All right. Good evening everybody. Welcome to the November 17th, 2025 meeting of the Plymouth School Committee. If everyone will please join me in the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you everyone. Uh next, Miss Jackson, if you all read our land acknowledgement. We acknowledge that we are meeting on
the anc unseated ancestral homeland of indigenous people whose enduring presence we humbly recognize. We honor the Wampaoag people as the original stewards and the Herring Pond Wanoag as a surviving tribe indigenous to these lands. In our commitment to lifelong
learning, we acknowledge historical injustices to the native people of this land and vow to educate ourselves, our community, and our students on the first peoples and the hardship they endured. We offer this as a small but essential step toward building a culture of
respect, truth, and accountability. >> Thank you, Miss Jackson. Uh next, I'd like to take a moment a moment of silence for uh Nancy Nichols. Um, we'd like to remember and honor her life. She was a beloved uh former educator in the Plymouth public schools who passed away
peacefully on October 21st. Nancy dedicated more than two decades of her life to public education in southeastern Massachusetts, touching countless countless lives through her kindness, patience, and commitment to her students and colleagues. She was a proud graduate of Bridgewwater State College and Leslie University. And her passion for learning
and teaching inspired those around her. Beyond her professional life, Nancy was a deeply was deeply devoted to her family. Let us take a moment of silence to reme remember Nancy Nichols and her many contributions to our school community and to the lives she touched. Thank you.
All right. Next up, I don't believe we have any comments from the community members from the community tonight. Nope. All right. Seeing none, we'll move on to our student high school representatives. First up from Plymouth North High School, we have Emerson Sne. >> Hello everybody. The combined Plymouth
North and Plymouth South Marching Band is going to be America's hometown Thanksgiving celebration parade on Saturday, November 22nd. The marching band is also preparing for the Thanksgiving game at Fenway and will be performing at the Plymouth tree lighting on Friday, December 5th.
Please join us at the mystery box cookoff. Plymouth North and Plymouth South athletes, coaches, and teachers will battle in the first ever mystery box cookoff on Thursday, November 20th from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at CababieShack. Included in the competition, there will
be raffles and a silent auction prizes. All proceeds will go to Eagles Assist, which is a fund providing holiday assistance to Plymouth Children. Admission is free. A cash donation or canned good at the door will enter you into a special door prize. National Honor Society induction will be held on
Thursday, November 20th. The ceremony will be held in the Performing Arts Center at 700 p.m. This year, we will be inducting 49 students. NHS recognizes high school students for their excellence, scholarship, leadership, service, and character. This Thursday,
November 20th, students at Plymouth North High School enrolled in the biomedical science program will receive their white coats. These students will have completed two years in the program and are currently enrolled in the medical interventions class. This is a highlight for the students as they can
now proudly wear their white lab coats embroidered with their names for lab work in class. Student admin school administrators as well as the biomedical science teachers will be at the ceremony to congratulate the students on this achievement. In recent math team meet
held at Silver Lake Regional High School. Plymouth North math team placed second out of seven schools. Last Wednesday, the student council hosted our annual powderpuff game. The freshman beat the juniors, taking them to the final game against the seniors who beat the sophomores. The freshman took the
seniors to overtime, but ultimately the seniors won with a game-winning touchdown during the final play of the game. The class of 2026 has won the last three years in a row. Congratulations to the players and coaches. On Wednesday, we will begin our pep rally spirit week. Students are encouraged to participate
in the theme each week. Check the StuCo Instagram for a list of themes. The PNHS and PSHs received an invitation to play at Fenway Park. The Thanksgiving game will be held at Fenway Park on Wednesday, November 26th at 4:00 p.m. You can purchase your tickets on the
PNHS athletic website, or follow the link on social media. This winter, PNHS offers boys and girls basketball, boys and girls ice hockey, gymnastics, swim, boys and girls indoor track, wrestling, cheerleading, and
dance. Tryyous begin Monday, December 1st. Speak with the coaches to determine the exact dates for tryyouts. To be able to participate in triyouts, players must register on family ID and pay their user fee, turn in a copy of their most recent physical to the athletics office. It
must be within the last 13 months. On Friday, McKenna Foley signed her national letter of intent to play soccer at Providence College in the fall. Congratulations, McKenna. Seniors, your caps and gowns need to be ordered by Friday, December 19th. information is
posted on Google Classroom and on posters around the building. Also, you should have received your blue diploma form. This needs to be completed and returned by Friday, December 19th. There will also be a senior class photo taken before pep rally on Tuesday, November 15
25th, sorry, in the gym. Interact Club, with the help of the incredible generosity of the PNHS community, has started a food pantry. In just over a week, the pantry was established and now fully stocked with a huge variety of items, and new donations keep coming in every day. The f the pantry is available
during school hours for students to visit with the assistance of any staff member. It is also open and staff during the last 15 minutes of each school day. Interact Club organized a community raking event on Saturday, November 15th, and it is hoped to become a new fall
tradition. Volunteers ranged from PNHS and Rising Tide Interact members. Um the varsity football team, student volunteers, and parents for a total of 36 rakers. The PNHS staff helped identify elderly neighbors, friends, and
family who could use some help with the fall cleanup and raking volunteers took it from there. PNHS World Language Department is celebrating French week, which began on Wednesday, November 12th and ends on Tuesday, November 18th. Students were invited to participate in v various activities each day, including
a French themed scavenger hunt, a pastry walk, French karaoke, and a creation of a French future vision board. Some upcoming important dates are on Tuesday, November 25th, a pep rally will be held for all students. And from Wednesday, November 26th through Sunday, November
30th, it will be Thanksgiving break and there will be no school. >> All right, thank you for that thorough update, Emerson. Next up, we have Charlie Walker from Plymouth South. Thank you. First off, great job to the Plymouth South High School Theater Guild for their fantastic performance of the
tragedy of McBTH this past weekend. It is spirit week at Plymouth South this weekend next. We are all gearing up for the big game and at Fenway on Wednesday, November 26th. Just a reminder to fans to purchase their ticket in advance through Fenway. The junior class is working hard to develop turkey baskets
for needy members of our Plymouth South High School community. Thank you to all who have donated. And as a reminder, our student food bank has been refreshed with items and is available for students to access. This week, Panther TV teachers Tammy Degelder and Adam Smith along with EdTV's Evan Evan McNamera
traveled to the National High School Journalism Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, where they presented sessions on localizing and journalism and the positive impacts of high school journalism provides students for their future. The conference is sponsored by the National Scholastic Press
Association and Journal ISM education association and includes more than 5,000 students and teachers from across the country. Just a reminder, meet the winter coaches is tomorrow night, Tuesday, November 18th at 7 p.m. at Plymouth South. We
also just sent a great group of student athletes to the MIAA sportsmanship summit today at Gillette Stadium to represent Plymouth South. Don't miss the annual harvest market at Plymouth South on Tuesday, November 26th, 25th, sorry, beginning at 6:30 a.m. We
added a new powderpuff volleyball game to our exciting November activities this year. The event was held last Thursday and was very successful with boys in our all four grades participating. Speaking of Powderpuff, our annual girls powderpuff football game is this Wednesday, the 19th.
Congratulations to the juniors in the biomedical program who received their white coats um last Friday in a ceremony at school. Special thank you to teachers Dr. Me and Miss Den for their efforts as well. Last week, a number of our CCTE
stu students from North and South traveled to Gillette Stadium to attend a sports and sustainability career day. It was a great opportunity for our students. Tomorrow is our second annual digital divas day where girls will be exposed to to STEM in the larger community. And
finally, our spirit week started today. Upcoming themes include pajama day, country versus country club, and black and teal. >> All right. Thank you, Do you have any questions for our representatives? All right. Uh, next up, if there's no
objections, I'd like to move up um sections 6.1 and 6.2 two because I notice we have those two shorter um field trip request items after our um curriculum updates which will be a little more lengthy. So you >> object. >> There's no objections. If you guys are ready um I guess uh who's first? Uh
Quebec City's first. So thank you guys. Um Brian Paladino, principal at PCIS. Uh with me is Matt Graden. He's a French teacher at PCIS. Um, last year Matt uh came to me to talk
about u a field trip to immerse our students in the French language and we're very fortunate to be a bus ride away uh from a city that is primarily uh French speakaking and the culture and uh so we talked a little bit about it. Uh Matt did some extensive planning on uh
trying to get this trip off the ground. Understanding that we'd like to go in April and that's a you know a short time uh window there, but we would like to at least try to get a a small trip um of students to go up there. Um he's going to talk a little bit more about it, but one of the things Matt has done is
reached out to Carver Middle School, who also runs this trip through the same company, and they have opened it up. So, if we can't get a PCIs trip to maybe tag team uh with Carver Middle School to go up with them to keep the cost down. But I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Graden.
