Public Meeting Minutes: March 10, 2021 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting - March 2021

1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

Discussion: President Gould called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was said.

2. Motion to Excuse Board Member's Absence

Discussion: Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Lange to excuse the absence of Cathy Burklund and Lori Springer. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

3. Open Meeting Law

Discussion: The audience was reminded that the Open Meeting Laws would be followed.

4. Consent Agenda

Discussion: Motion by Lange, second by Breitkreutz to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of February 10, 2021; workshop meeting minutes of February 10, 2021; February Financial Statement; March monthly bills; and personnel changes. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

4.1. Regular Minutes of February 10, 2021

Attachments: (1)

Raymond Central Public Schools - Board of Education Regular Meeting (6)

2/16/2021 at 9:56 AM

4.2. Workshop Minutes of February 10, 2021

Attachments: (1)

Raymond Central Public Schools - Board of Education Workshop

2/16/2021 at 9:58 AM

4.3. Financial Statement/Report

Attachments: (1)

Financial Statements

3/10/2021 at 8:20 AM

4.4. Monthly Bills

Attachments: (1)

Monthly Bills (8)

3/5/2021 at 1:28 PM

4.5. Personnel Changes

5. Correspondence/Recognition

Discussion: Last Wednesday, Jack Moles, Executive Director of NRCSA, presented Mrs. Carlson with her 2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year Award. Mrs. Carlson was scheduled to receive her award last spring at the NRCSA Conference. Thanks for all you have done and all you do for RC Mrs. Carlson!

6. Public Forum

7. Discussion Items

7.1. Student Board Report - Sydnie Blanchard

Attachments: (1)

March Board Report 2021 - Sydnie Blanchard

3/10/2021 at 9:04 AM

Discussion:      District Speech & State Qualifiers - This last weekend our school held our district speech competition. With many district finalists and competitors we had six state qualifiers: Hunter Kohl - Dramatic Interpretation; Calleigh Osmera - Informative; Grace Cadotte - Poetry; Eleanah Enevoldsen - Persuasive; Rosalie Tvrdy - Entertainment; Olivia Nelson - Informative. Congratulations to these students on placing in districts and bringing RC speech to State once again!
     Dance/Cheer Team Tryouts - This past week the RC dance team held their yearly tryouts, teams will be posted this week. Cheer tryouts are being held throughout this week and the team will be announced on Saturday, March 13.
     Prom - Prom is scheduled for March 27th and is being held at the high school as well as post prom. The dance will begin at 8:00 PM to be followed by post prom. The Post Prom Committee and Administration have been working diligently to make sure the event is safe and able to be held. Outside dates are allowed as long as they are residents of Nebraska and masks will be mandatory for the whole night. Outside date forms are due on March 24th and post prom forms are due on March 10th.
     Car Decals - The Student Council car decal fundraiser is being finalized and will begin shortly in the next few weeks once confirmation is received.
     Blood Drive - Student Council held the annual spring blood drive with many student participants from the ages of 16 and up. This blood drive promotes awareness to students and allowed seniors that donated to apply for scholarships from the Blood Bank.

7.2. Administrative Reports

Attachments: (4)

BOE March 2021

3/5/2021 at 12:33 PM
Val BOE March 5 2021

3/8/2021 at 7:43 AM
AP_AD March 2021 Report

3/8/2021 at 3:45 PM
March Board Meeting Jr_Sr High

3/9/2021 at 8:41 AM

Discussion: Submitted by Allison Stansberry, Jr-Sr High School Principal
     On February 10, the Art Club offered its first meeting to students in grades 9-12 with 17 students in attendance. This is a fantastic number and opportunity for our students. We wanted to gauge where the interest was and see how the numbers looked. Our goal is to offer it to grades 7-12 once we see where the need is to sustain the club and provide support to a larger group.
     Prom will be held March 27. Below is what was sent to Junior and Senior Parents. We are grateful for all the support in helping us create a memorable experience for our students!

