School Committee - Grafton Public Schools - Regular Meeting

Good evening, Grafton, and welcome to the May 13th school committee meeting. I'll call the meeting to order and uh ask if there's any public comment before we dive in. All right, seeing none, let's dive into our agenda uh and general business and starting with an update on the gain program. Oh, Jack Savage is here. Jack with the dramatic entrance. Just on time. I don't. Hey, Jack. Oh, right. You're right. You're right. Brother Snappy.

Yep. You still got this. Still once. I'll sit. Okay. You could not. Then John can sit. John, you can grab that that extra. There's one over here. You don't want to sit? No. Yeah. Right next to you can move it over. Sean, good. Right next to city. Here. Here. Take mine. I'll grab one across. No. No. We're good. We're good. I prefer to stand, too. Okay. All right. All right. So, Brandon, you want to start by introducing everybody? Hello. This is Sean, the leader. I'm happy birthday. This is Alyssa. Hi, Bravo.

Sydney. That's John. Or as we like to call him, new John. That's other John as we call old John. We have two dogs. Emily and Haley and Jay. Yeah. AJ. AJ. Kim. Miss Kim. Tam. Mr. Kim. Mr. O. Uh, bunch of stuff. And we got a pretty good turnout, right?

Yeah. Yeah. So we're going to tell you a little bit about the game program, right Brandon? Yeah, we are. So basically we are called Grafton achieving independence. Now that's what game stands for. We do we help they help us with disabilities. They help us get jobs around the community. And it's an 18 to 22 program. It's very fun to do. We also do community outings also.

Wait, I do tractor supply in the last time. And blessing barn is my actual paid job. Hannah's I did also I also worked at the rock with Mr. O cleaning tables and other stuff. Okay. So, these are this is a full list of our current the current um internships that or places that we work with. Sure.

Um I've done a few which were really well like tufts. I helped out at helped out the uh high school because I want to go into culinary. Um, so I helped out heading up food there washing dishes. Um, and we basically went around the community um, with what we can do. Good. Yeah, I'll be

posting. I'm sorry. I'm really nervous. Okay, great. Good time. Doing great. Um, what do we We like to help um the community and one of our jobs, our internships is the um

the Grafton Food Bank. Uh they really appreciate us helping out and all that. And we like the stock food. Um, I like to do the dog food and the cat food. They really appreciate it. She's going to build and the pets.

Another place we like to work is uh up by Chuck, which is Bread Guy Breads. Yeah. Um, you make bread. We make bread pastries. Uh, sometimes he needs boxes or paper bags, so we help out stamp those, make He wants to meet Alissa. So, yeah. So, we have the partnership with Bread Guy Breads. Um, we've been in our location for about three years. It's going really well. The students get a chance to do some of the prep work and a lot of the the front of the house work where they're waiting on customers, bagging the bread, ringing them out, right, Brandon?

Yep. That's one of your favorite ones. It is. All right. So, we've also um done some things inhouse where we're um kind of offering cards to the public for like Mother's Day. We asked for some small donations, but they're they're not required. And we use some of that those funds to help uh fund some of the stuff the kids are doing throughout the week. Yeah. Want to talk about who wants to talk about the FL? No, I'm like talking about the product. Sure.

Where do we get them from? We get them from uh Trader Joe's. Um we do we like to make them um ourselves, decorate them, and we pass them out in the community. We also put them around um Chuck's place for um everyone to have and the uncommon cow too. They really like the flowers there. It's awesome. So the next series of slides is just an example of some of the work that the students are doing at Disney internships.

Yeah. Cool. So if you want to tell them what's going on in some of the No, go back. Go to the next one. That's I love it. I could do this kind of quickly. Okay. Um, this is some of the students making cards from other side.

Are you serious? It's leg. Um, so we also have a partnership with Quincy Community College and Framingham State University. It's the MCY program. So our students get to attend uh college classes if that's part of their goal. They want to eventually go on to college. Um, we send a educational coach with them and we help them get connected with the natural supports at the college. So that's been going really well. This is an example of some of the things that they've done on the college campus. The the VR headsets they do like they could do virtual jobs so they can kind of try out a bunch of different careers and see what they like.

Why are you doing that? And then another picture is some students working on some of their uh school work at in the college campus. Go big. We like to process flowers and work on communication and communic communication. Uh yes. Skills.

Yes. Uh, this is Paul making some boxes for Chuck. Um, which we usually help out do as I said earlier. So, I have what is that? One of the internships. Gerard is Italian. Oh, cool. Everybody for a couple. Yeah. Yes.

So, we've had a a really good partnership with uh the ghs cafeteria and the Grafton Middle School cafeteria. Our students are going and helping serve lunches and doing some of the dishes, gaining real skills that could lead to real jobs. And they've been fantastic. You really I was a person born like that. It must be it was about Isabelle. Oh, it was me. That's it.

That's right. Do it. You keep going. What? This is some of the students working on life skills in the kitchen at the game program. Puppies. One of our internship is dog orphans. Our students clean the cages and help socialize the animals. Sometimes we do the dishes, too, but we have to wash the dishes really well cuz they bleach them. Oh, right. community.

We do um the farmers market in Grafton. So, our students will help get the bread ready to go up there. They'll go and set up the booth. The one on the left um is Community Harvest, which I'm sure a lot of you know of. Eggplant. So, we help out there by um usually when like onions are ready, we help out pick those when they need it. So, funny like help peel them. Tomatoes and cherry tomatoes and put them in a box a lot of them and they at the end they measure it and say

and like weigh it and write down on the box how much it weighed. Um, and how many families you fed. Wow. So, like, for example, if it says like 15 pounds, you would write um dash 15 so they know that that's how much it the amount in the box is. Awesome. And once we get all the boxes together, they'll say, "Wow, you just fed over a hundred families." Wow, that's great. And they give it to the Worcester Food Bank. That's great. How about this one? Yeah.

So, the one on the um left, you're facing this way or that way. Um is helping out with like trimming the plants and making sure they're ready. Um, and the one on the right is helping out in the back for red guy for dishes, like cleaning dishes, making sure that he has them clean and ready for the next guy. What? What you doing? Mini that we have miss, right? So, another focus is life skills. Does

students make their own lunch every day around pizza day? Nice. I don't eat stuff. What are we doing in these pictures? We're doing the dishes and sweeping. And Kayla, you're busy. I know. Laundry. We learned to do like laundry if we need it. Um, kids that go to the program can also bring their laundry in. Awesome. That's nice. Usually isn't mentioned until like you talk to the parent or whatever, but the kids that go into it can bring their clothes in and wash them there.

And bring them home. So that way they have clean clothes. Alyssa, has that carried over to home? Like, do you do your laundry at home? Uh, yeah. No kidding. I also do my parents laundry. cuz they don't do it. You got to talk to my kids. But it's okay. I do it anyway. And I help out. I also do the dishes at home, so it helps out. Awesome. That's great. That really is wonderful. We also go to an ice skating ring for fun where we we can do base like fun things like outings. Yeah, this is one of our outings. lollip.

So, so we we participate in the um adaptive sports through the department of conservation and recreation. So, this was on adaptive ice hockey. Amazing. Me and Emily tried ice skating for the first time and we both fell at the same time. Yeah, it was fun. This is a skating rink on the opposite side where Quinc Sigment Lake is. Yep. Oh, yeah. I know that. You should be nothing. I'm on the left is uh sometimes we go hiking. Oh, the camera.

So, that picture on the left is the adaptive cycling. Oh, wow. Cool. Oh, that's me. The picture was great, too. It's the mascot. Oh, speaking of Jack, you want Jack. Sorry. That was funny. Keep going. Whoa. The one on the left is Patriots Place. Awesome. That's Tom Braden. Yeah, we recognized him. That's me.

Very cool. picture of some of the other cycles that they have. It's been very fun. Brandon, where were you in that picture? We also go to the handover theater to watch some plays. Nice. Like Christmas Carol. Such a grooge.

Yeah, you can.