>> Uh good evening. Um thank you uh committee members and others here. Um and people watching at home. Um just before I start um if I could just uh read a little prepared statement. Um again, I want to thank you guys for the opportunity of being here. Um, I think it's uh important to um for the like for
us to experience these uh the students to experience these cultural experiences and learning opportunities um and uh in regards to our eighth grade French students in the Pinick public school. Um as a young student uh many many years ago um in the Milton uh school's French immersion program um I saw firsthand the
impact a trip like this can have um on its participants um on and on their future in ways that they probably couldn't even imagine at the time. Um I will keep this uh anecdote very brief but um each February the high school seniors um in the French program in Milton went to Grenobalo. It's just uh
it's a small city in the near the French Alps and uh one of my classmates older sisters uh uh who went on this trip. Ultimately she parlayed this experience into a year studying abroad in Leon and later on a career living and working in France. Um well of course there are many
people who uh have taken a similar life path who didn't have the privilege of going on a trip abroad. Um I would argue that there are many people who never would have had considered a possibility had they not gone on such a trip. Um, I firmly believe that authentic as a language teacher, I firmly believe that
authentic cultural experiences such as the trip to Grenobyl, but more relevantly for us, this potential trip to Quebec City um can provide its participants not only with an incredible once in a lifetime experience possibly, but also with the opportunity to expand their understanding of um the world in
of themselves and in turn them into a better citizen of Plymouth, better citizen of the United States, and ultimately global citizen. Um, and as a language teacher, that's ultimately one of my goals, um, every day. So, um, I'm not exactly sure how this will work,
but, um, ultimately the tour is going to be in April, uh, sorry, how this worked here. Uh, the tour is going to be, uh, April 19th through the 22nd. So, it is a full 4 days, uh, three nights. Um, we leave early, uh, in the morning on the 19th and get back around 10 o'clock on
the 23rd. um take a a bus up um seats up to 55 people. So, as far as uh as far as I know, even if everybody signs up in the French program, we um well, if enough people sign up, we shouldn't have a problem with accommodation. Um the tour checks off many of the cultural
boxes if anybody's ever been to Quebec City that you'd like to experience. The Chateau Frontak, the uh Musea Civilization, which is like a combo of the MFA and the Mu Museum of Science. um you it does the waterfalls of Monti. It
does a lot of historic and cultural um uh things. Ultimately though, one of the things that I really was looking forward to is they have this trip is set up like a grocery scavenger hunt and a um a opportunity to go to the gallery and actually interact with the people uh
unsca like well I shouldn't say unsupervised but just in a natural setting um and actually apply their French to a real world experience which is something that as much as I try I can I can't get that in the classroom. Um um the tour has is very detailed. Um uh I
have all the numbers in front of me, but um it they've been doing this for over 35 years. It seems like a really solid tour that they specialize in Montreal and Quebec City trips. Um if I may make one other just brief anecdote, I had the opportunity to go up to Quebec City as a when I was about nine to play in a
hockey tournament and being in the French immersion program for a couple of years. I got to practice my French and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I had and looking back it I can see how I ended up deciding to become a French teacher um just based on getting the joy of using that experience
and wow this is actually kind of cool being able to communicate to people in a language outside of my own. So um yeah um again um I I have any information for people who would like I can pass out packets but um yeah if I could take any questions I would be happy to at this
point. All right. Do we have any questions? Mr. >> Where are you guys staying? You guys >> So, we are going to be staying at the hotel. I believe it is called, Forgive me, they just told me today, but it is the uh Hotel Catier, and it is right
outside Hotel Quattier. It's right outside uh the city. Uh it's on the limit. It's on the city limit. So, it's enough distance away where it's maybe a little more safe, but it's also a hop skipping away from downtown. So, the transport, it's a it's a good location. So, I drove to uh you pronounced it
right, but I would call it Hotel Front Knock. Everyone I held a couple conferences there and the history of some of those rooms, Church Hill and Roosevelt met during World War II with the prime minister. >> Yep. >> Um it it's just and I took a there's a
cannon out front. Your kids all got to take pictures on that cannon right there. And it I drove it took about eight I think eight and a half hours. It's not a bad drive, but >> depends how faster you go. >> Yeah. Yeah. Once you can, you know, once you get there though, everything is is timed on those side streets. You got to be >> and one of the things that I did like
about the store is they they incorporate a walking tour of Quebec. When if you imagine downtown Boston, how you can kind of walk to everything, it is very very walkable. They we we see a lot of not just Quebec City, but in around there, but um we could almost we could check off all the boxes almost in that
one day um that first day around there. So, it is beautiful. >> I think we got to mention we did include Placol Middle on this as well. Yeah. >> So they're aware and um and would be open we'd be open to um having some of their students go as well. >> Absolutely. >> Absolutely. >> Mr. Morgan.
>> Oh, but you're first. >> Oh. >> Oh, you can go. >> Um I see the cost is $1,220. Does that include meal or attractions? >> Uh great question. So the company more or less uh provides breakfast each day uh as well as dinner. So ultimately
there'll be there's going to be the breakfast going up. There's going to be the dinner coming back and then there are four lunches that the company would not provide. So where we we'd uh we would students in Chaffrons would we'd have to um provide for them. Um I I would factor in just from my own like
research that could run anywhere between$150 but um um Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Okay. If we if we do get this approval, we'll be looking to do uh some quick fundraises, try to offset some of the cost for some of the kids.
>> Um because I know that the um there's a lot of people who have experience um uh doing these trips and I would lean heavily we would lean heavily on them for any ideas um and whatnot to to support the trip. Yeah. >> Saywood.
>> Thank you. Um I just uh I guess want to thank you. Um, you kind of answered the question that I was going to ask just in terms of um was your um the French immersion um experience that you had actually was your impetus for becoming um a teacher?
Uh I I did look just uh just in terms of some of the um questions that were answered as it relates to the financial assistance. you did indicate that um there would be some fundraising opportunities uh within there and um as
you stated just in terms of just like Carver because I think the cost is associated with the amount of students that go so if it's 20 25 um then it begins to kind of lower the costs um uh associated with a trip. Um so uh so
that's great that you're including Plymouth South and there is an opportunity to include or to be partnered with the Carver schools um in this. Do you know at this time what the um uh how many students um are interested in?
>> We didn't want to get any interest without knowing if it was going to be approved just because we >> like Carver. So they they have nine students as of now and that could again rise. Yeah. So that that's already a nine out of 25. Yes. Um, and if I might just say informally speaking, I there's a there's
a significant number of my students who I've mentioned this I mentioned this trip last year being a possibility, not a guarantee. I I would say there's a decent amount of my students who have taken the class in order because they wanted this opportunity to possibly go up there. So, I think there's a pretty high >> I think there's a pretty high interest. Yeah.
>> Okay. We've approved uh trips to Quebec anyways, like previously. Um, so just just high school >> at the high school level. Um I um I think that's >> a bold move middle school. >> Yeah. Middle school kids travel well. But I think it's a it's a great
opportunity just in terms of um the students having this ability to actually use >> um the language. French is my first um and so um and the majority of my my father's family lives in Quebec. Um so
um and so for me when I think about my son at this age having this opportunity to do so I I just think it's a great >> I think the younger too the more sometimes meaningful it can be in shaping your experience. Um and I would also say it is a bilingual city so it it
there can be plenty of frangle involved in their conversations. Um I think that's actually another huge thing. We're not going to a rural area where if they can't speak it they're it's going to be awkward. No they can if they need to mix and match I think they'll be very comfortable. I just want to add one thing on the cost. Just before I forget, the company is pretty flexible as far as
payment plans. Um, so that would be that would be something that people would have to to make a pay it all up front. They they they they're pretty flexible. It seems like they want to encourage people to go. So, I just wanted to point that out. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> I just had one question digging on on
the uh cost. If it if you end up with more than 25 students, does the cost continue to go down? Like is it a total error? >> As far as I know, it doesn't. Um I can I can double check depending on but I I believe it I believe at 25. Yeah, I think it say stays about the same. >> No. Um find a very very supportive of
this thing. I think it's we should be taking more advantage of the fact that we are so geographically close to to to Canada. Um so wonderful. So do we have a motion for this? Um, I have to make a motion because my daughter Lucy told me that I could not come home
>> if I didn't support your field trip. >> Pleasure. Yes. Sounds like we got one already. >> So, I would second. There's a lot of interest in the class. So, I move that we uh approve the Quebec field trip as stated. >> All right. We have a second.
>> I'll second it. But everyone gets to stay at your family's place. I mean they got they don't get a process guys are all set. Airbnb >> second. >> All right we have a second. All right you guys. >> Thank you guys very much for the time.
Appreciate it. >> Take a vote. >> Good luck. >> You take a vote first. >> You got Yeah. You're not done yet. >> Get a first and a second. Didn't vote yet. It's okay. That's how it works. >> We're all upstairs. >> I don't know. >> Oh, I got to follow this. >> Yeah. We document it all through electronic
schoolboard though. Yes. Yeah. >> You know, Jeopardy music. >> We do need We need a little French music. >> I know. That's >> You are unanimously approved. Congratulations. >> All right. Thank you guys very much. Appreciate it. >> Thank you.
>> All right. Next up, we have Mr. Cardos and Miss Jalbert for uh trip high school trip to Bise. >> To Bise. This is for twice. >> What about I want to go to Greece and I'll be your chef around Santorini
>> approved. >> Good evening everyone. Um, thank you for having us. I'm here to bring back a trip that unfortunately had to be cancelled because of co. So that was one of the two trips during that difficult time
that and Peru. Uh so this is a trip that has been long coming and it's a place I have been fortunate to visit twice please once was through a cruise and the other time was volunteering and it's a place that um I find that the mix of
some of the destinations that we have gone before uh from the wild life to the adventure part and the culture with the Mayans uh it has a lot to offer to our students. So this will be happening
during February of 2027. So we are planning it uh about a year and a half far out. So that gives us our families a lot of opportunity with how to pay for this trip and give us also chances for do lots of different fundraisers. And um
so we had a lot of interest when this trip was first uh proposed and we are hoping that now that we're able to um offer these again that we still have a big interest from our school and some of our students and based on the weather as
well I believe February would be a better time to be there than April. uh from my experience visiting some of the Central American countries uh with and and one of the highlights that I I think that our students will really appreciate
is even when I was there volunteering for the whole week um Bise has the second biggest coral reef in the world and with climate change that's something that is a unique experience that's the for many of our students who might not
be able to visit Australia Baris reef this is the second best that we can get in our planet. And this is something that we are hopefully going to be able to offer to them as well. And it really has a combination of everything from the cultural exchange to visit Mayan Romans,
uh visiting old sugar mills and the boats and uh visiting local schools and cultural exchange. Uh so there's a little mix of a lot of different activities in a short time period of a week. And are there any questions?
