April-22-2019-Regular-Board-Meeting-Seg-1
[00:00:00] Welcome to the West Linn Wilsonville School District regular board meeting. Will you please call to order Miss Douglas chassis King Martin? Here Eddie Reynolds here check that each year as chair Dylan hides your Reagan mullet or here.  There will be an adjustment to the agenda. We just didn't anticipate or I didn't get the X right so at 7:40, we expect there to be a longer discussion and that will push everything about 20 minutes out and will be in need.
Closer to 9:15 [00:01:00] if we're lucky Ashley, will you come on up
good evening? My name is Ashley hater and it's nice to see all of you again looking back. We celebrated our amazing classified staff members during classified appreciation week in March. We gifted each of them a little flashlight with a card that red. Thank you for helping us shine in early April 20 of our thespians went to their state Festival in Salem and we had auditions for shorts 20 our student directed one acts our band choir and Orchestra recently competed at their TRL competitions with symphonic choir placing second in the symphonic band and Symphony Orchestra placing first, all of them will advance to stay.
Musicians and singers competing at the state solo and Ensemble contests. [00:02:00] This weekend will have a recital of their competition in the PA see Auditorium this Wednesday evening. We hosted The District Middle School Musical, which was High School Musical this year it ran from April 11th to the 16th and each cast performed three shows.
We are so proud of our Mock Trial Gold team, which ended its season as state champions. Congratulations also to our cheer team debutantes dance team and girls basketball team which all placed 6th at their state contests this year and the huge shout-out to our girls snowboarding team which won the Sato cup and first place at State several of our spring sports teams traveled to warmer drier locations over spring break and all teams are busy now with multiple games and needs every week.
Our Juniors just finished taking their smarter balanced English and math tests. Whoo, and all of our AP students are prepping for their tests. Which [00:03:00] start on May 6th West Linn High School leadership and ASB are preparing for our annual May Day celebration. The theme this year is Cirque du made a and all of the performers are refining their songs and dances.
The performances are on Friday. May 3rd and will be at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. In the West Linn High School main gym. Thank you so so much for having me.
Good evening to see all you guys again State districts for Golf and Tennis will be held during the first week of May. Unified Athletics or hosting activities for the spring for the spring such as bowling kickball many of our spring sports are coming to an end. Sadly AP testing will be next month.
Your book class had just finished a [00:04:00] 2018-2019 school yearbook and a lot of the seniors are starting to sink in that only graduating in a couple weeks just for the exciting choir and Orchestra both won League titles. And been qualified for state and then just last weekend we had our prom and I was an overall success and then our Spring Dance / talent show will be this Friday.
I see you all.
Thank you to our high school students and just a reminder that next month. I believe is your last month to report for us. And just be prepared for school board members to ask you what your plans are when school gets out and for us to have a special recognition as a thanks for your monthly contributions and all that you do in your school's so Ashley and Mark will see you back in a month and [00:05:00] recognize all that you've done this year reporting to the board.
at this time, we're going to move to recognitions and awards and this is. Public School volunteer appreciation week and if you recall last year we started a new tradition where we wanted to acknowledge a Community member who had made and continues to make an impact in not just one school of but across many schools.
On behalf of work they do and on behalf of students. So this year we are proud to recognize Miss Doris Whaler and if you would come to the podium along with Tim would lie. I believe he's coming forward and we're going to speak all about you and why we have selected you. For this volunteer appreciation award and is Whaler and I'm going to begin with Tim would lie to say a few words and then I'll turn it over to board member Chelsea Martin who serves with you on long range planning [00:06:00] committee to add a few words and other board members can chime in and I also have a few Ward at words we wrap up and then you may take the microphone if you wish because it is your evening.
Just adjustable. So.
Garces.  one of the district's great friends and has served our district in so many ways ways in which she was appointed and sort of faithfully, of course, but so many ways in the Wilsonville Community which of course has many impacts to the West Linn community. There are few in Wilsonville that don't know Doris city government has been moved.
