Good evening. Today is July 6th, 2026. I hope everybody had a great July 4th weekend. Um tonight um this is a meeting of the subcommittee for community engagement.
Today, July 6th, 2026 um we are um this meeting is being recorded for the Greenfield Public Schools. If any other person is recording, please notify the chair at this time.
And that would be myself, Melody Goodwin, who is chair. Um at this time I have one person, I believe in public comment. And
we want to recognize our public at any time through the meeting. But I know our member of the public um has things to do. So, shall we need to take roll call. So, verbally, so because we're on Zoom.
So, member Deitmann >> Here. >> Um member Desorgher Well, Mayor is speaking for the Mayor. Come here, dude. My dog is in recovery from fireworks, so
I apologize. So, um So, the Mayor is not here. She may join us later. Um I know she has some prior engagements. And Melody Goodwin, myself, I'm here. So, we have a quorum. So, we
will continue and open at this time for public comment. >> I feel like I haven't done public comment in a while. Melissa Webb, I am here acting as a PTO member and parent of a GPS
GPS students and I was looking on your agenda from past community engagement your last meeting and also what is on your agenda for tonight. Um and I just had a couple of things I
would like to say. Number one, I'm really glad that we have um eliminated fingerprinting for the most part it feels like unless we are going on field trips with students. I think that is going to make us more accessible to families for the upcoming 26-27 school
year. Um I know a lot of my other fellow PTO colleagues are really happy to see that become more accessible. Um one of the things I'm really here for is I guess social media. I I was looking through your last minutes
and like one thing was like do the PTOs do a good enough on Facebook um for getting the word out and engaging our parents and you know, not always I mean I know we like to think that we
do the that all the schools are doing the same things at the same time and as we've learned like that's not always the case. And another thing I have witnessed is like some things are getting missed by the people we are
paying to do our social media. Like we had an amazing cardboard challenge happen. Um I know some members from school committee were able to attend which was great. We had lots of families there. It was a co-hosted with title one and I didn't see any
representation on our Facebook social media page. So as like a parent and a PTO member I'm like what is going on here? I just put in all these hours gathering cardboard, getting materials, working with Lauren
and Stephen to like make this awesome event happen, talking to Michelle Fenimore, and there was nothing on our Facebook page that even represented uh uh this is happening, come to this. There was nothing after this is happening,
come to this. A lot of the stuff I see on our Facebook page is pretty much a copy and paste out of Federal Street School if we were to go and actually look at it and how many times did was AEL mentioned from September to
um in to June. How many times were all the other schools represented? You know, if we actually were to take data and do some graphs, I can tell you most of the stuff came from Federal Street School. Um it was just pulled out of their
newsletter cuz I was able to talk to uh the person who does uh runs the social media page the Facebook page for um Federal Street School about this at great length cuz it really looks like copy and paste. And what she told me
what she's doing is she goes to Kelly's newsletter and pulls from it and then does a thing. Um and I mean do I think the PTOs do a good job? Yeah, I really do. I think each PTO is really trying to get to their little niche and
finds the best way to hone in on them. You know, and then I I see what the Greenfield I mean we we all see what Greenfield does on their social media and with our little updated emails and just how amazing
they are and I guess like that's more what I'm looking for. But I don't know if that's feasible or if we take a don't even I know last time they chose to take a break
from social media for the summer. I don't know if that's something that's even been discussed to, you know, pause that for the summer because families don't engage. I also do want to note that the food service page is back up and running, which that's an amazing page if you are not following on
Facebook. The food service page has the calendars. You know, you're getting all that information. Um I just don't know I I don't I'm not a big fan of the Greenfield Public School Facebook page. I kind of did some digging around before I jumped on here
for public comment. And to me it also didn't look like any other district has a social media Facebook page. I did not see one for Pioneer. I didn't see one for Frontier. I didn't see one for Mohawk. I didn't get a chance to look for Gill Montague. Um
but it just I wasn't really seeing an active district-run page. And I feel a lot of our stuff we are able to put on our GPS website. And possibly we could leave our social media page, hey, click over to the website for up-to-date info.
So, thank you for letting me speak about my feelings, which are very strong on all these community topics and how do we get more people to public comment? So, thank you for your time. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. All right, let's move on to um our minutes from June. And we need to approve those.
>> [clears throat] >> Motion to approve the minutes from June. >> Second. All in favor? Aye. Do we have Do we have to roll call? What do you think? >> Yeah, but technically >> Technically, yes. So, member Dightman. >> Yes.
