Good evening everyone. Calling [clears throat] the Norfol School Committee meeting to order. Today is Wednesday, June 10th, 2026. Begin this meeting as we begin all our meetings by reading our mission statement. The Norfol Public Schools offers a safe, joyful, and challenging learning environment that meets the needs of our diverse students. Through
school, of family and community partnerships, we provide an education that inspires lifelong learners and cultivates caring and productive citizens of our ever changing world. Can we do a roll call >> Madora Champagne >> Lisa Sheldon >> Peter Schwalda
>> Lauren Davis Katie >> Young Do we have any public comment tonight? No public comment. Moving on to correspondence which we also have none. Moving on to the school committee chair report. We do have a gift some gifts to
vote on. one from the Northfor PTO in the amount of $4,330 for the BrainPOP renewal for kindergarten classroom library and book bags for HOD and then another gift from Vision Inc. that is in the amount of $243.50
that is going to the FK activity account and that is the proceeds from the spring photos. So looking for a motion to approve the total as written $4,573.50. So moved. >> Second. Further discussion? All those in favor?
>> I I thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Moving on. Now, at this time, the school committee would like to recognize and honor our 2026 retirees. We are incredibly grateful for their years of dedication, service, and commitment to the students, families, and staff of the
North Public Schools. Each school committee member will read the tribute for one of our retirees. Following your recognition, please come forward. We'll begin with Bur who will honor our first retiree. >> So, I'm um honoring Bonnie Enriquez.
Miss Bonnie Enriquez has been an invaluable asset to Norfol public schools as a special education teacher for 29 years. Bonnie is an intelligent, hard-working, prepared, and conscientious educator who excels at maintaining high learning expectations while simultaneously building deep,
trusting relationships with her students and their families. Her outstanding organizational skills and commitment to student learning ensured that her students make consistent measurable academic progress under her tutenage. Notably, when the pandemic forced students for suddened school closures in
March 2020, Bonnie's unmatched dedication was on full display as she was the very first special educator in the district to launch virtual learning for her students. Bonnie is a profoundly talented student- centered educator who ensures every child achieves their highest potential.
We will short sorely miss in Northol public schools as she enters retirement. [applause] [applause] Been a journey. >> [laughter] >> Thank you very much. >> Um I have the pleasure of honoring Dri
Ber um teacher sorry um with a unusual name. I apologize myself. Um who has been a teacher at the HL of day school um since 2007. Um, she has dedicated 20 years of service to Norfick, beginning as a paraprofessional and growing into
an exceptional educator whose compassion, kindness, and commitment have positively impacted countless students and colleagues. She has a remarkable gift for creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive classroom where every child feels valued and supported
while also serving as a trusted mentor, teammate, and source of encouragement for those around her. Her unwavering dedication to students and her school community will leave a lasting legacy and she will be deeply missed. [applause] >> Congratulations
to you. Congratulations. I will be honoring Linda Grievous. For 15 years, Linda Levas has enriched the North School community with her expertise, kindness, and unwavering dedication to supporting young learners. Drawing on her strong background in speech and language development, she
helped countless preschool students build confidence and communication skills, creating a joyful, nurturing environment where every child felt valued. Her warmth, positivity, and generous spirit have left a lasting impact on students, families, and colleagues, and she will be deeply missed. She's made a profound and last
and lasting impact by bringing immense clinical expertise, warmth, and joy to our youngest learners, beginning her journey as a speech language pathology assistant. She used her deep understanding of language development to turn every play-based moment into a valuable teaching opportunity. Her patience, gentle touch cues, and
constant encouragement help countless children grow in communication, confidence, and ability. Beyond her exceptional teaching skills, while she will be deeply missed, her legacy of kindness, dedication, and heart has left a lasting mark on the students and college colleagues she's so beautifully
supported. [applause] Thank you for living. >> Sure. Okay. Next, um we honored Kathy Haley. um since joining Norfolk Public Schools in 1999 as an instructional assistant at
the HOD school and then transitioning to executive administrative assistant in 2017. Kathy Haley has served as the true heartbeat and rock of the special education department. Her unmatched dedication, tireless work ethic, and
deep commitment to supporting students were officially recognized when she received the prestigious 2025 NCTA service award. Beyond her incredible professionalism, Kathy is an exceptionally talented, hard-working partner in the Office of
Student Support Services who consistently works behind the scenes without fanfare. Her office is a welcoming sanctuary, combining a compassion, listening ear and a quickwitted sense of humor with legendary homemade treats that made even
the busiest days brighter. [snorts] As she enters a well-earned retirement to spend more time baking, traveling, and making memories with her family, her daily presence will be deeply missed. Kathy's extraordinary legacy of dedicated service has an enduring mark
on our community and we wish her the absolute best in this next chapter. [applause] Okay. Um, next is Miss Sharon Lavelli. Um, beloved librarian at HRD. Um, for 22 years, Sharon Lavelli inspired a love of
reading in generations of Norfolk students through her passion for books, innovative literacy program, and dedication as [snorts] a school librarian. From bringing renowned authors to Norfolk schools to creating welcoming library spaces filled with diverse high-quality literature, Sharon's impact on students' literacy
journeys has been extraordinary. Her legacy of fostering lifelong readers will be felt for years to come and we wish her all the best in a welldeserved retirement. [applause] Next, we're going to be honoring Robin McFaden, who I my daughter had the
pleasure of having as her teacher. Um, for 20 years, Robin McFaden has been a dedicated member of our school community. For Robin, teaching has never been just a job. It's a lifelong calling to inspire the next generation and make sure every student feels supported.
Robin's impact reaches far beyond her own classroom dorm. Throughout her tenure, she has taken on a leadership role in the science committee, mentored her fellow teachers, and has always looked for ways to make learning more exciting and hands-on. She has a real gift for taking big goals and turning them into great classroom experiences
that help both students and teachers thrive. You can see Robin's most beautiful legacy right in the courtyard of the Freeman Kennedy School. She took charge of the unused and worn out garden beds, turning the courtyard into a place where third graders can get their hands dirty while growing vegetables and
creating a home for pollinators. Robin created more than just a series of science lessons. She taught her students how to be good neighbors to their environment and how to find wonder in the world around them. On top of all that, Robin is the ultimate team player. She's always there for her colleagues,
but she's even more dedicated to her students. You'll often find her in the audience at school plays or cheering from the sidelines after school games, showing the kids that she's their biggest fan both in and out of school. She is a true cheerleader for those who struggle academically or socially, never giving up on a child, and helping them
turn self-doubt into real confidence. [applause] >> One parent, two parents. [laughter] Congratulations. [snorts] >> Our next honore is Colleen Herreritt. For 36 remarkable years, Holly has been a dedicated special education teacher,
advocate, and leader whose impact on students, families, and colleagues has been immeasurable. Through her expertise, compassion, and commitment to excellence, she has ensured that every student is supported and every voice is heard while serving the district in numerous leadership roles. Holly's
legacy of service, fairness, and heartfelt dedication will continue to inspire the Norfick school community for years to come. Holly is a hardworking and conscientious professional. She is always the first to roll up her sleeves to get the job done and do that job
well. Even more impressive, however, is the way she models excellence for other professionals. Holly oversaw the mentor mentee program and consistently models the belief that students can learn. They do learn and it is in our job.