I think because of you as well as our school district by itself. We know that you came first to hear to our district [00:07:00] in November of 2001. On the long range planning committee over that period of time I'll just have a few things. It's kind of a little walk down memory lane. There were I think different bonds that we move through at that time Wilsonville high school was one of the first ones that you were here with when we doubled the size of that building Wessel in high school.
We did that whole South End the new Performing Arts Theater. All that sort of stuff there. We added onto with Middle School boost very Primary School build a new library at Willamette. We did some purchasing of land which you had a hand in now known as the Frog Pond property, you know, eight we had another Bond, of course, we all remember Trillium Creek and Lowry primary were built then we renovated and rebuilt new libraries and all of our primary schools.
In a variety of other projects within [00:08:00] that bomb.  And then in 14 the most recent one the numerator and Creek Middle School, you had a lot of really good opinion and insight on that one replace Sunset Primary and you were one of those strong voices over many years that was promoting replacement of that school.
And of course, we've built on an added a music room. High School, I was close to you renovated the 700 building at West.  all kinds of other projects and then most recently you have been very involved in the update to our newest long-range plans that makes for long-range plans that Doris has been involved with in long range plan.
And regularly always has a pleasant attitude. And upbeat comments and of course the wisdom that comes with I'm [00:09:00] getting there with you so I could say that maybe the Doris has been such a pleasure for this District you and Walt both have had a presence here for so many years and you serve so Faithfully in your stewardship and your care and your concern for the patrons and the students within this District.
My personal honor and I know this districts honor to recognize you as our volunteer and we have a plaque that will be coming course. We have a really nice file photo of you up there and our congratulations. So thank you Doris and. We hope you continue with us. We really do. Thank you very much.
Thank
you Doris. They've given me the honor of saying a few words to kick us off here at the board. I imagine I [00:10:00] won't be the only board member who has something to say to you to thank you for your service. I do believe I've been giving the honor to speak first because I've sat in the long range planning committee with you.
I'm past couple years and had a chance to see your work and action and I know you to be someone who's thoughtful and considerate you listen and you offer input and those qualities combined have contributed greatly to the long range planning committee. I know also that you you know you serve. Kind of a role of a as a historian after so many years.
I do believe your husband's name is on a plaque and would Middle School that he wants set up here and served on the school board as well. So I know that you've been you and your family have been dedicated to our community for many years. And I also know you as someone who stays current and involved in many aspects of our community.
So I see you around and you're involved with [00:11:00] different associations and organizations other than just the school district and that tells me that you're someone who's informed and engaged and knowledgeable. So yeah your mark and the mark of your family is all over our community. So thank you for your dedication to making us what we are today.
If I may read just what the plaque says that with sincere thanks for your many years of service support and care for the students of the West Linn Wilsonville school district and your volunteer contributions to the community of Wilsonville. And I'm sure that will probably take a photo because that's what we do, but I'll stop talking and let my peers say something.
It Doris have had the pleasure of getting to know you. It was when I was long range. Liaison to long range planning committee the couple of years before Chelsea is taken on that role and I was immediately struck [00:12:00] by and it was that institutional historian the value you can bring by just knowing our school community in the growth over the years leading up to your service on that committee as well as just your ability to.
As we're trying to think forward being able to remind everyone how we got to where we are and the thought and planning over years of time to where we want to be and you've always brought value. I Tim said he bring a smile and. Relevant informed conscientious the additives could go on. But thank you so much for your service, and I appreciate getting to know you and call you my friends.
So, thank you.  I want to add that I. See Doris at every single basketball game that I'm at and I know she's at all [00:13:00] the others. I'm not at we see her at The Rotary meetings. I see her every time I go to City Council meetings, which I know that you're at all the ones I'm not at as well and it's it's your joy for volunteering that I really appreciate because you are so many.
Create so many bridges for the students in our district. And if it was just that you were rotary meetings or you're just on long-range planning. It wouldn't mean as much to me is that I see you enjoying the kids at the basketball games and it's the collective work that you do that makes you really an outstanding volunteer.