>> Member Goodwin. >> yes. Member disorder, absent. Approved. So, um at this time, I would go for a motion for a discussion of social media
um to um suspend Robert's Rules of Order. We need to move that. >> Mhm. So moved. >> Second. And so, let's discuss. Um thank you for our public comment. Um I think
the subcommittee for budget and finance has looked at this because we get a $3,000 bill every month for um social media, and we kind of wanted to know what we were getting for our money. Um and so, I mean, I think that's
unless there's something we don't know, cuz I follow that page. I was told I was the one person who most frequent sharer on that page. Um I think if there's something else we're getting
for that money, I am unaware of it. So, I think this would be a great time to introduce our new superintendent. We're going to wel- welcome Superintendent um Cruiser. I hope I said that right to Greenfield. And maybe this is something for you to explore. It's $3,000 a month,
and is it something we really need? I mean, when you go on Facebook, um which I admit is the only you know, I'm not using anything else. It does look like the stuff that is put out comes straight from a PTO page. Um
and I follow all the PTOs as well. Um and they're very detailed. Um they're trying to reach their parents. And they're doing an excellent job. So, whether or not it's worth $3,000 a month to continue, but are they doing something else that we don't know about?
I honestly can't tell you. Um we could ask for a presentation from TMS about what they actually do. >> Mhm. >> Maybe that's the best way um to do that. Um
or I trust a superintendent who's new, who's trying to figure out who does what um as well. I mean, $3,000 a month is kind of adds up to a para. >> [laughter] >> I mean, for me it's it's always about
the people are more important at this point. So um which way would we like or would we would like to do both? >> Yep. >> So this is >> I I have started to look into this um and it's it's and you'll hear more about it on Wednesday.
Twofold. So twofold. So I don't want to over speak cuz I have started to look at TMS. And I do think that that's a lot of social media, but it's also about um communication in general. So I am starting to delve into what that looks like.
>> Okay. >> But the other side to that is there's definitely room room for improvement in our website and I've already been talking to Becky Tower about that. Um but on Wednesday you're going to hear I'm going to speak a little bit about Parent Square,
which um I think it's going I think you're really going to love it. And I think that's that's a different conversation than the TMS because I agree. Let's look into what they're giving you. I think they're also giving us you know, crisis intervention and and
and talk you know, when things come up and how to put that message out. So I agree, I'll look into that. But as far as uh the Facebook pages and the PTO and getting more communication out there, I think when you hear about Parent Square um you're really going to like it. I've
used it now for about 2 years and um it kind of is like it will be our own Greenfield Facebook feed, basically. It kind of looks like a Facebook feed. And people can join groups. So, you can join multiple schools. You can join
different things. Um you can and it's sort of like everything all at all at once. And the app sort of looks like Facebook feed and it it's excellent. And I think it's going to be a really good resource to sort of pull all these things together. Um pull the PTO pages
together, pull everything going on in the schools, and it's sort of like a one-stop shop. So, um I think you're really going to like it. So, I'll talk a little bit about it on Wednesday. Um it's already been rolled out for summer school
uh as a little pilot. So, the the kids who are in summer school, those parents have been have been um asked to join. And so, that's and then it will be rolled out to everybody else in the fall, but I really think you're going to like that part of it. And it should definitely increase
communication. >> That's wonderful. >> Um I'd like to >> Remember that too. >> [clears throat] >> I have some experience with Parent Square. Uh I've been working with it also for 2 years. Uh and I agree. It's it's going to um
really help with communication, especially getting the word out about um events, announcements. It's very effective for that. Uh and any teacher um can send out an announcement on Parent Square. They can target their own classes. They can you can target clubs.
You can target >> [snorts] >> whatever subset of the population you want. Uh so, really I think that it's going to leave Facebook as mostly relevant in terms of PR, in terms of your public image. Um
and yeah, I think that we're going to have to think of Facebook in those terms. Um you you are we are we getting our bang for our buck um with with social media representation? Well, maybe there's room for improvement there because
we we also want the whole community to know about district-wide initiatives and the progress that we're making, not just people who have kids in the school. So, that's the limitation, right? Is that Parent Square is only going to get to the population of families that that actually have kids in the school, but we
also want to speak to the broader community, I think. Um so, maybe that would be a way of thinking about um Facebook more strategically. >> Yeah. That's a good point, and I would agree with you. And um so, it's definitely, you know, with the
community engagement, there's definitely a lot of things we can do, but I think this is a good step. And, you know, like like you said, Jeff, um you know, parents teachers can talk directly to parents, but again, we also have that monitoring,
so if something bad does happen or there's a bad interaction, we can see that as well if if we need to. Um there's a lot of things Parent Square can do. You can get to the point where, you know, you can put We're not there yet. We're going to go slow, but you can put like um
first day paperwork on Parent Square. You can get field trip permission slips or other permission slips on Parent Square. The one of the things I love about Parent Square is the parent chooses the language that they receive it in. >> Nice. >> So, you know, they choose they hit a
button and they I mean, it's Google Translate, so it's not perfect, but they can still get the message that they want in their language. So, it it, you know, there's a lot of There's an equity piece to that as well. So, we've been using Smore
um for newsletters, and I think the principals still are, and I know um two superintendents ago, um she was using Smore, and it's because they could read it in 99 different languages Um um and it was easy to do their newsletters
that way, but the newsletters never made it to the general population. Um they the schools were still doing paper and backpacks and using some more electronically through email. Yeah.
