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Home My WebLink About2024-01-26-SBC-min (Educational Planning and Equity Focus Group) MEETING NOTES d �Illv Meeting Date: January 24, 2024 Project Name: Lexington High School Project Number: Click or tap here to enter text. Subject: Educational Planning and Equity Focus Group Meeting Attendees: Present Name Affiliation Present Name Affiliation J Cynthia Arens Sustainable Lexington Committee Chair Lorraine Finnegan SMMA-Project Manager .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Barbara Adolf ESLTeacher ✓ Matt Rice SMMA-Project Architect .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ Ariana Akram METCO Social Worker J Phil Poineli SMMA-Learning Environmental Planner .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ Andrew Baker High School Principal Rosemary Park SMMA-Project Manager/Educational J Planner .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J ✓ Julie Hackett Superintendent of SchoolsBrian Black SMMA-Design Architect .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Tom Buckley Special Education Teacher Mike Burton Dore+Whittier .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J ✓ Jon Himmel Permanent Building Committee ChairChristina Dell Angelo Dore+Whittier .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Mike Horesh Science Teacher ✓ Rachel Rincon Dore+Whittier .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Student Dore+Whittier ✓ Nidhi Inamdar Elias Grijalva .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J Suzanne Lau .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J Kathleen Lenihan School Building Committee Chair .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ✓ Deepika Sawhney School Committee Vice Chair .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J Sanjana Thesayi Student .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... J '.. Malakai St.Flew METCO Student ✓ '.. Skip Avery '.. LABBB Teacher Agenda Description Item 1. Introduction: Refer to attendees list. 2. Please refer to attached presentation for meeting materials. SMMA introduced team: Lorraine Finnegan Project Manager Matt Rice Project Architect Michael Dowhan Project Landscape Architect Erin Prestileo Project Civil Engineer SMMA team states that the first meeting today is to go around the room to each focus group member,hear what they are concerned about,what they want to talk about and goal at next meeting is to answer the questions and concerns. SMMA reviews focus group objective: Verirnont: pass aa..lhaa.aset:t:s �AIVw M(.da)reandW/atl iit:..aierr,,covn Review overall goals from educational planning perspectives,educational programming meetings and visioning sessions. Focus Group Timeline: At the first meeting the agenda is to listen,at the second meeting to review and respond,at the third to confirm and recommend,and the fourth to reconvene with all of the focus groups. SMMA explains that the project is currently in the PDP phase with the MSBA. They explain that a PDP is the Preliminary Design Program process. During this project the District and its team collaborate with the MSBA to: Document their educational program Generate an initial space summary Document existing conditions Establish design parameters Develop and evaluate alternatives Recommend the most cost effective and educationally appropriate preferred solution Each focus member provides their goals and aspirations: A.Akram: Representing METCO Alumni of LHS Looking for more ways to connect where a place that feels like the kids want to be there Music, cornhole, school store, all during lunch, seating options and it was interesting to them, and they could connect Way setup now there is not enough space Favorite time of year when quad open and playing music, games, etc. More spaces for the kids wanting to be at school and good atmosphere Way to see even peers Commons for staff METCO students' opportunities for home away from home They are at school till late in the day T. Buckley: Share multiple students with Ariana Akram LHS proud of educational rigger, and the space represents higher education Recent initiatives of what does full graduate look like,just grades or student Reflect the cultural spaces, spaces where students don't hold academics as their strength still feel comfortable Special education teacher Role as educator,would like to consult everyone in school, if everyone can experience it the way they do Special education lens, hunger for a shared space In regular academics they have an annex They must book corners of the school for IDP, confidential convo, etc. they don't have any space Joke that offices are in the hallway M. Horesh: Having dedicated spaces In district 18 years There used to be spaces where teachers and kids can gather As population increased all spaces that are small have been converted into academic spaces Sinks, access to natural gas and lab spaces Swapping rooms Copy rooms turned into academic spaces Page 2 of 5 Places for kids and teachers to gather Hearing people speaking notion of community has come up