We went to the Minute Men National Park. Nice. It's terrific. It's pretty cool. The walking street on a Oh, where was the last picture? I think that was at May. Okay. Yeah. This is a picture at the Christmas Carol in the handover theater jacket. It's decked out in the Christmas hat. That one's up at Mount Wus. The top. At the top. Awesome. Yeah. Oh my god. Oh. Oh. The one on the right was Thanksgiving dinner. We did a whole group Thanksgiving dinner. Oh, that's awesome.

Then just left is a couple graduates that we have. I'll be graduating pretty soon. Yeah. The summer program. Well, eventually myself birthday pass out flowers for Earth Day. Talk about recycling. Thank you. So, we've had a quite a few students go on to competitive employment. Some students have gotten their associates degree at local colleges and a lot of them has transitioned to be successful in the adult program they got to. So, adult

we re we really appreciate the support that has given us a lot of opportunity. Yeah. Mrs. Wonderful. All right. Awesome. You want to take any some questions? Can we expect to Jack? Yeah. So, I just wanted to also let these guys this year with the program have had to take it up a level because they've now incorporated therapy. Yeah. With game. So, that's the perspective we wanted to bring because they have to speech, OT, PT,

vision. So they're taking it and they're coaching up all the therapists and they're giving but they're teaching all the providers how to incorporate it into the gain experience and whether it's at the Y or the food pantry. So we've asked them to stretch their limits and um it been a true partnership and we've been figuring it out but they've worked on other elements for Jack that's different. So they need a food pantry or he delivers mail at the miso center. So it's very much integrated and he's learning like

the skills and fundraising for like their graband go part in different things. So I just wanted to give that perspective um where he's not trying to get a job but they're working on figuring out him to be optimal while in this environment. So, it's just a different perspective and I think this is one of the first years that you guys have had to do that, right? Really figure out how therapy works. Make sure he goes to the high school first and then he goes out and then they also look through the lens of activities that would be sensory based

and um adding the element of music videos like his interest to bring to life out in the world. And I I just wanted to give that perspective because it's a little different slice of what's so that's why that's great. Thank you. Awesome. Thanks. Thanks. Can you guys take some questions? Sure. We don't care. We don't mind. All right. Sure.

Yeah. Um John, I didn't get to hear you speak. What is your favorite place that you've been on these um outings? I noticed that you guys went to Mount Wuset and to Hanover. Massachusetts. The mall you love the mall so much. Do you I love the mall. We know you do. John, thanks. What's your favorite story in the mall? Yeah, you also don't know. What's your favorite?

I don't know. There's so many to choose from. Where do you like to travel to? Wait, we're supposed to be asking you guys question. Okay. Yeah. Want to see any questions? I have a question. Questions? Um, I saw that you guys make those cards and I was wondering if you could tell the community where they can find those cuz those looked really beautiful. We usually place it out in the front of Bread Guy Breads. That's what I thought. Um, which is it used to be Donut Star, but they changed it cuz someone else took over. Um, but it's right in that plaza. Yeah.

So, it's like right next to where Donut Star used to be. Oh, so if you go into bread guy, it'll be um right when you walk in. Thanks. Great. Weird. I just It's nice to see you. No kidding.

I just wanted to say I came up and a lot of times when we walk in, we don't hear a lot of joy. And I walked in and there was just so much happiness and joy and it was it's it's shows what a community you are um to one another. and the friendship is so clear which is just awesome. So, um yeah, thank you. That's great to have you and hear about the program and I've worked with many of you at the food bank. Um and it's definitely really nice when I come in and there and you guys are there because I know we're going to get lots of help done and it'll go by fast and I usually have someone good to talk to. So, I appreciate that. That's fair. Yeah, it's fair. It's cute. And sometimes we like to be silly a lot.

Silly is good. Do karaoke. What's your favorite karaoke? We were so earlier all the way here we were singing Adele. Which one? Hello. Easy on me. And then we started seeing Lucas Graham. So Oh, which one? I'm going to Oh, I love that. I'm going to see him this summer in Frozen. always love to end. Love. All right. What have been some of your favorite jobs?

So, for me personally, um I mean, I kind of like the high school. It just depends on the people to anyone here. Um it depends on like who I talk to and like who I'm friends with. Um, but handing out like the food, um, is really like something I have learned to do because it's going to help me if I go into culinary, culinary advanced.

Um, that's if I get that, but praying. Um, but, um, it's something I've liked to do because that helps me know like how fast I need to go or how long a lunch is going to be depending on like how many students there are per said lunch. Um, another one I've done is toughs where we help out by um cutting the um cat drapes, the drapes and the and then we also do the needles. Sometimes we do the needles when they have them um if they have enough for us to do. Sometimes we also do the gauze like place it in the

little bin. Oh, how about you head? Me? I like the um I like Best Western and Gados. Cool. Another good one. I'm getting um I'm trying to get a job, a natural job at Best Western and I'm really excited and I hope I really get it. Do you work with Arthur there? My favorite job is tractor supply. Nice. Sydney, what's your favorite job?

No. Those two boys.

John, what's your favorite job? Oh, yeah. She let hotel cafeteria. Yeah. Nice. Especially cuz the the lunch ladies I've known for a while since like Nordstrom. Yeah. Yeah. Very cool. That's nice. Oh yeah. Awesome. Well, thank you. This was Thank you. You guys really good. This is one of the better presentations we've had. Yes. We really appreciate you guys coming. Thanks for having us. Well done. Thank you.

Delena, have you texted her? What's your favorite? What's your favorite place? Where do you travel to? Where do you like to travel to? Which one? Florida or a good one. Maybe US. Oh my goodness. That is US. Thank you. Thank you. Nice to meet you, too. I am great. Yeah. I know. cuz I'm late. You can just come dance for the day. That would be okay.

I I don't get food cafeteria, but I like I like being in the cafeteria. Oh, for that way they can see the No, I don't go through the line, but I am still in the cafeteria with all my friends. All my friends go through the line. All my friends go through the line. They don't. Yeah, a lot of them go through the line. Nice to meet you, John. Nice job. Thank you very much. Thank you.

All right, you guys are the best. I'm going to send We'll have the video. You can just send it and I'll give it to Mr. I didn't have you write down my guitar. I'll get it from this. You guys get out of here. Go enjoy yourself. We had to. All right. You guys killed it. We'll see you soon.

Thank you. Thanks everybody. Either me or mom. I'm just going to actually just send it to mom. Me too. Chef I know they're awesome kids growing up so much. I know. I can't imagine the logistics of like coordinating everything that they're doing. Sounds super intense. I know. Make bread. Go to reservoirs and walk around. It sounds amazing. Does sound amazing. It's hard work. It is. I bet. Yes. I don't know who. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Please come back. Anytime. You're welcome. Anytime. All right. All right. Any other questions for Nicole maybe? Or anything about the gain program? Hi, Nicole. Hi, everyone. Hi. Bye, John. Bye. All right. I I probably should have said it when they were here with their staff, but uh they've just done such a great job. It wasn't long ago that we were jammed into the high school and it was this weird well-intended but post high school program in a high school.

We made a not risky but a unique partnership with Bread Guy Breads. Chuck has been awesome to work with and you could just see it and feel it. And that what you saw and felt today, that's that's the real deal. That level of excitement and happiness. They come up uh every day and they do mail for the district is just one of the countless things they do. And I mean, you're not going to miss that they're around. Um but they do a great job and uh it's really reflective of a lot of hard work. Nicole did an awful lot of it and uh kind of a leap of faith on behalf of the school committee just a few years ago that that wasn't typically done. It's amazing. So it's worked out really really well.

Say something. Yeah. So I I mean we were really asking the students questions so I didn't want to ask this question. It's not even really a question but it's like I cannot even fathom the logistics of trying to coordinate all of these different things for all of these students and then doing the group things. It just the logistics alone, let alone what they're actually doing, just seems amazing. So, yeah. Yep. Kudos to them. And there were some questions about us needing a van with wheelchair access. I mean, if that didn't just that's two out of the 10 students we have in wheelchairs, but um they are they are on the go and that's just what we wanting on the go. I love that. Great.