It is our job, sorry, to draw that learning out of them. For Holly, there are no questions. Every student can learn regardless of ability or disability. She is truly a strength-based educator. It has been a privilege to work beside Holly during her years in Norfick and she will be
greatly missed. [applause] I'll be honoring Francis Peracles who we had the pleasure of having my oldest son had her for third grade. For 25 years, Fran Fran Pericles has been a devoted educator in the Norfol public schools. She began her career as one of our first
technology integration teachers and later found her home in third grade where she was a valued member of the team for over 20 years. She's concluded her distinguished teaching career as a fourth grade teacher. Throughout her time in the classroom, Mrs. Pericles ski care skillfully taught all subjects
while fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. Her passion for nature and the outdoors greatly enriched her science teaching, helping students develop curiosity and the deeper appreciation for the world around them. Known for her sweet and calm presence, Mrs. Pericles created a classroom where
every student felt safe, supported, and valued. Her patience, kindness, and unwavering dedication have left a lasting remark lasting impact on countless students. Mrs. Pericles has been an invaluable asset to the Northfor public schools, her students, and the greater Norfor
community. We wish her all the happiness and relaxation in her well-deserved new chapter. [applause] Get back over your chair. Next, we honor Kelly Pereira. For 20 remarkable years, Kelly has been an integral member of our elementary
school community. She dedicated herself to fostering a love of movement, health, and teamwork in every student who passed through the gymnasium doors. More than just a physical education teacher, Kelly has been a mentor and advocate for healthy living and an endless positive
presence. Her classes were lively, engaging lessons on the benefits and importance of physical education. Each lesson was carefully crafted to build confidence, teach resilience, and instill the joy of movement for all students.
We will miss Kelly's dedication, her kindness, and her spirit as a wonderful colleague and friend. Kelly's legacy will not be measured just in years of service, but in the countless students she inspired to be active, healthy, and happy. Thank you, Kelly, for two
incredible decades of service. We wish you a long, joyful, and well-deserved retirement. >> [applause] >> actually retired in January, so she is not here today. Make sure she [laughter] >> Okay. Um the next honore is Miss Vicky
Tibbitz. Um my daughter just told me this morning she's very sad. She's retiring. Um, so for 27 years, Vicki Tibbitz has been a devoted educator in the Northolk public schools. Having supported thousands of students during her time in Norfolk, Vicki has become a pillar of
the NPS community. She approaches every task with a rare blend of steadfast commitment and genuine kindness. Consistently going the extra mile to ensure that both students and staff have the resources and emotional support they need to thrive. Her work ethic is unmatched. She tackles every challenge
with a quiet, tireless result that inspires everyone around her. Vickiy's influence is defined defined as much by her character as her professionalism. Her impact is felt through the heart she brings to the workplace. Her generosity is perhaps most evident in the way she shares her passion for cooking and
baking with her colleagues. These gestures foster a sense of belonging and offer a moment of warmth in a busy school day. Vicki truly embodies the definition of service. It is seen not just through her decades of hard work, but through her unwavering reliability and the genuine care she offers to our
staff and students. Vicki does more than just show up to work. She shows up to care for the people around her. [applause] she could take it. Um, next we'll be honoring Anna Tupper. For over two decades, Anna has been far
more than an administrator. She has been a champion for every student and a vital pillar of the North Public Schools community. Anna's leadership guided us through many of our most significant milestones and most daunting challenges. Whether she was navigating the hurdles of the pandemic, responding to the
opening of the Bay transitional respit shel center or expanding preschool services and modernizing our IEP processes, our focus remains steadfast. The students always came first. As a passionate advocate for inclusion, Dr. Tupper led the district in becoming a
unified champion school site. From securing the grants that launched the program to leading schoolwide committees and cheering on the sidelines of inclusive sporting events, she ensured that every student felt a true sense of belonging. Furthermore, her focus on building genuine partnerships with
families and her collaborative work with the Norfuck CPAC have left an indelible mark on our district's culture. Beyond her professional accolades, it's Anna's spirit. Her infectious laugh, her deep kindness, and her rare ability to find joy in the small things that we will miss most. On behalf of the entire
Norfolk School community, we wish Dr. Temper the very best as she begins this well-deserved new chapter with her family and friends. [applause] I just want to say that it's been an absolute privilege um to thank you.
It was hard to capture everything you've all done in just a paragraph. So many of you been here for so many years and the work you've done is incredible. We appreciate it. We value it. It will live on through our schools through um the examples you have set and the kids
you've inspired. So, we're sad to see you go. We're happy that you get to retire. [laughter] So, best of luck to everyone in your next chapter and come back and visit. Thank you. [applause] Thank you so much for coming. Moving
on to the next item on the agenda is the superintendent's evaluation process. We do an evaluation every year and we present it in August. So, our next meeting, August 18th, is when we will do that. It is a clunky form from Jessie.
It's the best, but it does leave room for comments. So, we will send that out to you this week. And part of it is kind of a rating scale. And then there are many sections where you can add descriptive comments and your
observations. And it is off the goals that Ingred put forth, which you'll review shortly tonight. Um, so if you have any questions on it as you're going through it, definitely let me know. If you could all plan on returning it to me by the first week of August so I can
compile everything, that would be appreciated. You have any questions on that? >> Same. We'll send that off this week. >> All right. Great. So the first thing on the agenda under my report tonight is uh the business consultant contract. So as
you are aware, Miriam Goodman is really retiring um [laughter] at the end of this year. She uh came to us after retiring from Franken and has served as the consultant for the past three years. Um we have conducted an extensive search um with pretty broad
advertising. We interviewed a total of I think six can six maybe seven candidates um and have narrowed it to one finalist and I'm pleased to introduce to you tonight Katherine Anteneellis. Um she has gracefully joined us. Um Katherine
definitely uh was the unanimous choice of the search committee. Um she has many many years of experience as a district business administrator uh in North uh Dyon Hobbit as well as in Old Rochester. also has served on the town side of the
finance end at the town accountant um in uh Somerset Berkeley. Uh most recently has been consulting and supporting the NASA uh public school systems. Uh and came to us very highly recommended um uh also is affiliated with the Mass
Association for School Business Officials. Um uh throughout the process and all the reference checks, people didn't have anything but positive glowing things to say. So, we're very excited to bring Katherine on board. Um, as you know, under the statute, it is the school committee's responsibility to
appoint the business consultant. So, you saw in your packet, um, the draft contract, which is what was budgeted and planned for this position. Um, I was going to invite Katherine just to come up to, uh, introduce herself, uh, to the committee. And maybe Katie, can you swap out with her so she can
>> have the microphone for a minute and if school committee has any questions that they would like to ask? I didn't want to burst your bubble. >> I know [laughter] >> the retirement's not always successful. >> It's good for a while. [laughter]
>> So most recently you have been uh working with public schools and are finishing that up this June. >> Correct. So, I've been working with Knots um which has a unique combination um similar to Old Rochester where they have four individual town elementary
schools. So, they're tech actually the department of the town is the office and then you have the regional school, middle school and high school. So, it's kind of everything you can think of all combined in one. So, it's been fun. So, hasn't been just myself. There's two other retirees. They pulled in to help
them [laughter] to get through what they're what they're going through. They recently just hired someone. So, I'm transitioning helping them get their people in line so that we can move on forward. So, so I was retired for about five years. I left right before COVID
hit, which I was kind of like, thank goodness on [laughter] that one. Uh but then uh our children have children and I was I've been busy babysitting all the little ones which will now go into preschool next year. So I'm kind of free. What can I do?
