Jordan Supercast

By Jordan SupercastEducation Self-Improvement Kids & Family Education for Kids

Jordan Supercast episodes

December 07, 2023 Episode 222: What Fuels the Talented Herriman High Boys Cross Country Team
They raced to the finish line making history as the only Utah team ever to take home the first-place title at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.
On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with members of the Herriman High boys cross country team to find out what fuels them across the finish line and how it feels to be among the best of the best. Hear what their coach has to say about the talented team.
Audio Transcription
[MUSIC]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They raced to the finish line making history as the only Utah team ever to take home the first-place title at the Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon.
On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with members of the Herriman High boys cross country team to find out what fuels them across the finish line and how it feels to be among the best of the best. Hear what their coach has to say about the talented team.
[MUSIC]
We're here at Herriman High School to talk with the coach and a couple of the runners who were involved in a big victory for Herriman High School in Oregon over the weekend. Coach Soles, thanks for taking a moment to talk with us.
Coach Soles:
Thank you so much for having us.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit about this competition. I know the state cross country season is over with, but this is a separate thing and it's a big deal.
Coach Soles:
Yeah, in 2004, Nike decided they wanted a national championship in cross country and so they created the Nike Cross Nationals. Pretty much brings together the fastest individuals and fastest teams in the country. So every year you get a chance to work your way through the process. You got to go to the Nike Cross Regionals, basically finish in the top two or three there and then you get an invite up to Portland to compete at the Nike Cross Nationals.
So out of the 18,000 plus teams that run cross country in high school, 22 of them end up in Portland. And if you can just make it there, it's pretty much an honor. But these guys had bigger goals and wanted to go after actually trying to win it this year after taking third last year. So pretty exciting to see it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the qualifying event. That was only a few weeks ago, right?
Coach Soles:
Yes, so two weeks ago we took I think almost 60 kids down to Arizona and had a big competition for the Nike Cross Regionals. And these guys took second to American Fork there. We got out a little bit slow and it wasn't the race we wanted. So we had two weeks to make some adjustments and really get in their heads about where they needed to be at Nationals. And they listened to everything we told them to do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me a little bit about those adjustments. What are some of the things that make a fast runner faster when it comes to cross country? Don't divulge any secrets or anything. But in general, what are some of the things that you look for runners to do?
Coach Soles:
When you get to that level, almost everybody up there is a pretty fantastic runner. So you really have to understand the strategy that you need to use for that course that day with the group of kids that you have. So last year we went out really conservatively. I think we started like 14th or 15th in the race and then moved up and took third by the end of the race. This year we knew it was going to be extremely muddy and wet. There were big giant oceans of water on the course, so big puddles. So we told the boys it's really hard to move up when it gets muddy like that. So you're going to need to get out much faster than we're used to and much faster than we're comfortable to be able to do it.
That was one of the things that Jack was saying at the race is “I know for me to be successful, I have to go out much faster than I'm comfortable with doing.” And so as a coach, that's getting them to understand the positioning. We got out just a little bit better than American Fork did and I think that was the difference.
Anthony Godfrey:
So really it's the condition of the course to a great extent that determines your strategy.
Coach Soles:
Yeah, we couldn't set a strategy until we got up there and really did the course run-through on Friday. Coach Pugel runs with the boys and takes them through the course and they really look at where are the biggest obstacles, where do they need to make the moves in the final cut and then we evaluate what strategy we want to use. So it's really a team effort.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about Utah conditions you've coached for a very long time in California, you've competed in many states. How do the Utah conditions lend themselves or not lend themselves to good conditioning? Does the altitude make the difference that you might think it would or?
Coach Soles:
Yeah, actually we're almost exactly at 5,000 feet here at Herriman High School. And the nice thing is that it's of good benefit in terms of training for elevation but it's not so high up that you can't really do great workouts. So we've kind of got the best of both worlds here. We can push ourselves really hard and get those benefits and we can also make sure that we get the benefits of when we do our aerobic stuff that just that elevation is helping us. So when we go down the sea level in Portland, Oregon, all of a sudden that last mile we feel fantastic and everybody else is gasping for breath. So it definitely helps.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's interesting, it sounds like too much altitude would be counterproductive. Like if you're too high you can't really get a rich workout.
Coach Soles:
Yeah, I think a lot of the professional runners found that out. A lot of them were racing up to high altitudes and what they started to find out was they couldn't run fast enough at those altitudes to get some of the work that they needed. So they started driving down to lower elevations to do their speed work and then driving back up for the aerobic stuff. So there's always a balance but I think at 5,000 feet here we have kind of that perfect mix of just being able to get out and crank in most workouts and feel pretty good about what we do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what are some of the skills that you focus on with newest runners? Kids who are new to running, they're excited about being part of the team, but they don't really have much of a head start. What are some basic skills that you really focus on helping them attain early on?
Coach Soles:
Yeah, I mean one of the first things is making friends. It's really easy to put in the work out there when you've got a friend group. So we try to get them friends so that they're comfortable being out there. We try to work on just that core strength, making sure that they can handle the work that they're trying to do. And so there's running components, but there's also a lot of strength components, consistency components that they've got to learn. As they learn those, they slowly but surely work up through the program. So we've had a lot of guys that have come in and they just start literally as the slowest guy on the team. After they get working their way through it, they'll work their way up into the top varsity group. So you never know what a 4’10” freshman boy is going to be as a senior, sometimes they're 6’3”.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Coach Soles:
So we never write them off.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's true.
Coach Soles:
Come in and work hard and you never know what you can be.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, tons of potential. And I love the focus on friendship because there's this connection with others. And at the same time, you get to see what type of personal progress you're making and how you're improving your own times.
Coach Soles:
Yeah, and I think that's the best email you get as a coach. It's fun winning national championships, but you get these emails from parents saying, “hey, we didn't think this was going to be for our kid and now it's all he thinks about. He made connections here and he's got a great friend group. He's always struggled to make friends and now he's got tons, so we appreciate it.” That's the rewarding side of it as a coach for sure.
Anthony Godfrey:
I love hearing that. And when you hear academic all-state for cross country, those are some high GPAs. You have some very focused students on your team.
Coach Soles:
Honestly, I've coached a lot of good teams. This is the smartest group I've had, some really, really smart kids. And Jack's here, he's a really highly intelligent kid. He was one of my student aides last year in class and I noticed, no matter what I asked him, he was spot on. And kind of had that wisdom a little bit ahead of where most people do. I think he was able to really look at what we were doing and what was going on and really understand it better than most kids do. And so I've relied on him a lot in terms of just maybe translating some of my stuff to the other kids and getting others to believe. I think he's done a great job with that.
Anthony Godfrey:
I've always been impressed when I watch cross country competitions, cross country meets, that students are so supportive of each other. Teams will cheer each other on along the trail. Speak to me a little bit about the culture of cross country.
Coach Soles:
Yeah, cross country is a weird sport because you tend to share workouts with other coaches, you tend to be friends with other coaches. And the athletes, a lot of the time they go and they're excited when they make new friends from other teams. So I think it's encouraged by the majority of programs.
We were facing an American Fork who had beaten us at State and beaten us at Nike Cross Regionals. And just we were the top two teams in the country this year and they'd gotten the better of us. I'm really close with the coach over there. Timo Mostert is one of the best coaches in the country and probably one of the best coaches of all time. So just having the opportunity to compete against people like that is just really high character and great people.
I think it was hard for our kids and our program while we're celebrating, we have to look over and see guys that we really care about hurting. Because they were right there and they were that good to win it as well. Their performance was good enough to win most NXN. So I know it was tough for them.
I've been on both sides of that equation and stood there and watched other teams celebrate while we were brokenhearted. So I thought it was really awesome. They came over and congratulated us and our boys went over and gave them hugs. And we understand that someone's got to win and someone's got to lose. But it is hard when it's people you're close with.
Last year, neither team really was quite able to think they were going to win it. So I think we were a little more relaxed and our boys and their boys ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together and hung out. And so they're really good friends and I think that's one of the coolest things.
But we always tell our kids in cross country, you go out there and make friends. Be nice to other parents and other people. You're going to get asked questions from other programs about our program. Be polite, be nice and the Herriman kids are amazing.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, well, it's exciting to hear about the collaboration, and the friendship, and the competition that helps you bring out the best in each other. So congratulations on an amazing run, if I may say. And a great season and going from third last year to first this year. A lot of great things are ahead.
Coach Soles:
Yeah, actually we returned some of the best guys in the country and we're going to really be favorites to win next year as well. So hopefully this is the beginning of a dynasty for Herriman High School.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're thrilled to have you here and I really appreciate your taking the time.
Coach Soles:
Thank you so much.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back team members talk about their big win and what's next in their incredible high school cross country careers.
[MUSIC]
Break:
In Jordan School District, we like to support students in and outside the classroom along with their families. That's where the Jordan Family Education Center comes in, offering support services and a wide variety of classes for students and their families, free of charge. You can take a class called Blues Busters for children feeling sad or worried. Just Breathe is a class that helps students reduce stress. Or how about a class that supports parents in helping their children make and keep good friends? There are also support groups and free counseling, all provided by Jordan School District school psychologists, counselors, and school psychology interns. To find out how you can benefit from free family support services offered by the Jordan Family Education Center, call 801-565-7442 or visit guidance.jordandistrict.org.
[MUSIC]
Anthony Godfrey:
We're at Herriman High School talking with two of the student athletes who competed over the weekend in the national cross country competition and took first. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Introduce yourself when you started running and tell me what got you started in running.
Jack:
I'm Jack Beckstrom, I'm a senior. I started running when I was in ninth grade. And honestly, the thing that started me running was my mom said I could stop playing the violin if I did.
Anthony Godfrey:
[LAUGH] So she said you could stop playing the violin if you started running. Is that something you came up with or did she come up with that bargain?
Jack:
I think she came up with it, but I took it as fast as I could.
Anthony Godfrey:
How long had you been playing the violin?
Jack:
For ten years at that point.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you were a decade into your career as a violinist and you gave it up for running.
Jack:
Yeah, I have three brothers, one older and two younger. And of everyone that's reached ninth grade so far, everyone's taken the deal.
Anthony Godfrey:
So everyone became a runner?
Jack:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, can you outrun your brothers?
Jack:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
[LAUGH] That's a very interesting way for you to enter running. Tell me how it felt to start out as a runner.
Jack:
It was pretty hard to start out. I was like five foot two or something when I was a freshman.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Jack:
My legs were tiny little nubs, could barely get moving. It was just really hard to do anything. So I just had to put in a lot of work. Then as soon as I started growing, it got easier.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, and you could feel the progress as you worked hard.
Jack:
Yeah, it feels really good to look back and see like, “Oh, I've been improving pretty steadily for years and years.”
Anthony Godfrey:
Now I want to give your mom some credit. I would think that the discipline of practicing the violin for ten years benefited you when it came to being a disciplined runner.
Jack:
Yeah, for sure. We had to practice it 30 minutes a day, five days a week. So going into practicing six times a week for however long. It's just, if you're doing something and competing in something, you need to have the discipline to practice it over and over again. And that really helped me develop that.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a pretty important lesson that consistent hard work will bring you some results that make it worth it.
Jack;
Yeah, it is a good lesson to learn.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your career, introduce yourself.
Tayshaun:
I'm Tayshaun Ogomo. I'm a junior this year. I started running when I was in elementary school in sixth grade. My mom signed me up for, we have a program around here called Race Cats. And it starts you through the elementary school and you just go to smaller competitions or race against other elementary schools. She signed me up for that because I was currently playing baseball and soccer before that. And she told me if I ran, I would get faster to continue playing baseball and soccer. So I decided she was right and I started running. Back then it wasn't really running, it was go play sharks and minnows for 30 minutes and get a piece of candy after.
Anthony Godfrey:
Sharks and minnows and candy, that was your entrance into cross country.
Tayshaun:
Yeah, no, it definitely was. And then as we progressed through running in elementary school, we went to our races and I noticed that I was one of the fastest kids in those races, taking the first or second throughout them. And I was like, “Hey, I'm really good at this, I should keep doing it.”
Anthony Godfrey:
So at what point did you decide I'm not running for baseball, I'm running for running?
Tayshaun:
So that didn't happen until after my freshman cross country season. I continued playing baseball and soccer and even started basketball up until ninth grade. We finished the cross country season and I ran pretty good. It was right before Coach Soles got here before the track season.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Tayshaun:
And right then it was the first day of track. I had tried baseball, but I didn't make the team and Soles came in and told us all these ideas that he wanted to take us as a team. And a lot of the guys had just started buying into a lot of my good friends on the team at that point. So I was like, “hey, maybe I should dedicate all my time to this running.”
Anthony Godfrey:
Talk to me about the competition this last weekend. What did that feel like?
Jack:
It was just a really cool experience. Nike really takes care of all the athletes that make it. They fly us out there on Thursday. They take us around their campus. On Friday, we run through the course. They give us a bunch of gear for our race. Saturday, we run the race. And Saturday, we come home. But they just take really good care of everyone. We're at a really nice hotel. They give us lots of food and-
Anthony Godfrey:
And they pay for all of this.
Jack:
Yeah, they pay for everything. They really want to, I guess, reward everyone for all the hard work they've put in.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about Nike swag.
Tayshaun:
The Nike swag is honestly really awesome. They give us all, they fully set us out in new uniforms. They give us backpacks, water bottles. They give us new sweats and jackets and everything. They just really make us feel as if we're one of the best runners in the nation. And they show us how it would be to almost be a Nike-sponsored athlete.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a really good way of putting it. Tell me about the other runners on your team.
Jack:
We have a lot of really good runners on our team. So I guess for the team that went to Nationals we have Jonah and Micah Tang, who are both juniors, they're twins. Then we have Max Hofheins, Will Steadman, and Hyrum Wood, who are all seniors. And it's just a - and we have Noah Manwaring, who's also a junior. He went to a different national championship meet in Alabama and he did really well there too.
Tayshaun:
All the guys on the team were really close. It's almost become like a family. We spend 90% of our time together practicing Monday through Saturday. For what, two hours a day? We spend a ton of time together. Even when we're not practicing, we try to hang out as much as possible. So it becomes like a family, especially through the seven guys. They're all super fun to hang out with. Even our eighth man, we're all super close and it pushes us harder, as Jack says.
Anthony Godfrey:
What do you do when you're running? Do you listen to music or do you not so that you can concentrate? How does that work?
Jack:
We usually run together. There will be a big group of like 15 guys at least that are all together. So usually we'll just be talking about our days and having conversations instead of listening to music.
Tayshaun:
Yeah, we're definitely more of a social team. We don't just like tune out and listen to music. While we're on our own, some of us do listen to music. But for the most part, we run together and just socialize.
Anthony Godfrey:
So most of you running is with others. You're mostly not running alone.