Yeah. And I love the mixture of, you know, college experience and work experience and community experience and um volunteerism. It's just it's really nice to see. There was a actually I keep talking a lot, but Beth Clank was recognized. Yeah. Community volunteer. There was one photo of her in the mix. um but a community volunteer who has dedicated a great deal of time and effort into building up the program, supporting the program, and uh she's made a real difference. So, thank you to her. Yeah. Her son a former school committee student member amazing. Gosh, I don't want to know how old he is now.

Yeah, probably don't. He's a freshman in my mind. Well, that was a joyful Yeah. part of the meeting. More that.

Yeah. All right. So, next up we have the superintendent evaluation. And I actually want to get um committee input on this. So, we have two documents we could go through. I took our sort of compiled evaluation and basically dumped the scores and comments into slides. Um, which we could show and that might be an easy way to access it or we can just put up the evaluation and sort of talk about trends for in our comments and scores for each and everybody can um provide commentary if they want to on particular goals or or areas of focus. Um, so I guess I just wanted to since we're all part of this review process, wanted to solicit the uh committee's thoughts on whether we throw up the slides or just put up the review itself. Any strong preferences?

I think yeah, I would like the review itself to be up. Okay. Anyone opposed to that idea? Slides were great, too. Yeah, the slides are basically the document itself dumped into slides, but let's put the the whole thing up unless somebody has any strong feelings. It's also all in our drive and in our book so anyone can access it. I like the idea of think like looking at trends. Yeah. Yeah.

Whatever works. Thank you. I mean, I can speak a little bit since I've read everybody's commentary. I'm sure you all have because it's been in the drive. Um, but if someone wants to add color, please do. Um, I think we're going to have a good time with um, number one, the thousand classroom visits or our Mount Everest goal that we've been talking about all year. U I think the trend in general with the comments there and the scoring was that um it was an audacious goal. We all knew it was an audacious goal. Uh you made it maybe to base camp too. I don't know. I died along the way but it was heroic.

But you put real effort into getting out there. I think um places for improvement um were definitely in more of the planning. Um understanding the distribution of you know who which classrooms were visited um you know sort of goals and outcomes for that uh goal and what you know we sort of hoped to achieve by doing that I think were some of the the areas of improvement if it continues for next year. Does anyone have particular comments on this one we want to talk about? I mean, I think for me, I was pretty excited just to see you out and about in the schools. I know you enjoy that part of his job and you were able to do it. So, um, it was less about the number and more about you being able to do that, but I don't know if anyone else wants to kind of chime in or give some thoughts on that.

I just had a question actually. I had I tried to ask you, Dr. Cummings, prior to the review. Um, but that didn't work out. Um, the 507 classroom visits, what did that entail? What did you consider a classroom visit? And what classrooms did you decide to visit? What was your strategy behind this goal?

Uh, to get to a thousand was my bottom line strategy. And I consider a classroom visit when I go into a classroom and stay for some length of time, not just walk through. As a principal, you could almost walk through the back doors and I'd hit every class. But that was more like a morning check-in as opposed to actually visiting the classroom. Ideally interacting with the teacher andor students, but not whole class.

Yeah. My I guess my question was too like you visited 507 classrooms, but I heard from some teachers how you didn't go into their classrooms. So what was the strategy of what classrooms that you went into? Because clearly you went into some classrooms more than once and then others not at all. AB: Absolutely. A lot of it's just

that's cutting out. Um it's really there's no great science to it. If I walk around and somebody's lecturing the class and I've been in education since I was 21, I have a pretty good feel for when I'm going to interrupt things. Uh sometimes I do interrupt things. the teachers go, you know, some teacher goes, "Oh my gosh, Dr. Cummings," and stops everything. I'm not looking for that. Well, it might not be excited, but everything comes to a halt. Uh the more the ones that I'm drawn to are going to be where the kids are doing either projects or they're they're just not being spoken to in a whole class activity. Usually, it's a little easier at the elementary level. I can kind of sneak in and they're kind of used to that and they don't all act like it's a big deal.

Thank you. Would you like creep up on morning meeting? Yeah, there's certain I just the weather feel for it. Um um I just wanted to say like that this one I mean I think we all kind of knew you probably weren't going to hit a thousand classrooms but I felt like the spirit of it was so genuine and that's kind of how I felt like I was looking at this and more than I mean even if I do it unofficially next year I I plan to do it I should without an over if we don't have another over it would make life exponentially easier uh once December It it was few and far between for sure. It was more forced than

Yeah. when you can operate as usual. Yeah. I would just I would just probably say more of the quality of of the visits. It sounds like that's what you were, you know, trying to achieve is like not just go in there and, you know, listen for like two minutes and, you know, check it off um the box, but just, you know, maybe even visit some new teachers in the district or um

Yep. Um yeah, you're you're correct. In an ideal world, I would have I think I hit every new teacher, but doing that multiple times and with those, it usually helps to I tell them ahead of time, you're going to just stop by. This isn't, you know, some scary evaluation that's taking place. But, um, actually yours, but I mean, I think I mentioned it myself. I uh, that's those are the the the goals. I didn't give myself as a a met. I don't I think I probably said some progress. Yeah.

Sorry, Dr. Cummings. I just actually pulled up I don't know if you remember your when you first became superintendent. I I remembered reading this in one of your interviews. You had said that he hopes that he pops into a classroom activity will carry on as usual. I should be part of the organiz. Do you remember this or not? I certainly that's an authentic statement. Yeah.

Shouldn't be. I remember I was a a principal. This is in Framingham a long long time ago. Uh as a principal, we got a call from a teacher that we have a really like sharp teacher who had been around for a while. She goes, "I have an older man standing in the back of my room." And we're like, "Oh my gosh." Cuz we used to lock the doors. It was a lot like So we go running down. It was the superintendent. Oh, it was rough. So I don't want that. It was a much bigger district. hard in many many ways. But uh my ideal if I can ever do it right, not every kid's going to know me, but it shouldn't be a stop everything. Who is this guy? Um so that's what I'm I'm shooting for. We're not there yet. But we're weren't there this year. I'll tell you that.

Getting there though. Great. Move on. Okay. comments. Yeah, just tell me where you want me. There we go. The social media goal. This was the the outside your comfort zone spending more time online. Gosh, I like live on that Facebook page. Well, you smokes definitely been interactive on the Facebook page. I think um basically all around again the trends on the comments, etc. for very much. Um, great on Facebook, Instagram. No, no Instagram. Yeah, we tried. That was like one post.

It was one. I didn't I did not like it. One post too many.

So, um, but you know, um, definite focus on it, right? We saw that you focused on it. Again, I think you're going to see this trend come up a lot in the comments in the different sections is um you had a lot on your plate this year in terms of um you know superintendent duties and HR duties and then um trying to extend your online presence in the face of all of that wasn't going to ever be the easiest thing on earth. Um so work to be done but work was done this year right definitely the Facebook page um people are interacting with you nicely well they're interacting with you

depends on the day but you're accessible to folks which is important.