Thank you for
them.  Thank you so much for this award. I appreciate it. You know there are. Hundreds maybe thousands of Volunteers in this district and it's part of what makes it so remarkable and why people keep flooding into [00:14:00] our area and we have to build new schools all the time. So one thing I would ask of you is if you would please change your meeting, so it's not in the same night as the Wilsonville City Council.
Seriously, thank you so much.
Doris before you go and as folks start to arrange, I'm just going to say a few words of just to repeat what others have mentioned your 18 years on long range planning committee your participation active support through Rotary Club through the. Through your child's eyes project that I know is near and dear to your heart and such a Hallmark of the community.
I was at one of the rotary events where someone said they were talking about moving to the community and then they said something like and then I met with the unofficial mayor Doris Whaler and it really feels that way. You're [00:15:00] the heartbeat of Wilsonville in so many ways and we look to you in the stands at football games and basketball games and music concerts and you're there.
Because you love kids. You're cheering them on and you're supporting their families and many people don't even notice but you're there because of who you want to be for kids. And we appreciate you deeply thank you so much for all you do and we're going to take a picture with you. I had something as well as moving so quickly Doris.
I want to thank you. I mean, I've only been involved with the district closely for two years. So 18 years seems like a stunning number a couple things stand out. I remember you were some of the first meetings that I attended as a newborn. Burr and I remember you being so welcoming and making me feel very welcome in the meetings, and I appreciated that and I also appreciate that.
I appreciate short meetings and thoughtful comments. I always noticed that you don't speak a lot. But when you do speak it's usually something very thoughtful into the point that helps move the conversation forward. So I want to thank you for that. Thanks, and [00:16:00] I'll I'll bring it to a close by just thank you so much for your dedication and service to the.
[00:17:00] And we have another equally important recognition that student recognition. So I'm going to invite principled and Shoemaker forward and Dennis Burke our athletic director. I didn't know both of you wanted to come or just Dennis. Okay, Dan. Do you have my permission to back down if you'd like?
And Dennis is going to introduce a remarkable student athlete to us who's here in the audience and we'll have her come forward Kayla once you come on.
So I feel you know lucky to speak on behalf of many as Kayla comes up to share with the with the board and too many in the district that recently Kayla was [00:18:00] awarded with as you say that as you see on the screen the National High School Spirit of sport award. She represents Section 8 with the national Federation of high schools and Section 8 is Alaska, Wyoming.
Tana, Idaho, Washington, Nevada, I mean, Oregon so of all the states through the efforts of the Osa and our partnership with them Kayla is the winner. And if any of you has have watched what she has accomplished in four years of high school so far with cross-country the doors she's open not just for herself for others.
In swimming in the participation of the inclusion where they aren't just going to swim off to the side. They are part of the competition working on scoring points access to different events that of their choosing [00:19:00] and then probably more significantly in track. She's part of the team that inclusion and contributes points for the team based on her accomplishments in each of the company races that she's done her perseverance her attitude just it's warm and me it's just every when I first met her as a freshman again, she's made us better.
Helped us see things a little different from different angles and has touched many at in at all levels State included and you know, and I think we are both part of a district that allows that input and supports that. And with that, I mean on the screen you can see guess she's got many awards even outside of the school, but they want a short meeting so we don't want to cover all the so I'm with that.
I'll let get like maybe have a chance to say anything.
[00:20:00] Kayla how about we let some school board members will make comments, but then you could be thinking about this any during that time of this anything you would like to say. So we'll start with some school board members recognizing you for your award.  Okay, let I have grandkids at school and they participate in sports including cross-country and track and you are such an inspiration to us.
The participant the audience who watches you and to your teammates. So, thank you and congratulations.
I would just like to add that while you and I have not actually had the opportunity to meet. I know two of your friends both Ashland and Haley really well and by virtue of knowing them. I've heard so many wonderful and incredible things about you. So not only are you remarkable athlete but I also know you're an incredible friend and I have followed newspaper articles about you just you know that by [00:21:00] association and have been rooting for you for you from a distance, and I'm so happy that you've.
