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Meeting Opening and Public Comment (Link: 00:00:00 – 00:02:00)
The committee meeting began at 6:00 PM on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at Swampskin High School, 200 Essex Street, room B129. The chair welcomed attendees and led the Pledge of Allegiance, apologizing in advance for having a hoarse voice due to recent illness.
During the public comment period, no speakers participated online. Katie Arrington of 40 Roy Street addressed the committee in person. She spoke about student trips to destinations including Quebec, Spain, Washington D.C., and Florida, stating these trips offer valuable opportunities to enhance classroom learning. Arrington urged Superintendent Calichman and Principal Zotto to work with parents to develop, implement, and enforce a well-defined and equitable trip policy for the district. She emphasized that without proper guidelines, various factors could negatively impact students, noting that such issues have already occurred.
Committee Comments (Link: 00:02:00 – 00:05:00)
The chair engaged in brief informal conversation with committee members about their vacation experiences before opening the formal committee comments period.
A committee member shared observations about returning from the holidays, expressing excitement about seeing the building filled with students in the hallways and gymnasium. The member also noted enthusiasm about the robotics team starting to gain momentum.
Suzanne Wright indicated she had no comments to share.
John Giantis spoke about his daughter, who is a senior at Swampscott High School this year. He mentioned discussing with his daughter and her mother about making the most of her final semester in high school. Giantis encouraged all seniors to soak up the experience, drawing from his experience with an older daughter who graduated a few years earlier. He emphasized that the last few months of senior year contain many significant events and experiences that students carry with them for a lifetime, urging seniors to embrace, enjoy, and look forward to this time.
The chair welcomed everyone back from vacation and hoped everyone had a restful break. The chair addressed current societal issues, stating that parents should know the school works hard every day to maintain a welcoming and accepting community. The chair noted that despite external noise, the school does its best to both educate and protect students. The chair then transitioned to reports from the Superintendent.
Superintendent Report (Link: 00:05:00 – 00:08:00)
Jason Calichman reported that the administration has been working hard on the budget with Herrick-Stella, Raymond, and the rest of the leadership team, preparing for a presentation scheduled for January 22nd. Calichman announced that the second student cabinet meeting would take place the following day at the high school. He described the first meeting as extremely valuable and expressed being impressed by both the number of student applicants and their thoughtfulness in explaining why they wanted to participate. Calichman noted that students were genuinely interested in making an impact on their school rather than simply seeking resume enhancement.
Calichman also reported that targeted instruction, referred to as TI, is operational and that the committee would hear updates from principals during the evening’s presentations.
The chair interjected to provide additional information about a tri-chair meeting held that day with the chairs of the select board and Finance Committee. The discussion covered schools in general and preparation for the January 22nd presentation. The chair announced that a tri-committee meeting involving the select board, Finance committee, and school committee would be held on Wednesday, January 21st at the senior center. Representatives from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees would attend to provide a School Finance 101 presentation.
The chair explained that while school committee members are required to take classes and attend school committee training, finance committee and select board members do not have similar requirements. The chair emphasized that everyone recognizes the challenges of school budgets, which are non-linear and subject to change. The meeting would also include a review of existing agreements to determine if any need to be sunset or revised. The chair noted that all three committees are looking forward to the educational opportunity, acknowledging that while schools represent only one piece of the municipal budget, they constitute a large portion.
Calichman concluded by announcing that the evening would begin with a presentation from Ramirez about “No Social November,” describing it as potentially the biggest challenge a teenager could face – staying off social media for an entire month.
No So November Presentation (Link: 00:08:00 – 00:22:00)
Ramirez presented the results of “No So November,” a social media detox program brought to Swampscott High School. The initiative was inspired by a conference speaker who started a youth-led nonprofit organization at age 19 to address mental health concerns. The program featured a school-wide assembly led by an 18-year-old Boston College student, emphasizing the youth-led approach since data shows adults telling students to avoid social media is ineffective.