Yeah. Yeah. Um, I mean, I think overall when we do these goals next year, I think we really need to think about the why. Um, the real goal of the goal, I guess. Um, especially, you know, communication, it's it's always on. There's always going to be people who think you can communicate more different ways. That I I mean, I've never heard otherwise for anybody. Um, and I think it's just really important like Instagram. Okay. What was our goal? That's a photo. are you trying to interact with students? Is that appropriate? Is that what we really want? Um and same um you know engagement with the community. We we push you on Facebook because that's where a lot of our stakeholders live although there are other places as they get younger um and we get older. But um I think it's just important to figure out you know where what do we need to hear from the superintendent? And I think sometimes we get caught up or I get caught up thinking about oh but it's really a principal. should be making communication, not the superintendent. So, um

I thought I was impressed with you um

in many ways on um also working with the school-based buildings to get out their newsletters. I get all of them. I feel like I know what's going on in the district, which is super important um to me, and that comes from your leadership. And it's just thinking about what what we want to achieve. Um, and I know you did get out, you've been to many community events, um, that I've been to, um, and you know, talking to people and people obviously feel very comfortable talking to you and saying whatever's on their mind, which I is awesome. And, um, yeah, so I think just for me and I just want to be better personally as like when I look at this, I look at I try to evaluate myself as well as a school committee member and um, I think we could do better in helping with goals and making sure you're actually you're prioritizing what you need to prioritize. And I we'll have more to say on that as we go on, but so thanks. I just want to piggyback a little bit on what Laura said. I think it's sort of similar to the first one where it's like the spirit of this is what I'm taking away from it, but maybe we need to hone in on that spirit in writing the goal to begin with. So like I think

I and I I think that's what I was looking at when when I was doing the evaluation is like the spirit of this is to have better communication and we're making that effort. So um but there's also then that how is it measurable and how do we so it's a it's a it's a tricky one but I don't anything yeah that's all um it's okay if not I think you guys I guess my question is beyond the social media portion of this goal you had stated in it that you wanted to attend PTO PTG meetings and organize one elementary event did any of that happen just the PTG G meetings. Yeah. All of them. Some of them. One of them. Not

all I mean. Um maybe three, four. And no PTO. Um that's No, everything was on the north side. Just timing wise. Okay. Just didn't work out. I can vouch she was there. Phew. Um yeah, I would echo kind of Laura's comments. I felt like all of the buildings communicated a lot more and a lot better this year and I felt like that came from your leadership and maybe a tiny bit. They definitely did all the the work on it. I thought the high school what Tracy's doing with kids taking the lead that's really worked out well.

We tried to do the same thing where I had a team it just it no reflection on the kids at all. um it just became they just couldn't we couldn't stay at the same pace understandably they were underassmen they didn't have any availability so uh they did some really nice stories on a few district-wide things um Ellie the bus driver that type of thing but it wasn't the ongoing you know five a week it was more once a month um so it didn't really work maybe changing that up uh next year maybe still have kids but even maybe a paid opportunity for a few hours a week or something. Y um

I mean do I need to say it? I think I do. I mean it's districts have dedicated communications. I came from one with one. She was awesome. They have consultants. They have people even like crisis communications. We don't have that. We had

we had a major crisis this year. We don't have that. So, and I I know everybody um thinks they can communicate and everybody thinks they're a social media expert because they are on Facebook themselves. I experience that every day in my life. Um so again, it's like focusing on what's important, what needs to be from you. I mean, I think our best one of our best strengths is who you are and your personality. And the other night I heard one a person that works with you and they said, you know, Jay's best asset is his charm. So when we can use your charm for good and to to outreach and to be in the community, I think that's where we we use you and um you're when your authentic self is what makes Grafton unique and that comes out in the communication. So, making sure you can do that, but just targeting because you you cannot do every job and we just need to

I know you think you can. I don't anymore. I didn't anymore. You really should listen to some of us because we're all very smart women. No, you're that old man in the back of the classroom. No, I say no. No, especially I mean Nicole in agreement. Charming and handsome is what I heard. Well, and I think the number of kids who have rel heard the number of kids who have relationships with you is like unprecedented. Dude, we just saw like we just saw three kids who didn't want to leave because they wanted to talk to him talking authentically. I heard what they know him. It wasn't just, "Hey, I like your blue shirt." It was like they know.

They were trying to get my socials and I don't even know what that is. that I would recommend snapsh one of your bosses, please don't be exchanging social media. So, also from a communication standpoint, you true, but I I see that all the time. I um yeah, I've had personally just people reach out to me and and talk about how you've helped their students one-on-one. I mean, that is where you shine. that wasn't in this that's not the communication goal but well but it is in that he's very visible in the school communities particularly in the high school and the kids get to know him and I I do think it's related

I I do I mean you know he saw a kid he saw a town meeting for instance called them by name shook their hand for coming thanking them for being there I mean he's been around a while he's been around a while he How long have you been so long before you were born? Since I was like threeware grew up with me, too. We knew about him. Right. Yeah. So, a long time. Her whole life. Your only keep going here. He is super uncomfortable. Let's move on. No thanks. All right.

All right. Instructional leadership. Let's scroll a little bit. Yeah. Uh, so standard one. Look at that.

All right. So, um, you know, I think again, we're going to go back to our refrain of, um, a couple of refrains. One, um, you just can't do all the jobs and do them all well. And two, I mean, we're still seeing effects of things like um absenteeism and making sure kids are getting to school. We're still struggling with that, right? Um and so we're seeing those things play out that in particular play out a little bit in u student achievement and in some of the instructional work that's happening. I think we're down, you know, to a bare bones curriculum team. I mean there's a lot that's making it difficult. Um so anyone want to comment but those were the themes that came through in everybody's comments before people give their individual ones or you want

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, I this is the one I just take. I mean, I know that we did advise, but if I had to go back in time, I wish I had been a little bit stronger in and thinking about a different cut. I know you wanted to do a cut last year that um because of who you are, and it's a great it's one of your great leadership strengths. You never want anybody to do something that you wouldn't do. You never want to overburden your staff more than you overburden yourself. um and all of those things, but you are here. We hire you. We pay you for who you are as a superintendent. Um and I wish I really wish we had pushed harder to not let that HR position go. Um and I'm glad we are correcting that next year. Um, but I think that just made things much harder and it just I mean I just take it myself like I take it like that was just a bad leadership move on our end.

Yep. Yep. And I think and that's not happening again. Well, if I have to do it myself, I will be your HR director. any any proficiency in this area really on like truly is reflective entirely of the staff. I mean, yes, it has not been me for the last 10 months. So, I'm very grateful to them. We shout out Jen Manion a bit here, too. Yep. For doing a lot with a little.

Yeah. Anyone have anything else before we go to management and operations? Okay. I think your comments, Laura, really carry through here to management and operations in terms of um everything he has on his plate. Um on the other hand, we continue to do a lot from an operation standpoint with very little. Um so

also just looking at the comments I wanted to note um this is my comment in here. Um I just think again we need to be aligned ourselves especially when it comes to budget. Um, I'd like us to just have a set process that we all agree on in the beginning so we can have a less chaotic budget process. Um, and just have all have us be either on the same page or at least come to a compromise where we are all just in agreed either agree to disagree or in agreement on how it moves forward so that we can just have more of a um steady budget cycle next year. So again on us I think just early on in the year to just

think about what we want to see and agree to it and if that means having you know a separate budget subcommittee to go out and and and work the project and process and come back that's something we can think about but just um making sure that again we are are getting what we need um and feeling okay about it so we only have to go through it you know once or twice would be helpful I think to you and your team rather than sure you know but again like I think that's of us as a team we could be I mean working

I would like us you know we're through sort of this chaotic budget cycle um you know I think we can use summertime or beginning of the year to really as a school committee team set goals for ourselves that would include something like that like how do we want to approach budgets what do we want to achieve how do we want to make things better in terms of, you know, your job and how how things work. Uh so that the community is seeing things like our budget um and you know, curriculum updates and things like that really clearly um and we're delivering transparency and everything we do. So I think there's a there's some kind of a planning retreat for this group um so that we're all working on goals together.

Where was that park they went to? Can we do a little apartment? Sure. I don't hike. No, we'll bring an easel and those like hike. What kind of statement is that? Sticky pads. But make a living being. Have you guys ever done anyone have anything else on this one? Okay.

Family and community. Again, this is where you shine, right? engaging families. Um, we've seen a lot of improvement there in the district. Again, we just have a very welcoming district. Families are involved. They're kept informed. We've seen a great job from all the school buildings in terms of keeping people up to date. Um, this you just got very high marks here. If anyone wants to comment.

Um, yeah, Dr. coming. You do have very high marks in this. Um I'd like to say I know that you have been well with the classroom visits those 507 things. Um you're very visible with the students especially at the high school level. Uh having that what was it a class that you offered some sort of leadership thing that you did. How did that go? Terribly. I know my son dropped out of your class very early on but

very very well. I want to say it's the the I think the idea was actually uh terrific. It was based on a a standard uh Stanford the most popular class I've ever had at Stanford University called Designing Your Life and there's an accompanying book and material. So I think the idea was great. Um, we tried to wedge it into what do you call that block? That little like 20 extended extended extended and high school kids don't walk fast anyway. Neither do you though. You put your new hips. So

So by the time like in just in reality by the time everybody got there it it the bell rang. Um, we had Nicole was a co-presenter with Frank Rothell. Uh, the the program was all laid out beautifully. Uh, time was a real killer. Uh, with that it would almost have to be like an actual class and that's a a commitment. So, I needed something in between. Um, so it didn't really work out, but the idea I thought was a really good one. Yeah, it was a good it was a good idea. I know that the high school Yeah, maybe like a club.