Good afternoon! After many discussions, Raymond Central has developed a plan to safely host prom for our juniors and seniors. Prom will be held Saturday March 27, 2021. We feel it is important to provide our students with this experience as they have not had a dance since fall 2019, however, we must continue to stay diligent in our efforts to limit exposure to COVID-19 and its variant strands. As with any activity through the school, exposure of COVID-19 during prom may result in students quarantining depending upon the exposure and mitigating measures.
1.   The dance will be held at Raymond Central Jr/Sr High. We are working to find donations for decorations since the dance will be held in the main gym. This space was selected as it provides the most space for the number of students planning to attend and we want to make sure the decoration makes it look less like a gym. Following are the protocols we will follow due to Covid:

Temperatures will be taken at the door. Anyone with a 100 degree or higher fever will not be able to enter the dance.
Students will be required to sanitize their hands upon entering the dance and will be advised to wash/sanitize their hands often.
Masks will be required. Students will be given a wristband upon arrival. If a student is told to put their mask on, the wristband will be cut off. The next time we have to ask a student to put their mask on, they will be asked to leave. Wristbands may also be removed for inappropriate dancing or not following reasonable expectations.
There will be no dinner hosted by the school before Prom.

2.   Raymond Central students may bring a date from another school in the State of Nebraska only. Any student (dates included) that has or is displaying any symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked to not attend.
3.   The crowning of Prom Royalty will be at 8:00 PM with the dance to follow. The dance will run from 8:30 PM-12:00 (Midnight). Post Prom will follow the dance at the Jr/Sr High School until 4:30 AM.
4.   Parents of Prom Royalty will be permitted to attend the crowning at 8:00 PM. The following protocols will be followed:

Temperatures will be taken at the door. Anyone with a 100 degree or higher fever will not be able to enter the dance.
Parents will be required to sanitize their hands upon entering the building.
Masks will be required.

5.   All students will be breathalyzed upon arrival to ensure the safety of other students in attendance. Students who refuse to be breathalyzed will not be allowed to enter the dance or post prom.
6.   Tickets will be $10.00 per student. Tickets can be purchased in the office starting March 8th. Post Prom forms will also be available in the office starting March 8th.
I am sure I am missing something and will communicate out if so. Please contact Mrs. Stansberry with any questions, comments or concerns. We are excited for the opportunity to host Prom 2021 for our amazing students!

     We will be holding English Interviews on 3.9.21. We will be interviewing 3 candidates.
     April is quickly approaching. The ACT will be held April 6 and the PREACT either April 9, April 15, or April 16.
     Brain and I have begun a book study with Albert DuPont. We are reading "Free to Focus" by Michael Hyatt. The book surrounds conversations about time management and productivity to be able to focus on our health, family, relationships, and setting goals. Our first session together was filled with great conversations and started the process of setting short time goals. It also focuses on tasks on our to-do list and prioritizing our work. What can be delegated? What needs done immediately? Our next session together will be March 10th at 7:00 AM.
     MAP testing has concluded and staff are beginning to dive into the data. The data is used for a variety of purposes: 1) Class Recommendations; 2) Closing the Gap; 3) Interventions
     Thank you to Raymono’s for providing staff with Pizza on February 22nd! It was much appreciated!
     On March 8 during staff PD, together we watched The Mind Inside Episode 3 and had a very meaningful and powerful conversation. We also engaged in conversations about our Caring Shelves and ways to expand. Teachers were actively engaged and providing action solutions. I left our time together feeling energized. We have a strong group of individuals in our students' corners.

Submitted by Brian Gralheer, Assistant Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director
     Basketball teams ended their seasons in subdistrict play. Girls finished 4-16 on the season with a loss to Lincoln Christian in the opening round of subdistrict play. Honorable mention All-NCC honors went to Madelyn Lubischer. Congratulations! Boys finished 6-15 on the season with a subdistrict victory over Malcolm before falling to Milford to end the season. Congratulations to Andrew Otto, Isaak Fredrickson, and Eli White for Honorable Mention All-NCC selections. Thank you players and coaches for your efforts throughout the year. Thank you to parents and fans for the continued support throughout the year.
     The Wrestling team represented RC well at the State Tournament in Omaha: Mitch Albrecht finished in 4th place in Class C at 126 lbs; Logan Bryce finished in 5th place in Class C at 132 lbs; Conner Kreikemeier did not place, but qualified in Class C at 152 lbs; Jacob Schultz did not place, but qualified in Class C at 112 lbs; and Skylar Sterns did not place, but qualified in Class C at 220 lbs.
     Spring sports practice began March 1st.
     Jared and I have been in consistent discussion with Electronic Contracting Company to install a new combo speaker system in the Main Gym/Stage area. We are currently on pace to begin work on this system on March 10th with an estimated time of 3-4 weeks to complete. Jared and his crew will begin demolition of the old system after basketball season is over. ECC will also be out to evaluate our speaker system at the Track/FB Field.
     I have been in discussion with the City of Ceresco with the possibility of moving our softball practice and games to the field in Ceresco for the upcoming Fall Season. We are hoping to have a written agreement by the May Board Meeting.
     The RC Cheer squad recently competed in the State Cheer Competition and earned 4th place for their routine in the Game Day C1 Division. We are very thankful for their positive encouragement and support of our athletic programs.
     The Central Players recently hosted the Class B-4 District Speech Contest. A big thank you to all the speech parents who helped us host the competition. Our contestants will be participating at Kearney High School on Thursday, March 18. State qualifiers from RC are: Rosalie Tvrdy (1st) Entertainment; Calleigh Osmera (2nd) Informative; Olivia Nelson (1st) Informative; Grace Cadotte (3rd) Poetry; Hunter Kohl (3rd) Serious Prose; Eleanah Enevoldsen (1st) Persuasive.

