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GCP279 - Building Steamer Success with Superintendent Kelli Parsons · Grow Clinton Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: This year, rather than having three large initiatives out there, I'm trying to braid them together.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: You're listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_02: Grow Clinton is a 501c6 nonprofit economic community development and tourism organization based in Clinton, Iowa.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_02: For more information, visit growclinton.com.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_02: Again, that's growclinton.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_02: Now, back to the show.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: What's happening, all you amazing people out there in Podcast Land?
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of the One, the Only, you love it, you know where to find it, folks.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: Grow Clinton Podcast brought to you by Grow Clinton, an economic development organization located in Clinton, Iowa, right along the mighty Mississippi River.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_02: As always, I am your host for today's show, Andy Sokolovich, president and CEO of Grow Clinton.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_02: Joined in the studio by none other than Jenny Home from our office.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_02: Jenny is the director of member and community relations.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: What's happening?
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_02: Oh man, here we're back.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_02: We're back to podcast day.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_02: So this is episode 279.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_02: Actually, I said 277 last one.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_02: 278, it actually was.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm losing count.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_02: That's how many we're doing today.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's how many we're doing.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_02: Losing track.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I don't lose track of?
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_02: Sponsor Jenny.
• 1:05
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• 1:41
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• 1:44
  SPEAKER_02: That is hard to say, Jenny.
• 1:46
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• 2:14
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• 2:28
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• 2:30
  SPEAKER_02: Solutions for a better tomorrow.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_02: Great show today, Jenny.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: I know it because this is a very exciting time of the year when school kind of gets up and running.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: Exciting for both students and parents.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_02: Ali.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: You send them back to school, Jenny.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: They go back to school and they get to deal with our guests.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: We have the river bend, Fulton Steamers, El Jefe in the house, the superintendent Kelly Parsons.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: Kelly, thank you so much for joining us.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for having me.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: Very exciting time of year.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh very, very busy right now.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: I can't believe we are already into mid now late October.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, just looking at the calendar, we're what, a week and a half from Halloween.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, this is it's going by really quick.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I you know it is because I I put some money aside at Citizens First Bank into a Christmas count.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-oh.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: And then that drops into my general checking account when it's time to start buying gifts.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: And that means we're getting close.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm going into a lot of stores.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: I haven't heard music yet.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_02: However, I have seen the decor.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_02: So holidays quickly approaching.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: How has this school year 26-27 been so far over at Fulton?
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_01: Because this is your first year as superintendent.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: First year as superintendent.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, so far, so good.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, I there are days.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, there are there are each day is uh is a there's ups and downs.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, each allen.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Ups and downs every day.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, learn something new every day.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: I I try to keep it looking at it as a positive versus a negative.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh some days are longer than others, uh, but I'm I'm really excited to be there.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh fourth year in the district, first year as superintendent.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um very blessed to be in Ripper Benz.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_02: I had the opportunity to come over to the high school uh several weeks ago with Jennifer Pepper's class and spoke to a group of students that are in leadership positions, whether it's within a club or sports team, and we talked about just general leadership practices and things of that nature.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_02: I shared a little bit about my background and the military and now my position with Gro Clinton.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_02: Great group of young professionals.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I must say.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: We are super lucky to have so many great kids.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: We really have a lot of successful steamers, a lot of uh great programs going on for our kids.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the leadership group is new this year that Ms.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_00: Peppers put together.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Mrs.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Bowers is also uh our assistant principal, and principal Mr.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Parsons are also working on putting together uh some leadership groups and um have started a parent-teacher organization as well at the high school level, which is pretty unheard of these days.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, typical typical for the elementary level, uh, not a lot of groups getting together at the high school level.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: So uh low turnout the first month, but she's got uh big topics scheduled for the rest of the year.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to see how many people we have show up for those moving forward.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_02: Excellent.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_02: Is Mr.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_02: Parsons retiring?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Mr.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Parsons has another year.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: One more year.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: One more year, one more year.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then he's going to retire.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: He taken on, you know, just a small task of coaching girls basketball this year as well.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: No big deal.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: That'll be in his free time.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's what they all say.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_02: That's what they all say.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_02: Next thing you know, you're driving a bus.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_00: Oh no, no.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_01: So, Kelly, what is your background in teaching?