The kids did like it. Enjoy. I mean, yeah. Everything worked except the time. By the time we started talking, literally the bell rang and I said, "Oh, all right." And I know that you have been missed as a crossing guard staple down there. Yes. I don't even care if I'm missed. Well, I am happy in year 15 not to be We all miss you down there doing crossing guard. You know what? The cars still move through without you. Haven't heard otherwise. I don't ask. I don't know. There were a few days there which were a problem, but I think it was Well, that's your change in pattern was not good. Oh, I do. You remember?

I've been a sub and that's been plenty. Yeah, I bet. I thought my most Facebook views ever was when I posted that channel. Oh, that went last going to get like That did not go well. Churches outside my house. Only I did not make the change. First world problem. Yeah, 100%. Sorry. All right. We digress. I think this is the last one. Last professional. Yeah. Professional culture. Um, you know, I think right

that we've been blessed with, you know, you just really set very high expectations and um and our educators gen meet them, right? I mean, I think um there's been a continued focus on professional development. Um the EL parent advisory group has been great. Um you work really closely uh with the leadership team to to keep moving things forward. Uh and and that came through in the comments. If anyone wants to expand on anything,

I would just say with your communication um after you had sent out the email about the um upcoming override and what was going to, you know, the reductions that reductions email um like right after that we had like movie night at North Street and parents kept coming up to us, you know, just asking about it and and and I'm like, "Oh, how do you know?" And they had they had already received your email on it. So, it was great that they were like referencing your email and that they're getting it and reading it and taking it to heart. So, I think that really helped as well. I think that's keep up the communication when and why you send emails. If you send multiple newsletters all the time, people might not read them.

So, it is kind of that cadence and thinking about what um what needs to come from the superintendent. So that's something just to that's a really good point, Stella. Yeah, it is a good point. I mean, I would just like to note that it it's really fortunate and we're very lucky that we've had you since Delaney was um three years old with me. I don't really like it since I was three. I was then you look at her, she can do well. She does her math well. She went to Nebraska public schools and knows how to subtract. But that's why you have the relationships you have and with families, with students, with

Right. Yeah. people. I mean, and just thinking about this year too, we had two we've had three principles, newer principles in their schools, too. Um even though um you know, Mr. Wilshshire was a principal, we had a change. Miss Lee, Miss Lee went back, Mrs. Kao stepping up. That's that's big. Three new leaders um in buildings. Yeah.

In buildings. Um that's that is a lot of change. Um and that seemed to go I mean there are obviously lessons learned and things but really well um and that's that's something that also says a lot about the professional culture in this district and your leadership as well. Um to be able to make those changes and to have things go so smoothly. I just I think sometimes we are we just get a little we're just used to it, right? Um, but that doesn't mean there aren't a lot of challenges that you you handle really well. Um, and I just I do want to say how how lucky you are and how how lucky we are. Excuse me. And how lucky you are. No, but I also always being a superintendent is really hard, right? Because not only is it a hard job, but you also have five very different people who are qualified in some ways and different ways. I mean, it's always weird when we when we evaluate you

to give you guidance, but like when you need help with your job, when I have need help with my job, my boss can like help, right? We can't I can't come in and do HR. That would be weird and wrong, you know? So, I possibly dangerous. I'm just joking. I have very good judgment here. But, you know, I think um so that's just something I really admire and respect. And also, I don't have my review televised, right? Exactly. Can you encourage that? No, thank No, thank you.

If I could just add one more thing, Dr. Cummings, in regards to your communication, I do have to say that you are very quick to respond to people. I've even heard from students. I'll a student will email you and you'll email immediately back in regards to even ice cream or the budget. No matter what a student emails you, you're all the seniors together 50 emails that you responded to everyone the email in bold. No, you're extremely responsive. I've heard it from parents. I've heard it from students and we appreciate that. And again, I think it sets the culture for a district that's responsive to families and responsive to students. Yeah.

So, great job in a tough year. Uh, yep. Thank you for all of the feedback. It's very helpful. I appreciate it. And just again, anything positive that was reflected in the

evaluation was there's I say it every year, but there's almost nothing I do totally in isolation other than snow day stuff. Um, it's really anything positive is always reflected reflective of the work of other people of our staff. Nicole, central office, principals, teaching staff, support staff. Uh none of this would no pieces would be positive without all of that. So, thank you to all of them and thanks for the feedback and thank you for putting people in positions to succeed and support you because that isn't always done either. That's part of your management style as well. Yes, your director of special education is phenomenal.

Excellent. Phenomenal. Maybe she can fix your computer. So it doesn't go idle every 3 seconds. Can you do that for him? It must be on like sleep. It's on sleep mode every Okay. All right. I will focus talking too much. He's not like playing with his computer. Hence the Instagram. It's the Instagram. It was a killer. Now we'll never know what happened to that little James. I had to rewrite mine cuz I think I think you were graphing gator spotlight. You know like he had different things. Oh, no. All right. Uh, next up is our fee subcommittee presenting the scope of your uh

committee. Yes. So, uh, two weeks ago we spoke at committee here in regards to setting up a fee subcommittee um, in looking at athletic uh, and activity fees. We've I'm sure everybody's had a chance to read this, so I'm not going to go through it. If there are any questions, I guess But don't Yeah, I did hear feedback from Dr. Cummings after this was um done that he like it. Do you remember Dr. Cummings and read? Okay. Do you want to speak on that then?

Um you asked if I remembered it. I remember exactly what I said. Um, I think my feedback was, and correct me if I'm wrong, that before the subcommittee dives in with any level of great depth, getting an a the pulse of the committee as a whole, in terms of an appetite for fees, be they activity, additional transportation, athletic, what have you, in my mind would make some sense before all that work is done. Well,

does that make sense? Yeah, but that was the purpose of why we were going to create this subcommittee. We' already talked about that at the last meeting. I thought that your feedback was that you were not inclined, you thought that the that the committee was not inclined to activity. You had said you thought to keep this to keep this focus more on athletics than athletic and activity. So, you may have pivoted, but when my email was when athletics came up and it was paired with the spreadsheet on activities, right? That's what then I met you in your office and you said whatever. Anyway, so the the committee to look at this, see what you think. Yeah. Yeah. I'd like to Oh, sorry. Go ahead. God, I'm out of control. That's all. No, go. First off, thank you both. Thanks for putting this together.

Speaking of speedy, like Christy like is on it, which is awesome. So, thank you for putting this and it's so well written. Um, and I I appreciate it. I'm trying to think of back when we talked about it. Um, I thought one of the reasons I was the one who recommended the subcommittee was that there was like a lot of questions like about like how does it happen? How do like schools handle like it was mostly in my my thought about the transportation in athletics was a thought where this came from although I think it's worth a discussion about where fees fit and like thinking about it in a bigger picture um rather than the oneoff right um but just thinking like I want to think about

and I don't know if this is comes from the subcommittee or not the impact of what it means like not just like it has to be an overall yeah this is like to form an analysis to bring to the committee so that the committee could then look at it like one of our questions I remember Jay was like well that's going to take it was some of this was to take off plate off of his off of him to create the analysis at the committee yeah like you know if my kid only plays three games do I pay the same

right like so yeah that's getting all those data points they were getting the data points on that so I guess the the the question is is the committee's appetite when we're looking at this for just athletic or for athletic and activity I mean, I think it's so hard, right? Cuz where do you draw the line? On the one hand, um, you know, do I want to fee every activity? I do not. Um, on the other hand, you know, an athletics parent could be like, well, why, right? We get this, right? I mean, these are all the the non-spreadsheet problems we're going to have to work through as a committee.