Submitted by Shelly Dostal, Elementary Principal at Valparaiso/K-5 Curriculum Director
     Assessment - Students in grades 3-8 completed the NWEA MAP assessments. We are preparing for the statewide assessments this spring. All Nebraska juniors will be administered the ACT. Ms. Osten and Mrs. Stansberry have been working diligently to get the ACT testing requirements in place for our April 6 testing date. The NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System) summative assessments testing window is March 22-May 7. These assessments will measure student achievement relative to Nebraska’s academic standard and will look quite different this year as the state transitions to a through year adaptive testing model. A Phase 1 Pilot is being administered in English Language Arts (gr 3-8) and Math (gr 3-8). The Science (gr 5 & 8) assessment will be a field test required for all grade 5 and 8 students. Most assessments will be administered on line with a few of the students given alternate assessments according to their IEPs. Due to the nature of the changes in the NSCAS system, assessment results will not be made public and limited data will be available to districts and individual student families. Mr. Steve Rose and Ms. Keely Schafer will monitor the computer components. Principals and teachers will be scheduling the assessments in their own buildings. I will be training most test proctors the week of March 15-19 to review testing protocols and changes made with the NSCAS system.
     Curriculum and Instruction - I attended the spring NACIA (Curriculum Directors) virtual meeting on February 26. Dr. Dulaney from NSCA shared legislative updates. Dr. Lane Carr from NDE presented information regarding curriculum resources and the Nebraska Teacher and Principal Frameworks. Dr. Jeremy Heneger from Statewide Assessment shared updates to assessment for the spring and next year. Elementary teachers will continue work to align science standards, identify essential learnings, and create curriculum maps on March 8.
     Professional Learning - PLCs met on March 8 to review data and make adjustments for action plans. All staff watched and then discussed the third episode of The Mind Inside. Progress continues on Grading and Assessment with the School Improvement Team. The Teacher Evaluation Committee had another meeting the afternoon of March 8. Teachers involved with the EIR grant have been working hard to implement practices in their classrooms. The teacher innovators and administration team will meet on March 24 to create action plans.
     Staff Evaluation - Teacher PRIDE portfolios have been turned in. I will be meeting with probationary teachers for summative conferences and then move on to tenured teachers. Support staff evaluations will be next.
     Parent Teacher Conferences - Conferences are scheduled for March 9 and 11 using a virtual format. Families have been asked to schedule their conferences using the on line system PTCfast.com. Report Cards for third quarter will be sent home on March 9 as well as the most recent NWEA MAP testing results. Thank you to our PTO for providing meals for teachers during conference nights.
     An online book fair is being hosted on March 4-17. Usually we have an in person book fair during parent teacher conferences. Thank you to Ms Janet Dannelly for organizing the book fair.
     We observed Read Across America Day/Dr. Seuss’s birthday the week of March 1-4. Snippets from Dr. Seuss books were shared throughout the week. In conjunction with the theme for the day, everyone was encouraged to dress accordingly such as One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, wear something red or blue. Kudos to our teacher leaders Ms. Janet Dannelly, Mrs. Shelly Hlavaty, and Mrs. Monica Blank for their efforts. We are also encouraging all students to participate in a 20 minutes a day for 21 days in the month of March Reading Challenge. Students who read for 20 minutes for 21 days in March will earn a prize - a free book (shh - it’s a surprise for students)!
     A Kindergarten Round Up Parent Meeting is scheduled for March 29 at the High School. Parents of potential kindergarten students will meet to discuss kindergarten for 2021-2022. We will follow district protocols and procedures for safe gathering.
     PTO partnered with daVinci’s on February 22 for a dining out night. Mrs. Egr and Mrs. Dostal hosted a virtual scavenger hunt on February 23. PTO provided prizes during the Read Across America Week and every student received a mustache on March 4 to add to the fun! The EpiCure fundraiser was a big success. PTO will provide meals for teachers during elementary parent teacher conferences. We appreciate their continued support.
     Congratulations to Mrs. Kendra Carlson for being awarded the Outstanding Elementary Teacher for the 2019-20 school year by the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association. Mrs. Carlson represents the excellent teachers across the 213 NRSCA member schools in Nebraska. A special presentation was held at Valparaiso Elementary on March 3 in conjunction with our end of quarter recognition assembly. Special guests included Executive Director of NRCSA Jack Moles, BOE President Dr. Harriet Gould, Superintendent Dr. Derrick Joel, as well Mrs. Carlson’s husband, son and grandson.
     Other Happenings at Valparaiso:
     We had our MUSTANG awards assembly for third quarter to recognize students on March 3.
     Students are encouraged to complete activities from the March Kindness Calendar. Ask someone how they have shown others kindness today!
     A Plant Sale is now underway to help fund the elementary Jump Start to Kindergarten program and Elementary Retreats. Mrs. Kendra Carlson and Mrs. Kristine White are leading the charge. Plants may be preordered through April 5. Orders may be placed with any elementary student or on-line at www.janetsjungle.com. Pick up day is scheduled for Saturday, May 1. A limited number of plants will be available for cash and carry. Please tell all your family and friends!

