Medford School Committee December 19, 2016 meeting

AI-generated transcript — the recording is the record.

[Ann Marie Cugno]: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: At this time, we'd like to introduce the Metropolitan City Fine Arts Department holiday music presentation under Mr. Signey. Thank you.

[Tony Szykniej]: I'd like to do a piece from the concert I just finished a couple of weeks ago, a winter concert, a piece by George Richard Handel, which is appropriate for the season.

[Unidentified]: Yeah.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you very much, Mr. Cigney. As usual, we are always pleased this time of year to have our orchestra come play for us. It's an honor for us to be here to listen to you tonight.

[Tony Szykniej]: It's an honor, Professor. We enjoy this and we're pleased to be here both for you.

[Paulette Van der Kloot]: Thank you. Ms. Vandekloot. Mr. Zigney, I waited all day today knowing that the students were gonna be here, anticipating, knowing what joy you would bring us. And it was joy over the last two weeks. I managed to attend every concert this winter season, and it was just thrilling, whether it's a group of 12, or I don't know, 14 students you have tonight, or 125 or 30, I don't know, there's so many on the stage. It's amazing that you managed to do it. And Miss Chang as well, wonderful concert, the choir concert was great. They were absolutely fabulous and we're really proud of our students and thank you very much Mr. Zigny for bringing them to us tonight and always.

[Erin DiBenedetto]: Mr. Benedetto. Thank you. I also want to thank the parents for coming out to so many events throughout the community because I've seen them playing up at the high school for open house nights and a lot of different functions and every time I walk in it makes my night. It just starts it with such joy and These children have great talent, and I appreciate your dedication as well. Merry Christmas.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Happy holidays to all of you. Approval of the minutes of the December 5th. Motion for approval by Mr. Skerry. Madam Mayor. There's a question by Mr. Benedetto.

[Erin DiBenedetto]: Thank you so much. So in the minutes, there was a motion made. To add, have a note, sorry. So we made a request to add a protocol that Mr. Belson was gonna check into and get back to us on Ms. Stone's concern about things that happen outside of school time and teachers hear about it. So could we just add that to the agenda list of things to be done? That's all.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: So it's like a policy.

[Erin DiBenedetto]: It was a policy. The superintendent was to draft a policy about outside of school issues and a protocol so that way everybody at every school follows the same protocol. So if we could add that to the drop-down list so that way we keep track of that.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: On the motion to add that to our report list, do. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Thank you. And is there a second on the minutes? Seconded by Ms. Van der Kloot. Roll call, Mr. Secretary. Yes Yes, I'm in the affirmative zero on the negative motion passes approval of bills transfer of funds Madam Mayor Mr. Benedetto, I had a question when reviewing the bills.

[Erin DiBenedetto]: I don't know if Chris Kristen had a moment there was just a On page three of nine, there was an individual that received two checks. One was for $1,000 and one for $800. And I was just wondering what that service was for. It just seemed like a lot that we don't usually see. So the name of the person is Valerie DeGeorge. One check on page three, probably the sixth one up from the bottom. And then on

Page six of nine, probably 10 up from the bottom. Two, four, six, eight, oh, 11. Yeah, pretty close. So I just didn't know what those services were and if they were ongoing. Sometimes I just like to ask questions so I know what's going on. I don't know, the superintendent might recall as well.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Would you like to review them, or do you have an answer for tonight?

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_22]: I would like to review them. I don't know the extent of the specific service, so I would need to look at each specific invoice.

[Erin DiBenedetto]: That's OK. I'm putting you on the spot. I know that. I did have one other question on page three, halfway up the sheet. It was other supplies for $250 for Richard Chaney. I'm sure it was just supplies that he was getting reimbursed for, but when I see that, it's just not a lot of explanation. So I'd like to know what we're writing our bills for. and there's no rush getting back to me.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: On the motion that those three items be investigated by Christine. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. Thank you. And is there a second on approval of bills transfer funds? Seconded by Ms. DiBenedetto. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Approval of payrolls. Motion for approval. Seconded by Ms. Van der Kloot. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion carries. Report of secretary.

