Curriculum Council Minutes 10/09/2025

2025-2026 Ida Curriculum Council Minutes 

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025 8:15-10:15 a.m.  

Middle School Library

Staff and Community Representatives Present: 

*Elementary School: Christina Fitzgerald, Christin Hensley

*Elementary Parent Representative: Jessica Kisonas

*Middle School: Jen Butz, Anne Capling, Audrey Hamm, Amy LaVigne-Benore

*Middle School Parent Representative: Sara Batson

*High School: Megan Alexander

*High School Parent Representative: Andrea Allen, Randi Kitts

*Administrators: David Eack, Lucy Becker, Allison Georgic, Stacy Maynard

*Board Member: Jamie Hunter, Ryan Winkelman

*Chairperson: Sarah Ash

 Ida Curriculum Council Minutes for October 9, 2025   

1.  District  

• Brief introductions were shared by each member.
• The purpose of Curriculum Council along with the curriculum process was shared and reviewed.
• A MICIP/Strategic Plan update was given. The ISD has been hosting various sessions with Michigan Department of Education staff on updating the district continuous improvement plan. A team of administrators have been attending these meetings and will continue to do so as they are offered. 
• Jean Foster hosts monthly brainstorm meetings to network with PE/Health teachers. Please contact Jean Foster from the ISD for the next meeting date and virtual meeting link if you are interested.

2.  K-12 Communications: High School Topics 

• Leadership update was given by Megan Alexander. Students hosted a powderpuff game, helped with Homecoming festivities, and started popcorn Fridays. Students are also helping with lunches at the elementary school and updating locker signs throughout the school. The group plans to attend the Jostens Leadership Conference in the coming months. 
• Curriculum/Assessment Changes/Needs and/or Updates 
  1. Novel request for Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer was reviewed and discussed. This book would be used in addition to the other materials currently used in 11^th grade English class. The proposal passed with all in favor. 35 copies of the book will be purchased in the coming weeks.
• Counselor Update - October is College Month; counselors are working with students to apply to various colleges and complete their FAFSA forms. Locker signs are being put on student lockers and workshops are being held to assist students with college applications. October 15^th is college application day, and staff are encouraged to wear their college gear. The counselors hosted coffee with the counselors to discuss various topics around college and financial aid, the Bridges peer to peer workshop event was held earlier in the week, and there was a Just Build It field trip to EMU to focus on the trades earlier this week.

3.   K-12 Communications: Middle School Topics 

• Curriculum/Assessment Changes/Needs and/or Updates 
  1. Big Ideas Math was purchased after piloting for two years. There have been some updates with the digital platform and teachers have been working together to ensure a consistent implementation. There will be additional training sessions taking place during the next two weeks. 
• Counselor Update – PRIDE point competitions are taking place, Red Ribbon Week will be taking place at the end of October, Student Council members attended a leadership conference in Frankenmuth, Give a Kid a Christmas activities will be starting soon, 7^th and 8^th grade students started to work on their Educational Development Plan (EDP), and character counts lessons have started.
• Leadership Update – The new leadership class is working on various projects similar to the high school. Students have created locker signs and are currently working on an anti-bullying initiative with various activities and announcements.
• Many activities are taking place; there was a bullying assembly, the book fair will be taking place later in October, after school tutoring has begun, 5^th graders took a field trip to the River Raisin Battlefield, and the fall schoolwide fundraiser was extremely successful.

4.  K-12 Communications: Elementary School Topics 

• Curriculum/Assessment Changes/Needs and/or Updates
  1. Literacy Program Adoption – Our new literacy program has arrived and is being implemented. As with any new program it will take time to learn and adjust to the changes from our previous program. Elementary teachers shared that the teacher manuals do not have a good flow to them, and most grade levels have started to use Google Slides. There will be another professional development session on the program during our next professional development day.
• 3^rd Grade Reading Law Compliance Letter and IRIPs will be going home today for 1^st-3^rd grade students. 
• Ms. Young has launched new student groups to help foster a welcoming environment. She will also be starting her focused lunchtime small groups in the next few weeks.  
• Math enrichment ideas and manipulatives were shared with the staff at their last staff meeting.
• 4^th Grade leadership is starting earlier this year, and the group already has some exciting ideas they would like to bring to life. 
• Students have been taking field trips to various locations such as the Knabusch Math and Science Center and the fire station.
• Bus safety lessons have been taking place in kindergarten classes with our Transportation Director and School Resource Officer.
• Planning is underway for a Career Day for students. More details will be shared when they are available.

5.  Parent Group Report 

• Parent Group update was shared by Sara Batson. Many special events are coming up such Book Fairs at both the elementary and middle school, Trunk or Treat, popcorn Fridays, Santa’s Workshop, and various spirit days in the coming months.  

6.  Upcoming Student Events 

• Manufacturing Day was October 2^nd for 8^th grade students. Students had a very positive experience and got to see firsthand the manufacturing jobs at FEDCO and Premier Industries.
• Knabusch Math and Science Center Field Trips are available through December. New winter/spring dates will be offered after Thanksgiving and again after the New Year.
• MathCounts will be starting soon. 
• You be the Solution Challenge (5^th-8^th grade) will tentatively be on February 26^th at the ISD for teams of 3-4 students. Ida had multiple teams participate last year and had a very positive experience.
• Monroe County Science Challenges for 3^rd and 4^th grade students will be back in the spring. The tentative dates are March 2^nd-3^rd. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
• Quiz Bowl is starting soon for 7^th and 8^th grade teams, the High School team has begun practicing. The county competition will be March 4^th-6^th.  
• Monroe County Authors’ Program will run through the month of March. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
• Monroe County Spelling Bee for 5^th-8^th grade students will be on April 9^th. 

7. Assessment Updates 

• NWEA/STAR Reading, K-8 – fall testing is finished, spring 2025 and current fall data was shared with the group.
• Spring state testing data was shared and reviewed with the group. Building level teams looked at data and trends.
• High School Testing:
  1. October 17^th-optional PSAT/NMSQT test for 10^th/11^th grade students who signed up
  2. WIN has replaced the ACT WorkKeys for 11^th grade students. This will be given during the spring testing window in April.

8. Professional Development Opportunities 

• Comments/feedback from August 26^th and 27^th PD 
• SCECHs have been submitted and teachers should have received an e-mail notifying them of the survey that has to be taken
• Next PD Day is Monday, November 3^rd – details about the day will be shared in the next week
• Elementary and Middle School Literacy Junket at the Monroe ISD – Thursday, November 6^th from 12:00-2:30pm
• Special Populations Conference - October 21-22, 2025, in East Lansing
• MiMTSS Conference; Vision, Action, Impact - November 12-13^th in Lansing or Virtual
• Fall 2025 Continuous Improvement Conference – November 19^th from 8:00-4:00 p.m. in Lansing 
• Michigan Music Conference – January 22^nd – 24^th in Grand Rapids
• Always available: EduPaths and Michigan Virtual online professional learning. https://www.edupaths.org. www.michiganvirtual.org.  Free, self-paced courses, SCECHs are available for most courses

9. Future Meetings

• Next meeting December 5, 2025-8:15 a.m. in the Middle School Library. 

*** For all ISD PD register on the ISD course where/wisdomwhere site: 

https://www.solutionwhere.com/ww/monroeisd/ 

Adjournment 10:15