Good evening everyone. Calling the what day is it? June 10th Norfol School Committee meeting to order. Uh I will begin this meeting as I begin all 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, family, and community partnerships, we provide an education that inspires lifelong learners and cultivates caring and productive citizens of our everchanging world. Can I have a roll call, please? Lauren Divas, Grace Lockett, Madora Champagne, Lisa Sheldon, Victoria Sano,
Goodman. Do you have any public comment tonight? Seeing none, moving to correspondence. In your packet, you will see that we received two letters from Mrs. Trobert. One for the Norfol teachers association
expressing their intent to enter negotiations with the school committee to bargain a successor agreement to the 2023 2026 teacher collective bargaining agreement and then another um to bargain an initial collective bargaining agreement for the newly formed pair
professional unit of the NTA. And then on the back you will just see the acknowledgements um I sent back. So the PAR professionals would like to begin in September and the teachers in the December January time frame and
later in the agenda we will appoint the school committee members to serve on those teams. Moving on to the chair report. Tonight, we have the distinct honor of recognizing five incredible members of
our school community who are retiring at the end of this school year. A beloved prek teacher, an exceptional sixth grade teacher, an inspiring art teacher, and two dedicated and respected pair of professionals. Each of them has made a lasting impact on the lives of our students, families, and colleagues. As a
school committee, we are deeply grateful for their years of service, their commitment to education, and the kindness and care they've shown every day. This evening, we're going to take a moment to reflect on their contributions and celebrate the legacies they leave behind. Each committee member will now share a brief message of thanks,
honoring one of these individuals. And I will start with Mrs. Malik. It is with immense appreciation and a touch of bittersweetness that we recognize Laura Ellen Gild Melik, a cherished member of our Northfor public schools family as she embarks on her
next chapter. Laura has dedicated over 25 years to our district in various vital educational roles. From her foundational work as a special education teacher, an Orton Gillan Gillingham certified tutor and the language-based teacher to her leadership as a special
education team chairperson evaluator. Laura's impact has been profound. In her final beloved role as an art teacher at Freeman Kennedy, her cherished pottery creations, art Smithsonium exhibits, and amazing art projects will be deeply missed. Laura dedicated countless hours
to teaching art skills across grades 3 through six, enriching our school by bringing in artists for murals and mosaic products, and beautifully organizing art displays for school art shows. She actively participated in committees like Nest and Sitebase,
mentored countless new staff members, and consistently sought professional growth, enthusiastically sharing her expertise. Laura's students have flourished under her energetic, creative, and confident teaching style, making progress in reaching their artistic potential through her excellent
organization and dedication. We know Laura will now have more time at her retirement home in Webster, New Hampshire with her loving husband, George, and more time to visit her three children in Colorado, Drew, Owen, and Masseline. Continue to travel across the world and cherish moments with her
extended family and friends. We thank Laura for her enduring dedication and wish her a retirement filled with joy, adventure, and cherished time with loved ones. snitch which is very heavy. So Oh boy.
Sweet. Oh, thank you. Oh, it's beautiful. Thank you so much. Okay. Um, that's true. We don't exactly match our agenda, but we're just going to roll with it. So, here we go. Um, Ellen Versril has been an integral part of
early childhood education in Norphick for many years. Her impressive career began in Norfick in 1988 until 1992. And after spending a period of time raising her family, she enthusiastically resumed her teaching career in 2014, jumping right back in where she left
off, in preschool. Ellen displays a genuine kindness like no other. If you ask anyone who knows her, they will wholeheartedly agree. She consistently spreads her kindness to others and teaches by powerful example. It is no wonder that she always has a classroom
full of kind preschoolers. They have all benefited immensely from her direct and incidental teaching, as have her colleagues. Ellen's inherent kindness is beautifully compleimemented by her unwavering positivity. She possesses a remarkable ability to find the silver
lining in any situation, approaching even the most challenging circumstances with an optimistic outlook. And let's not forget her warm smile and positive, reassuring words, a genuine source of comfort to countless children and colleagues. Norfick Public Schools has been
incredibly fortunate to have Ellen nurture our preschoolers in the vital skills of sharing, independence, and making a positive impact. Her deep passion for the power of play in childhood learning, a sentiment beautifully echoed by Fred Rogers quote,
"Play is really the work of childhood," will continue to inspire us. As we move forward, we will proudly carry on her legacy by prioritizing play-based learning for our children, a value she so strongly championed. We are truly grateful for the profound lessons she
has taught us and for her enduring preschool legacy. Cheryl, that means you have to hold yours. Um, so again, out of order, but Mrs. McNeely, Mrs. McNeely has been a classroom teacher in the Northfor public
schools for the past 18 years, most of which has been in the sixth grade. Cheryl has shown a deep commitment to her students and colleagues throughout her career. She has mentored fellow teachers, offering guidance, support, and encouragement to help them grow. As an educator, Cheryl has been deeply
committed to her students success. She created engaging, thoughtful lessons that inspired a love of learning, always striving to meet the goals, meet the needs of each student. Her ability to connect with students and foster their academic and personal growth has made
her a respected and beloved teacher. Cheryl has been an essential member of the ELA committee where she has contributed valuable insights and helped develop meaningful curriculum improvements. Her passion for education extends beyond the classroom as she consistently creates and shares
instructional units with their team, ensuring that all students benefit from a highquality learning experiences. In addition to her work in the classroom and on committees, Cheryl took on a leadership role as vice president of the NTA. Cheryl's hard work, dedication,
leadership, and generosity along with her time and experience expertise have made a difference in the lives of many. Cheryl looks forward to spending more time with her family, especially being grandma extraordinaire. We wish Cheryl
the very best of luck and much happiness in this next chapter of her life. We have two pair of professionals who are will not be here tonight. All right. Um, so we're um gonna talk about Michelle Diamond. Um, although Michelle Diamond is retiring as a
special education assistant from the Hol Day School, the presence of her fiery spark will always remain. For 24 years, Michelle's love, selflessness, and care for the children of HOD were boundless. Michelle was a dedicated and committed instructional assistant who worked tirelessly with all students despite
barriers, challenges, or needs. Michelle was always available to help. She was kind and engaging to everyone. Michelle's unique style, sense of humor, and colorful flare always made those around her smile. Michelle is looking forward to her days being filled with the laughter of her grandson, Jack,
digging in her beautiful garden, adventures with her husband, David, and time with her family. We wish Michelle the best of luck and much happiness in this next chapter of her life. Michelle and Deborah Barrett were not able to be with us tonight, so I will bring their heavy plants to them
tomorrow. Deborah Barrett. For 28 wonderful years, Deborah Barrett, an ABA special education assistant, has been the dedicated heart and hands of our special education and preschool programs at the H. Olive Day School. Her unwavering
commitment, tireless hard work ethic, and student centered approach have left an indelible mark on countless young lives in the district. Deb touched so many young Deb touched so many young lives, providing consistent
guidance, support, instruction, and comfort to them. Her energetic spirit and everpresent smile brightened every classroom she entered. Deb possessed a remarkable gift for patiently and gently guiding our youngest learners to unlock their full learning potential and laying
down a strong foundation while instilling a love of learning from their very first school experiences. We wish Deb the best of luck and much happiness in this next chapter of her life. Thank you all. You will be missed. Thank you for coming tonight and for all that
you've done for the students in Norfol. It's been a pleasure working with all three of you and with Michelle and Deb over the past several years. So, thank you very much. Okay, moving on. We have some feel you have to stay. I know you have children that will be waiting for you first thing tomorrow. And if you need help with
plants, I can have them bring them to your classrooms tomorrow. Moving on, we have some gifts to approve tonight. Um we have uh two gifts from the Norfol PTO. one in the amount of $1,435. And that is for the grade 2 alumni
t-shirts my son is proudly wearing with the bird hod alum. They got they weren't for the clap out. Um then another one from the Northfor PTO for $400 for the box um preschool. It's before school gym session session two. And then from the
student lost book account, $26 um for lost books from Freeman Kennedy for a total of $1,829. and five cents. Looking for a motion to accept the gifts as stated. So moved. Second. We go again. Any further discussion? No. Just thank you. Thank
you very much as always. Except for the lost books. Having paid that in the past. All those in favor? I kept let us keep moving on for the superintendent evaluation process. We've all done this
last year. So it's the same process. will be sending out the same form as our school committee meeting in August is on the 20th. Would it be feasible for everyone to get me back their evaluations by August 6th? And I will compile them, combine them,
and do a formal write up. August 6th. Got it. Sure. Okay. And we will use the same state form as last year and send it out to everybody last year. So you'll have it and you can return it to Lisa. And then later on in the agenda, you can review. Yep.
Progress. Progress. Perfect. Okay. And then for the school committee retreat, um I had some dates I wanted to run by people in late August. Would August 21st or 22nd work for people? You don't have
to let me know now, but if you could look at calendars, for that we were thinking like an afternoon or like a few like 3 hours, late afternoon, early evening. I'll be away that week. Okay. But um that's fine. So I'll look at another date. I'll
turn my phone back. We can move to maybe like the first week of school then. Um Okay. Yep. Okay. We'll send out new dates. Yeah, I think everybody will should be back from vacation and school's end, right? Yeah. Okay. There's no camp coverage that we expect. Exactly.
And then the next item on the agenda is to appoint school committee members to serve on the negotiating teams. I think we should at least appoint the pair of professionals negotiating team because they do want to start in September. So, I think it would be great if we were Can we go back over kind of the the time
commitments and like schedule? I guess the schedule hasn't um is not out there cuz we're going to have an initial meeting to kind of Okay. So, we would need two members to serve on each of the negotiating teams. The PAR professionals would like to begin negotiations in in early fall, so probably September. Um
we'd set an initial date and at the initial date we'll develop ground rules and typically we schedule out the next three negotiation sessions. Um typically they're 2 hours, so from 5 to 7. Um and because this is an initial contract, we
will be developing language for multiple things. I do expect that it will go for several months. Okay. Um so I would anticipate generally we meet every other week so that there's time for both sides to review proposals and and consider proposals. So, I would imagine probably
plan in September at least through December um on a bi-weekly commitment to hours and then the teachers would like to begin probably typically in January and it would be the same time commitment probably last time it was January through about June. Okay. I have to kind
of throw my hat into one of them. I'll go for the pair of professional things. and they had sent an email um just suggesting initial dates for initial meetings of September 15th, 17th or 18th. I'm sorry, what was that? 15th, 17th or
18th. You don't have to let me know now. Just letting you know that those are potential dates. Yes. Does anyone else have any interest on I mean I could throw my hat in for that as well. Okay. have any other plans or thoughts? No.
And if we're going to vote both tonight, I'm happy to serve on the teachers. Okay. We're going to need a a second person for the teacher negotiations. And I know, Grace, because you've got two committees that you're attending. We had talked about that at the last meeting.
So, we should probably make sure we have two people for both before we vote, right? I'm not available to volunteer for the teachers negotiation committee this year. It's it's um and I think from the
standpoint of promoting some turnover in the process and longevity for other board members. I I'm think I'm the only one that's ever done it. So I think it's rationally time for some other folks to participate in that process. Okay. And they just have a lot going on. Sure.
So that makes sense. Yeah. And I don't I mean it goes against my being, but I feel like five meetings a month with two kids in hockey and swimming, I I just don't think I can handle that. Right. Or if maybe said another way, I think if
I committed to it, I would have get an ear full when I got home. We like happy school community. So Madora um is the sorry just to rephrase your position is that you can't do the teacher or you can't do either of
them. I I'm I guess I have a question. The chair has historically participated in everything. So we have two people. Are are you intending to participate in each of them as well? I had assumed that. So we talked about I talked about within definitely on the teachers since
we've never had par I can I'm happy to if two people volunteered. I don't have to. I'm not the the ruler by any means, but I'm happy to participate in both if you think. Sure. But I mean, you're the you're the sort of elected representative of the school committee that's negotiating with. So, I just I
mean, it's just been I'm just framing out who's doing what so that I have a better understanding of it. I could probably participate in the paraprofessionals. I have not asing you. I was just trying to clarify. It's just I I don't we are in a
period of transition um in my household and so knowing what my availability will look like in September is challenging. Sure. Um and I would not want to not be able to participate fully. Was that a double negative? I would not want to commit to it and Yeah, that makes sense.