>> Questions? >> I have a question. >> Yep. >> Does police have any uh travel caution with uh advisory? Wasn't there something about the southside city like gang related violence in BISE? So I'm not
aware of I know what the travel advisory is for BISE and many of the Central American countries uh by the CDC but none of the areas we'll be visiting would be any of the concerns from uh the company we use. So EF has been a great company for organizing and staying on
top of the game. >> Uh so even when we were planning for example for the second time the trip to Peru uh we unfortunately were not able to travel there because the government was unstable. So right away they were monitoring the situation. So I I feel
very safe and confident to say that all the regions that we would be visiting are extremely safe especially for group traveling. >> All right. Okay. Any other questions? >> Just in term um well I just want to
thank you uh for your presentation and um honestly for the fact that this is way in advance in terms of um timing. So um as it relates to the fundraising efforts, like what will that look like I
in terms of time? Is this something that you'll be doing quarterly? Like what? >> So, we usually um what we'll do is since we already have a trip coming up in um April this year, um we usually will start focusing on the next whatever destination if we have one um right
after. So, we start pretty much right away. start April and May, we'll start um doing possible like car washes and we've done candy sales and then once our sports season starts, we start doing concession stands and other little things. Um we're pretty successful at
that. We we do raise quite a bit of money amount of money for that. Um we do also offer our students a scholarship opportunity. Um we currently have three students who are benefiting from a scholarship to a trip that we are taking on in April. Um and so they are able to
apply for that. Um they are able to um you know send us a video telling us ultimately um why travel is going you know may change the way they think and feel and act about the world. Um we have a panel of teachers that will read them and and see if they approve uh the
scholarship for them. So, we have a bunch of different things that >> anybody else if not, do we have a motion? Miss >> Okay. I propose that the Plymouth North High School International Trip to BISE
be accepted and approved as presented. >> All right. We have a motion. We have a second. All right. M Jackson second. Show up. All right, that was a quick approval. You are unanimously approved. >> Thank you everyone. Have a good night.
>> See an article a couple weeks ago about travel because my wife wants >> going back up or we going now we're going back up excuse. >> All right. Next next up we have our uh curriculum uh updates. First up, we have uh Miss Allison Rearen for our science
department update. >> Advisories for the US Street. >> Welcome back. We missed you last year. >> Thank you. Good evening. It's so nice to see everybody. Um yes, actually I wanted to to start. You took my thunder away,
Mr. Fano. Uh I wanted to publicly thank um Dr. Rogers um Dr. Campbell and everyone uh who let me take a year of sabbatical last year. It's interesting. Um as they know typically when you take a sobatical everyone knows like you go
out in search of something. Um I did not go out in search of the sobatical. The sabbatical kind of came out in search of me. Uh which was a little untraditional I think. Um, I didn't expect to learn as much as I did. Um,
that's my actually I apologize. >> You got a couple horses in the derby. I mean, >> I apologize. >> Is that all right? >> Uh, all right. So, >> what a surprise. So anyways, >> anyhow, welcome back. >> I know. Thank you. Uh it was truly an experience. Uh for those of you that
don't know, I supported open sed implementation across the state of Massachusetts. Um and I was in charge of developing a plan for a startup organization to be able to do that and continue to do that. And I can honestly say like they're still it's still going
on. So that's a success in my book. So um thank you again. It truly was just the most unique um experience and and very useful I think to the work that I'm doing now and continue to do. >> Uh with that being said, um I'm going to
start you with a brief video. It's only about a minute long. Um Seth. All right. Go for it, Seth. Oh, >> while we're waiting, I'm going to tack on that. >> It's an animal. So, um, let's move on to
like a plant like tree. >> I'm not sure. >> I don't think trees um they like they don't they like kind of produce their own food. >> Just like they don't like >> Just because they produce their own food
doesn't mean that they're an animal. And they're not like they're not really >> like >> they don't real >> Yeah. They don't move like they don't really move and they don't like >> breathe.
They can't get up. Like they can't like they can't rip off my roots so I can go for a walk. >> I'm going to go find um Oh, like the chicken. I'm going to go cook for dinner. They can't do that. They have to like >> just cuz like grass
>> and cuz like even if it's living it doesn't mean it's an animal. >> Like just cuz it doesn't mean it's an animal >> mushroom. >> Yeah, I think it's the same thing. >> I don't really know yet. I'm not 100%
sure about >> what you say, Mr. Pano. >> Oh, I was going to say you were thanking us for letting you go, but I really feel like what you did was more us investing in you because we knew you were coming back and what you're doing benefits us. So, it was really selfish. >> Thank you. Um, the video kind of goes
handinhand with that. Uh, the video I it's a minute. It's very poorly done. I understand that it's difficult to see, etc. you can see. But what's important is that um students talking, but most incredible about that video is that's
the third day of school for a group of sixth graders, >> right? Like when I could show you students talking all over, but when I tell you that that video was taken on the third day of school and it's a group of sixth graders, the impact that that
video I think has speaks volumes to what it is that we've been trying to do. And that is really like this is our why, right? We're trying to I've convinced a lot of people in the last I think seven
years, eight years since we've been using open sed it's it's it's what our students know. Um but what they're doing, right? It's what they're explaining is what they're learning. And if they're not doing that,
if if we just send them into a lab and give them a set of directions, they will know how to follow directions certainly. Um they won't know how to write directions, they won't know how to ask questions, they won't know how to necessarily redesign. And so what we're
really trying to do here is we're really trying to develop students who can think and act like scientists. And if they choose to do science, they can. I think that at some point those of us that went into science sat in a class and just
learned something really unique and and there was a fact or two uh for me it it was about the brain and I went on and learned about neuroscience and that was my hook. Um, for our students today, they are exposed to so much information
all the time, everywhere that it's not necessarily the information that's going to hook them as much. It's the action of doing it and to get their phones out of their hands and to get them involved in thinking and acting like scientists. That's what we're really trying to do.
And so under that picture of a notebook, um, we have notebooks are a huge part. We're actually, I'm proud to say we're using notebooks now beginning in kindergarten in almost every single school. And so we have kindergarteners who are doing science investigations
with hair dryers and different candies to see if they'll melt. And then they also see what they're doing in regards to freezing. And we have students drawing pictures of M&M's and they're describing that the M&M's have goosebumps on them and that they don't quite melt because they're not allowed
to touch them because they don't quite know what they are. But we have that scientific observation happening in kindergarten and now it's going all the way through 12th grade. So that that's important to us. Um obviously the science talk I've I've mentioned to you
transferring that to related phenomena. So, we get introduced to um a phenomena in 8th grade around um these Belgian blue cows. They're they're really beefy cows. They look like they do
weightlifting. Um and the students because their experience with muscles is they believe that the cows are exercising. Like they believe that these farmers are taking them out into the hills and exercising the cows. and and when you see them, they're very
muscular. And what they come to find out, it's not musculature, it's not diet, it's actually the genetics, but they take that and they apply that to other related phenomena, things that they've experienced and things that they've seen. And that's really the
inquisi the inquisitive nature of what we're trying to do is that exactly um the experimental design, we really want students to know you can only change one thing at a time. And I was in an excellent third grade classroom the other day and Mrs. Ferman at Manaman had those kids. How many things do we
change? One thing. Why do we change one thing? Because we can't tell otherwise what happens. Like that type of of learning is what we're trying to do and reinforce so that when they get into AP biology, those basic things are just second nature to them. And that's what
it is that we're trying to do to make that happen. What I've done for you is I've just kind of highlighted some of the things that the focus areas that I think are important um that we're trying to get into place throughout
everywhere. So um one of the big things I'm trying to do is to get teachers to reflect on their own practice. I have um a lot of veteran teachers. I don't have many really young teachers. And so I have teachers who have been
teaching five, 10, 15, 20 years. And it's difficult to go in and say to them, I want you to do this. This is what's going to solve all of your problems. Because it's not like that doesn't work for me, that doesn't work for them. But what I'm trying to get them to do is I'm
trying to get them to look at what they're doing in the classroom on a regular basis and to reflect more on that. So today I had a group of teachers at North High School. We talked about hot spots and cold spots. What are some hot spots and cold spots? And I asked them to do an independent reflection at
the beginning of the meeting. And from that we build. So it was interesting because I had 12 people com complete the reflection at the start of the meeting today and six of them identify the exact same cold spot and without them working
they just identified the same thing. the same kind of practice that they were asking students to do. And so from that, I want them to identify we all have these common problems. So now, how do we attack them together in a way that we can get into each other's classrooms, we can share practices because again, we're
at this stage where they need to sort of discover some of this stuff on their own and that way they're going to internalize it and make it part of their daily practice. So that's what we've tried to be tried to be doing this year with reflection. um
we the explicit instruction um time and time again I've been finding myself telling teachers you spend um a great deal of time at the start of the school year telling students how to go to the bathroom, how to sign out a pass, where
to put their stuff in the classroom, how to open their locker. Do do we do that much explicit instruction around what to do in a scientist circle, what to do in a science talk? We say, "Okay, everybody, we're going to have a science circle for the next 10 minutes, but do
we actually provide explicit instruction around how to do that?" And nine times out of 10, the answer is yes, maybe. Or we're not doing enough of that. So, how do we provide explicit instruction to do that and make it more clear for our students and hold higher expectations?
And they do. Students respond when you do that. If you tell them to do it, they follow directions really well. Um, again, asking questions. Um, we want students to do that all the time. Stepping aside. I want teachers to step aside. Uh, especially in discussions
rather than it go from student to teacher to student to teacher to student to teacher. We're trying to get from teacher to student to student to student to student to teacher. Um, that is a a really really hard thing for students and teachers alike and we're trying to
get more and more teachers to just be quiet and just to listen. Um, and I I have a teacher who now has a stool in his room and when he sits on his stool the students know he doesn't talk to them and that that's an expectation but when he's sitting on a stool they have
that responsibility and they're doing a good job at stepping up and making that happen. Um, and we're working really hard on reimagining assessment. Um, this is teachers have autonomy over grades
and they have while we say there's a certain amount that counts as classwork and assessment and all of that, um, we're really trying to focus in on what it is we're assessing and how we're assessing it and what's is it
meaningful? And so, how important is it to know the stages of mitosis versus how important is it to be able to compare mitosis and meiosis? Um, and so these types of questions and me asking
continually questions about what they're assessing and what they're doing, um, I know really kind of sometimes bothers them. Uh but my questions hopefully they're they're starting to realize what is meaningful assessment and then the use of AI coming in at
least at the high school level. It really is starting to I think make that more realistic to them. Like we can ask ourselves what's meaningful assessment and I'm trying to say like well can a student apply AI and answer that
question? If a student can apply AI and ask that question, is that a meaningful question that we should be asking or is that just a question that a computer can give you an answer to? Is that like what kind of thinking are we doing? So those types of um questions we're asking,
reflections we're doing, uh how are we doing on that? Um you know, it it's hard. It's really hard um to find the right data points to measure this stuff and we certainly have MCCAST and I'm going to briefly touch upon
MCCAST here in the next few slides. We really need to take an inventory of our work and in asking teachers to kind of be more meaningful in the assessments that they're giving. um there comes up
questions around study guides and preparing for a test and you know we don't have growth in science like ELA and MCCAST do we don't have that growth factor because of the content piece uh we have different content every year so
it's hard to measure that growth when we get to measuring assessment in science when you have teachers who are adamant around preparing students for an assessment like spending a day of review or two days of review. I ask were
they prepared for the assessment to begin with. If you have to spend a day to review for the assessment, I I don't know if it's the right fit yet. So, we're asking ourselves a lot of that a lot of those questions. The same thing around MCCAST.
