priorities with that added language that we discussed during our our meeting. >> That's what we're reviewing to approve. >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> Second. >> Okay, motion by Smith and a second by Johnson. Any further discussion? You know, I I really think that this is like Joe said, it's a living breathing document, but I also think that the purpose of this document is really to kind of give I guess in a way marching orders to our administration to these are the things that are the priority of the board that um we want their focus to be put on and um getting the right people involved in the right places on all of these action items. I know we can't do everything, but I think we know very clearly based on our conversation tonight and our previous discussion at our last meeting um where those hot button ones that probably should be put higher up or higher up on the list than others. >> I have one last comment if that's all right. It's bad that Mr. Manasseh is not here. Sorry. But um I always ask him what's what's my favorite thing about America and it's options. We don't get this right. People have options to take their kids to a different district who are doing it right. So, we need to get it right. >> Any further discussion? All those in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Opposed? Motion carries. Thank you for the great discussion, everyone. We're going to move to item 12 on the agenda which is an informational item and that would be our district update. Dr. Redman. >> Should going to about 25 minutes in length. >> [clears throat] [snorts] >> We're not at the longest board meeting we've ever had. >> It's not even close. >> It's a gold mine. >> Um Oh, great. I'm no longer showing it. Do you want to drive, please? >> Sure. >> I had it ready to go. I'm already on slide two to It does start with the compelling vision, which we referred to. Always good to read once in a while. And then we're wrapping up our our summer student support. You know, I think sometimes people think that nothing's happening over the summer. Lots of great things have been happening. Um this is some of those. We've seen uh from screenings to summer meals to we mentioned kindergarten kinder camp, which is the next slide. Just thought the data here was most important that you know, this has grown and is this God, I keep looking at Is this year three? >> This is year four. >> Year four? >> Yes. >> All right, I'm going to start guessing year four instead of year three. So, and just to see 310 students participate as of last Friday, we had 478 students enrolled in kindergarten. So, I think that's a a heck of a turnout. Uh just lots of great things happening in there. And then uh we had part of the academies of Shakopee, the Engage event, which is a a summer staple. Uh bringing our our partners in and bringing, you know, all kinds of folks together, hearing from a current student, from a recent grad, the impact of the academies of Shakopee and the different experiences. You've got We had a great panel. We really appreciate uh Barb Brekke, Scott County Commissioner, Bill Reynolds, City of Shakopee Administrator, Haley Schweiger, a Shakopee grad working at Greystone, Amy Keen from St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Heather Braski from the Shakopee Chamber. Uh they provided a great panel, just reflections on some of the partnering and the the impact of the academies. We have Mark Hill who has a lot of expertise in business partnerships, has been with Forward Next Generation Learning for uh I believe since almost their inception. And so he he shared some thoughts as well. And then they kind of had breakout sessions, but a great great event. Other great events, if we go to the next slide, uh we had 41 new educators last week. Uh and sometimes it's tough to count because I don't know if the guy who was a building sub who's now a STEM classroom teacher, is he a new teacher? Is he returning? Um you know, so but uh really great group. Uh we got to see a lot of them Monday and Tuesday Gemini. Kind of the uh morning, you know, kind of the first welcome, it's pretty neat. And then we do a bus tour of the community. And the next day Rotary comes in and does a luncheon. And one of the neat parts of that is you have Rotarians, many of them lifelong residents of the community. They They all sit at different tables and and mix in. And so I think really cool event. Uh we didn't know where to put this. On the bottom, it also included Palmer back to school transportation training. Uh but we've got bus drivers who primarily serving our gen ed students have a session, and those serving our students with special needs. Uh our building leaders, principals, deans. Deans do a lot of connecting when we talk about positive behavior systems and trying to help students, you know, and and connect even the the ride to and from school. Uh but also a great reminder that in education, lots of different people impact kids in their trajectory every day. I mean, I look back, my own elementary experience, one of the one of the great influences was Roger Ross, who was uh the building custodian at my elementary school. And then, you know, life's an interesting journey. I actually taught and coached his grandchildren, you know, sometime sometime later, and uh and that's a long time ago now, and I can remember he was just the person who knew who I was, knew my name, and took an interest in me. And uh that happens with our bus drivers, you know, kids first thing