Not be able to pull up my end of it. Willing to do both. Um I don't know if the two of you have a preference. We're gonna duel for this. So, what do we have? What do we have left in terms of gaps positions? We need
a second person to do the teacher contract negotiation. Yeah. So, Lisa is going to do both. Um, I'm game for the pair professional. Um, we need a second person for the teachers negotiating committee. Oh, I I see. So, you want to flip for
it? No. cuz I I have a busy household as well and many many commitments. So, we're all in the same boat on as far as that aspect goes. Okay. Do is there like a possibility for Peter
and I to discuss this out? I mean, I could vote in August if the two of you. Yeah. Okay. just cuz based on schedules which yeah and I have other people obviously you have people in your household you need to consult and and discuss things um so I don't know if we
can make like rash quick decisions that impact you know 6 months of yeah so we will table the appointing the school committee members to serve on the negotiating teams we're obviously planning to move forward in good faith it's just deciding
on who will be there I with the vote of the committee eventual vote will be happy to attend both um sessions. So it's deciding who will join me. Okay
for me. All right. So we have several um people here tonight presenting. So we're going to see if we can maybe shift the order if that's okay with everybody. Um maybe we'll start with uh Miam uh with the budget update and I'll I'll save the school highlights until our committees
have presented. uh if that's okay. Um so I'll be brief. I know you have a really long meeting ahead of you. Uh and this is um not really much of a surprise to you. Same format as you've seen. Um here's our total approved budget of
15,56580 and the distribution of it. Uh on the next slide I will tell you that this amount went up uh by $125,000. that includes this bed stabilization funding that was uh allocated in this
year. Uh so now you're at 5859169. As we look at each individual category, I'm primarily going to go through the comments. You can read the numbers. You can see what's red. They're bright red. So um but it's not going to end that
way. So positive ending. Um anyway, um so administration uh overexpended by nine grand roughly. and we anticipate uh reclassifying administrative expenses uh to the state shelter grant. That's the $104 a day that we're getting from
emergency assistance for administrative services that are related to uh homeless transportation and grant management. So that will cover that deficit. Uh on the next slide, we similarly that's kind of going to be my story tonight. We we just
got this money in earlier this week uh or last week. Uh so that that kind of is where we're landing. Some of these bullets are similar to the ones you've seen in the first uh three quarters, but the last two add on the two new EL paras
will also be reclassified to the shelter grant. Uh, and there will be additional instructional uh, expenses reclassified such as uh, costs for EL teachers, um, costs for other um, EL student expenses
that would have been occurred. Uh, and so we'll cover that as well with the um, shelter money that we've received. On the next slide, you'll see the largest negative balance of 172,000 um, in deficit. This is primarily due to
school of origin transportation. We've had a lot of families um either moving out of the shelter and choosing to come back into the Norfol public schools as per law or um moving or or remaining moving remaining in shelter and
remaining in their home district. So never attending Norfolk schools and we still are transporting that. So we still have to transport that. Good news is that um the amount that we have paid to date is that 44532 that you see up there. Um, that's invoices re paid as of
the end of May. We anticipate that number is going to go up. It will be 100% reimbursed from the Department of Ed. Uh, probably not till the end of August, but those those funds will be reclassified into a grant. We'll set up a receivable and it won't hit our bottom
line. 100% reimbursement coming soon. Um and then uh any other uh transportation expenses related like the like the additional bus that we purchased this year, those those costs will also um be reclassified to the $104 a day. So
there's really two sources of funding. The $104 a day, which is one source, and the school of origin money, which is 100% on a reimbursement basis based on the invoices that we've actually paid for that transportation. On the next slide, you see operations
and maintenance. You also have a memo in your packet um asking to transfer $116,000 out of this category to the 9,000 series for programs with other districts. And so you'll see that in two slides. So
fixed charges hasn't changed. Small positive balance there. Uh and programs of the other districts um overdrawn by 115,000 and change. Uh again proposed transfer from operations to cover this. It's primarily because there were
additional students outplaced this year uh and some costs that were higher than we had originally budgeted. This is where we allocated the 125,000 from the stabilization fund. So a year-end deficit is 170,000. Projected deficit is
170,393. But um again the $104 a day is going to offset this amount. Um, and you'll see it on the next slide, which um, this money came in, the emergency assistance fund, that $104 came in. $27,57
came in on June 4th. Uh, and so they um, whatever we don't use in this current fiscal year, we can roll forward. Uh, but just offsetting the 70,000 deficit leaves us a final estimated year-end balance of roughly $37,000. So, anything
I don't need to use to offset a deficit um would carry forward into next year of the emergency money would carry forward into next year. Uh on the revolving side, I won't uh go through each line, but you can see that
revolving funds are specified for the purpose for which we are raising money for. um balance there is $795,000. Things like school lunch, sack, those are self-supporting programs um and
other um costs where fees are charged or programs where fees are charged. On the grant side, our total grants for the uh current fiscal year right now unexpended balance is at $100,450. I expect with the last payroll that
we're posting probably tomorrow hopefully uh that that um even though it's not paid out till the end of the week uh or later uh the uh those grant balances will will be drawn down in full. Uh there are a couple of journal
entries that need to be made. You'll see that as well. Um, and then you have your balances in your special ed circuit breaker account, which we anticipate having a fourth quarter payment as well as the balance in the stabilization
fund. Uh, which shows the $125,000 used uh some of which of that balance is appropriate is anticipated to be used um next year. And um finally, a gift account summary has uh the gift account has about
$37,000 in it as of as of the end of May. Happy to answer any questions. I know that was pretty quick, but uh it's where you are. Better news than a month ago when we weren't sure what we were getting for the reimbursement. So, we're not
projecting a deficit, which we were up until um probably three weeks ago. So, that's that's good. That was that was the March the money that just came in on June 2nd was their end of March payment. Okay. So, the next payment will come in in August.
Great. Thank you all so much. Have a great Thank you. Thanks. Next is a very quick one. Um the uh Norfolk CPAC is looking for approval of their fundraiser, their annual CPAC trunk or treat with a proposed date of
October 24th. They need to get this approved by the committee so that they can advertise and start planning for it. So um looking for a motion to approve the CPAC trunk retreat. So moved. It's already been 11 years. Wow.
Second. Any further discussion? Lauren and I were talking about potentially doing a um trunk if anyone would like to join us. Could be funding. All those in favor? Scary school. I All right. Next, we're going to move
forward with the two um curriculum committees that have been working over the course of this year. Uh first we have the technology steering committee and then we have the math uh curriculum committee to uh present their proposals. Um Trish Kelly is our director of technology. So Trish, I'm going to let you start out by talking a little bit
about the tax steering committee and then I'll count walk through some of the goals. Okay. Um so I'm happy to be here tonight seeing everybody again and it's so amazing to have this crowd that is never here. Um before I begin, uh Inger and I are
going to speak as she just said about the tech steering committee. But before I begin, I just want to bring you up to speed on what the technology team does for Northalk Public Schools. Um, currently there are three members of the technology team, Raphael, Sardi, Mark
Peasy, myself, and we work very closely with Robin Tuseri, who's the tech integration specialist for the district. Um, Raphael and Mark handle the network management, configuration, design, installation, and help desk support. Um,
in addition to that, the three of us, uh, like I said, support Robin Tuseri in a multiple ways as she's the tech integration specialist. And my plan is to have Robin here in October with some of her students have who have done some amazing STEM projects this year in
engineering and 3D print and design. So hopefully she'll be able to make the meeting in October. Um in addition to uh what Raphael and Mark do for the network, the three of us together work daily on a wide variety of systems
throughout the district. Security and surveillance systems. This would include all of our security cameras, our key fobs, our raptor visitor management system, which are all critical for maintaining a safe school environment. We service all the servers, the
switches, the APs, uh, which are the backbone of our district networks. We're responsible for every copier and printer in the district, every single phone, the PA system in both buildings. Um we also
uh are responsible and manage approximately 30 software programs. Any of the programs from food services, the new program Mosaic to Vickiy's HMH ELA program to the new math program that's coming in um uh SIS which is a student
information system. We handle all of those programs as well as all audio visual equipment for microphones to soundboards to tech setups for recorder concerts and author days and all those good things that happen here in the
district. And our help desk um usually runs between 700 and 800 tickets in the 10-month period that we're in school. So um although we're a team of three um we are very dedicated but throughout all of
this we are continuously trying to promote a balance of active screen time versus passive screen time for all of our students and our staff. Which brings me to the work that we did this year with the technology steering committee.
Every five years we convene a technology steering committee. This year it began in the fall of 24. It will continue through June of 26. There are currently 16 members on the committee. Very dedicated members. We
have um parents and guardians. We have admins from both buildings. We have uh gened teachers. We have special ed teachers. We had mental health staff. And we had um members obviously of the
tech team. Each month we came together, we read, we reviewed, we discussed research from leading experts in technology in the uh tw uh K12 arena. Uh in the packet we provided you, we had
four really strong goals to work towards as well as an updated vision statement from the technology. We sent out the a survey to parents, guardians, and staff uh on a wide variety of issues. And
taking that feedback back, we gathered some really great ideas, information that we're going to put together in formulating uh the structure of the goals. The one goal that we did start with was the guiding around screen time.
Um and that's in your packet. And that's one goal that we got completed and we can Ingred will address that in just a minute. And the other piece that we um completed this year was the vision statement. The vision statement did not require a lot. The parents, the
guardians, and the staff all really like the vision statement that we had in place. However, they suggested a few tweaks. We took that into consideration and we put that through um the new vision statement. So um Ingred, do you want to Sure. I can talk about the
goals. So originally we had hoped to launch the text steering committee in 2023 24 school year. We did delay it a year because we were in the process of the ELA review. Um we had multiple committees and it was hard to get a robust committee together. So we delayed
it a year. We began this fall. Um the four primary goals we had, one was to uh review research and develop a clear definition for screen time. what that means in schools. As you know, most curriculum, new curriculum is technology based. So, we really wanted to define
what active screen time meant to students versus passive screen time. So, to develop a clear definition as well as guidelines uh based on the research and grounded in in curriculum instruction, what would make sense for our students? Uh the second goal was to look at the new uh math digital literacy and
computer learning standards, do a gap analysis, evaluate our curriculum and determine where we might need to make additions or changes given that the last year we reduced the technology integration teacher in the model looks different. So we really needed to take a second look at curriculum. Uh a third
goal for the committee was to uh evaluate the effectiveness of all our current communication tools. We use a wide range of um different um applications to communicate with parents as well as our newsletters, our uh evening workshops, things like that. So to look at from both the parent and
teacher perspective, what's the most effective way to get information out and and to develop a comprehensive communication plan. And then the last was also to look at current technology policies. So obviously technology changes faster than any of us can keep up with. We are all trying to figure out
what a the advent of AI means to teaching and learning and so to look at the research around AI and develop a district policy around the implementation of AI in in the Norfolk schools. So we had four goals. We really focused the first year on um gathering
data around communication, gathering feedback from parents and stakeholders as well as our teaching staff and developing the guidelines for screen time as well as Trish mentioned adjusting the vision statement. um are if you see the second page in your packet, these are the guidelines that
after the review of the research and um looking at the results uh and analysis from both surveys, these are the proposed guidelines for technology. Um again, we have to think about this from a balanced perspective, it is very very clear um from the research literature
that there are there are strong concerns about the impact on students mental health and cognitive development of the excessive use of screen time. Um so we wanted to really look at uh how we're using technology and we decided that our guidelines would be around the
intentional use of technology to promote um active learning. So we defined the difference between active and passive screen time. Passive screen time obviously is um really when students are watching or consuming information from uh from
laptops, phones, uh other devices where they're not actively engaged with the content. That kind of screen time where they're watching and consuming without any kind of interaction does have significant impacts on the development of um social skills, uh anxiety,
depression, lots of other things. Active screen time is more about collaborative projects where students are interacting with the screen, taking an active role, um coding, 3D design, music creation, they're generating product. Um so we define the difference between the two.
