##VIDEO ID:-CgCjTvVlPo## you e e e e e e e audence presentation all watch it online yes yes and maybe there are thousands of them at Winnie are we all set okay the bo met tonight in executive session we're now ready to uh commence the public portion of our meeting um we last met on January 7th and we have had no written communication since then um I have a short president's report it is budget season with the budget a work in progress both here in Glenn Ridge and in at the state level the finance committee has gone over a preliminary version with Barbara but there are still many pieces to add to the puzzle uh the biggest piece of course is our state aid which is due out within 48 Hours of the governor's budget speech on February 25th and I should add a large and confusing amount of information is being issued by the new Administration a especially about pauses and other actions pertaining to various types of federal funding um everybody I know everybody I work with is working to stay on top of the news and I know our Administration is working to stay on top of the news and but we welcome questions pertaining uh to the to to financing and to the operation of the Glen Ridge Public Schools we can't answer all the questions but we can answer the Glen Ridge Public School questions or try and that is the president's report are there any questions okay superintendent report happy to deliver that report from the podium good evening everyone I'm excited to share some celebratory highlights from across the district uh followed by an update on our district goals and the progress we've made toward achieving them uh while this is just a sampling and not an exhaustive list the celebration showcase some of the Great accomplishments happening in our schools in recent weeks a huge congratulations to senior Riley o solivan I'm not sure Maggie if I'm stealing her Thunder am I a little bit sorry uh she deserves uh accolades Choice who joined the short list of ridgers to score 10,000 career points for the girls varsity basketball team rley reached this incredible Milestone on Sunday at pasak Valley High School our kudos to the seventh and eighth grade history Club Academic Teams who competed at the New Jersey state championships of history at Ridgewood High School on January 18th the seventh grade team has qualified for the National Championship in Orlando this may uh which is an incredible Achievement glenbridge High School has earned the AP Computer Science female diversity award for expanding access to the AP Computer Science principles for young women during the 2023 2024 school year uh the award recognizes 50% or greater female representation in the apcs classroom special thanks to Kevin George and curan jski for their efforts to bridge this gender gap particularly in advanced computer science classes where female participation is traditionally underrepresented our students are making a difference in the community as well the women in sports club is organizing a used equipment drive for disadvantaged kids uh the Key Club is collecting donations wor personal hygiene products for domestic violence shelters across New Jersey and the community service Club is hosting a coat drive for the human needs food pantry uh transitioning to Raz a little bit for students have advanced to the next round of the National Geography B to be held in Florida uh ver Roman Dylan meiser Theo reing and Emory Pollock congratulations to them on this accomplishment uh also at Raz uh the school is embracing the power of gratitude this year the capital gr uh the program is called give thanks and as of January 27th uh Raz has given out an incredible 15,17 notes of thanks these notes can be shared by all staff and students uh true celebration of appreciation capturing kids Hearts is in full swing this month with a focus on January's theme of respect our parents are encouraged to participate through monthly newsletters that tie into these important lessons and uh penultimately the great uh Glen rdge High School counseling department will host a college admissions Panel LED by the executive director of colleges that change lives on Thursday February 27th at 7M in raz's Auditorium students and parents of all grade levels are welcome to attend special thanks to the middle school high school home and School Association for funding this valuable event finally thanks to the tech team uh for issuing nth graders new touchscreen Chromebooks last week uh these accomplishments highlight uh the incredible work happening across so many classrooms in the district uh I look forward to continuing to share these updates with you as the year progresses and speaking of our school year progressing if my calculations are right I think they are today was the 89th day of school meaning tomorrow is the exact midpoint of the school year and a good time I think to share some um progress on updates of our district goals so a few prefacing notes to frame this discussion these goals represent just a few of the key areas of focus for us as a district much of our ongoing work such as making progress on the recommendations from our special education audit and ensuring that diversity is honored and inclusivity is prioritized remain high on our list of priorities these efforts though serve as threads that we've woven throughout these goals and action steps in some cases and in other as vital initiatives we're pursuing outside these specific goals additionally the progress and potential next steps I'm sharing with you tonight are just a snapshot of the broader work being done so to keep this presentation concise and focused I've highlighted just a few action steps that I think do the most work for us and telling the story of our progress so far so this year the districts pursuing four primary goals about which you're well aware uh first we're revising prek-12 English language arts curriculum to reflect current research and Trends and literacy instruction a second we're continuing to