If a teacher stops and spends two weeks before an MCCAST reviewing for the MCCAST, are the students getting assessed on what they learned in the last two weeks or are they actually getting assessed on what they managed to learn? Like in the eighth grade MCCAST isn't a measure a
true measure of what they learned in sixth, seventh, and eighth and what stuck with them in sixth, seventh, and eighth. because if we're not reviewing from the MCCast, that's the true indicator of success as to what stuck with them from sixth grade to 8th grade and how effective is our curriculum and
how effective is our teaching um etc. So these are the types of questions we're starting to ask. Um but there is there you know there are MCCAST results and I will speak briefly to them. They're but one indicator of success in my opinion.
Um here we have pretty positive results in terms of the MCCAST for high school. Um when and I know um Dr. Petinis and Dr. White presented on this as well. What is so positive about this is we
made a curriculum change for open sadin and biology a few years ago and whenever you have a curriculum change it typically is about 5 years until you see that turnaround in data. uh we're starting to see that turnaround in data. So you can see the timeline up above
where we opened up uh open sad in the high school in 2011 and our scores went down for numerous reasons. Um but you can see they're starting to pick back up um which hopefully um is an indication
of of what we're doing. I've also been pretty convincing to the high school staff that we need to really stop reviewing for the MCCAST and just take it for what it for what it's worth in face value and send the kids in and see how they do and and then we can look at
those results in terms of it being um a true assessment. Uh the other good news in the MCCAST and high school is that in the bottom we do have some of the gaps uh closing uh a little bit just just
slightly. They're narrowing but they're narrowing and that's good to know. Um a lot of folks say specifically again and this is open sad specific because we use the open sad specific curriculum in biology. A lot of folks say that um our
students um they do definitely discuss more um students e students can uh speak in their home language and then come back to the full circle. They can translate out what they're working on. Um our special education students have multiple entry points into the
curriculum. So it's not just learning about one topic on one day, but because it's a story line, they're actually learning about that topic from start to finish. Um, so students are um hanging on to that for for longer periods and like I said, they get to come back
around to it time and time again. Uh, fifth and eighth grade um remains pretty flat. Um, and it remains pretty flat uh at the state level as well. Um, I to be honest with you, I don't have much to say at fifth and eighth grade
because we've been in a pilot uh for the new MCCAST in science for a number of years. Uh, we're only our scores are only based on one session, not two. It's fewer items. Uh, our students have been taking
this pilot. The pilot should become operational in 2027. uh we don't get information on how we did on the pilot and the new assessment is actually aligned to open sad a lot of the items are um inspired by open sad so
on and so forth so unfortunately we don't get that information I hope that we're doing well I just don't know and we won't know until 2027 so our students are using this new curriculum but they're still being assessed traditionally um and like I said there's
not there's not much to say on fifth and eighth grade. Um we just sort of remain where we've been and we're just hoping that that will improve when we get to see the new
assessment. Um this will be 2026 will be the last year of the pilot. Um so our students again will only have one session that's operational and one session that's pilot and that uh information goes towards the field test
of item as to which ones will become operational for 27 and everyone in the state is now doing the pilot. Uh before we were doing it uh we were a group of I don't know 20 or 25 districts that were doing it. Now, uh we're part of the
state doing that, uh both last year and now this year coming up. Uh in addition, science, science always seems to be doing uh more than just science. The planetarium, by the way, uh continues to just be wonderful. Uh
people are still coming. They still come all the time. They want more programming. Uh we have added, I think, three licenses. We've spent out of whatever we bring in for tickets from the public, we respend that out for licenses. Dr. Blazedale and I talk about
that and I think we've just added three licenses around for a total of about $20,000 in the last month. Um so we're continuing to add programming for school and for public programming uh opportunities, but we do some other things. Um go ahead
if you'd like. We um put together we're in the middle of the the Milan exchange. Um Mrs. Fitzgerald's here as well. This our students we took a little bit uh Mrs. Degraio is just going to kind of go through these. You don't need to kind of
you'll get the gist and this is you can access this later. But one of the things we decided to do this year with the Milan exchange and thank you again for approving it is that we um we decided to have an academic focus. We are going during the school year this year. week
in January. And so we we really um we've made connections before to the curriculum, but this year it's it's it's pretty blatant in the face of students. Um and that is we decided to take a focus on climate change. And so with that focus on climate change, while the
students from Milan were here in Plymouth, we took them to Bridgewater State and they did um a science lab with our students. Our students joined them, the Plymouth students and Italian students, and they actually did an investigation at the watershed lab on
how green is your parking lot. Um, our students, uh, actually Italian students went to Harvard, um, to the natural history museum and they did a workshop on climate change while they were there. Um, our students also participated in an
engineering afternoon that was focused on wind turbines. So, we're we're trying to do that um uh focus on um climate change. And when our students go to Italy, um and I can say this because it's been approved and no one else knows
um but our students are actually going to go to Venice. And there's pretty much no better place in Italy to go right now with regards to climate change than to Venice. And that is because um probably in another 20 years it won't be there pretty much anymore. It'll look very
different. the buildings will. And so our students are going to get a chance to go to Venice and one of the coolest things I've been now a few times, but you step off the boat and on the building immediately right off the boat by the train station, there are markings of how level of how high the seas have
been different times and the kids get this kind of ultimate like image as soon as they get there as to exactly like how high the seas are getting. Um, it has been a huge success. Um we're we're pretty happy with the exchange and and
we'll be looking to to get it approved again uh for next year as well come the springtime. Um thank you. In addition to um the Milan Exchange, the science department also um we always have our hands on a bunch of things. You heard the biomedical white coats are
happening. Um we're in that time of year. We have another 40ish seniors that will be graduating in in June. Um, we have many articulation agreements through the biomed program, with some local schools. Um, we have articulation
agreements with Mass Maritime, uh, with Cape Cod Community, um, and a number of other ones where they can receive credit, etc., just for finishing out in the biomedical program. There's a great scholarship opportunity through UMass Lowel, which is a $5,000 scholarship
every year for four years, renewable, that they can do if they finish the biomed program. So, a lot of really great, wonderful opportunities through that. The Blue Future Conference, we had students attend this year. Uh, you may or may not know what that is. It's through the Plymouth Foundation. It
happened just last month. Uh, so we had AP environmental students attend that. And I know um we had CCTE students also attend that with Mr. Duffy. Student solve, student industry connects and student showcase are three opportunities as well that our students get an
opportunity to interact with folks. Um so they'll for instance student solve is like an all day virtual field trip and people from industry there's I don't know five or six thousand kids who participate across the state and industry um hooks on with a classroom
for the day. So you'll have experts if it's um if it's a class that's studying um engineering uh thermal engineering you'll have an expert in thermal engineering hook up with the students in the class for the day. They'll be given a project to do a challenge. The
students will do the challenge and then they get feedback from the industry experts right there and then in the moment. Um, so it's it's a it's a pretty exciting moment and all of those end up giving feedback from industry to students.
Um, key takeaways, like I said, um, we're trying to make these small changes. We're using HQIM whenever possible. Um, and we're trying to just expand and do whatever we can to offer as many opportunities to students as possible.
um because we know that that's what inspires them to want to do science and get involved with science outside of the classroom. Um these are these don't really change much for me from year to year. Um but just protecting that time for professional learning is is one of the
only ways that we can do that. It's hard, you know, I to try to spread science everywhere um by myself and Kate will talk about social studies and putting in new curriculum and you know getting that opportunity with teachers
is extremely important to do. Um and little by little if that goes away that opportunity for us goes away as well which is very difficult. um working K12 is is the only way I think it's starting to make sense more and more um we use
we're trying to use open SEAD third grade through high school and so what the students are doing is going to carry over um sense making trying to use data to inform instruction and I mentioned a little bit of that and then the partnerships our partnerships are are
really important um we've engaged we've started engaging in conversations with UMass Dartmouth um as well with our project lead the way program. So we're hoping to to engage in some way um with them as well on that
questions from anybody. >> Wonderful update. U >> um write my thoughts on sticky notes here. Um I >> I love sticky notes. You can ask anyone. >> Uh so I just want to thank you for your
um presentation and I I like this piece regarding the reimagining and pivoting. Um I went to a conference um it was a school committee conference a couple years ago and uh I went to a lunchon and there and one of the speakers talked about this piece of reimagining
education and it was um like middle towards the end of co and he talked about how you know at times we we we were framing this as getting back to um as opposed to what was broken and how do
we fix it, you know, and so Um, so I like the fact um that you kind of um talked about that. Um, I also think, you know, giving students the ability to make sense of what they learned um creates ownership of that information um and then um creates um
validity in their minds. And so when we're living in a time where the validity of that subject is in question, um you are um giving students um at a very young age this ability to make
connections as it relates to science. And so I just want to say that I applaud >> Thank you. >> um your efforts. Um, I also think too like um I was uh I met a new person over the summer and um uh she was explaining
someone to someone and she said, you know, she goes um she referred to me as a scientist and I go, "What?" Like I what do you mean? And I thought and so I was like, "Oh, yeah." So I do practice within the confines of, you know, um of
uh evidence uh based research and you know, nurses do um conduct research. So um and so for me, this is a subject, you know, that I um I do hold in high regard. So >> thanks. One of the things we're really trying to do is the the what, the how,
the why. Mhm. >> We're really trying to hit that home with students is, you know, what are you doing, how are you doing it, and why are you doing it? And getting um the students aren't quick out of the box to to establish that, but by getting our teachers to continual continually model
that for them. Eventually, we're going to get the students to think in that capacity, which is what we're really trying to do. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Other questions? Malice. >> Yeah. kind of building off of what you were saying, the the questioning of science, it didn't happen when I was
growing up. There there wasn't any >> didn't really happen for any of us. >> And I think, you know, evidence working backwards, outcomes, case studies, um you know, you have to look at that and say, uh, you know, this is valid. But
unfortunately, there's other voices that are influential that will work against that. And it can happen in a range of industries. So, I think having that, you know, discussion um when you're young specifically to kind of um I'm not saying you're not a healthy skeptic, but
you should tune out things that aren't proven. Um you'd mentioned about your staff uh being veterans. How are you looking at, you know, if if they're veterans, that next wave of teacher that's going to commit. It's hard to
recruit those type of teachers. Um, so is there anything that we're doing? Um, I there was a couple programs we did student teaching wise with some of the local colleges to bring those folks and especially when you're rolling out uh something that's new to try to acclimate
them and get them to grab on to wanting to come here. So, >> great question. We um we we take any student teacher who wants to teach in Plymouth Science. Um they they don't come along often. Um but when they do, they reach out and we pretty much match
them up. Um if they want to do observation hours, we hope to make a good match so they'll want to do um actual student teaching here. We'll we'll take them all. Um we it is hard. It is really hard. We have a midyear opening right now due to retirement
and I we had five applicants. Um, three were from outside of the country. One was not certified and I can't remember the other the other like it's it's not like it it's not great and it's there are fewer people I think I think Mrs.
