Minutes of the
Monson School Committee
Re-Organization/Regular Business Meeting
Quarry Hill Community School – School Committee Meeting Room
June 12, 2024
Members of the public who wish to participate virtually in this meeting may do so in the following manner: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85889452418 Meeting ID: 858 8945 2418
Present: Vice-Chair Alison Morgan; Secretary Jamie Murphy; Committee Members Colleen Flynn; Karen Nothe-Valley and Peter Wiggins
Also Present: Superintendent Cheryl Clarke; Director of Business and Operations Leah Zippin; Director of Curriculum Katherine Watts; Director of Student Services Colette Bidus; Granite Valley School/Early Childhood Center Principal Joseph Trivisonno; and Recording Secretary Karen Methe
Note: This meeting was video-recorded by M-Pact and audio recorded by Zoom.
Ms. Morgan called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.
Ms. Murphy read the Mission & Vision Statements.
Ms. Morgan introduced and welcomed newly elected member Peter Wiggins to the Monson School Committee.
Ms. Morgan then turned the meeting over to Dr. Clarke.
Dr. Clarke stated that the next order of business was to reorganize the Monson School Committee and determine the other positions of the Committee. She reviewed the ground rules for nominations. Following, she opened the floor for nomination for Chair of the School Committee.
Motion by Ms. Flynn to nominate Ms. Morgan as Chair of the Committee. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
There were no further nominations
Dr. Clarke closed the nominations.
No discussion
Dr. Clarke asked for a roll call vote to accept the nomination of Ms. Morgan as Chair of the Committee.
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins Yes
Ms. Nothe-Valley Yes
Ms. Flynn Yes
Ms. Murphy Yes
Ms. Morgan Yes
Motion passes 5-0
Dr. Clarke congratulated Ms. Morgan and turned the meeting over to her to continue with the selections and appointments.
Ms. Morgan opened the floor for nominations for Vice Chair of the Committee.
Motion by Ms. Morgan to nominate Ms. Murphy as Vice-Chair of the Committee. (Second by Ms. Flynn)
No further nominations
No discussion
Ms. Morgan asked for a roll call vote to accept the nomination of Ms. Murphy as Vice-Chair of the Committee.
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins
Ms. Nothe-Valley
Ms. Flynn
Ms. Murphy
Ms. Morgan
Motion passes 5-0
Ms. Morgan then opened the floor for nomination for Secretary of the Committee.
Motion by Ms. Flynn to nominate Ms. Nothe-Valley as Secretary of the Committee. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
No further nominations
No discussion
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins
Ms. Nothe-Valley
Ms. Flynn
Ms. Murphy
Ms. Morgan
Motion passes 5-0
As Policy mandates, all Subcommittee liaison positions to the School Committee were assigned next.
Announcements/Recognition:
Grade 6 transition to the high school is tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. with an inside ceremony followed by outside activities.
June 14, 2024 is field day at the high school. Grades 7 and 8 will be in the morning and grades 9-11 in the afternoon.
June 17, 2024 is the last day of school and an early-release for students.
Ms. Flynn expressed gratitude and appreciation to Ms. Graves-Harrison for her 6 years of service to the Committee. She added the Ms. Graves-Harrisons’ commitment to the district, students and staff was unparallel and enjoyed working with her. The rest of the Committee offered their thanks as well.
Minutes:
Motion by Ms. Flynn to approve the May 22, 2024 Regular Business Meeting Minutes as presented. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
No discussion
Motion carries 4-0 (Mr. Wiggins abstained from vote)
Superintendent’s Update:
Dr. Clarke noted that all the end of year student celebrations has been successful and wonderful.
The new School Resource Officer, Officer Paul Mayo, will begin his liaison position in the fall until formal training has been completed.
Mr. Fontaine, the new high school principal, has been very active in preparing for the school year ahead. He held another faculty meeting been working on the scheduling with the guidance staff. Dr. Clarke added that she feels very confident that the school year will be ready to start in a very positive way.
There are job postings open for Guidance Counselors at Quarry Hill Community School (QHCS) and Granite Valley School (GVS), a special education teacher at GVS, Dean of Students (posted internally) and an Administrative Assistant at the high school. Dr. Clarke added that there may be other postings if necessary.
Budget work continues as hiring is done, still working within the constraints of the approved budget amount.
Dr. Clarke reminded everyone about the Summer Eats Program available at 3 sites. Breakfast and lunch at QHCS and GVS with weekend meals available for packing. Bagged lunches will be provided to the Monson Thrift Store on Main Street. The meals are available for kids and teens all summer long and one does not need to be a town resident. Dr. Clarke thanked Food Service Director Mrs. Blanchard and the cafeteria staff for their work.
