's been my my right-hand man since then too. So he's always been by my side to guide to guide me and he could be a pain in the butt sometimes. Uh but it just just has a stubbornness to work.
You know what I mean? He does he doesn't want to stop working. So he help he's helped everybody in the system. All my seniors love him. So, uh, he's a he's a great loss in a in a way
that he's always there. He's always there. So, uh, but I want to he deserves to be retired. He's he needs to enjoy himself. Uh, so I am
going to miss him like like crazy. So his knowledge, his sense of humor, his um even even his stubborn pain in the butt stuff, you know what I'm saying? So yeah, I will miss that, you know. Uh you
know, I got my new recruits. I got Christian here today. I got uh Philip, you know, he's he's he's been teaching them like on the on a nice path on how to make things right, you know what I mean? Helping everybody out, you know?
without complaining. You know what I mean? There's a lot of times we got to work hard sometimes, you know, we got to we we have to go beyond the call of duty and he's been there. Yeah. Like you said, the rides to say I mean he'll drive you anywhere. He'll pick up
anything. He'll come back at midnight to work. He'll he'll do whatever whatever it takes. You know what I mean? So I will miss him. Love you. Thank you. [Applause]
So whereas Ramon Ayala has been in the Chelsea public schools for 32 years and Ramon has been a dedicated building maintenance man since 1993 at the Early Learning Center, Chelsea High School and districtwide.
Whereas Ran has been a positive role model for students and staff throughout the district. Whereas Ramon has conducted his responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. Whereas Ramon has brought honor to himself, his family,
and his colleagues throughout his contributions and dedication to the youth of Chelsea. Therefore, be it resolved that the superintendent and the members of the Chelsea school committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Rammon
Ayala Chubby on his contributions to and career with the Chelsea school department on this the occasion of his retirement. [Applause] Are you doing everything? [Applause]
Come on. [Applause] Okay, our next retirey is Susan McKay. All right, Susan, I have I I know Mr. Talbet
probably wants to say a few words to you. Congratulations, Sue. uh 26 years ago when I started my teaching career, I was very fortunate to have this person across the hall from me. Um it was a pleasure learning from her. And then 12
years ago when I had the privilege of moving up to be an administrator at the Clark Avenue Middle School, we hired Sue as my replacement. Um and it's been a pleasure having her in our community for those 12 years. Um despite being a
veteran teacher, she is always willing to learn. She is a great role model for our younger staff. She has been a mentor teacher. So she continues to strengthen our teaching profession. Uh and she's going to be missed. So congratulations,
[Applause] Sue. Sue, thank you. Um, I've heard I've always every every time someone has mentioned her name, it's always been she's an amazing teacher and um we're so fortunate to
have you and and have had you for 12 years and um I hope you enjoy retirements. So, I'm going to let me read your uh citation. Whereas Susan McCay has been in the Chelsea public
schools for 12 years and nine months. Susan has been a dedicated educator since 2012 at the Mory Mory H Seagull Clark Avenue Middle School. Whereas Susan has been a positive role model for students and staff throughout
the district. And Susan has conducted her responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. Whereas Susan has brought honor to herself, her family, and her colleagues through her contributions and dedicated dedication
to the staff, students, and families of Chelsea. Therefore, be it resolved that the superintendent and the members of the Chelsea School Committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Susan McCay on her
contributions to and career with the Chelsea School Department on this the occasion of her retirement. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Okay. And our next retiree is um Miss
Alan Benson. Um yay. Today's your day. Yes. Turn. Today's your day. So I met Ellen. I think Ellen, you I signed all my paperwork with you when I became superintendent and you
were so welcoming and I never forgot how sweet you were to me and helping me navigate when I first got here. Um, but you've done that for a lot of people, a lot of employees that have come through our doors and HR. You're one of the first faces that that people see in
Chelsea public schools and you're so welcoming and I'm going to miss your bubbly energy and HR. No, we're going to miss your energy. It's bubbly and we love it.
So, but um I just want to thank you. Um HR will not be the same without you. So, it'll probably be a little bit more quieter, but um but how we love you, Ellen. Um and I'm I will definitely miss seeing you on
a regular basis. And and Chelsea um especially at central office, we're kind of small here at city hall. We have a little area and um much like the school schools school community, we become like a little family. We celebrate birthdays.