[Kathy Kreatz]: Ms. Kreatz. Yes. Okay. Um, yep. So I got another update this, this actually this morning, late this morning, um, regarding the crossing light at Fulton street and the Fellsway. And, um, I have the update. I'm going to read it to you right now. So the Fulton street crossing time has been changed. It's been changed for about two weeks now. So the walk sign will go for up to 24 seconds. Then it will flash walk for 13 seconds, and it will count down, and you have exactly 13 seconds to finish walking across. With the three second do not walk, so that the lights will then signal to change, and then the cars will begin going. The traffic engineer department is also looking into adding a second crossing in the intersection on the other side would likely make the intersection safer and work more smoothly as it would require less pushing of the pedestrian walk buttons to get from one side of the Fulton to the diagonal side across. However, it's likely that this will need to be reexamined in the spring due to the weather conditions that are coming with the winter coming. And it's difficult to paint lines and do any repaving in the winter. So it's something that they're going to revisit again in the February. I did test out the crossing light today with Noah three times, and you have 36 seconds, and you can get across all lanes, and you don't have to run. You can simply walk across all lanes. The traffic is stopped everywhere. It's great. It's amazing. It was really impressive, so I wanted to share that update with everybody. Very good, Ms. Kreatz. Thank you. Thank you.

[Robert Skerry]: Mr. Skerry? Mr. Johnson, no.

[Kathy Kreatz]: Yep.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: That's I can, I can forward you the email. Okay. Yeah. No problem. Okay. Very good. On the motion that report be accepted. All those in favor. All those opposed. What is accepted? Report of committees, community participation. None. Report of Superintendent. A recommendation to accept gift from Edward Clark to honor the memory of former Director of English, Leah R. Kaleri-Clark. Mr. Superintendent.

[Roy Belson]: Madam Mayor and members of the committee, it's our distinct privilege and honor this evening to have with us Medford resident Professor Emeritus at Suffolk University, Edward Clark, who is the husband of the late Director of our English Department, Leah R. Kaleri-Clark. did an outstanding job during her time as the leader of that department and as an inspiration to our faculty and to our teachers and to our students. Professor Clark is here this evening with his attorney, Paul Kelly. And they are going to make a presentation and ask the committee to accept a gift in honor and memory of Leah in the amount of $25,000 to serve as a scholarship. So I'd like at this time to call upon Attorney Kelly and Professor Clark to join us at the rostrum here to make any statements they would like to make.

While they're coming up, I'd indicate that under the direction of our Director of Humanities, Dr. Nicole Chiesa, we have set up some criteria. You have it in front of you. I won't read it at this time. But she is also here. And we welcome any questions that you may have.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: We welcome you, Mr. Clark and Mr. Kelly.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_07]: Thank you both very much. I'm Paul Kelly. I'm a friend of Professor Clark. And I think he'd like to say a few words about his His wife, Leah R. Cleary Clark.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_01]: Leah was born and raised in Jamaica Point, the oldest of nine children. After high school, she joined the Order of the Sisters of Notre Dame. a teaching order. And over the years, she taught every grade from first grade through high school, specializing in English. In the course of those years, she took a bachelor's degree from a manual college and a master's in English from the School of English at Middlebury College. became head of the English department in the Medford schools.

She retired after 11 years and died of cancer at age 56. One of her favorite enterprises in the Medford schools was what she called Awards Night. It was a sort of gala occasion in its way in the auditorium at Medford High School in which she gave an award for excellence in English to a considerable number of students at Medford High School. It was held in the auditorium at the high school. She would be very happy to know that in a way that tradition is due to be carried on with this award in English studies that Mr. Belson and Nicole have so graciously agreed to support as it comes forward to the school committee.

Thank you for your attention, and I thank you for your interest.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you very much, Mr. Clark. Mr. Skerry.

[Robert Skerry]: Thank you, Mayor. Professor Clark, I would like to thank you on behalf of the citizens and the students of Medford for this great gift, and I would move that we accept it wholeheartedly. And on a personal note, I had the privilege and honor of working with later in my earlier teaching days at Medford High School. And she taught me a lot that I carried through life and carried on to my second livelihood as a investigator for the Commonwealth. And I'm very glad for the lessons that she taught me and I could pass those on to my students. And again, thank you very much for your generosity. Merry Christmas.