And this isn't to to say that we're implementing fees or that we are recommending fees. This is just to present analysis to the committee of what I mean like of what other towns do and benchmarking and what it would look like I am this is for an analysis more than anything else I'm interested in what other towns do for sure like I really want to understand you know if a town does have say like a flat activities fee every year you pay 50 bucks or whatever it is and then they also have sports fees Is that because they don't have transportation fees to get to school? Like I just want to look at the full picture.

So this this would be the scope of this is only to look at like something in regards to athletic or athletic inactivity. Like we wouldn't be looking at every fee that every town has on every single thing because right that would make you crazy that how how where where would you start drawing the line on that? Like this is just a like if we were to look at an athletic fee or an athletic or an activity fee, what would that look like? What does it look like in other towns? How many sports do we have here? What's our transportation here? What how many activities do we have here? This is just to do an analysis of what's in here of this like it's it would have to be limited to there has to be a limitation, right, of our scope. We can't look at every single

unless then we'd start looking at preschool fees at every town and rental like where do you start drawing the line on like um this was I I had we had assumed that the intended purpose of this was mostly athletic or athletic inactivity that was the scope of work was what we had intended back when we spoke at the school committee meeting but then as a larger committee we would side side like yeah yeah yeah I mean are you going to have a recommendation or are literally going to show

just show just show data. I think if you guys wanted to work for sure, but I think I as a committee, you know, this is just when we look at it and I mean obviously everybody knows my feelings, but when we look at it, it's not we also I I don't know how I can evaluate another town's fees when I'm not evaluating what the full picture like their full picture like

we bring in like $1.5 million in school choice in special ed like we bring in all of that Maybe town C only brings in athletic and transportation fees and obviously some can't have transportation fees because they're regional and it's illegal and like I so I just want us to be very cautious um because when we get that data it's going to be again a slice of of pie and I don't expect that's not your charge isn't to find out that's what we take the

right but you know what I mean like I just I I just want to be cautious But I appreciate the I know it's going to be thorough and um like and I I thought it made sense to me. I mean I'm I'm a little light on activity fees for sure, but I mean you guys know my work,

right? Well, this it it it will involve like yes the analysis of within Grafton to like work of what do we have for what is the what are the costs to us as a district? what uh for example like how many sports are there, how many players are there on each sport, what you know and then we'd have to look at that to analyze it. Dr. Cummings um was saying in regards to activities that that would take a little bit more work um because clearly from uh Mrs. Kao in regards to getting that information from the high school and from Mr. star from the middle school whereas we were able to get all the athletic information like that from Ashley. Yeah.

Um this is a hard hard time of year to be talking to principal. Yeah. Well, but and so so do you want to limit it to this this little subcharge of just that? I think just athletics that's where that was we did say at the end cuz I Yeah, but I remember the whole reason we Yeah. The whole reason we went to the whole subcommittee instead of just pulling was because There are transportation costs for other things, too. It's not athletic, which by the way, can I make a point that I didn't make two weeks ago. Christie, you brought up um um field trips and we pay for buses. We actually the district doesn't provide the field trips, though. That's paid for by our parents and

uh by our parent group. So, it's not even really a part of what we offer to me. So, that is something I guess in my mind just different because we don't offer field trips. If we didn't have our parent groups, we wouldn't even have that. That's not even in our budget at all. Right. But it's an like I think what we were saying is like athletics is not part of our core school day, but it's part of what we offer as part of the district. Yeah. So, I don't know. I'm just trying to get what what you guys want on this subcommittee. Well, it sounds like we're split. So, what do you guys the rest of you think? I mean, I think it'd be good to have the information so we know what we're looking at,

but I Right. I don't I think it's actually not just would be difficult to get information on the numbers of kids in clubs. Some of them you sure can but I I think it's actually at least at the middle school level not even feasible. The middle school is too hard. Kids jump in and out. They're like I'm in D and D this week and next week I'm in birds club and the math club. You should I think you could include the like if there's any transportation component but I don't I don't think if there's an activity like like Deca does deca goes places. I think that would be all right. So we'll look at that like so this is more like with the in regards to transportation right well I think that's what we were that's what we brought it into okay I think

so is there any wording on this that I mean I think that the wording could still stay the same as how it's written but unless anybody wants to change anything I mean I can change it on the fly here no I don't think there's anything to change I just I want to be mindful of what Laura just talked about which is Ashley can probably just run a report out of Arbiter Sports. Tracy cannot probably do this until the summer. Yeah. And that's, you know, or the fall, you know, I just time of year I wouldn't ask her for this stuff. Um, so maybe we start with athletics. I don't know. Yeah. I mean, I think it's going to be a lot easier once we det if if you're looking at activity in regards to which activities use transportation that you're going to.

There are there's only a few. There's only very few. Yeah. Um and then the then it'll be up to us when you bring that data back to talk about okay so to just yeah what is the impact going to be right like Delaney when we talked about fees last year you talked about schools that have for example dropped their lacrosse program cuz kids couldn't afford to play anymore and so you used to play such and such a school and now they don't even feel the team so I think that'll be the full committee conversation yeah that's step two this is just the committee didn't have appetite for Dr. Cummings doing the analysis. This kind of where we this drove from. So so that's why I had volunteered like I will just do it and then we were like we'll do a subcommittee. So

we should all we should try to have a subcommittee when we do the subcommittee. Yeah. Yeah. So that's what this drive from. This is not this committee advocating for fees. This is just an analysis to do to help Dr. Cummings. Although I am looking at the deliverables. So there's the draft fee recommendations including proposed amounts and I might delete that. That could be a step two. Um, a district financial and program data analysis report. Yeah, that was that it's more like the analysis report with like the different sports and the not an overall district just

No, like the district when you're looking at the district as a whole, if you're looking at sports, you're not just looking We're not just looking at the high school. We're looking at the high school and the middle school. You'd have to say district. You can't I don't know what like I'm not going to I mean you can we can change the words if that's what you No, I just wanted like when I think district I think like are you doing like you know you know that's just my question. This is it's very it's very well written and organized very well. So sorry go back. Can you just tell me one more time on the deliverables which one you want me to delete? um that the second from the last the draft feeds

which I think potentially like section 2.3 we may want to edit that a little bit just on I think that's where it talks about doing that we can just delete how we just delete there might be a step we'll just delete 2.3 sorry get rid of it I think that might be a step later once a step later let's just do data only data collection and presentation and then all right so with the board because at At this point, would we all be on board if if we delete 2.3 and I delete that line, then would I be able to get an approval on this and so that I could hand this off to the clerk's office for I don't have an issue. Madam Chair, yes.

I'd like to make a motion to um approve the B subcommittee scope of work as amended. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any additional discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? unanimous. Thank you guys. Thank you. This is really great. Be a lot of great work. Yep. We appreciate it. All right, Delaney with your last student representative report. Crazy. Um,

we might all cry a little bit a little. It's our senior's last two weeks. We have our AP exams wrapping up tomorrow and the next day. Athletic awards will be May 18th. Class night for the seniors is June 5th, followed by graduation on June 5th. Awesome. All right. Well, we're not going to send you off without a little fanfare. So, we got you a little something as we do as we all sat down and you have to take your traditional picture with the committee before you go. Right. Right. And does anybody have anything they want to say to Delaney? I have a feeling some of us do.

Wow. Offg guard. I do. Also, knowing Delaney, maybe not since she was three, but for a very long time, I've just um been so impressed with you. Um you have been such a great leader on this committee, really providing authentic feedback. Um I see you as a leader in the school, in the district. Um my goodness, there was even an article about you in the newspaper. All that um all that and bag of chips. She can't wait to go to college and escape me back. Remarkable, Delaney. We've been very fortunate to have you and I wish you so much luck and I know you're going to do great things um

in life and your your voice will be missed for sure. Thanks for putting up with us and uh just felt you you were one of us. Um what good or bad? I mean that as a compliment, but um I really appreciated your voice and look to you for guidance. So, thank you. You were definitely everything we hoped for in a student rep to the school committee in terms of your contributions. As Laura said, you actually helped us navigate issues and think through things and and understand the students perspective. So, um I am eternally grateful to you. you and you will be very very missed and we're so proud of you. Thank you.