We celebrate everything together and um we're family. So um we're gonna miss you. Oh, Christine. Um our HR director. Um would you like to say a few words, Christine? Hello,
Ellen. Hello, Ellen's family. Um so Ellen, we never have a dull moment with Ellen. She does the funniest things in the office. I will not mention all of them because some of it she might not
want to repeat it, but I was just thinking about when I first started. Um, this is my first director role in Chelsea. I came in 2019 and I didn't meet my team because the hiring committee was um other individuals in my
team and so um I get a call from HR and it was Ellen she's like your onboarding time is this time report to this date uh on this date very business and then she goes make sure you bring some quarters and I said okay this lady I don't know
how I'm going to feel and then I come and meet her and she's part of my team. I was like, "Okay, okay." So, I realized, "All right, I need to earn Ellen's love. It's going to take some time." And yesterday, um, Ellen came to
my office. We were talking about some things and she was just sharing, "Christine, I really like you." And I was like, "Oh, that's so sweet." And she goes, "I just don't like everything you do sometimes." So, Ellen Keys are real and we love her.
Um, I always say I rather have someone be truly honest and real than I don't know what they're thinking. Um, and one thing I also want to just share about Ellen is she really loves her family. I feel like the three children I feel like
I know you since you were, you know, in came into the family. um we've seen all all your birthdays, all the celebrations. She's so proud of her children. She's also proud of her um daughter-in-law, her son, and Ellen. We
call we call her our mama bear because she shares the same love with her team. So, Ellen, thank you for all you've done. We feel so cared for and loved. I know Ingred um is really going to miss you. She calls her her Puerto Rican sister.
and but Fatima has been adopted, also a Puerto Rican sister, but we are going to miss you. So, thank you for everything and thank you to our family for sharing Ellen with us. We will miss you. Great. So,
congratulations. All right. So, what Oh, okay. That's fine. It's okay. So, I'm going to go ahead and read your citation, Ellen. Um whereas Ellen Benson has been in the Chelsea public schools
for over 29 years and 10 months. Uh whereas Ellen has been a dedicated par profofessional, a principal clerk, administrative assistant and HR resource resource specialist since 1994 at the John Silver Early Learning
Center, the Wright Middle School, Chelsea High School and central office. Ellen has been a positive role model for students and staff throughout the district. And Ellen has conducted her responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. And Ellen has brought
honor to herself, her family, and her colleagues through her contributions and dedication to the youth of Chelsea. And therefore, be it resolved that the superintendent and the members of the Chelsea School Committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt
congratulations to Ellen Benson, her contributions to and career with the Chelsea School Department on this the occasion of her retirement. Thank you.
[Applause] [Applause] Have her family come out. Have them come up. [Applause]
Christiey's in trouble. Okay, our last retiree but not least is Ellen Coconus. Yay. [Applause]
So, Miss Allen, what to say? So, you've been with us 27 years and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you at the central office level. Um, Ellen is like a mom too, like to all
of us, including me sometimes, giving me, not that you could be my mom, but sage advice. But every time I walk in on me, how are you doing? And then it's you should try some uh macadamia nuts or no,
was it Brazil nuts? Brazilian nuts or something. Um, but I never every time every year at the high school we have a college and career fair and I said this at DT. I never make it past the front
entryway because Miss Ellen is there greeting everybody and then I stay and I talk to Ellen almost the entire time. I watch the career fair, but I never make it around because I so enjoy my time just talking with Ellen and
reconnecting. And so, um, maybe next year I'll make it through the whole career and college and career fair. But, um, Alan has also cared deeply about our students. And over the years, I know
you've you've every year there we have a routine at the end of the year. And Ellen will help and support the school counselors with all of the work that they do um with scholarships, helping students get into colleges and just
really supporting all of the work that the school counselors do. And so, um, Allan is the and her team are the team that put together all the the data for our high school graduation. They plan a lot of the
awards. And every year I get a report from Ellen about how many students are graduating, about how many millions of dollars they've earned. And um, Ellen's like, "Just give me can you like like I'm getting it together on me. I'm getting it together." But every single
year I I get this amazing report from Ellen and I look so forward to it. I don't know who's going to do that anymore. So I won't know who to call. Can I call you? Maybe you can help. I don't know. Um so I'm going to be at a little bit of a loss at the end of next
year. So you'll have to like Okay. Okay. So, but Alan, I just I just from the bottom of my heart want to thank you for being not only an amazing uh school counselor and director of
counsel counseling, but my friend. And so, I'm I'm just so grateful that I've had the opportunity to get to work with you. I've enjoyed every moment of it. And truth be told, I cannot sit at the table at the district learning team
meeting. I have at the beginning of the year I would sit at the table with Ron, Brenda, and Allan. And then I soon realized that I can't sit there anymore because I will misbehave and talk and get distracted.