Submitted by Ann Egr, Elementary Principal at Ceresco/Special Education Director Elementary
     NWEA MAP Testing took place February 22-March 4 for grades 3-8. Understanding each student’s academic level gives teachers the power to help them excel. MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) computerized adaptive assessments are the tools that make it possible-providing educators with the detailed information they need to build curriculum and meet the needs of each student.
     "Read Across America" was celebrated the week of March 1-March 4 in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Each day the students and staff had fun dressing up. Thank you Mrs. Blank for organizing this week and for the following high School students: Abbie Hudson, Maddie Peterson, Addison Kottas, Josie Lahm, Megan Lange, Madison Parham and Sydnie Blandhard. The elementary students loved having them come in!
     Parent/Teacher Virtual Conferences are scheduled for March 9 and 11 from 4:15-8:00 PM. Once again the district utilized PTCFast web-based signup program. PTCFast.com is a free website designed to make it easy to schedule parent-teacher conferences. An educator/software designer developed the program. The premise is to make scheduling easy for the first time user.
     Raymond Central Elementary will be hosting an online Scholastic Book Fair from March 4-17 during Parent/Teacher conferences. Reading for pleasure unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps children discover who they are. Remember all purchases benefit our school!!
     Virtual scavenger hunt was held in February. Students who participated received a Raymono’s coupon. Thank you to all the students who participated. Another virtual game night is scheduled for sometime in April.
     The Kindergarten parent meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 29 at 7:00 in the high school commons.
     Special Education - numbers continue to increase in the Special Education Department.

7.3. Curriculum Report

7.4. Superintendent's Report

Attachments: (1)

Goal Update #3 - 3.10.21

3/4/2021 at 1:20 PM

Discussion:      School Improvement Team Update - THE SIP Team met last Friday to discuss the new book (Grading from the Inside Out) and to develop a plan of action for the rollout of our "grading for learning" movement. PLCs will engage in conversations from one of the chapters at the April late start along with hearing from our Jr/Sr High School Math PLC. We will then spend time at the end of the school year going through the districtwide document.
     The Teacher Evaluation Committee met on Monday for 4 hours to discuss the document. The committee was able to develop the "proficient" category under each standard and performance indicator. The next step will be to meet in a couple of weeks to begin developing the other language for the categories.
     Transportation Update - We started full routes (door-to-door service) on Tuesday. A big thank you to Cheryl Rieck for her work on developing these routes. Thank you to our bus drivers for being flexible and working through the new routes. I also want to thank our families for their patience. We do have a lead for another driver and will continue to search for more.
     Feasibility Study Update - The Facilities Committee met this morning to discuss the executive summary.

7.4.1. Goal 1: Ensure continuing well being of staff and students by creating an equitable framework for responding to and recovering from a pandemic.