A pre-survey received 317 responses, revealing that most students felt they were fine with their phone usage. The average daily screen time was approximately five and a half hours, which Ramirez noted equals about 15 years of life spent scrolling. After the assembly, students who wanted to participate further went to breakout groups in the cafeteria or gym, where peer leaders facilitated discussions. Students could sign up to pledge participation for the full month, with the goal being to delete social media apps rather than completely deactivate accounts. The month-long duration was chosen because data shows it takes that long for dopamine levels to return to normal.
Approximately 100 students completed the full detox. Some parents participated alongside their children. Post-detox data was harder to collect, but results showed more than half of respondents were neutral or agreeable to trying again next year, with some students not interested in reinstalling social media apps. Student feedback indicated surprise at how much they enjoyed the experience, discovering extra time, improved focus, and more meaningful interactions with friends.
A student participant confirmed completing the month-long detox and described the eye-opening experience of learning about actual phone usage during breakout sessions. Students reported usage ranging from eight to fifteen hours daily, leading to discussions about reducing social media use and being more active with each other. The student noted benefits including doing homework, going outside, making new friends, and using phones less overall.
Miguel Contreras asked about the definition of social media used in the program. Ramirez explained it included TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, other streaming services, and YouTube, as these platforms use algorithms to feed content. She noted that focusing on the biggest contributors for each individual student was more effective than complete elimination, as cold turkey approaches were challenging for many participants.
Suzanne Wright expressed support for the program and noted improvements in phone usage during school hours. However, Calichman mentioned that the student cabinet was requesting phone access during X block and study hall, indicating ongoing challenges. Wright expressed disappointment that students were fighting to have phones back after experiencing the positive effects of the detox.
Committee members discussed how students developed new habits, such as reading instead of using social media. Ramirez noted that when phones were restricted, students initially didn’t know what to do but eventually began reaching for books that had previously been ignored in her office.
The chair shared a personal experience of deleting TikTok after spending an entire evening watching concerts until 4 AM, and implementing a 10 PM cutoff for other social media platforms. Regarding future plans, Ramirez indicated next year’s program would be smaller scale without the large assembly, possibly involving groups of interested students running smaller sessions. She acknowledged the program was not initially popular but noted that committed participants recognized having more time for sleep, academics, music, and outdoor activities.
Calichman concluded by introducing the next presentation from Sanborn about an elementary school update, explaining that these school-level presentations originated from his positive experience with the high school open house presentation.
Elementary School Update and School Improvement Plan (Link: 00:22:00 – 00:45:00)
Sanborn presented the elementary school’s progress on three strategic goals established after the complex process of integrating three schools into daily operations. She noted that the team had moved the needle significantly on all three goals, exceeding her January expectations.
The first goal focused on positive behavior through the LOB Stars initiative, a Team Behavioral Positive Behavior program. Initially launched by administrators and teachers during SEL time, the program now involves all SES faculty and staff in distributing LOB Stars. The school has held two celebrations for the Gull house and Puffin house, the first teams to win. The Gulls participated in a competitive morning kickball match against staff, while the Puffins enjoyed an indoor carnival. The next winning house announcement was scheduled for January 30th. Sanborn noted a dramatic improvement in cafeteria behavior between September and January, with students displaying “claws up” gestures throughout the school as part of the seaside community theme.
The second goal involved targeted instruction, presented by Horgan. The initiative implements 40 minutes daily of homogeneous groupings with students moving across classrooms to experience different instruction styles. The program focuses heavily on the lowest 25% of students while challenging high achievers and ensuring every child receives instruction at their specific level. The goal is for 70% of students to achieve at least a full year of growth. All action items for the first cycle have been completed, and planning for cycle two is underway. Based on staff feedback, the second cycle will use a consecutive model with five weeks of math followed by five weeks of ELA or literacy, providing focused time before MCAS testing.