[laughter] >> So I don't know if the committee has um any questions that they'd like to ask. I think materials were in your packet for tonight, but we are seeking a motion to appoint Captain Antininalis um as the district business consultant for July 26
through June 30th 2027. Um generally positions about one day a week uh sometimes a little bit more um does the budget overview, the budget planning, all of the functions that Marian really took on. And then our business assistant in the office does the day-to-day warrant preparation, the accounts
receive. >> I move to appoint Katherine Antelis as the NPS school business consultant. Second further discussion in favor >> welcome with you [laughter]
>> and this will be the shortest school committee that you know >> I'll be honest the promise of just four meetings a year was like [laughter] that's good thank you we'll have um my husband
[laughter] >> All right we're gonna jump over to the budget update. Um, Miriam is here tonight, so I'm going to present the uh final budget update as reader. Jump over here. >> You have copies in your packet.
[cough] All right. So this is the same sort of template we provide for the quarterly report. Overall this is the budget as it was planned and allocated um uh at the end of the fiscal year. The total budget 16,234378
um in the district administrative categories at this point we are projecting an overage uh ending year at a 29,492. The primary driver of that was legal services um in negotiating multiple contracts over the course of this year.
We will be as we go through talking about transfers to cover instructional services. We are rejecting at this time a balance in that account of 394,571. that is driven primarily by the fact
that we used the one-time shelter funds to cover salary for this year um for two ELLL teachers and two par professionals. So, we applied $200,000 from the onetime shelter funds to offset the cost of those salaries in instruction. Um, additionally, we spent what was budgeted
for substitutes this year. That line fluctuates annually. If we have a maternity leave or anybody out on medical leave, we had low incidents this year. So, we have a balance in that. We also put a budget freeze in place and we had some open positions that we did not fill. We knew that the budget revenue
for next year is was going to be really tight. So we hope to end the year with some savings that we could prepay some costs next year and not have to lay off that position which is in effect what we are doing and I'll walk through that thing. uh other student services, people
transportation, food services, health, nursing, we are projecting a negative balance of 50,000. Um there were extra uh transportation costs related to special education transfer uh transportation that we were legally mandated to provide but were not budgeted. Um and that is the primary
driver of the cost overage there. operations and maintenance. We are projecting a negative balance here of 13,054. Part of that balance, we had a little bit of funding remaining in this um as of the end of last month. We used it to
purchase, as we talked about at the last school committee meeting, the Chromebooks and the technology switches that are um uh not functional and not working at Premium Kennedy because we know the town is using a lot of free cash or will not be funding many capital items. So with those purchases made, the
Chromebook cart for the aging equipment and the switches that have been installed, we're projecting that balance of negative 13,000 fixed charges. We have a positive balances 13,000. Fixed charges are um contractual benefits, sickly buybacking
uh insurance benefits that are part of people's contracts or part of uh what we budget when we have retirees the district. We have a balance there. Programs with other districts. Um we are projecting a negative balance here of 262,491.
Uh a couple of things here. So we did plan to use 75,000 from sped stabilization to balance our special education costs. We are not expecting to have to do that at this time. So we expect to leave the stabilization account in place. Um we are
reclassifying 253,000 of circuit breaker from the revolving account that is included in this projection. Um we did experience one unbudgeted out of district placement which is primarily what's driving the cost overage. But what we are doing here um is under the
mass state law we are allowed to pre prepay special education collaborative tuitions up to a year. So we are recommending paying 200,000 in advanced tuition for next year and that will fund the cost of the additional kindergarten
teacher we added that was unbudgeted the and the additional parah that's out of this savings again from instructional services. So we are recommending prepayment. It will drive this account under but it will save revenue next year and costs um that will allow us to absorb some of the unbudgeted ads that
we had to make. [snorts] So from an overview alto together uh administration over by 29,000 savings in instructional negative in student services out of district tuitions and operations. Um when you net it all out
leaves a balance of 53,000 with thus expending 99.7% of our total operating budget. Again with the prepaid tuition that saves 200,000 in costs expected for next year which will fund again that kindergarten position we add in the par professional position.
>> Um this is what the funding in the shelter looks like. We received a total of $533,435 in reimbursements for the students that we provided educational services for last year. Um this year we applied 217960 as I mentioned earlier that funded 2
salaries out of this year budget. this year's budget um for professional staff as well as par profofessional staff salaries. Um we anticipate in next year's budget um FY26 expending another 269,000
um continuing to cover those elos within the shelter funds um and uh 263 I'm sorry 263 683 leave us with a very small balance carry forward revolving funds these are our um the
funds that generate revenue that we can carry over from one year to the next. School lunch, we have a balance to date of about 391,000. Um, some salaries are still to be charged to that. This is the balance as of yet, but we haven't finished school and so we pay salaries out of this line
as well as equipment repair and replacement. >> Music revolving about 65,000 left. Again, there's salaries to come out. So, we won't actually end here. these numbers will all come down because they're salaries that haven't been assessed including the lump sum. So people who get paid out um have five
paychecks remaining as the last day of school to pay they search their pay through the summer. So again these lines will come down. >> Um preschool revolving again we pay um staff positions as well as power provisions out of that. So that 281 will come down after the last paycheck. We
have 300 3,915 in our lost book account. Over the summer, the librarians usually replace the lost books. Uh SAC program has a balance of about 201,000. And then school rental about 58,000. Um potentially we have a wiring project at
HLSA. We purchased a new um screen for the cafeteria. We need to do some work around that that can be charged through the facilities rental account. Um so because it's used for that. So uh you might see some rejections there. These are all of our grants. Um, again,
most of our GL grants will fully close out by the end of the year. Uh, we have title one, title 2A. Um, these are entitlement grants, title three, and then our special ed uh grants, teacher 2A, teacher quality that's completely expended. That's the uh a grant that we have received for some professional
development. Um, we have a title three consortium grant with Rentham, Plainville, and um KP. and we have a regional ELP pack. That grant also will be fully expended. Uh we have a special ed 240 grant. There are some salaries again that haven't come out of that that
that does fund some of our uh specialized positions. Early childhood grant is expended. We have about $172 left. I'm sure Ann will spend that [laughter] for supplies one of our grants. Um title one, let me
see. We have about 45 4,300. Again, you still have salaries to pay from that. Um, that funds a math position. Um, so and then the emergency shelter, I gave you more detailed information about 315 remaining. Special revenue funds, special ed
circuit breaker, that's a year behind. That's money that'll be available to apply in the next budget cycle. Give 173,450. Special ed stabilization, um, a balance of 169. Originally we had 250,000 in that account. We have had to use some of
it but we aren't taking the additional 75 that we thought we would need this year out. Um so that will remain intact at 169. Gift account summary balance generally uh it's pretty consistent. We usually begin the year with about 35,000. We spend that down and we take in money and
so it's a pretty stable account. Funds scholarships for Borndale, schoolwide functions, um field trip support, other things like that. And that's the budget. So, um, happy to take any questions that people might have.