Discussion:

Performance Indicators:
1. Expand the community knowledge and information about equity in the district through the implementation of the Board of Education adopted resolution in response to current racial disparity and injustice.
  1. The Student Advisory Group (Superintendent Advisory Committee) presented their work to the Board of Education at the February 2021 meeting. Since that meeting, the leadership team has met to develop the next steps. It was determined that the team will reach out to Aaron Davis, share the document broken down into what the resolution looks like and sound like, and will meet with him in the near future via Zoom.
2. Continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 to make data-informed decisions and communicate accordingly.
  1. Each week I engage in three COVID-19 related Zoom Meetings. One meeting is with the Lancaster County Health Department, one with ESU2 superintendents, and one with the Three Rivers Health Department. These meetings focus on local data to be used when making decisions.
  2. 85% of Raymond Central’s staff have been vaccinated at this point in time. This took a lot of time and effort on the administrative team to develop schedules to cover classes, transport staff, and step into classrooms. The vaccine was open to all staff on a voluntary basis. The next mass vaccination will take place on March 25th.
  3. Our plan moving forward is to continue the mitigation strategies we have in place. With less than 9 weeks of school left, we must remain diligent in our successful practices. Our mask mandate will continue throughout the end of the school year as variant strands of COVID-19 have found their way into Nebraska.
3. Preserve the continuity of essential school functions through the use of research based mitigating measures.
  1. We have fully adopted our remote learning plan which asked parents/guardians to complete a form requesting their students learn from home. This lowered our overall numbers of remote learners for the second semester. I want to thank our teachers and staff for their efforts in making remote learning an option for students. At this point in time, remote learning will not be an academic option for students next year.
  2. We have collaborated with the local health department to create a safe and healthy plan for students to attend prom. Students have not attended a school-sponsored dance since 2019. We are excited to provide this opportunity for students and I appreciate the efforts of our administrators, parents/guardians, and other organizations who have contributed to ensuring our students a prom experience.
4. Minimize educational and social disruption.
  1. We currently have 22 students learning remotely full-time between grades K-12. This number is down from over 30 as we closed out the second semester. Students still engage in remote learning if they test positive for COVID-19 or someone in their family does which requires quarantine.
  2. As I stated earlier, the district was able to create a vaccination schedule that allowed for any staff member who wanted a vaccine to get one. This took a team effort, however, we were able to complete this task with minimal disruptions to the learning environment.
  3. We also learned that the free Zoom accounts were nice to use until issues arose. Since then the district has purchased Zoom accounts for staff through ESU2. This allows us to monitor and track student IP addresses if behavior issues arise.
5. Respond to academic losses.
  1. Professional Learning Communities are now reviewing and using MAP and FastBridge data to develop individual student learning plans. This will continue through spring. The administrative team has been discussing a summer school option for students. The summer school program will look different for students in grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. We will use CARES2 money to fund this and will share more information when it is available. Ideally, the program will be for any student who has not met grade-level expectations during the 2020-2021 school year.
  2. The Jr/Sr High School also implemented a Friday School on March 5th, which was approved for COVID-19 planning time. Students who were failing or falling behind were invited in to work with staff to get caught up.
  3. We continue to revise our MTSS structure to ensure students have the interventions necessary to close achievement gaps.
  4. Steve Rose has been working hard to get our new software, EDUClimber up and running. This software will be a one-stop-shop for student data. It will break down a student’s attendance, demographic, achievement scores, etc. One of the most difficult tasks for Steve is uploading historical data.

7.4.2. Goal 2: Continue the creation of a 10-year facilities strategic plan for implementation that addresses maintenance and improvements for existing building assets.

Discussion:

Performance Indicators:
1. Continue partnership with First National Bank to provide visual and cost projections for the future of RC facilities using the data and results from the 2020 feasibility study.
  1. The Feasibility Study is complete and the Board of Education has reviewed the data. I am currently working with the Facilities Committee to create an executive summary that will be shared with the public. We know that a decision will need to be made in regard to our growth and educational space, but what that looks like will be up to the Board of Education. I am unsure of the current timeline, however, would like to get this information out to stakeholders before we break for summer.
2. Add to the existing plan start/end dates, projected timelines, list of contractors, and a progress monitoring system.
  1. I continue to update the priority list on a weekly basis and check in with Jared to monitor our progress. Jared has done a fantastic job of organizing workflow and prioritizing the needs of the district.
3. Prioritize list of projects for all building sites to ensure minimal impact on instructional practice.
  1. Several projects have been completed already this year and others will be scheduled to complete this spring and over the summer. Large projects we have left to complete are:
    1. Replace another 2 Addison HVAC units at the Jr/Sr High School
    2. Re-pave the main drive at the Jr/Sr High School
    3. Replace the roof over areas 2, 4, 6, and 8 at the Jr/Sr High School
    4. Create the waterway in our farmland to the south to eliminate the erosion issue. This will also allow us to develop our cross country/community walking course.
    5. Phase I concrete work at the Jr/Sr High School
    6. Lighting for the main drive (this may be a two-year project)
  2. The Facility Committee met to visit each building site to establish the priority list.