But they never went wider than that. Um and maybe because some of those were very I think people in town would have benefited from reading cuz you really in those newsletters were you know, this
week we're going to the Y for swimming. Oh, isn't that nice? Or you know, I mean, I think that's the other piece um that we're trying to reach a population that isn't exactly high-tech, but they're the
people who vote for our school budget. Um so I just think we have to consider how do we get that information out there. >> Mhm. >> So. Yeah. So >> [clears throat] >> I've taken a look at the Greenfield
public schools Facebook just recently. I hadn't been following it. It only has 655 followers and I don't know how many of those are active and we're looking at maybe 10 or 11
posts a month with you know, the type of engagement that I would kind of expect to see from community this size, you know, so I it's not super disappointing in terms of engagement, but I do think it is disappointing in terms of the the
quality of the posts. Just that if important things like what was brought up in public comment, you know, important events are being missed while the posts are mostly just being recycled from one school,
then it seems pretty clear that there's room for improvement there. >> Yeah, sure. Definitely. And we're also paying for I just learned this, GoDaddy, which is our GPS K-12 website. Um TMS pays for it and we reimburse them. So, I mean,
there's so many funds, and I guess I just want best bang for our buck. >> [laughter] >> You know, not um 400 people who are just hitting share um because they want to share what's going on in schools. So,
and the other piece of this for me is we never are in the newspaper. Every other school district is front page or in the newspaper. Maybe in the sports section. Now,
I'm sorry. We worked really hard as principals in Greenfield to make good relationships with the Recorder, and we were in the newspaper a lot. And now it's um And that's where again, when you're, you know, trying to
get a school budget, that's where people, the newspaper is big. Um So, that is something that I think we need to work on. Um that relationship. I know like principals used to once a month send a list of things going on to
the Recorder. And then they knew what was happening and when, and if somebody dropped by to take pictures or whatever. And then sometimes they would say, "Please send us pictures." cuz they didn't have time to come take pictures. Um it just makes me sad. I see Mohawk, I
see Orange, I see Athol. I see Pioneer, but I'm not seeing Greenfield. And I would like to see our kids in the paper. >> Cuz they're going >> Well, we've had turnover in principals. It's it's it's pretty hard to um do a lot of those things right out of the gate. But now that some people are settling in.
Maybe that can improve. >> Yeah. Um and Madison from the newspaper will be at she'll she'll be at the city council meeting sitting there taking notes. Carol, just so you know to say hello.
>> I will. >> Nice to Yeah, she's new as well. And >> Yeah. So, next week I will be at the um superintendent conference, but I will be at the rest of them. >> Right. [snorts] Oh, I just It's all good.
Um >> Okay. Um >> Could I say one more thing about >> Can I about social media? It is just a It occurs to me that um there's an opportunity to um
use Parent Square as a way of conveying the types of things we would like to have announced to whoever is handling the social media account. Um because it occurs to me that that in in many cases they might just
not even know. If they're not getting a notification, then how are they supposed to know everything that's going on? But with Parent Square announcing pretty much everything, and that's the way it works. It's It's, you know, it makes it very easy for anybody to make an announcement. You know, that might if if
we were to instruct the the person running the social media accounts to keep an eye on Parent Square to receive regular updates from it, and um maybe I don't know, use their judgment or something about it what needs to be promoted, but um
that would be one way to make sure things like the cardboard challenge don't get left out. >> I mean I think it just again, you have to look at how big this is going to be, and what is the priority. I mean
But our parents have always felt that that I mean that goes back. Communication needs to be better and if we can do that um we need to do that. But right now we really don't feel like the money that's being targeted
um it's not giving us what we're looking for. So I'm excited to see parents square. That's a new one. I'll be looking at that tonight when I should be doing something else. >> [laughter] >> Um I just wanted to say on the um
website on anything I think it we have like a year and a few months that the law that passed with the ADA you know that all the web things have to be compliant. We've put out people were um having lots of fun making fun of us with
a style guide but you have to have the colors you know so that if you color blind there's enough of a difference between the two so we put something out on it. Which >> Yep. Lot lots to come on that um >> Yep. >> We have a year.