Basically, um, I think we're ending the year in in in a better position than we thought. Um, the budget freeze did help and I think we were very strategic about saving revenue knowing that this was going to be a really difficult year and I think we're one of the few communities
that are not looking at significant cuts um, or increases in class size. Um we are worried about next year. Um some of this is onetime revenue which I discussed at town meeting and we've [snorts] discussed here. Um but we have been able to protect our staff and positions for next year
questions. All right. Hold on. I lost my place in the um I did now that we just completed the budget and we've recognized all the retirees. I just wanted to um pay tribute to Miriam um for her many years
of service. Uh she's been working with us, as I said, for for three years now. Um and she is officially retiring this June after closing out the school year. Uh I feel that we've been incredibly fortunate that Miriam came to Norfol and accepted this part-time position after her first failed retirement. Um and
we're really grateful she decided to give us a few more uh chapters of her career. Um, as we bid her upon a final farewell, we extend our deepest gratitude for her exceptional service and unwavering dedication to the district. She's been a pleasure to work with, bringing collaborative spirit and
a sharp detail oriented focus to every project she touched. Um, [laughter] I can't even express how deta any any she could tell you where every penny is and we need that in a business consultant. So, she's been great. Um she
also had to navigate managing the entry costs and reimbursement process for transportation and educational services for the big state shelter. That was the um she put in a lot of time beyond the the one day a week that we expected as we had to procure transportation services for individual students. Um
gathering and preparing uh data and cost estimates that we needed this year for to support our contract negotiations. Um, she's definitely helped us modernize, improve, and streamline many of our core business functions and generally generously invested her time to train and mentor our new business
office specialist who is in the process of securing her license. Um so beyond the technical br brilliance, Marian's words and dedication have left a a strong impact on all of us that she works with in the um central offices and
we're going to definitely miss her as she moves on to retirement and majong and all those other great things that she has in store. [applause] >> All right. Um next we have school improvement plan updates. I did not uh begin with the school and district
highlights as they typically do because the principles are here and they're going to share when they talk about their status of their um building uh school improvement plan some of the things going on at their level um and within their buildings. I did want to recognize at the district level um we had a wonderful visit from the Kate
seniors last week for the K senior stroll which was just really exciting just to have the kids um that we've worked with and seen growth throughout the years come back as they were getting ready to move on. Um so that was great. Teachers and students line the halls cheered them on. Um, Miss Alvin Hickeyi
expanded that this year, invited all of our private school students to join. And so we had a separate senior stroll for students that were enrolled in private school. Um, and it was it was just really it was a great day. There's some days you go home loving work and loving what you do and being able to see the
impact and that's that's definitely one of them. Um, so, uh, who would like to start? Lisa. Lisa has her hand up so she was first. That's okay. feel free to move myself. >> Hi everybody.
>> So I'll just start with some um big highlights. Um at FK um we had a successful Camp Borndale trip probably three weeks ago again um with probably about 130 students and um it was great.
Kids did great, teachers did great, super successful. Um, I think it's just something that I think the students really carry with them from years and years to come. Um, we have now parents who basically came through the North Public Schools and actually say to me,
you know what, I remember this trip from way back when. So, um, it it is such a hands-on experience for the kids. So, that was great. Um, today we had our unified champions actually day. You know what? And it's actually a district-wide
um initiative that has been, you know, spearheaded obviously by um Dr. Tuffer and supported by teachers at HOD and FK. And it's just, you know, a heartwarming opportunity that um really um talks
about our inclusivity and acceptance of all students and it really follows that model. So I think you know what we had a blast outside today with all the kids. So um and I think you know what our beginner um and advanced um bands have done phenomenal. You know at their end
of the year conference and throughout the school year you know what the students really shine from the first time they pick up an instrument to the time that those sixth graders actually leave right and then we kind of give them their wings and a lot of them will continue you know what um in middle
school or wherever they um end up next year. And then um I just like chorus too. You know what Mrs. Mucil does an outstanding job. We had our chorus concert I think this week I think. Yeah, Monday night last week. [laughter] Was it Monday night? Um and they just do a
great job too. So um those are kind of the big highlights at FK. So wrapping up the school year. We're doing great and we're almost there. Um I'm just going to highlight um some of our FK school improvement goals from our 2023 to 2026 plan. We've kind of closed that out. So,
I'm going to highlight all the accomplishments that we actually have achieved at Freeman Kennedy School. Um, and we are actively working um right now on our uh new school improvement plan and I will present that to you in the fall. So, um I'm just going to do some
highlights. Um our first uh curriculum goal was under curriculum. Um the two overarching goals were um during the 2326 school years we'll support the ad adoption and implementation of a researchbased literacy curriculum. And
the second goal of the curriculum was um during the 2326 school years we'll place an emphasis on continuing to implement an MTSS model with a a strong focus on tier 1 and tier 2 interventions. So I can say with great pride that we have successfully implemented our new ELA
program. We are in year two of that with HMH for grades 3 to five and into literacy for grade six. Um we are going strong part of that um initiative was to um place a strong um emphasis on the science of reading for our teachers. Um
and during that time for the last three years we've also provided some strong professional development in that area um so that the teachers have the tools that they need to implement that into the classroom. Um we also adopted a literacy screener um over the past god I think we
have been probably three or four years of that. Um the acadian lit screenia is um administered three times a year. Um now the teachers really um take time in our data meetings to really dive deep into the data to form um groups for tier
one and tier 2 intervention. And if at that tier three then um our special education teachers are diving into that. So that's ongoing throughout the school year, flexible. Um, and we've seen great progress, you know what, um, throughout our years of that literacy screener. Um, and the last piece underneath the
curriculum highlights is NEST. We, uh, revised our MTSS, Nest process. Um, and a lot of that, um, comes with our really universal screeners and ELA, math, SEAL. Um, and we're really using data to drive
basically our our, um, nest process. So that is curriculum. Um our next goal um was under diversity, equity, inclusion and social emotional learning. Um the school goal for that was is that we'll cultivate a diverse, equitable, inclusive and safe
environment that continues to nurture acceptance of everyone. Um underneath that goal um you know what with um the administrative team as along with the teachers we created an antibbias tool um for staff and students to use um when we
adopt new curriculums or we're adding new resources to our libraries and our classrooms. We use that antibbias tool. Um we actually um brought back um I care ability awareness which Dr. Dr. Topo also was um really spearheading that as
well. Um we have successfully implemented that for the last three years where we are training parents to come in to read books to our students about ability awareness um and just teaching students about different um disabilities and I think that that has really done well um it's a train the
trainer model for the parents as well. Our school adjustment councils really support that too. Um in conjunction with that we have partnered with CPAC as well. You know what um which we have brought the um thousand miles partnership um to FK and to HOD and our
students I believe in second and fifth grade. Am I right Kristen? Yeah, second and fifth grade for the last three years um have come to actually gym during gym time and really had an opportunity to actually participate um in activities if
you were actually were to have a physical disability. Um so that has been an invaluable I think a hands-on approach to teaching our students acceptance for all and how basically um people navigate when they have different types of disabilities. Um, we also have
brought restorative justice to FK and have been using that consistently for the last three years. Um, Adam and I took a course on that and we actually trained our teachers on that as well and I think that kind of speaks to our PBIS which I'll talk about as well and our
decrease basically in behavior referrals um in our school as well. Um, our next goal was on safe and inclusive environments um to develop and maintain a safe inclusive school environment. where all students and staff feel valued and supported. Um I think that this is
probably one of the ones that I am super proud of um because it was a schoolwide initiative. But um underneath um positive um PBIS uh behavior support systems, we
actually um created um our soore safety, ownership, acceptance, and respect here at Freeman Kennedy School. Um and through that we aligned it with clear expectations. You know what for all students and staff. We have positive reinforcement that is done in the
classroom level at the school level. Um and uh students have the opportunity to earn feathers um individually classwide. We have um made schoolwide assemblies a part of that as well. Um logical
consequences for students. We have outlined those. We have visual posters in all of our classrooms and we continue to enhance it every single year. But I think that the biggest area that um we are proud of as a school is is that our office referrals have continued to
actually go down in the last three years. And that's really what you know what our goal was. Um and our second graders couldn't wait today [laughter] to see that falcon actually was outside today. So that was pretty exciting too. So >> yes, we did have the falcon lead the parade of student