Horgan acknowledged the significant learning curve and thanked Sarah Kent and the interventionists for their behind-the-scenes work in research, resource creation, and feedback. Parent and student surveys are planned for next month and spring respectively. Sanborn mentioned receiving positive anecdotal feedback, including a parent reporting that targeted instruction was the best part of her daughter’s day.
The third goal addressed community building. The school completed three mystery reader sessions with middle school students, including siblings reading to younger children. Plans include expanding letter writing projects with community groups, connecting to fourth grade formal letter writing curriculum. First graders wrote letters to firefighters who responded with video answers. The police department maintained regular presence in the building, particularly at the beginning of the year, and participated in special events including a food pantry drive and fire department presentations. Family coffees were completed for kindergarten and first grade, with second grade scheduled for January 27th. The school held successful turkey trot and winter fair events and is already planning improvements to field day.
Committee members praised the presentation, with particular appreciation for community involvement and police presence in schools. Giantis inquired about using survey data for the following academic year, which Sanborn confirmed, noting they had already implemented staff feedback from the first cycle into the second cycle. Calichman emphasized the collaborative team approach and noted this addresses long-standing conversations about moving the needle for all students, including top performers seeking challenging work.
The chair highlighted the importance of data collection and tracking student progress year to year, particularly as students transition from fourth to fifth grade. He noted the benefits of conducting mid-year updates to keep everyone on track with goals. Calichman mentioned making this an annual January presentation, and Sanborn indicated she would share the presentation with her staff. The discussion concluded with emphasis on the program creating multiple trusted adult relationships for students and using balanced data including classroom observations alongside test scores.
Middle School Update and School Improvement Plan (Link: 00:45:00 – 01:11:00)
Minter presented the middle school’s progress on four goal areas: data literacy, writing excellence, student belonging, and family partnership. She noted that shifting her perspective from eight years as a teacher to her first year as principal had been an honor, allowing her to see all pieces of the building and confirming it as a great place.
The first goal focused on data literacy and academic growth. In October and November, Minter worked with Sarah Kent and Katie Porter Roberts to meet with each grade, pairing ELA teachers with social studies teachers and math teachers with science teachers. They reviewed first IReady scores alongside previous year’s MCAS scores to identify high performers and students needing extra support. The implementation of Open Architects as a data management system was described as a game changer, allowing all data to be housed in one space and easily manipulated to help both the bottom 25% of students and high achievers needing additional challenges.
Staff surveys following initial data meetings showed that teachers found them productive but were unsure of next steps, which led to the implementation of targeted instruction for fifth and sixth grades. The middle school started targeted instruction in December, about a month behind the elementary school, using existing enrichment blocks to avoid schedule changes. The first pilot session runs for 12 weeks, with plans to survey teachers afterward to determine if future sessions should be shorter, potentially two six-week periods or another 12-week session. Students will take IReady again in February to provide new data for planning the third trimester.
Hughes, a fifth grade teacher, presented her targeted instruction group called “Stories of Swampscott,” designed for the highest achieving students. The group explores the evolution of Swampscott from historical times to present, using donated books, library archives, news sources, and podcasts. Students work with tools that superimpose historical atlases from 1852 to current maps. The curriculum includes independent and collaborative writing using MCAS-style rubrics, with students providing critical feedback to peers for revision purposes. The group is preparing exhibits for a mini museum and will culminate with a magazine featuring community interviews, including input from Calichman.
Another targeted instruction example was “The Rhetoric of Recess,” involving two sixth grade groups working collaboratively. Students studied FDR’s persuasive speech to Congress and read related novels to learn about rhetoric and persuasion. They are now crafting arguments to persuade Minter to reinstate recess for sixth grade, with teachers emphasizing the need to anticipate counter-arguments. Minter noted that recess ends in fifth grade, making this a particularly relevant topic for sixth graders.
The second goal addressed writing excellence, with measurement planned through MCAS scores rather than immediate data points. All grades have been incorporating more writing, with fifth grade implementing the Into Reading program’s writing components. Student work examples were provided from all four grades, including creative writing, persuasive writing, pieces based on the Twilight Zone and various novels, and seventh grade science writing determining where Dracula’s gravestone should be located based on evidence.
