The South River School’s youngest learners stole the spotlight during Tuesday’s meeting, demonstrating the district’s new "Labs" kindergarten curriculum. Principal Bear introduced the program as an intentional, play-based approach to literacy, noting that Labs is part of our EL curriculum... it's really play-based, but it's intentional play-based and they love it. Kindergarten teachers explained that tactile experiences, such as building robots in the "engineer lab," help close the comprehension loop for students by building essential vocabulary. Superintendent Patrick Sullivan praised the initiative, remarking, The amount of planning that went into that is remarkable, and highlighted the program's success in fostering student collaboration through creative play.

The committee authorized two upcoming student travel requests, including an AFS exchange to Michigan and a foreign language excursion to New York City. Discussing the AFS trip, Richard Greer focused on financial inclusivity, asking, Free and reduced lunch students? Organizers confirmed that fundraising efforts ensure no student is excluded due to cost. For the senior trip to the Museum of Modern Art, Kendra Stetson shared her excitement for the seasonal timing, stating, I just love that you go in December when New York City has all it’s so I love that. Lauren Dargan added a lighthearted comment regarding her own student years, joking, I was not good enough at Spanish to go. Motion Made by Richard Greer to approve the AFS exchange trip with Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, Michigan. Vote Passed 4-0. Motion Made by Richard Greer to approve the New York City senior language study trip to the Museum of Modern Art. Vote Passed 4-0.

MEA President Mr. Raymond honored South River educators Donna Brady and Kim Pard, sharing a nomination that described their classrooms as inclusive families where every student knows that there is an adult that believes in them. He urged the community not to become complacent in their gratitude for such educators. The committee also finalized previous administrative matters. Motion Made by Richard Greer to approve the regular meeting minutes of October 7th. Vote Passed 4-0. Motion Made by Richard Greer to approve and release the executive session meeting minutes for October 7th as amended. Vote Passed 4-0.

Assistant Superintendent Tom Miller presented a sobering fiscal update for FY27, highlighting $1.64 million in salary savings achieved through attrition over the last two years. Miller sought to correct what he described as misconceptions regarding district staffing, asserting, In two years, we've dropped almost 20 FTE... we haven't had to cut anybody. It's simply attrition and not filling vacancies. Despite these reductions, Miller warned that the current path of drawing down revolving accounts is not sustainable. Chair Sean Costello criticized the trend of education funding taking a backseat in town priorities, stating, The most important thing a town invests in is its future, and that's our students. And we can't continue to have our students bear the brunt of making fiscal cuts.

Superintendent Sullivan concluded with updates on the high school’s successful production of "Clue," the Thanksgiving rivalry game victory, and ongoing "belonging" initiatives across the district. He noted that the district’s "no homework" weekend over the holiday was a nice gesture supported by staff to reduce student stress. Chair Costello, looking ahead to the winter break, offered a holiday message to the community, saying, A very happy holidays to everybody here because I will not see you again in 2025.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:44 PM.