Tayshaun:
Yeah, definitely. We only run very rarely alone. And even when we do, we try to meet up if it's supposed to be a long run.
Anthony Godfrey:
So the friendships you make and the relationships you have are a big component of why you love cross country.
Jack:
Yeah, it's great to be surrounded by friends you love for so much of your day. And it really puts in perspective why you're doing it. Like if you're running a race and you look around and you see all your teammates. You remember that you're doing this for them and it really makes you work your very hardest.
Anthony Godfrey:
Do the friendships and the connections you have with other people on the team give you a competitive edge?
Jack:
I think they absolutely do. Running it hurts, obviously, and when you're kind of in a painful spot in the middle of a race, you think of the people that you've been training with all year and all the work they've put in probably how hard they're hurting. And sure it may hurt physically in the moment, but knowing after the fact that you didn't put your heart and soul into a race hurts more.
Tayshaun:
Yeah, definitely. From my personal experience, we were at Nationals and I was running along one of our seniors, Maxwell Hofheins. And I started to fall behind him as he kept going. In my head, I was just thinking, he's hurting a ton and I want to win this championship for this guy and for Jack farther ahead of me. It just gave me the motivation and the strength to push through that pain all the way to the finish line just because of how close we are.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the celebrations and the way that you've been greeted here at Herriman High School having come back with that victory.
Jack:
It's been like a hero's welcome. We're having people from all over the school, parents from all over the community. We got a police escort back to the school.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Jack:
When we were getting back from the airport. It's just really great to see all the support we have in the community around us and that they care about us.
Tayshaun:
Yeah, it's almost as if we just become famous or something. Everybody cares. We went through the school yesterday and they had us go down the halls and we had the news recording us, we had every student at the school was just standing out in the hall chain for us and they really showed how we were welcome and how much we’re appreciated.
Anthony Godfrey:
A long time ago, I ran a few 5Ks here and there and I would always kind of pick out the person that I was going to overtake. It was mostly like somebody running with a stroller and a child. And I'm trying to like okay, you have a dog or you have a stroller. So maybe I can beat you. So I'm going to run as hard as I can to try to take you, overtake you. Do you do that in a race? Do you like pick okay, that's the next person. I'm just going to watch their pace and I'm going to outdo them. And then I'm going to pick off the next person and the next person. Are you motivated by the person right in front of you?
Jack:
Yeah, so we run our races. We go out a little more controlled at the beginning and we'll kind of speed up and pass a lot of people towards the end. It's not only good from like a physiological perspective where you're more likely to run better if you ease yourself into it. But it's also really good mentally because it just feels good to pass people.
Anthony Godfrey:
[LAUGH]
Tayshaun:
Yeah, no, we definitely also, we know what the other team's jerseys are like and we know who we're competing against. So just being able to see them up there and being like, I'm going to go hunt him down and go pass him. It's definitely a really good feeling.
Anthony Godfrey:
So the three of us have some running experiences in common.
Tayshaun:
Yeah, definitely we do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, that feels really good. That feels really good. Congratulations on a great outcome this weekend and on working so hard to get to where you are. We're really proud of your efforts and your accomplishments. So well done.
Tayshaun:
Thank you.
Jack:
Yeah, thank you for having us.
[MUSIC]
Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.
[MUSIC]
23 min
November 30, 2023 Episode 221: Former JATC Student Living and Working in Hollywood Pursuing His Passions
He is hoping to make it big in Hollywood working with the best of the best in animation and film.
On this episode of the Supercast, meet Ethan Jones, a former student who talks about his time at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) North Campus. It’s a place where Ethan found the confidence to pursue his dream of heading to Hollywood to work in animation and film.
We also meet a JATC North teacher, who Ethan credits with setting him on the path to career success.
Audio Transcription
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He's going to make it big in Hollywood, working with the best of the best in animation and film.
On this episode of the Supercast, meet Ethan Jones, a former student who talks about his time at the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers, JATC, North Campus. It's a place where Ethan found the confidence to pursue his dream of heading to Hollywood to work in animation and film. We will also meet a JATC North teacher, whom Ethan credits with setting him on the path to career success.
We're talking now with Ethan Jones, a former student of the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers. Ethan, thank you very much for talking with us.
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Anthony Godfrey:
You're joining us via Zoom from where?
Ethan Jones:
Los Angeles.
Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about the career that you have now as a result of a lot of factors in your life, one of which includes your experience at JATC.
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, so yeah, I started my creative pursuits at JATC, doing the digital media program. And during that time, I got to do a tour of Gnomon, which is the college I just barely graduated from. There at JATC, I kind of was exposed to 3D animation, and that kind of kickstarted my aspirations for the discipline. Back then, I wanted to be a filmmaker. And thankfully, JATC was like, no, animation's way cooler. And thanks to my teacher. Yeah, that's the dream happened.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your teacher. What do you remember about your teacher, the class, that experience at JATC?
Ethan Jones:
The class was pretty great. My teacher was amazing, Lisa Wadzeck. She teaches the digital media program at JATC North. And she really just pushed me and showed me these new career paths I could go down. How the program works, you kind of are like a jack of all trades for the first half of the year. And then the next half, you get to kind of specialize in something. And so I did the JATC program twice. The first time I did video production, and then the second, I did 3D animation. And that 3D side of things, the creative freedom I had was just perfect for me. And yeah, since then, I haven't looked back, and that's my career path since.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what attracted you to the 3D work after you were exposed to that through the program where you get to try out some different things.
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, what really bothered me about traditional filmmaking, especially being a young student, was I didn't have a lot of resources. So in order to make a film look good, you have to be at a good location, somewhat decent camera, and a million other equipment, lighting, audio, all that stuff. And as a poor student, I couldn't have access to those things. And so 3D, all I needed to do was just dedicate my time, and I could make whatever I want. I think that aspect of 3D is what really attracted me to make the movies I want to make. Eventually, I want to be a director, so the 3D is kind of temporary. It's just a way of me understanding the discipline and getting to work on a few productions eventually. And hopefully, one day, live out my real dream, which is to make my own stuff.
Anthony Godfrey:
So the 3D animation allowed you to be creative without being bound by quality of equipment or circumstances you could really let your imagination take off.
Ethan Jones:
Exactly, yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me about the training that you had after leaving high school.
Ethan Jones:
So I went to Gnomon School of Visual Effects and Animation. It's a trade school. They specialize just in my industry for both film and games. And so they've won a lot of awards. They're considered one of the best schools in the world for my trade. At first, I did not even apply to that school because I was too nervous to. And my JTech teacher kept telling me, just apply. The worst they could say is no, and then you could work on it and eventually get there. But you're never going to get it if you don't apply.
And that self-doubt, I stopped. I didn't apply for six months. And I kind of regret that, but I've had a lot of experiences since then that are good that kind of kickstarted my career in ways that I didn't foresee. But after I applied, I got in. And then for the last three years, I've been kind of rigorously training in 3D in all aspects from programming to modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging, the whole pipeline.
It kind of works the same way J Tech does, kind of funny. So the first year, you kind of learn everything. And then the next two years, because it's a three-year bachelor's degree program, the next two years that you study, you get to specialize in either film or games. And I specialize in film. It's kind of funny now looking back. That's kind of how J Tech works. I think that's the perfect way to do it, get you exposed to everything. And then you get to choose what you're really passionate about. It's a good way of learning.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I love that your teacher helped encourage you to apply. The worst they can say is no, but it can feel pretty terrible to be told no, because that can feel like somebody saying, no, you have no potential. No, you should not follow this path. Not just no, you're not admitted to our school. So congratulations on completing that program. And I'm really glad to hear that JATC seems to mirror what they do there.
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, that's great.
Anthony Godfrey:
So now, what piqued your initial interest in film? You say you started out wanting to do film and then moved to 3D. Where did that initial interest, that spark come from?
Ethan Jones:
I got interviewed by a couple articles, a couple magazines, and I kind of got to reflect during that time on what made me the way I am. And I think looking back, I think it's my dad who really kickstarted me, because as a kid, he would kind of tell me stories, and he would play movie soundtracks, and he would kind of involve us in the story somehow. And so it would be like a night in a desert or something and then we'd have this awesome movie. And in my brain, I could picture the movie he was pitching to us. I think that mixed with my mom kind of pushing me to read a lot of books. I fell in love with storytelling.
And then at the age of 10, my dad actually owns a media production company, so he does a lot of commercial work in the Salt Lake area. And I got to basically job shadow him on a couple productions when I was really young. And just kind of seeing how that worked, I knew I belonged there. I just didn't know how I was going to get there. And then middle school came. I was kind of making my own kind of silly stop-motion, Lego animations. And then high school hit and my mom told me about the JTech program. And since then, the rest is history.
Anthony Godfrey:
Great support from your parents being aware of that program. And I love that your mom helped push you toward reading and that your dad fostered that creativity from an early age. Imagining the movie to go with the soundtrack, that just sounds fantastic. We're big movie fans in my family. So the letterbox accounts, tracking all their movie watching and all that is a big deal. So thinking about that and thinking about the soundtrack and the creativity levels that were encouraged by your family. That's exciting. Tell me about the experience seeing your dad at work.
Ethan Jones:
I think as a kid, you kind of look at your dad as this awesome person. I always thought that when I was young. So seeing my dad kind of work his craft. Kids typically like to mimic their parents and they kind of want to be like them one day. And since I was a little toddler to an early teenager, that's all I wanted to be. And then it's kind of funny at like 13, 14, I wanted to be the opposite. I wanted to do something else. And I kind of went full circle and went back to wanting to be like my dad.
Anthony Godfrey:
That is not an unfamiliar cycle. It's exciting that you're where you are now. So tell me about your work currently in LA now that you've graduated. Tell me some of the projects that you've been involved with and some of the work that you're doing.
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, so currently the film industry’s in repair. We have the actors and writers strike that kind of took out a lot of the film jobs. I graduated this year in September. So it's been about a couple of months and they told me right before I graduated it's the worst time to graduate in 50 years. So that was kind of comforting. But since then I've been working as a freelance CG artist. I've been able to pick up a few gigs here and there from online freelancing sites. I'm currently under NDA, so I can't necessarily talk specifically what I do. But it's not film. It's more like video game related. But yeah, since then I've just been doing freelancing.
Anthony Godfrey:
Since you're bound by a non-disclosure agreement for whatever work you're doing, just kind of tell me the types of work that you're doing. Are you creating figures that have been described to you or what exactly does work look like even though you can't give specifics about a particular project?
Ethan Jones:
Sure. So typically in a production, this is kind of what I'm doing. We have concept artists who would make what I'm doing is specifically environment work. So I get a lot of props for lamps or barrels or stylized pieces. And I then create those for the environment, whatever environment they're creating for their game. So as a CG generalist, typically, this is kind of hard to explain, especially the people who aren't familiar with a lot of computer stuff. But in a CG pipeline, you have a lot of different disciplines and I was trained as a general.
So I can do all of them from modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging, animation, the final rendering, and compositing. Those are kind of the main disciplines. A lot of people specialize in one of those. As a jack of all trades in that field, it's easier for me to get work that way because everyone needs somewhere I can fit anywhere in a production pipeline, which is nice. That's kind of the stuff I do.
Anthony Godfrey:
So the CGI work that you do for video games, not to be disclosed, is as you said, it's texture, it's lighting, it's other things. I've seen articles where if the lighting is off, the viewer or the player, as it were, may not be able to identify, “huh, the light on that barrel looks weird.” But you look at it and it just feels artificial. It doesn't feel right. It just feels like something is off. So we can really tell without knowing exactly what's wrong if something isn't quite what it ought to look like.
How can you tell when you've hit the mark? Do you run it past people who haven't seen it before? Or how does that work? Because I would imagine that after you've worked on something for a while, it's tough to see any of the flaws because you're so deep into it.
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, it's kind of funny you mentioned lighting. Lighting is actually the most important aspect in all art, basically, even photography. If you have bad lighting, the whole scene looks bad. So when it comes to, you know, getting pure feedback on whether something looks good or not, I typically I go to people in my – I have a pretty good connection from everyone at Gnomom. My teachers are all working in the industry. I got to learn modeling from the guy who made the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars. There's a ton of cool little people I got to meet that I'm now friends with.
So I go to them whenever I have something like a personal work. Obviously, I can't, you know, my work work stuff, I can't show them yet. But when I'm making my own personal work, I typically like to go to them and like, you know, what can I fix or like, could you critique this? And you know, as an artist, it's very important to be open to critique. I feel like, you know, going to other people who either are in your industry who can tell you specifically, you know, like your model needs to like be higher poly or whatever, or even my family I go to just to get an overall like, is this cool looking? It's as simple as that. I feel like anyone can tell you if an art is cool or not.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, well, and it's pretty awesome to be able to go to Millennium Falcon guy and say what do you think?
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, that's pretty cool.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's amazing. Stay with us. When we come back, we talked to one of Ethan's teachers credited with setting him on a promising career path.
Break:
Does your child simply love learning online? The Jordan Virtual Learning Academy is tuition free and open to all K-12 students in Utah. We offer a choice for parents and have the very best teachers who simply love teaching online. Start your child on the path to personalized learning today and enroll now by visiting virtual.jordandistrict.org. That's virtual.jordandistrict.org.
Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say to anybody who's considering taking either the film classes or the 3D modeling classes at JATC?
Ethan Jones:
I would say the best advice I can give you is just hang in there and the learning curve is very steep. Learning 3D is very tough. It's not an easy thing. It can be very kind of demotivating when you see your stuff and you kind of compare yourself to other people. I would just say focus on your own journey and everyone starts somewhere.
Some people kind of pick it up quick. Some people don't. There's a lot to learn and also learning how to learn. A school can teach you what they want to teach you, but there's a lot of things that you still need to learn. Learning on your own, having that passion, going to YouTube, kind of picking up new skills will serve you far better in life. That goes beyond film. It's just like a life lesson I learned learning art.
Anthony Godfrey:
As you mentioned, the writer's strike and the actor's strike have been resolved, but it takes a while for things to work through the production line and kind of get to you at that point, which is why you said it's the worst time in 50 years. Hey, you can only look up from here. It's only going to get better from here, right? When those projects come through, is it your hope to then work for a studio? Is that kind of how that works or for a particular company? You say you're doing freelance now. What's the next step once that wave, that kind of void that was created by the strike ends and the wave comes back?
Ethan Jones:
Yeah, yeah. I think my dream would to work at a studio called Industrial Light and Magic. They did Star Wars. They kind of work on every giant movie you see. They do more than Star Wars. I'm open to working for any studio just to get more experience in a production studio environment.
Anthony Godfrey:
Even I know Industrial Light and Magic, that's a great aspiration and I think you're well on your path. When you get your opportunity to direct and you and I are chatting on set, what genre of movie will you be making?