>> [laughter] >> So that was exciting. Um I think the other thing too just to mention and and we're still working on that and I'll have more to update but we've been using the vocal survey which is basically a desi survey which is um the views of climate and learning that our students
in fourth and fifth grade take after um the empaths either math or science. Um and that uh data that uh Dr. and I have been unpacking is really kind of mirroring our PBIS as well, which is nice to see. We're excited to see three
years worth of data which will give us some good trends um and to set some good goals as well. Um let's see and our last one, relationships and community engagement. Um we have basically will initiate opportunities to create active
community engagement to support home and school partnerships and to create opportunities for student leadership. Um, so, um, as we heard today, Robin laughed, but I wish that she was still here. But we have successfully implemented the FK school garden under Mrs. McFaten's leadership and
partnership with community members and parents including the Norolk Resilient Yards, Mrs. Kelly Olsen, and the PTO towards basically they have given us lots of money towards our gardens as well. And our students really love obviously planting and harvesting and it's really a great program. So um we
also have built our falcons to falpus program which is aligned with our PBIS program. Um we have successfully built an inclusive leadership program for all students in a class that's led by Julia Fet, Jaclyn Mono and Jason Connley. Um community events who successfully
partnered with PTO and CPAC for our heritage nights which have been awesome for the last three years. our our care ability awareness and our unified champions. Um student leadership expansion. We successfully reopened and established our um student uh peer
leaders this year um in grades five and six. They attended a peer leadership training at Bridgewater State University and have taken on different leadership roles within our school. Um on Friday when we have our incoming second graders, they will be helping give tours
of FK. So, we're really trying to expand that more. And then our AIM um enrichment, which actually is done during um our teachers when our teachers have data meetings once a month, we've [clears throat] really actually um reached out to ask parents what gifts
and talents that they may have and if they have an opportunity to volunteer for a half a year, school year or school year, um that they can come in and teach our students. So we've had art teachers, people who have been in technology and robotics, theater, and more. And that
has been a great partnership as well. So we've met everything in in in our plan of the last three years. So we're pretty proud of that. So >> great. Thank you. >> Thank you. Questions? Yeah. Before I run
away, anybody have any questions? >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. The principles are working with their school councils that have teacher representatives, community representatives, parents, and they um under the state regulations will be bringing a new school improvement plan
into school to art in September. It'll be another multi. Great. Awesome. Hi everyone. >> So I will start with our HMD highlights as well. Um so we did have a bus go over
to Unifi Champion Schools today. Um it was fans and athletes that participated and it was it was fun to see the kids out enjoying themselves. Um it was hot but it was a lot [laughter] of fun. Um we are ending our year class celebrations with poetry parties, author
day author's days um and class celebrations. Yesterday we had our annual kindergarten memory show um and our second grade copout was earlier this week as well. Um we have move up day starting tomorrow with our kindergarten
as it's their last day. Um and we're looking forward to doing our kindergarten screening this week and to next. So um ending the year off strong at HOD. Um so I'm here to present our our school improvement plan and the completion of our school improvement
plan for 23 um 2023 2026. This is interesting because I inherited this plan. This was not my plan and we've kind of gone through a few principles over the [laughter] last three years. So, um, so I'm happy to say that we completed our, um, school improvement plan, all of the action steps. We had
four key areas focused on, um, and connected to the district's strategic goals. Um, we started with our social emotional learning and school climate goal. Um, to integrate more social emotional learning throughout the school day. Um, some highlights from that goal was um, just to continue our open circle
lessons, our bullying prevention units with Mrs. Alth spoke a little bit about our paired lessons with our second graders and sixth graders as well as our schoolwide kindness and unity celebrations. Um we've also we also established opportunities for student connection and belonging um through
schoolwide assemblies and theme-based um celebrations. We conducted ongoing equity walks uh with the district and building administrators to um ensure inclusive practices uh and learning experiences. We had um last year uh
Timmy Rebello, the principal last year did parent and principal coffee hours. Um in this year we were happy to to start our new the start of our new PBIS which is what's the buzz be respectful be responsible. That theme has been very successful at HOD. Um and the the kids
are very excited to see their faces on bees in the hallways. Um so all action steps were completed in that goal. Uh really a positive inclusive you know school culture um around kindness, belonging and student wellness. Our second goal was our environmental
responsibilities. Our green goal um this was near and dear to Linda Balffor who um a few years ago who kind of started this goal. Tammy took it over and then I completed it. Um it was to promote um environmental responsibilities and habits and um across all grade levels.
We were able to integrate environmental awareness and green lessons across all grades including preschool. Um we expanded our Earth Day activities and our schoolwide participation in those. Um we identified and increased opportunities throughout the building um
for recycling and reduce um reducing waste. Um and this year we brought back our Earth Day assembly and um and worked with the cafeteria staff as well to talk a lot about recycling. Um there were bulletin boards that the students made in the cafeteria um to support this goal
as well. So all election steps were completed um and and around Earth Day it it's you can see the the outcome of that goal of all over the hallways. Um so our third goal was our curriculum and equity
and instruction. This was around the ELA um implementation. Uh we we successfully implemented our our goal that's continuing into our third year um for next year, but uh we successfully implemented the second year of our EL curriculum um this year and
staff trainings and ongoing support for staff. We completed learning walks and collaborative discussions um to ensure equitable learning opportunities for uh for all students. We established structures with our tier 2 and tier three supports through curriculum
meetings, data team meetings, MTSS processes that this is also our goals were very linked. Uh we're they were closely linked. So our curriculum implementation goals were achieved. Um we're we're looking forward I feel as though the teachers are feeling more comfortable with HMH. It's you know
we're getting into our third year moving forward. So a lot of professional development to strengthen instructional practices um data to support um and guide instruction and student learning. Our fourth goal was our family and community engagement. Um this was to
strengthen communication and build community partners um with with students and families. Uh we had a lot of highlights in this goal. We we started monthly newsletters for families which is on our first Wednesday. the month we collaborated with district
administration to ensure that our Wednesdays were that Wednesdays were from Dr. Ardi had strong communication. Again, the principal coffee hours took place in year two of this goal. Um but our biggest highlight from this was our our openhouse community like vendor fair
where we brought in community um organizations and partners to come in and share a little bit about all the great things that Norfolk has to offer to families especially for our young learners and families who are coming into the district um where they can sign up for soccer and um all of the supports
and organizations that are available to them um and come and we're going to continue to do that. that's now become a tradition at HOD at the open house. So, um that was a really big highlight of goal four in our school improvement plan from this year from these last three years. Um and we also developed
consistency across grade level teams of when they're communicating with families. Um we we found when we started the school three years ago that there were some inconsistencies of grade levels and teachers of how many times um parents were getting communication from their classroom. So that has also been
streamlined and communi um in our communication with families uh through class newsletters. Um so we we have successfully we're just like uh Freeman County School, we're starting our school improvement plan um for the next year. So those we're in our second draft. So
we'll be presenting those in the fall. Um we're excited to start I'm excited to start my first in my first [laughter] one. um and not in high but any questions for me. >> Great. Great. Thank you so much. Thank
you very much. >> And feel free ladies. We've had long days so [laughter] feel free not to stay. Thank you for providing the update. >> Um next on the agenda, as you are aware, we um are implementing a new math curriculum. It's the Amplify Desmos
math. Uh last year we Vicki presented a proposal to pilot a math assessment part of that platform and sixth graders to the school committee. We voted to approve that. Um we received the resource for free. It is an opt out program. Um parents can choose not to
have their child participate if they want. Um but I'm going to let Katie talk about it because we'd like to renew and extend that for next year. Um so Katie, I'll turn it to you. >> Yeah. So the um the research this year was really uh successful in that Amplify
was able to really measure their own efficacy in their benchmarks for sixth grade the way they had done previously for K to 5 and um in return for us this was already what we've done this um current year in return for us
participating they gave us boost and MClass um free of charge So this year they proposed they wanted us to take part in two studies next year. Um and the two studies are one is about MCLASS. Now, MClass, which sounds way too
similar to MCCAST, but [laughter] MClass is where we have um our benchmark assessments and the reports that we get from the benchmark assessments and that we'll be getting next year as a result of the work they've done this year in sixth grade um are phenomenal and they
they really drill down from a composite score to domains to standards and they they greatly inform instruction from uh for the teachers, for the math specialists and also for our um MTSS process.