[Paulette Van der Kloot]: Ms. Van der Kloot. I too would like to just extend the thanks of this of myself and the school committee and also for all of those students in the future who are going to receive the generous scholarship because of your generosity tonight. So thank you very much. We really appreciate that you've come down and this was just before my time on the school committee but I know that Leia's reputation was someone I heard of and was very very well known and very well respected so thank you so much and thank you for reminding us tonight during this holiday season of the tremendous people we've had in our past. Thank you.

[Ann Marie Cugno]: Thank you. Of course, I want to say thank you for your generosity to Professor Clark, for hers. But more so is the passion that you and she had brought to our district, a passion that I know still exists. And I know that passion will be definitely at our award ceremony. And so I hope she will be looking down and her spirit will rekindle the generosity that you have brought tonight. So thank you very much.

[Kathy Kreatz]: Ms. Kreatz. Hi. I just want to thank you very much for this very generous donation. Thank you so much. The students will really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: There is a motion on the floor for approval by Mr. Skerry, seconded by Mr. Benedetto. Roll call vote, please.

[Robert Skerry]: Ms. Guino. Absolutely. Mr. Benedetto.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Yes, seven in the affirmative, zero in the negative. We proudly accept this gift. And awards night is a night that we all look forward to attending as well. It's a joyous night in our city and for our school department and school children. So we're very proud to be able to add this on. So thank you, Professor Clark.

[Roy Belson]: I just want to also comment that I had the pleasure of working with Leah for many years and, um, He was a very, very outstanding educator and a good kind person who really cared about our young people. But I also want to make note that attorney Kelly this evening is with us. He is the husband of the superintendent of the Arlington public schools and the former chairperson of the Winchester public schools. So it's a pleasure to have you here and give our best to Kathy because she's a terrific educator too. Thank you very much.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you. A recommendation to accept donation to Columbus Elementary School to honor the memory of Margaret Weigel. Mr. Superintendent.

[Roy Belson]: Madam Mayor, I call upon our assistant superintendent to join us and explain this gift.

[Diane Caldwell]: Good evening. So on behalf of Kathy Kay and the Columbus Elementary School, I would like to inform you that the co-workers of Margaret Weigel, who worked at Six Red Marbles, wanted to make a donation to the Columbus Elementary School in her memory. She recently lost her battle to cancer. She was very interested in the education of children, and together with her co-workers, decided to use the $2,000 memorial towards a donation to the Columbus School Library. The money will be given to the PTO who will work with Amanda Fowler, the Columbus School paraprofessional, to purchase new books. They will choose books which will further enrich the collection that they are currently growing. Each will be marked with a label to read in loving memory of Margaret Weigel, whose passion for learning knowledge and understanding live on. So I'd like for you to accept this donation to the Columbus Elementary School for $2,000 in Margaret Weigel's name.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you very much.

[Diane Caldwell]: Thank you.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: I had the privilege of knowing Margaret. I'd call her my friend, as I'm sure several of you as well would call her a friend. She was a friend to many. She took good care of the people in the city, and we miss her dearly. So on behalf, I know there's a motion for approval by Ms. Cuno. Is there a second on the floor by Ms. Van der Kloot? Roll call vote, Ms. Disceri. Ms.

[Robert Skerry]: Cuno. Yes, sir. Ms. Beto. Yes, and thank you. Ms. Stretz. Yes. Ms. Westone. Yes.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Yes, seven in the affirmative, zero in the negative, the motion passes. Thank you very, very much to the family of the Wiggles. Report on Columbus School Celebration of Cultures Night. Mr. Superintendent.

[Roy Belson]: Madam Mayor, a return performance by our assistant superintendent, because it's Columbus School Night and we're going to discover a lot of things. And so she'll present this report.