strengthen our social emotional teaching and learning through the development of a framework to align and connect the work of the schools the work of um these programs a third empowering Educators and stud students to navigate artificial intelligence ensuring uh there's a collective understanding of its potential and limitations and then finally improving Human Resources leadership by streaming streamlining processes uh supporting staff wellbe and fostering a positive organizational culture so I'm going to sort of pack each one quickly uh share some of the work we've done and then maybe also where we're going next in these four areas yeah sorry okay uh so we've made significant strides in revising our Ela curriculum uh to start we've survey teachers across grade levels to better understand their needs our current curricular strengths and growth areas the results were then unpacked with committees and administrators are Shing ensuring our work aligns with the district's of vision and values and also making sure that we know what those visions and values are uh from this we identified key Focus areas enhancing case 6 writing instruction and addressing uh reading lists and text Selections in grades 7 to 12 so what's next in this area looking ahead we're planning opportunities to enhance vertical and horizontal alignment in the curriculum k6 is starting to Pilot a new writing approach new materials supported by professional development we're planning uh while 7 to 12 will focus on continued dialogue around Tech selection we know from a broad research base that social emotional learning is a Cornerstone of Student Success and we're engaged in the important work of building a cohesive district-wide framework in prek through two teachers are engaging in professional development and implementation as you've heard several times uh here at board meetings around capturing kids Hearts grades 3 to six have begun piloting collaborative problem solving with select teachers and for grade 7 to 12 we reviewed current efforts and identified in the process of identifying areas of growth and again like connecting the dots between all this work next steps in this area include progress monitoring and reflection to scale up these initiatives our Brer focus is connecting the various slal programs and strategies across the district to create this unified framework that ensures a mapped progression of social emotional learning and well-being from grades pre through 12 uh the third area AI we know that AI is rapidly becoming a critical tool in all areas of Our Lives including teaching and learning and we started the journey to empower both teachers and students and navigating this evolving landscape administrators uh my team and I we've begun discussing beliefs about ai's role in teaching and learning while teachers have explored introductory AI tools and applications at the high school Mr Lawler facilitates ongoing conversations with students about a a impli implications for school related issues uh moving forward we want to explore potential policy and regulation language to provide a structure around our use of AI uh professional development opportunities will be expanded we're thinking on the February 14th half day and also the March half day and we're looking forward to identifying explicit ways to integrate AI instruction into curricular units and classroom practices finally a strong organizational culture starts with effective human resources this year we've developed recruitment materials they're in impress right now and expanded Outreach through increased participation in Virtual and in-person job fairs which will begin next month we're also in the process of studying HR roles and responsibilities to align them with the district's operational needs and introduce exit interviews uh in the process of introducing exit interviews to support organizational health right and so in this area looking ahead I'd like to formalize key HR processes such as U memorializing the head coaching protocols which we recently developed uh we also plan to dabble in and think about stay interviews to compl our exit interview process and then hopefully these steps will help streamline HR functions to foster a healthier more efficient stronger organizational culture but big picture has as we reflect on our progress I'd love for our Focus to shift a bit to sustaining and expanding the work already underway I think it's a good idea to update the community more broadly on our district goals and the progress we've made additionally we aim to uh integrate findings from other initiatives as I said earlier to further inform this work by the end of the year we'll have a a more complete sort of achievement report that not only captures our accomplishments but also outlines uh the next steps for growth I am happy to take questions from the board questions go um what do you mean by a stay interview what at what point would that happen like what does that look like yeah I love that question um so we when you are a college professor right you ask your students for feedback but the semester's over and hopefully that feedback informs like future sessions right so same mentality kind of for exit interviews in a way exit interviews are summative and hopefully they make the experience better for um current employees and future employees but stay interviews are having conversations with people who are here who you know who have invested in Glenn Ridge as they're sort of teaching home and finding out more about like what culture and climate is like for them so thinking about how do you leverage uh teacher input not just when teachers say I'm ready to move on or resign or retire but those teachers who are here and have committed to us how do we lift up their feedback to make our structures our thinking our processes stronger and better that's awesome I like that other question um on the the LA curriculum review you mentioned something about vertical and horizontal