Receive this recognition and many of us who haven't had the pleasure of knowing you are so rooting for you and hoping you continue.
I've actually never met you but I think that I could make some conclusions about your character based on what I've heard about you and as an athlete myself, I recognized just the amount of dedication and perseverance and commitment that goes into I never received Awards like that. So I could only imagine, you know, the quality of focus and determination that you have and my wish for you is just that you carry that forward and all your endeavors in life on and off the field and in and out of the pool that they serve you well in the future in many ways.
Kayla could you share some of your [00:22:00] plans going forward after graduation. I know there was something mentioned on one of the last screens, but I don't know if everybody saw that could you talk about what you're planning for your future?  I am planning to be a special education teacher at an elementary school.
Hopefully either Oregon State or Clackamas Community College.
And I realize there's someone in the audience that you would like to introduce where you going to do that. Okay, because behind the scenes and prodding me along because I think she felt maybe I was a little too slow. But is Kayla's mom Brandy and so and Brandy's been involved?
And she deserves recognition. We've been in part of State inclusion committee [00:23:00] meetings and her Focus has been not just Kayla for others and so, you know those student athletes. So appreciate what all that you've done for us and for Kayla. And Kayla does race Wednesday. I told her for the 400 meters about 5:15 5:30, and then she's getting ready for District track soon after.
Kayla and your mom Brandi, why don't we go ahead and get a picture with the school board and recognizing. Oh you have more to say, okay. Sorry. Well, I yeah, I wanted to just reiterate what mr. Burke said about, you know when we try to get better and we always talked about trying to get better but that sort of within a box and it's really wonderful when you get a student-athlete a family that helps us think about things that are a little bit outside the box and I [00:24:00] want to compliment mr.
Burke and I know that Kayla and her mom would too because he really has been there with her all the way from before the ninth grade year started. Talking about what's possible and it made us think about what's possible and it not only has changed some things we do, but also what is done around the state so a big impact on lots of student athletes everywhere.
So thank you for that. And I just want to add my appreciation for Kayla and her leadership and also to thank Dennis and his leadership and Brandy when I first came to Western Wilsonville at one of my first conversations on the phone was with Brandi about accessibility of a door that really helped us move some things forward in our district and that has been absolutely critical moving forward.
Also I noticed snuck in the back is Chris Jones who will talk. That more on the next board meeting, but she's been a good partner in supporting Kalin this work the kale. I just want to also briefly highlight. [00:25:00] She's also you've also served on our inclusive schools leadership team. So Thinking Beyond Athletics and activities, what are the other ways that we're making sure our schools are inclusive and respectful and challenging and joyful for all our Learners.
She's brought lots to that conversation it she's a. Has the heart of an educator and I hope we are lucky enough to get an interview for her with her when she has her degree. So thank you so much for all of your work your leadership and Paving the way for other athletes.
[00:26:00] Thank you. Everyone that moves us to the board report and we'll start with [00:27:00] director Reynolds.
So I want my recognizing all of the district's amazing volunteers during volunteer recognition week particularly the tireless efforts of parents and families. I was. In the past. I was vice president of Oregon PTA and I know how committed parents are to students and to schools and the countless hours that they invest in the success of students and our schools.
So my activities within the district provided great opportunities to see our students shine including 50 West Linn Wilsonville students at the annual skills competition at Clackamas Community College that included. It wasn't until high school art teacher is Christopher. She told heart and Anjanette Escobar and she's pictured there are pictured along with students in the slide.
I participated in the interact club and rotary events, which included West Linn High School exchange student Nick [00:28:00] Chou. He's a great Ambassador Ambassador, and he's very committed to. This is my third year judging the district science fair, and I was again absolutely Amazed by the professionalism and the excellent of the students work and also of the commitment of our Educators to teaching quality scientific method.
I enjoyed great sports events and appreciate the wide range of athletic opportunities for so many students that this District offers and I greatly appreciated the district's hosting the region wide track meet. I think we've done it before and I think we do a great a good job of it. I also participated in the district's budget listening session.