Ethan Jones:
That's a good question. I love all genres. I think it's funny because I've had life experiences in my life that kind of lead me to tell stories that have impacted me. A lot of the stories I tell are stories of grief, of loss. In 2013, I lost my brother, Mitchel, to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Since then, my dad wrote a blog called Mitchel's Journey. I think that experience, losing my brother, kind of made me tell stories about grief and about loss. Really it'll be more heartfelt stories like that that really draw me. I also do have a lot of love for sci-fi films too. I'm only 23. I have hopefully another 60 years of my life. Hopefully, I'll be able to make a lot of more genres, different films.
Anthony Godfrey:
Many decades of creativity ahead. I'm glad that you acknowledged how I slipped in an invitation to be on set and see you in action in the future. I'm going to hold you to that because I know you have great things ahead. It's inspiring to hear about your family's impact. I'm thrilled to hear about the role JATC played in your path forward. I wish you the very best. You're well-trained. You've had some great experiences. I have no doubt you have a lot of success ahead of you.
Ethan Jones:
Thank you so much.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're here at JATC North Campus with Lisa Wadzeck to talk about her program. Tell us a little bit about what you teach here.
Lisa Wadzeck:
Well, I teach digital media, which most people don't know what that means. It's basically being creative with a computer as your main tool. We do animation, audio, video, graphics, game development. It gives a chance to explore different ways that they can communicate and get messages across and actually do it as a career and get paid for doing something they love.
Anthony Godfrey:
Speaking of which, we spoke with Ethan, one of your former students, who is now working in LA in this area. How exciting is that to hear from him? I understand you've stayed in touch.
Lisa Wadzeck:
Yeah. I try to stay connected with my kids through LinkedIn so I can see the cool things that they do. He recently shared that he'd been highlighted in that article. I'm just so stinkin' proud of him. Just amazing things. It's just so fun to see students go out and accomplish and do the things that they love and want to do.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's interesting to me that he came in expecting to want to do video production and came away wanting to do animation and do some of the other digital work that you described because you were so influential in his path. I always say that classes at JATC North or South are useful sometimes because they draw you to something and sometimes because they draw you in a different direction from where you expect it to go. Tell me a little bit about that.
Lisa Wadzeck:
That's one of the things I love about this program is the first semester they come in and they try a little bit of everything. They try the graphics, the audio, the video. A lot of the kids will come in with that preconceived, I want to be an animator. I want to do video production. Once they get into it and try it, the skills needed sometimes are maybe a little bit different than what they anticipated. They decide, maybe this isn't for me, but wow, I really enjoy doing this over here.
Second semester the kids then get to specialize in one of the areas that they tried for a semester. Some of the kids will come in and do what they thought they were going to love doing. A lot of the kids will come in and do something completely different because they found something new that they really liked.
Anthony Godfrey:
Ethan's post-high school training, which is at a prestigious establishment, was the same sort of structure that you just described. It was more general exposure and then they get to be more specific in what they pursue. You prepared him extremely well and many other students for a career in digital media. Beyond the natural curiosity and obvious creativity that's required, what are some of the other characteristics you look for in a student to be successful here?
Lisa Wadzeck:
Students who, I like what you said about the curiosity, students who have a natural curiosity and just start exploring and playing. Instead of waiting for me to show them how to do something, I'm just going to go figure it out. We've got this day and age with YouTube at our fingertips. It's amazing what we can start figuring out online. To be honest, the reason I know as much as I do is because I've got 30 kids at a time who go, ooh, how do you do this? I say, I don't know, let's Google it, figure it out. That drive to just learn on your own is the biggest thing because technology is always changing. What they're learning in class now is not going to be how they're going to be doing it in four or five years out in industry.
Anthony Godfrey:
Learning that you can figure it out on your own and that you can, with a little creativity and hard work, do some things you didn't expect to be able to do, is the best preparation for a profession that's going to change a lot over the years.
Lisa Wadzeck:
Exactly.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you've created a very fertile learning environment for that to take place. I was walking in, when we walked in to talk with you, we're here in the lab with all these graphics around the room. There was one student here still working on a project and it's amazing. So we're going to be back to talk more about the great work that your students are doing. Thank you for everything that you do to provide this sort of learning environment for students.
Lisa Wadzeck:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.
♪ music ♪
25 min
November 22, 2023 Episode 220: Thankful for Kauri Sue Hamilton Cafeteria Staff Serving Up Smiles with Personalized Thanksgiving Meals
Some call them short order cooks in a school cafeteria really like no other.
On this episode of the Supercast, we celebrate Thanksgiving at the Kauri Sue Hamilton School where cafeteria staff make sure the holiday is celebrated in a fun and festive way for students with special needs. Find out how these incredible food service workers use a unique set of cooking skills to make sure every meal is custom made to meet the varying needs of the many students they serve.
Audio Transcription
♪♪♪
Anthony Godfrey;
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Some call them short order cooks working in a school cafeteria that is like no other.
On this episode of the Supercast, we celebrate Thanksgiving at the Kauri Sue Hamilton School, where cafeteria staff make sure the holiday is celebrated in fun and festive ways for students with special needs. Find out how these incredible food service workers use a unique set of cooking skills to make sure every meal is custom made to meet the varied needs of the many students they serve.
We're here in the cafeteria of Kauri Sue Hamilton School with Katie Bastian to talk about what happens for Thanksgiving dinner today.
Katie Bastian:
We do a full feast.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the feast that is laid before the students here at Kauri Sue Hamilton School.
Katie Bastian:
It's a pretty typical Thanksgiving dinner. You've got your turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, yams, stuffing, pumpkin pie.
Anthony Godfrey:
And a lot of it is made from scratch, which is really the signature move of the Nutrition Services Department. As director, you've explained before that this really cuts down on our reliance on outside companies to prepare food in advance and makes for a better meal.
Katie Bastian:
It does, yeah, where we have fully staffed kitchens with labor, all of our kitchens are fully operational with equipment. We make all of our food here, you know, onsite. It's not reheated and served. It's all made onsite. We do make a lot of things from scratch and it lets us have control of the quality.
Anthony Godfrey:
And is this the same type of meal that will be prepared in schools throughout the district?
Katie Bastian:
Yes, yes. During this week, there are a couple of them on different days, but yes, every student during the school district will have access to a Thanksgiving feast. And then, Kauri Sue has a lot of dietary modifications. So we're doing some special things here, just like they do in the other schools, but there's more here. Like, we'll do gluten-free gravy, gluten-free roll, you know, things along those lines. So with some small modifications, most students should be able to eat it.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's wonderful that you customize the meals to the extent that you do so that even students with those dietary restrictions here at Kauri Sue Hamilton School, where our students with the most severe disabilities receive an education, it's just wonderful that you still make those traditional meals available to students in the same way.
Katie Bastian:
Yeah, the staff goes above and beyond at this school. They do extra texture modifications and dietary modifications that most of the other schools don't see. So, again, they're in it for the kids. They go above and beyond. We're lucky to have a registered dietitian on staff to make sure all the students within our district are taken care of and have what they need. So if they want to eat with us, they can.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me about the texture modifications as well.
Katie Bastian:
So purees, different textures, ground, that type of modification. So if a student can't–
Anthony Godfrey:
So that something's more finely ground so that it's easier for them to consume. Blendtec, the company in Utah, when you say that you'd be surprised what you can puree, they actually have a Will It Blend channel, I think, on various social media. So you could do a Will It Puree channel where you put certain school foods in to puree them so that students have access to those meals.
Katie Bastian:
Yeah, I'm always surprised. Like, this is a hamburger. We've got our meat. We've got our bun. This is, you know, tastes like a hamburger. So again, it's their kind of specialty here. They do a great job.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now you were in this role previously. Tell me about the dietitian's role and we did a podcast early on with you about that. Tell me about the role of a dietitian in helping create the meals for the district.
Katie Bastian:
Sure. Right now probably accommodate, we have on file over 800 accommodations district-wide. We're probably not actively accommodating that many, but we keep documentation on them. It is a full-time job making sure all the diabetics, gluten-free, soy-free, egg-free, dairy-free, are taken care of and seeing what modifications. And the dietitian will look over each and every one of those papers that's turned in to us to make sure that they have a meal that's safe for them. You know, we check in with the parents. We check in with the kitchen manager so everyone's on the same page. For the most part, you know, students love, we hear a lot of good feedback from parents that they're just so glad they can meet at school with their peers and know that they're safe and their meals are well taken care of.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you and the staff do a great job at the district level and I also know that every school staff is made up of very dedicated employees who really care about kids and have daily contact with kids. That is really important to kids' nutrition but also to their just feeling connected with the school.
Katie Bastian:
Yeah, the credit goes out to the over 500 lunch staff that we have because they make it happen every day.
Anthony Godfrey:
And we always have positions available for those who are interested. A few hours in the middle of the day or full-time throughout the day, there are lots of opportunities to be involved in. It's great contact with the kids and it's really an important part of their day. So that's always out there available for those who are interested.
Katie Bastian:
Yeah, come join our team.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, thanks very much, Katie.
Katie Bastian:
Thank you. Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Melissa, the sub-manager here at Cari Sue Hamilton School for Nutrition Services. Thank you for being here.
Melissa:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about being at Kauri Sue this year.
Melissa:
I just started in September, the beginning of the year. I really like it. I was scared to come here because it's a lot different because I come from a middle school. But I've learned a lot and the kids are super nice and the teachers are helpful. And I don't know, I just like it here.
Anthony Godfrey:
I know that they rely on you in a big way. At every school, the Nutrition Services staff is really key to how the school feels and how the school functions. But at Kauri Sue Hamilton School in particular, with the special needs and the dietary restrictions, they really rely on your being creative, and flexible, and responsive to a wide variety of needs. So thank you very much for all the hard work you do. Tell me a little bit about what that's like day to day.
Melissa:
So we came up with a different way of keeping track of my special diets. So I have two papers to keep track of the special needs, the special diets for gluten-free. Let's see, what else? We have puree, we have chopped, we have small chopped. And then the other kids are on another paper so I can keep track of which kid is allergic to citrus or onion or all the different things.
Anthony Godfrey:
So allergies and the way that the food is prepared, there are all kinds of things at play. It's really important of course, those things need to go right. Because otherwise, students are at risk. So that's an added layer of responsibility that you take on. And it's really important, so thank you for doing that.
Melissa:
It's just important to– I just do the same routine every day so I know which student can have this and this and this and keep your food separated. So yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
What does your day look like? When do you start? When does it end?
Melissa:
Oh, I get here at 6:00 and I start doing breakfast. And then my 6-hour worker comes in at 7:30 and he'll start making lunch. And then we serve lunch and I go home at 2:30.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's a long day. Tell me what are some of the favorites out here? What are some of the favorite meals that kids get most excited about?
Melissa:
Well, the chicken nuggets are the top one of course.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah.
Melissa:
Yeah. They like the mac and cheese.
Anthony Godfrey:
I'm a big mac and cheese fan myself.
Melissa:
They really like it here.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's really good.
Melissa:
And then probably they do like the sloppy joes, which is surprising. We don't serve that at middle school, so I was surprised they like it.
Anthony Godfrey:
I haven't had the sloppy joes. I need to put that on the list.
Melissa:
Yeah, they're good.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Does the Thanksgiving meal for today take a little extra effort, I'm assuming?
Melissa:
Yes. We serve a lot extra. Stuffing, sweet potatoes. Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
What's the hardest to prepare?
Melissa:
Well, the turkeys. We cooked the turkeys a couple days ago, slice them, cook them. Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. Well, it all looks great.
Melissa:
Oh, thanks.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I just can't thank you enough for being such an important part of Kauri Sue Hamilton.
Melissa:
Oh, thanks. Thanks for coming to this school.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, we talk to a teacher about the Thanksgiving dinner served up at Kauri Sue.
Break:
In Jordan School District, we like to support students in and outside the classroom along with their families. That's where the Jordan Family Education Center comes in, offering support services and a wide variety of classes for students and their families, free of charge. You can take a class called Blues Busters for children feeling sad or worried. Just Breathe is a class that helps students reduce stress. Or how about a class that supports parents in helping their children make and keep good friends. There are also support groups and free counseling, all provided by Jordan School District school psychologists, counselors, and school psychology interns. To find out how you can benefit from free family support services offered by the Jordan Family Education Center, call 801-565-7442 or visit guidance.jordandistrict.org.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Amy, one of the teachers at Kauri Sue Hamilton School. Introduce yourself and tell us what you're up to here.
Amy White:
I'm Amy White and I teach special education here and we are enjoying our lunch today.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you're helping feed students this wonderful feast.
Amy White:
I am, yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
And what is the reaction? I see applause.
Amy White:
Well, this student is applauding, yes. We have some cheers. Do you like lunch today?
Student:
No.
Amy White:
Is it good?
Student:
Yeah.
Amy White:
Yes, it is. There are smiles all around.
Anthony Godfrey:
Lots of happiness brought by this meal. Is lunch something that everybody looks forward to by and soon?
Amy White:
Oh yeah, we all love lunch around here. Our lunch staff does a great job of accommodating lots of different dietary needs and making something delicious that they all enjoy.
Anthony Godfrey:
Many of the students here require assistance with meals and so you're very involved and very aware of the reaction to the meals.
Amy White:
Yes, yes. And if it's something they don't like, we know that. They'll tell us loud and clear.
Anthony Godfrey:
They're an expressive group that’s for sure.
Amy White:
They are very expressive.
Anthony Godfrey:
Is this something they've been looking forward to I assume?
Amy White:
Yes. Yes, Thanksgiving in general and lunch every day. But this one is a favorite meal for sure.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now the staff has access to the lunch as well, right?
Amy White:
Yes, yes. We look forward to it too. I just had some pumpkin pie before this and it's incredible.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the lunch staff here. I know that it's a unique situation where, as you said, a lot of accommodations are required. Tell me about the staff.
Amy White:
Some new lunch staff this year and they've been excellent at accommodating to whatever we need and very flexible, always willing to make separate meals if we need them. We have kids with a variety of needs here from purees to chopped meals to ground or different allergies and they've just done excellent. I think there's some getting used to at the beginning but they've really adapted and really they've saved our lives here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's fantastic. It really takes everybody working together to be sure that we meet the unique needs of students here at Kauri Sue Hamilton School.
Amy White:
That's right in lots of different ways and that definitely applies to lunch.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, no doubt. Well here at Kauri Sue Hamilton School. You always go above and beyond in celebrating holidays and making the most of those moments. What else are you doing for Thanksgiving?
Amy White:
We have an excellent music teacher here, music therapist, Cassie, who always does a great job at singing songs and having dances and different activities. All around the school, you can see turkeys that we've made, handprint turkeys, and different crafts like that. We just try to have a good time. We love movement activities and art and music and just all around we're doing that. We do a lot more for Christmas and Halloween, all those things. It's always really fun to celebrate big with our kids.