Part of um MCL class beyond the benchmarks is also um mini lessons and it it connects it to uh some really good uh just instructional uh differentiation tools. So we have found MClass to be
incredibly helpful. were using it already. And so we were we were planning on spending $25,000 next year or this coming year to get MClass and Boost
because it was so useful. Boost um is a really a personalized learning platform for students where teachers can assign based on the results they get from MClass. They can assign um activities. They It's not all digital. it would um
there are some mini lessons, there are some centers um and it's really helpful again for our MTSS process to be able to drill down and find where our students um you know where we have strengths and weaknesses and where we can intervene
and build up some of our students strengths. Um and so we found it so useful this year and we used both programs so much that we really wanted to to buy it next year because the thought of losing it was um if you talk to teachers they were they were begging
for it. So um so we were excited and then when they asked us to do this um when they asked us to do this research they said they would wave the um $25,000 cost for us to be able to participate again. Um there's going to be an opt out
uh policy for any parents who don't wish to do it. It's going to be um very few students and all the students get um aliases. So the way the way it's worked this year is every student we get a list at the beginning of aliases. That way
when we get the results we can actually look at it, but they don't pass on real student data. they pass on aliases with um with data uh to the researchers and they're studying the efficacy and they're only going to make it better and it's a product that we really do feel
strongly is worthwhile. Um and so if a if a if a classroom teacher and a math specialist agree to do either the MClass research or the um boost research, it's only going to be for a handful of students within that
class. and those families would be reached out to and um and made sure that they're aware that they're part of a study and if they don't want to be part of that study, they can opt out. So, I'm looking for um approval to take part of the study uh next year per
school committee policy. Um if we are involved in research study, it requires school committee approval. Um again, we did uh bring this last year and the school committee approved it. I think the biggest concern was um transparency, parental notice and and the uh right to
not participate if parents chose um and all of those things are in place. >> Yes. >> Looking for a motion to participate in the amplified research partnership. >> So second further discussion.
>> I have a question. Is what other data is being given to them? We have aliases. Is there demographic data shared with the researchers at all? >> I don't believe so. I believe it's it's just their I can double check and get back to you, but um I'm pretty confident it's just their alias and then their
data from the beginning of the year throughout the progress monitoring. Um by chance I ended up having a they they asked to interview me about the reports that we get to. So I met with somebody from the amplify engineering team about
the reports and we talk a lot about the updates for boost and mclass and one of the things they asked for that would be the most helpful is that we give our benchmark uh our beginning of your benchmark assessments as early as possible because that's what they're using for a baseline. So that that's all
they have. >> So they wouldn't have like race information or no >> age or they would have they would have grade level. Exactly. And the kids who are doing the study, they're not doing any anything extra or anything. >> No. And that's why we're really excited
about it. We're getting this for free for, you know, they're offering it for free for something that we were actually going to pay to do and now we get to, >> right? >> Yeah. And so all of our students get to have these these programs and our teachers get to have these really rich
um data resources and it's something that we have um that we've you know today this year is year one of Amplify and I I have to brag for our teachers and our our math specialists how much they have dug in in one year for a brand
new program. often you don't get to all the little components then that first year and every time we had a new meeting, a new data meeting or curriculum meeting, they had something new to share with the classroom teachers, the math specialists and the classroom teachers were excited and willing to try it. Um, so it was a
really really successful first year implementation and being able to use those this year was a huge win for us. um having math data for MTSS in the early grades especially is sometimes challenging. So this gave us a really
good starting point and progress monitoring for us to really monitor progress. >> So it's all going on in the background and >> it's all going on anyway. Exactly. Yes. >> And I think what one of the driving factors again for any new curriculum we are required to adopt high HQIM high
qual high quality instructional materials. And so all of the programs that are um are vetted by Jesse are part of the cury have to be researchbacked. They have to show their efficacy as a program. So this is part every curriculum has independent people
studying students that are exposed to this curriculum. Are they learning? Are they achieving? And that's the data that they're getting. They're looking at how are our students doing from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year to the end of the year and are they so that they can document that the program is effective. So that's what
that they're getting out of it. But we're getting individualized score reports that help us design instruction and um check to see if a child went in progress monitoring. We have a lot of like jargon progress monitoring like a child's struggling with a particular skill. We provide multiple intervention lessons and then reassess they haven't
mastered. So that's what those tools do. They allow us to check in um and track kids progress at closing gaps that they might have. >> Any other questions? How are you planning to select the students to be part of the study? >> That's a really good question. Um, all
students are going to be doing the same work regardless. Um, so it's going to be really more of a matter of the classroom teacher who's willing to do the extra work. The only change that's going to be felt would be by the classroom teachers and the math specialists. They have to answer some surveys and and plan um and
share their planning. They're already planning anyway. The students are being assigned these boost lessons anyway. Um, part of Amplify is differentiation within the lesson. That's happening anyway. Um, it's just we're just getting these reports because we're taking
advantage of those two programs. We're getting the reports that say this is what they need and then this is what they can do. Um, and so we're using that for all of our students and based on I um to be honest, we hadn't narrowed it down yet, but it's only going to be a
handful maybe um what Mrs. Bosch had asked the researchers was could we do two or three students per grade level and they said that the more the better but yes we could do two or three students per grade level. So it's really a teacher that's willing to teacher will just >> have to do extra support
>> three students. Yes. >> And then if the parent opts out then they have to >> try to search for >> Exactly. >> Yeah. But those students are going to do more or less than any other students. Any questions?