And it was an honor to moderate and an event by the West Linn Alliance for inclusive community which featured Senator Rob Wagner about legislation for him for which he's the chief sponsor and it will affect our students at includes [00:29:00] Suicide Prevention planning and genocide Holocaust curriculum.
There's been significant momentum and Salem regarding budgets and revenue reform and I was invited by Clackamas Community College in Oregon Community College's Association to testify before the joint committee on Student Success and and Anjanette Escobar is also at the table in the slide. I testified twice before Ways and Means and an education where on table and other events.
I've participated in multiple town halls with legislators and. Is to say this may be the best opportunity I've mentioned it before but I think it's the best opportunity in decades to form meaningful Revenue reform and adequate and stable funding for students. So I would encourage brought my fellow board members to sign on to Grassroots campaigns for Education funding by visiting the websites on the slide my future [00:30:00] Oregon.com and oregonians for Student Success.com and fine.
Spent about a week in Philadelphia with National School boards Association. First is a member of n sba's policies and resolutions committee where we made did some good work. I think on sba's equity and education policy and that was followed by the nsba convention which featured excellent presenters and workshops.
We and we also had great representation by the Oregon school boards of men of color caucus. So I'm happy to share information about speakers about the workshops if any of you are interested. Thank you.
It's been a while since we met some kind of covering two months worth of activities, but I. Attended the incoming night for parents of new freshman since I will have one of those next year at West Linn High School. [00:31:00] I've attended Choir concerts both at high schools and middle schools and Primary School's spring conferences for both my primary aged and middle schooler.
I attended their conferences and. Listen to them share about their learning in the classroom. I had the opportunity to take a learning walk with nutrition services with dr. Ludwig and Lindsey Flores of the Nutrition department and we to word Cedar Oak Trillium and West Linn High School, and it was.
Again, an outstanding learning opportunity for me Lindsey is incredible and just a lot of excitement and passion for her job which. If it wasn't already there, it definitely has rubbed off on the people she works with because every kitchen we walked into the staff was just so warm and welcoming and I can only imagine how they are when they're working with our students.
I learned about just flow of traffic [00:32:00] and how it is assisting nutrition so that we can get kids through and putting in their ID numbers on their lunch Cards into systems and how menus are being revised. To account for a variety of one student input on what they do and don't like as well as trying to be conscientious of potential food allergies.
So you're not maybe exposing children to something that could make them sick and just a variety of things along those lines as well as the dietary effort dietary. Meeting the dietary guidelines of the USDA for children and ensuring that they're being receiving the proper nutrition and then also having just like a discussion about look mutely utilizing locally-sourced goods.
And how did Morgan also has a grant to the extent that locally sourced goods are a little more expensive than other Goods than it helps up to sad eyes that cost difference and how our [00:33:00] district is taking advantage of it. So it was fantastic learning. Opportunity is walked away feeling so good and it was a department.
I knew very little about so it was thank you for inviting me. I attended and helped out with the Middle School Musical and I have to give an enormous shout out to Julie Lane and Kaylee Porter. Julie Lane was the director and Kaylee Porter was a musical director and our Middle School Musical involves kids from all four Middle School's and there's roughly 60 kids into Cash.
And I was exhausted going every other night and then I realized that both Julie and Kaylee are going every night and sometimes twice during the day and I had to get over myself because they they certainly dedicated and it's a outstanding program involving so many students and they get to meet their peers across the district and they put forth a [00:34:00] outstanding.
Performance of which I think many high schools across the state can't even rival at our middle schoolers were doing so it was outstanding. I have attended track meets so long sambal competition where we had band Orchestra and choir is participating. I also got the opportunity with ginger. To join in the evening where we celebration of excellence in teaching where we welcomed all of our wonderful new teachers who have attained contract status.
I did watch Doctor Ludwig's YouTube budget video. I like that I learned from it. It was a great lead-in to the discussion. We're going to later tonight. So thank you for doing that and I'm certain Andrew is also right there alongside putting that together and I thought that was. Fantastic, we did further reach our community.