Anthony Godfrey:
Just a wide range of great things going on all over the Kauri Sue Hamilton School.
Amy White:
It's a good place to be.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there and Happy Thanksgiving.
♪♪♪
15 min
November 16, 2023 Episode 219: Why a Former Student Is Still Craving Bingham High Cafeteria Food Years After Graduation
Years after graduating from Bingham High School, a former student couldn’t stop craving a cafeteria item she ate almost every day at school and came to doubt she would ever enjoy it again.
On this episode of the Supercast, hear the story of two Bingham High graduates, now married, and how they were downright determined to get their hands on a couple of beloved Bingham cafeteria spicy chicken sandwiches. Find out how they got the surprise of a lifetime in the process of their culinary pursuit and why they both say it was an act of kindness they will never forget.
Audio Transcription
♪♪♪
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Years after graduating from Bingham High School, a former student couldn't stop craving a cafeteria item that she ate almost every day. She even doubted whether she would ever get to enjoy it again.
On this episode of the Supercast, hear the story of two Bingham High graduates, now married, and how they were downright determined to get their hands on a couple of beloved Bingham cafeteria spicy chicken sandwiches. Find out how they got the surprise of a lifetime in the process of their culinary pursuit.
♪♪♪
George:
Hello!
Anthony Godfrey:
Hi, how are you?
Brianna:
We're so good.
Anthony Godfrey:
My name is Anthony Godfrey. I'm the Superintendent of Schools for Jordan School District.
Brianna:
That's amazing!
Anthony Godfrey:
And I understand that you're a fan of the spicy chicken sandwich.
George:
The biggest fan.
Brianna:
A loyal fan.
Anthony Godfrey:
A loyal fan.
Brianna:
Yeah, think about it every day.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, this is your lucky day because, as you can probably tell, I have a bunch of foil-wrapped spicy chicken sandwiches straight from Bingham High School.
Brianna:
Oh gosh.
Anthony Godfrey:
These are not just spicy chicken sandwiches from the Jordan District. It is from Bingham High School.
Brianna:
Oh my gosh, thank you so much.
Anthony Godfrey:
Can we enjoy some spicy chicken sandwiches with you?
Brianna:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
We can do it out here if you'd like. I know we're surprising you.
George:
Um, well you probably have to take your lunch, right?
Brianna:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
We can do it right out here. We even brought some chairs.
Brianna;
Oh, perfect. I'm Brianna, this is George. We went to Bingham, how many years ago now? Like five or six?
George:
We graduated in 2017, so it's been six years since we graduated.
Brianna:
Yeah, and we've been together for five years, and basically like, probably once a month I joke about all the time how I think spicy chicken sandwiches are just amazing. If I could go back to Bingham for those, I would.
George:
I've been trying to figure it out for years and then I finally was like, I just got to–
Brianna:
It's time.
George:
I got to go up the chain, you know, got to ask them.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now, now you, you just clicked on the website and said – tell us about the message that you sent because it got all of our attention.
George:
I basically just said, um, well, like my wife loves the chicken sandwiches and I need to figure out how to get them because we like just found out recently that she was pregnant and so I was like, I have to get them.
Brianna:
It's a perfect excuse.
George:
You know, it's like I have to. After all these years of joking and you're like, ‘ah, one day, you know, maybe somehow’ now I'm like, well, it's, you know, it's go time. I got to get them.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's go time. So you sent in a comment and we are responsive to the comments sent in on the website. Not always this responsive where I personally travel to Saratoga Springs, but today is an exception because it's the first time I've heard specifically about someone who was such a devoted fan of the spicy chicken sandwich. So here's my question. I know that you just found out that you're pregnant. Do you account for this as a craving specifically or is this something that you have craved long before finding out that you were expecting?
Brianna:
Definitely long before I literally, like I said, I've commented on it probably a good 10 times over the years about how much I love it. And now it's just the perfect excuse where he can't say no. He had to figure it out.
George;
Yeah, literally. I can't even tell you how many times she's talked about wanting the spicy chicken sandwiches because we'll talk about like school and stuff because we kind of didn't really cross paths at Bingham and we only met after.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
George:
And so we've talked about our experiences and every time we bring up like high school in any way, it's always like the sandwich will come up as like, “I love those chicken sandwiches. They were just the best.”
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, our nutrition services director was pretty pleased to hear the impact with the spicy chicken sandwiches had on your life.
Brianna:
They know what they're doing.
Anthony Godfrey:
And we asked about the recipe and just to point out your husband's devotion, the recipe is for 250 sandwiches. And he said, “You know what? I'll make 250 and we'll just put them in the freezer.” Like he was ready to lean into that recipe. But we actually brought a 2017 yearbook from the archives for you to browse through to kind of jog some other Bingham memories. And you didn't meet in high school. Is that right?
George:
Yeah, we didn't. We actually had the same - she was in a class that I had with Moritz.
Brianna:
Yeah, two of them.
George:
She sat like two seats behind me. I never knew until after.
Brianna:
We were kind of like, he had a friend group, I had a friend group, and they were kind of passing by each other.
George:
So we were very much in orbit.
Brianna:
Yeah.
George:
Never collided.
Brianna:
Never talked too much.
Anthony Godfrey:
And then the gravitational pull kicked in.
George:
It was too strong. Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right.
George:
I also remember we did like they did like this drone shot.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah.
George:
That was really good.
Anthony Godfrey:
I see that there with 17.
George:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, and the apostrophe. I think the people in the apostrophe must feel pretty cool.
George:
They probably do. For sure. It was an exclusive club.
Anthony Godfrey:
That they got to be apostrophe people.
Brianna:
I think it was in the one somewhere.
Anthony Godfrey:
It was probably a lottery drawing to be part of the apostrophe instead of the one or the seven.
George:
Probably, yeah.
Brianna:
There's my picture.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah. There you are.
Brianna:
And then there's George's.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Wow. That's awesome.
George:
I know. It's close to each other in the yearbook too. I know.
Anthony Godfrey:
Look, I'll tell you, you have not aged in the last five to seven years.
George:
Yes. I know.
Anthony Godfrey:
You're looking great. You're looking great.
George:
When I was 16, it was funny because I always had like a baby face. I remember I worked at Best Buy and someone was like, “How old do you have to be to work here?” And I was like “16”. They're like, “Oh, you look 12.” And I was like, “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much for that.”
Anthony Godfrey:
That used to happen to me too, but yeah. Winter is coming.
George:
Yeah. Exactly.
Anthony Godfrey:
That won't last forever.
George:
Exactly. So the older I get, the more I'm thankful that I have a baby face cause you know what? I'm youthful.
Anthony Godfrey:
You look fantastic. You look fantastic.
George:
Thank you, thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me, so when are you due?
Brianna:
It’s super early. So like June, July?
George:
Yeah. We barely, just barely found out.
Brianna:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that's fantastic. Congratulations.
Brianna:
Thank you. Thank you. And thank you for this wonderful gift.
George:
Yeah. We'll remember this for sure.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now to enhance your Bingham experience today, the principal was very excited when we told him this story. So he has gathered a bunch of swag for you that we want to share with you now. Straight from the principal, we have a sweatshirt for each of you and a blanket for both of you. A huge Bingham blanket, which is pretty exciting. That'll come in handy, especially with the baby.
And the principal sent two pins from the year that you graduated. These become very limited right after that year passes. So from the archive, a pin for each of you from the year you graduated and a pin from this year for the baby when it's born. So the Bingham tradition for you guys continues. So Bingham didn't bring you together in the moment, but Bingham brought you together eventually.
George:
It did. It did because look at the impact it's having right now.
Brianna:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, we find out what all the fuss is about as we bite into a Bingham High spicy chicken sandwich.
Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant, work in digital media, robotics, welding, or web design. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment and/or a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. Our two Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) campuses offer unique programs to fit your child’s dreams for the future. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now we were able to catch you at home because you both get to work from home several days a week. Tell me what you're each doing now.
George:
So I do complaints reporting for Lending Club Bank. So just analyzing complaints, trends, stuff like that, and then my reports get set up to the executives.
Anthony Godfrey:
Great!
Brianna:
Yeah, I work for the same company. Luckily, I also work from home and I do credit underwriting to approve like personal loans.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, awesome! Nice to be able to work from home and that'll be great when the baby comes as well.
Brianna:
It is nice and even worst case the office is only like 10 minutes away so overall it's a really nice location with work.
George:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Same school, same job.
Brianna:
Even the same middle school for a minute.
Anthony Godfrey:
And the same middle school? Really?
George:
We both went to Elkridge for two years and then I went to South Jordan Middle for ninth grade.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome.
George:
I know. Well, actually it's funny this is a story that I always love. She had my– in seventh grade, I just moved to South Jordan. I lived in Saratoga Springs prior so I was new, no one knew me. I had a math class I think it was Miss Graff.
Brianna:
Yeah.
George:
And she sat at the same table as me in seventh grade. I don't remember this but she remembers this because she said she had a crush on me when she first saw me at the table. And then when Miss Graff did roll call and said my name she stopped having a crush on me.
Anthony Godfrey:
Really?
George:
Back in seventh grade she said–
Brianna:
My little 12-year-old brain.
Anthony Godfrey:
And why was that?
George:
She didn't like the name George you know. That’s just how it is.
Anthony Godfrey:
George shut it down for a while.
George:
It shut it all down, but look at where we are now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Look at you overcoming that name.
George:
Overcoming challenges.
Anthony Godfrey:
I like the name George but she does now too right?
George:
She does now too for sure.
Brianna:
It doesn’t make 12-year-old me shine super bright but –
Anthony Godfrey:
No, hey, hey! We all evolve. We grow up. Things change.
George:
Exactly. Exactly.
Anthony Godfrey:
Without any further ado, I have hot spicy chicken sandwiches from Bingham right in front of me. How long has it been since you had one?
Brianna:
2017.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's been since since high school.
George:
It’s been like 7½ years. It’s been forever.
Brianna:
Yeah, right before graduation.
Anthony Godfrey:
And how frequently would you say when you were at Bingham you had a spicy chicken sandwich?
Brianna:
That's literally all I had for lunch.
Anthony Godfrey:
Every day.
Brianna:
If I ate lunch. Probably at least three times a week.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay well, here you are. Here's a platter of your favorite chicken sandwich. So maybe take one from the bottom maybe it's a little hotter.
Brianna:
Okay okay.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I just want us to wait and see your reaction. So you go right ahead. She's gonna unveil it right now.
George:
It's been so long.
Anthony Godfrey:
Her hands are shaking a little bit.
Brianna:
I know.
Anthony Godfrey:
She's pretty excited.
Brianna:
I know I am. Look at her in all of her glory.
Anthony Godfrey:
Does it look like you remember?
Brianna:
It does.
George:
The same bun.
Brianna:
She's fluffier dare I say.
Anthony Godfrey:
Made with the same level of love.
Brianna:
She's beautiful.
George:
Yeah. Is it exactly how you remember?
Brianna:
It's wonderful.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now it's like a Proustian Madeleine that is taking you back to your childhood.
Brianna:
Yeah.
George:
It's like the scene in Ratatouille when the critic eats the food and it like transports him back.
Anthony Godfrey:
Exactly.
Brianna:
I can hear kids screaming in the lunchroom.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's bringing it all back.
Brianna:
It is so perfect. Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay here now you can experience as well your wife's delight and I'm gonna have one too. I'm gonna join you.
Brianna:
Yeah.
George:
Yeah. Might as well.
Brianna:
Join the party.
Anthony Godfrey:
Doug's holding the microphone. No chicken sandwich.
Brianna:
I’ll enjoy it for you. This is great.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Let's peel it away. Oh, it does feel good. It's a nice soft bun.
Brianna:
I know. The bun might even be better. It's so fluffy.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a good sando.
Brianna:
Right.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Brianna:
The director knows what they're doing. This is so good.
Anthony Godfrey:
No wonder.
George:
I know, right?
Brianna:
I know.
George:
Just one of those things. You have it like every day when you're in school. You take it for granted and then you leave and you're like wait a minute, I can't get this at a restaurant.
Brianna:
It has a nostalgia that nothing else has. It's just too good.
Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me some of the memories this brings back. Do you remember who you had lunch with? And whether you had A or B lunch? And what are some of the Bingham memories that come back?
Brianna:
I definitely preferred the later lunch.
George:
Yeah.
Brianna:
It made the day go by faster.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh really? So by the time you get to lunch, you're done with three class periods and you've only got one to go.
George:
Exactly.
Brianna:
I'm nearly out of there.
Brianna:
But I remember being friends with Sophia Foresta. She did like BMX, had Sports Illustrated come at the time.
George:
Oh yeah, I remember that.
Brianna:
Yeah. Sophia is pretty cool. Some other friends Courtney, Alexis, I don't know. We're all grown up now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now I heard that there was a particular teacher that was very impactful for you at Bingham.
Brianna:
Yes, Miss Bridge. She's amazing. She deserves everything good.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about her.
Brianna:
I don't know. There's so much I can say. She just really made me like think about the real world which I appreciate, because when you're in high school all you think about is yourself. So she made me like think and form my own opinions for myself and be like “what do you think about that” or “why do you think that way?” So she made me think like an adult for the first time.
Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about your teacher experience as a thing.
George:
I had a couple of teachers that I really liked but I would say specifically if I were to call like anyone for being the best. I would say Kevin Moritz. He is like fantastic. He really like I think like without him I would not be like the same person I am today because he he taught like social studies. He also did like Econ stuff like that and the way that he would teach was so like engaging and fun but at the same time he was very like real about what he was talking about. You know he wouldn't sugarcoat anything. There was no bias in any of it and it seemed like he really cared about like the well-being for his students and he just he left like a pretty big mark on me. So I would shout him out forever. He's the best.
Brianna:
He's a good one too.
Anthony Godfrey:
Any other thoughts about Bingham before we let you before we leave you with the sandwiches to do with what you will?
George:
I'd also like to shout out the sub sandwiches. Oh, those are my personal favorite.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
George:
This is Brianna's. My favorite was the sub sandwiches. I love them so much. I don't know what the mayonnaise was made of. Honestly, it was a little runny and kind of strange but it was my favorite. It was my favorite. Like that's the best way I could put it. I don't know like when I look back at it that's my chicken sandwich and I'm like what I would do to have a sub sandwich with way too much mayonnaise on it.
Anthony Godfrey:
And this is how considerate he was. He never mentioned the sub sandwich.
George:
I didn’t want to muddy the waters.
Anthony Godfrey:
He was all about taking care of you. He was making sure you had what you needed.
Brianna:
That's amazing.
Anthony Godfrey:
So let us know. You can stop by an a la carte to either one anytime. I have nine or ten of them for you and the reason I'm vague about the number is because I think I'm taking one more with me.