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, my background in education, I started as a high school ag teacher, spent my first five years teaching um agriculture, and then I moved into special ed.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh kind of a random situation.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: We ended up moving.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: My husband took a new job, and there weren't any ag teaching positions in the area.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I got a job as a special ed paraprofessional in a school for students who uh struggled with behavior issues in the in the general school setting.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: So they they attended this school.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: I loved it so much.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: I went back and added special education endorsement to my um certificate.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Taught special ed for many years.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: Then I was a special ed administrator for five years.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: And the last four, I have been in riverbend.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: So excellent.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: Now, we over here in the Iowa side always just say Fulton, but it is a riverbend.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: And it's what?
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: C U S D one?
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_02: Two.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_02: Two.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I was so close.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: Number two.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_02: I was so close.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the gentleman who was in the position before you were hired eventually took over for the now retired Daryl Hogue.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, he took me to a conference one year, and uh, everybody was speaking in acronyms, and I just remember hearing like C U S D number two, and I was like, what does that mean?
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so very cool.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_02: What else is going on within the district that you are excited about?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: So again, lots of successful steamers right now.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: We had our first state individual golf champion, Owen Bansuden.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, um yeah, great for him.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh great for our golf group.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_02: Is he giving lessons yet?
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: Because I'm gonna need some.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: I bet if you reached out, I bet if you'd reach, if you reached out, he'd be willing to give me a hand.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: My uh game is exactly garbage.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: Garbage.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_02: My son's like, oh I dad, I gotta grab a sleeve of balls.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, a sleeve?
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like you mean three?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, dude, no.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like, grab that Costco bag I got in the garage because that's what I'm gonna need.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: I I am not a golfer, so I I do not have the patience for that.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: Um, his younger sister was our first female golfer to make it to Sectionals.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh cool.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: So that was that was great.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: What's her name?
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh Paisley.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, Paisley.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: That's nice.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we had a junior high cross country runner this year.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: She ran independently, but she got a PR at the state meet, so we're proud of her for that.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um, our band uh performed last night at senior night for volleyball, and they recorded their performance.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: They're going to apply to play at the state basketball tournament this year.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: So wish them luck with that.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: That would be awesome.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: We have our play coming up uh mid-November, the 13th and 14th.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Uh female leads in the um Watson and Sherlock Holmes roles.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Excited for that.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's cool.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh put football playoffs are the start this weekend.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Volleyball regionals start next week.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then we have a partnership with 3M that we're gonna have uh an event mid-November at the school.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: I will be sure to let you guys know the date on that.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they're gonna come in and we're gonna show off some equipment that they helped us purchase.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And uh some of our teachers are gonna head to training as well as a teacher from Morrison, and then we're gonna share that equipment and um those opportunities for our kids to they're such a great partner.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we are we are lucky.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: We're very lucky to have them in our area.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: They're really great.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so what's going on from a from a let's just say facility standpoint?
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: Any upgrades?
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: Uh just a just a minor one.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we're building a gym at the middle school.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, just a little just a little construction.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's um that is the one that I remind myself as a positive as as I learn something new every day about construction or construction delays.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, that's um, and all the things that go with destruct c destruction.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: Construction both, yes.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, has been some destruction, but as I learn something new every day, um, it it really is it's gonna be great for our kids.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's gonna be great for our kids.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: And we consider Riverbend and Fulton schools to be part of our region.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: We understand that educational dollars does not cross the river.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_02: However, our efforts here at Grow Clinton does not view it as an impediment uh or an obstacle.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_02: We definitely want to include everybody.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: But between yourself and the superintendent at Clinton, Northeast, Comanche, all have gone through some major construction projects.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, really, Wes Golden being a the king of the hill with a brand new high school.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm sure he'd be able to give you some pointers from time to time.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: I am not alone.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: I know that.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: I that that's one great thing.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: I I'm not alone in this role.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I've I've got a great mentor.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_00: I'm part of a great mentored group.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the Association of Superintendents in Illinois uh really covers us all there.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: But I there's a lot of great superintendents in this area who've gone through many of the things that I'm going through currently for the first time.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: And um, every single one that I've reached out to has gotten back to me right away.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: Well, just remember what Les always says.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_01: They say February.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_01: That means August.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: So we should be in the building in the fall of 2027.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm guessing winter.