in the morning, last thing in the day. And so, really an important group to to meet with and work together with. Um facilities improvements, you know, there's just you've seen some of the sign stuff and signs there you know, becoming you know, well, one's brand new, one is uh one's still working, so we found a way to we're going to let it keep working. Uh and then when it doesn't, I believe we have a panel already printed to go in that space. So, um you know, so if anybody's going to why does East have a malfunctioning sign and West doesn't? Well, when East stops working, uh we're we're going to make that kind of a message system obsolete there. Um but we still think it's a great landmark, and it it's a a great welcome point. Uh lots of stuff happening in our spaces with some of the, you know, you look at the doors, and you look at some of the the What do we call those, Tiffany? That we're putting on doors? >> Oh, just um vestibule wraps. >> Thank you. Vestibule wraps. >> Which say that three times. >> What's that? [laughter] I'll ask that every time. I was scared to say the word wrap, actually, cuz I was like, I don't think that's right. And then, uh we got that emerald ash tree removal. I think it was either 68 or 69 trees we learned at facilities and finance we got removed. We're treating some others hoping they'll survive. And then, also mentioned that meeting as I drive around my own neighborhood in the community, like, my gosh, there's a lot of ash trees that are in really rough shape. So, >> I got one in my backyard. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> And then, activities update kind of some stuff over the summer, summer fishing, you know, had some cool Yeah, really cool success at the state tournament. We just were into our second week of athletic practices. Our volleyball team, our girls volleyball team had a cool experience, part of the launch of the new professional Minnesota Forge volleyball team. Um adapted soccer kicks off in September. And so, in terms of activities, things are alive and kicking. Lots of stuff. Uh and then, it's always a great day to to be a Sabre. We got the back to school things. Um Look forward to it's already started this week. Lots of lots of great professional learning and Um Jim and I were able to visit a number of the schools and touch base with people and I think there's a universal agreement that the months of June and July and the first part of August go by faster than any of the other months in the school year and the calendar year, but uh lots of energy, lots of enthusiasm. >> Any questions on the district update? Thank you for that. We are going to move to committee reports and other information. And Jeff, we'll start with you. >> Um Yeah, I got to participate in the academies try to be engaged. It's the first time I've gone. Yeah, it was just really exciting just seeing our academy champions and partners. And yeah, just all the all the people Dr. Redmond mentioned. it. think I might add that to I have a top five favorite things. I'm going to make this a top six. I'll add a sixth. That's number six now. Um and then uh one of my top five was the new teacher welcome. Got to participate in that with with uh Tim and Christie and um yeah, just always always enjoy welcoming the new teachers. Um and then uh I also participated in the the Pearson uh early learning center work group. Um just uh observing just everybody coming together to to come up with a good solution to make um the uh Sabre Connections and Steppingstones kind of fit with our you know, the rest of our district's model and uh there'll be a presentation to the board uh soon on that. Uh I think they came up with a with a good solution. That's it for me. Thanks. >> Sure. >> Uh no committee reports, but that was my son's photo on the fishing team. Oh, that's awesome. I think the state tournament is mid-September actually. Um and Emmett and his friend Tanner their team is going and then I think there's like three or four other teams from Shakopee that are going. So, and Emmett and Tanner actually got to invited to an invitational tournament in Gull Lake. >> Well, all I know is I keep seeing kids holding these big fish. >> I know. >> I feel jealous. [snorts] >> Uh I had uh finding facilities beforehand. We covered most most everything that we covered was in here. I went on a little too much about the amphitheater with my sadness that it wouldn't didn't uh take it that that that we did that. I'll get there. That didn't happen this year. And uh I still can't believe school starts in a week. Good luck to everybody and uh I there's this picture I have on my phone that I always see this time of year that says teachers make every other profession possible. And I just I just love that so much. Being the son of a teacher just means a lot. >> Um yeah, I had finance and facilities tonight before our board meeting. I also participated in the engage program with our academy partners. Found the energy that our students are bringing into our businesses. I think it's just very powerful and to hear the stories from the business partners and how they you know, excite their employees is is very um very powerful. It's great to hear. Was at the new teacher welcome as well and then had a Southwest Metro board meeting last Wednesday night. >> Very good. I had new teacher welcome as we just described. And uh sent my youngest off to college this last weekend. So, gateway to empty nester. To to be determined. That's That's it for me. >> Um Sorry. It's