[Diane Caldwell]: So thank you very much. I'm very proud tonight to have our Columbus School family with us. At this time, I'd like Kathy Kay, the principal of the Columbus School, to come up with Kara. Kara, I'm trying to remember your last name, Rossi. And I want to thank the Columbus School family who are here tonight to celebrate as well. There are two reports that I'd like to tell you about tonight. The first one is that the Columbus Celebration of Cultures Night. As you know, if you go to the Columbus School, there are so many different cultures to celebrate. So on Thursday, November 17, they hosted their second annual Giving Thanks, a celebration of cultures night. All the Columbus School families were invited to share and celebrate the diverse backgrounds that make the Columbus School such a special place. Dinner was provided by local restaurants, and I was there, so I think I sampled every bit from the edible arrangements, Harrow's Chicken Pie, Razzo's Flatbread Company, Istanbulu, Oasis, May's Cafe, Bocelli's, LaCasha's, Salvatore's, Boston Chi, Party, and Kelly's Roast Beef. There were cultural performances by the children and families, including piano and gymnastics, martial arts, bilingual storytelling, and a rousing performance of the music of Mali by Balka. You're going to have to help me with this, Kathy.

and her family. Raffle prizes included an eight-week course from Dance Caliente, puzzles, books, and candy samples from all around the world. It was really an extraordinary night. The kids were all working at separate tables, doing arts and crafts, making flags, playing games with the teachers that were there. Would you like? Learning new languages. Please come up.

[Kathleen Kay]: And it wouldn't have happened without the wonderful PTO at the Columbus Elementary School, many of whom are here tonight. They worked tirelessly, you know, up until the time getting the vendors to support their goods for the evening and getting parents to be involved, canvassing the kids to do their events. One of our students played the piano. And some of the kids got up and did their martial arts, and they read bilingual books, like Mrs. Caldwell said. And it was just a fantastic night, and everyone really had a good time. So we're looking forward to number three, and please join us next year.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Excellent. Is there a motion to accept the report and place it on file by Mr. Benedetto, seconded by Ms. Van der Kloot. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. Report on Columbus School Little Free Library.

[Diane Caldwell]: So this was really a very fun experience as well. And I have to say that Kara Rossi was behind us two years ago. She came to me and she wanted to have this little free library, and we were working on a solution to try to figure out how to do it. So then along came Eric Handler, who is the husband of Shannon Handler, who is a special education teacher. at the Columbus Elementary School, and of course Mrs. Rossi with her fifth grade students as they work together on a project that will actually air on PBS in the near future. The project is called Little Free Library. Mr. Handler and his design squad kids, are they here tonight? Okay. Just your kids.

I worked with the Columbus School to install their handiwork. The full video production will be completed in about two months. The students had a great time and worked really well together. Mr. Hanlon was very impressed by the hard work of the children. So if anybody wants to know what is this little school library, You can go to the website or I can tell you that it is take a book, return a book, free book exchange. So they come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common version is a small wooden box of books. Anyone can take a book. So in the community, people can stop by and look. And if you turn to the page right, gave you a picture of Miss Rossi and her group of children, you can see there is a picture of the little school library. So at this time I'd like to call upon Miss Carol Rossi to tell you a little bit about it as well.

Miss Rossi. And the children.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_22]: school committee, thank you so much for putting us on the agenda tonight. We really appreciate it. Mayor and Mr. Bellson as well. So as Ms. Caldwell said, this has been kind of a two year project for me and Eric Handler kind of came along and Basically read my mind. Um, he provided the little free library. Um, it's, it looks like a large birdhouse, right? A freestanding birdhouse. Um, he supplied it with books to start. I am the library steward for that. So it is registered nationally. So I will be in charge of maintaining it and I'm kind of checking on it. Um, it will have both children's books as well as adult books. Um, there are two levels in the, um, the actual, uh, structure. Um, but I do have a student here who was there the day and he was in the filming of it, uh, two actually. Yeah, I have two of them. Um, it was a great experience for them. We have not seen the final production of it, and I believe it's going to be about seven minutes long. And I can't wait, because it was kind of filmed backwards, as editors and producers do. So it will be nice when we see it all put together. But I'd like them to come to the microphone and maybe give their experience on the day, which was about four hours long. It was windy and cold, yes. So Lindsay and Rafael, please come on up.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_10]: So I think the best part about that day was probably spending it with everybody and filming it. I just loved hanging out with everybody and yeah.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_11]: Maybe the best part of it was I never was in a I never got film before, so it was kind of new to me, but like fun new, not like scary. So it was kind of interesting to be in a film.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_22]: One of the funniest things about the end of that day was we picked four fifth grade students and they said, okay, is this going to be done tomorrow? We can watch it tomorrow. And Mr. Handler laughed. He's like, how about two months from now? So it wasn't instant. So thank you. It's a great option for the community to have right out in front of the Columbus. So I hope it gets great use. And in the springtime, I think it will be a very busy spot. If not, it already is. So thank you.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Well, thank you, Ms. Rossi. You're welcome.