• 10:53
  unknown: Winter.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: But I I right now the the goal date is uh to be in the building in August.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: How old is the gym currently in the middle school?
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_02: It was built with the gym.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Or it was built with the middle school um in the 60s.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: Very small.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: Glow up.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, for sure.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: Very much a glow up.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: I remember back in my old stomping grounds, a lum of Scooko Valley High School, class of 2000.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_02: Go Panthers.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: But uh yeah, we did some major renovation to this school while I was there, specifically the high school.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I just remember having the uh, you know, Clinton did not have to do this, but having the kind of the mobile classrooms, construction trailer style classrooms and stuff like that.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: And what's the message when you do that for students?
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: And that is that you care about them.
• 11:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and that's what they take away, and they're always so excited about the new, you know, facilities.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's a good way to get people to come back to the community because they say, you know, we got a brand new gym, they care about us.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: And and that's one of the things that that I try to remember as well.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: And and as I've talked to different groups about um about this construction project is what a great way to bring people into our community than to provide their children, our students, with bigger, better spaces.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: Well, because what's the first thing people look at when they relocate?
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know, if they have a child, schools.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if they have kids, they look at the schools.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's the number one request we always receive when we're bringing in a new family from uh outside the community that's coming in to work for one of our many employers.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_02: They want to see the schools.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, that real telltale success of a community is when you can see that the skyline is peppered with cranes.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: Correct.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_02: There's work being uh being invested in and it's happening, and people are very excited about it.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_02: Students are excited as well, especially those folks that are not yet in middle school that will go and spend some time in a brand new gym.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: Very nice.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_02: So shifting from educator to administration, what has been kind of the biggest surprise?
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_00: Oh time.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: Time.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: There's not enough of it.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: The lack thereof, yeah.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: I I was telling Jenny as I was walking in today, every meeting, every webinar, um everything that I sit through leaves me with four to five new things to add to my to-do list.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I'm saying.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Oh.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_01: You're not just waiting at your desk to complete.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: No, not so much.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: Not so much.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: There there are there have been a few days where I have just said, you know what, this can wait till tomorrow.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm done.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: And and I have let it wait till the next day, but for the most part, no, it is it is not a it's bell rings.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: I am not going anywhere.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Is the administration office still down by Fult Meat Market?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, right across from the meat market, which has also been an experience in and of itself right now with all the construction downtown.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I go from construction at the district office to I spent a couple uh days at the high school and the elementary school earlier in the week.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: And my day at the elementary school was listening to the construction up the hill at the middle school.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm just surrounded by construction when I'm at work.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: Progress.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: It is progress.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_02: Shane, uh Mayor Shane there.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_02: He is hoping for a November end date for that to be all said and done.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I think they have one section left they have to do for concrete, and then it's just going to be some beautification works for the curb and gutter and the paint and the lines and things of that nature.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_02: And then hopefully I can wrap that up.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Not going on in full.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: It looks amazing downtown right now.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Every every trip I make to and from the office, I have to take a slightly different route, whether it's around a different uh pylon or down a completely different block, depending on where they're at.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but every day, you know, I take a peek down the road and it's just looking a little better and a little better.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very excited, uh, very excited for our downtown.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: Very excited to have crumpets back.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's nice to be able to walk a block and grab a coffee and a couple cookies.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: So the Fulton's a great place to be.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_02: I heard that I understand.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: And then not only did they get the business, but they also have the recipes, things of that nature.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: So we're not losing the soups and sandwiches that everybody loves from crumpets.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of people were saying molasses cookies.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yes.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and we just had a ribbon cutting for um flowers on fourth.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_02: And that was yeah, a little difficult to get to, but the building is amazing inside and they do such a great job.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: I have a little bit of a uh, well, the live plant, like house plant style things I have a little addiction.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: Kelly.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: So I my office looks like the jungle book.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: Jungle.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_02: I used to get a vine in there I can swing from to and yeah.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: That's what I'm gonna do.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_01: I don't like from it, but we'll see.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_01: This building is a hundred.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_01: We'll do it once.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: We'll do it once.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_02: I've made that mistake before in the past.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: So, Kelly, you're excited, obviously, transitioned in this role from educator to superintendent.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: You're in the administration side now, have a lot of things planned for this school year.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: And when you close your eyes and you think about that kind of like big thing that you want to do, big accomplishment within the first couple of years of your tenure, what is it?