Fry actually made the the comment earlier today like there's just nobody who's coming from science who wants to teach right now. And so, you know, thankfully, like I'm when I say veterans, I'm I think the majority are like in that 15 to 20, but I'm about to
lose a couple this year that have been around for a while who are who are integral in our success. And, you know, we I I am incredibly active in the state. Uh, anybody can tell you I advertise our positions everywhere to
everyone. Um, constantly working with folks all along the Southshore. um trying to we all are very active. Uh we share long-term subs, we share um whenever we can because it's it's really
hard to fill. I don't know what else we can do and it's you know we at one point we would go to college fairs but college fairs don't even have the science teacher recruits there. So do you see it going in the direction I mean the nursing shortage you have
things that can offset it virtual nursing uh the numbers are the numbers right but you have increasing amount of >> patients um that need care in education if the numbers are the numbers and you're just not finding those folks. What are some of the unique approaches?
Is there going to be any like hybrid approach to bringing in that teacher where they split time and it's almost like a >> we Yeah. and and we're we do that I I think Mr. Parson is back. We do that. I know in the allied health program they're doing that with some nurses
actually at North High School. Um we would be as creative as we need to be based upon whatever the need is. Uh we have a lot of teachers who have picked up other certifications. Science is unique. When you teach English, you can
have an English certification. When you teach social studies, you can have a social studies certification. When you teach science, you don't teach science at the high school. Uh if you teach biology, you have to have a biology cert. You teach physics, you have to have a physics. And so you can teach one outside your certification area, but
we've had folks um we just had a chemistry teacher this year who also acquired his biology certificate certification. So we're we're trying to also encourage that to also help and fill in some holes as well. But um it's it is it is extremely tricky.
>> Extreme. >> I think it's important it's brought up here because I think when people look at education and they want everything fixed overnight, they also don't understand there's there's an issue with you know bringing in the folks that can fix it. But the system's I think doing great
right now u given some circumstances that we we just talked about outside influences and sticking to you know core curriculum. So >> the benefit that we have now that we didn't have, I would say 5 and 10 years ago is when a teacher walks in to teach
science now, we can actually hand them a an HQIM curriculum to use, which in science has not been the case. It's always been teacher created. Um, but the fact that there's some really good high-quality instructional materials that we can hand to a teacher, um, I
I've in the last few years I've turned two social studies teachers into science teachers as well. um who were looking for jobs and I said, "Hey, why don't you come over because they could teach and I have the curriculum." So, >> special wand you had >> it. You know what? I will keep waving that wand as long as I have to.
>> Good job. >> All right. Thank you. >> Yeah. >> All right. Anybody else? >> All right. All in. I I have no uh questions, just uh uh comments. One, I'm very proud that my daughter will be one of those 40 or so um biomemed students finishing the program this year and it's
been really neat to watch her confidence and curiosity grow through the four four years from someone who wasn't sure of biomet like not imagining her life without it. So wonderful. Um, so you know, I'll echo the others and I love the uh, you know, where you're going
with the, you know, the new way of learning and the curriculum, but I'll give you just a, uh, pile on as an example of why I feel it's important. So, as someone whose degrees are in science engineering and works every day as as as an engineer, what I
see you doing and letting that video parallels what I see in my everyday uh, work life. So it it is very applicable, but I'll give you an example. So I oversee a really large technical program about 200 people on the team about once a month. I have these really large uh
on-site collaborative workshops like I think two weeks away we had like 75 of my engineers and support staff on on site and you know we'll start out as a big group and then they get broken up into smaller groups for you know depending on what whatever their aspect of the program they're in charge of. And
I don't do any of the hard work. I just like roam around from room to room and make sure people are doing what they're supposed to be doing. But if I would have taken a video of one of those rooms two weeks ago, I don't think that would have looked dramatically different from the video that you showed other than my people were, you know, between 25 and
65. But literally doing the exact same thing. And I think like I think it's important that people know that that what you're doing isn't because oh this is just a better way of learning. That's how people work in technical fields. I mean, it applies to other fields, too. But I made a statement at the beginning of uh this workshop a couple weeks ago.
Um because sometimes people will and moan about having to come on on on site because everyone's so used to working home. But I said, "We do this because none of us is as smart as all of us." And that's why I have a team of brilliant engineers, but if you put 20 of them in a room together and make them work together, they come up with stuff
that there's no, you know, as brilliant as they are, there's no way that any one of them would have come up with that solution. And so what you're doing to me, you know, mirrors much more closely than the way we learned in school to what they're actually going to do for for a living because there is there is no scientist or engineer just sitting
there working in some dark room by itself. It's all collaboration. So like I said, I think this is so huge that much more applicable than people know. So thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mr. work. >> Just to add on with the biom program the last couple years
um school committee wasn't notified of the ceremony and at the end of the year um and as someone was very supportive of the program I was I was like looking to go oh that was last week. >> So if you and I know it's a ways away if you think about it just let us know.
>> Yep. >> Melo has a daughter in it. >> I have a son who graduated through it. So um so I'm supportive whether I have a child in it or not. So just keep us in mind. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, I'll reiterate. Yeah, we we missed going to him last year. We will There's a group of us that will definitely come.
Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> All right. And next up, we have Miss Kate Fitzgerald for social studies. >> Hello. >> Hello. >> Um, I just wanted to start by thanking
you for having me here. Um I'm very excited to be here. Last year I was in an interim role. So um I didn't get to present because I had only been working for about three weeks in this position. So thank you. Um but I'm really excited to be here. Um you know in a more
permanent permanent fashion. So um for the social studies update I let's see you're going to hear a lot of overlap between how things in science are going and how things in social studies are going. um social studies. We really want to have inquirybased cohesive social
studies for all learners. Um the inquiry model that we've seen in science is also incredibly applicable to social studies. We want students to be thinking critically, to be questioning, to be collaborating, and to be problem solving. It's not, you know, sit and
take notes anymore and listen to the teacher lecture. It's definitely more of student interaction and collaboration that we're focusing on. Um, with the inquiry model, the teacher becomes the facilitator of questions and discovery rather than just the deliverer of information. And I have to give so many
teachers so much credit for taking this leap because it is not easy to change your approach to how you are teaching. But there are so many teachers in this district who have given it a try and are really really doing well with it. So um, Dr. Powers started this work and I feel
like I'm kind of coming in halfway through and watching the progress of the teachers even in the past year has been phenomenal. Um, every unit in social studies from K to 12 should be following an inquiry arc where the teacher and the students develop questions together to
understand the topic. You know, we're given a topic and the students really dictate how that topic will be investigated. The teacher has social studies content to help them apply, but it's the students who are evaluating the sources,
using evidence, and communicating conclusions and taking some action with what they learned. So, one of the ways we do that in grades K to two is through inquiry journeys. Um, and this is curriculum that Dr. Powers brought to the district and I'm continuing to help teachers implement in
their classrooms. Um, my goals for this is to have really consistent use in the K to2 classrooms because I think it's so important that all of our youngest students are having the same experience in social studies in all eight elementary schools. Um, this model also
uses endofunit projects, which are really fun ways for kids to be able to have that hands-on experience that especially younger students really need in a classroom, but still have it be tied to really strong curriculum and really strong inquiry inquiry routines. Um, I'm also when we go through
walkthroughs, um, you guys know that I'm always looking for evidence of social studies in classrooms. I mean, time is tight. There is a lot to do in every subject matter, but I want to make sure that especially in these younger grades, teachers are getting to social studies and giving it the time that it that it
needs and it deserves. So, I'm always looking for is there social studies on the wall? Can I see kids um work anywhere? And I think that that is a really good indicator of how social studies is going in those K to2 classrooms. Um, Inquiry Journeys has three units for
each grade. So, we have kindergarten, grade 1, and grade two. Um, and I mean you can read the slide, but I do think that some of the really interesting units are things about global connections and our special location and having students understand, you know,
how to be engaged with civic engagement. The pictures show some students doing um self-portraits about how they view themselves and how other people might view them um which creates really nice discussions. There are projects that go
on where students are talking about their needs and wants and then the needs and wants of the community which translates to community action. You can see a little cereal drive up there. Um and the um curriculum really involves other people in the school community
coming into the classroom to talk about their role. Um in the bottom picture you can see a kindergarten teacher interviewing the vice principal. um the students doing the interviewing and asking their questions and preparing the questions as well. So it's not like the teacher giving them the questions to ask. The students are actually coming up
with this and leading the interviews. Uh oh, there we go. Um investigating history is the resource that we're using in grades 3 through 7, which I really love that there is continuity there. Grade five implemented investigating history in
2023 and you probably remember Dr. P talking about this quite a bit. Um they are really well on their way. Grades six and seven have been introduced to it a little bit more recently and grades three and four piloted last year. So investigating history is a Desi created
opensource curriculum. It's really really wonderful. Um the more I learn about it the more I love it. And it's standards aligned. There's a lot of professional development available for teachers that want it. Um, grades three and four, we have piloted now at Nathaniel Morton, Cold Spring, and
Hedge. There's currently a pilot going on at Federal Furnace. And I'm hoping that next year we're going to have all grades three and four throughout the district using um investigating history in their classrooms. I've been doing a lot of professional development this year with grades three and four, really
targeting them, and it's gone so well. um teachers have been really receptive and are starting to feel like they're ready to do this next year. A lot of teachers, even though it's not required for them to do it this year or anything like that, have jumped in already and said that they really love it and
they've already gotten started. I have teachers asking to be part of a train a trainer model where they can help other teachers. They've really been great. Um, grade five is well on their way, but our next step, I really would like to have some student showcases of work for the
civil rights unit that happens at the end of grade five. I think it's a nice way to cap up their elementary school social studies experience. And um, I do have some teachers who are interested in doing that. And grades six and seven, we are doing professional development this
year to strengthen the the cohesiveness of the units for investigating history. We have teachers, some who are implementing fully, some who are only doing a unit here and there. So the goal for six and seven is to take those varying levels of implementation and making it happen for all students in