[Diane Caldwell]: Lindsey and Raphael, great job, by the way.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Great job tonight.

[Diane Caldwell]: Yeah, they were terrific. So in this season of giving, this started the whole giving back process, which is something that we love to do in our buildings. And it's not just at the Columbus Schools. All of them are doing this. But this held a special place for me. So thank you so much, Columbus School.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Great job.

[Diane Caldwell]: We're just going to talk about another donation for the Home for Little Wanderers.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_22]: So earlier this year, I've been with Medford teaching for the past four years. We've always done some sort of community service. We've done treats for troops the past four years. This year we took on a new project and donated no-sew blankets, no-sew fleece blankets to the Home for Little Wanderers. My 5th grade students got together 6 mornings from 8 to 8.30 and they were like busy bees. They made over, they made 25 blankets that we donated to the children there. The home was so impressed that one of the gentlemen came in to thank them personally and played a

extra recess kickball game with them as well. So, but of the 70 fifth graders at the Columbus, about half of them showed up in the morning to help make these blankets. So they're, you know, children just want to give and they were very much involved. Very quickly, I'm just going to have each one of them say what they liked best about it. It's beautiful. That's just an example.

[Lydia Ryan]: What I like best about doing the project was actually making the breakers because it was really fun. Me and my friends got to do it together and I really enjoyed it a lot.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_10]: So as Fedora said, actually my favorite part of the no soap blankets was actually making them too. And I also liked knowing that they were going to a community that helps children like us.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_13]: That one's short. I liked the part where you could like, I liked making the blankets, but I liked that I could be with my friends and everything like that. Just, it was fun. I liked making the blankets and donating them to the kids and I was with my friends so I wasn't as nervous and I also liked that we were with our friends doing it.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_00]: My favorite part was being with my friends in the morning and being and making the blankets because they were soft and fluffy.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_11]: Probably making the best part probably the best part of making the blankets is that it helps others that need it. So it's basically helping others. That's what it's all about.

[CCxFra_yHK8_SPEAKER_22]: Thank you so much.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you very much, Ms. Rossi. Thank you. Is there a motion to receive and place Columbus School Little Free Library report on file, please? On the motion, Mr. Skerry, seconded by Ms. Vandeclute. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. Ms. Vandekloot, did you wish to speak on that?

[Paulette Van der Kloot]: No, I just wanted to thank the parents for coming down and bringing the kids tonight. My favorite part was hearing the kids tell us about their projects. Obviously, there's a whole lot going on at the Columbus School, and it's really great. I'm very familiar with the Little Free Libraries. I first ran across them in a Chicago neighborhood when I was visiting, and so I'm so proud that we have one now right outside the Columbus School. Thank you very much.

[Ann Marie Cugno]: Ms. Cuno. I just want to say thank you. Thank you to the teachers involved, the parents, the students. I know we sit here throughout the year and we're talking about budgets and how to get more money. But tonight really does prove, not that we're not trying to get any more money, but it does prove the fact that we can be so successful in really thinking outside of the box. and making something passionate, making it your own, and being extremely successful at it. And what the children have done and the reputation that they've already built for themselves is just, there's not enough money to thank you for that. So I just want to say thank you.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Report on Global Scholars Program at Museum of Science. Mr. Superintendent.

[Roy Belson]: Madam Mayor, members of the committee, this was an outstanding activity, and I'm going to call upon our Curriculum Director, Dr. Bernadette Riccadeli, to brief you on the exciting day that our young people had at the Science Museum, along with Dr. Piazza.