Components that will serve Lexington, primarily there for students Would like consideration for how design building that far greater community So prohibitive for intersectionality between teacher,teacher, student, student Establishing relations and feeling connected to Lexington Lessons to be learned S. Lau: Onsite counsel as parent Limitations at the building and space issues Flexibility of spaces and dedication Don't want to be limited in educational plan for future Collaboration between teachers and students Contact between the different groups Science classrooms Are they special and can they be flexible For easy collaboration between science and other curriculum Maker space Concern about school community shared spaces that welcomes everyone Issues with space constraints set by MSBA watched the SBC meeting K. Lenihan: Students only have opportunity to take biology as senior, and as a junior chemistry right now Severe space constraints Barrier to participation in upper-level classes because of limitations on entry level classes D. Sawhney: Hard for people to join these meetings during workday How people get notes and recordings from meetings would like to know Importance of designing a building that can last 50-60 years Flexibility and how can imagine classrooms that can satisfy future needs S.Thesayi: Sensory friendly and accessible Student with special needs a lot to say about classrooms, harsh lighting, alternative seating, noise control Struggle with sensory issues Like idea of giant windows, distracting maybe Different options for lighting Quiet spaces A place for everyone can be themselves and not worry about feeling bad about their issues All the hallways look the same currently M. St. Fleur: METCO student really hard by time to get home don't have time to do homework, and practice goes late Gets home around 9 Study before practice and a space for them to do so Concern at lunch and people have to wait till the last 10 minutes of lunch Hallways are very crowded,they need to be bigger Page 3 of 5 Kitchen or snack area for kids Wish nurse office was larger Don't like going outside C. Aherns: Air quality important Green list and red list and toxic materials Ed plan: tie this new building and being flexible in space What does future hold for us and how can tie outdoor environment and the building itself into learning about these things in school Optimization of space Eating spaces and how they are setup and how accessible they are Required by the state on composting food School support personnel has no space Many clubs that want to meet before and after school and spaces for that S. Avery: LABBB collaborative Proud of footprint at LHS Accessibility huge for students Students are so happy and thrilled to be a part of the community Need privacy and still be felt and part of the comm A.Levine: Most important making it a space where the kids want to be Why was the house idea abandoned? More space in building for special education that are outside of the building but are in the district Most important was time management S. Lau: New building needs to factor in the traffic, load, and number of students Kids arrive at school, gather at main building, in hallways Keep in mind high traffic times (school start, school end) A.Ba ke r: Foundation has to be based on a sense of community Spaces for students that they feel both communities that they identify with them Affinity spaces Most faculty strong sense in their departments, but also want to learn about other depts and work with them Cross interaction between teachers Classrooms that kids walking in can get their instruction no matter what Easy way for students to share their knowledge and presentation A.Levine: Reality that not everyone is going to be close to everyone else since this will be a big building Big detail number of elevators, and adequate hallway space S.Thesayi: Page 4 of 5 Don't have time to go to the bathroom in between classes Not enough time in between classes Number of bathrooms in the school important There is a need for gender neutral bathrooms conveniently located SMMA reviews next steps: What to expect in meeting#2: Objective: The design team will speak on the topics below as well as the priorities brought up by the focus group today. Topics: Open campus All gender toilets in student areas, in public areas Rotation schedule New electives School organization:freshman house or zone, houses, zones of the deans, other schools within a school Field house Community ed Community use Opportunities for authentic learning(potential for student work experiences) Rock room and areas of respite Extracurriculars Equity and inclusion today and in the future 3. Close The next educational planning and equity focus group meeting will be held on February 5,2024 from 1-3pm.Estabrook Hall,Cary Memorial Building. Sincerely, DOIICIIE °+-WI1III III"'1"TIIIIIIEIl Christina Dell Angelo Project Manager Cc:Attendees, File The above is my summation of our meeting. If you have any additions and/or corrections, please contact me for incorporation into these minutes. Page 5 of 5