MESA Business Meeting 

Date/Location: 11/20/2025 Mary Hogan Library

Meeting Link: https://meet.google.com/sby-ygov-prk

Attendance:  Casey McDonough, Meghan Dishaw, Alicia Butler, Wendy Baker (ACSD Superintendent), Emily Blistein (ACSD), Tricia Allen (ACSD school board), Ron Makleff (ACSD school board), Sheena Wilson, Sarah Ribuado, Jen Kravitz, Jess Venable-Novak (ACSD school board), Laura Harthan (ACSD School board), Jess Chatfield, Steve Orzech (ACSD School board). Online: Kayla Shaefer, Adi Livny, Jamie McCallum (ACSD school board), Joyce Mao

Agenda:

6:30-7:00 PM

1. School Board Presentation
   1. Town Hall Portion: 
   2. Policy C30:
      1. Trica: all policies online, Policy as it stands: Jamie is the chair of the committee, Tricia and Laura are also on the committee. As it stands, Prek-12 students are assigned based on their attendance area where parent/guardian resides. Corresponds to town borders and town elementary schools. If that changes after Jan 15, can stay in their current school (parent provides transportation). Interdistrict transfers will be evaluated based on certain criteria.
      2. After the Ripton and Shoreham/Bridport school discussions and lots of requests for interdistrict transfers it was apparent that this needed to be amended
      3. Act 73 Question Mark – possibly great change but not much control
      4. The amended policy will cap the total number of students at a school. Keeping in mind minimum class sizes.
      5. No current policy regarding evaluation of IEP/Behavioral factors in these decisions
      6. Jamie: not looking at a complete re-write of the policy. Looking at a policy that will dramatically expand the number of interdistrict transfers. So, child should attend the school that is in your attendance area BUT if that doesn’t work for certain reasons.
      7. Laura: lots of effort and thought over the last year and a half. Make some improvements to the system as it is today.
      8. Over 180 respondents to the survey from ACSD. Most of the community had the consensus that there needs to be some changes.
      9. Jamie: committee will discuss the re-draft in their meeting on Tuesday, 4:30-5:30 Nov 26th. Full board will see the version in mid dec.
      10. How does funding work? Not for major shifts, although field trip, food allowance will be per student.
      11. Sarah: will the goal be to put more students in the smaller schools to keep those open
      12. Not expecting huge shifts of students. There will still be rules to the interdistrict transfers.
      13. Wendy: Mary Hogan does not have the largest class sizes anymore
      14. Laura: can look at the last policy committee meeting (recording online) Nov 13th
      15. Jamie: the survey – more people seemed to support school choice but not a lot said they wanted to move their child. Are expecting that people will take advantage of this but that there wont be large disruptions. 
      16. Wendy: currently, meet with every family that requests it and expects to continue this.
      17. Jamie: parents of younger children seem to be more interested in these changes (about to enter district or at beginning of the journey)
   3. Ron: Board meetings aren’t well attended. These Town Halls are one way for the board to solicit more feedback