Our guidelines are really around again intentional use of technology. So from a curriculum instruction lens, we're asking people to consider before we go to technology as a resource or a tool, what is the learning goal? Can it be met without a device? or is there clear evidence that in that technology
enhances learning in this core subject area? Um and and some considerations are around technology can sometimes personalize learning, customize it based on an individual child's learning profile and needs. Um sometime it it can make uh observable things that kids
couldn't normally see. um when we're doing um uh actually the fourth grade extravaganza that they just did, learning about states, being able to see state monuments or do virtual tours of buildings, those are things they couldn't otherwise access. Um also for interventions and supports when students
are using technology to sort support accessibility. Uh maybe we're modifying the the reading level of a passage so that it's accessible to students at different reading levels. There are times that technology is used for review and practice of skills. Within that, we
are recommending guidelines for independent practice. So when students are working independently, whether it's with uh a program like Lexia or Reflex Math for practicing skills, we're recommending a maximum of 10 minutes a day at the lower grades K to2 and a
maximum of 15 minutes to 20 minutes a day for the grades 3 to six. also recommending screenfree experiences uh be part of the school day. So um screen free zones in the cafeteria or recess and replacing screens with active
learning or um during recess things like board games, drawing, pictures, puzzles, other kinds of tools that are available. Um the technology vision statement again as Trish said and the feedback from both parents and teachers was fairly strong.
uh most people liked I think it was 80 85% of parents like the current vision statement a little bit lower for teachers about 78% but when we looked at the comments and feedback the thing that people most felt was missing was the importance of teaching responsible digital citizenship and that was missing
from the prior statement so we've added that so you can see the current statement nor public schools inspire engage and empower learners to actively use technology resources to question collaborate and extend their learning beyond the classroom walls through inquiry analysis, creating and sharing
students cultivate the skills necessary to thrive as digital as responsible digital citizens in a connected global environment. So that was the revised statement based on um the feedback again from both uh teachers and parent guardians. And then on the back you see
um just some guidelines, things for people to think about in terms of purposeful use of technology. Um why it matters. Again, uh excessive screen time can pose several risks to students well-being. Um affecting their physical health, mental health, and overall development. Uh the importance of
hands-on on um experiences, play, creative activities. Um and then there's some additional guidelines um for for teachers to consider. So, we wanted to share that with the committee tonight. We'll be um sharing it back with our our teachers and staff in the fall. Um maybe making some final revisions, but wanted
to keep you up in in the loop. Um we will continue to work the work of this tech steering committee next year to really um finalize our communication plan as well as our curriculum. Uh and we expect by the end of June 2026 to have a draft policy for AI. So Trisha, I
don't know if I forgot anything, but if we have any questions or thoughts from the committee, happy to respond. No, that was good. Does anyone have any thoughts? It's all very clear and and intentional and
good quality. So, good. Thank you. Thank you. I I would uh just want to express our appreciation to the members of the committee because we did between every um tech meeting, we sent out articles. Some of them were lengthy um for people to read. Uh again, we were looking at
the literature on students uh child children's development, mental health. uh we read from Children's Hospital, from um Common Sense Media and people did a lot of outside work and we were so pleased to have parents um join the committee. They brought a great perspective. So, it was a great committee to work with and we look
forward to working uh forward. Thank you so much. I think this is so well done and so important. Um we live in such a technological world. It changes constantly. Some of these tools can be so great to help children in their learning. Some of them can take them down a wrong path. And I think you just
address all the the questions out there and really are thinking about it from the lens of a well-being of a student using technology when appropriate to help them learn but also setting the appropriate guard rails. So I think this was excellent and I I thank you and the committee. Thank you. Thank you so much.
And stay tuned because we have um um some um committees people that have got together and we're working with Pearl um and we are going to be able to bring some more speakers in early in September for families. That's great. Thank you.
Thank you for your time tonight. Thank you. Thanks. All right. Next, we're going to go a little bit out of order and we're going to have the math committee. So, we're trying to get everybody who has other commitments out so you don't have to say. So, Vicki, I'll turn it to you in the math committee. All right. So, thank
you very much. So, um we're very excited to bring forth to you tonight our recommendation for new math program. Um as you can see, most of our math committee has uh grace graciously joined us tonight to um kind of support um the process and to offer some ins um
insights into the math program here to answer questions. We also um behind you uh provided you with some sample materials if after the meeting you wanted to kind of take a look or feel free to reach back and and take a look now if you'd like. There's some teacher mater um um guides as well as some
student workbook so you can kind of see what um the the math program looks like in print. So um I just wanted to give you a brief overview of our district's math program adoption process and share information about the curriculum we have selected.
Um this I have to say this has been a thoughtful collaborative effort involving teachers, administrations, um instructional leaders and all guided by the goal of selecting a high quality instructional materials that align with our standards supporting student learning and promote equitable outcomes
across all grade levels. I'll go through the steps we have taken. Um some of it I already um uh shared with you a couple of meetings ago. So I'll go through through the first part um a little bit quicker but if you have questions um please feel free to let me know and I'll pause.
So one of the um first things as a committee and I've shared with you uh before we um we did was we established a vision of mathematics for our district and this vision kind of helped us guide through the process. um basically says that the Northfor public schools are
committed to developing all students mathematical understanding by creating equitable, relevant and engaging learning experience. Students will learn to become lifelong problem solvers who sustain a growth mindset, collaborate and effectively apply and communicate their thinking in a variety of ways. Our
students will have access to highquality instruction that leverages cultural knowledge and lived experiences, challenging and coherent content in a learning environment where each student receives the support they need to succeed in mathematics. So, as you can tell, we had a pretty uh high standards
and hefty gold vision. Um, the first thing I want to do is just kind of acknowledge our committee members. This really has been a labor of love and it took many hours um for us to kind of come to this um place today. So um we have Liz Muscarelloo who
represented the HOD special education teachers. Jen Fefeifer who represented um our kindergarten team. Dedra Ferrara and Marian Hart was our our grade 1 representatives. Joan Marson u represented grade two. Amy Kimo was our Freeman Kennedy special education rep.
Amanda Moore represented grade three. Joanie Zolo uh represented grade four. Sam Moore and Lisa McKenzie um were grade five representatives. Sarah Logan um was our grade six representative and um Lisa Alam Hickeyi and Tam Tammy
Rebello joined as our administrators and um of course our district mass specialists Jen Violet, Elen Cludier and Lorie Bosch. Um this would have been possible without this team's effort. Um so thank you very much. Um again um so kind of just a quick overview of the
scope of work. Um we went we have like uh six phases that kind of guide our process. We start with the needs assessment to kind of identify um our current masses math um program. What um what are our strengths? What are some areas that we really um need to um grow?
Then we uh gather review and um data uh from various sources which I'll kind of go through. Um and we unpack the research to really understand what our data is showing us. Um we then develop using the information gathered a rubric
that helps us uh guide us through the selection of the different math programs and um then we select programs to review um in order to see which one best matches our rubric and the needs of our district and then we're in a final phase of making a recommendation to school
committee. So um just really quickly I just wanted to mention that we have um a datadriven process that we use that has four uh phases as you can see um go um the predict go visual observe and infer uh
questions. This is a researchbased data process that kind of really helps to ensure that all of our um everything that we do is kind of it is grounded in data and information so we can really make the best decisions possible. Um this process helped us make targeted
strategic decisions to improve our math outcomes um for all and we use it for all of our kind of review um processes. We then conduct a SWAT analysis which stands for strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and we basically take a look at all the data
that we gather and we see we group them into those these four categories and we kind of identify all right like what are our strengths such as um like one of the things could be like oh the materials currently are engaging maybe some opportunities is that we need to bring
in some more professional development um threats which not my favorite phrase I I don't know why they have it, but that's just the way they they labeled it. Um maybe it could be like budget cuts or or changes in like um state expectations, you know what I mean? That could really kind of impede our uh progress. So once
we have all of these components um identified, we um then can kind of move forward and develop our like a vision or like a rubric of what we need to do to help guide us. So we um so part of our data collection system, we um send a survey to families.
We have 325 um members that responded which is a really great response rate. Um as you can see it's broken down by grade level. Um so some of the strengths that families um identified uh they had an appreciation for re for um resources
that help support learning at home such as reflex as I know it some of the um uh some of our digital resources as well as non-digital math games that were sent home by um some of our educators. the uh we received positive feedback on um teacher-led engagement strategies
including math videos and interactive activities that that were provided and um they overall uh gave some really positive feedback uh about how we um provide instruction here in Northfor. Some challenges which is um uh families
expressed needing some more support in uh guiding their children um at home through the math curriculum. um having more of um consistency and homework expectations across grade levels and classrooms. Um some of the families said
that um they felt that their child maybe was not challenged enough. So they were looking for more extension activities and um overall was also some more differentiation to address diverse needs. We also sent um a survey to our staff.
We had a 90% response rate. Um so some of the strengths that they identified were that currently we have some comprehensive materials we've done um with the things that supported the mass specialists a lot of supplemental um materials that we have integrated into
um the current program that we're using to kind of make sure that we're we're um using the most uh research base and current um resources. Um the digital tools were um they found really supportive um having a clear structure which is with any program in align scope
and sequence and routines having visual supports and um built-in differentiation and some of the challenges um which is some um the feedback said that uh the current math program lack developmental appropriateness in some areas. So uh
maybe the standards were not aligned with Massachusetts um expectations and they kind of went ahead further or the concepts were not um given enough time to develop conceptually. Um they um request a more um for uh challenge and spiraling of concepts which kind of
echoes what the family said. Um desire for more hands-on learning, engaging warm-ups and differentiated instruction. Um they also felt that there was insufficient support for higher achieving students um and those requiring additional support. So that differentiation piece which is was also
echoed in the family survey. Um and also a lack of SC scaffolding and um adaptive learning technology. So adaptive is when sometimes they have um assessments that is based on a student's answer. it will make a um individualized kind of
learning plan that will go with it to support the student. Um and just overall more flexible engagement came up a lot like kind of having a more engaging curriculum and um accessible um accessibility as well. So from there, and I've shared this rubric with you
again, we developed a rubric for evaluating the curriculums, and we kind of grouped all of the feedback, all of the data that we looked at from our district and state, the surveys, and we um created a rubric that had seven categories, organization, content,
program support for families, technology integration to support teachers and students, assessments, um accessibility, and of course, professional development to support um the implementation of any new pedagogy um expectations. ations or the program. So, we use this program to
um evaluate uh we looked at over eight programs um that were available. We narrowed down to three programs from there and then we found that really only one program met the or met the most criteria um that we identified in the
rubric as what we were looking for. So, um, just want to catch up with my notes here. Make sure I'm not There we go. So, Amplify Desmos um came up as like
the top contender. It was a unanimous um vote by the by our committee. Um, we all felt that it really met so many of the components that mentioned in the survey and that our data showed. Um so this is the program we um kind of want we have
selected and are presenting to you today. So a little bit of about why we selected Desmos math it's um we really felt that the philosophy of the program it really builds around not only teaching the
skills but building our students as mathematicians and that's something that we identified in our vision statement. um it builds on their natural curiosity. It really um uh gives them the time to be able to unpack and understand the
mathematics behind it. And it does um com it does a great job of combining um hands-on problem solving with um the practice, you know. So um it has a a really great structured approach to problem based learning, which is
something that we were missing with our current program. Um it really puts uh the teacher in being the position of the facilitator you know and helping the students kind of engage with mathematics. Um amplified desmos also build um the
philosophy of their program on four key areas um that it centers. So the first one is the structured approach to problem based learning as I mentioned before which is really around um combines conceptual understanding procedural fluency and application. Um
it tells a story. So each module in grades K through five opens with a story problem and that um problem then it it um uh it spirals throughout the unit. So like the students always come back to that story problem that's presented. So, it has a very engaging way of
introducing a math concept and it's real world application too. And I'll have the math committee because they've all have uh tried out numerous of the lessons in the module. So, I'll give them an opportunity to kind of share a little bit more of their experiences with it. Um, it also um it really um has a great
sequence. It it is it 70 80 lessons. What is it based on? It's depend on the grade level. Is that what you're Yeah. Like how many It's shorter than most programs, right? Yeah. So, depending upon that um grade level,
right? Um it's between 137 to 60 150 150 150 160. So, thank you. The reason I wanted to pause and get the right number because um the great thing
about that is that it gives you additional time to really be able to unpack a concept. So a lot of thing a lot of times we find that the previous programs overall they would base it on a full year school calendar but we know that we never have full days like it's
180 days but we have like you know there's assemblies or there's PD days or you know what I mean so teachers are always feeling rushed to be able to finish the curriculum and the way that this is paced out it gives enough sufficient time to be able to dive deeply into a concept but also has
builtin time for review if you need it and if you need to slow down the pace for your classroom because they need a little bit extra time with a concept. It does allow for that. So, that's one of the things that we found was very appealing and we felt that it was really um responsive to like how a teacher
would pace something out, you know. Um there's also I want to just add the proficiency progression um of of how like the the lessons are designed. So, they go through like the kind of like the five uh steps which they activate a student's prior knowledge and curiosity.