both middle schools. So why investigating history? Why is it so important? Why is it such a great curriculum? Um it it has that historical inquiry model with investigations for every topic that it covers. There's a huge emphasis on historical empathy and
human connection. The curriculum really helps students develop insight into how different groups have lived throughout history. Um there's culturally sustaining pedigogy. The curriculum is rooted in this and developing students academic achievement, cultural
competence, and their socopolitical awareness. And the part that I think is most important is the civic engagement that it has and the real world relevance. kids take on roles of social scientists of um archaeologists and they get to see
how different professions can how social studies can really lead to different professions. So this is the content at a glance. You'll see that there is a whole bunch of diverse units um
all the way from grades three through grade seven. Oops. So trusting the inquiry process can be really difficult for teachers sometimes because it just feels so different than traditional social studies learning. Um
the grade one easel we have it's um called a QFT a question formulation technique which they also use in science. Um and it says we can help others appreciate our special location. And the students have to take that statement and come up with questions
that will help them answer those questions. And it's a little tricky to see from here, but you can see that some of the questions are really on topic for first graders. They're really great. Some of them are completely off base, and it's up to the teacher to write down even those off-base questions. So, that
can be a little bit tricky for a teacher. One of them says, um, who who are you is one of their questions. Who is there? How was the first person born? So, the teachers have been really good sports in like really following this with fidelity and then eventually getting to the correct question. When
you go into a sixth grade classroom, you see students coming up with questions. Their focus question was that social scientists work in teams to study the distant past. There is an archaeological dig that is shown up there. And the students come up with really great
questions to help them understand social scientists like how long does it take to work on this project? Do they ever work solo? What areas do they explore? And they find out the answers to these questions in their units. I was actually very impressed with the sixth graders work. They had sticky notes everywhere. They were doing all sorts of work. And I
took a picture and showed it to Allison. And Allison um I texted her and said like, "Look how great this is." And she said, "Yeah, you can thank their science teachers." So, um I think it's very much connected with science and um she definitely humbles me. Um so that was it
is great though that they see that continuity. So many teachers are saying, "Wow, this is so much like open sed." And it really is. So, in addition to trusting the inquiry process, we do have to have some fun sometimes because it is social studies and social studies should always be fun. Um, this is Mr. Sorenson dressed up as
Utsie the Iceman at PCIS. They did a big investigation of Utsie and at the end for some reason the kids got like really hooked on this Utsie thing and they were doing these like chants like Usie the Iceman, whatever. So, Mr. Sorenson took off with that and he walked by. I was actually at PCIS that day and he said,
"Oh, I'm going to be dressing up as the Iceman." I'm like, "That's funny." And then later I got these photos and I'm like nope he really did. So um it is important to you know keep that level of of fun with the kids because they are doing these intense investigations. So thank you to him for that.
Okay. Um we're also working at all levels on visualizing learning and making thinking visible. Um, this is an example of a process that investigating history uses in order to get four students on each sides of the paper to be taking their notes and then putting
their conclusions in the middle so that everybody can have a say. Investigating history is really good about that. Everyone's voice has to be heard. There's almost no way to escape it if you're a student. Um, you you have to participate in order for the curriculum to really work. And teachers have done a
great job at implementing these new kind of techniques that get students really thinking. This thing is going to There we go. No, there we go. So, we're also trying to appreciate local history. Um, I want to just publicly thank the Sheen Family
Foundation. They have provided a generous grant that has funded indigenous and colonial presenters from Plymouth Puxit for third graders. So they've also funded some field trips to um Plymouth Puxit for the kids to actually get that hands-on experience. You can see there is an indigenous
representative, a colonial representative that has come into every single um third grade classroom in the district and that has been really fun and that is thanks to the Shien Family Foundation. We're also honoring our country. The um American Legion has been very active with fourth grade students
in explaining the meaning of the flag. We've been having flag folding ceremonies. Um the veterans that come in have been wonderful with the students and the students have been awesome. They have had so many great questions and so many great answers and it's just been a lot of fun to see those two groups
working together. Um we're also trying to make some global connections for students. Um Evan Mira from the dissident project came in last year to talk to students about life in Zimbabwe and living under the government in Zimbabwe. This year we have a speaker coming in in a couple of weeks from
North Korea. So that experience is really really great for students. Um we got really great feedback last year from from this presentation. And then we have eighth grade civics. Um we finally have some MCCAST data to analyze which I taught eighth grade for
17 years prior to this. Um and this is like really exciting stuff for me. So, I love being able to see how the students are doing, where we're not really hitting the mark, where we are hitting the mark. Um, it's very new for social studies teacher to do any social studies teachers to do a lot of data analysis,
but everybody is digging in and trying to figure out how best to support our students. we were a little bit below that state average, which is something that I think the civics teachers were were really disappointed and um feeling really motivated to figure out why that
happened and how we can continue to just keep doing better. Again, this was our first year ever with any data. So, I think it's a learning curve for sure, but I know that um we are working in in professional development to try to meet
some of those gaps where we see them. We also have some schoolwide civics projects and I am planning to have students attend the desi showcase for the first time this year. I want some of our eighth graders to be able to go to the EMK museum and present their projects and their learning. And we also
have had the civics be with the League of Women Voters who have been wonderful in asking our students questions um that are relevant to their civics curriculum and they are the most organized people ever. They did an amazing job with the civics be um and the kids were so into it which was really funny because none
of us were sure how the kids were going to take to it. Last year was the first year and they were so competitive with their civics knowledge. So that was great. Um at the high school level I'm really focusing on vertical alignment. um making sure that students are working
on their historical thinking skills, whether it's with source analysis, perspective taking, historical arguments, or inquiry, and working on some of those student skills like geography and note-taking. We worked together over the summer to come up with this vertical alignment document that is in all of the high school social studies
classrooms now to just kind of keep everybody on track and have some real measurable goals for the year. Plymouth North and Plymouth South have been collaborating again with that summer work with revamping some honors projects and with professional
development. They really really begged to go on a field trip for professional development and we went to Pilgrim Hall Museum and it was excellent. We learned a ton. Um and it was a great day. So I don't know they they want to go on another one in the spring. We'll see. But they're um they were very excited about their field trip experience and it
was nice to get both schools together in a more relaxed atmosphere and just have everybody kind of interacting and working together and sharing resources. And these are some of the groups that we have partnered with for social studies um that we've been working with whether
it's in the community or more at the state level. But that is the direction that the social studies program is heading. Um does anybody have any questions? >> Great update.
>> Um two things. Uh Evan Murer, my daughter, talked about that for like a week after that program and it was just such an impactful thing. I know. >> Wonderful. He was very impactful. >> Like came home and like talked to me about the entire presentation. So I was
disappointed to not be able to see him myself after hearing everything she had to say about it because it sounds like it was amazing experience. >> Yeah, he was he was really amazing. It was a great experience and um Ashley Sass who's a seventh grade teacher really spearheaded and organized the whole thing and she did a wonderful job
and has taken that on again this year. So really excited for that. And then the second thing, um, and this might be a little controversial, but I was at the MASC conference last week, and one of the things that they talked about with the uptick in bias
>> and uh, bias within schools was incorporating different things in conversations in the civics curriculum. And I wonder if um that's something that we touch upon in the higher grades as far as I know it's a touchy subject and
right trying to find a way to integrate it in the framework is equally as challenging but is it something that we touch on and is it something that we try and help to educate in a factualbased way? Absolutely. So in eighth grade civics, students are constantly faced
with controversial subjects and some subjects that weren't controversial controversial 10 years ago are controversial now. And some, you know, what we try to do is we try to have students make their own decision. Give them as much information, as much material as we can from both sides and then let the students come up with that
on their own. There are some things that aren't necessarily debatable, but most things are. And the teachers are really skilled at being able to present all sides and let students have that conversation and lead that conversation in a productive way um and really
strengthen student civic discourse. Great. >> But I don't think it's something we shy away from. >> No, I I think it's really impactful to have those conversations especi especially when you stick to the facts. >> Yes. and being able to teach students and adults quite frankly to have a
conversation where we're listening to each other and hearing both sides of the argument, learning and starting that now is really huge. So I appreciate that you included that. >> Right, Michelle? >> Um, it's more so a a comment. I just I
really enjoy framing social studies as social science because I feel like you can apply a lot of of scientific discovery to social studies and the biggest crossover that I think we need
to see which I think we are seeing in these two curriculums is is encouraging critical thinking. Yes. and encouraging, you know, evidence-based facts where, you know, whether you're doing a social studies project or you're doing a science experiment or whatever
it is, you need to know where you can look for the correct information for reliable information for reliable sources and scholarly articles and those types of things. And I think that the more we can frame social studies as a social science, because that's really
what it is, I think the better off we are. I think the more perspectives that we can look at. One of my favorite history class, obviously this was a a college history class. I want to make that very clear. It was not a high school history class, but >> um the teacher did not teach from any
history book. He taught um from the perspective of like if we were talking about World War II, he showed us what China was producing what you know for for their historical facts, what the US has produced for their historical facts,
what and kind of seeing what you know in in what Germany was producing and what what we were seeing in all of those different places and kind of seeing that you know there is inherent bias in in whoever is telling the story to favor themselves. Um, so it was a very
interesting perspective and I think that the more we can get students to um, think critically about what they hear and what they see and and what they're learning um, whether it's in school or outside of school. I think that that's a great thing. So, I like the the framing
of social studies as social science because that's that's definitely how we need to >> to look at it with because history isn't isn't debatable. Exactly. It is what happened and it is what it is. >> Um and and just investigating um the
hows and the wise and that kind of stuff. We can we can trace those things and make but history is is what already happened and you can't there's not teaching history doesn't help anybody. >> Yes. >> Agreed. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Miss Awood.