a little sick. I'm community engagement met on August 3rd and we reviewed like the 2026-27 communication goals and vision. Um we talked about the active projects that are going on. Um and then just being more involved in Scott County Commission meetings and city council meetings. And we spoke about just briefly about the candidate forum that we um already talked about. That's going to be set for say September 24th. And um we're just going to table like the community chat until after the elections. That's it. >> Yeah, I had the finance and facilities meeting before this. We have I was also officially welcomed to the AMSD legislative committee, so start that with our first meeting. This year will be sometime in the year. That will be this Friday morning, so I'm excited to see more as to what the legislative concerns are of our schools and trying to voice Shakopee's opinion in that if needed. >> [clears throat] >> Also had a broken foot in the family, so that cut my softball kids season in half. So I only have one softball kid out of the two for the rest of the year, which is it's not a severe one, so we're good. >> Clara? >> Um well, just kind of getting back in the swing of things like with the school year. Um recently got appointed as a media official for Youth in Government, so I have a bit more commitment for that. Um it's like 30 out of thousands of people there in Youth in Government are media officials and I'm on the digital media team. Um so when I'm there instead of being like the trial courts that I normally am, I'm doing digital media there. And then also for back to school, we are starting a new Instagram page called Saber Pack and it's kind of a foster school spirit especially around athletics and events and me and a couple other students upper class juniors and seniors are going to be running that. >> Cool. >> That's what I have. >> Jim? >> Open houses start tomorrow with the high school. We have middle school on Wednesday and then next week we have check and connect at our elementaries where the kids come in one at a time to meet the teachers followed by the early starts that you approved for the sixth and ninth graders, so that uh so that they can get in the school and then one last thing, I'm just taking a peek out over here. We have still a chance at our largest kindergarten class since 1920. Um definitely have the second largest kindergarten class. >> 1920? >> Um 2020. >> What's that? >> Yeah. 202020. I meant 2021, 2020 / 2021. Excuse me, no, it's 20 It was 2019-2020 with 523. We're over 480 as of today and 500 is the largest class we've had in the last 5 years. So, there's a possibility that we could still get to that number, which is encouraging. >> [clears throat] >> Tiffany? >> Uh the only item that I just want to add cuz everything else has been covered is that we were able to post the first half of 45 minutes of the meeting at about 7:05 um and shared that on social media. So, just switched up what we had on here and then part two will be posted when this is adjourned. So, it was roughly a 15-minute 20-minute delay, but it was it is available and there's already been views, so transparent on that. >> Thank you for all your efforts to try to get it working. You know, it's frustrating when you can't get something working, so >> It is. Yes. >> Thank you very much. >> I'm good. >> So, item 14 on our agenda is upcoming meetings and important dates. I'm not going to run through everything. As Jim said, there's a lot of open houses at our schools. Um if board members can make it to any of them, that would be awesome. Thursday morning is the welcome back for teachers this week. So, um if you are able to join, that would be great. Is there anything else Tiffany you want to highlight? >> Uh the only things I will add to that uh is in the ramp on Friday. Kind of a quick turnaround, but recipe is how you say the name. It was the Emerson donation that you folks accepted. Um they're making their statewide tour and we're eager to make the academy's first to be able to acknowledge that donation. Board members are welcome. If my memory is correct, I believe it's 3:00 tomorrow at the high school and then we obviously have a September 1st ribbon cutting at 8:00 a.m. outside of Sweeney. Um we're going to cut over the the new path new road that was installed there. >> Um does anyone else have anything they want to bring forward that hasn't been? So I think before we adjourn tonight, I just want to share a piece of something that I shared with our new teachers on Monday, last Monday. Um as I think it's pretty applicable tonight. Um we you know, tonight we began our meeting in a pretty difficult way pausing to remember an incoming student um before they even had a chance to start school. And it's a reminder about how fragile and precious a single life is. Every day is a gift and tonight it doesn't feel easy to say that, but it's true. And it's what we do with that gift that matters the most. Everyone who's part of this district, teacher, support staff, administrator, board member, every coach, bus driver, volunteer holds that opportunity every single day to bring the best of themselves, not just to do a job, but to shape how our students see themselves >> [clears throat] >> and what they believe is possible for their future. And with that, I would make a motion to adjourn. >> I second. >> Motion by Peterson and a second by Aldridge. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. >> Aye. >> Opposed? Meeting is adjourned. Thank you everyone.