So there's always like a an engagement activity like a warm-up that um they uh start with. They um then give students an opportunity to generate new ideas. So they're asking for like well how do you think or like what do you think the problem is? Um they uh give a lot of uh
facilitation tools for teachers. um they there's a lot of practice and reinforcement and remediation and um like the way it's uh built in that it really does give enough practice and repetition that it gives that lasting understanding so the student really owns
the concept. We put a little video. I guess I'll play it. We weren't sure. Um, the math concepts will like keep reoccurring when you get to a new concept. You know, it'll be recursive and it'll use some of the stuff from before. But I think
what's most helpful is the the structures are the same. So like from younger grades to older grades, no matter what the concept is, we're going to do the same types of things. Like what do you notice and what do you wonder? What u do you see anything different here? And like those processes
like that are things that you can apply to all things in life. Like even if you have a a plumbing issue at home, what do you notice? What do you wonder? What background knowledge do you have? Like I and I share that with my students. Like it's not just stuff that you can do for math. Like you can figure other problems
out in life with it as well. So that noticing and wonder component is something we had to supplement a lot. And this is some and this program has it built in which is like really great because it gives that systematic approach to um lesson um how how we
teach lessons and it is such an important key skill to teach our kids because that's something that carries over beyond mathematics. Um again the the other two components that kind of make this program really strong is it really values student thinking and it really makes it visible.
there's a lot of opportunities to share their thinking with their peers, to share their thinking with their class. Um, and it's very like motivational the way the the um the program is designed. It um there's a lot of opportunities to engage with with modeling. Like I said,
there's a lot of opportunities to engage in exploration, you know. Um, and like again, it really centers around building that student understanding of not only how do you solve the problem, but how do you approach a problem, which is what we
want our kids to have because it's impossible in mathematics to teach every scenario, right? But if you can think your way through a problem, then you can really um engage with any level of mathematics and that sets them up for success in middle school, in high school. Um and that those are the skills
that we really want to teach them at the elementary level. Um so we added some program highlights, but I wanted to give an opportunity if anybody felt comfortable not to put everything on the spot, but we talked a little bit about um the program
components. If there's anything that you feel like when you tried out a lesson, something that you really found maybe helpful or you don't have to thought it was very engaging right from the get-go. Um whether you do it online or on paper,
it gives you the option of whether to do it in a packet of paper or online. Um and it just captures their interest immediately. Um, and then within a matter of maybe one or two minutes after a quick discussion, it involves them in
an activity where they are leading and discovering and we are the facilitator. So, we're kind of letting them try it on and get, you know, uh, kind of like a what a 2-year-old would do with a pile of blocks, right? They just want to, you know, see what what they can do with it.
Um, and it's just wonderful. And there's a lot of group activities, partner activities, and then they also have independent work as well as a spiral review of prior concepts. Um, it's very wellrounded. I I really like agree with and I also I liked the um
fact that it was a anybody could access this program. So, you know, going along with what you said with the casing, but also our current program is we teach it this way, you have to do it this way. This program, they find out a way that
works for them and anyone can do it. This person might be a visual person thinker. This person might be an algorithm thinker, but they can figure out what works for them. And then there's an opportunity for review.
There's opportunity to enrich. there's, you know, it is accessible to everybody, um, which I really liked and it teaches them problem solving skills, which is a life skill, and that is something they'll be able to carry with them forever.
Thank you. Um, some of the program highlights that we had that we just wanted to um share with you that is really unique to this specific math program is that it always starts off with a warm-up. And like the video said, what do you notice? What do you wonder? So in this like particular page example
you see um the lessons around rectang rectangular prisms. So instead of saying this is what a rectangular prism is, it asks the students what do you know about this concept and it gives that opportunity for students to have that discussion you know what I mean and kind of cultivate ideas before like um it is
actually said like well this is what it is you know what I mean um it also has something that's very unique and I feel like um we are always looking for time to built into our math lessons but because it's never built into the program it's really hard to do so But
this one has a built-in synthesis. So that's when you gather the students um let's say for example at the end of the lesson you say like all right like what do you what did we learn today? You know what I mean? Like what are some skills that we learned? And it's a really great way for teachers to do um a formative
assessment too. Kind of get a dipstick of like who is able to articulate what the lesson is, who maybe might have some misconception. And because it's like again it's built into the time um it's reachable this part. And then again it has a lot of uh
differentiation every lesson. So we talked about um some of the feedback we had that we were looking um how do we challenge some students maybe who have a great grasp of the concept that's being taught. So like there's a stretch, there's a strengthen and there's a
support page. So um so differentiation is made easily and again the students are learning the same concept. is just leveled a little bit to um uh to support their specific needs. Um it also has uh great print and
digital resources. So one of the things that we kind of really found about this program is that the digital piece of it is extremely intentional. So it's not there just to kind of occupy time because I know that's something like that this steering committee has been looking at. But if they're giving you a
digital resource to use, it's going to elevate the lesson. And it um it has a I put in um how many digital lessons there are per grade level. So as you can see, it scaffolds up. So it starts with 10% in about of the lessons are about
digital and K2. Um 15% in grades 2, three, and 20% in grades four and five. So like I said, it's done with intention and it's done developmentally appropriate. Everything that's available digitally is available in print, you know, so the teacher always has a choice
of not using the digital resource if they feel like maybe they want to do something in print. Um, is there anything else about these two that you wanted to add that I maybe missed? The digital lessons are amazing in every
class that I've gone into. Yeah, the kids are just really into it. And um some of the lessons have, like Joanie was saying, there's like a symmetry gallery. So each kid makes a symmetry um puzzle and it cuts
it in half and then it goes into a gallery and all of their classmates have to solve their symmetry puzzle and then it shows like who's seen your puzzle, who solved your puzzle. And the kids really get into it. And that's like the kids are creating the problems that each
other are solving and they're really understanding what symmetry is versus giving them a book with 20 examples of doing symmetry. They're going to remember what symmetry is from that. And there's so many more that I can talk about. Like we were digging through the
way they show rounding. They have a guy on a ski lift. He jumps off and he like skis down to the correct part on the number line. It's just really, it's so well done and I feel like at least for myself, I am a um I'm a tough cell. So,
um I I really am impressed with the ways they've done the digital lessons. And they're spread out, so there may only be two or three per entire unit. And it again, it goes with the theme that that um unit is focused on the story that is introduced at the beginning. I also
noticed that the kids are excited about helping each other. Yes. So the problems are progressive. So they get a little bit more challenging, a little bit more challenging. And so some might not be at that certain level and they might say, you know, I can't quite get to this one.
And oh, you got to do this. And so they don't even realize that they're also learning how to teach and share and grow together. Um, I mean the group it's so um engaging with everyone and it
allows for them to have different groups every day. Um, so they get, you know, it's very differentiated, but it's just it's just amazing how I also think part of the digital component, at least in second grade, there's opportunities where it's not just one student in front of a Chromebook, but it might be three
or four students in front of the same Chromebook. So, they're problem solving and working together on the same computer, which is really different from what we've done before. I really like that component. That team Oh, sorry. Go ahead. I was just going to say it's great. I watched
a lesson in Reese's room and um as the teacher, she could see what the whole class was doing on her screen. And if she wanted to show like this student found this, she could pull that up and share it with the whole class, but this
student did it this way and then pull that one up and share it with the whole class. So it was like very interactive. Um, and having that chance to for her to see what everybody's doing and to be able to say, "Hey, you're doing a great
job. Can we use you as an example?" And get their confidence up and make them feel really good. And there's a lot excuse me emphasis on student voice. So everybody's voice will be heard throughout the um throughout
the lesson either through collaboration or through the warm-up which are high ceiling. Everybody has an entry point and everybody's entry point is perfectly acceptable. And then it becomes with the growth mindset. And you
do see that now the students are the ones lifting one another. That's I've really noticed that. And then in kindergarten and first grade there's a lot of centers as opposed to the technology. So it's really handson concrete manipulatives and there's a lot
of learning that goes on in those centers and then as as you saw the technology kind of gets introduced more and more. So, the developmental appropriateness of the math concepts, the stories are I
don't know if anybody else wants to say, but the stories are unbelievable. They're so simple, but you have the kids' eyes bulging out of their heads as you're reading it, and you're like, "Wow." And then every every lesson comes
back to a character, and they're remembering everything. you know, Joe bought a pickle and then we're going to be talking about pickles for an entire, you know, how many pickles did he lose any like whatever it is and they're like, "Oh, Joe." You know what I So,
really like the contextual contextual piece of this is pretty magnificent. They don't even realize they're learning something. Yeah, they're really engaged. I think the one thing that was obvious to us is that
this was created and written by educators for educators. Yep. And I just like to toss in because sixth grade is slightly different. Um we don't have the story and whatnot, but I felt like at this point in the year we know our students and I saw students
participating actively in math that throughout the year had been quiet um and or complained. So it really it was fabulous to see those students feel like they could jump in um with this platform and to hear
them say this is so much better. So much better. I might have heard the word fun in math. We're not enthusiastic at all. Excited about this program. Thank you so much. And the opposite was true for kindergarten for and for sixth grade. um
that really having the story approach to kick off the unit. Um like Eileen was saying um the children just and it talks about community which we're building community in kindergarten you know that's like a main theme and so much is about they're going to school the
characters and the the slides are so rich in mathematics but the kids are finding the mathematics visually. Um and then those are carried throughout the centers and the flow of group time and tabletop partner back to group show you
know and then as an educator I can use the Smartboard to show some of their examples that they are they are creating uh with dry erase or on paper. So in kindergarten there's less use of individualized technology which I think
is very appropriate. Um, but there are technology pieces that you can weave in as time moves on. That's great. Yeah. And all the skills that you can really tell if you go from a kindergarten to sixth grade and like that. Um, being able to like even outside of mathematics, but how do you work with
partnerships? You know what I mean? How do you share ideas? How do you, you know, um, get ideas from others, you know what I mean? And use that to problem solve together. Like it's just like such valuable skills. So, like I said again, it stretches beyond. Um, so we had um some outside of the committee, we actually had other
teachers that have also tried out the lessons and in some cases they actually decided to just teach the rest of the units that we had because they were so excited by by the program and I asked them to share just a couple of sound bites of what they thought of um their
experience so far. So I just wanted to share with you um as you can tell that um there's a lot of excitement from teachers too. Um, and I also asked them to share kind of like what their students thought um, K through six. So, I captured some of them for you as well.