7:00-8:00 PM

2. Spiritwear Update
   1. Store is live – closes Nov 23 – gear will arrive Thursday or Fri before Christmas Break week.  19 orders, 33 items so far. 
   2. Use FPF again in the future – Meghan posted on FPF
   3. Sarah turned MESA Instagram into an Ad to target a specific group of people
3. Events Updates
   1. Family Skate: Meghan – turned out great. The Friends of Midd Hockey President was very helpful in making the event.  There were lots of young families and it was busy.   Some families were being charged for skates, need to follow up.
   2. New Events (Nordic Skiing, Drive thru Coffee/Donut, Cookie Love, CPR/First Aid etc.)
      1. McGilton budget – Per Jen, this year: climbing (project adventure), Everybody Wins, Shakespeare, PE (skating, swimming), Community Reads, All School Learning Trips (Orchard visits), Money for another Mural with Kids. Cyndi and Jen have been talking this fall about the vision for extra PE experiences at Mary Hogan. For example, Climbing is difficult to run because of lack of volunteers and schedule changes. Skiing is very expensive for the time that they are there. Wondering what is good to keep as “life skills”. A lot of these require unsupervised volunteers. Need to do a better job of communicating. Jen is interested in learning about what other schools are doing. Beeman takes their kids to Cochran’s every week. Rikert is cheaper than Snow Bowl and they do have instructors there.  Maybe Middlebury College Rink time would be great. 
      2. Middlebury College Football team has been here this fall with 3rd-5th graders. Doug is wondering if they can do this at other schools.
      3. Drive Thru Coffee/Donut – Meghan saw another school did this at drop off. Could partner with a Walk and Roll day. It’s in the works for this spring.  Would want to meet with Jen to discuss logistics. 
      4. CPR/First Aid – Meghan wants to do a free event. For a CPR card, would have to pay that fee. Heartsaver is $18/card. Otherwise it would be a certificate. Not sure of the population yet. Usually 3 hours. Jen wondering if you could do this on an early release for kids. Then another for adults/older kids. Also could do a “stop the bleed”. Could work with the student council on this.  Josh is coming to do a Stop the Bleed with the faculty.
      5. Cookie Love – table it until next year or add for coupons for RAT 
   3. Teacher Appreciation
      1. Consider Thistle and Honey for cookies
      2. Reach out to Middlebury Cookie Love about partnering with them to purchase cookies 
   4. RAT
      1. Consider asking Cookie Love and Yogurt City for coupon donations
      2. Ask 7 South to donate to RAT
      3. Vermont Book Store has agreed to donate a weekend. Dates will be discussed Jan 11th, 2026
      4. Many donors agreed to donate already, Shelburne Farms, Scott Bourne etc., Rainbow Peds
      5. Reach out to Marquis to partner with us and give a portion of proceeds
      6. Adrienne, Julie and Michelle will assist with bookmarks
      7. Trying to get a therapy dog in for RAT for “read to therapy dog”
      8. Consider asking Jason Chin
   5. Online Book Fair- Not an option per Scholastic 
   6. Basketball concessions
      1. Boys Weekend of Jan 31st
      2. Girls Weekend Feb 7th
      3. Create an amazon wishlist
      4. Use Popcorn machine and Sarah has Hot dogs and buns 
      5. Ask 7 South/Otter Creek Bakery to make breakfast sandwiches
      6. Consider pizza by the slice? Talk with new owners of Green Peppers, Maplefields
   7. UVM Hockey/Basketball Games
      1. Dates have been sent to UVM, waiting on response
      2. First Game tentatively scheduled 12/20
   8. Walk and Roll- moving away from giving out “Stuff” and moving towards a punch card system that would provide “treat cards” to be used at a local business. Ideas: Haymaker, Shiretown, Cookie Love, Yogurt City?
4. Teacher Appreciation – cookie swap in December – Does Dec 15th work? Maureen will send Jen a sign up genius to include 
5. Update on Yearbook/5th Grade Promotion
   1. Sarah will draft email to 5th grade families 
   2. Michelle Leftheris willing to assist with the yearbook  also Neon Mccarthy and Hannah 
6. End of year dance
   1. Consider making it a 4th and 5th grade only operation with drop offs and permission slips
   2. Ask 4th and 5th grade parents to chaperone
   3. Consider if the concession stand is open with a small selection
   4. Find a DJ vs donation of a sound system and stream music (look at other schools as an option) 
   5. Consider Drew Darreow (MCTV)
      1. Person to manage the system
7. Grants Updates
   1. Approved PreK for Music Together
   2. Julie will submit a grant request for K to go to Wonderfeet in Jan
   3. $5000 donation from an anonymous donor
   4. Jen encouraging teachers to consider using grant money prior to the last 6 weeks of school
8. Email Distribution/How Best to Communicate – Is there a way for MESA to communicate out that doesn’t place the work on Jen? Jen says if she gets things on the weekends she can do it. Ideally, Jen could train Jill to do it through Smore but that could take longer. Lorrie or JIll can always send things out to the staff for us. Jen likes to send things out to families through Smore because that is translatable. Can send the 5th grade families emails to the 5th Grade Teachers or to Jen.
9. Laura said she is on the board of Hannaford Career Center board and their meetings are the same as MESA. Consider a new date 2nd Thursday of each month at 6pm

10. Adjourn

Next Meeting: 

No December Meeting

January 15th, 2026