Thank you Dr. For your service on the board. I appreciate and love you dad. Happy board appreciation month. So again whether our students realize it or not you do an incredible amount of work behind the scenes to support this district and we are deeply grateful for your service. So a heartful thank you to each of you in your roles. Tonight also marks the final board meeting for Stacey Seawalk and Kim Hurst and I would remiss not to reflect on some of the progress our district has made during their time on the board. Stacey you joined the board in 2019 after many years of service to Clayton as both a parent and a community volunteer. As a former educator you consistently kept students at the center of every conversation and reminded us of our shared responsibility to ensure Clayton remains a place for everyone to grow as learners in head and heart. Kim you joined the board in 2020 though your commitment to Clayton began earlier through your service on the district's finance committee and your support of community efforts such as Prop E. Throughout your tenure as treasurer and vice president you remained a strong steward of the district's financial health and helped ensure our decisions were again grounded on what's best for our students. As a student who wrote a card a few years ago said thanks for taking care of the money. We appreciate you. Together you Stacey and Kim have helped lead Clayton through moments of both progress and challenge.

We appreciate you. Together you Stacey and Kim have helped lead Clayton through moments of both progress and challenge. Allow me to share some of those highlights. During our tenure alone or during my tenure alone with you you supported and guided the implementation of our strategic plan and the profile of the Clayton graduate soon to be called profile of the Clayton learner. Made important investments in safety and security, including the addition of a third school resource officer, the creation of a director of safety and security position and improvements in safety infrastructure across all of our buildings. You also supported the development of a wellness center, which is one of the one of a kind in the state of Missouri and a key resource to support our students mental health and well being. You helped guide the renovation of Clayton high school library, which has become a vibrant hub for all of our students and if you ask our students, it is the place to be. Your leadership also helped guide important policy work and long term planning, including the two year tech study that we are going to hear about later this evening. let's also recognize your impact on the fine arts through your support our programs continue to grow from new chamber orchestra and choir opportunities at why down to expanding choir and visual arts offerings at Clayton high school. And not to mention all of our theater programs that continue to engage students and both on stage and off stage.

Your leadership also helped guide important policy work and long term planning, including the two year tech study that we are going to hear about later this evening. let's also recognize your impact on the fine arts through your support our programs continue to grow from new chamber orchestra and choir opportunities at why down to expanding choir and visual arts offerings at Clayton high school. And not to mention all of our theater programs that continue to engage students and both on stage and off stage. Your tenure has also been marked by significant academic progress in our classrooms you supported strong instruction first through expanded phonics in K five. rewrote rewritten elementary social studies curriculum and the adoption of K eight math resources. You strengthen students support systems through mtss and tools like at you climber while deepening our social emotional learning work around character strong. or with character strong and you championed innovation through partnerships like my side with wash you programs like amped and geometry and construction. and real world learning opportunities like global STEM squads because of your support Clayton high school has also reached the highest level of student participation in AP coursework and exams. ever with 947 tests administered with a 91% pass rating. And let's not forget your support of our athletic programs Clayton has won 10 state championships in the past 80 years 10 in 80 years remarkably eight of the 10 have been in the past four years. that's right that is exactly right.

You strengthen students support systems through mtss and tools like at you climber while deepening our social emotional learning work around character strong. or with character strong and you championed innovation through partnerships like my side with wash you programs like amped and geometry and construction. and real world learning opportunities like global STEM squads because of your support Clayton high school has also reached the highest level of student participation in AP coursework and exams. ever with 947 tests administered with a 91% pass rating. And let's not forget your support of our athletic programs Clayton has won 10 state championships in the past 80 years 10 in 80 years remarkably eight of the 10 have been in the past four years. that's right that is exactly right. You that's true, you also help guide the district through some. True it is it is you also help guide the district through some incredibly difficult and unexpected moments like navigating the pandemic engaging in complex Community conversations around coloris and most recently leading us through the May 2025 tornado. In each of these moments your steady leadership helped our district move forward and emerge even stronger as a Community. And now, as your service comes to a close you leave us in the midst of another important chapter your thoughtful work over the past two years on the long range facilities master plan has helped bring us to a moment we now are in prop oh.

In each of these moments your steady leadership helped our district move forward and emerge even stronger as a Community. And now, as your service comes to a close you leave us in the midst of another important chapter your thoughtful work over the past two years on the long range facilities master plan has helped bring us to a moment we now are in prop oh. On a personal note, both of you are part of a board that hired me as a superintendent your trust support and confidence in me have meant more than I can fully express. You pushed me when needed and supported me every step of the way, not many superintendents can say that and I stand here proudly as someone who can. You truly mean the world to me and I sincerely hope the relationships we have built will continue long after your service on the board, thank you for everything.