I actually started tearing up thinking about you leaving and I was like it's just school rep like we're okay. We'll see her in the community. It's not like she's leaving forever. But it's just I mean really like I feel like you have definitely been more part of our community than other student reps maybe have been in the past. And it's just been wonderful and I really enjoy seeing you also out in the community and like cheering for you at at town meeting. I was like there she is. So exciting like a celebrity out there. So anyway, it's just been such a pleasure. Thank you.

And it was a pleasure getting to know you this year. Um I saw you last year, you know, as a junior, you know, doing this role. I think you really stepped up this year um and all your all your representative reports and then also like reminding me to to go to a couple of things. So for that and wish you all the best in college and enjoy those years you don't get them back. Yeah, Delaney, you've been amazing. Um 90% of success is just showing up and you have shown up to every meeting here like consistently more than any other student representative that I've ever seen. you're here, you show up, you have questions, you are thoughtful, you're insightful, and it's been a pleasure having you. Thank you so much.

Yeah, I was asked on Facebook, I haven't answered yet, but about like the metrics, what are my metrics of student success? And it really is you, Delaney. Like honestly, it really is despite your comment earlier, like Yeah. Uh you just epitomize what what we collectively want and we couldn't be more proud of you. So, thank you. Thank you so much for having me. We're going to miss you a lot. Next time, good times, you're always welcome back. Yeah, you can come back anytime you write on the back. You don't want to visit our meetings. I'll tune in on Tuesday nights. New night.

New night. Same channel. Hey, I am a LinkedIn with some of our past uh and I are in marketing. So, true. Yeah. Hit us up. Yeah, absolutely. Quick picture. Quick picture. Sure. Time. No, she wants to see you in it. Nicole, you want to take it? Yeah. Nicole, so glad I wore my dress with birds. saying by now those good friend are going in front. Where are we going? I think in front good. Yes. Jeez. I feel like we've done that. I'm sorry. It's funny. I think you have lots of No, I'm an idiot. No, you're not. I should have warned you. It's my fault.

You just have Oh, yeah. I always like directions. I couldn't sign it this way. How well you're in the picture. Oh boy. We're knocking over the name tag. Oh, this is a woman who knows how to take pictures. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you. We'll see you. We'll cheer by point. Thank you. See us and yes, have a good night.

Yeah. Have fun. Thank you. Make good choices always. Yeah, I know. She's the one who does. All right. We are zipping through. All right. We have policy though. Oh, yes. I don't know that we have. Oh, do we not? It's way down here. We do, but I don't know that. Not next. It's not. It is not next. very excited about our policy. We only have a couple more meetings, so I don't know how many changes we have to the uh to our agenda. Um our next one is the reorg uh and ghs stuff. I don't Hey, so for the reorg, yeah,

I should have asked this a week ago or two weeks ago. We should have the um updated list of committees and subcommittee. Yeah. Right. So, one thing that I talked about last year and we just failed completely. We didn't do a nice scope like Christy did um was that communication subcommittee. We kind of just put it out without really ever making a scope or talking about it and then we never met because we didn't do anything. Well, because I don't I don't know that everybody was really on board with doing it. I think we have to decide if we really indeed want that committee. I think based on the evaluation we just did, we should definitely consider it. Yeah. I mean, I think Sure.

Like I scope myself. Okay. Is that cool? I mean, then you guys can I mean, I feel like owning this, I kind of like sprung it on everybody a little bit in in the reorg meeting and we didn't discuss like agreement with doing it. So, yeah. So, maybe the scope will help for having for the next meeting. Yeah. And then if people think, "Nope, it's not really our place," then we don't have to do it. Okay. Is that okay? Yeah. I'll own that. Do you want to do the scope? Yeah. It won't be as nice as Christmas. But I'm Well, you have. No, I will. Thank you. You're welcome. She knows I I steal half a marketing is steal. 100%.

All right. And then we have to gather the other ones. Yep. And then we can always add, I guess, too. doesn't all have to happen I guess the first night too. No, but I can try to put stuff in the drive before so that Yeah. Okay. Whoever you know get we as a committee have something put together. Okay. Well, hold on. And you also had just spoken about a budget subcommittee. Do you want to do us do you want me to do you want to write you want me to write a scope on that? I can write a I'll write I'll try to write a scope on that and we can all poke at it. Here cool. Use Christiey's template. Yeah. Absolutely. That's the official template. That's the new official template for public schools. What? The new the new official template.

Yeah, I love it. It's a good one. I do have a question when we're looking ahead. Like I know that we typically in the middle of the summer are like what's what days should we like try to get something more on the calendar? Like I know we're supposed to like meet once a month or something. Well, as I said, it would be great if we could do some planning over the summer with goals and actual, you know, working towards stuff that we're aligned on. Um, so I would like to do some planning in July and August. Yeah. Should we try to pick a day like days now while we're all sitting in the same room

like July whatever we'll meet and I have so many A long we probably electronically. Yeah, just like a doodle. I can send out a doodle. I can't think of all I mean I can't either and I have to look. I have some some stuff that's up in the air too. So depending on geopolitical things and so Oh yeah. Okay. So next time we have this meeting is a big meeting and it is kind of Yep. handbook. That all makes sense. Okay. But yes, I think it would be great if at the next meeting we have

the July and August meetings on the calendar. So, I'll get those doodles out. And Dr. Cummings because the handbooks are in the next meeting. I mean, they they are very cumbersome to to read through. Can Can How early can we get those? I don't know because I mean like a day ahead of time. It's too like I I we need it like probably at least a week in advance. They're very cumbersome to go through. I will do my best.

Okay. Uh approval of minutes. I will take some motions. Madam Chair, yes. I move that the committee approve the April 28th, 2026 meeting minutes as written. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? I I Okay. Unanimous, Madam Chair. Yes. I'd like to make the suggestion that for the executive session we do it as a as a consent vote. Agreed. Great. Okay. Are you making the motion?

Yeah, Madam Chair. I'd like to make the motion to accept the minutes for May 28th, October 22nd, November 19th, 2024, and for May 27th, September 9th, 2025, and January 6, 2026. Second, motion made and thirded. Those in favor? I. Right. Thank you. Unanimous. Thank you. Okay, I think we have indeed arrived at the policy portion of Nor warrants. Anyone have questions? People go through the warrants. I did have a question. Hold on. I got to pull it up. Dr. Cummings. Hold on. There's one of them.

What is What is other special revenue school? What is that account? Let me find it. Can you tell me the it's well it's for 103,000 but I don't know what that account like I know what revolving fund school is student activity agency account I know these other accounts I just have not seen this account real probably I don't know I haven't found it yet other special revenue school I didn't know what that account I can find out and I'll be happy to share it with the committee. Okay. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks.

Anything else? All right. We've got um the Q3 report which Kathleen sent to us. Uh did anybody have any questions on that? So, Dr. Cummings in the future on these reports and and I spoke with Kathleen. I know that she writes for notes for herself the offsets and sometimes she puts amounts. It would be helpful if we had all the like whatever the offsets were. Okay. Did you ask that of her? Yeah, I've spoken to her on I assume she'll do that. But I know that something like that has to come through committee. So I'm just

Does the committee agree? Yeah. That we should see. Yeah. I mean she does have some of that so she can Yeah. But not all. Yep. I don't have an issue with that. It's helpful actually. Um the offsets are always really helpful. So great. All right. Laura's favorite portion of the game is made. We're here. It's time for policy. Hit us. We did good work.

Uh okay. So Laura and I and Jen Man. Um so a couple of the policies had been held from our annual review of policies. They were the gifted ed and homework. They were held for various reasons and now we're bringing them to committee. Um on the gifted and talented education, we've just kind of updated the wording on this. Um Mass Association of Gifted Ed has come up with new guidance. I think that there well they had they stated they're going to be sending it to um Mass Association of School Committees. We're going to wait on taking any of the wording until that is accepted by them. Um so it's just an update of wording. So it's going to require two reads. We work with Jen on this.