All those in favor? I >> I thank you. Thank you. [clears throat] >> All right. Um, [snorts] next I have uh a goals update for you. So, uh, as Lisa talked about, the state evaluation
process is the same for administrators as it is for teachers as it is for, um, uh, superintendents. So, uh, every year the school committee evaluates the superintendent on progress towards goals and then on performance towards each of the professional standards in the, um,
superintendent rubric. So, typically I send you a copy of the rubric and just like the teachers who are gathering their evidence, I I share documented the activities and things that um, I've done under each of the standards with the committee. Um, tonight I have the goals
update for you. Um, I'm going to try to go through it fairly quickly because you all have a copy and can read it as well. Um, but last year I proposed four two-year goals um to the school committee. And when we presented the
goals that we were still awaiting um notice from MSBA if we were going to be selected into the MSBA program and I said at the time that if we were selected I would draft a fifth goal and kind of the MSBA process. that there's five goals um that I worked on over the course of this year because we we did
receive funding from MSBA. Um uh a few other things outside of the goals and really outside of the rubric that I wanted to share that were highlights of the year um and things that I think were um great accomplishments for the district as well. We have collaborated closely with the school committee
negotiation team which was um Lisa Sheldon and Madora and with the NTA bargaining team. Um there was a lot of work on both sides that went into preparing for those ne negotiations coming together with data um considering issues. As you know, we successfully
negotiated an initial three-year contract for our pair of professional staff that was voted on, I believe in March, and we have completed negotiations with the Norfolk Teachers Association um who ratified a contract proposal earlier today and the school
committee will be considering that later um in executive session tonight. So, I think that was a um a very collaborative process. Um I think the side both sides um had concerns and issues that they brought forward very rich discussions. I
think respectful and I think we ended with very good um fair and uh uh positive uh results. Um as you know we also had quite a few changes in our leadership team. So we have some retirements happening this year but last
year we had quite a few. So we have uh a new business office staff, we have a new HR specialist. We have a new business office specialist. Um Roxan and Barbara Boon who had been there for many years retired. So we spent a lot of time uh working this year to train and support
and onboard those new positions so that things would continue to run smoothly. And we also have a new position um at the Holiday for building principal. So I think that that has gone really well. I think um bumpy at first as we have new people coming on from uh different
places but I think we're in a really good place and that's been a successful transition. Um we had a critical position change over two actually uh but special ed director uh that was a very timeintensive process to do a
comprehensive search. Um, I worked with our uh new HR director or new HR specialist um to make sure that that search was thorough and comprehensive and that we uh ended up selecting the candidate who would continue the great work that Dr. Tupper had started. Um,
we're excited that we have Cara Mirhead um who is taking the position and as you know earlier today we did another search for a new business administrator. Um this year was our lucky year uh for state audits. So we are just completing
the third audit. We uh our special education programs were audited. Our uh title one is in progress and ELLL or the office for language acquisition does an audit of ELLL programming. It's part of their new IFM process. They rename it
every six years. It used to be uh PQS and then it was TFM and now it's IFM. Um but it is a uh audit process of all federal grant recipients. So the civil rights component, the special education
component in the um uh ELLL are all always the same year. Um I would like to recognize our two L teachers, Sarah Meyers and Colleen Brightman. They put a lot of time and effort into gathering data that's needed for that audit. Uh for the English language audit, Dr.
Pepper's been working on the special education audit. Um it it is a time intensive I think probably between all of us well over a hundred hours of narrative question answering document gathering uploading um and that's just
stage one so they will be doing their site visits next next year um so lots of things happening as far as the goals uh I had four goals and then the ad for MSBA professional practice goal was
around supporting implementation of our new curriculum and supporting our administrators as we help our teachers implement. Um, so there were quite a few things that we did as an administrative team to make sure that we're growing our knowledge at the same time as our
teachers and that we can support the the underlying philosophy and pedagogy affiliated with that program. We looked a lot at professional um uh promoting math discourse and dialogue in the classroom. That's a big change of this program which really asked kids to talk
about the math and talk about and explain their thinking. Uh so we did a book study on the five practices and successfully orchestrating math discussions in elementary classrooms. I led that with the administrative team. Um we've had a lot of uh we did shared
observations brought back um questions. How do we you know what are teachers looking for support with? How can we plan um our our professional development to support and align? Um, so there's a lot of different initiatives under this. I think again, this is a two-year goal.
In the first year, we do not evaluate teachers teaching math. It's not fair to say, "Here's a new curriculum and I'm going to come in and and evaluate." So, we make it risk-f free. We let people try on the program and we learn alongside the teachers. So, there are some things that for next year we will be starting to put together. Um, we want
to do a document of look for us. What do we want to see in in in an Amplify math classroom that we will share with teachers so they that we have some common conversations around um, you know, what is this instruction going to look like going forward? Um, so there's some things that we'll be focusing on
next year. We've also been gathering feedback from teachers and using that to help inform our professional development plan for next year. Um, one of the things that we did recently, um, uh, with the professional development committee was send out a staff survey.
Uh, both of our new programs, HMH for reading and the amplify math are very rich in resources. So, the positive that I heard in, uh, I I held open office hours at both buildings this year. The positive I heard I heard teachers for the first time saying everything is
there. I do not have to go looking for new materials. I don't have to supplement. I don't have to create on my own. Um, these programs are robust. There's an enormous amount of of quality material there. Um, so that's a plus. On the other side, the negative is there's
so much content. I don't have time to to really delve in and and get familiar with all the different resources. So, you're learning as you go. So, we have um planned for two for two workshops prior to school opening in August that
are just drop in sessions to navigate and learn about the resources with our specialists and our coaches and Katie. Um so, I think we're in good shape as far as the math. You can go through the individual action steps. I've given updates on each. Um the district
improvement goal, very pleased with our progress on that. That was around the tech steering committee. Last year we looked at screen time guidelines. I think our district is ahead of most on that. I think you're probably hearing lots of things in the news of communities that are concerned about how much screen time students are on in
school. We've really tightened that up. We've reduced it. Um we have very clear guidelines on on how and when we use technology um to make sure that there's a high return on that. So this year our focus was on uh developing a policy around the use of artificial intelligence.
um that was not just the that's a very broad topic. So we we developed a steering a policy that's sort of the general guidelines but there are many other things that have to accompany that. So um with the committee we also developed a scope and sequence and a
curriculum for digital literacy for students. We developed academic integrity guidelines. We developed changes to the code of conduct to recognize how AI is used in school. Um we had a committee that worked really hard on developing vetting processes to
make sure that um we're protecting student data privacy and how our tools used and what are allowable uses of AI. Um all of that the tech steering committee will be coming to the first school committee meeting in September to present all of their work. It was a great team to work with. Um I led that
with uh Trish Kelly. We had um four parents, three three or four four parents um on the committee which was great um all who work in different capacities in the um uh technology
world. So um we you know I think that goal all of the action steps within that goal are complete uh except for the last two which will be in the fall. Um once the committee hears the presentation, we vote on the um new policy, then we will have a parent uh evening to talk about
AI and share information out. Um goal three was a climate and culture goal. Um and working on expanding active family engagement um and again,
uh addressing many of the things that came up in the equity audit, reducing discipline referrals. um and and increasing uh we we talked about in the equity audit some gaps that we found with students that are receiving specialized services that receive a lot
of um services in a pullout setting not feeling as connected to the school. So there were a lot of things that we did. You've heard of a lot of them tonight about the unified school champion schools, the peer leadership bringing back eye care. Um uh some of the other things that I did around this goal uh
with staff as we've had a lot of transitions particularly at the age of day um was to have the open office hours in each building um every other month which was great. We had lots of uh participation. I had a lot of different things that teachers shared that we were
able to respond to. Um so I think that was successful. Um we work with the NTA uh monthly uh roundt meetings and I think again that that same type of collaboration that we experienced through negotiation was present at those
meetings. Um we identified issues. We sent out a staff climate survey. We saw some nice gains from uh last year to this year. Um work to expand parent leaders group. We now have 22 active members in that group. Um, we are going to be working on uh having a section of
