Warren principal urges play-based, restorative practices and pilots Illustrative Mathematics at RSU 40/MSAD 40 meeting

Justin Kangas, principal at Warren Community School, told the RSU 40/MSAD 40 board that Warren is shifting instruction away from rote memorization toward problem solving, play and relationship‑building, and is piloting the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum to support that shift.

Kangas opened his presentation by arguing that the purpose of school has changed as information has become widely available. "We wanna keep kids curious," he said, adding that the school’s chosen values are curiosity, empathy and responsibility. He described Illustrative Mathematics as a problem‑based approach that emphasizes discussion, multiple entry points to tasks and real‑world problem solving rather than memorizing procedures.

Why it matters: Kangas said the pilot has produced early teacher reports of increased student participation, confidence and peer discussion. He framed those practices as a response to workplace and technological changes that place a premium on creativity and collaboration rather than rote computation.

Teachers’ experience and kindergarten work: Kangas read teacher feedback describing daily warm‑ups, partner work and class syntheses that allow students with different skill levels to participate. Laurie Taylor, a kindergarten teacher whose recorded slideshow was played for the board, outlined Unit 2 for kindergarten (numbers 1–10), describing routines, partner work, centers and a gallery‑walk synthesis. "The unit is all about numbers 1 to 10 and begins with oral counting," Taylor said, describing how lessons move from counting to comparing groups and representations.

Science, gardens and makerspaces: Kangas said Warren now provides daily science for grades 3–6 (about an hour a day) and has departmentalized those grades so teachers can focus on fewer subjects and build expertise. He highlighted greenhouse and garden projects, pollinator plantings and makerspace activities that connect science, literacy and social studies and give students hands‑on experiences.

Passion projects and behavior changes: Kangas credited 'passion projects' — a set of hands‑on, teacher‑driven enrichment activities started during hybrid COVID schedules — with reducing disciplinary referrals and increasing engagement. He said behavior referrals dropped markedly during the hybrid year when class sizes were smaller and teachers had a midweek planning day; Kangas described the prior typical annual referral numbers as in the hundreds and said the hybrid year produced far fewer referrals (he cited roughly 45 in a later period).

Restorative practices and regulated classroom training: Kangas outlined restorative circles (a talking piece model) and a 'regulated classroom'—a polyvagal‑informed, somatosensory approach using short 'activators' and 'settlers' to build students' capacity to respond rather than react. He gave a classroom example where a circle helped classmates express feelings after a disruption and enabled a student to return to class successfully. Kangas said the school has trained staff and is pursuing broader staff training through a train‑the‑trainer approach and grant funding.

Training and funding next steps: Board members asked whether the regulated‑classroom training is available districtwide; Kangas said the training has been offered with grant support, trainer materials are available to those who complete a trainer course, and he plans to use tier 3 funds to bring a trainer for a kickoff session at Warren. The board agreed to add a related agenda item for elementary principals and teachers to consider districtwide adoption.

Board business and closing: Earlier in the meeting the board moved to approve the Oct. 9 minutes (motion and second recorded in the transcript); the chair called for 'all in favor' but a formal vote tally was not read on the record. The meeting concluded with an announced tour of Warren and formal adjournment at approximately 6:40 p.m.

What’s next: Kangas said he is coordinating trainer availability and materials and asked the board to consider how to spread successful practices across the district; the board placed a related item on a forthcoming agenda.