And I'm like, I have to be an example. So, I have self-regulated myself at the last couple of district team leadership team meetings and sat elsewhere. Not because I don't love Ellen and Brenda and Ron and that table, but because I
know me as a learner and I have to regulate myself because I will get in trouble. And so, um, Ellen, I I'm definitely going to miss your smile and your just warmth that you bring to the work every
single day. And I actually have asked Dr. Jennings to share a few words as well. Thank you, Dr. Beta. Malik, if you could grab that for me, please. Um, you give it to Miss
Alan. Yeah. Oh, put on the floor in front of her. M. You can put it you can put it in the front of Vern. I'm sorry. I don't want. Um, so the name Ellen. Okay. It's nice and heavy. Yeah. They're beautiful. We can enjoy them
while they Yes. Yes. wonderful things about you. The name Ellen is most often associated with the meaning bright, radiant, shining light or torch. It is derived from the um Greek
word which I won't pronounce in front of Miss Ellen because I'm going to pronounce it wrong. But it too means light and is a variant of Helen the goddess. What Dr. Beta talked
about this radiance, this ability to draw people in is the light that you carry. I will miss it. You have motherthered me since the first
day I was placed in the role as your supervisor and I always knew that you had more knowledge than I could walk in at the time and even walk in right now.
But you were so kind with me and I believe my job was to walk alongside of you and I would always say to you whatever I can do to block and tackle I'm going to do it. It was a delight and it is a delight. You will be sorely
missed. I will miss you. I will miss um my mother conversations from you. Um, but as you close this chapter out and go to the next, my only request is that you continue to be the light, to be the
torch, to be the radiance that you are. [Applause] Helen, that's it. [Applause]
I I still have to read your citation. So whereas Ellen Coconus has been in the Telsey public schools for 27 years and 10 months. Ellen has been a dedicated social worker, guidance counselor, school counseling coordinator, and director of
school counseling since 1997 at the Kelly School, Chelsea High School, and districtwide. Whereas Ellen has been a positive role model for students and staff throughout the district. And whereas Ellen has conducted her
responsibilities with dignity and professionalism. And whereas Ellen has brought honor to herself, her family, and her colleagues through her contributions and dedicated to dedication to the youth of Chelsea. Therefore, be it resolved that the
superintendent and the members of the Chelsea School Committee extend their sincerest gratitude and heartfelt congratulations to Ellen Coconus on her contributions to and career with the Chelsea School Department on this the
occasion of her retirement. [Applause] All right. [Applause] At this time, could we have all the retirees that are here come up so they can take a picture together and then
with the entire school committee? All the retirees, bring up your certificate. Where's your certificate? Okay. All right. Okie dokie. I'd like to make a motion to go out of order and do the name,
strength, and story award next. I second. Okay, we're going to go out of order and do that the name, strength, and story awards. Great. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much
for that. All right. Okay. Okay. Yes. Great. Um, I first I I want to say thank you to Mr. Thomas um for
waiting. Thank you. Um so every school committee we announce a couple of name strength and story awards. Um sometimes it's just one person, sometimes it could be two, but this this school committee meeting um it
is is one person and it's our music educator for the middle schools, uh Mr. Lee Thomas. And um So Lee, um I want you to know that your work does not go
unnoticed, that we see how amazing you work with all of our middle school bands. And if any of you have ever gone to a middle school performance, you will see how amazing our students grow from
beginning band to intermediate to advance. And by the time they're in advance u band, they are amazing. And then the way you're able to to do this in just
very few short years and the sound I used I used to be in band so like the sound is it's you are and it what I what I'm seeing is when the kids get to high school and they're performing with at
the high school level it I feel like I'm at um the symphony by the time they're in high school because the sound is so rich and you do such an amazing job with all of our students and you're always at
the perform you have a lot of performances in the evenings on the weekends and oftentimes the music department I know is very busy doing weekends evenings and and you do it for
three schools not just one and we are so grateful for the work that you do. You are a talented m music instructor. So incredibly talented and we are so fortunate to have such talents and it
and it shows and I've I have seen the quality of our mu our music performances there. They are high quality and I know that starts from elementary to middle to high school. It's it's the K through 12. It's
the the whole experience. And so I just want to thank you for what you do every single day and you give. you came to our district leadership team meeting and per had our students perform and it was
beautiful and every time I go it is it is beautiful and I just and the and the selections that you choose for our students the Star Wars the the the the selections that you use to engage our students to keep them involved in music
is so important and I see I I see that too. I just from the bottom of my heart want to say thank you for all that you do and for knowing our students and their strengths and and so I am honored to um give you this name strength and
story award. Thank you. [Applause] Oops. Diana. Okay. I make a motion to go back in order.
