Vision, Mission and Core Values were read by Board members.

Aaron Pirrotta made the following public comment: 

Hello,

I am speaking on this issue for the 3rd time this school year due to lack of progress on the lower campus H-VAC, mold and water intrusion issues. The events of today, including flooding in 2 classrooms and heat loss throughout portions of the building show that we are at a breaking point with our HVAC.  We were told at the last board meeting by the administration that we were quote “good until spring” on these issues. Clearly, this is not the case.  We are disheartened, but not surprised that it took today’s events to finally get everyone’s attention on the repairs that must happen immediately at the lower campus. It is also important to note that prior to today’s flooding, several classrooms were without heat and had temperatures in the 50s during instructional times. This is 100% not acceptable for our students and teachers.  

With that, we have 2 big points that we are raising tonight:

1.       Why is the RFP taking so long?

We have been promised a Request for Proposals (or RFP) for 3 months. This was first discussed at an OCT 14th 1:1 meeting I had with Christie. It is now February and we are still awaiting the RFP to go out, meaning there is no concrete plan at this point.  

a.       What is the current status of the RFP?

b.       Who is in charge of this project? Because these delays show us it is not their priority!

c.       The communication on this issue has mislead parents. Since it was announced that $120k had been allocated by the board in late Sept, some parents are under the impression this issue has been fixed. When in reality the permanent fix has not even been determined.

Our second big point …

2.       We are proposing that a task force be created, similar to the COVID task force to bring the community together to solve these issues.

a.       We suggest the task force be composed of administrators, board members, PTCC members, parents with expertise in the field and teachers so that all perspectives can be considered.

b.       This task force could be responsible for communications in the weekly newsletter

c.       As well as prioritizing RFP and bidding process

d.       My wife or I would agree to participate in this committee

In closing-With labor shortages, backorders and COVID supply chain issues…we can’t continue to wait to finalize a plan. We need to move forward with repairs as soon as possible so that events such as today can be avoided. 

Eli Trowbridge made the following public comment:

• Our child is in the classroom impacted by the mold/fungus issue at Lower Campus.
• We read the email sent out this month (January 2022) on the issue.  
• Could you please send the notification of the mold/fungus issue sent to parents in 2021?  We could not find this email.
• We'd like to understand more of the "who, what, where, why, and how" of the HVAC/mold/fungus issue that impacted the lower classrooms of the Lower Campus.
• The January 2022 email from Globe provided some details but after reading that email we still had some key questions:
  • What type of mold/fungus was found?  (We imagine Hibernia indicated the type of fungus mold)
  • Was the mold only on the classroom carpets?  Did Hibernia confirm there was no mold in vents, behind walls, in areas you can't see but that could impact a child's health?
  • From the January 2022 email, the mold/fungus issue was discovered in August 2021 by a custodian and the quality of the air condition in the classroom was restored to an acceptable level in November 2021.  Were impacted children (those whose classroom was infected by mold/fungus) relocated for those entire 3-4 months to a non-impacted classroom at Globe?
• The January 2022 email mentioned repairing the HVAC system/situation during summer break given the job will require several weeks of work.  Is Globe committing to resolving the HVAC issue (that caused the mold/fungus in the classroom) by the end of summer break 2022?  If it's not fixed by then, does that mean it wouldn't be fixed until summer break 2023?
• What happens if another mold/fungus or other HVAC issue that could threaten our children's health occurs between now and summer break 2022?  Is there a mitigation plan?  What is that plan?
• We second Aaron's motion to put a task force in place to expedite resolving the HVAC problem on the Lower Campus that caused the fungus/mold issue in the lower classrooms there.
  • This will ensure that the summer break 2022 deadline to resolve the abovementioned HVAC issue is met.
  • This will also help ensure a contingency plan is in place if the abovementioned HVAC issue creates more unsanitary, hazardous, or unhealthy building conditions before then that could impact our children's health.
• We're all on heightened alert because of COVID's unknowns and the respiratory issues it can create in children and adults.  Not compounding this challenge with a preventable mold/fungus should be our utmost priority and one that we can swiftly resolve together with teacher, administration, parents, engineering and environmental experts.  We must be in this together, though; we all want to see our school be a safe and successful institution for our children--tomorrow's future leaders.  A good education will help them get there, but temporary and chronic health conditions that might arise related to a failing HVAC system that creates mold/fungus or other hazards in the classroom could negate any benefit that a good education may provide.