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to see all three of our buildings labeled as exemplary schools.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: Great.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: Can you explain what that means?
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's probably kind of self-explanatory.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but you gotta get there.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_00: But you gotta tell us.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_00: So uh the school report card uh officially will be released on the 30th of October uh through the the State Board of Education.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_00: And there have been a lot of changes this year uh in in the different areas of growth, different things they're looking at.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um we were commendable last year.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and I my understanding right now in looking at the pre-data is the middle school uh is remaining commendable, and both the high school and the middle school are um approaching exemplary.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: So what they did was they took the commendable um band and they've broken it into commendable, and then there's one approaching commendable and then approaching exemplary.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: So we are we were at the upper level of the band last year, and now they're highlighting that with the new with the new title, but I foresee all of our buildings being exemplary.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: What type of criteria were they looking for?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: We're looking at improved attendance.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: We are looking at improved scores at all grade levels on the uh standardized tests.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and we're looking at uh parent and teacher participation on um surveys and graduation rates.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_02: Surveys are tough.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they are because it's one thing where you can spend time, you know, writing the survey, trying to put yourself in the recipient's shoes, how much time is it going to take?
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_02: But we send out surveys like post-event surveys, and I my goal is always to get more responses because that allows us to create stronger events in the future.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: But it's a very, very kind of fine line.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_02: It's got to walk between asking for too much or not enough.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that that's one I've learned that along the way as well.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, as we've been modifying some of the professional development we're we're working on this this school year.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: I've been asking a lot of questions of my staff, knowing that if I'm asking the question, I have to be ready to listen to the answer.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: And some of the answers have been very honest and very telling about some of the choices we've made in the past, but they have made me make better choices moving forward and also looking in the immediate versus too far out.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_00: So currently we're working on capturing kids' hearts.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, that is a district-wide initiative, um, social emotional.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh two years ago we started Steamer Success Indicators and wrapped that work up and it it just kind of sat for a little while.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: And those are wellness, perseverance, critical thinking, communication, and responsibility.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: So those kind of tie into our capturing kids' hearts.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then last year we also started working on super focused work on our teaching and learning.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: And this year, rather than having three large initiatives out there, I'm trying to braid them together so that each month, as we're working on professional development, we're still touching a piece of each and keeping them all in the forefront instead of anything ending up just sitting on the shelf and and getting dusty.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's a moving machine.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's a very intelligent way to do it because I couldn't imagine if you had three large programs that you were trying to invest in and grow and develop, yet you weren't hitting all three with your actions every single day.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: That would be difficult because it's kind of like playing that uh is a slot machine game where you gotta feed the chickens, and if you get the coin that has that chicken picture picture on it, it goes in the chicken's belly.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: When the chicken gets big enough, it boom blows up and you win all this money.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_02: But that you know what I'm talking about.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I gotta get out of the house.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: You gotta get out of the house.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: I don't gamble, I just watch.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: There's a kid's game called Pop the Pig that's very similar.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: I I played that with a friend at the elementary school last year.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_02: So very cool.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: So, how many students do you have?