articulation and I'm just wondering if you could describe what what is meant by that yeah so we were thinking end dabling in the new writing curriculum right instead of having just first grade teachers who are piloting the writing materials uh receive professional development together it might be powerful to mix the groups so that there's a kindergarten teacher with the first grade teacher with a second grade teacher uh Dr Donovan and Mrs Marx are doing really great work now in a sort of bridge professional Learning Community I think next year will be the first year Raz has third graders coming from all three prek-2 schools I believe right and so there's an opportunity for some vertical and hor horizontal articulation that way so how can third grade teachers across the board have more time together right that's the the horizontal but vertically in what ways do third grade teachers know what's happening in fourth grade and in second grade too yeah so could we think about those goals as ways to drive our professional learning right so like less teaching in silos and more teaching across grade levels and content areas other questions or comments oh I'm sorry um follow I would not f a different goal but um you can go first um I wanted to um learn a little more about what the AI integration the education of use of AI for students potentially looks like and I know you haven't done it so I'm not asking for the yeah curriculum but yeah um Maggie and I and some of her colleagues peers met the other day and I I don't know if this is you'll cover this in your report but we were speaking a little bit about AI so some teachers have already I think like there's a seventh grade research cycle 7th or eth grade yeah so there are some places in our curriculum already where there's like explicit instruction happening in the use of AI but something we were talking more about is sending the message of or teaching into the idea like let's use AI let's think with AI instead of having AI think for you right um that's I think needs to be a goal of some of that work the ethical uses of AI yep y Christen um could you go back to number two yeah please for a moment um there was um the next slide maybe oh the district districtwide connect social emotional learning efforts so is there like a a road map already penell out like in very light sketches or is this like a work in progress or is there like a dream landscape you're working towards yeah always working towards a dream landscape um so there areal pillars right Castle has a model framework so think about one prong ofal being self-regulation how do the efforts we have in grades 7 to 12 feed into that goal in collaborative problem solving in capturing kids Hearts I think there's all this great work happening but maybe we haven't thought about it in like connected ways so I think taking like the pillars ofal and seeing where we do the work of that pillar well and where there are maybe some gaps we need to address could be really generative work for us moving forward in ourl Endeavors other questions there are n thank you thank you that concludes clud my report I actually have one other question that's not related to The District I'm sorry I'm like super chatty tonight but only because we're at almost at the halfway mark and it's been in the news can you refresh my memory of where we are with cell phones like are we waiting for this state to yes I have a statement ritten about that if you allow me to sorry I thought you said want to make sure through response to that I want to make sure don't miss anything okay now it's time for public comment but we don't have any public to comment to us um since we may have people with us uh online always know that we are available by email if you think of something a public comment or question pertaining to the operation of the schools so with that um it is not the first meeting of the month but we absolutely have Maggie here to give us a report and then maybe after mag sure yeah after Maggie I'll just address Mrs O'Neal's question because I think cell phones may come up in your report too well I okay yeah sign uh wherever youd like hi um our winter sports teams continue to see success in their Seasons as Mr Arlington mentioned on Sunday girls basketball senior captain and MIT basketball commit Riley O Sullivan scored her thousandth Career Point uh the boys wrestling team had several wrestlers placed in the in their Essex County tournament this past week The English Department hosted The Poetry out loud competition for the first year where almost 30 high schoolers recited poems the winner Junior Chloe navoa will go on to compete in the state finals at the South Orange Performing Arts Center and uh the Glen chorus and band played in their Winter concert last week and last Thursday Mr Arlington and I met with a small group of students for the second time the first time we met was in December before break and in this group we discuss topics such as workload and curriculum glun culture the use of artificial intelligence Mental Health Resources and the effectiveness of policies specifically the cell phone policy in the high school the students who are involved agree that the student perspective is an important consideration for running our school district and passionately voice their opinions during each conversation I've appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with Mr Arlington and I look forward to Future meetings thank you okay any questions board members aw Maggie on that um student superintendent committee is it all seniors or is it a mix of any other questions for mag okay uh even though it's not the first meeting of the month does anyone have any reports that are time sensitive yes sorry just I I feel I should share the Ridgewood um home and school meeting just occurred and a very important date is coming up which is the traps Market registration oh my goodness on February 6 so um for those families that weren't at the HSA meeting