Second. Okay. Yes. Yes. Yes. And we have another group of awards that we need to give out just and so students
and then these are two more groups actually. Okay. Okay, we can go back in order. Okay, go back in order. Okay, I asked who made the motion to go back in
order and who second it. Okay. Okay. We'll go back in order. We move on to the school committee minutes. Um I make a make a motion for approval of the minutes of the regular school committee me meeting on May 7th, 2025.
Motion. A motion. Second. We'll move on now to public comment. Is there anyone in the group who needs to make any comments? Seeing none, we'll move on to the report of the superintendent of
schools. I'll hand it over back to Dr. Ala. Okay, great. Uh, do we have success indicators for today? Okay, good evening.
Um as you know our um success our indicators of success are connected to our strategic plan which laid out the five priorities for our school department. Um today I will tonight I will be sharing with you our daily attendance,
high school dropout and our mobility rate which is all connected to our first priority which is culturally responsive teaching and learning. In grades 1 through 8, the daily attendance rate for the month of
May ranges from 92 to 93%. Year to date, it is 91.9. It is 92% on an average. For grades 9 through 12, the average attendance
rate for the month of May is 79%. And year to date, it is 81%. For our students in kindergarten and prek, the average attendance rate for
the month of May is 90%. And year to date, it is also 90%. For our high school dropout rate, the number of students who have dropped out thus far is 77.
When compared to last school year of 2324 at 134 that is a difference of 57 students. The percentage of dropout rate from last school year was
7.24%. Today it is 4.21%. That's a huge difference of three%. So we are keeping and sustaining our students despite the challenges we are currently
facing. For our mobility rate at the ELC, we've had four students in, three students out. So we were able to retain one student. At the elementary
level, we had nine students in, 10 students out, which is a difference of one. At the middle school level, we've had seven students in, two students out. That's an increase
of five. At the high school level, nine students in, 14 students out. That is a difference of five. The district total for May 29
students in 29 students out we are neutral. However, the um total mobility rate from September to current, we've had se
723 students in, 578 students out. That is a difference of 145 students. In the fall, Dr. A beta will share academic outcome as the data
becomes more ready. We're currently serving students, but the data is really looking amazing. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Tamara Blakey. Okay. So for our personal personnel updates because it's the end of the year
we're not we are have not been doing a lot of hiring but we've of the hireers that we have hired we have hired 50% Caucasian 50% Hispanic and
then our enrollment for as of 62 is at 6,112. So, I would like to commend these two reports for the record. And that completes my report and
we'll have our student reports, our last um Chelsea height, our last student reports for the year as we say goodbye to our amazing um student reps. Apologies. Um, uh, good evening, Madame Chairwoman
Hernandez, Superintendent Dr. and the rest of the school committee members. I hope everyone has been having uh has been enjoying spring and the arrival of summer. I would like to start by sharing some updates from the high
school. Apologies. On May 19th, uh Chelsea High School had a se ceremony for the seal seal of by literacy um where more than 50 students received the seal of biteracy and four students received the seal of literacy with
distinction. Congratulations to them and their families. Um yesterday, June 4th, uh Chelsea High School held held its senior awards ceremony. Awards from the department of English, visual arts, performing arts, history, science,
music, and math were awarded to seniors who displayed a great uh contribution and achievements in said departments. I would also like to politely brag that I got the award for the math department. Yes.