Um, but you can see fun has come up, you know what I mean? I feel like the students are actually um, enjoying what they're learning, you know? Um, sharing of strategies is fun, you know? It's just um, unit stories have come up. So, um,
um, yeah. So, uh, I wanted to share with you um, what the program components and next steps are. as our um so for students um it comes as a full package uh you basically get um the ELA program is a little bit all a cart you'd have to pick like different components but this
is like this is what the students get they have a student edition they'll have full digital access and then um additional practice pages that come with it um for teachers is a teacher edition they'll again have full digital access
um they'll uh be able to um they'll There's there's assessment components that are built into the program. There's unit assessments and then uh there's something called MCL class which um is uh a benchmark assessment that is adaptive and uh kind of measures uh
students um learning three times per year kind of like how are they being able to uh summarize their learning in beginning of year. There's a screener that kind of uh levels where the student is before coming into the grade level so a teacher can really target if there's any supports that needed. There's a
midyear to see how they're able to um uh verbalize and what they've learned already and and show that in their work. And then there's an end of year. Um there's intervention extension resources that are included. There's uh center resources that included um and also uh
math language development resources. Um, so there's vocabulary routines, activity pages, um, to really support our English learner, English language learners. Um, for our, um, so everybody, the center kits can be printed because everything I said is available online,
but we're actually going to purchase them some ready-made ones for K through three because, um, there's a lot more cutting, so we thought it might be help. And then um, but they will be available for grades four and five. grade sixes and half center kids because they have a little bit more of a model middle school model.
Um we're also going to have uh it's called a boost personalized learning. So it's a little bit more of an engagement um game gamified as a supplement that kind of helps reinforce skills um that will be available for teachers to use. And that diagnostic screening tool and progress monitoring that I mentioned
earlier that's called MClass will also be available for us. go into a cost proposal. Um, so we did um a five-year quote with um and I I gave you the full quote in your package so you can kind of see exactly what we'll be purchasing by grade level um
and by item, but uh our 5-year quote is uh $250,000 plus $7,900 uh additional for professional development. Um we felt that it is a big shift of how u mathematics will be taught. So um we really wanted to make sure that our
teachers especially in the first year of implementation have all the supports that they need. Um so we split the payment into two years. So we would have to pay 60% the first year which will be 150,000 and then the remaining 100,000 would be paid the following year.
Um, I think that's it about the cost. And they did, if you look at the, um, quote, they did give us for so many kits that we purchased, we got like more that are free. So, um, we're able I was able to negotiate a little bit to, um, as you
know, the programs are very expensive. So, I tried to keep it uh, within our budget as best as possible that we had. Um, so they did work with us there and they did reduce the shipping cost which um can be uh quite expensive too for all the materials to to come here. Vicki,
can I just jump in there for a second? So um as I'm sure you're noticing that uh the cost proposal came in higher than we originally budgeted and anticipated. Um I think we had 120,000 in the budget. It's going to be 150 for the first year.
Um but as Miriam alluded to earlier, we are going to get a second payment from uh the state for supporting student the newcomer students this year. Um that revenue is really shouldn't be applied to salaries. It's onetime revenue. Um so there are ways that we can use that to
offset other costs we had to to create revenue to offset the cost of this program. Um when they did to keep it within budget, you'd have to look at a four-year proposal. And if we did that, we're paying an additional about $5,000 annually for materials. So, um I think that we are confident that we will have
the revenue to offset that additional cost um based on the the additional payment coming in in August. And it is cheaper to go with like if you five years than the four years too. Um so we're kind of um so my last part I just wanted to share a
little bit some of our next steps. So next year we'll be in our first year of our math implementation and as you know we'll be in our second year of our ELA implementation. I do wanted to share that we're going to we've been working with the math committee and our ELA committee as well to kind of see how we
can best balance uh the two adoptions. Um we're going to like I said we've added to the package of $7,900 to really give a um uh a substantial professional development for staff there. We're going to have um uh an overview in August of
the program and then there'll be numerous opportunities for for teachers to meet with uh the coaches from Amplify Desmos who are educators themselves and to kind of help with the implementation process too and hopefully they'll be supportive. Um we use our data and curriculum meetings to support um the
implementation and the continuation of our ELA program. um our instructional coaching also our math coaches and our literacy coaches are um work very closely with teachers to kind of help them support with unpacking the program um uh identifying maybe resources and
kind of really guiding them through the process and then um yeah so I I think that as you can tell by our team I think we're very excited by the potential of this program I think it will tremendously help us um achieve our
vision that I shared with you at the beginning. Um, uh, so we're ready for any questions that you might have for us. Is in terms of roll out, this is next academic year, all six grades or is it rolling out just Okay, so going to do
all six grades across. Okay, our current program that we have sunset, so it's not in production anymore. So for all grades we we have to have something new because we can't get the the prior program. Yeah. The platform is is going down so there's no access but
we also felt that this program is so um rich that like I think people are excited to be able to do it throughout you know. Yeah I was did we with ELA we rolled out partial? No we did full as well. Okay. Okay. I think one thing we
forgot to mention too is there's a caregiver help with the program to support the homeschool convention. So, thank you. Yeah. And anything if they if they enhance the program in any way, we are in they'll give that to us.
Yes. You know, update the program or add some special things to it and we we have access to that. That's a great point. Yeah. So, they they do include all the updates if there are any um ones and they seem to be very responsive. you know, they're actually um coming out of their beta phase and we um actually uh
talked to a school in um was it Brooklyn? Yeah, New York. New York. New York. Yes. And they just did it the Bronx. No, I think it was closer to Rochester. Anyways, New York City, sorry. But they've been in um they've been in the pilot for a couple years as
elementary school. So, we really um had a great conversation around how it went. and they said that the shift that they um saw in students mathematical thinking and ability was like in was just really incredible. Um so that's like the feedback we got from from the um the
director. Any other questions? I will say um that my daughter was lucky enough with Miss Solo to um pilot part of this and she's not a huge math lover but I did hear the word fun on multiple times. So that's
time for Yeah. Go ahead. Thanks. Um so I was wondering after going through the ELA um adoption why there was only one um proposal cuz the ELA we had multiple to look at. Um and then I heard the 8 to 3
one and I was even more intrigued. And now just hearing the enthusiasm it's like let's get this in here these kids going cuz I still have two to go. I don't think it's just enthusiasm with us to I can speak for the second grade
teachers. I think everyone has piloted multiple lessons at this point and everyone is excited about it. They are all of the teachers in at least for second grade are so excited about this. Um we talk about it all the time during our you know prep time or or when we're
planning together. So I I think it's um I I don't think it's just the committee. I think anyone who's really taken a look at the program and has had an opportunity to try it out is really really excited about it. Yeah, that stuck out to me Vicki when you said that you know other teachers have said I want
to keep using it cuz I mean it's really it's not something I've seen before you know what I mean and that's what so just to answer your question. So, um the ELA we had we we did the same thing process with ELA where we we usually start we look at everything that's out there. We kind of um do uh a quick elimination
because uh maybe the ratings weren't high enough or there was other factors that kind of eliminated. We use the same rubric and after going the whole process, we actually found two programs that we felt were very compatible. They met about the same that checked the same like checks for us, you know. So we said all right like let's um have our
teachers pilot the two programs and see which one they felt with math which was unexpected for us. We um we did the same thing. We looked like at all the programs that are out there. We kind of were elim through the process we're eliminating some and we came to three potentials which was um illustrative
math um this amplified Desmos and I Ready and then so we had um their sales uh people come um present and speak to us. We um we requested they give us samples of their materials and um we tried out some of their lessons and the
more we unpacked the other two programs. We found the illustrative math and I ready we found that they just did not hold a candle to what amplified decimals. We found one program was very had more like a very traditional approach was very similar to go math. So
we thought like we're going to run like what we're finding shortage with go math we're we're kind of going to put ourselves in the same situation and Illustrative math which is a great program but they been around now for a couple of years and um we we've had some experience um in other districts with
it. There were some components that were missing from that program and this program took like the best components of illustrative math and then fixed what was missing. You know what I mean? So um so just to kind of mention at the point that Plainville and Rentham and the
middle schooler I think these are the free version they're using illustrative math but Amplify actually is quite similar to the structure to the scope and sequence even some of their lessons are very similar that the transition for students is not going to be felt but they're just going to just amplify
Desmos. Like I said it has in has a lot more enhancements that illustrative math was missing. So that's why the other two programs fell off for us. And we took a vote and I think we met like twice because we really like we really wanted to put two to give people a choice but we felt like it just would like why
waste people's time to look at a program that we know is not meeting you know what I mean? So once we put forth, we talked to our uh our grade level reps, talked to their teams, we kind of explained like you know this is kind of like where we are and once every like teachers try tried it as you mentioned
you know what I mean um like people really felt that this was the right program for us. Does that answer questions? Yeah. I have another question. Um sure on the survey responses there was the parents asking about resources and how they can
support. Does this have any guidance or elements that will help with that aspect? Yes. Um, there's a caregiver hub and then it goes through the units. Oh, yeah. And it explains everything and there's little act depending on your grade level, but there's activities that
you can do going along with it, but it's it's runs very parallel to what they're doing in school for the day, like for the unit, excuse me. So it should help kind of like parents understand the way that they're learning because I know like the way that we learned a long time ago is so different and sometimes when
we see what the kids bring home we're like I don't know how to explain this to you. So it will kind of like guide you into like their thinking too. Absolutely. Okay. And we're thinking um I was just talking to um Lisa and Tammy also about how um
maybe either incorporating into our open houses or maybe holding like a separate curriculum night and maybe just having parents come and explore now that we have the ELA and the math program. So we kind of can walk them through both of the parent support components that are available, you know, and let parents kind of explore the resources too. So we
definitely have something. We'll just have to figure out with um timing and what what is best for families like which of the two we might hold it. But we definitely have we want to um kind of walk our our families through through the re the two new programs that we have.
Um having sat through several curriculum adoption processes over the past lots of years, this is the most enthusiastic definitely recommendation I have ever heard. So, I uh obviously went through the materials and um the presentation's
very thorough, but um such an overwhelming endorsement is fantastic. And I have a sixth grader who was lucky enough to try out a few of the lessons and and gave it her resounding stamp of approval and no eye rolling and and no, you know, no complaints about math.
Yeah. So, I'm I'm excited for the district. I can see so much thought went into this and I really appreciate that. Thank you. So, it was a very thorough analysis and I'm so excited to see you all excited. Um, one question I did have for you all
looking just listening to the presentation and looking at the materials, it does seem much more language heavy than what kids were used to previously. Do you think there are enough supports or will you need additional support for kids who historically struggled with ELA but
didn't struggle with math or struggled with math when it got to the word problems? I don't think it's like a a bad thing. They're still working on it, which is great. But do you think the supports are there for those kids? So, I have a special ed teacher. Um I think this is a much better setup for the um
for that. I think go math is very wordy and some of the um stuff in it was irrelevant. The kids didn't even know what it was because it was older. Um, this one there are features where it could be read, but it's also very hands-on and you give them a problem
like as a whole class and they can work it out however they want. It's not, you know, they don't have to read the words, break it apart. Um, you know, we you give them a problem, they you play the story, dream the story, and they can draw on their whiteboard, they can use
manipulatives. They hands-on. And I saw a lot of success in the classroom with kids who typically struggle in math because they could do it their way. They could visualize it. They could draw it. They could And I saw some of the other
kids that were born have to just memorize it really have to have a good struggle to try and problem solve and try and look at it, you know, from a real life perspective. So I think for
kids that struggle with reading, this is much better. Okay, that's great to hear. Thank you. I think some of the feedback that I received from the students were not so many words. Yeah. And challenging challenging but fun.
