May 6 Meeting Highlights

 

Action Item - Approval of the Agenda

The motion carried (7-0).

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Action Item - Approval of Consent Agenda

The motion carried (7-0).

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Listening Session Report
Board member Larsen stated that no one attended the Listening Session.

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Recognitions
Superintendent Olson-Skog introduced Garlough teacher and ZooMs coach Kris Goldade. Three Garlough fourth graders participated in this year's Minnesota Zoo’s ZooMs STEM Design Challenge—and finished in second place out of 1,516 teams across the state. In this challenge, students develop solutions to real challenges at the zoo, from exhibit design to animal enrichment. The students came up with a plan to redesign the bison and prairie dog habitats and impressed judges with their research, scientific observation, creative problem-solving, engineering, and presentation. Two Rivers High School Principal Al Johnson introduced students Jae Nguyen, Autumn Her, Anthony Rocha and Windy Xiong who are representing the new Two Rivers Asian & Pacific Islander Club. This year alone, students have started 16 new clubs, and the Asian & Pacific Islander Club is one of them.  Andrea Saenz, ESL Coordinator, and Miles Lawson, Secondary Curriculum and Gifted and Talented Coordinator, introduced several Two Rivers students who recently passed the state-recognized bilingual and multilingual seals test. More than 40 students in grades 11 through 12 demonstrated language proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Amharic, French, German, Russian, Slovak, Somali, and Spanish. The Bilingual and Multilingual Seals were created as an official recognition by the state of Minnesota for proficiency in a language in addition to English.

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Student Representative’s Report
Student Representatives LaRae Dodson and Samantha Villa stated that there are many events going on in the schools during the month of May. Garlough will host Pie Night, Culver’s Night, a book fair, musical, Environmental Explorer night and a plant sale. Pilot Knob will host a cultural fair.  Somerset held their annual Project Fair and are currently raising funds for their new fully accessible and inclusive playground.  Moreland is working on their own Moreland Made Mural that will be installed later this month. Mendota will be installing the Mary Jo Skemp pergola with donations received from the community as well as the Education Foundation. At the middle schools, concerts will be taking place and Heritage will host an 8th grade formal. At the high school, graduation is on June 2. Seniors participated in National College and Career Decision Day.  Two Rivers Dollars for Scholars is hosting its annual award ceremony on May 22. Prom was held last weekend. The Two Rivers ALMAS group hosted a multicultural dance last weekend. Multiple groups performed including ALMAS, the Two Rivers APIC, and The Two Rivers cheer squad. The Heritage Middle School Mariachi also performed. The district orchestra festival will take place on May 13, a band concert on May 16 and a choir concert on May 20.  Spring sports continue.  This week is teacher appreciation week.  A big thank you to teachers for all of their hard work and investment in students. AP testing will take place May 6-17.  Both LaRae and Sam thanked the School Board for the opportunity to serve on the school board this year.

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Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Olson-Skog stated that Two Rivers High School has again secured a spot on this year's U.S. News & World Report's Best High Schools list. Of 896 high schools in Minnesota, Two Rivers has ranked in the top 5 percent based on test scores, access to and participation in college-level learning, and more. This year's ranking is an improvement from last year's top 10 percent spot.  Nearly 60 employers joined the Two Rivers High School Senior Career Fair, offering a diverse range of industries for students to explore. Students had the opportunity to interact with the employers and learn about full-time employment options, on-the-job training programs, and the benefits of each opportunity. The elementary schools are hosting showcase events, where each school hosts an event that celebrates their students’ work. Moreland hosted Moreland Made, their annual showcase event, and this year’s event was extra special as they also hosted a community mural painting party for their mural set to be installed later this month. This week is teacher appreciation week and the district thanks the teachers for going above and beyond every day to keep students learning and engaged.  Student School Board representatives, LaRae Dodson and Samantha Villa, were recognized for their work on the board this past school year and they were wished well in their future endeavors.

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Equity Advisory Committee Update
Peter Mau, Assistant Superintendent, and Kevin Sheridan, Educational Equity Coordinator, presented an update on the Equity Advisory Committee.  The role of this committee is to advise district administration on matters related to the equity focus area of the Strategic Framework.  Membership has increased in size and representation and includes staff, students, families, and a representative from the School Board. The committee has continued to build community with various activities. Increased updates have been provided to the committee about targets and other initiatives such as AMAZEworks, Parent Academy, Day of Silence, Youth Land acknowledgement, and Native storytelling events. The committee has developed and piloted a diversity, equity and inclusion tool and developed and implemented a staff equity survey.  The last meeting of the year will be held in mid May and members will share their recommendations that will help support the work on the committee for SY24-25.

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Strategic Framework Equity Implementation Target Update
Peter Mau, Assistant Superintendent, and Kevin Sheridan, Educational Equity Coordinator, presented an update on the Strategic Framework equity implementation target “build equitable systems and support throughout the district”.  Membership includes students, staff, and families.  The seven equity commitments include:

• Diverse classrooms and schools – commit to promoting equity in educational programs and extracurricular activities that reflects the diversity of the schools.
• Staff quality and diversity – recruit, hire and retain a diverse workforce that reflects the demographics of the student population.

• Resource allocation – prioritize the allocation of resources in a way that ensures all students, especially historically marginalized students, have the access and opportunities necessary to succeed.

• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment – prioritize culturally relevant curriculum, equitable rubrics and inclusive instructional practices.

• Schools and Classrooms – commit to inclusive and responsive community building, and foster diverse physical spaces, rituals and routines.

• Student Leadership and Voice – seek to gather and understand student perspectives.

• Family and community partnerships – build cultural bridges between the school district and the diverse communities.

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Wellness Committee Update
Mark Fortman, Director of Operations, Meghan Bernard, Sustainability Manager, Stacie O’Leary, Nurse Supervisor, and Jeff Wolfer, Child Nutrition Manager, presented an update on the Wellness Committee. The committee strives to support student and staff health, nutrition, and physical activity district-wide.  New legislation this year provides one free breakfast and one free lunch to all students.  This prompted an increase in breakfast by 38% and an increase in lunch by 20%.  Recent initiatives, funded by a Dakota County grant, provided a water bottle filler, lactation room, and exercise/outdoor equipment.  District wide, single use plastics have been eliminated. School highlights include:

• Branch Out has been hosting Wellness Wednesdays
• Somerset created a hand washing campaign
• The Early Learning Center has focused on dental health.
• Pilot Knob and Moreland hosted whole school walk and bike to school days
• Garlough, Pilot Knob and Friendly Hills participated in wellness activities including yoga, aerobics and a sleep challenge

 

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LiveGreen Sustainability Program Update
Mark Fortman, Director of Operations, and Meghan Bernard, Sustainability Manager, presented an update on the LiveGreen Sustainability Program.  LiveGreen is the district's sustainability program that promotes energy saving, recycling, and other green initiatives throughout the district. Each school in the district has a LiveGreen team that consists of students and a teacher. These teams help implement low-cost or no-cost energy efficiency strategies to reduce energy, promote recycling and composting, and focus on conserving resources. Through sustainability efforts, the district has avoided more than $1.9 million in utility costs since 2003. With the work of the LiveGreen program, every school in School District 197 has earned "Energy Star" ratings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.  Sustainability awareness campaigns and events happen throughout the school year. These events are supported by the district sustainability manager along with the schools' LiveGreen leaders and teams.

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Adjournment

The motion carried (7-0).