At the senior award ceremony, scholarship winners were also announced. Um, and students who attended got uh were given a medal and those who couldn't attend will be receiving their medals either at
practice I mean received their medals either at practice graduation practice today or tomorrow or at graduation before graduation starts. Uh, speaking of pract uh, graduation practices, students are expected to attend both
practices, but only need to attend at least one to be able to go to graduation. Now, graduation. Uh, graduation will be Saturday, June 7th, and will start 10:00 a.m. Uh, seniors need to get be in school by 8:30 a.m. And
everyone is invited and welcome to go cheer for the class of 20 uh for the class of 2025 graduates. And that's that part. But there's more. Um for our second section of this part
of our part, we would like to present our legacy project to um the board members. Uh this project we put together um unfortunately our other student rep Vanessa wasn't able to make it today, but um we'll start off by talking about
her section that she wrote. Um, she wrote, "My name is Vanessa Lopez and I grew up in an immigrant household surrounded by the lost dreams of those who came before me. Despite this, I stand here today proud of the progress I've made in becoming the person I've
always dreamt of being. I have always been a motivated student, eager to explore the limitless possibilities education offers. Many describe me as confident, and I agree. I never I'm never afraid to stand out or dim my
light for no one. As my mom says, when I was in elementary school, I was just a kid who really liked school. I grew up in a home where things weren't always easy, but my family always tried told me to try my best and never give up. Um,
and to always look into my heart when coming for dreams. Uh, even back then, I liked raising my hand in class and being a part of things I wanted to do well, not just for me, but for my family, too. I knew school was important, and I always
made the most of it. Elementary school was where I started to believe in myself, and I didn't know what the future would hold in front of me. And then to announce where she will be going to school, she'll be going to school to UMass Boston. And for our second part,
Yeah. and Diana will give her portion of the presentation. Okay, it's me again. Um, I would also like to share my story with Chelsea Public Schools. Uh, my name is Danna Selenas Garcia and I was born born in El Salvador. I moved to the United
States at the end of third grade before entering the Chelsea public school system. I was attending Apologies. I was attending school in East Boston. I I attended the Boston public schools for three and a half
years before moving to Chelsea. I changed schools in seventh grade, two weeks before we went into a global pandemic, and never saw my new classmates until online school in 8th grade. Um, apologies again. I have to
confess, I never attended school class after the two week break got extended. And to be honest, I didn't know we had class. I still don't know if we had classes we needed to attend. But I do promise I did all my work that was ever
posted on Google Classroom. The great thing was that I passed on to 8th grade. I didn't think I would, but I did. and going to 8th grade through a computer screen was not what I expected my last year middle school to be to look
like. Although I never attended inperson school in 8th grade, um I was able to make many friends and fit into my online group perfectly. Everyone did their best to make the most out of our our circumstances and that was enough for me
to succeed. Um and I'll be attending Amherst College next year. [Applause] Um, okay. Good evening, Madam Chairwoman
Hernandez, Dr. Abeda, and to the rest of the school committee members. Um, for my portion of the presentation, I'll be talking about my experience through high school. Um, to start off, my name is Roselia Hernandez and many of my close family members and friends know me as
Leah. Before I dive in, I would like to give background about myself. I come from a family full of doctors and nurses from El Salvador. And I will confess they are the foundation of my motivation. And because of them, I push myself every day. I have been lucky to
be born or to have been born to two amazing, loving parents who have always prioritized um both my education and my happiness. They enrolled me into book charter school and that's where my academic journey began where I met many
friends and especially teachers who are really unforgettable and one of a kind but unfortunately their location changed and so I transferred to CHS. Um first going into CHS I was quite nervous. I had never been in such a large school
before and with so many students around me. Um, at the beginning of my freshman year, I often felt lost and unsure of myself and I was placed into some classes that I didn't feel I was ready for and but I was hesitant to speak up because I didn't want to seem like I was
trying to stand out or so I quiet down and decided to blend in. But it wasn't until my sophomore year when I joined my first AP class that things started to really change. I found a group of friends that I wouldn't trade anything for. um they're still my friends today and I hope to carry them with me
throughout my whole life. Uh they really brought out the studioious version of me again and they made me really care about my academics which led me to reach out to the resources that CHS offered included internships and programs. One of my
fondest memories is actually doing an internship for the Harvard Museum where I was able to create an exposition and about myself and present it. And then feeling so confident, I enrolled into more classes, AP classes my junior year where I really found my groove again
both academically and personally. I got more involved in the community. I had a full schedule where I did Livia the Scholars with um Diana. We both did National Honor Society. Um, I would do guitar lessons on my own and many more things. Lastly, my senior year has