And then I've also been emailing or state representatives advocating for additional resource allocation to education [00:35:00] and especially our K-12
schools.  Hello, everyone. I'd say a couple of my highlights from the past few weeks or a couple months have been attending the track events. It's really nice that this is one of the first opportunities for our kiddos to do basically a school-sponsored event where they take buses and get their jerseys and they're there with their peers.
I know would middle school has over a hundred students who signed up for track which makes for semi chaotic. Like meat and but it's cooled off by volunteers and very exciting stuff. I also enjoyed the Wood Middle School come have lunch with your student event. I thought it was a nice way to get parents into the schools.
A lot of times. We spend quite a bit of time there in [00:36:00] primary school, but when they get up to middle school and high school, it's harder to have those opportunities. So that was a gift. And mostly what I've been doing is a lot of talking with constituents. I am running a campaign to keep my seat on school board.
And so what that means is I spend hours every day talking with my community. So spending time talking with parents and neighborhood organizations and associations and Community organizations and on the doorsteps and on the phones, and so that's just given me a chance to talk about a lot of the issues that we're facing.
And listen to our community talk about our schools and what our schools mean to them what they want from our schools what they're getting from our schools. And so that has been really a nice gift of running a campaign. So that's my update.
So this is baseball season. So it's my busy time of year. I'm coaching a team of first graders at [00:37:00] Cedar Road primary, but I still had a lot of time for school activities will cover some of the high points. I got this watch the oh Bob organ battle the books at moment primary and watch a third and fourth and fifth graders compete their last day of the program for showing what they've learned through their reading of books.
It was pretty impressive when two women primaries rhythms program. This was my fourth year attending it but its 28th Annual rhythms program, which is K through 5 to a series of classroom day our class dances as a group also. Just great to see everybody out there. Miss Oliver has a great job putting that program together on April 6.
I got to attend the Willamette auction at the Oregon Country Club, which is a great night raising money for a local school. And the highlight of that night was the funding of the Marc Silverman memorial memorial fund knowing that his memory and Legacy is going to live on a lament for hopefully a very long time.
As the vice chair of the school board, we completed our second round of the [00:38:00] superintendent evaluation process. This required collecting data from my fellow board members, which each of them shared we're looking for things that dr. Ludwig that we thought she was doing very well things that could be improved upon my job as a vice chair was to put that information together in a one voice.
I met with dr. Ludwig and we had a very productive meeting and my takeaway from that meeting is is as I've always felt about doctor whether we're very fortunate to have her leading our district. She is committed to me as good as she's at her job. She's always committed to finding ways of. Of doing it better and that's so she brings to the job a lot of humility.
So whenever there's any feedback, she always wants to know how she can address, you know that feedback. So and so the next step in this process is next month will be getting the third round of the evaluation process and then in June the board will meet with her in executive session to discuss the evaluation then we'll be presenting final report at the June board June regular board meeting.
As you may have seen [00:39:00] from the last work session. I've been working to craft board policies around the public comment process putting systems in place that ensures the board remains responsive to the public and that the public feels heard and appreciated when they take the time to communicate with us the last black last work session.
I thought that we had a very productive meeting and we kind of got to show off just how well we work together. So that was great and the input from the boredom which is very. Very good, and so the next session beginning of May. I hope to bring to the board of final will close to a final product that they can make final changes to and hopefully pass and have a system in place that the public can know exactly what to expect expect when they come and meet with us.
So it was just some of the highlights of my last few weeks. Thanks.
Thank you board.
Went to the Excellence and teaching we're not only teachers but also those [00:40:00] Educators who are in student services as well or recognized who are moving to really a deeper level of commitment with the district and it one of the one of the teachers who had taught somewhere else for 10 years or to other places for ten years before coming to our district said I found my home here and that was.
A sentiment that you could feel in the room from those teachers and it's just a pleasure to be in a district where we can get highly experienced quality Educators who want to stay with us and thank you for your leadership, dr. Ludwig and those hires because all of them have occurred within your tenure.