>> Um I just want to second what Mrs. Shaw um has stated. And then just to um also um I guess kind of double down on that piece of this critical thinking um piece that is being implemented in both of these um curriculums and and how very
very um uh important that is um especially in this time. Thank you for your presentation this evening. >> Thank you all very much. >> Anybody else? Oh, thank you. Great presentation. I will echo my colleagues statements. So, thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Okay. >> All right. Next up, we've gone back up to section 63. I assume uh Dr. Rogers is just >> Yep. Good evening. I'm going to invite um both high school principles up.
Um so over the last over the last couple of months we've been working on um our new policy for IKF which is competency determination. So as you know um we no longer have MCCAST. So the district um had to put a policy in place for our
graduating class of 2026 which would be our this coming June. Um, and this really is kind of a a a stop gap measure until the state tells us what we're supposed to do is basically what it comes down to. So, um, there's a copy of the new policy. So, again, we've been working with the
high school principles and the academic coordinators um, to come up with a policy that meets the standard but also doesn't put kids um, in a bad position with regard to graduation. And we didn't want to, we started our conversations around, you know, having it talking a
lot about how this class especially has had a lot of changes and we certainly didn't want to pull the rug out from underneath them um at the last minute when they didn't know what the expectation was for graduation. Um so this um policy really tries to capture that.
I know if you guys have questions or if you want us to go over it. >> I can actually also ask Allison and Kate to come up too. >> Seats are not nailed to the ground. >> I think the key too is that we have a very rigorous graduation requirements
already in place and a lot of districts didn't have that in place. So that was one thing that we already have four years of English, four years of math, three is social studies, which is a real key point to it all where other districts don't all have that. Um, so we were fortunate we were in a good place already when this all began. So yeah,
and I think the state wanted us to show uh mastery uh through the stuff that we were doing, but we we were I think all of us uh were really trying to be really aware to not put current kids in a bad position u but also be aware of kids who might be in a delicate position. So kids
who um you know creditwise are moving in or uh EL students or or students with disabilities, you'll see all that in there. Uh but try and just keep doing what we've been doing. I think because our system has been working for a lot of kids. Sure.
>> Um if we could just just go over specifically the the portion for students with disabilities just because um I think that that's kind of >> not the most impacted by the change in in using MCCAST. But I think one of the
populations that would be impacted by the change in MCCAST um our students with disabilities may not necessarily um show their knowledge on a standardized test very well like MCCAST. So, um, if you could just go over what we're doing as far as the compet um, competency
determinations for, um, students with disabilities, I think that would be great just for us and for the public to hear. >> Sure. Um, so our students with disabilities, whether they're in a program or in general education, they still have to meet competency by having
um, English for at least two years. So, I just also want to reiterate that we have an English as a four-year requirement, but competency determination only goes through 10th grade. So that was like a common sort of misconception I think in the beginning. Um so two years of English um at least
one year of math, one year of science and then beginning with the class of 2027 US history. So our special education students follow some sort of trajectory that rep is representative of those of those courses with a minimum passing grade of 60. Um this actually I
think is hugely beneficial to a lot of our special education students who are kind of on the cusp. We've talked a lot about those kids in the middle um who really struggled with MCAT and have had to take it time after time after time after again to get a high school diploma. So, this really sort of loosens
things up a little bit and allows us to award diplomas for students um who have shown um mastery in those but are just not good test takers. Doesn't matter how many accommodations or you put on an IEP, sometimes it's just very difficult for them to pass.
>> Great. I think another piece that's great um is a lot of times the students who didn't pass MCCAST and would take it up to the five times prior to graduation, we'd have to remove them from classes that they enjoy and are thriving in to get extra support. So, they may have had to leave one of their tech studies classes or a fizzed class where sometimes kids come to school for
those classes. So, it it's it's a nice change to be frank and um and I think the teachers modifying the curriculum to ensure that it meets their needs is is gone on always. It's just kind of in a much better focus now. >> Yeah. Great. Thank you. >> Yeah. And it's not as high stakes obviously without the MCCAST. So there's
a little more flexibility for IEP teams to kind of talk about what students needs are versus just trying to get to pass the test. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Mr. Smart. >> So besides the MCAST going away as a requirement, have we changed anything else?
>> No. No, we didn't. >> All right. Your work's done yet, but really our focus like your question was exactly. I don't want to put more kids in a precarious situation, especially this year. >> No. And if the MCATs are not the requirement and we're you know proceeding with best practice that has
been working um the only thing I is is the appeal process something new can you so what what's the appeal process and what's it applicable to so if you don't meet a requirement can you in writing say hey guess what I think I didn't get a 50 in math I mean what is
>> you can always people could always peel they call us all the time win that No, it's something that we we do I think I mean at both high schools we're very communicative all year long senior year of any any type of you know fear of not graduating. Um guidance counselors,
teachers, administrators, meetings, team meetings. There's so much communication but in the um document from the state they recommended having some piece in there and some language in there. Um so we put that together with Dr. Rogers to >> see the transcript review. I think that might fall in with more kids that are
like transferring late transfers. >> Yeah. So, they're looking to metriculate like credits and get credit. >> The guidance is dealing with that a lot. >> We'll have a lot of kids come in from Brazil or from Haiti or from wherever and the transcripts sometimes are really difficult to either get or
>> like coordinate with the courses that we have. So, very very rarely you'll have a kid in a scenario where they they want to be on track to graduate. It usually is in January 15th of the graduation year, which is we had to put a deadline in there. Um, >> but but we'll have sometimes transcript
reviews after a kid has started and we'll actually kind of review it and understand more about what their transcript was saying. That's really what this is. It's it's not, hey, I actually >> think I did pass sophomore English. That's really not that's not >> reread my answer.
>> Yeah, right. Michelle, >> um th the where it says those enrolled in Plymouth public schools in classes of 2003 through 2024 who did not earn a diploma may request a transcript review. They should put their request in writing to the guidance department head.
>> So is that for students that may have been denied a diploma because they did not pass the MCCAST? >> Correct. Yeah. That's only for the MCCAST. >> So there is a look back. There's a look back through. So students, I just want to highlight that students from the year
before I graduated >> through 2024, if the if the sole reason basically that they did not earn a diploma was because they did not pass the MCCAST, they should request a transcript review through the guidance department head. Yep.
>> Correct. >> Yes. and we would review it based on the graduation requirements at the time that was in the handbook that they've been in my time in Plymouth. We added the FOYA math requirement probably >> late around late 2000s like 2010 2011 but it's been pretty similar since then.
We we upped the bar on purpose which was great but if they solely didn't pass we don't have many in my in our >> really there would not be many but they're not making it because of credits or because of requirements right >> maybe some of our project growth type kids through it because the MCAST appeals are very complex of the state
I'm sure the ones that it that that was the reason I'm sure they remember >> yes they would >> so um same thing I was hing on on so so there's a possibility that they would receive like a retroactive
>> testing. That was part of the new state. Yeah, it's part of the city. >> Yep. >> Um, looking at these requirements, it seems to mirror what Desi has out right now. Do we see that changing drastically
or does do we really not know at all? >> That's a good question. So, they've been so there is a state um committee that's been put together. One of our teachers is actually serving on it. Um, Shelley Terry from North High School. Um, and we
actually have a very close friend, Rob Powers, who's serving on the committee. So, we have a lot of a lot of influence up at the state right now, Michelle Badger, and >> Intel. Influence. >> Intel. Not influence. Not influence. That's it. Um, Intel. Um, and I I don't know. And they're not sure either. So,
they're they're hashing through, you know, going back to what Luis had said about how like in real life people sort of sit and kind of hash through some of this. that's happening at the state level right now and they're supposed to come out um with some version of this for the state um in the spring.
>> Okay. Thank you. >> It does sound like most schools are doing the same thing we're doing. Like we've talked to a lot of the the Southshore principles and they're all doing something very similar to what we're doing. >> Yeah. Know it looked very similar. Like I looked at a couple different things and it looked like very cohesive with what a lot of people were doing. It just
seemed like we're one of the number one states when it comes to education that, you know, we want to keep that bar. >> Mhm. >> You know, and for, you know, with with equity in mind, of course, but also, you
know, I'd be interested to see what it looks like and if we see more changes coming. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. They are I mean, I'm biased with the vision of a graduate. they are talking about that pathway which we're both in a really good place with because it is it really should be that of what do we want our kids to be when they walk across that stage and to have those
skills that >> that's the real world you know we're seeing it everywhere and our students going right into the career force they say it all the time it's the soft skills and things of that nature so >> it's an interesting time >> I just hope they don't change it like midsight I don't like when they change
things mid cycle it's one of my things a freshman you try never to change requirements during someone's high school years, you do it in an incoming, >> but again, I'm down here in >> not at the state. >> I imagine that there may be some curriculum shifts for some districts,
not us maybe, but there may be some, you know, maybe this financial literacy that needs to be addressed or there's some >> other component that the vision of graduate work, you know, entails or whatever >> comes of that which will require districts to, you know, commit personnel
to that. So hopefully it does provide a little uh lead time to do that. But I think getting back to what everyone said, these these standards, you know, these courses and successful completion of all these courses is what MCCAST
looks at all these these subjects. So I think it's it it certainly aligns with that. Um and again we don't want to jeopardize kids who have been working really hard >> um and pull the rug from underneath him as Dr. Rod just said.
>> Um so this is an infoaction item. If people are comfortable voting on it tonight, we're happy to do that. If people would like to postpone so they have more another opportunity to take a look at it or ask questions. >> I think we're probably right. I just had one question which is slightly different or slightly rewarded version of uh Mr.