Yeah. And the modeling is very very strong here. So like even um I think Sarah you did the victim prism um lesson where the students were working in groups and they had a 3D model that they could manipulate in turn. So like and then they had the worksheet to answer
questions you know what I mean? So like there's such a strong component and correlation of that. There's a lot of hands-on manipulative usage you know I mean which kind of helps with that like multi module like uh modality like you know of understanding. But yeah, we did we did the lesson with
surface area and they they took the threedimensional shape and they they flattened it out and they then they have to, you know, recalculate something and figure out how to put it back together and if it's not right, they see that it it doesn't work. So it's not just, you know, all these numbers. It's it's very
visual the meaning behind they actually taught in my opinion. definitely focus more on um quality than quantity. So you will see like an activity may have the students answer
two really good problems together and then come back to the classroom or come back as a group rather than like I said before 20 problems where they're just robotically answering by repeating a formula. Um there was a third grade
class I went into and I looked at the teacher I said I'm not sure. This is going to be a tricky one. She said, "Okay." I said, "You ready for this?" Yep. We tried it. The kids, they they rose to the occasion. It was absolutely amazing. We looked at each other like, "That was amazing. I wish we had taped
that." Um, and it was just like two problems, but they were really meaty and the kids really, like I said, they rose to the occasion. It was really impressive. Awesome. And then one more kids actually said, "I might like that now.
So Vicki, are you looking for a vote? Yes, I am. Everyone's looking for Yeah. So, we're looking for a vote to um approve the adoption of Amplify Desmos map. I will move to approve um Amplify
Desmos. I'll second. Any further discussion? No. Just thank you all so much. the the work clearly shows and we appreciate it. Thank you. All in favor. All in favor? I thank you. This team has put a ton of
hours and time into this and as Vicki said, they were looking at programs in the conference room and that was a marathon day, but they were really like delving through and looking at all the lessons and um as as many people have mentioned um a lot of our teachers have
tried this on now and it's been pretty universally um uh engaging and people are are excited to try it. So, thank you for all of your time and efforts, everyone. And also, you may feel free to go. We can shuffle our papers around. We can
give you a minute. I'm going to take the bathroom. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks so much. Thank you. Good. All right. All right. So, next we'll jump into the um McLass uh math benchmark field study.
Vik you want to add? Sure. So um we kind of had have an exciting opportunity to um be part of the beta pilot for middle school. So um Amplify Desmos um has uh um an assessment the digital assessment
that they um have implemented part of their program K through five which they're just coming out of beta will have full access to it. Um that's the one that we're going to be using um to assess students understanding. Um the there's a like I mentioned before a beginning of year screener. There's a
middle of the year assessment and end of year assessment. Um it also has a progress monitoring um capabilities. Um that is something that we've been looking uh for a couple of years now for a good progress monitoring tool in mathematics. We have a good one for ELA. We've had a difficult time finding one.
Um, so, uh, I was able to negotiate a one-year, um, trial of their released K through five program for MClass. So, we'll have full access to everything next year. I just want to make sure that before we kind of purchase it, that it's something that would be really a great
tool to measure our students progress um, uh, in grades K through five, in for grades six to eight, which is what this is about. They're um, they're they haven't developed the tool yet. they are in they're doing a beta pilot of it. So we've been invited to participate in
their field study. So basically it's going to be um the same program that is for K through 5, but it will be a middle school version of it. Um they uh what it's going to give for us and I've talked to our sixth grade team. They're very excited to be part of this. Um it'll give us access to this assessment
tool. Um otherwise we would have to wait two years for us to have access for it until it kind of comes out of the beta pilot phase into the release. Um so we'll have access for that. So we'll have data that is consistent uh K through six. Um we will also be able to
um keep the data that is gathered for next year to support our ongoing. So there'll be like a seamless uh progression of it and um we'll also have kind of a voice in being able to give them some feedback about what we think of the tool. Um it really is not um a big lift for the teachers. The
assessment is given three times a year. The progress monitoring tool is not available yet because they want to kind of solidify this one. Um we're going to have a liaison that's going to be working um with our teachers and um the
Amplify Desmos um developers uh to kind of coordinate the assessment. Um, and the nice thing about it, they said that we can actually hire our own teacher to be the liaison. So, our math specialist, Lori Bosch, is going to be the one that will be supporting grade six, which is
fantastic. She works with them already. She was the former Madison grade math teacher, as you know, and um, she basically will be will do the coordinating. Um, the teachers are going to have uh the opportunity to set the testing window. Um, and uh, basically
the kids will take the assessment. It takes um these assessments overall are very succinct. They take about 30 to 40 minutes, you know. Um and like I said, they basically just want to be able to test out their product to see um how it
withstands uh the student actual student responses. One of the other things is that they need um to be able to have a uh uh to be able to validate the data. So, they're partnering with um Star Math, which is by uh Renaissance Learning. Th this has been around for a
really long time. Actually, it's one of the programs we looked at a couple of years ago. We just didn't feel like it fit the needs of what we were looking for. But, um they're going to use Star Math to validate the MC class results just to make sure that like this responses are. So, what that's going to
involve is that the students are going to need to take the McLass test and then the same length star math um test as well. they don't need to do it at the same time like it can be spaced out a little bit but um it really is just for them for their own purposes to validate
the like I said the data um if we want the starf data for our own purposes they're happy to release it to us but um it's it's really like I said just to have a validating point um for that cross validation um there will be a parent opt- out form available for
families who prefer not to have their child participate in the study um I can't imagine that that that that would be an issue, but that is going to be um offered. And um yeah, I think that the sixth grade is is really um enthusiastic about this um opportunity. And um I
think that again, we're kind of recognizing that having the benefit of having data for sixth grade next year um would be uh really valuable for us. And again, we'll have um if we do the pilot, we'll have available MClass for us for free for the two years while they're
conducting the pilot process. Our pilot is only going to be one year, but they they take two years to release it. I'm happy to um take any questions before I just have we're presenting this separately because by school committee
policy and past practice if we have students participating in anything that's a research study the school committee approves that separately. So what will be released at the end of this pilot will just be part of a regular math curriculum. It's the math assessments that have already been beta tested and and approved at K5. So it's
just that this this is still in development. Um, Amplify is one of the vendors who has signed on to the uh, data pri student data privacy um, requirements that our district has in place and many other um, districts use uh, that same data privacy agreement. So
they're part of yeah they're part of the student data privacy alliance which is like a that they're saying that um so what happens to the second year if this the assessment data will have access for
only one year did you say or did I misunderstand so the pilot is only one year but they need two years to develop it so we will if we will have an opportunity actually if this pilot goes well the following year to try out their progress monitoring tool but We can continue to have access to the
assessment while it's in beta. Okay. But I think you're asking what happens. Will we still have access to our stu own students results afteration of the pilot? Yes. Yes. The the the next incoming sixth grade class, will you have be able to get assessment data? Okay, you will. Okay. Okay. Looking for
a motion to participate in the amplified Desmos MClass math field study for grade six. That was quick. So moved. And then is there further discussion? I second. Okay. Any further discussion on it? Yeah, I had one more question. Is the
assessment data for the current year when when you do it next year, right? Is it does it help those students or does it help the following students? Both. Both. So I was just I was curious. We would give this as part of the math program assessment. Teachers will see
the data on their individual students. Correct, Vicki? Yes. During the pilot and they can use it the same what K through five has which is like they they give their like say beginning of the year screener which assesses like their incoming skills. The teachers will have access to the data. They can make
instructional um responses to it. You know what I mean? And kind of use the data real time. It's just it's not um it's just not ready for it to for it to be released cuz they wanted to because they've developed the the product. Now, they just need some schools to test it out to make sure that it stands up to
what they're hoping it will do for the middle school level. But they will use it to make instructional decisions for their current class. Um, end of year data often helps, but our sixth graders will be bridging to KP, but end of year assessments you use to support grading on the report card, other things like
that. So, it will be used for both. Cool. Yeah. Thank you. That was that was a good question. Any other questions? All those in favor? I I All right. I'm going to jump back to the
school highlights. So, we just wanted to share uh some of the things that have been going on in the past week. It's been a very very busy um uh month in school as we get ready to close out the year, but just wanted to highlight a few things. Um on Friday, May 30th, we had
the first KP student senior stroll. That was um it was a great event. All of the KP graduating seniors had a chance to visit their elementary districts and stroll through the halls and tour the buildings. Teachers and students came out um and teachers were uh thrilled to
see their students they had back in sixth grade now um getting ready to graduate. So, it was a really nice event. We hope that will be an annual tradition. Um, we're also looking at, I think Miss Alam Hickeyi talked about reaching out to some private schools, inviting students that may have not attended KP to who want to participate
and come back. Um, but that was a really nice event. Um, we also had a chorus concert uh at the Freeman Kennedy. There was an evening conference for uh concert for parents and then a day performance for students. Uh, Miss Musil and her two assistants, Miss Carter and Miss Mcmera,
did a fantastic job. The students were uh very energized. There was a lot of movement and dancing. It was really fun. Uh the students that were attending the performance enjoyed it. So that was a really nice event. Um we also on June 3rd we had the second annual unified um
unified unified schools games day. Um that is something that uh we work with an outside group. It used to be sort of special what people remember as special Olympics where students used to travel to one location and compete. Um the the
philosophy behind that has really been how to bridge your own school district to make games accessible for students throughout the throughout the course of the year and then it's celebrated in a culminating unified schools day. So um that happened uh a couple of weeks ago.
We had an opening ceremony. Students um you know marched with their their peers. The band was playing. Uh there were uh the Falcons Falcons program participated. So there were peer models that came out to support students at different games. Um they they had a
bucket challenge, bowling, balance beam, reeling races. Um Freddy the Falcon was there. Um it was a really nice event. Uh so we wanted to recognize Jason Con. Connley who is one of our teachers who spearheaded the unified games day and Julia Ferdet um who also supports the
Falcons of Falcon program and partnered um Holmes bus donated transportation for the day and the PTO and CPAC um worked together. They provided lunch and um shirts for the participants. So that was a really nice event. Um we had many many
teachers at different grade levels holding author's tees and poetry readings. Um, for our second grade students, their music teacher, Mr. Oskelli, worked with the classes and students developed class songs that they composed and so those were showcased and highlighted during the author's tease.
Students shared original works that they had done or recited poems that they had been studying. Um, so those have been great. Um we also had as Vicki I don't know if you want to jump in on this one but our um technology integration teacher Robin Tuseri as you guys heard
earlier in the year um was piloting some museum of science kits uh to that really focused on STEM and engineering and design. We had um doggy door uh grade three worked on doggy doors that opened and closed automatically. Um this past
month she's been working with grade 2 on a pumpkin pollinator unit. Um and so students were designing they had to take on the role of an agricultural engineer tasked with designing a hand pollinator to help a pumpkin poll a pump pumpkin farmer pollinate her crops. Um so these
have been really exciting units and again similar to the math kids have to really plan, design, test ideas, refine their thinking um uh and create solutions. So it it's been really wellreceived and a positive thing. We hope to expand these engineering STEM
units across multiple grade levels um moving forward. Um anything you want to jump in on that? It's just like the nice thing about it, it teaches the kids how the process that engineers go in terms of uh solving like a real world problem, you know. So like you mentioned, the first one was um how to design a um a
safe food um um uh area for stray dogs so they can come in, get food, and how do you keep like rodents away? So they had to design a magnetic door that would open and kids like had to talk about like well how would a dog open a door? How would they close it? And they talked about maybe like kids designed like a
little stepping thing like that would you know when you put weight on it it opened and the conversations were just so rich and there were so and again like that fun and engagement like they were excited about do being part of this and kind of solving this problem and the problems always tie in like to um actual
a real world scenario. So it's not just like arbitrary starts with a story that like they took example that in Puerto Rico there's a lot of stray dogs and one of the issues they have is how do you feed the stray dogs safely and how do you keep the food safe? So that was a whole story problem. They were introduced to two kids who uh lived in
Puerto Rico and that's what they were trying to solve and the kids became engineers to help support that and the same thing with the grade two with the pumpkin pollinators. You know they were able like how do you solve a pollination problem? They talked about the problem with bees you know what I mean in the world. So it is just like a such a great
real world application and they go through the engineering process of like how do you assess a problem? How do you identify tools that you need? Like so it's how do you find your design when it doesn't work and they're using a lot of rich science vocabulary kids working and and like it's it's just like the
language that and the questions that the kids raised like I was like really impressed by like the quality of it. So and it ties in so well to the like it crosses over to their social stud standards. these reports are science standards, their math standards, you know, it just really hits. So, it's fantastic.