Mr. DeMaio is working on the summer maintenance plan to get ready for the fall.
The Administrative Retreat is scheduled for July 8 and 9, 2024.
The Extended School Year, coordinated by Ms. Bidus, will begin on July 8, 2024.
The GVS Summer Acceleration Academy, with 40 various grade level students identified, will also begin on July 8. 2024. Remediation in English Language Arts and Math will be provided to assist students continued learning throughout the summer along with fun activities with Mr. Pagliaro. Transportation is free and lunch is provided. Dr. Clarke recognized Ms. Watts as the key component is securing the grant monies to staff this very successful program.
Public session:
Ms. Morgan opened Public Session at 7:17 p.m.
Mr. Lamb came forward to address the Committee, asking for the process of how the third location for Summer Eats was chosen, congratulated the newly elected Committee members and read a personal statement.
No one else came forward to address the Committee.
Ms. Morgan closed Public Session at 7:19 p.m.
Subcommittee & Liaison Reports:
Human Resources/Negotiations:
No current updates.
Policy:
Motion by Ms. Flynn to accept the final read of Policy BEDH, (Public Participation at School Committee Meeting) and implement into the Policy Manual. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
No discussion
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins Yes
Ms. Nothe-Valley Yes
Ms. Flynn Yes
Ms. Murphy Yes
Ms. Morgan Yes
Motion passes 5-0
Motion by Ms. Flynn to accept the second read of Policy KF (Community Use of School Facilities) and move to a final read. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
Discussion followed
Dr. Clarke will make the suggested revisions and bring back to the Committee for final read.
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins Yes
Ms. Nothe-Valley Yes
Ms. Flynn Yes
Ms. Murphy Yes
Ms. Morgan Yes
Motion passes 5-0
Motion by Ms. Flynn to accept the second read of Policy JICE (Student Publications) and move to a final read. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
Discussion followed
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins Yes
Ms. Nothe-Valley Yes
Ms. Flynn Yes
Ms. Murphy Yes
Ms. Morgan Yes
Motion passes 5-0
Motion by Ms. Flynn to accept the second read of Public Involvement at School Events and move to a second read. (Second by Ms. Murphy)
Discussion followed
Amendment to the original motion to revisit this Policy at the next Policy Subcommittee meeting.
No further discussion
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins Yes
Ms. Nothe-Valley Yes
Ms. Flynn Yes
Ms. Murphy Yes
Ms. Morgan Yes
Motion passes 5-0
Motion by Ms. Flynn to accept the first read of Policy IMG (Therapy/Comfort Dog Policy) and move to a second read. (Second by Ms. Nothe-Valley)
Discussion followed
Roll Call Vote:
Mr. Wiggins Yes
Ms. Nothe-Valley Yes
Ms. Flynn Yes
Ms. Murphy Yes
Ms. Morgan Yes
Motion passes 5-0
New Business:
Karen Davis from the Monson Together Food Pantry addressed the Committee with a location request to use QHCS. Dr. Clarke provided an overview of the suggested procedure and after reviewing available building locations, noted that POD 3 was the only choice across from the school’s before and after school EXTEND Program. Dr. Clarke reviewed the questions and concerns by school administration, including the overall safety of students. A lengthy discussion followed with Ms. Davis answering questions from the Committee. Ms. Flynn commended Ms. Davis for recognizing the need for the additional food pantry in town. The consensus of the Committee is that the district is not able to meet all the necessary needs of the operation. Everyone thanked Ms. Davis for attending the meeting.
Old Business:
Ms. Watts provided the requested changes to the summer math and reading suggestions adding that the work is optional, however required for students in Honors and AP classes. She added that the information is ready to move forward if the Committee agrees. Discussion followed. The Committee agreed to move forward with the revised information.
Review of Action Items:
Schedule Policy Subcommittee Meeting on July 17, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Schedule Facilities and Long-Term Planning Subcommittee Meeting (Tour of Buildings) on August 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Regular Business Meetings on July 17 and August 21. 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Motion by Ms. Murphy to close Open Session and move to Executive Session, Reason #2: To conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel, not to return to Open Session. (Second by Ms. Flynn)
No discussion
Motion carries 5-0
Open Session closed at 8:14 p.m.
Documentation for this meeting:
June 12, 2024 Regular Business Meeting Agenda
May 22, 2024 Regular Business Meeting Minutes (for approval)
Distributed/Presented at meeting:
Approved by Committee:
________________________________________
Ms. Nothe-Valley–Committee Secretary
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