definitely probably one of the most unforgettable years of my life. I was definitely excited about the college process and haven't had one of the best summers ever. Sadly, at the beginning of it, um, my dog that I had since I was one had passed away and it was a
heartbreaking moment for both me and my parents. But um despite the loss, we made beautiful memories on camping trips where it was filled with beautiful sunsets and it just reminded us of him and we smiled. And um that same summer,
I was invited to a two-day woman in STEM training in California Institute of Technology. And thanks to my parents, they were able to fly me out to California with them. And I got to hear um Katie Bowman speak about her experience capturing the first black
hole image. And that was truly the moment where I realized I was meant or I really wanted to pursue a career in astrophysics just like her. And so then starting off senior year, I faced many different types of rejections. And I
didn't get exactly what I had planned for originally, but I never lost faith and I stuck to the idea that whatever is meant to happen is meant to happen. And I believe the path that I'm walking on right now is the one meant for me. Um, looking ahead and forward with all that,
I'm proud to announce that I'll be attending UMass Boston in the fall where I'll be studying engineering physics. Um, there I hope to move on to graduate school where hopefully I can attend Caltech. And um, maybe and that then
become the astrophysicist that I aspired to be. I um to the younger students listening today or maybe tuning in later um I hope they take these stories of encouragement from all three of us that
um although things may not go your way your way and there's many bumps in lives um don't let your experiences define you let yourself define those experiences and there is never a right time to work towards your goal it's always important
to start now and to cuz your future self will definitely thank you later. And finally, I would like to say thank you um to all the board members here and uh especially Miss Knight, Dr. Jennins, um my guidance counselor, Miss Lawrence,
and so many more administrators I can't even list like it would be so long. um who have supported me throughout my four years at CHS and who have truly made me feel or have brought out the best version of me and are here supporting me
and I'm honored to have the ability to speak here and represent our school and come every month and give our updates on what's going on at CHS. And I also want to thank my friends who have done a lot for me and um have been truly
supportive. And um also last but far from least, I would like to thank um my mom and my dad who have been um sorry guys. um who have supported me every step of
the way and um I'm really happy that they're able to see me both grow and um sorry and um I will continue to succeed and be the best person that I can be for them and for my family and um most
importantly myself. So thank you. Sorry. Um so yeah to end it thank you thank you so much for um listening to our presentation and we all are extremely grateful for the support.
Thank you. Okay. And so, um, we have a little certificate of appreciation for our school committee student members. Um, our first student
is, uh, Rosalia Hernandez. Um, Rosie, we just want to thank you for always coming and being so well prepared and just sharing um as you have from your heart and um just being and representing the
class of 25 so well. Um, thank you. So, we have a little certificate for you. Um and and a little gift. And then for Diana,
um thank you as well for coming and and sharing detailed reports of all that is happening in our community and at Chelsea High School. um you've done an amazing job as a school committee student rep and we're
so fortunate to have um have both of you and the what you have contributed. I I have thoroughly enjoyed your reports and um sometimes your reports are so thorough that at the end I don't have any announcements because you guys
because the two of you have already made them so I don't have to do it which is really nice. So, I really enjoyed that and I do um wish both of you all all the best as you go to college at UMass
Amherst and at UMass Boston um Amherst College. I apologize. Yes. And so, um again, I just want to say thank you and I know we'll see you on graduation day. I do have a certificate for Vanessa as
well and um we will we'll give that to her a little bit later. So, Let's have a look. And then we have another certificate for um
Alicia Alicia Ariana who has uh been uh uh super supportive and um we we know that you've been here at every single school committee meeting with with your daughter and We just
wanted to appreciate you and say thank you for coming and being engaged and supporting our students and supporting your daughter. Um we it did not go unnoticed and
um just thank you for being here every single school committee meeting as well. So of course and then we're also um Thank you, Dr. Jennings. And then,
um, can we get a picture of the student reps together? And then mom, mom and Rosalie, and then school committee. I don't know if it's going to help me, but Oh, I didn't even notice. I'm so sorry. So, I don't know if it's going to
help, but I saw them. She's like, I want this all to you. Okay, guys. Come on. Okay. Awesome. Okay. And our our last award um see Oh, this is Vanessa. I was
getting confused. We did. Okay. Our last award um is actually every school committee meeting we have uh a staff member who has to be here throughout the entire school committee who greets everybody at
the front and then stays till the last person leaves. So she's like could you please hurry up and she never complains. So, uh, we'd just like to say thank you to Gendry Elmo
Elmushin. Um, in recognition of your consistent dedication and warm hospitality, greeting every attendee and ensuring the doors were always open, you helped create a welcoming space where every meeting could begin with purpose.