George:
I don't blame you.
Anthony Godfrey:
No, I'm just kidding. It is a very tasty sandwich though. Previously my favorite meal was the macaroni and cheese that we make in Jordan District, but now that I found out that the chicken sandwich is so delicious and it's spicy every day of the week, that a la carte item is going to be on my list as well. So thank you for helping me understand better the options available.
George:
Gotta spread the word you know.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's right. Spread the word. So those listening you know let us know. Shoot me an email. We'll hook you up with a chance for an a la carte spicy chicken sandwich.
Thank you very much for taking the time and for letting us surprise you here with some sandwiches. I'm probably the only person that's going to surprise you with spicy chicken sandwiches today. So don't get your hopes up for another visit.
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.
18 min
November 09, 2023 Episode 218: Exploring an Ocean of Knowledge; U.S. Navy Officers Offer Insights into STEM Careers for Students
It was recently Navy Week at Hidden Valley Middle School, where students had a chance to dive deeply into ocean STEM careers.
On this episode of the Supercast, discover why the U.S. Navy recently visited a number of Utah schools and why the Navy sees students as the future of solving some of the ocean's most challenging problems.
Audio Transcription
[Music]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was recently Navy Week at Hidden Valley Middle School, where students had a chance to dive deeply into Ocean STEM careers.
On this episode of the Supercast, discover why the US Navy visited a number of Utah schools, and why the Navy sees students as the future of solving some of the ocean's most challenging problems.
We talk with US Navy officers and civilians who explain why they want to help Utah middle school students find a passion for the oceans and possibly discover a career they might not have considered while living in the desert.
[ Music ]
We're here at Hidden Valley Middle School talking with several representatives from the U.S. Navy who have been visiting our classrooms to talk with some of our students in science classes. And I'm really excited to have a chance to talk with you. Please introduce yourselves, where you're from, and just a little bit about yourself.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Awesome. Well, glad to be here. My name's Lieutenant Amanda Weber. I am originally from Maryland, but call Stevensville, Montana home now. I have been in the Navy for about six years. I started off my career in the Navy as a meteorology and oceanography officer. I've currently done three tours in the Navy with that community, and currently right now work in Monterey, California. I’ve got a degree in biochemistry and then my master's in cybersecurity.
Lt. (j.g.) Corinne Fleury
All right, morning, thanks for having us. My name is Lieutenant (j.g.) Corinne Fleury So I've been in the Navy for about two years now. I'm also in METOC or meteorology and oceanography. I come from a small town, about an hour north of New York City called Mahopac, New York. In college, I studied space science and engineering.
Lt. Serena Gardner
Good morning, Lieutenant Serena Gardner. I'm from Santa Maria, California. I've been in the Navy for about seven years. I spent my first tour as a surface warfare officer, or SWO, driving warships out in Japan. And then for the last three years, I've been also doing meteorology and oceanography. I'm currently stationed at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, where our headquarters is. And I have degrees in both chemical engineering and a master's in business.
Terri Yocum:
Hi, my name is Terri Yocum. I am from Covington, Louisiana, South Louisiana. I have two degrees in coastal science and coastal engineering. I started working for the Navy about three years ago, and I'm still living in the same area.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's great to have all of you and very nice to meet each of you. Tell me about what drew you to the Navy. What got you interested in being part of this?
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So I originally wanted to join the Army as a pharmacist, ironically enough. Clearly did not go that route. But I had both of my grandpas were in World War II. One of them was a meteorologis and the other one was in the Navy as a radar man. So I kind of merged the two and here I am as a meteorologist in the Navy.
Lt. Corinne Fleury:
Yeah, so for me, you know, I was spending my time in engineering school kind of learning not only all the technical matter that I needed to for my degree, but learning a little bit about the pathway of what being an engineer looks like. And to be completely honest, I just couldn't see myself doing that job for my entire life. I felt kind of called to something a little bit hopefully more out there, more adventurous, out in the field. I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to serve my country, so I definitely felt interested in the military. That's kind of what drew me toward it.
Lt. Serena Gardner:
So mine is definitely a combination of factors. My grandfather was career army, so I grew up hearing all of his stories about his experiences in Europe and then my brother is career Marines. He's older than me and definitely was a big influence on my selection of military life. However, the Navy was a much better fit for me than the Marines or the Army specifically because of its focus on STEM. The STEM opportunities, especially for a female in the Navy, are a lot more diverse than any other branch. So that was definitely my influence there.
Terri Yocum:
So as a civilian, I want to say prior to three years ago, I didn't even know that was an option. The Navy came into the University of New Orleans and was looking to hire scientists and I happened to be on that list and I actually really love my job now. I get to help the Navy with search and rescue and make models for currents and tides and I like it a lot.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about helping the Navy with search and rescue. What does that involve? What are some of the things you do related to that?
Terri Yocum:
So I build these models that predict the tides and currents and if somebody is overboard or something is overboard, then since I can predict the currents, I run the models and try to figure out where that person might be.
Anthony Godfrey:
So that when they start to search, they know where to search based on the predictions you've done of where the tides and currents are headed.
Terri Yocum:
Yes, sir.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me what is involved in being an oceanographer or meteorologist for the Navy? What are some of the things you're doing day to day when you're not in eighth-grade classrooms?
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So I will say that the great thing about being in the Navy is that you, especially in the uniform, is that you move incredibly frequently. So with that move comes normally a change in job, and that can be a minor shift or a major shift. I've been lucky enough to do three jobs that I feel like don't really have much in common except for the fact that I've had the same essential title. So my first job, I did a lot of atmospheric and oceanographic forecasting across the globe, I did that for aviation platforms, so helicopters, jets, P-8s, so like the big large airplanes that pretty much mimic Boeing planes.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit more about that. You're predicting the weather before they're taking flight in a particular direction or how does that work exactly?
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Yes sir, so pilots in the Navy traditionally are required to have this piece of paper that records where they're going to fly and then the actual conditions that they're going to see when they're in flight as well as other locations that they can land if they were to encounter an issue during flight. So we as meteorologists create that report and allow for them to take off safely and then have additional options if they do need to land in an emergency.
Anthony Godfrey:
I really need you on snow days this winter. You know can I just call and have you look at things and tell me at 3 30 in the morning whether I should call a snow day or not? If I could ask these students at the back of the room they're always going to say ‘yes it ought to be a snow day’ but I think I need Navy level support for my snow day decisions.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So if you think that your local meteorologists are off key with--
Anthony Godfrey:
Now wait a minute I said nothing against our local meteorologists. I'm just standing here- you've got the uniform, you guys have all these degrees- I'm just thinking I could get a little backup.
Lt. Amanda Weber
I say a lot of things very confidently when it comes to weather forecasts. However, it is the one job in the universe where you can consistently be wrong and still have a job.
Anthony Godfrey:
You're off the hook. You don't have to help with the snow days. I will shoulder that responsibility alone.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
You can put me on like speed dial number nine if you really need backup, but I would definitely not be the first call.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, all right. Fair enough. Fair enough. Describe some of the other jobs. You started with the first one that you do.
Lt .Amanda Weber:
Yes, I apologize. We got a little bit off-kilter there.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's my fault.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
No, that's fine. I've done a lot. So yeah, started off doing all of that forecasting. So we did aviation, surface and subsurface. So all assets that the Navy owns we forecasted for. I was at that job for about two years, left there and I actually went to a mine warfare command in the Middle East. We actually lived in Bahrain for two years.
I worked for the component of the Navy that did mine warfare and expeditionary mine countermeasures. So pretty much we had to forecast for the surface of the ocean and underneath, learn a lot about the currents and bottom types, so certain different types of sediments, how they carry sound or how they bury things, and then hunt for mines all throughout that. So that was really fun. I got to watch a lot of things get blown up pretty much for two years.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
A lot of fun. And then it came back from that and now I work on my current job, where we do all of our atmospheric and oceanographic modeling. So we have all these supercomputers that run millions of calculations every hour to make sure that we know what is going on for about 70 different types of measurements in a multitude of different layers all across the globe.
Anthony Godfrey:
A multitude of different layers. You talked about subsurface, so what's going on underneath the surface of the ocean, on the surface, and atmosphere. And I never would have thought of it that way. I only think about the surface of the ocean. Fortunately, there are people like you that think below the surface. So that's quite a range of jobs.
How about for you? Have you done a, tell me about your day to day.
Lt. (j.g.) Corinne Fleury:
Yeah, so my day-to-day. Lieutenant Weber and I work at the same command, FNMOC. So essentially what we're doing is we're kind of the liaisons between any asset that's out in the fleet, mostly its ships. And we're kind of the connecting point between them and our civilian SMEs who are running those models and operating supercomputers to get them that output of what they need. So in a sense, we kind of speak the military language. So anything that they need to support their mission planning or exercises, we just help them get their products so that they can be safe out there and get the job done.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And how about for you? What are some of the jobs you're involved in?
Lt. Serena Gardner:
So my day-to-day is actually quite different than these other ladies. I work at the headquarters staff. So on a daily, I am prepping reports and summaries for the Admiral of the entire METOC community. So that's everything from knowing where all of our assets are on every ship in every country where any METOC personnel are located because that's what he cares about.
We're also tracking where all of our oceanographic vessels and what the surveys that they're doing, if they're having any problems, that's also something we track. If we have any issues with gliders, as Ms. Terri was saying before, and we need to go pick it up or request help from another organization, that's also something we do. So that's kind of on a daily where we're constantly measuring that drum beat of where we are with our assets and what else needs to happen to support the larger Navy missions.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back we explore some exciting technology the Navy officers are sharing with Hidden Valley Middle School students.
Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant, work in digital media, robotics, welding, or web design. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment and/or a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. Our two Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) campuses offer unique programs to fit your child’s dreams for the future. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.
Anthony Godfrey:
Is the kraken real?
Lt. Amanda Weber:
No comment.
Anthony Godfrey:
You can't tell me? Okay, all right, once we turn the microphone off we're gonna talk kraken, but right now let's talk about these devices right here that you have.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Yes sir, so we have brought with us a very small deployable buoy as well as an eXpendable BathyThermograph. So again, why–
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, wait, back up. An expendable backy thermograph?
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Bathy.
Anthony Godfrey:
Bathy, oh, I almost got there, okay.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So the really great thing about all of these acronyms is that's why we use them, makes things a lot easier. So we actually call this an XBT, so we do not have to say that every time.
Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's a great idea.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Yes, so we'll start with the buoy. So the buoy you'll see is relatively large compared to the XBT that we've got next to it, because this is something that we'll deploy on the surface of the ocean. It's got some of those solar panels around the side because that's actually how it's gonna continuously power itself, because it does have an iridium capability to send the data that it's collecting back to us, so that it can stay in the ocean, continue to collect, and then we can still get the data real time.
So you'll see that it's yellow, just mostly, so that when either ships or smaller fishing vessels or whatever are operating in the area that it's deployed in, know that it's there, can see it, and should theoretically leave it alone. We'll also notice on the top of it, this was a question that we got in a lot of the classrooms we've been in this week is that there's a QR code. In some portions of the world, you'll see this, and you might get kind of a nefarious thought that it's not a very nice thing. But if you scan this QR code, it actually shows up that it is a buoy, it is collecting oceanographic data, it is not harmful, and to please leave it alone and leave it where it is.
Anthony Godfrey:
I'm going to scan the QR code right now.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
It's perfect, it brings you directly-- - Let's pretend I was just snorkeling around in the middle of the ocean.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
It tells you that it is a data-collecting entity.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, it's a spotter.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
It is.
Anthony Godfrey:
OK. It works. Great.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
It does work.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right. That makes sense
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So it does -it measures a lot of our surface levels. It measures either really close to the surface for wind components, or it can also measure sea components as well. But it's going to measure everything there on the surface where it's actually floating.
And then that's where this XBT kind of comes into play, is it collects the data that a buoy cannot. So this is actually deployed off of aircrafts and ships all around the globe, breaking down kind of what the XBT actually stands for. So that first term, expendable. So this is something that we use once and also if it gets damaged in the deployment, it's not something that we need to retrieve.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
The bathy part allows for us to measure the actual depth of the water column that we're dropping it in. And then the thermograph means that the specific measurement that we're taking with depth is temperature. So this allows for us to calculate sound speed in the water column because the three things that the Navy is majorly concerned about when we're talking about oceanographic or undersea operations is sound speed. I want to know how far and how fast and how well my sound is going to travel.
And the three major components that make up that calculation is pressure, which comes directly from depth, salinity, which unfortunately this does not measure, but we do have other ones or other capabilities to measure that, and then also with temperature. So that's the main proponent of this measurement.
So we can deploy this and kind of get an understanding of what's going on directly under the asset so we can plan appropriately for our sonar ranges for the day as well as what frequency we should use.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that's very interesting and I assume that there are many more that you use, many different types of devices and these are just a couple of examples.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Yeah, absolutely. So you know, Ms. Gardner kind of mentioned the oceanographic ships that we have and they are absolutely stacked out far and wide with the different capabilities, collection, assets, as well as sensors on board. So this is just a couple of things that we use that are kind of on the cheaper side and as well as are a bit expendable because this buoy that we have here, the likelihood of us getting it back is pretty low because either it will go out to sea and we won't be able to find it because it is so small. Sometimes it'll get damaged and unfortunately stink or another asset will come and pick it up because they won't know what it is.
Anthony Godfrey:
Or a kraken will eat it.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Or a kraken.
Anthony Godfrey:
Ah, she just acknowledged that a kraken exists. I knew it. I knew it. Tell me about visiting middle school classrooms in Jordan School District as part of your adventure.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So honestly, it's been a really great experience. We walked into a couple of different classes where the students looked at us and had no idea what we were wearing because we showed up in our summer whites uniform. And it's not a very traditional thing you see in Salt Lake City, Utah. So that's been the really great part about this outreach that the Navy's been able to do this week, is actually exposing some of the youth in Salt Lake City to what the Navy brings to the table, as well as all of the great STEM opportunities that we have.
And I think it worked out really well because we actually ended up having four women that are in STEM. So that's kind of shown the youth as well that there are a lot of STEM opportunities and there's a lot of opportunities for women in the military as well.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a fantastic message. And I'm really grateful that you've spent the time with our students and I was very excited to have this opportunity. What would you say to a student who's considering the Navy as a career?
Lt. Amanda Weber:
So it's been a great opportunity for me to be able to continue my education, to be able to see the world and to be able to meet people that I would have never had the opportunity to meet else wise. So being able to work with people that are from places like California, which I had never been before this tour, or like New York, we're a great representation of kind of how you can pull people from all across the states, get us into a single location and give us a similar goal and a similar mindset and just watch us excel and grow. So that's been a great opportunity for me to be able to see and also it just pushes you to be better.