[Bernadette Ricciardelli]: Good evening, Madam Mayor, Superintendent Belson, and members of the Medford School Committee. So Dr. Nicole Chiesa is here with me tonight. I wrote the report, but Dr. Chiesa works, as I do, with the teachers on bringing this wonderful program to Medford. So this is a great night. We've talked a lot about the community partnerships, the local partnerships, past relationships we're building on with Ms. Galeri Clark. And tonight we're here to talk about a partnership that we have with a national, actually international organization, Global Scholars, which many of you are familiar with because we've presented about this on this program, uh, in the past. So specifically, I'm here to talk about a field trip that Global Scholars provided to all of our grade seven students last Wednesday to the Museum of Science. It was a wonderful. experience for our students, and you can see in the report that it was directly tied to the curriculum that the students are studying in the program.

So the visit focused on preparing students for unit three of that Digital City's Connect curriculum, entitled How We Make Things. So the theme was innovation. Students viewed exhibits, Da Vinci the Genius, to learn about historic inventions. Innovated engineers and design challenges to discover the engineering design process and how it is used to create innovative products. and the Charles River exhibit in the Yawkey Gallery to see how engineering solutions are being used locally to manage and protect the river. The guiding theme of this visit was on how products are created to solve real world problems. So there's the connection to that grade seven program.

Um, when we first started this program three, actually two years ago, we're in our third year of the program. We were the only school in Massachusetts to be participating in it. Um, we helped global scholars reach out, reach out, and they are now involved with some schools in Boston, the Everett public schools, and I believe it's one school in Chelsea. So on this field trip, there were a thousand students. It was an immense undertaking by the organizers of this program. Uh, and I thought it was well organized attached to the report. You can see the schedule. So they saw four different exhibits. Uh, the global scholars provided lunch and then the day ended with a, with a picture. Uh, they actually split the group into two. So there were 501 picture and 500 in another and organizing a photograph of 500 students.

is not an easy task, but they made it look relatively simple. Prior to this field trip, the teachers did a lot of preparation. They were provided guidance on what to prepare the students to see, and then there also was a follow-up sheet, a study guide that the teachers have been working with the students on. We did extend an invitation out to various members of the community. Of course, being in the middle of the week, it's not easy to get away from work. We do appreciate those people that were able to spend time with us. A special thank you to school committee woman Kathy Kreatz.

And in particular, our grade seven, four of our grade seven teachers really have taken a lead role in bringing this to our students. So those students are Ryan McCarthy, Kathleen O'Donohue, Brian Villard, and Frank Zizzo. So they've done a wonderful job. They've worked more closely with Dr. Chiesa than myself. I've had more of a connection with Global Scholars in New York City. So between Nicole and myself, You know, we think the program's going great. We're very happy to be able to offer it to Medford students, and we're thankful of the generosity of Marjorie Bloomberg-Tiven and her wonderful, incredibly wonderful staff. I don't know if you wanted to offer anything else. Thank you very much.

[Kathy Kreatz]: Ms. Kreatz. Thank you. I want to say, you know, thank you very much to the Bloomberg Philanthropies, and I might be saying that wrong. But it was a great day, and it was so enjoyable for the students, the administrators, the teachers, everybody there. We were all involved in the exhibits, having fun, and it was so organized. It was hard to believe there was over 1,000 students there. It was so organized. It was a great day. Thank you. It was a pleasure going. Great. Thank you.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you very much. Is there a motion on the floor for acceptance of the report by Ms. Kreatz? Yes. Seconded by Mr. Skerry. All those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? The report is accepted. Thank you very much. Negotiations in legal matters? None? None. OK. New business. We have a few. New business. School committee resolution. Be it resolved that the Medford School Committee express its sincere condolences to the family of Marvin Brown. Mr. Brown was the husband of former science teacher Althea Brown.