Um, across the greens, we've had grade level field days. Um, we have not had the best weather for some of them, but our wellness teachers, Mr. McGuire, Mr. Goodwin, and Miss Pereira, have been working with the PTO again and a lot of our parent volunteers who've come in and helped to run those field days. On
Thursday, June 5th, we had our annual clapout for our grade 2 students. We do that a little bit early because we like the kindergarten kids to be able to participate in the end school. Today was the last day of kindergarten. So the students line the halls. PTO buys uh shirts for all the grade two that say
Hol Day alum. Um the younger kids have little hand clappers that they shake and the kids do a parade around the school. So um that was a lot of fun. And they also have posters with each child in grade 2's name hung along the walls. Uh we had on Friday the kindergarten memory
show. There were two performances. Um and we had a large amount of parents and families, grandparents, aunts, uncles come to see the memory show. Um the students perform songs that kind of reflect their journey through kindergarten. Uh and then they always end with uh we are the kids of HOD. Um
uh to the tune of it's a small world. So that was a really nice uh family event. Um lots of tears. Uh it's it's amazing how much they grow from the time they walk into kindergarten to the time when they leave. Um I think it was yeah just yesterday our fourth grade students had
their annual state fair extravaganza that's part of their curriculum. They learn about states. They do a research project. They design a float and then they have um sort of a presentation where you can walk and and learn from each child about the state that they studied. Um uh the kids were really
excited. They um had all kinds of fun facts about their state as well as information about the history of the state um prop uh uh crops um uh state flower important historical events. Um so that was really nice that we had
families coming in to visit the uh state fair extravaganza. And then we also had a uh an event with the Tritown Middle School uh with KP where our sixth grade teachers, math and science teachers from all three towns spent half a day meeting with grade
seven teachers uh at the middle school to share instructional um practices and priorities. So they talked about what's being taught um the resources they're using to teach and also really working on that vertical alignment of sharing and and bridging the elementary experience to KP. So that was also a
great event. many many more things happening but uh in the interest of time those are some of the highlights of what's been going on around the district. Um Vicki I think you want to give a very quick update on the ELA. Um sure it just
um our first year is um completion has been strong success thanks to the hard work of our teachers. um uh they were have been really thoughtful in planning and um were really committed to uh making sure unpacking the different program components with the support of
the literacy coaches. Um in grades K2 the focus has been on structured literacy um aligned which is aligned with the principles of the science of reading. Um and uh we've been focusing on like fing awareness decoding routines and like systematic phonics which is um
some of the areas that we identified that we were looking to lift with this program. Um in grades two through six we've emphasizing grammar mechanics close reading strategies um where students learning to analyze text more deeply and communicate with greater
precision. Um so um uh we've also had a really strong alignment across grade levels um with uh shared instructional practices and those consistent use of the program which is great you know um so we have uh uh really like uh
equitable experiences for our students. And then looking ahead for year two our focus will shift next year towards mastering the writing components of the program um and uh incorporating the full range of centerbased activities. The program came with a lot of components which are fantastic but you can't unpack everything in year one. Um and we
intentionally scaffolded the roll out to give teachers the time and support they need to kind of really uh master the different components of the program. So next year focus will be on writing um the different elements and writing like said unpack and the other components of the program and uh our professional development will also support that for
them. Very good. Good job. Great. Um, next I I did send the committee an email just to update you on some shifts that we're experiencing in enrollment. Um, but just to highlight, so over the past couple of weeks, we've
seen a decline in our anticipated uh kindergarten enrollment for the fall of September or for September 2025. Um, primarily due to we have uh five families who notified they us that they are moving. We have a handful of families who uh have decided to wait
whose kids are on the younger side who are going to wait an additional year before enrolling and then a few families that have opted to stay in preschool for an additional year. Um as a result we are going to shift from uh planning for seven kindergarten sessions down to six.
Um primarily also because at grade two we when we talked about the budget you knew grade two was one of our largest classes. Um, and we had nine first grades this year. We were planning for eight second grades. That put most of our classes at 21, which is the maximum
class size. Since uh that time, we've had some additional enrollment into grade two. So, we now have eight classes all at the maximum policy before starting the summer. Um, we looked at trend data. Typically, we get five to seven students that enroll over the
summer. We also had four first grade students that withdrew in August be based on um concerns about the uh uh implementation of the shelter and what that impact might be on class size and we know some of those families are intending to return. So we have uh moved
that kindergarten position up to grade two to generate nine sessions which means that both kindergarten and grade two will be under the the maximum class size limit. Um, at the same time, we are also looking closely at grade three. Um, I think Lauren mentioned when we talked
about the budget, uh, that grade three class sizes were very high. We were not filling a retirement as one of the budget reductions. Um, but we also have had some shifts in enrollment. So, right now we are budgeting for five third grade classes. Four of them are at 24.
Um, one is at 23. We also typically get four to five students over the summer in grade three. and we also had five second grade students withdraw late August. Um concerns around that are that if we have even two students, we're going to have
classes at 25, which is really high for third grade. Um so what I would like to propose to the school committee, as you're probably aware if you've been following the state budget, uh there is currently a proposed significant increase in chapter 70 allocations for
um education. Uh, and right now it's gone through both the House and the Senate at an increase of $150 per student. Um, the budget has not been finalized yet. Uh, it's in conference committee, but the conference committee's goal is to resolve differences between the House and Senate
budget, and both um, House and Senate funded it at the $150 increase per student. That said, we would be anticipating uh, that would yield for us about 150,000 additional educational dollars in Chapter 7 funding. that funding goes to the town of Norfolk to
support education. Um so it in the past we have talked with the select board. They've always um indicated that they would support returning that money to the town uh at fall town meeting. I don't know that it will be the full 150,000 because there are some proposed
differences between the House and Senate budget on unrestricted government aid which is another source of revenue that goes to the town. So there might be other cuts that they weren't anticipating funding um that they're using to fund other portions of the educational budget. Um but I do expect
that there would be enough additional revenue um from the chapter 7 to offset the cost of a third grade teacher. Um uh for the regional school for KP the additional chapter 7 money goes directly to KP. It does not go to the towns. So,
um, this additional chapter 70 that's coming into Norfolk would not be, um, allocated to KP because they'll get that that revenue directly. So, I would recommend at this point that the school committee consider allowing us to based on anticipated additional revenue in the
fall, move forward with hiring and advertising a third grade teacher to bring those class sizes down below 25, which is where I think they will be in the fall if we do not do that. Um, additionally, because we are reducing a kindergarten session, we will be reducing a kindergarten par
profofessional position. Um, that $25,000 in savings. I would recommend that we reallocate and in the budget, one of our other priorities was a uh.5 technology break fix staff member. Um, as Trish mentioned today, they have a
small team of three that supports a massive uh amount of of function. Also over the last two years when we restructured the business office, one of the things Trish didn't even mention today um is that the tech team also does all of the state reports. There's about
13 different reports that require hundreds of hours of data um addressing data errors, gathering data, submitting to the state. Our business office used to support that probably one day a week. Um with the restructure of the business office and the business
taking on payroll, they can no longer do that. when we reduced tech integration teacher two years ago, that person also had one day in the schedule to support break fix. So, they've actually lost point probably point4 of staffing over the last two years. Um, it's not doable.
Um, they're drowning right now. And so, I would recommend we reallocate that 25,000 in savings uh from the par profofessional to a.5 break fix um which would be costneutral for the district. Um other reductions that we have not addressed, some were uh
paraprofessionals that were reduced due to attrition. Um we do not need those positions back. There was an additional reduction to clerical support in both school offices. That's something we're still looking to see if with additional revenue coming in through the shelter or other ways we can address. That is
another need. But I think the tech is is critical at this point. So looking for a vote from the school committee to allow us to move forward with hiring a third grade teacher and reallocating the savings from the reduced kindergarten to support a.5 technology position. Um I will move to make the alterations
to the budget as stated and requested. Second. Any further discussion or questions? No, I'm just happy. Um I had a question just I I would it be feasible for us to
communicate to the select board that we're earmarking some of these anticipated funds so that we can have ongoing dialogue with them. I think it's a good idea. So I have already talked with Justin uh Kasanova Davis his um he believed that the the select board in
their past has always supported that. Um uh there is a change over obviously a new town administrator and new select board in place. Um so I do think that it would be a good idea for us to get on the agenda soon and talk about the additional chapter 70. I mean it is it's funding for education. The reason it's
being increased at the state is because um municipal budgets are not I see it um municipal budgets are not keeping up with increasing costs. So that is definitely the intent of the money and I think people are are well aware of that. So, uh, but I do think it's a good idea to get on the agenda in August to
communicate the the hiring of an, you know, I mean, it's not we're not spending it on tangible items that we could then not procure or something like that. Absolutely. Um, I think that that would be a worthwhile endeavor. Um, I do think the reason I'm asking us to to
vote now is that the candidate pool is very different in June than it will be in August and it also impacts our planning and our classroom moves and everything there. No else. All those in favor? I I I thank you very much. I'll try to go through some of these next items quickly
because I know in the interest of time um quarterly belling report uh by policy. I present that to you every quarter. There were no reports this uh last term and of potential bullying at the Hol Day School. There were two at the Freeman um fully investigated. Um
the circumstances for both did not meet the criteria for for bullying but appropriate disciplinary action was taken. Um and we continue to provide comprehensive instruction on anti-bullying um through open circle and second step at all grades.
Any questions on that? Okay. Um, next the uh in your packet last month we had a proposed and there was a typo in the the document but proposed changes to the food service um salary schedule. Food service is a revolving fund that is
offset by um uh state monies allocated based on the the sale of school lunch because school lunch is free. So the we get reimbursed from the state for the number of lunches we have a healthy revenue um in that account. it cannot be used for any other purpose except for school lunch. Um so that said, we have
sufficient revenue to offset um the proposed salary adjustment. Um as we've talked about before, we've regionalized as best as we can the um the food service program. So we share one director now, one assistant director between Rem, Plainville, and Norfolk.