So there's it really doesn't change. It really doesn't change that much, but the wording has changed. So, because you know it's it's not the exact same wording. We're going to do two reads on it. Madam Chair, can I ask a question? Well, I can wait till you make the motion. Go ahead. I'd like to make a motion to accept policy IHB, gifted and talented education um as presented as a first reading. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? I just was wondering if you know what or if you have insight into what the recommendations are going Oh, yeah. We have because my my question and this isn't even a it's not

it's more of a I'm just curious. So the part where it says students identified through multiple strategies the multiple strategies are they identifying those for us or like what is that on us? I'm just curious. Grafton uses multiple forms right now like star exam. classroom. So, um in the policy recommendation from Mass Association of Gift, Mass Gifted, um Mass Association of Gifted Ed Mage, it was quite extensive um of a policy like way more than we'll ever be able to. Well, it was just very extensive um at this point. So

it was implement I mean we would need staff we would need staff like we would it require almost a total rewrite for what we're what our ability is to do based on that. So and I also assume like this is vague is not the right it's it's not specific to what the strategy is and that I think for a school committee policy is sense depending on what it is. It's not like I mean I know when I was a kid it was like now you take an IQ test and then you get dumped into the gifted class, right? like that's not what we're looking at here. And I just wanted to No, it's multiple different Yeah. And it wouldn't be the same for every student, every situation, and that's why it's somewhat vague. That's all.

Um I mean, I know we had this MASC doesn't have it in their reference manual, right? So, I'm just wondering, um I don't have an issue with it, but I think we're doing a lot of this stuff anyway. Um we're we're doing a lot of differentiated instruction. I know that um you know we're sort of across the board let having kids follow their own paths. So um do we need it? Fair. I mean I would advocate for it. Okay. I don't think strongly either way. I'm just

it's helped people who have had gifted it who have had gifted students through come through the district to have a policy to fall back on. But we don't really have a gifted program, right? I mean, it's just Well, we do. We do have We do have gifted programming. We do. We do. We do stuff through John um through John Hopkins Youth and Talented Gifted. We do do the different things for gifted students in the district. Yes. Okay. And are people have people had the experience of not being able to access that? So, we need a policy to make sure they do. And if so, great. Um the policy ensures that if a parent comes and says, "Well, what are you doing for gifted ed?" This is something to fall back on for any parent.

That's fine. I was just curious because we t because they MAC doesn't have it and we typically try to adhere as much. So that's cool. I mean for me it's overall philosophy, right? We should be ensuring that last sentence to me is like overarching, right? The district is committed to ensuring that all students have opportunities to develop to their right. That's why I'm like why are we pulling out one particular group of students I guess was my thinking not I think you know in my mind we you know you know me I mean everybody is talented in different ways right so they all should so I mean this was a is a good compromise um we should share the yeah we can share the other stuff

yeah I'd be curious that one was one and I did reach out to MASC and they again said they have no policy and I think because there's not a mass general law but I I don't think it I don't think it does anything. No, I don't think it's harmful to anybody. I was just curious why, you know, it was something we continue to do and spend time on, but fine. I'm good with it. Cool. All right. Any other discussion or questions? All right. I'll take a vote. All in favor? Unanimous. Great. Okay. All right. So, speaking of policies that MASC doesn't have, we have the homework policy up next. Yep.

Another one. Um, this has been updated, Laura and I. Um, we had updated that in the back in the summer using Malro as our uh, sample to kind of go off of. Um, now that it's been implemented for months, we've gotten feedback from the high school and from Mrs. Mannon. And so that was kind of compiled and we met with Jen last week and kind of edited it to what's more of what our practice is.

Yeah. I mean I think just the one thing we want to note Jay is um Oh yeah. to make sure that either so it says it's distributed yearly by the superintendent and then just have it reviewed annually by the principles and then we think it's up to the principles to kind of to talk to their um staff about it just there has been some sounds like confusion that people think there isn't homework we have a you know and just to make sure there's some consistency so just maybe at the top of the year just to remind that this is what it is it's a thoughtful homework policy we believe in homework But we believe it to make sure that it's useful. Useful.

Yeah. And this was vetted by I think Christy already said byen the high school Jen sat with us and just offered it. It felt it felt good, right? Felt good with it. It also feels like some it's just like a little bit more streamlined, a little bit less like miscellaneous chatter that Yeah. And we did get rid of some miscellaneous chatter. I like it. Yes, we did. Yeah, nice know how that was it always graded like the homework always graded. Well, that's that's been sort of one of the issues that we were It's flip-flopped. It's flip-flopped.

Well, and we didn't It's a district policy, too. So, that's important to remember. So, you you know, we don't grade homework in first grade, right? No, I know. I'm not trying to sound I just in general we this was something we talked about was how we're not it's not a high school homework policy which is vastly different than you know elementary school's homework policy per se but and some it fluctuates yeah we had heard back feedback that the homework policy didn't allow for grading so that's why we said it may be graded um we had heard a lot of misinformation in regards to

so that bullet was one of my questions um may be graded based upon completion versus accuracy. Are you saying that anytime it's graded it's based on completion? I found that bullet confusing. So that bullet was one that Jen wrote. That was Jen Jen's fault. Homework may be graded bas because we don't want kids to feel as though their homework is a test. You have to be able to try and fail and but there is some validity in that you did the homework versus you just did. So are we saying that all homework is basically a past fail you grade you turned it in or you didn't?

Well, that's a really good question because think about like we were thinking math but now that I'm sitting here thinking like I write a paper for English technically and you get your you get your paper graded. Yeah. Right. Right. That's why that bullet confused me. Sorry, I throw a monkey wrench, but it's not clear. I also read it as I read it as it could be graded based on completion versus accuracy. Like, right. Is that what it means? The could be was with Jen because completion versus accuracy. That's how we brought in the the elementary level of a kid is just going to do color the whatever. And then Yeah.

Right. But I could see it being interpreted as like homework may only be graded versus completion. versus that's where it's going to have to come in with the superintendent and the principles to kind of explain the homework policy beyond you're going to get a parent maybe or a kid that goes I thought it's just completion but it doesn't see a lot of them on that good so they'll send maybe homework on the Chromebook and the kids cuz I watch bullet three also click through it till they get to the end I would just change should not cover an entire holiday or school vacation versus the because they're not always I don't know that that was that one we didn't change that was right from the other ones

I would just call it and entire because but doesn't matter really it was more it was that okay completion versus accuracy if we feel like it's like the may means could go either way fine I don't know I I know like Jen was implemental on that one so I don't know I mean we can bring it back to Jen We can double. We're bringing it back as a second read. We'll just shoot. I'll shoot. Yeah. Are we And her and I are meeting. You and I are meeting Friday anyway. Great. Yeah. Okay. So, we could just workshop. I I

I feel like if you could just like wording wise, it could just be a little bit different. So, yeah. So, you couldn't there could be misinterpretation there. I know. When we were thinking about it, I was totally thinking about like the first grade or like all the math problems like what? Oh, sorry. She's workshopping it now. Yeah, I would just change verses to ore. I mean, that's what I was thinking. Maybe graded based on completion or accuracy. Yeah, that's true. We'll change it to or. Perfect. I think that man that does that other than the and the third bullet. Are you okay with that how it is or? Yeah, I don't care. I added an am. Okay, there you go. Yeah, it's done. I'll talk about the other the other policies after this. So, a motion being seconded, right? Did we do that?

Did we do that part? Yes, cuz that's how we open up discussion, right? No, actually I think in this case we did not have a motion. Okay. I'd like to make a motion to accept um policy IKB homework uh as a first read. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any additional discussion? All right. Seeing none, all in favor? I unanimous again. Look at us. So in addition to a policy update, Laura had found that MASC has updated and I think added a couple of policies. So Laura and I are meeting on Friday to discuss those.

Yeah, I saw that come through. Great. Thank you both. Uh we do not have correspondence or the need for an executive session. So with that, I will adjourn the meeting. Good night, Grafton. Don't forget to vote.