our new website for parent leaders where we can post material for the public. This this year we've been transitioning. So Adrian's been working really hard on building out the new website we built. We focused a lot on the curriculum page to make all that material available for parents. Um, so that will continue into
next year. um supported uh uh again uh Katie's work on on building out that curriculum website. Um next year we're hoping to do some parent coffees to talk about the te new technology guidelines um uh and continue to work with CPAC and
the parent leaders group. Um, next year also, uh, I had originally planned in 2627 to bring back the parent community working group, um, to to try to integrate now that the town is a little more stable, they were going to partner with us on some community resources for
families new to Norfolk. Student learning goals, we always um, I can present this, we don't have all of our data back yet, so I usually bring you the MPS uh, report as soon as that we have that available. But really uh as you heard tonight, we really wanted to focus on supporting the year 2
implementation of the ELA program. Um uh we made some changes and streamline data and curriculum meetings uh so that teachers would have some time to plan and support um program implementation during those times um for consistency. Also working with our building
principles to look at student achievement, identify areas and goals to help them drive their uh school improvement plans. Um, uh, let me see what else. Um, oh, one of the things that we're going to continue to work on, and [clears throat] I I was really pleased with the data when we
looked at this this year, um, but when we presented the MCCAST, we also talked about the achievement of our students with disabilities, and we are outpacing all of our uh, neighboring communities. We do want to look at the resources within those programs to ensure that they are still as strong as um possible
and that if there's opportunities to better align them with the new curriculum that we do that and that's that'll be part two of this goal um intended for next year. Um the additional goal that I uh drafted was around the MSBA process. So very
excited that we have finally and I'm I'm hearing now from multiple different districts that five is the charm that there are lots of people that on their fifth application they get invited in. So I think um that seems to be the winning ticket. Uh things that we're working on are that I've been working on
this year um with the MSBA is first drafting and and submitting the application. Um we did uh I got that in at the end of the year. Uh we were selected for that. Um there's a lot of required components once you're selected. So the first was to develop
the uh and expand the school building committee. Um there was transition happening at the town side. So I did draft the uh charge for building committee members supported them in advertising for that. Um I'm excited we now have five community reps on the building committee. So the three um
previous members have opted to continue and we have uh seboard just recently appointed two more members to that. Um we have two school committee members on the committee. There's two select uh Tais is the select board representative. Todd Linmark um Tim Schwinard who is our
director of facilities and Rob uh Gary are also on that committee. So we have 13 members on the committee. Um looking forward to getting started with that. The other parts uh that are required. So there was um we had to submit the building committee. have to submit a um
uh certification that will abide by the terms of the MSBA grant and then we also have to submit an educational plan. Um I that is about half written. Um I have till June 30th to finish that. So I've been working on that but I had the audits completed first. Um but we're on
track. Um I will be submitting that probably early. I'm planning to submit it next week. Um, and it's really a comprehensive description of how the building edition will change educational programming in the district. Um, a lot of the material
I've written uh as part of the original grant application. Um, but there's some additional data that they are seeking at this time. So, I'm working on that. Um, and then next year we will be uh you can see what the proposed additional steps will be. Um, we will have to start a new
feasibility process. we will have to uh complete a capital plan and a new enrollment study. Um I I think timing wise we'll plan to do a community forum in the fall, September or October because the election uh at uh town meeting will be November with a special
election in December. So we want to make sure we're getting information to the community close in time um but in advance of those. So we'll be working on those things. Um so more to come on the MSBA. So again, with each action step, there's more detail, but in the interest of time, I'm
just doing a high level overview if that's okay with everybody. And I will send you the additional evidence that you need um and the rubric for um evaluation as well as the actual form. Happy to answer any questions if anyone has any
dense agenda tonight, so we'll keep plotting through. So quarterly bullying report is next. Um and there were no incidents of bullying uh reported at the Holland day in the final quarter which goes from April 1 to the end of the year. Um there were two received at
Freeman Kennedy School. Both were investigated. Um we have a very comprehensive procedure that's published online. Um they neither one met the criteria for bullying. Uh and appropriate disciplinary measures were taken consistent with the district code
of conduct. Um, on a positive note, as Lisa said, we have seen we saw an initial spike after we returned from COVID and and discipline and bullying issues that seems to be um reducing and we're seeing more traditional numbers.
And the last is the MSBA update, which I kind of touched on in in the um evaluation. We have a standing committee. Um Burch is the chair of the school building committee. Um I don't [laughter] know, we didn't I don't know if that was a covenant title or if uh it
was bestowed. Um but I has graciously agreed to chair that committee. Um we will probably start meeting more regularly in the fall. Um things slow down a little bit for MB over the summer once we submit this application. So um that's where we were with MSC. Happy to
take any questions. All right then. That's all I have tonight. you can jump on moving to the policy subcommittee update. So this is a policy that Peter and I had worked on. So not new policy
committee, this is the the old one, but this is really incidental changes that relate to language required by the state in regards to raffles and how they are [clears throat] permitted or not permitted. So this is the
you can see the affected changes. It's really just linking to certain policies and then there is um so that it links to the correct policies around those. I think we're missing a page here. I think we might be too. >> Yeah, we're missing a page. We may have
to push this to the next one. There is a page that says it's the same statement that's in the other policies that just says that organizations renting facilities um have to comply to state and federal laws regarding lotteryies and games of chance. >> Um but we're missing a page so we'll bring it for you so that you can read
them at the next meeting. >> Anything from the budget subcommittee? >> We're good for it. >> Excellent. Move on building committee. I know we just got two updates, but anything? >> That's pretty much it. >> Okay, [laughter] >> King Phillip.
>> No, my first meeting with them will be um Monday. >> Nice. >> Moving on to liaison. I had my call with Mike and Alexis Callaher. They are going to be the co-chairs of the CPAC and they
wanted me to point out that they have four board members right now and two of them will be graduating. they're in sixth grade. So, as always, looking for volunteers uh for anyone to volunteer in any capacity they'd like to. They put on
such great events and are such a great resource. So, if anyone's interested, definitely reach out to CPAC and their first big event will be the trunk or treat that everyone loves. So, um usually they typically do a call, they
did a call with Dr. Tupper once a month and then they did a call with me before school committee meetings for an update. So next year they'll be scheduling their call with Karen Nearhead and then we'll talk right school committee and I'll update you. Awesome. Any other leazison
reports? Okay, moving on to new items. We have a application from the PTO and this is the school partner renewal form. Um
they list so much about all the things they do and you they participate in our meetings or watching our meetings. You know that every single meeting we're approving a gift from the PTO. They do so much for our schools and support and enhance our curriculum so much through
the various activities and fundraisers they put on. Um they do this plastic book fair, they do the friends directory, spirit war sales, they did the spring blow run this year which was so much fun. Um they help the room parents and coordinate coordinate them
with the teachers and really they have so many events throughout the year that are treasured and do so much for our students. So I am looking for a motion to approve their application as written. So moved. >> Second. >> Any further discussion?
>> All those in favor? Right. In your packet, you have the school committee minutes from our last meeting. We've had a chance to go over them. Be looking for a motion to approve the minutes as written. So, >> second.
>> Comments and further discussion. All those in favor. >> Have our next school committee meeting down for August 18th. >> I believe they changed that at the last meeting. We usually meet the last Tuesday in August right before school and we do the school opening and the walkth through. Um so that would be the
25th. I think when we looked at the calendar but >> Okay. >> We typically do the 20th. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yep. That's fine. >> August 20th.
>> 25th. Oh, >> okay. >> Yeah, I have it down there. So, I think we did discuss that. >> Yeah, I think we did. Yeah. >> Okay. August 25th. >> All right. >> It's usually like cuz the staff comes
the 20. So, the first day for staff the >> 26th. >> The 26. So, yeah. Perfect. >> So, we do we can do the building walkthroughs because everything >> perfect. Okay. [snorts] At this time, I ask the school committee to consider entering executive session under purpose
3 pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 3A section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining with the North Teachers Association. As discussion in open session may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining position of the school committee, including review of the
tenative agreement and potential ratification, the committee will not return to open session. I looking for a motion move >> to enter executive session as described. So
>> any questions or further discussion? >> This requires a whirl call vote. So if you could just start with just say your name, your vote, and we'll go around. >> War. >> Madora Champagne. I Lisa Sheldon.