Wesley Ingwersen made the following public comment:

Good evening Board members and GLOBE Community. I'm addressing you this evening regarding the Mold & HVAC issues on Lower Campus affecting some classrooms on the lower level. This issue has been raised to you regularly by Mr. Aaron Pirotta, but many parents were not aware of it until recent posts on the GLOBE community site. Ms. Christi Elliot sent an email to the community on the 24th in response to parent reaction, which was much welcome and very informative. I have some recommendations to share with the School and Board from my perspective as an environmental engineer working in the area of environmental protection and public health” 1. Given the duration and nature of the water leaks and insufficient humidity control, mold is likely to be found in hidden places including the ceiling and floors. Make sure this is monitored and controlled before it become more of a health and structural issue. 2. Select an HVAC system that meets the latest ASHRAE standards and require the contractor perform post-installation testing to provide confirmation that ventilation, air exchange rates and humidity levels achieve targets in the hot and humid season. 3. Contract installation early and get assurance that labor and materials will be ready for installation early summer to provide extra time if any unforeseen arise 4. Monitor the building throughout the school closure periods to make sure conditions conducive to further mold growth are avoided And Specifically for the Board 5. be willing to allocate additional funds as needed to assure the lower campus classrooms all have proper climate control, circulation and are mold-free 6. create a task force, ask the school to assign staff and recruit parents to help to make sure this gets done right and as quickly as possible. Thank you

The agenda and minutes were approved by consent without objection.

There was no formal report this month. Laura reported the following items:

• Volunteer recognition: Thanks to the parents, grandparents, and community members who have helped in different way throughout the school year
• GLOBE Nurses Day: Special thanks to Ms. Robinson and Dr. Reese. Send thank you notes on Friday, February 11th
• Science Week: Join us for a virtual GLOBE Science Week February 28-March 4 on the GLOBE Community Facebook page
• Black History Month & Chinese New Year Heritage Celebrations: PTCC will be supporting the school for Black History Month activities. The national theme is Black Wellness and Health
• Spirit Nights: Feb 3 - Matthew's Cafeteria; March 24 - Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary

Marsha provided the following Upper Campus updates:

• Academics: students continue to excel, as MAP scores were much better than expected; middle school students are writing argumentative essays; Mandarin students preparing for Lunar New Year celebration; 4th grade students are writing information books, learning about WW II and the Holocaust; role playing in history; three middle school students placed in Regional Science Fair; Reading Bowl will be in-house this year
• Athletics: turning out in large numbers; basketball teams have competed well; 8th grade basketball payers and cheerleaders were honored on January 26th; adding tennis this year; girls' soccer will be starting soon; flag football will be occurring in the spring
• Socially: getting back to how it feels to being back in the building; Peace Week - saw an emphasis on kindness and compassion; student council members have stepped up as student mentors; eating outside when possible and cleaning up spaces; practicing healthy habits and low Covid positivity rates
• Teachers: showing up with a smile and kind words each day; pivoting to online learning then back into the building; always being prepared for the unexpected; tutoring students after school; lunch al fresco; outside concerts and presentations; PE in the cafeteria; Covid testing in the middle of class
• Staff: maintenance staff always keep the building clean and safe; teacher assistants wear many hats; counselors are brilliant at handling many problems; the nurse has learned more and more about viruses and public health; office staff handles every challenge with grace
• Families: showing so much patience and understanding when students have to be sent home; being understanding when they cannot come into the building; setting up new tents and outdoor furniture on the weekend; always volunteering to bring goodies for teachers and staff

Cutia provided the following Lower Campus updates:

• Maggie Sherwood helped to facilitate live winter holiday musical performances over the course of three days during lunchtime
• 100th day of school celebrations: kindergartners made posters for the occasion; 1st grade French-track student also made posters including 100 of certain items
• Lunar New Year celebrations: last Friday two different parades took place; Wednesday there will be a lion dance performance
• Snack and lunch outside: when weather permits, this takes places; the kids love the fresh air and the social time with their fellow classmates

A formal presentation was included in the agenda packet

There was no formal report this month. Leigh gave an update on the brand and style guide, which included guidance on the following aspects: name and tagline; logos; fonts and colors; email signatures; and abbreviations and punctuation. The committee will make updates to common inconsistencies that are spotted. In addition, an updated GLOBE Trot logo is in the works. The committee's next meeting is scheduled for February 15th. 

Committee updates were included in the agenda packet.

A formal presentation was included in the agenda packet. 

The next scheduled meeting is set for February 28, 2022 at 7 p.m.