7.4.3. Goal 3: Develop progress monitoring tools to evaluate the effectiveness of district initiatives to ensure the sustainability over time.

Discussion:

Performance Indicators:
1. Continue partnership with First National Bank to provide visual and cost projections for the future of RC facilities using the data and results from the 2020 feasibility study.
  1. The Feasibility Study is complete and the Board of Education has reviewed the data. I am currently working with the Facilities Committee to create an executive summary that will be shared with the public. We know that a decision will need to be made in regard to our growth and educational space, but what that looks like will be up to the Board of Education. I am unsure of the current timeline, however, would like to get this information out to stakeholders before we break for summer.
2. Add to the existing plan start/end dates, projected timelines, list of contractors, and a progress monitoring system.
  1. I continue to update the priority list on a weekly basis and check in with Jared to monitor our progress. Jared has done a fantastic job of organizing workflow and prioritizing the needs of the district.
3. Prioritize list of projects for all building sites to ensure minimal impact on instructional practice.
  1. Several projects have been completed already this year and others will be scheduled to complete this spring and over the summer. Large projects we have left to complete are:
    1. Replace another 2 Addison HVAC units at the Jr/Sr High School
    2. Re-pave the main drive at the Jr/Sr High School
    3. Replace the roof over areas 2, 4, 6, and 8 at the Jr/Sr High School
    4. Create the waterway in our farmland to the south to eliminate the erosion issue. This will also allow us to develop our cross country/community walking course.
    5. Phase I concrete work at the Jr/Sr High School
    6. Lighting for the main drive (this may be a two-year project)
  2. The Facility Committee met to visit each building site to establish the priority list attached.

Develop progress monitoring tools to evaluate the effectiveness of district initiatives to ensure the sustainability over time.

Performance Indicators:
1. Sustain an effective and meaningful Professional Learning Community framework at RC to drive professional inquiry among staff.
  1. Professional Learning Communities continue to be our vehicle for professional learning, growth, and collaboration. We have revamped the two-hour late starts to provide 1 hour of PLC time and 1 hour of teacher preparation time. This balance came from survey data when teachers were asked what they needed to continue high levels of teaching in their classrooms. Teachers continue to discuss Essential Learning Outcomes that stem from content/grade-level standards. We continue to use the 4 questions from the work of Dufour’s "Learning by Doing". We will engage teachers in additional professional learning around effective PLCs at the end of the school year and the beginning of next year.
  2. Every PLC has created a data-driven SMART Goal that they will collaboratively work towards for the 2020-2021 school year. This goal has been revisited monthly to determine next steps.
  3. We will send another team of teachers to a Solution Tree PLC Summer Institute. Mrs. Dostal is currently working to find a date and location for this. Our goal is to provide the opportunity for all staff to attend over the span of several years.
  4. We have worked on teacher engagement into the revised teacher evaluation document that is still in draft form. This has been an excellent opportunity for administration, teachers, and BOE members to reflect on what current practice is and connect it to best practice. We have made strides toward creating a document that includes teacher reflection, focus on STEM activities, our equity work, etc. It has been a difficult process to condense all of the work we have done as a district into a single document, however, the committee remains committed to having this done by May.
2. Adopt the Multi-Tiered System of Supports to ensure learning for all students through targeted interventions.
  1. We continue to create our MTSS system as resources become available. The academic side of the triangle continues to improve with the increased use of Fastbridge and MAP assessments. Teachers have also started to co-create common assessments to track student progress. Teachers have collaborated to provide support for students at all levels. The key to a successful MTSS structure is understanding what essential learning outcomes students are working towards. Feedback and assessment are key to providing targeted support to students.
  2. The behavior side of the triangle is currently under construction. Once the grading and assessment component is complete, more targeted interventions and supports can be implemented. The next step is to create a district-wide behavior system.
  3. The social-emotional side of the triangle is taking a step forward through the Disaster Grant. Training will be provided for staff on trauma-informed care, self-care, etc.
  4. We are excited for Mrs. Egr to lead this work going into the 2021-2022 school year. It is important we have a district lead as creating a behavior model for the district will require a systematic approach across three building sites.
3. Create a districtwide grading and assessment framework focused on student growth and learning.
  1. The School Improvement Team has been reading the book "Grading Inside Out". The team is now aligning the draft grading and assessment document with their learning around effective practices. This will be presented to teachers at the end of May with a soft rollout during the first semester of the 2021-2022 school year.
4. Create a Positive Behavioral Intervention System of Supports district-wide to track and reward positive behavior.
  1. This performance indicator is a work in progress. No specific update at this time.
  2. This will become a priority for research during the 2021-2022 school year.
5. Update/Modify the current teacher evaluation system (P.R.I.D.E.) to emphasize teacher growth and reflection for the betterment of student learning.
  1. The Teacher Evaluation Committee has a draft document that outlines the components for teacher evaluation. There is a face-to-face meeting scheduled for Monday, March 8th where the team will align the standards with components to ensure no overlap exists and expectations are consistent.
6. Model and reinforce a "fail forward" attitude among staff and students to focus on learning rather than compliance.
  1. As we continue to become more focused on STEM, teachers will be implementing the 4 c’s (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking). This not only aligns with our Vision 2025, but it is also what our students need to engage in to meet our district’s mission statement. Steve Rose has been leading the charge through our EIR grant. He has been getting into classrooms and monitoring progress through the DiscoveryEd Digital Leadership Corp. At the next late start, the administrative team, Steve, and the 16 teachers who are participating in the leadership corp will meet. We will also engage in instructional walkthroughs to collect data on student engagement in the near future.
  2. Our professional readings and conversations around grading practices have increased our knowledge around engagement and learning versus compliance. This has been a topic of discussion through our partnership with DiscoveryEd.
  3. I have continued to model a positive outlook during a year that it could be easy to fall in a crack. Our buildings have done a number of things to build culture and stress the importance of teamwork. We are truly in this together and living day-to-day.