Be it resolved that the Medford School Committee express its sincere condolences to the family of Cleveland Red Honeycutt. Mr. Honeycutt was the father of Bill Honeycutt, a generous supporter of the Medford Public Schools. And further, be it resolved that the Medford School Committee express its sincere condolences to the family of Mary Alice Leach. Ms. Leach was the sister of retired Medford police officer William Fargo. Also, be it resolved that the Medford School Committee express its sincere condolences to the family of Jean Barry Sutherland. Jean was a longtime Medford resident. She was a teacher and administrator for the Medford Public Schools for over 40 years.

And lastly, That the Medford School Committee has expressed its sincere condolences to the family of Joseph C. Bettinelli. He was a Lincoln School of Science teacher who passed away last week. Could we all please rise for a moment of silence on the passing of these fine Medford individuals?

[Paulette Van der Kloot]: Ms. Van der Kloot. I would just like to take a moment to comment on remembering Jean Barry. Jean was such an exceptional individual, a teacher who just loved what she did, a administrator and a community member, and lastly, a fighter who waged such an incredible fight and with such a wonderful, always upbeat, always lovely personality. So I just take a minute to remember Jean Barry because over the years in the school committee, she was certainly one of the first teachers that I got to know well and one who I certainly felt had a very large impact on our students. And I remember her both professionally and personally. She's a great lady.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Through all of her struggles, she's always had a smile on her face every time I saw her. What a wonderful woman. She will be missed by Medford and beyond, and we were blessed to know her. Mr. Skerry.

[Robert Skerry]: Yes, I'd also like to express my condolences to the Barry family. I grew up in the neighborhood that Gene grew up in, and we both attended Boston State. And she was a teacher that always gave 100% and she was a principal that was loved by all her students all the time and would go out of her way to make sure that whatever the students needed, they always had. And she'll be sorely missed.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Thank you, Mr. Skerry. Mr. Superintendent.

[Roy Belson]: Madam Mayor, it's interesting and perhaps ironic that tonight Jean became the first principal of the New Columbus School. And tonight we celebrated achievements of the Columbus School. So I think that something comes together mystically in our world. As Jean opened that school and she was the queen of her castle as she would announce in the morning, every morning over the loudspeaker. It was exciting.

[Robert Skerry]: Go ahead. I ask my colleagues if we could dedicate this meeting in the memory of Jean Barry Sutherland.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: On the motion to dedicate this meeting, in her memory, all those in favor? Aye. All those opposed? Motion passes. And finally, we have one last item on the agenda. A recommendation to accept CASET grant of $50,000 for Italian language program. Mr. Superintendent.

[Roy Belson]: Madam Mayor, members of the committee, the CASET program, the Centro Attivo Scholastico program, which presents- Italian. Italian, which presents funds for us to keep our elementary language program going and to also support the development of the Italian culture within our schools, so central to the fact that there's such a strong Italian heritage in our community as well. I had the opportunity to attend a meeting yesterday, and several of our elementary teachers were recognized, and Anne Marie was there. And the ever energetic Jaconda Mata, who heads the organization, presented us with a check for $50,000 to help support that program. So I recommend that we accept it and make it work for us as we go forward.

[Ann Marie Cugno]: very good miss clinton you know i'd just like to say that height i do have the pleasure of going to the board meeting once a year and i am thrilled that every time i come back uh... we have been given a generous donation for us so and and what's really nice this year is also the relationship that we have formed with the general counsel the Italian General Counsel who is very much into education and very much into looking into the future of hopefully, we've already partnered with him in different ways, but the goal is really to express and exchange the culture of the students that we have here. to hopefully have like exchange programs going on with the students in Italy. So it's really nice when you're working with other partnerships that are really pushing the envelope and really working with the educational part. So I just want to say thank you to the council general and of course CASET run by Giovanda Malta. Thank you.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Very good. On the motion for approval by Ms. Cugno, seconded by Ms. Kreatz, roll call vote, Ms. Disceri. Yes, seven in the affirmative, zero in the negative, the motion passes. And is there a motion to adjourn? Motion to adjourn. We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. Stay safe out there. We have some bad weather coming, some ice cold weather coming, so stay warm, stay bundled.

[Ann Marie Cugno]: Hopefully it'll be during vacation.

[Stephanie Muccini Burke]: Motion to adjourn.