>> Right. Right. >> Okay. So let's wrap this up with we're going to hear more about this on Wednesday. Um
>> I'll look into more of well what we get for $3,000 a month. >> Right cuz it may be something we don't know about that has not been shared with us. The question is do we want to have um and I'll leave that up to
superintendent have them um I'm trying to remember his name. Um have him present like what he offers to the subcommittee or just I mean that I'll let you decide that. >> [laughter] >> Okay. Yeah, let me in let me delve in
and see what's going on first. >> Yeah, cuz that's that's money that could go towards in parent squares. Um and I think the next thing on the agenda is something that I'm glad the mayor's here
cuz one of the things that we have all been talking about we've had people in public comment is fingerprinting. It was not possible to be fingerprinted in Greenfield and I think the mayor has an important announcement to make. Um we would have
had to travel to West Springfield or Springfield to get fingerprinted which stopped a lot of volunteers, probably a lot of subs, a lot of things from um not happening because they used to be at Staples and they shut down. Um then they
were in Athol and then they shut down. So, Mayor Desorgher, can you share your fingerprinting update? >> very good news. It's going to be done here in town at the hotel. Um and I don't know what the days are and I'm actually not sure if they've
started, but I was thrilled to find out that they're going to be doing it or perhaps have already started doing it. >> Cuz that should make it into the newspaper cuz it'll make it a lot easier >> All righty. >> if we could get a
since we're into community engagement I mean in the fact that we're low subs and I'm just and I was trying to remember what year we all got fingerprinted the same year or like there's a cycle. And that was sorry's. >> Mhm.
>> Um yeah. Cuz the teachers even who are up or new hires it'd be great if they're up and running. >> Mhm. They are up and running. Yay. >> That's great news.
>> I'm sending myself a little email now cuz if if I don't do that I'll forget it. I'm asking Jonathan will probably know the answer to that. >> It is up and running. >> Oh good. You're that thank you so much. >> Yep. >> Do we want to put that on our website
like where to go and times and all that good stuff? >> Yeah, I mean you we could just put website or the HR. So if you just if you just do the link for the company then it gives you all your choices which are and
and I did notice Greenfield it's not every day. So you know you do have to be flexible but it just shows you Springfield, Westfield and Greenfield. Those are the Those are the closest. After that it's like Pittsfield and it's kind of far. Um
so I think it's only a few days you know a few days a week but it's there. >> At the Hamden? Yeah. >> Good. >> Very good. >> I think we were all knocking on doors to make that happen. Um
Okay. So there was one other thing. Today we I was reading all of the um motions that came forward and I just wanted to
remind us for next our next meeting. One of the things that we were charged with doing that I honestly forgot. Um It had to do with surveying parents
about what they would like to see for community engagement. And I can't remember who made the motion. But it was sent to us. I will send it to you. But it's something for us to discuss at our next meeting.
Um whether we want to do a survey of parents, what they would like to see, and ways we can improve our you know, whether it's a SurveyMonkey or whatever, um ways we can improve community engagement. Um so, we were
charged with that, and I honestly forgot about that. Um it must have been a part of a conversation. Um [clears throat] and so, if you look on the motions that we received from
um Member Sexton, it's there. And so, I will send that to you. Um it's near the bottom, and so, for our next meeting we can talk about how we want to do that. As get more Let's see. More ideas for community
engagement from the parents. Um and from the community as well. I know the newspaper I've I've been asked by one of my neighbors, um like, "How come you're never in the paper?" And so, I said, "Well, that's a good thing for me." But um schools, yes. Why aren't we
in the paper? is one of the questions. All right. So, um I need a motion to leave our discussion period and go back into Robert's Rules of Order. >> So moved.
>> So moved. >> Second. >> That was a tie. >> [laughter] >> So, Member Diteman >> I'm going to let Jeff go first. >> Member Diteman was first, and um Mayor Disorder was second. And all in favor will say I. >> I.
>> I. >> So we're back to Robert's Rules of Order a motion to adjourn. >> So moved. >> I I got to go first. >> [laughter] >> Mayor Disorder's first and a second from
Member Dietman and a roll call Member Dietman. >> Yes. >> Um Member Disorder. >> Yes. >> And Member Goodman. Yes. And thank you Superintendent Cruiser for joining us and welcome to Greenfield Public
Schools. >> Thank you very much.