So, we just wanted to say thank you. Come on, guys. [Applause] Okay, and that completes my report. Thank you, Dr. beta. I'd like to make a motion to commend the committee reports.
Motion second. Okay. We're going to move on to new business. Today we're going to try the new consent agenda. I'm going to read the items. Um, and we're going to do one roll call at the end to approve them. Um, as I read each
item, if somebody has a question, I will pause after each item in case anyone has a question or anything they'd like to bring up before I move on to the second. Um, okay. and then when we go to make the roll call, if anybody
has a a problem with any of them, we will address them at that time. Okay. First item is consideration and action to accept $5,000 from the Boston University Consortium Council for um for
years 2025 to 2026. Does anyone have any questions or need any further explanation before we move on to the second item to the next item? No.
Next item is consideration and action to accept $23,630 in private grant funds from the 18 foundation to support civic engagement at the middle schools over three years. Does anyone have any
questions or need any further explanation? Moving on, consideration and action to accept $70,800 and private grant funds from the 18 Foundation to support the Investigating History Program at the
middle schools over three years. Any questions? Seeing none, we'll move on to the next item. Consideration and action to accept $106,500 in private grant funds from the 18 Foundation to support the middle
schools open seding none, we'll move on to the next item. consideration and action to accept $3,91328 from the University of
Massachusetts for the SNAP outreach plan for the year 2025. Any questions? Seeing none, we'll move on to the next consideration and action to accept
$52,700 from the SDIA fund for physical for school year 2025 to 2026. Any questions? What is this grant for? It doesn't say in the in the agenda.
The Hessia Fund has been so generous over the last couple years to fund our BA um BCC which are is our Boston Children's Choir after school. So they are funding that but then we are also
adding another component and it's the individual student success planning and it's um going towards our navigators. And so that's what the our our Hier friends are um giving to us.
Thank you. Any other questions? Next item is consideration action to accept a gift from Sono Zone Santa Club. Why I just went blank on that? Santa Club of
Chelsea of 12 $50 market basket gift cards totaling $600. Any questions, further explanations? Next item, consideration action to accept a gift of hygiene
products from Hope and Comfort for districtwide students with a total value of $66,516. Any questions? Next item, consideration and action to authorize the prepayment of up to 2.5
million dollars in special education out of district tuition fees for fiscal year 2026. Any questions about this item? Um, I have a question. So, it says here that the first time we did one of these
prepayments was in 2020. Is that is that right? And um but this year it has gone down a lot from what we've done in previous years. Is is that what you said earlier? Do you think we're going to be able to
continue doing this in the future? Apologize. I don't know. It just it depends on what our budget for is going to be. I mean, I I know for next year um we might be able
to just a little bit and I can't I don't know what um what the future holds with our federal funding and stuff. So, I don't I I I can't say. Okay. Yeah. Any other questions?