All three districts have different salary schedules for kitchen support and for our um cafeteria workers, kitchen managers, um which makes it difficult to share staff if we ever have a need or or bring in subs for positions because we all pay different amounts. Um so what
we're looking to do is try to align better. Norol is the lowest paying of all three districts. Um so we are trying to uh raise the salary schedule to be more in line with what um Planeville is what their projected salary schedule is for Planeville. Um we cannot afford to
fully align with rent them at this point. So we're bridging between the two. Um so you can see the current salaries on the front and on the back is the proposed change rate changes for July beginning in July one. Um it should be about 15,000 total for the year to
make this change. And uh we as again we currently have an estimated fund balance of 316,000 in there that can only be used for school capital projects or uh a kitchen project or for the food service program. Happy to answer any questions you might
have. I heard I don't know if this was a I can't even recall at this point where I heard this from, but that the free school lunch was going away potentially. And if that happened, how does that impact like would that mean that our school lunch prices would have to go up
for families? Well, right now we have a balance of 316 that we're carrying over and the cost of this is only about 15,000. So, it wouldn't affect it for right now. Um, and I haven't I haven't heard that. Uh it was voted in to be fully funded but and I don't recall
where I heard that from. I was just like what I don't want. As of right now it is funded um at the state level. Yeah. So we just need a a a vote to approve the change in rates for move to um approve the proposed change
in rates to the school food food services pay rates. Second. Any further discussion or questions? All those in favor? I I uh next is sack. Uh it's a rate uh pay
scale rate change. Um I will in the August meeting Tony Davis has uh provided me with some data. So I will give the school committee an update. We have restructured that program and significantly reduce the weight list for open spots for sack. So um I will share that data with you next. One of the
things that limits our ability to continue to expand is that we have had a great deal of difficulty filling the team leader position. Those were open in both buildings all year this year. Um so the proposal is just to increase the rate of pay for the team leader to try
to make it more competitive so we can recruit people to come in and fill those positions. We did a regional comparison um looked at rates of pay for the similar positions in other um neighboring districts and are recommending that we raise that rate slightly. So on the back you'll see the
proposed rate. Everything else just reflects the school committee approved cola 1.5 um cola for all steps except for step three and a quarter for step three um but with just a slight adjustment to the team leader salary um uh to try to make it more uh appealing
and align with the market. And again sack is a revolving fund um it's offset by tuition so we have sufficient money to absorb that rate change. So looking for a uh a recommend recommendation to approving the rate
change for the team leader position and the adjusted salary scale for SAC. I move to approve the proposed pay rate adjustments to the SAC salary scale. I'll second discussion or questions. All those in favor? I
um Bay State shelter update uh very quickly that is still scheduled to close at the end of July. Um, we've had more students moving out. I think at this point we have 21 students remaining. Um, a couple of students leaving this week. Uh, I think most students will probably
be gone by the middle of July and then there's some time for shutting down the site. Um, but it seems to be still on track. We have another meeting coming up. Uh, a check-in with the shelter. Um, but that's kind of where we are right now. the the um as Miriam said, the
thing that we are watching is that transportation, but we've had uh several calls with the state and that's going to be an emergency reimbursement, a dollar for-doll amount of what we're spending for students that are have left and are trying to just finish out this school
year. Um so that's the update on the shelter. any questions or all right last um just an update on my goals and I'll try to go through this quickly. You have all of the information
in your packets. Um so as Lisa said I usually update the committee on my goals and you are uh required to evaluate me on two things. One progress towards goals and then performance under the four main categories of the superintendent rubric. So, um, I had
five goals this past year. Uh, they were two-year goals. Um, we've actually touched on some of them through different presentations tonight. So, I'll try to expedite. Um, but the first was to do a comprehensive review of the district technology program. Um, I outlined earlier the goals around that.
What I tried to do just to make it easier to read is things that are complete are in green, things that are in progress are in yellow, things that we haven't got to are in red. Um, as I mentioned before, we delayed this goal. Originally, we're going to start in 20 uh 2023 24. All of our curriculum
steering committees are two years. Um, but we had so many people on the ELA committee um that we couldn't recruit enough people to serve. So, we delayed it a year. Um, but I think given that we effectively accomplished what we expected to in the first year of the tech steering committee, we have uh we
built the committee. We we worked uh at um uh reviewing current research around screen time. We started to delve into the research around AI. We did a staff survey and a parent survey. We've started the gap analysis to look at the curriculum as well as um to gather
information from neighboring communities. We presented to you the guidelines for screen time. today. Um, next year we're going to focus on the policy for AI and the communication uh, district comprehensive communication plan. Um, so I expect that we will be
providing those things to you um, in spring 2026 instead of 2025 because we started uh, this goal a year late. Um, we are going to be working on the job descriptions for tech teams this me uh, members this summer. again with a restructure of the business office and
your just approval of a new position, we need to really shift and reook at responsibilities. So, I thought I think it makes more sense to do that um over the course of the summer. Um there's links to evidence of goal attainment so you can see the guidelines presented tonight. Survey results, happy to share with you um uh upon request if you want
to come in and take a look at any of these things. Um and we will be presenting the updated job descriptions for your approval in August once we've had a chance to look at those. Um the second goal was around um the
safe school in learning environments. So this was around looking at student uh approaches to student discipline implementation of the PBIS programs. And then we also need to look at and do a comprehensive review curriculum review of our SEAL programs. Um we've divided
this. So, as I presented when we talked about the district baseline and benchmark report, the we've had very good results from the implementation of the Falcons to Falcons program. You saw a dramatic decline in discipline rates. That's been going really well. Um the SEAL program, the open circle and uh
second step, we do need to do a review. However, we've got teachers implementing a new ELA program and a new math program right on its tail. Um so what we ended up doing or what I ended up doing is we're going to look at the SEAL programs next year. Um a lot of the st uh
standards in the new health frameworks fold into or part of align better with our SEAL program. So what we did was reverse and we really looked at the health uh nutrition standards, physical um uh physical activity standards. We did that part of the review this year
because those teachers aren't impacted by the other curriculum changes. Um so um the SEAL program we'll look at next year. Uh so you can see some of the things in red are things that we're delaying until next year. At the end of this I added the additional goal of what
we did this year with the the first part of the health comprehensive health uh framework. Um again let's see goal three was updating all the district emergency response plans and protocols. Um those uh items are all uh uh primarily
complete. One thing that we have to do and we have a change. We have a new facilities director. Um but we are going to do the infrastructure review with an outside consultant to see if we want to look at any potential upgrades. We're really in good shape with that when we did the first round. Um we have containment areas at both schools. We
have reinforced glass. We have security cameras. So we've updated a lot of it. Um but I do want to onboard the new facilities director and we also have a new police chief coming in. Um so we'll work with them. Um four uh goal four was around the demographic and feasibility study for
the building expansion project. That is all complete. Um we had multiple community forums uh as well as uh presentations at the select board and senior center. Um as you know the election didn't go our way. Um so in
addition to completing the goal as projected, we also um I also worked on sub uh submitting and preparing and submitting an application to MSBA and next steps for the district in terms of building a new committee. Um so I have links to all of that information if you
um are interested, but that goal is complete. Um student learning goal we are working on and some of the data is not yet available. So, as you know, we don't have MCCAST data yet for the fall, but we will provide that when it comes in. But we are working on trying to close
achievement gaps in ELA uh between um uh we want to see an overall improvement of 4% for all of our students. And we also want to close and narrow the gap between our general education students and students with uh uh learning disabilities that impact uh English language arts and writing. Um so you can
see updated um notes on each of these action steps. Um we are going to be looking more closely at alignment of some of our specialized resources. Our special ed teachers this year have been using a lot of the program resource from from HMH to see um what what is working
well and where we might need to supplement. So we've given them time to explore the new program before we start looking at where we might need to supplement our change. Um so that'll be in the fall. um and we'll continue to work on that. Um
uh we presented the baseline and benchmark report. So you can kind of see the progress over the first year of this plan and then uh as soon as the data is available I will provide that and you can see again at the end um because I reshaped the goal around the program and we we decided to focus on the first
component of the health. Uh I just gave you an update of where we are with the regional health review. Happy to answer any questions. Um uh additionally I will send you I thought I shared it but I will send you um the evidence around the
rubric standards and things that I've been working on within each of the domains and happy to meet with anybody individually if you have questions happy to answer any questions you might have now um but I know you've been you might be on information overload so again happy to talk further um in August or or
meet with anybody who has individual questions. Great. Thank you. Moving on to committee reports. Policy subcommittee. We have not met anything from budget. We covered it. Covered it. Building committee.
No, we went over. So the we continue to wait. Yeah. King Phillip. Um we did have the first or I had my first King Phillip school committee meeting last night. Um it was mostly um
reorganizing um closing out the year, a lot of great awards and recognition. Um the two things that I had on my list to highlight, Angry, do you highlighted during um No, in a good way. Um there was just a lot of appreciation expressed
to the um elementary schools and um administrators for facilitating the seniors to come through and I think that was really meaningful both for obviously for our younger kids but also for the older kids as well. Um and they did graduate and it looked like it was a
great time. Um, and also, um, I was really I appreciated the presentation of the, um, sixth grade teachers going up and working with the middle school to figure out how they can better align things going forward. So, that was really, um, interesting.
Great. Thank you. All right. CPAC, I met with Mike and Kayla who are the co-chairs of the CPAC. We have Zoom calls set up about a week prior to each of our school committee meetings for the next year. Um, yeah. So, I'm looking
forward to talking with them once a month and reporting back and letting them know what we are doing. Their next big event is a trunk or treat that was approved tonight. Uh, we did talk about the success of the unified field day. They're hoping to continue it next year. They mentioned that next year we might have to look into some fundraising to
continue that and they are on board and ready to help with that. Uh they did mention that they are looking to get more parents involved. Their current board has been in place for quite some time. So their kids are all getting older and it is a such a great organization. So they are looking for
interested parents if anyone who wants to join. Um PTO I have an update. I just have to be able to see it. Um the PTO has been busy supporting lots and lots of year-end activities that have included um multiple field days. I know the sixth
grade field day is still Friday coming up. Big day. Um, sixth grade promotion and related activities and teacher and staff appreciation events. Um, they successfully completed their bookf fair fundraiser last week. Um, which is
always a fun way to close out the year. And the color fun run will be next week. So hoping it is a not rainy day for that. Um and there will also be some information and um festivities there in recognition and to honor Junth which I
believe it falls on Junth the color fun run. Um uh I was asked to communicate that there are some open slots um for kind of board and leadership positions next year with the PTO. I know a number of folks have been in leadership there for quite some time and I think they're
looking to bring in more individuals who might be interested. Um and they are busy reviewing endofear numbers and um fundraising efforts to determine what their additional capacity for curriculum enhancements might be including things
like possibly Scholastic News um or some tech enhancements or add-ons that may have been cut from um the upcoming school year's budget. So I think they're looking to creatively use the funds that they have so successfully raised this year. And that is it. Great.
I don't have any updates for you. Um I I gave updates on Lions last time that Saturday is community day for North Oak. It's their big shindig for the to kick off summer and uh we also have town
fireworks. Great. Hopefully the weather cooperates. Gentle reminder. Hopefully the weather works out. Yeah, hopefully. Great. Moving on to new items, we do have one partnership renewal application
to vote on and this is from the PTO. All year we have been hearing about their donations and all the work they do to enhance the education of our students. They provide funding for our schools to enhance the education experience funding um curriculum enhancements
and they hold a grant process twice a year where teachers can request items for the classroom. They provide scholarships for Camp Burgess. Uh through school donations, they funded sensory walks, literacy, technology subscriptions, author's weeks, bullying prevention, chorus, field days, heritage nights, sixth grade promotion
activities, books, classroom supplies, the list goes on. They will hold um they put in your packet you can review uh various fundraisers that they want to host next year including the book fair, the friend directories here at salesware, a fall fun run, movie events,
business sponsorship drives and the list just goes on. They are very very fortunate to have such an active PTO and thank them for all their efforts. So I would be looking for a motion to approve their application for partnership renewal.
I move to approve the Northfor PTO's application for partnership renewal. Second. Further discussion or questions? All those in favor? I. And then the minutes from May 20th are also in your packet. Does anyone have
any updates or comments to them? Going to be looking for a motion for the approval of the minutes for May 20th. So moved. discussion or questions. All those in favor? I I
And the next school committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19th. That still work for everyone. I think I'm away, but I think I said that last time. Okay, perfect. And then one last thing. This has been This is our last meeting
of the school year. It has been an interesting, challenging, productive, rewarding uh all the adjectives year. I just wanted to send a note to all staff just thanking them for their efforts this year on behalf of the school committee if everyone's comfortable with
that. Um yeah, sure. Sure. Okay.