7.4.4. 2019-2025 Raymond Central Strategic Plan

Attachments: (1)

2019-2025 RC Strategic Plan (13)

3/4/2021 at 1:21 PM

7.5. Facilities Report

Attachments: (1)

Facility Priority 2020-2021 (11)

3/3/2021 at 8:06 AM

Discussion: The Facilities Priority List is continually updated. Large projects we have left to complete are:

Replace another 2 Addison HVAC units at the Jr/Sr High School
Re-pave the main drive at the Jr/Sr High School
Replace the roof over areas 2, 4, 6, and 8 at the Jr/Sr High School
Create the waterway in our farmland to the south to eliminate the erosion issue. This will also allow us to develop our cross country/community walking course.
Phase I concrete work at the Jr/Sr High School
Lighting for the main drive (this may be a two-year project)

7.6. Review of Technology Plan

Attachments: (1)

March 2021

3/5/2021 at 9:22 AM

Discussion:      Staff Survey - We have sent out a survey to see what teacher’s technology needs will be and what Technology PD they would like to see next school year. My goal is to frame the PD around the 4C’s (Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication), as well as Classroom Management with Technology, Foundational and Online Skills, and Multimedia Skills. Below is the Professional Development Report from the BrightBytes Survey.
     Video Board - Mrs. Osten and I have been working on updating the video board outside the Mustang Room. We have been starting to add pictures, content, and update records.
     Computer Maintenance - I have been working with teachers to run updates on their computers.
     AutoCad for Education - Set Up an educational account for Autocad. The plan is to use it in CTE Courses next year.
     Website Updates - As always if you see something out of place send me an email and let me know.

Added March Lunch menu
Added March newsletter
Worked on Staff Directory - In Progress
- Added new staff members
- Deleted staff members who have left the district
- Added Staff Pictures
Edit the old "Staff" page under each school and transition to the Staff Directory
Worked with sponsors to update their activity pages
After School Program Tab
Scholastic Book Fair Post
Plant Sale Article Post
2021-2022 Master Contract
Supt Contract and Info
2/10/2021 Board Meeting and Workshop Article
Updated the App
Worked on updating the rcentral domain. The current contract expires in April.
Outstanding Elementary Teacher Post

7.7. Update of Raymond Central Crisis and Safety Protocol

7.8. Committee on American Civics (Breitkreutz - chair, Springer, Burklund)

7.9. Transportation Committee (Breitkreutz- chair, Springer, Lange)

7.10. Finance Committee (Springer- chair, Blanchard, Breitkreutz)

7.11. Facilities Committee (Blanchard- chair, Springer, Burklund)

7.12. Negotiations Committee (Blanchard - chair, Gould, Lange)

7.13. Curriculum Committee (Gould - chair, Burklund, Lange)

7.14. Policy Committee (Springer- chair, Gould, Lange)

7.15. NASB Monthly Update

Attachments: (1)