In addition, I've had some conversations with music and arts Partners just anticipating upcoming needs and thinking about [00:41:00] how the district is doing in our different music programs and arts programs also have been contacting state representatives to encourage funding. And then with director hives he's also additionally been very busy.
Just doing board leadership work in preparing for several of our recent meetings and clean tonight's I want to recognize two staff members at Trillium Creek Primary School. Jocelyn Johnson is a second grade teacher. She goes above and beyond to ensure her classroom is safe and inclusive of all Learners.
She creates a classroom atmosphere that's filled with compassion patience and persistence. She is constant in every one of her students lives for the past two years and has rarely missed a day of school. We're very pleased that she is an educator in our district. And want to recognize her work Norma Taurus is the [00:42:00] fifth grade dual language teacher.
They're one of the most dedicated instructors that her principal has ever known she is able to reach and Inspire each of her students. She plans thoughtful engaging lessons a bill student competence and confidence in themselves as Learners likewise were very pleased. She's a part of our district and.
Want to recognize our good work?
Okay. Thank you my power point up here.  What happens to be Earth Day? And so it's a it's a great day to recognize that. A couple weekends ago. We had a wonderful Spring Festival at Crest and I want to recognize hellena a me and Becky for their work and putting that together organizing all the students.
Who showed up and communicated about the environment and about the work of Crest and the [00:43:00] bee club and the plants and all of the happenings of that location and making it a great day for kids. I think there were some bunny rabbits there. I can't remember but but it was a great day for everyone even though the weather was a little Fork.
Overcrowded over cloudy everyone came and it was a great event. So I want to thank that group for wonderful Crest Festival.  Some of you have mentioned the highlights that I'm going to recognize this month certainly the middle school science fair and. Director military you mentioned conferences which take a great amount of work and preparation on the part of our teachers and staff as well as family setting aside time and supporting their students in those conversations.
So I want to recognize all those who made conferences such a success this year. And then of course our Middle School Musical with Julie Lane, Kaylee Porter and Georgia moogly who was in the orchestra [00:44:00] with each of those performances over a hundred and twenty students and it really is remarkable. So thank you for recognizing that event and thank you to board members who were able to attend.
It was a wonderful wonderful musical. I do want to mention our robotics teams, they start out early but the tournaments just keep lasting on and on and if you follow the group, You see them going from local tournaments to the regional ones. Both of our high schools were in the Pacific Northwest tournaments and are Wilsonville team.
Did they ranked second in that championship and were eligible than to travel to Houston Texas, which they were at last week and competed at Worlds and made it all the way to the quarter finals winning the autonomous award sponsored by Ford, which is a very prestigious award for their work there. So just want to recognize our robotics teams that it's just a long process from.
Planning and [00:45:00] designing and then competing the fact that the only just wrapped up last week just shows them their dedication and persistence. So we want to recognize them along with athletes who you've mentioned that you've been watching across country and the many Choir concerts the nutrition services learning walk that.
Director Molitor and I were able to take was really insightful and I just asked that question, you know how to healthy meals and positive School community and caring adults impact learning. Well, they impacted a lot for reasons around nutrition, but also around the climate that's created in those Spaces by the adults who?
Move so graciously and professionally and no children's names and so many of them become key people in the lives of a number of our students and I just had to slip in that picture of that pizza because they do say that, you know a school lunch by the quality of its pizza and ours is outstanding and I show that to my kids who don't attend this school [00:46:00] district and they couldn't believe it wanted to.
Transfer here because of the pizza. So but it's just an example of just the many creative ways that we use local products and the encouragement of our staff to also think of themselves as chefs and think of themselves as designers of really good wholesome meals for our kids and they take their job seriously and really proud of their work and thank you for joining me in that learning walk and we'll include others of you in the years to come with that.
We mentioned at the board work session as we are thinking about data a couple weeks ago that we've had education Northwest we've contracted with them to help us think about our our data in our district and look at indicators and influencers that help us with student learning. So just wanted to share that following that leadership Forum.