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_00: We have to hold the start 980.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, 980.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_01: So that is a big like moving parts.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_02: I did not realize how large the community of Fulton is from a geographic standpoint until I bought something off a marketplace and the gentleman gave me his address.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I'm like, Fulton, hop, skip and a jump.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, oh no, yeah, so much out there.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_02: It was out there, it's probably like two propane tanks, and I was like way out there.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_02: And I said to him, I said, This is still a Fulton address.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: And he said, Yeah, it's still in the city of Fulton.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, man, I did not realize that.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: River Bend is not only Fulton, we're also our Albany, Garden Plain, and uh Eustach, part of Eustach as well.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: I remember when all that came together.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: That was uh what about 15 years ago before my time.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, previously.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: I remember when all that consolidated.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: But so okay, so I have a question.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_01: What is the policy in Illinois about cell phones now?
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, so cell phones, that policy is going to change, I believe.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: It I believe it's next year.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason I say I believe and that I don't know for sure is we actually got we put an end to cell phone use for this school year.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so our kids currently can only have them at lunch and uh between classes.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_00: If they take them into the classroom, they go in a pouch on the wall.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but it's so that for schools who didn't currently have a policy, they will have a more stringent policy, whatever the state is putting into place when it starts next school year.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: For schools like us who had a policy in place, we'll be able to continue following that for a little bit longer.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: So have you seen, I know it's early in the year.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: Have you seen much of a change?
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: I you know, I saw something on TV about that and they were interviewing students, not from f uh from Riverbend, but they were saying the students like it.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: They're more engaged and they talk to each other.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: They're forced to talk to each other.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's fantastic.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: I have actually teachers were asking for uh board games, card games, different activities, quick activities that the kids could that they could have in the classroom so the kids could do if they uh happen to wrap something up a little sooner because we're on a block schedule, so we have longer class periods.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, because the kids didn't have their phones to be on.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: They were sitting and talking and they were wanting them to do something productive.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: So what better way than, you know, play around to cards, play, play GoFish, play whatever.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: I love that.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, you know, there's so many skills that our students can learn there, not only about getting along, but about communicating.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: That's face-to-face communication is well, adults are just bad.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: How many meetings do we sit in?
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: We're in a very important meeting, and there's there's always people that just sit there, and you can tell they're on they're scrolling.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, I can tell I'm from a small town because I went to Chicago last week and I'm walking down Michigan Avenue and I'm saying hi to people, and they're not even looking up from their phones.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_02: They're crossing a busy street, not even looking up from their phones.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: And it's not hard to look at somebody as an adult, and it starts in childhood.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_01: You look at them and you think, oh, they got a problem.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they can't put it down.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_01: You know, and so that I I love the fact that you've implemented that and that the kids are seeming to like it a little bit.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: It I don't think they liked it as much at first, but they've gotten used to it.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and parents have gotten used to to having to call the office um instead of calling their child directly.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's yeah, it it's a good thing.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_00: Bring back the pagers.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: Pagers.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like I used to rock back in the day.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: No, thank you.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: Pager.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: Pagers.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I actually had a beeper first, and that's the one you could only put numbers in.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_02: So it'd be like number 911, and you couldn't say anything.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: On the belt.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, on the belt.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: Who's this?
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: Wait, you're paging me.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, if they only knew Jenny.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_02: Well, Kelly, thank you so much for being on the show.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_02: Is there anything else you want to add before we close it out?
• 24:10
  unknown: Ah.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_02: You're doing a great job.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you are doing a great job.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I'll just say go steamers again for next week.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_02: Go steamers.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_02: I got a friend of mine.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we're connected via social media.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: Uh also I know him here in town, uh, but he follows the steamers and he just sends me messages all the time.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: He loves going to the games, taking pictures and stuff.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I think he was actually caught on one of the local cable networks the other day watching the game in the stands, but he's a huge supporter.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, this steamer fans, you can't stop him.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's all right.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: Big boys, too.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not lying up against them, I can tell you that much.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_02: All right, everybody.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for listening to another episode of the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_02: Remember, wherever you get your podcasts, please subscribe.
• 24:52
  SPEAKER_02: Just search Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_02: Never miss an episode.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_02: Until we talk again in the future, folks.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: Stay classy.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: See ya.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you for listening to the Grow Clinton Podcast.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_02: Be sure to subscribe and follow us on all your socials.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_02: Until next time.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_02: See ya.