0321 NASB Monthly Board Meeting Update

3/2/2021 at 9:25 AM

7.16. 2021-2022 Baseball and Softball Village Agreement(s) - Consider, discuss and take all necessary action

Attachments: (2)

RCPS Lease Agreement 2021 Renewable_1.31.21 (2)

3/5/2021 at 1:48 PM
Cover letter to VOV Board_Meeting 2.9.21 (2)

3/5/2021 at 1:48 PM

Discussion: Motion by Blanchard, second by Lange to approve the 2021-2022 Facilities Agreement with the Village of Valparaiso exclusively for baseball right now. Raymond Central will pay for the electricity for ball field lights only from March 1-May 31 which is a change from a flat fee of $1,000.00 and the contract will renew automatically each year unless the parties decide to end it. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

7.17. Early Graduation Request, Austin Anderson - Consider, discuss and take all necessary action

Discussion: Motion by Gould, second by Blanchard to approve the Early Graduation Request of Austin Anderson to begin his career path in the United States Armed Forces. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

7.18. Request for Qualification (RFQ) Process Resolution - Consider, discuss and take all necessary action

Discussion: Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Lange to approve the Request for Clarification (RFQ) Process Resolution. Whereas the Board of Education, intends to enter into an Energy Financing Contract with a Qualified ESCO Provider, we authorize the Superintendent to adhere to the Request for Qualification (RFQ) process as identified, in State Statute sections 66-1062 to 66-1066, for selecting an ESCO company to implement potential facility improvement measures. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

7.19. Addition of Jr/Sr High School Courses - Consider, discuss and take all necessary action

Attachments: (2)

Modern Problems Proposal (1)

3/5/2021 at 1:59 PM
Drafting Proposal

3/8/2021 at 3:46 PM

Discussion: Motion by Gould, second by Blanchard to approve two additional courses at the Jr-Sr High School: Modern Problems and Drafting. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

7.20. Review Public Forum Presentation(s) - Consider, discuss, and take all necessary action

8. Action Items

8.1. Approval of Staff Resignation(s)

Attachments: (5)

DOC021621-02162021084147

2/16/2021 at 9:15 AM
Rcentral.org Mail - Asst. XC Coach Resignation

3/4/2021 at 3:52 PM
JH StuCo resignation

3/9/2021 at 3:50 PM
Strouf_letter of resignation

3/10/2021 at 5:32 PM
RC Letter of Resignation-Ziegler

3/10/2021 at 5:56 PM

Discussion: Motion by Blanchard, second by Lange to approve resignations of: Barb Ohnoutka, Preschool Paraeducator; Stephanie Voichahoske, Jr-Sr High School Paraeducator; Seth Strouf, K-12 Music Teacher; Amy Ziegler, Valparaiso 5^th Grade Teacher; Madeline Shomos, FBLA Assistant; Maggie Niewohner, Assistant Cross Country; and Jill Huck, Jr High Student Council. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

8.2. Approval of Staff Appointment(s)

Discussion: Motion by Burklund, second by Blanchard to approve staff appointments of: Jenifer Highstreet, Jr-Sr High School English Teacher 66 day contract; and Madeline Shomos, National Honor Society Sponsor. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

8.3. Approval of Substitute(s)

8.4. Approval of the 2021-2022 Superintendent Contract

Attachments: (2)

RC Transparency 2021-2022

2/11/2021 at 11:15 AM
2021-22 Superintendent Contract

2/11/2021 at 11:15 AM

Discussion: Motion by Blanchard, second by Lange to approve the 2021-2022 Superintendent’s Contract with an increase of $4,900.00. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

8.5. Approval of Next Regular Board Meeting - Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Discussion: Motion by Blanchard, second by Lange to approve the next Regular Board Meeting to be held on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

9. Adjournment

Discussion: Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Lange to adjourn the meeting at 7:26 PM. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.

10. Approval, Accreditation, and Accountability Rule Development - 7:30 PM ZOOM with NDE and NASB

11. Important Upcoming Dates:

March 9 - 11 - Parent-Teacher Conferences (Zoom)
March 12 - No School (Teacher Compensation Day)
April 2 & 5 - No School
April 14 - April BOE Meeting @ 6 PM
April 30 - COVID-19 Work Day, No School for Students

March 10, 2021 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting - March 2021

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