There's nothing quite like watching the people that you work for, work alongside, and the people that work for you succeed and grow and change and actually be able to accomplish things that they never thought they could. So that's been just the absolute stellar part wearing the uniform every day and I could not be luckier.
Anthony Godfrey:
Outstanding and how about the civilian connection with the Navy?
Terri Yocum:
So like I said before as a civilian I didn't even know that was an option so I'm here to let everybody know that you can go to school and you can still work for the Navy and they still give you lots of opportunities so if traveling is not your thing maybe being working for the Navy as a civilian would be a better option.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right well thank you very much for your time and thanks for everything you've done to to help support our students and open up their minds to some other possibilities and helping them learn a little bit more about the STEM that they're studying.
Lt. Amanda Weber:
Yeah, absolutely. We're really lucky to be here.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Mr. Peterson talking with him about the experience that he and his students have had in the classroom having the Navy visit. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about the experience.
Mr. Peterson:
My name is Mr. Peterson and we've had some people from the Navy come today and we got to learn quite a bit about how the Navy operates and what they do for us.
Isidro:
My name is Isidro, and I think that the best part of the Navy being here was learning about how fun it is to be in the Navy and learning about what type of schooling they had to go to. And that was pretty cool, I thought.
Zach:
Hi, my name is Zach, and I think one of the coolest parts about the Navy was learning the different STEM career options that you're able to do while still being in the Navy and serving your country.
Sage:
My name is Sage, and it was really, really cool to learn about the stuff they do because my dad was in the Navy before I was born. And he told me a bunch of stories when he did his stuff, and it's a lot different to hear it from other people.
Anthony Godfrey:
What are some things about the ocean and weather that you learned that you didn't know before?
Zach:
I learned that the weather and the ocean, it's honestly, it's almost completely unpredictable, but some of the technologies that we have these days make it a lot easier to predict or try to predict. But really it's all just a force of nature and we have to try our best to accept that.
Sage:
Same thing that Zach said.
Isidro:
I thought it was cool to learn about how many people work on trying to predict so many things about the weather and about how unpredictable it is. That’s crazy.
Anthony Godfrey:
Did it expand your mind having the Navy here to think about what some of the job opportunities might be for you in the future?
Sage:
Yeah, definitely. It's so cool about all the different things that they do, and it's not just like sitting on a boat and just doing stuff in the ocean.
Zach:
Oh, yeah, completely. Like, if I joined the Navy, I could potentially do two things that I love, serving my country and working with machines.
Isidro:
I agree with that.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thanks very much for taking the time and have a great school year.
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.
22 min
November 03, 2023 Episode 217: The Tall Tale of Goats Hidden in the Basement at Foothills Elementary
It is a mystery for students at Foothills Elementary School. How did goats get into the basement of the building where Principal Abe Yospe says they now live?
On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Foothills for the school's annual Halloween parade, where we track down a student in a creative homemade costume and Principal Yospe to ask the probing question, are goats really living in the basement, or is it a tall (goat's) tale? Join us as we try to solve the mighty mystery.
Audio Transcription
[Music]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is an unsolved mystery for students at Foothills Elementary School. How did goats get into the basement of the building where Principal Abe Yospe says they now live?
On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Foothills for the school's annual Halloween parade to talk with a student about his custom costume. We also track down Principal Yospe to ask the probing question, "Are goats really living in the basement or is it a tall tale?" Join us as we solve the mystery and celebrate Halloween with Foothills Elementary.
[MUSIC]
I’m here with Amee Kovacs in her sixth-grade classroom at Foothills Elementary on Halloween. How are you today? It's a great day at Foothills Elementary.
Amee Kovacs:
It is such a great day. We had so many kids dress up in so many fun unique costumes. We're having a blast here.
Anthony Godfrey:
I always love being in schools on Halloween. It reminds me of just the joy of being at an elementary school. Tell me what are some of your favorite costumes this year?
Amee Kovacs:
Oh man, well we've seen lots of Barbies. That's been a very popular costume.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. But not a lot of Kenergy out there.
Amee Kovacs:
Not a lot of Kenergy. I wish we saw a little bit more of that, but you know maybe next year. I really like there's lots of fun Five Night at Freddy's costumes.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.
Amee Kovacs:
Lots of blow-ups are popular.
Anthony Godfrey:
I saw three blow-up dinosaurs together. Those guys coordinated in advance.
Amee Kovacs:
Right, right. Hopefully, kids are dressing up warm. That's my one thing - I'm glad everyone was wearing long sleeves and dressing warm today.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now I also love to see the theme that various grade levels do. And you are a Sesame Street theme.
Amee Kovacs:
We are Sesame Street theme.
Anthony Godfrey:
I saw a few grouches and then a few people were actually dressed as Oscar the Grouch.
Amee Kovacs:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
I’m just kidding. So you are one of the newer characters.
Amee Kovacs:
I am. I am Abby Cadabby, a newer fairy character on Sesame Street.
Anthony Godfrey:
Abby Cadabby. Well, you leaned all the way into it. Is that a homemade wig?
Amee Kovacs:
I wish I could say I made this, no this was purchased, but I've got the wings, I've got the wand. It's Halloween, you have to go all out, right?
Anthony Godfrey:
That's very, very legit. Very legit. Bravo, bravo.
Amee Kovacs:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me, there's a party today as well. What does that entail?
Amee Kovacs:
Lots of treats, lots of activities. It looks like we've got some crafting going on and awesome parents coming in to help out. Like that is the key to a successful Halloween is getting the community here to help out. And as you can see, we've got lots of parents here to help with the kiddos today.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's a big parent responsibility being in charge of Halloween.
Amee Kovacs:
It is, in fact, I usually kind of step back and they just take over and it's fabulous.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome.
Amee Kovacs:
So we had a great day today.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wonderful, well thank you very much.
Amee Kovacs:
Yes, you're very welcome.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me your name and tell me about your costume.
Samuel:
So my name is Samuel. I just made this character, he usually, so I just, so I imagined a character a long time ago. Then my brother Bruce, he drew it. My brother Spencer, the person who actually makes these costumes, built the head for me, we found the shirt, wrapped it up, shafted this bow tie from a teddy bear. My brother now has the bear. And he wrapped that up too.
Anthony Godfrey:
So there's a teddy bear without a bow tie somewhere in the world now.
Samuel:
Yes, yes there is.
Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me what is the character name?
Samuel:
It's not exactly a name. I don't really know.
Anthony Godfrey:
So your brother drew it, your other brother created it. Tell me what was the inspiration for this character.
Samuel:
No idea, I just came to me one day.
Anthony Godfrey:
And now describe the costume to those who are listening to the podcast.
Samuel:
I don't really know how to describe it, but I've always thought of him as a wire puppet.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Samuel:
That is demonic, I don't really know. But that's all I can say.
Anthony Godfrey:
So I see that there are teeth in a very misshapen mouth.
Samuel:
Yes, his eyes-
Anthony Godfrey:
Scars that make up your face.
Samuel:
With stitches.
Anthony Godfrey:
There are teeth where the eye used to be.
Samuel:
Oh yes. This is like a giant rip.
Anthony Godfrey:
Rip in your face.
Samuel:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
And the light up gem eyeball is something that really stood out to me.
Samuel:
So my brother just found a little light, put it in and that's it. He made this in like one day. It's not that hard for him. He’s made bigger and crazier.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I can tell that this is not your first time around 'cause it looks so great. And I can't wait to see what you do next year. That's pretty awesome. Why did you choose yellow particularly for the face?
Samuel:
My brother, so the picture was taken in black and white. And my brother asked, "Okay, what color scheme do you want?" And he's either, it's this kind of thing, or yellow. And I thought, "I'll just take yellow this time." and that's exactly what he did. The green light was his own thing, and I really liked that.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, the green light up eye really stood out in this parade, and bravo.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's not a character, I guess, in any movie or video game, but it should be, it's that cool. It's good to have big brothers like that, isn't it? Well, congratulations on a great costume, and happy Halloween.
Samuel:
Thank you.
(upbeat music)
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back, we will talk with Principal Abe Yospe about the goats in the basement at Foothills Elementary.
Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're at Foothills Elementary talking with Principal Abe Yospe. Abe, this is your first year at Foothills. How was your first Halloween at Foothills Elementary today?
Abe Yospe:
Oh, it was fun. It was twice as many kids as I'm used to, but it was a blast.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I see that you have the goat costume going today. Tell me about that. It's the Greatest Of All Time costume, first of all.
Abe Yospe:
Yes, yeah, I guess that's part of it. I didn't think of that, but I really love goats and I have got the kids to believe that we have goats here in our basement. We don't have a basement and we certainly don't have goats. But I've been able to convince the kids that there are goats in our basement. So I wanted to dress up as one of the goats from our basement.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me how the whole goat tradition started.
Abe Yospe:
Well at Columbia when I was there, I did the same. I thought “Wouldn't it be funny to convince the kids that there'd be goats in the basement?” And sure enough I was able to. I was even able to find some little baby goats and bring them one day and walk them through the halls and show the kids, yes, we really do have some goats in the basement. And when I say find, I didn't find them on the street and bring them in. (laughing) Somebody I knew had goats.
Anthony Godfrey:
“Hey, there's a goat, let's grab it.”
Abe Yospe:
(laughing) So tomorrow we're doing the same. Principal Richins from Fort Herriman owns goats. So he said, “I'd be happy to bring my goats over”, but his are huge goats.
Anthony Godfrey:
So he's gonna bring the goats over.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, his wife's going to.
Anthony Godfrey:
Which will continue to make the kids believe that there are goats in the basement.
Abe Yospe:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
That does not exist.
Abe Yospe:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey;
So how do you convince them of this? Is it just a sign on a door? What do you do to give them this idea?
Abe Yospe:
Well, we do have a sign on one of our doors, that I tell the kids goes to the basement, that says, "Beware of goats." So that's one, there's many steps to this process. Secondly, some of the faculty, they've got all, it's been really a bonding, fun thing. They've got into it and they'll put out like, hay by their door (laughing) or they've even put out like milk duds, so it looks like the goats kinda went to the bathroom around the door. And every morning in the announcements, the students announce who's got goat duty of the faculty.
Anthony Godfrey:
(laughing) - So you've gone all in on this clearly. And so the costume is an obvious one for the first year to be a goat, but you've been many things over the years. Tell me about some of your costumes. I know you're someone who leans into Halloween. Well, I know you're someone who loves Halloween. So tell me about some of the costumes from previous years.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, I do love Halloween. I never thought really that I loved it as much as I do until I became a principal. It’s very fun as a principal Halloween is.
Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely.
Abe Yospe:
But let's see, what things have I been over the years? So many different things. I've been Buzz Lightyear with the big blow-up buzz. My favorite thing to do is during Halloween day is I'll wear my initial costume. And then I've got just shelves full of costumes that I'll go change throughout the day. And so I'll keep going back to the classrooms as a different thing. And the kids will be like, “How many costumes do you have?”
Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the other costumes you'll be using today?
Abe Yospe:
Let's see. So today I'll be Willy Wonka. I'll be Frankenstein today. I've got big giant boots that raise me up about a foot. I'll be, like I said, I'll be Buzz Lightyear. I'll be the Jedi Knight. So my whole day is pretty much spent going back and forth and changing into outfits and going and surprising the kids with a different one.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'm very envious because just watching the parade today, it's really fun to see how excited the kids are about their costumes and about everyone else's costumes. And I was surprised at some of the costumes that I saw. There was a Garfield blow-up costume. I mean, that's a throwback. I assume the kid likes lasagna as well as Garfield. And I saw one where a student was dressed in a green turtleneck and was holding a pineapple. It was a Psych costume, which was pretty impressive for a kid to be that into Psych at this age.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, I didn't even know that was still a thing.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I mean the TV show that ended what, 10 years ago or something. And then I talked with one student who had made his own character and his own costume. It was very impressive. There were a couple of "It" clowns also that were very small, like a second-grade "It" clown. I thought that is advanced horror appreciation for someone to be willing to wear a clown costume that scary at that age. Any favorites that you've seen in the parade today?
Abe Yospe:
Well, there was a young lady that dressed up like a goat because she knew about this goat thing. So she and I took a picture together and she had a great, she had a goatee and she looked great. In fact, I even texted her mom a picture.
Anthony Godfrey:
A goatee? (both laughing) That's awesome. You texted her mom a picture?
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, so she could see, this was my favorite costume.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that's cool.
Abe Yospe:
Seems like there were a lot of light-up things too. Things with lights this year were like-- -
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, lots of lights and lots of Five Nights at Freddy's. Costumes have come a long way from my day when there was just the rubber band at the back that was stapled to the sides of the mask. Now, in addition to the kid costumes, I always love in elementary schools to see how various teams, grade levels dress in a theme. What are some of the themes that you saw today?
Abe Yospe:
Well, there were two grades that dressed up as Sesame Street themes, and they didn't know they were gonna do that. So we've got lots of Sesame Street characters roaming around here. And then my favorite was our special ed team that dressed up as Mario Kart and threw coins in the air and the discs at each other.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, they had the turtle shells, red and green, which was an impressive added detail. I saw lots of Pink Ladies today. I think the recess and copy aids were all Pink Ladies. And in addition to loving the costumes having a great time with the kids and the staff. You also have a favorite Halloween candy and I've known this for some time. Tell us about that.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, so I love Milky Way. I don't love them as much as I used to because I've gotten so many over the years. So I always go around the day of, if you want to bring me one Milky Way from your Halloween candy, I'd love it. You could bring me more if you want. And you don't have to if you love Milky Way, you don't have to bring me a Milky Way. But over the years, I've gotten more and more Milky Way. So when I was at Columbia, I broke the record. I think the record that I got was 1,250 some odd Milky Ways.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.
Abe Yospe:
I've already got four huge jars full here and this hasn't been Halloween yet. So I just convinced the kids to try to bring me Milky Ways and it's a great thing. In fact, when I was at Columbia, that spread through the neighborhood. So the parents would actually give out Milky Ways knowing that they'd say, “here's one for you and here's one for Mr. Yosbe.” And so it was a great way to reach the community members as well.
Anthony Godfrey:
The Milky Ways have maybe been a little much at this point.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, I'm a little Milky Wayed out. Last year I ate about 50 and then I put the rest in the teacher's lounge for them to eat. And 50 was a lot of Milky Ways. (laughing) Everyone says, why don't you make it something else? Like, what else do you like, Peanut m&ms or something? But now it's so entrenched.
Anthony Godfrey:
You gotta stay consistent.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, they know Milky Way is his thing.
Anthony Godfrey:
You would lose authenticity if you switched from Milky Way, quite frankly. And, you know, Milky Way, before I knew that they were a favorite of yours, always seemed to be missing something. No peanuts, you know, nothing crunchy. But I learned a new appreciation for them when I realized that you had, you know, leaned in so hard on the Milky Way theme.