The third goal focused on building student belonging, primarily through the advisory block, the first 35 minutes of each day. An advisory committee formed over the summer to brainstorm improvements for students who needed more engagement and motivation to arrive on time and be present. Survey results showed generally high energy levels in morning classes. Monthly open gym and outside time sessions were implemented as incentives, with students asking about the program when December’s session was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
The mystery reader program continued with eighth graders reading to second graders and seventh graders reading to preschoolers. The program received strong student interest, with many meaningful application responses. Additional belonging initiatives included the Seven C’s incentive program for seventh grade, similar to Big Blue Pride but on a smaller scale, and the new Arctic Games created by specialists before winter break, featuring challenges like box tower building and a Whitney Houston drum challenge.
The fourth goal strengthened family partnerships through various communication tools and events. SmartPass and Open Architects provide comprehensive student data, showing when students are in or out of class and which classes they miss most frequently. An attendance tracking system was created with agreements for parents of students with attendance issues, including plans for students to start their day in guidance or the main office when needed. The school conducts attendance calls home, family surveys, and works to partner with families to ensure student presence and punctuality.
Committee members praised the targeted instruction approach, particularly noting how homogeneous grouping allows lower-achieving students to shine as the best in their group while high achievers engage in authentic, project-based learning. Giantis asked about measurable outcomes for the writing excellence initiative, with Minter explaining the goal is to increase the percentage of students exceeding expectations on MCAS scores. Wright noted that writing skills often decline when new reading curricula are adopted, making the middle school’s focus on writing particularly important.
Contreras appreciated the project-based approach that encourages students to think multiple steps ahead, particularly in the recess debate project. He also noted the importance of attendance accountability measures. A student committee member praised the open gym activities for bringing together students who don’t usually interact and appreciated family communication tools that allow parents to track their children’s school activities.
Calichman reported visiting the recess debate session and being impressed by students’ engagement. He described the presentations as showcasing the type of school that would be featured on social media highlights, praising the academic, social, and emotional programs while noting the raised expectations across all areas. The chair specifically highlighted a sixth grader’s creative writing describing something that “smelled as good as a new candle on a winter night in space,” noting it stopped him while reading through meeting materials.
Donations and Administrative Business (Link: 01:11:00 – 01:16:00)
The chair addressed subcommittee discussions, noting there were none, then proceeded to present three donations for committee approval. The first donation came from Walker Christie, a board member of the Witherspoon Foundation based in Los Angeles, who donated $500 to the Swampscott High School Theater Department. The donation is designated for general theater department needs including funding the annual play or musical, purchasing classroom materials, or covering transportation and meals for low-income students traveling to drama festivals.
The second donation, also from the Witherspoon Foundation, was $7,000 designated for the Swampscott High School TV program to be used at the discretion of Dulet. The chair noted the TV program’s continued expansion and Dulet’s work on the cutting edge of changing technology. When asked how the funds would be used, Dulet explained that with declining cable revenue affecting both school and town budgets, the timing was perfect for replacing TV cameras purchased eight or nine years ago when more funding was available. He noted that while cameras can last eight years, having funds available for replacement is crucial for maintaining the news program.
The third donation came from the estate of Jane Willette Cox, submitted through Cox’s attorney, providing $1,000 to Swampscott High School. The chair expressed gratitude to the estate, family, and law firm for bringing the donation to the committee’s attention.
A committee member made a motion to accept all three donations together, which was seconded and passed unanimously. The chair then addressed the approval of minutes from two December 4th meetings: a subcommittee meeting for budget purposes and a regular session meeting. A motion was made to accept both sets of minutes together, which was seconded and passed unanimously.
The chair asked if anyone had anything additional to add, noting that voices from the audience indicated no. A motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and passed unanimously, officially ending the meeting.
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