They did come back the representatives from Ed Northwest and then met with all of our principals at levels meetings to look at specific School data. And helping [00:47:00] principles and think about their school data and how they might look at that in a way that gives them a lens on again indicators for Student Success.
Continuing to think about safe and welcoming schools. We're always thinking about students safety members of our district safety leadership team attended a pay sponsored reunification training again thinking about our safety protocols and how we reunify students in the event of something happening where we have to.
Close the building and move students and how we would do that safely. That's the picture on the left with actually the gentleman. John-michael Keyes who founded the I love you guys organization LED that training and then on the right you see a picture of our last quarterly joint Wesson, Wilsonville First Responders breakfast safety meeting lasts about an hour and a half and our topic that morning was again more in-depth work and practice around the unification.
And we look at our protocols as well as work through a simulation [00:48:00] if an event occurred, how do we move safely through that process in terms of communicating the families moving students reunifying students with their parents and there is a really helpful video that's linked on our website that families can watch that describes that process as well.
So it was a very good safety meeting for all of us involved the picture there is of. Terry Briggs crisp and speaking a little bit about what had happened at Rosemont with the gas leak and the need to do and evacuation and private lessons learned from that. So how we incorporated that into the learning as well.
Are ESD for two years now has been running a series of equity seminars. Where were able to take teachers and principals to the various Seminars the most recent one was can just Watson who came up from California and spoke on again around race and equity. So it was a great learning seminar for our teachers and administrators who were able to be there [00:49:00] in years past.
They've allowed us to bring as many folks as we could they were anticipating tight, you know heavy turnout and so we could only bring about 15 people which we did but I was able to sit in on most of the keynote and it was just a very motivating and. Intellectually stimulating conversation and keynote from mr.
Watson and I have a gift for each of you want to take one. This is not his book. But as a leadership Forum, we are committing to increasing our own learning around race and understanding racial constructs and intersectionality and how race and other issues play a part in. Opportunities for kids and families and learning.
So we're committing to reading a series of different texts. And from that we'll have a book groups. And this is one of the texts that's out there today. It's pretty recent and is a [00:50:00] nice kind of overview as well as current information about. How to talk about race it's often in that is spoken about and sometimes an uncomfortable topic even for educators and so this is our commitment to continuing to learn and grow in this area.
One of the most one of the more recent conferences that again a number of our Educators went to this year is the all born in conference and I would encourage perhaps next year having a board member or two at the conference. It's one of those unique conferences where students parents Educators and Community Partners who are in advocacy around inclusive practices all come to that same conference and actually sit in Workshop sessions together.
Interacting with the topic with the speakers with the workshop learning that's going on the keynote speaker. This time was Ladera corn who was incredible as a poet, but also more importantly has a disability Advocate [00:51:00] and was really inspirational the day before that Saturday conference and number of us intended a special session called think college.
We're really pushing towards when our students graduate from high school and particularly students who might be more impacted with an intellectual disability. How do they really see themselves moving into college into career and into college as their next place and opening up those opportunities and partnering with universities like Portland State and our local Community College CCC to think about expanding those opportunities.
So that was a great day long session the day before that a number of us went. And then of course the conference on Saturday, we are one of the co-sponsors of that conference and our district was mentioned and highlighted as an important partner in this work. So thank you for supporting that work is a board and lastly several of you have mentioned the evening where we celebrated our teachers.
[00:52:00] And I just want to recognize again all the hard work and attention they give and especially in those first few years as their acclimating to our district and getting to know our community and our students are working extra hard and they're a delightful group and and Incredibly talented and so committed to the work going above and beyond.
So thank you chair pitch for being there to give the opening message and director Molitor was also there to hand out flowers and recognitions and want to thank our. Principles for speaking so beautifully about and a also after Spencer Iams for speaking so beautifully about our teachers in our staff that concludes my report.
Thank you. Oh, I do want to recognize Kathy Monroe Casey Maria and Shila for putting on that event. It was spectacular. Thank you.