Abe Yospe:
Yeah, well I'm a huge caramel guy, so the mix of the caramel and the chocolate in there, so good. In fact they have these caramel Milky Ways, have you seen those? They're in gold packaging, and it's more caramel than a normal Milky Way, so.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, wow, you just blew my mind. Well, happy Halloween, thanks for letting us visit, and have a great rest of your Halloween day. Good luck with all those costume changes.
Abe Yospe:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
More costume changes than a Katy Perry concert. [LAUGHTER]
[ Music ]
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.
[ Music ]
16 min
October 25, 2023 Episode 216: Choir Director Reunion at Bingham High Brings Legends Back for a Night of Music and Memories
It was a night of music and memories at Bingham High School as former choir directors traveled from far and wide to reunite, take a step back in time, and reflect on the legacy they helped to create.
On this episode of the Supercast, we hear from Jolene Dalton Gailey, LeAnna Willmore, Kerrin Gates, and Ryan North about what makes the music program and students so special at Bingham and what moved them most about the magical reunion.
Audio Transcription
[Music]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was a night of music and memories at Bingham High School as former choir directors traveled from far and wide to reunite, take a step back in time, and reflect on the legacy they helped create.
On this episode of the Supercast, we hear from Jolene Dalton Gailey, LeAnna Willmore, Kerrin Gates, Ryan North, and Logan Bingham about what makes the music program and students so special at Bingham and what moved them most about the magical reunion.
We're here with current and past choir directors here at Bingham High School, way back into the 1900s. And we are really excited to have you all here. Just introduce yourselves, each of you, and then I have just a couple of questions for you. But it's really exciting to see you all here together at the same time.
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
I'm Jolene Dalton Gailey and I was here from 1984 to 1991.
LeAnna Willmore:
LeAnna Willmore 1991 to 1999.
Kerrin Gates:
I'm Kerrin Gates and I taught here from 2008 to 2014.
Ryan North:
I'm Ryan North and I taught here from 2014 to 2023.
Logan Bingham:
I'm Logan Bingham and I am the current choir director, my first year here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me how it feels to be here tonight.
Kerrin Gates:
It's exciting. It's different coming back as a visitor and this is actually the first time I'm seeing the new performing arts area, the renovations that have happened. So it's really exciting to see to see that and meet up with former students and their parents.
LeAnna Willmore:
This is the site of where I met my husband and married him.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
And so this place has more importance to me than just about any place I've taught.
Anthony Godfrey:
Is it bringing back memories?
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
Oh yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's fantastic.
LeAnna Willmore:
Okay I love I have Bingham High.I couldn't get over when I was here the traditions, how they honor the traditions and where they started and where they were going. It's just the mos traditional high school that I've ever been in. I've taught now in one, two, three, four different high schools.
Ryan North:
It's only been a few months since I was here last, but it's good to be back. It's good to see some of the students that I know and it's just, it's good to feel that energy, energy that you get on the night of a concert. You can feel that. It's just in the air and I just love that feeling. That was one of my favorite parts of the job.
Logan Bingham:
Well, I'll just add one of the things that we talk about at Bingham is they talked about being a legacy high school and so one of my things that I wanted to do is figure out how to involve and engage with the alumni and since I knew some or a lot of the past directors, I thought well maybe we could do something. Anyway, this is like you you know, planning coming true. And I mean, I'm just thrilled that they're all here. So it's really exciting to see everyone.
Anthony Godfrey:
These are all names that I've heard before and people I've met before, but now to see you all together tonight is really exciting. Tell me what made you want to be a choir director?
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
The woman standing next to me was my junior high school and high school choir director.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, wow.
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
And so I knew from about 12 years old that I wanted to do what she did because it was so impactful. And then as I studied, then the music became so important.
Anthony Godfrey:
LeAnna, I know that's not news to you, but how does it feel to hear that?
LeAnna Willmore:
It means a lot to me. You can imagine what kind of a student she was. I still remember the day when she was in the seventh grade, and I had this piece of music that I needed a pianist for and it was really hard. And I just said, who wants to play this? And she said, I do. And she took it home and practiced all night and came home, came the next day and she could play it. It was way beyond her.
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
I can still play it.
Anthony Godfrey:
(laughing) - It's burned into your memory. Wow.
LeAnna Willmore:
Those are the very things that make you want to be a choir director. You just, you have those students that will just gobble it up. They all do.
Anthony Godfrey;
Sure.
LeAnna Willmore:
And you can change lives through the music, through the text, through the feelings in the music, you can change lives for the better. You can take someone and help mold them into a better person.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thousands of lives have been changed by this chain of directors here.
Ryan North:
One of the things I loved most about being a choir teacher, and this is something that we would get as choir teachers, let's say a math teacher might not get, is we oftentimes have the same students for two, three years, and you get to build a relationship with those students over three years, and you really get to know them, and they really get to know you. And you do, you get to see you get to see them grow you get to see them change. You keep in contact with them long after they graduate. You know, you get the wedding invitations and all the announcements about what's going on and it's just that's one of the most rewarding parts of the job.
Logan Bingham:
Well, and not not to you know throw the others under the bus but we don't have reunions like this for math classes or for English classes.
Anthony Godfrey:
My English students didn’t say, "Let's all get together.”
Logan Bingham:
Right, so I mean that is the beauty of music and not just music but then the culture and the experience that the high schoolers get.I mean they're amazing. The things that they do are incredible and so for me it was that I had a great music teacher that inspired me and I think that's probably how a lot of us got into this thing of we had someone that inspired us and then we decided, "Hey, I'll give it a shot too.”
Kerrin Gates:
Yeah, I had an interesting experience as a teenager in choir myself. I started out - my mother was very musical and she taught us all as kids and so we had kind of musical education throughout our early years of education. But when I went to high school I joined choir and a lot of the experiences I had there, just in an interesting moment of clarity as a teenager, I thought it's important that kids this age have a safe place where they can practice being themselves, you know what I mean. And practice that changing voice and understand things that are okay and not have to be scared. So to me, that was one of the things that inspired me to become a teacher in general, was this idea that kids need a safe place to be and to grow and to find out, you know, who they are and what they want to be.
Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of your favorite memories as choir director?
LeAnna Willmore:
The rehearsal was really more fun than the performance usually. That's where the magic happened. The most beautiful moments happened in the rehearsal and you always hoped that they would carry over into the performance and the audience would feel it but it was it was the rehearsal.
Anthony Godfrey:
You've had many favorite memories in those rehearsals over the years. Anyone else?
Kerrin Gates:
Well and like Ryan said those those times when you just see them get it too, the light will go on and when they make the connection between rehearsal and what happens in performance you know it's the performance then seems like a little bit of a flash in the pan after all you've gone through to get to that you know snapshot of all your work.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah that's the magic of learning it's something they didn't think they could do.
Kerrin Gates:
And they can make that connection and go ah that's what it's about.
Ryan North:
And some of the best memories too, are not musical memories. It's just maybe a connection you have with a student over something non-musical related. You know, you just make a connection and there's some sort of special understanding that happens there and you just feel like, ‘okay, we've got something here between us now’ and you feel like you can be influential in their life and you feel like you've made a little bit of a difference. That happens frequently too and you don't always realize it at the time and they'll come back to you later, you'll get a note at the end of the year or a parent will say something or it'll be years later they'll say, "hey do you remember when this happened? That really meant a lot to me.” And that's like, ‘Oh, wow.’
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
I agree with everything they've said. But to add to that, the ability to be able to take students on tours away from this area, to take them to Vancouver, British Columbia, to take them to Arizona, to take them to California, to take them and watch them go, wow. And then to have their music influence and affect people that aren't their moms and dads in the audience and to find out that they have the power to affect other lives with their music. You don't get that very many places.
Ryan North:
I always loved it because I think we did three trips to New York while I was here at Bingham and I just loved watching them when we get to New York. Their eyes would just open really wide like we are not in South Jordan, Utah anymore There's a whole other world out there outside of this little valley here. I love that.
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
Yeah, that’s a gift.
Ryan North:
Yeah, and that's an important educational moment as well. It may not be music-related, but it's life-related.
Anthony Godfrey:
What's your favorite time signature? ⅞?
Kerrin Gates:
Oh, something asymmetrical.
Jolene Dalton Gailey:
Thank you. ⅝ now and then.
Logan Bingham:
I love a good 6/8. A little one, two, three, four, five, six.
Anthony Godfrey:
No ¾ huh?
Kerrin Gates:
Only if you're doing quarter note triplets in it.
LeAnna Willmore:
Only if you’re doing one beat per minute.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, all right. Fair enough. Fair enough. Any other thoughts or memories about Bingham?
LeAnna Willmore:
I have an overall thought about teaching music. And I don't know if this happens every place, but it happens for us at the end of a class period, you will have students say, "Thank you. It was a good class today. Thanks for what you do for us." That just - you get notes. You get so many notes. I had boxes, boxes of notes that I finally went through and read during COVID.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
LeAnna Willmore:
Just boxes, but it's the personal thank yous that they say as they're leaving the class. They don't just walk out.
Anthony Godfrey:
Sounds like you've had a similar experience.
Kerrin Gates:
I actually had a file in my cabinet in my office that I just labeled ‘happy file’ and I would take it out sometimes and just read those kind little notes that they would sometimes leave and it does it. It fills you back up a little bit, you know after you give so much.
Ryan North:
My time here at Bingham, I'm just filled with gratitude. There is a rich tradition of choral music here at Bingham going way, way back. And these three ladies here to my right here, they were part of that tradition and I just got to come in and kind of stand on their shoulders and continue to build upon what they had built. I'm just grateful to all three of you and the others who are not here for establishing that tradition and maintaining that tradition here at Bingham because it really is an important part of the school culture here. The Madrigals still sing at every assembly and you know that doesn't just happen overnight, I mean, that has to be embedded in the school culture so thank you for upholding that and I hope that just continues forever.
Logan Bingham:
Well, and I'll just add that's why I titled this whole event "We'll Always Remember" which is the first words of our school hymn that is sung all the time. "We Will Always Remember" this place and the legacy of this wonderful choir program and this event, which I hope is another kickoff to another almost maybe era of great onward and upward emotion for the Bingham High choirs. And, I mean, how lucky am I to be standing on the shoulders of you four and many more that aren’t here and I'm just so grateful for all that you've done too.
Anthony Godfrey:
I've long known about the music tradition at Bingham and it's really wonderful to meet the people who are responsible for it. Thank you very much for everything you've done for students over the years and for Bingham and for just being a part of this very important tradition here for these folks.
Ryan North:
Thank you.
[choir students warming up with scales]
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, hear a performance from the Bingham High School Choir.
[choir students continue warming up with scales]
Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young lives and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org
Choir singing Bingham High School Hymn:
We’ll always remember the blue and the white
And faces so tender and dear –
We’ll always remember the stars in the night
That shine on our campus so clear.
We’ll always remember the laughs and the smiles
And the struggles, the sorrows and tears.
But though we may travel o’er many strange miles,
We’ll always remember in May and September –
Bingham High as our happiest years.
[APPLAUSE]
Logan Bingham:
Welcome. I'm so happy and excited to see all of you here. Thank you for coming to tonight's concert/alumni reunion event. This is really an exciting night because I've been thinking about and planning this night for a few months and to see it happening is just making my heart so happy. So thank you for being here, whether you are a parent of one of the prior members or maybe you might be an alumni of Bingham High Choirs. Welcome.
My name is Mr. Bingham and I am the new choir director here at Bingham High. We’re using this event as kind of a kickoff to a new era maybe, that seems like a big word to say, but a new season maybe, that's what this is, like a television show, to a new season of Bingham High choirs. Let's have Bravado come out and sing to you.
(audience cheers)
[Choir singing (Ghost) Riders in the Sky by Johnny Cash ]
An old cowboy went riding out
One dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested
As he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd
Of red-eyed cows he saw
Plowin' through the ragged skies
And up the cloudy draw.
Yippie-yi-yay
Yippie-yi-o
Ghost riders in the sky
Their brands were still on fire
And their hooves were made of steel
Their horns were black and shiny
And their hot breath he could feel
A bolt of fear went through him
As they thundered through the sky
For he saw the riders coming hard
As he heard their mournful cry
Yippie-yi-yay
Yippie-yi-o
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.
Choir singing:
Yippie-yi-yay
Yippie-yi-o
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
Ghost riders in the sky
19 min
October 19, 2023 Episode 215: The Sweet Story of Two Educators with a Passion for Beekeeping
They are educators by day, but when their work is done with students in our schools, they head home to their honey bees.
On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to the backyard of a beekeeper. Find out why Bastian Elementary School Assistant Principal Amber Allen and Kauri Sue Hamilton teacher Alexa Allen have a deep passion for honeybees, overseeing the health of their hive, and honey production.
Audio Transcription
[Music]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are educators by day, but when their work is done with students in our schools, they head home to their honeybees.
On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to the backyard of a beekeeper. Find out why Bastion Elementary School Assistant Principal Amber Allen and her daughter, Kauri Sue Hamilton's school teacher Alexa Allen, have a deep passion for honey bees, overseeing the health of the hive and honey production.
We're here with Amber Allen in her home with her family to talk about beekeeping. Amber, you're an assistant principal at Bastion Elementary.
Amber Allen:
I am.
Anthony Godfrey:
How much of your time is spent with beekeeping on the side? That's a busy job already.
Amber Allen:
Well, fun fact, my husband helps me. My daughter, Alexis, she works at Kauri Sue. She's a teacher there. And the rest of our family, we all get together and we will harvest the honey together as a family. Bart and I kind of do the daily, go out and check on them. I talk to my bees. We can talk about that later.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes.
Amber Allen:
We have to make sure that other pests don't get inside, so we have to protect them. We also have to check on the babies, which is called a brood. That's probably a weekly endeavor that we do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'm excited to get into it. Introduce yourselves to the folks listening.
Alexa Allen:
All right, I'm Alexa Allen. I am a teacher at the Kauri Sue Hamilton school, and I teach our secondary and post-high kids.
Bart Allen:
I'm Bart Allen, I just help these two. I'm Amber's husband and Alexa's father.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so tell me what got you started with beekeeping in the first place?
Amber Allen:
I was getting my master's degree at UVU and I read a book about leadership and how a beehive represents leadership. I came home and I said, “Bart, we've got to have bees.”
Anthony Godfrey:
(laughing) - You wanted the analogy to go further than this.
Amber Allen:
I wanted to be a part of it, like entrenched in it. He works at the Salt Palace and at the Salt Palace, they have beehives there by the Japanese Botanical Gardens.
Anthony Godfrey:
I did not realize that.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, we keep them in our Japanese Botanical Garden on the third west and first south.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, wow.