or maybe haven't received the email notices the traps Marketplace is an entrepreneurial training program um where your child goes through I think it's a six week after school program on becoming an entrepreneur and and doing bus plan and it culminates in a big Marketplace that happens in the evening and and is mobed with people shopping for your child's wees um it's very popular and tends to sell out in the first two minutes um after it opens at 2 o'clock on February 6th so if any Ridgewood parents are out there and they want to set up their their login um station beforehand that would be great and if you're not able to secure a spot you can go on the waiting list and you will be guaranteed a spot in the future the big anyone else have anything that is time sensitive okay all right um you have in your packets um minutes from January 7th executive session and regular meeting in January 14th which was our board mini retreat um Jon would you move the minutes I move item M1 okay may I have a second second second from Anthony um any questions comments or changes to the minutes all right with that um Barbara will'll give call a roll Miss Akin wandi hi Mr Bonnet hi Mr Denard yes Mr D Lorenzi yes Miss godle yes Miss Graham yes Miss O'Neal yes Dr yarus Ramos hi Miss Ginsburg yes motion carries okay we have several administrative items Kristen would you move the administrative items yes I move A1 through A3 okay may I have a second second second from Jocelyn uh any questions on these administrative items for those who don't know um A3 the uniform memorandum of agreement uh spells out about um all the the arrangements and agreements and uh definitions uh concerning the board's relationship with the glennridge police and we do it every year uh so this is just the uh this year's version and with that Barbara would you call the role Miss Aken wandi hi Mr Bonnet hi Mr Denard yes Mr delorenzi yes Miss gotle yes Miss Graham yes Miss O'Neal yes Dr yaros Ramos hi Miss Ginsburg yes motion carries okay Anthony would you move the Personnel items yes so I'll move P1 including the addition on the addendum and P 2 through p113 p12 will be tabled for further discussion okay may I have a second second second from Jocelyn uh all Personnel items are discuss in exec session if necessary uh Barbara will you call the role Miss zakin wandi hi Mr Bonnet yes Mr Denard yes Mr D Lorenzi I will abstain as to P2 and yes to the remainder miss gotle I miss Graham I miss O'Neal yes Dr yarus Ramos hi Miss Ginsburg I motion carries okay uh Heather would you move the curriculum items sure I move C1 including item M on the addendum through C2 I'm sorry that's okay sorry um I have a second second okay second from Tisha um any questions on on the curriculum items all right Barbara would you call the role Miss zakim wandi hi Mr Bonnet hi Mr Denard yes Mr D Lorenzi yes Miss gotle yes Miss Graham hi I miss O'Neal yes Dr yarus Ramos hi Miss Ginsburg I motion carries okay before we move the business items I'd like to recognize uh the donations that are listed under B4 uh the Glen Ridge girls lacrosse booster club uh has given a monetary donation um of $3,674 28 uh for the girls lacrosse program so thank you to the uh girls lacrosse booster club for that generous donation and with that Heather would you move the business items sure I moved B1 through B10 okay may I have a second I'll second I think Anthony got I we give Anthony a second um okay any questions on the business items all right Barbara would you call the rooll Miss aen wandi hi Mr Bonnet yes Mr Denard yes Mr D Lorenzi yes Miss gotle yes Miss Graham yes Miss O'Neal yes Dr Yaris Ramos I miss Ginsburg I motion carries okay and seeing that we have not gained any additional audience members since the opening of the meeting uh elaborate I'm sorry oh yes thank you yeah um so continuing to try to make a sort of thoughtful and measured approach to discussions and decisions regarding cell phone use in school just as a reminder our current guidelines are away for the day in K8 and off and Away during instructional time in grades 9 to 12 we continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these practices um through conversation with the High School administration uh with our student group uh we also recently hosted a community session navigating the digital landscape uh with a special focus on social media and setting limits at home uh a recent prong to this work has been I queried uh superintendents in Essex Mars and Union counties to better understand the policies they have in place and how they differentiate or Scale based on grade level um most are aligned to what we're doing happy to share that data out though in one of my Friday updates um and then of course the policy committee is meeting I think next week or the week after um and uh top of mind there is to look at the model language that stra Esme put together and have some conversations at the policy committee level about formalizing our current practice or recommending adjustments okay any questions on cell phones the cell phone legislation is making its way through the legislative process but it should not have any impact on this process because it just mandates that we have a policy so any other questions or comments on cell phones okay uh with that may I have a motion to adjourn just one highlight student highlight that I hearda meeting that um I didn't see on the slide so we have one student I think his name is Jonathan he's a fencer and he qualified for the sectional in the state of New Jersey so U Mr Hill certified to be his coach we have one student who's done so well that he one student who's offensive we don't have a fening team qualify for the state sectional so I thought that was um well wor absolutely and if anyone asks about our fencing program that's the whole sum of it okay that being the case may I have a motion to adjourn motion moved by darus oh Anthony sorry darus was looking like he was about to may have a second