Smart Dallas's question of did anything change? Would the typical and I use typical loosely because I know we have a range of students but would typical student >> know that anything changed like is this it seems like this is what we do already. Like if a student's following the normal high school curriculum
>> they know by default graduation requirement test. They're very clear. couple years >> they got that they're pretty well aware of the credit especially a senior this year is well well aware of what their credits are and what the requirements are especially they're in danger >> and they know they can't have
unscheduled classes so the credits match that we don't have study halls and things of that nature >> yeah even even the new history requirement most students take history >> we already have we have so yeah >> yeah it's English and math usually that are the sticking points because those are the >> Yeah we need the four years all right
>> I'm Uh, I'll make a motion to approve the competency determination policy as presented. >> All right, >> I'll second. >> All right, we have a second from Miss Shaw. Let's move. >> All right, we're good.
>> Go. Thank you. >> We're good to go. All right. Thank you both for staying for execute. >> Thank you. >> All right, moving on. I think we're now uh superintendent report. >> Thank you very much. Promised to be brief. Uh just a few things. Uh we had a
a wonderful cold but wonderful ribbon cutting at Nathaniel Morton last Thursday um for the newly renovated and expanded playground. It's truly beautiful. if you ever had a chance to see it um in the daylight. I know it's dark when we start our meetings now. It's absolutely amazing. I think it's
the envy of all the elementary schools. Very accessible pathways and equipment. Just want to thank Park Plymouth for their support. Uh next phase is to work on uh the parking lot which will be um vastly improved and um also more
expansive. So, it's it's great for the community. It's great for downtown. It's great for the staging of our buses. So, um it's just a it's a great project. So, really looking forward to the next phase of that. Um and also just another appreciation for the Ed Foundation uh
who came I believe about a month ago. Uh I want to thank them again for gifting us $100,000 which is being earmarked uh through state funding uh that was earmarked for the foundation. So, we've prioritized the expansion of accessible playground equipment at our elementary
schools and Dr. Blaze Doll's been working with the elementary uh schools. So, we'll be adding more accessible pieces to our elementary playgrounds, which is a a great direction that we want to go in. Um I know others were there the other night,
but just want to have the pleasure to attend the MASC lifetime achievement dinner uh at the joint conference last Friday, congratulate Dr. Sorenson and Representative Badger uh for the their years of education. I thought um Dr. Dr. Sernson had the most years until uh one of the members was actually recognized
for 50 years as a school community member. No pressure to anyone on the board here. Um but it was it was a it was a great celebration. Um FY27 budget as you know we delayed our initial bud presentation uh to December
15th. We were originally scheduled for December 1st. uh but with the projection uh you know the projected revenue being determined just recently I felt that we really needed uh to take a moment to not rush that um we're actually in line with
the town presentations now the town manager will not be presenting to the select board until the 16th so we'll be presenting uh our proposed budget on the 15th so it gives us a little bit more time um where we did get sort of the guideline
rather late this year for for many reasons. Um we wanted to make sure we were very intentional about that. Um so our budget hearing will be after December break on January 5th and we'll communicate with the education subcommittee of advisory finance which I
believe only has four members this year not eight. Um so smaller group. Um so our initial expenses we've been working with our principles coordinators and directors is coming in just over 4% over our current year. However, we're working with our cost center managers to get
that down a little bit to be within that guideline. I feel confident that we'll be able to do that. Um and we're working with as I said our our cost center managers on that. Uh we had a budget preliminary budget discussion today with some town leadership and um again they
just started their work with department heads at the town side and we'll meet again December 1st to have another collaborative conversation about where we're at. So we look forward to presentation on the 15th as opposed to December 1st. And then the last thing just to let you know, I don't know if it
was mentioned by the North uh student, but the Plymouth North has their induction ceremony this Thursday the Thursday the 20th. Yes, this Thursday the 20th at 7 p.m. It's it's a wonderful um wonderful event. So, if you're um
around and able to go, you're more than welcome to join that as well. >> And that is all I have. >> All right. Thank you. Any questions for Dr. Campbell? All right. Um, trophy retirements. >> All right. Good evening. We do have some retirements starting to slowly trickle
coming in. Uh, we have two this uh this evening for you. Uh, both are retiring at the end of this current school year. Uh, Lisa Lane is a kindergarten teacher at Indian Brook Elementary School and she will have uh had 21 years of service. And we have David Clark who is
a social studies teacher at Plymouth North High School will have served for 32 years and both will be here till the end of the school year. All right. Thank you, Miss Jackson. >> We would like to thank Mr. Clark and Miss Lane for their combined 53 years of service and wish them a happy retirement
and best of luck in the future. >> All right. I don't know Miss Lane, but I can tell you both my kids Mr. Clark and he will be sorely missed. >> All right. Uh move on. Uh reports from uh committee members. Anybody have anything they want to report out on?
Michelle? Um I was the delegate to the um MASC conference. The meeting was fairly uneventful. Um most things passed. Um most of the resolutions passed under uh >> I can't remember the word now, but when
they put them all together in one warrant or one no the >> already signed >> consent agenda. Thank you. I was like I know there's a word. Um and then the the only one that had any discussion at all
was the one um related to BMI. Um but it was just discussion as to um adding wording related to if um doctors um request that a student's BMI be monitored that that would be okay. But
the BMI um it was basically to eliminate BMI as um something that we track at at the school in the school department or in the schools. Um but most resolutions um just passed. It was a pretty quick meeting. The other things that I
attended um were very interesting and informational. I attended um one session that discussed uh it was with Lexington has a uh special ed financial person. So basically like Adam but for
special education specifically. Um and I thought that that was a very interesting position in general. Um I thought um maybe in some of our discussions it wouldn't be a bad idea for something a town our size to consider where we have
such a hard time um getting a department head for special education and now it's great that Stacy is taking that role again. But, um, I think that if maybe if we can find more creative ways to kind of divvy up that workload, um, it might be it might be
easier to find someone. Um, but it was a great presentations all around, a lot of information. So, it was it was a good time. >> Thank you for attending that on our behalf, Miss Jackson. Um, I also attended the MASC conference as
did Miss Bryant who isn't here tonight. But there were two really interesting things that I went to. One I mentioned earlier which was talking about um integrating um teaching to unbiased
education as we see an increase in bias. And they had a lot of really interesting points on that that I'll probably bring at a later time. And then there was also um another group that talked about mental health and um including a
cohesive framework across all schools in the district and how we approach that in a universal way. Um and they also had a lot of really interesting points that I thought were worth discussing further. >> Excellent. All right. Anybody else? Mr.
Smartos. Um, couple things I wanted to mention that were uh, you know, our students doing things outside the classroom in the community uh, on the athletic fields. Um, the uh, Plymouth South uh, Jaguars, the youth program that plays football, they they both won
Super Bowls. The Mites are made up of third and fourth graders and the uh, Pee-Wee's are fifth and sixth graders. And on the same day, Barnstable was hosting the Super Bowls. The Mites won two to nothing on a safety. was a real defensive battle there.
>> Yeah. And then our our team, the uh Pee-Wee's won 22 to 14 uh beating Norwell, which were not very much like the Norwell cuz this past weekend in the Hoops for Hearts tournament, those same kids beat Norwell for the championship. And that,
>> you know, that was a great tournament. Um the Hoops for Hearts happened at Plymouth South, Plymouth North. The middle school um were a great person. um they're uh have been running that for a couple years and um you know that it was
with both those programs I wanted to thank um we had needed to use a field um for the football program and uh you know um athletic director Fry and Jill Dav and um you know allowed us to rent the field which was good. I mean, because it
was raining that Saturday and we were trying to get ready um you know, for a game and and I think that kind of partnership between youth groups and the school system is it's productive no matter what because the kids look up to
the older kids and if they're on the same field practicing, I think the more we can do of that um and I know there's a willingness, it just takes scheduling, but just wanted to thank all the coaches and kids and um you know They're They're making the community proud, so it's a
good thing. >> Excellent. Yeah, it's great. Anybody else have anything? All right. If not, uh Mr. Morgan for master planning committee updates and building committee updates. >> All right. Uh no updates for the master planning. Um the building committee did
meet. Um we received updates on the center for the arts. Um um and the work's moving along. They've trying to do some drainage work to help prevent water entering the basement. Um,
which can probably eat into their contingency, but they should be able to get it done. The Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless, that project's about 90% done. Um, I have not seen it, but I heard it's a pretty good looking project. Looking forward to checking that out. Fire station projects, uh,
station five and station two are essentially closing out. Uh, no update, uh, on station four. course it's in design phase at this point. Um uh DPW projects um
um the administrative building that has um designer selection has gone out to bid. Um there may be an issue with the um HVAC system for the police station. the manufacturer is now um suggesting or
requiring an upgrade in the equipment which was not anticipated which is going to bring the contingency to that to like almost nothing. So the building committee asked them to explore other options and so we can stay on budget with that and really no other update
other than they did inquire about the um MSBA and and hedge and where we stand on that and Mr. Mr. Pasano gave a gave an update on that. So that's all I got. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Morgan. All right. Uh where we at now? Uh personnel
reports. Mr. Trophy. >> Uh yes. Uh this evening I can share with you we did um approve and accept one resignation. We did have one classified appointment. Uh we did approve one parental leave and then we had four medical leaves as well. >> All right. Thank you for that.
>> All right. Uh do we have any unfinished business or any new business? Any uh members want to bring up or put on a future agenda? Nothing. All right. For that, we'll move on to our consent agenda. We've got our last couple of meeting minutes, a
homeschooling plan, some counts payable warrant, and some uh disposal of materials. Anything anybody needs to pull or discuss? >> Just correct. I see on November 3rd that um next to my name it says I wasn't here, but I was.
>> Oh, all right. Let's Let's pull >> make make that correction. >> Yeah. >> Y >> All right. Anything else? All right. Fine. Do we have a motion? >> I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda with the correction just
mentioned. >> All right. And a second. >> Second. >> M. Jackson seconds. All right. We can vote. All right, that's unanimous. All right, I think that brings us to the end of our agenda. So, I will call it at 8:55 uh
p.m. Thank you everybody.