Next item, consideration and action to authorize a multi- interdep departmental budget transfer of 4,80,642.31 for a yearend cleanup to help reallocate or fund other district
accounts. Any questions? Next item, consideration and action to approve and approve an overnight and outofstate field trip. Actually, I'm going to stop at the
last item and let's do a roll call since the items after this do not pertain to money. Um, can we have a roll call? Miss Hernandez? Yes. Mr. Organ? Yes. Miss Enriquez? Yes. Mr. Gomez
Mereda? Yes. Miss Valdas? Yes. Dr. Neville? Yes. Miss Kovas Caravayo. Yes. Miss Al Faro. Yes. It's eight in the affirmative and one absent. In the affirmative, one
absent. Motions carry. Thank you. Next um item will be consideration and action to approve an overnight and outofstate field trip for one Chelsea High School student athlete and two
chaperones to attend the Nike Outdoor Nationals in Hayward Field, Oregon from June 18th to June 20th. Any questions? No. Next item is Dr. Neville moves to
accept and adopt the district bullying policy and plan for school year 2025 2020 26. Do we need any explanation or have any questions for this? Um, I think that we just want to I'd
like to quickly explain that we discuss this at our subcommittee and um, correct me if I'm not explaining this right, but I understand that it's required by law that we review this this every year and I don't think we had any significant changes or any changes at all to it this
year. So, we're approving the previous plan. Thank you. Next item. Dr. Neville moves to accept and adopt the district student handbooks for 2025 2026. Would you like to say something
also about this or no? Okay. Um that ends our items and if you could get a roll call for the last items that we read. Mr. Hernandez. Yes. Mr. Organ. Yes, Miss
Enriquez. Yes, Mr. Gomez Pereira. Yes, Miss Valdez. Yes, Dr. Neville. Yes, Miss Kascaro. Yes. And Miss Alaro? Yes. Let's see. In the affirmative and one absent. In the affirmative, one absent. Motions
carry. Okay, that ends the new business sector and we will move on to announcements. Does anyone have any announcements they would like to make at this time? I have one from member Cabraw. Okay, this is from member Cabraw who cannot be
here tonight. As the atlarge member of the Chelsea school committee, I am so proud of all our graduates and while I am unable to present at tonight's meeting, I wanted to share a couple words with the with the class of 2025. Graduation for many of us is a
culmination of all our triumphs and low points during this journey. We have the privilege as pioneers as we navigate uncharted waters of higher education, career and the workforce. But know that your accomplishments, growths, and potential
are recognized. We are one of the first in our families to reach this point in our journey and we are planting a seed to continue a legacy. It is a radical act to exist in spaces that were not made for people that look like you and I. It is a testament every time you
raise your voice and speak your truth unapologetically. I wholeheartedly believe that is that the best is yet to come. Let positivity, gratitude, and power guide us through the challenges that may come and let us practice who we want to be now. Congratulations to the
class of 2025. Thank you. That was beautiful. Anyone else have any announcements they'd like to make? I um want to congratulate all of our students, all of our seniors. Um I think
Miss Cabraw said pretty much what we all feel um and what how we all feel towards all of our students and whatever their choice is in life. Um be proud of it. move forward with your head
up high and never never be a ashamed of who you are or how you look or where you came from. Don't ever allow anyone to make you feel like you don't belong. Um, I wish everyone a wonderful,
healthy, safe summer. Um, please, please, please, please stay safe. Please do not put yourself in any position that can get you in any sort of trouble or draw any type of negative
attention to yourself. Um, we we will conquer this time that we're in and we will come out on top, but we need to be smart and we need to think about how we act and what we do because the
consequences unfortunately are very very negative. Um, I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart and I thank you so much for allowing me to be to lead this group for this year, for this school year. And I will see the seniors at
graduation Saturday. I'm sorry. Hold on. Claudia has something to say. Yes, sorry. Thank you. Um, very quickly, I almost forgot. And um I just realized that this is our um
last uh meeting before we break into the fall. So if you have um children that take the bus, I know that the bus placements went out um and I believe the deadline to return whether you want uh
bus placement or not is on June 13th. So, um I would say pay attention to those forms and any type of subsequent forms for the schools. Um obviously we have um parent um the parent square and
you know it's still very early to be thinking about the fall but we will be sending um you know just reminders via parent square emails and other stuff. So, while we do gear up for summer school, I know that the topic of conversation is as the fourth graders
are transitioning to the middle schools, keep in mind that some of the um from kindergarten, some of our schools at the complex are going to have uniforms. Some of the our middle schools are uniforms. So, I would hate for some parents to just, you know, over the summertime, you
know, say, "Hey, I purchased, you know, clothing." And now there's uniforms. Our middle schools, two of our middle schools have uniforms, one does not. So, be Oh, actually, now all three do. So,
be mindful of that. Pay attention to the placements and, you know, if you have any inquiries, definitely the parent information center and continue to reach out. So, aside from that, I would, you know, as Anna mentioned, wish everyone a very happy summer. We are here for you guys
should you need us. Um, and, uh, Parent Square, emails, um, and, uh, field days, and there's still tons of activities and summer programs to look forward to. So, I do thank you.
Thank you very much. Um, and that's it. Can I have a motion? I make a motion to a motion to adjourn. I will second that. Thank you. Thank you very