Amber Allen:
So he's familiar. He knew the right connections. He knew how to get us started. So that's really where this all came from.
Anthony Godfrey:
How many bees do you have? Do you know is this quantifiable?
Amber Allen:
In the beginning yes, and I will show you a picture in a few minutes. When a hive comes- there's about 30,000 bees in the hive and it comes in the mail.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Amber Allen:
About 30,000, but within a few days-
Anthony Godfrey:
Airmail I assume.
Amber Allen:
No, the mail.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay.
Amber Allen:
Like the mail person.
Bart Allen:
The mailman delivers it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Gotcha.
Amber Allen:
Okay once the queen gets started, the worker bees start having their babies- I can't tell you anymore how many bees are in there. They average about 60,000 is what I've read.
Anthony Godfrey:
But you started with 30,000.
Amber Alen:
30,000.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Tell me what we have here. We have the pollen chart and it looks like we have several different kinds of honey in front of us. So these are the fruits of their labor and yours, right?
Amber Allen:
Yes. So this pollen chart, thought since you know I'm a teacher, I needed the visual.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, lay it out for me.
Amber Allen:
When we go out to the bees, hopefully you'll be able to see the pollen on their back little hind legs. Right now these are the colors that you're gonna see most prevalent is hogweed and dandelion.
Anthony Godfrey:
So the color of the pollen reflects what plant they got the pollen from?
Amber Allen:
Correct.
Anthony Godfrey:
What is hogweed? I don't know that I've had hogweed in my life very much, but maybe I didn't realize it.
Alexa Allen:
That’s what I said! It's like sage, like sagebrush.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, which we got a lot of here.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right.
Amber Allen:
So our different honeys right here. This is from Salt Lake.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay and that's a darker-
Amber Allen:
That’s a darker color.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, all right.
Amber Allen:
So you've got Temple Square down there, the Japanese Botanical Gardens, different rooftop gardens than we do here in South Jordan.
Anthony Godfrey:
So we might see hogweed you said which is more of a kind of a yellow.
Amber Allen:
I would say yeah like a mustard color.
Anthony Godfrey:
A mustard, that's a good description of it. And what was the other one that you said? A dandelion.
Amber Allen:
Dandelion.
Anthony Godfrey:
Dandelion.
Amber Allen:
To me, that's a carnival red.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's kind of almost a peach color, I guess.
Alexa Allen:
You wouldn't expect that from a dandelion.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Alexa Allen:
That orange, 'cause most dandelions are just yellow.
Bart Allen:
It's really cool, the bees have so much of it on them that the color just pops off their back legs.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Bart Allen:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
I feel like I've never seen that in real life, maybe on TV.
Amber Allen:
I hope you can today.
Anthony Godfrey:
So I'm looking forward to that. So tell me, this is, so there are some really- like this is a teal, Rosebay Willowherb. So if they got ahold of that, there would be some pollen that was teal colored or gray.
Amber Allen:
What I've learned from Peter, our bee expert that we call for advice, he said a lot of this green and blues up here is more like plants from back East. We don't have a lot of these in Utah. So we might not see these. We could, absolutely. But he said that down here is more the colors.
Alexa Allen:
So more the oranges and the yellows.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wild bluebell or plantain. I wouldn't think those were, you know, plantains, wild bluebells, same color pollen. That's fascinating. Okay, great. So now, so this, so there are these four different honeys that you have here.
Amber Allen:
Actually three, this one's just for Doug.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay, oh wow.
Bart Allen;
Doug gets his own.
Anthony Godfrey:
Hey, Doug.
Amber Allen:
And this one will be yours.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that's dynamite. I don't normally get swag from a podcast episode. So this darker one in the middle is more from Salt Lake where you have some other sources of pollen that are going to influence the color and I assume the taste of the honey as well.
Amber Allen:
Yes, so we'll do some taste testing here at the end or we can do it now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Excellent.
Amber Allen:
Actually, I'm not gonna tell you. I'm not gonna tell you the difference.
Anthony Godfrey:
Don't tell me the difference. Let's see if I can detect the different notes in that honey.
Amber Allen:
I'm gonna let you. So this is from the Allen bees. This came last season. This is this season and just a little bit of difference, even though it's the same neighborhood, same.
Anthony Godfrey:
So this season's a little darker than last season. What does that tell you about the honey?
Amber Allen:
That they use different flowers to pollinate.
Anthony Godfrey:
Just different flowers that they pollinated with.
Amber Allen:
Maybe like some neighbors planted something new.
Antony Godfrey:
So if these had been set out, would you be able to spot, oh yeah, that's ours from this year. Oh yeah, that's ours from last year.
Amber Allen:
I think I could.
Anthony Godfrey:
Just by color.
Amber Allen:
I think I could.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you probably get used to kind of the difference in pollen and the way the bees are behaving and you notice things that other people who haven't been involved wouldn't notice.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, and the flavor is a little bit different. You gotta like really, you know, try to taste the flavor.
Anthony Godfrey:
You gotta really pay attention.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, you can get it. You'll figure it out.
Alexa Allen:
You have to be a honey connoisseur.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, you know how people are like wine connoisseurs you gotta be that honey connoisseur.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay all right.
Bart Allen:
This came from a hogweed field.
Anthony Godfrey:
I'm detecting notes of hogweed. So actually, honey does last forever essentially, right? Doesn't it? I mean--
Amber Allen:
You might need to warm it up, because it will start to--
Bart Allen:
Crystallize.
Alexa Allen:
It gets harder, yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
I think I read that in the Egyptian tombs, they found honey that was perfectly preserved. Does everyone get honey from you for Christmas?
Bart Allen:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's the neighborhood gift, huh?
Bart Allen:
Yep!
Anthony Godfrey:
But I'm sure they look forward to it.
Bart Allen:
They eat it up.
Anthony Godfrey:
They count on it. They count on it.
Alexa Allen:
We have cute little tiny jars that we can hand out to people.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, very nice.
Amber Allen:
All right, so this one is from Salt Lake.
Bart Allen:
See if you can taste what kind of weed in Salt Lake it’s from.
Anthony Godfrey:
This is the Salt Lake. Okay, well, I'm gonna look at the color chart here and kind of compare. Broccoli? Oh, I hope I don't get notes. (laughing) I hope I don't get notes of broccoli in that. I'd rather have dandelion. Okay, let's see. Oh wow, that does have a distinct flavor.
Bart Allen:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
I can't tell what it is.
Amber Allen:
Can I give you an adjective?
Anthony Godfrey:
That tastes fantastic. Is it kind of citrusy almost?
Amber Allen:
I would say floral.
Anthony Godfrey:
Floral, okay.
Amber Allen:
What do you think?
Anthony Godfrey:
Which flower are we talking here? Wild honeysuckle perhaps?
Bart Allen:
That could be it, yeah.
Alexa Allen:
What do you have in the botanical gardens?
Bart Allen:
They're all Japanese. Actually, we don't have a lot of flowers, we have a lot of greenery and shrubs.
Amber Allen:
It's definitely not asparagus.
Anthony Godfrey:
It is not asparagus, it is not broccoli. Thank goodness. That tastes so good. Wow.
Bart Allen:
It certainly tastes different from regular honey you buy in the store.
Anthony Godfrey:
It does. It has a great little zing to it, little zip.
Bart Allen:
Yep, that's exactly a good adjective.
Amber Allen:
So this is from the Allen bees from Miss Kitty's hive.
Bart Allen:
Miss Kitty.
Amber Allen:
That's my queen, Miss Kitty.
Anthony Godfrey:
Let's give it a shot. Oh wow. That does have a distinct flavor. Of course, I'm going to be terrible at picking out what it is. Oh, Knapweed. Oh no, Hairy Willow Herb. That's it. No, do you know what it is?
Amber Allen:
No, because it would be a-
Anthony Godfrey:
A variety, a mixture.
Amber Allen:
Yeah, a mixture of the neighbor's plants.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's almost like a little tart.
Bart Allen:
At the end, there's certainly a flavor on wild honeys that is a little bit different than a pasteurized honey. It kind of has an after-flavor to it that is in there.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you never pasteurize your honey?
Bart Allen:
No, no.
Anthony Godfrey:
And that process probably kills the flavor and kind of - wow.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, it makes it more watery. The harvested honey like this is usually thicker than pasteurized.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it has a great consistency to it. It tastes fantastic. No wonder you work so hard for this. This is really, really good stuff.
Amber Allen:
So Alexa was gonna show you how- basically once we've taken the honeycomb out- how to harvest it. Do you want her to show you that?
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, let's go check it out.
Alexa Allen:
Okay, so it’s just going to be right over here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. So what we have is a big bucket here.
Alexa Allen:
A big honey bucket with like a little spout.
Anthony Godfrey:
A little spout at the bottom.
Alexa Allen:
A honey spout, cause it's not a regular spout.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well then you open the spout and then you just sit and you wait forever for the honey to come out of the spout, right?
Alexa Allen:
It's like watching paint dry. Okay. So this is a cheesecloth.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. So very tight mesh.
Alexa Allen:
Yes. So last year- -
Anthony Godfrey:
Is it a bag? Is it a bag?
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, it's just a little bag. So we'll put the comb into there and you let the wax will come in here and it just slowly drains.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you just let the wax slowly drain out?
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, and you have to do it in a warm room.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Alexa Allen:
Because you have to make the consistency of the honey to be faster moving, basically.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, sure.
Alexa Allen:
You gotta warm it up ‘cause otherwise you're just gonna sit there.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now how do you pull the honeycomb, how do you harvest the honeycomb out?
Alexa Allen:
We're gonna show you that.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, we're gonna go do that.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, we're gonna do that.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great.
Alexa Allen:
But last year we used a strainer that just went over the bucket, which is way easier, 'cause then you don't have to sit there and hold it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Hold the bag.
Alexa Allen:
And let your arm get tired.
Anthony Godfrey:
You're not left holding the bag at that point.
Bart Allen:
And I ripped it at the end of last season, so I had to order a new one.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, and then yeah, you can also use like tea towels, but we use the cheesecloth or the strainer. And then this--
Anthony Godfrey:
So this is like a Lowe's or a Home Depot size bucket.
Bart Allen:
It has to be food grade.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, food grade, oh yes. And how do you fill this up?
Alexa Allen:
So yeah, we'll fill it up and it holds about 24 jars.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Alexa Allen:
So we have two of these. So we get about 50 jars of honey from our hive.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Alexa Allen:
And here's a fun fact. That's only about 20% of the honey that they produce.
Anthony Godfrey:
Really? So you leave a lot for them?
Alexa Allen:
We leave a lot for them because in the winter, they still have to survive. They gotta live.
Anthony Godfrey:
Honey for everyone.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, exactly. So yeah, and then the honey will come out of this big spout. And obviously, for those who are listening, they can't see the spout. And it's a big, it's probably like two half dollar sizes. That the honey will come out of and then you can fill it up.
Anthony Godfrey:
You harvest the honeycomb, put it in the cheesecloth, wait there for it to ooze out in warm room, and then you can distribute it into the jars.
Alexa Allen:
Yep, and then--
Anthony Godfrey:
Nothing else in between.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Alexa Allen:
What's left in the cheesecloth is either like comb or wax that we can utilize in other areas. 'Cause you can harvest- it's like with the bison, like the Native Americans used to do, we use every part of the honey.
Anthony Godfrey:
So what do you do with the honeycomb and with the wax?
Alexa Allen:
The honeycomb you can eat and it's delicious.
Bart Allen:
Yep, you can.
Alexa Allen:
Wax, I've wanted to start doing this. You can make candles from it. I know that you guys at the Salt Palace do stuff with the wax.
Bart Allen:
Lip balm.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, lip balm, lotion. You can use it for a lot of things.
Anthony Godfrey:
The Honeycomb I've had has 13 minerals and vitamins and you put it in milk. It goes into a bowl and you pour milk over it and it's big, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not small, no, no, no. (laughing)
Stay with us. Up next, we suit up and get our hands in the hive. You don't want to miss it.
Break:
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Anthony Godfrey:
So onto the bees.
Bart Allen:
Okay, let's put on your suit though.
Amber Allen:
Do you have on long pants? I just gave you a topper.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, you'll be right.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Bart Allen:
So bees will attack mammals in the face and in the head.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Bart Allen:
So when you're out there, it's probably likely that they'll be bashing into your head and face.
Anthony Godfrey:
I'm used to a level of conflict in my workplace. Probably not direct attacks to the head.
Bart Allen:
Yeah. But they'll come right for your eyes and they'll come for your head.
Amber Allen:
Just don't swat at them.
Bart Allen:
Do not swat.
Anthony Godfrey:
Do not swat and don’t take it personally.
Bart Allen:
Do not swat.
Anthony Godfrey:
I'm suiting up here. You said my long pants are good enough. I've got a top.
Amber Allen:
Oh, I got gloves for you too.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's gathered at the wrists and the mesh I was hoping for and the wide brim to the hat.
Bart Allen:
Yep.
Anthony Godfrey:
And wow, I feel like the real deal.
Bart Allen:
You are.
Anthony Godfrey:
Talk to me about this. This looks like a picture.
Amber Allen:
So the smoker, it reminds me a little bit of Wizard of Oz when the Tin Man, the oil can.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.
Amber Allen:
Reminds me a little bit of that.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's right.
Amber Allen:
We put the smoker pellets inside. We also add newspaper just to--
Bart Allen:
Help it burn.
Amber Allen:
Help it burn faster and longer.
Anthony Godfrey:
And it looks like those pellets are specifically for-- Yeah.
Amber Allen:
Yeah, they look like rabbit food.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. It calms the bees, or what exactly happens?
Bart Allen:
Yeah, they communicate through pheromones, like we were talking earlier. And it actually confuses them a little bit, which is good. So they'll retract back into the hive and not-- because the guard bees will see those. There's guards. They're going to come out after us in the beginning.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, they're just doing their job.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, they're doing their job. They're guarding the hive.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right.
Bart Allen:
And they'll send out pheromones if they feel like they're getting attacked. So we just want to kind of disrupt that communication a little bit.
Anthony Godfrey:
This looks like a large wooden crate with a little slot at the bottom that some of the bees were coming out of.
Amber Allen:
Yeah, and there’s two levels.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh my heavens, look at all those bees.
Amber Allen:
And they're not upset at all, they are very calm right now.
Anthony Godfrey:
They're very calm. So am I.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, this is a docile hive. I've had aggressive hives in the past.
Anthony Godfrey:
So the hive will have a personality, kind of like an eighth-grade class in the middle school.
Bart Allen:
Exactly. Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
How often during the year do you harvest?
Bart Allen:
We will do a small one in the fall. But like Amber said, we like to leave a lot of the honey for the bees. In the spring we'll take a little bit more.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.
Amber Allen:
So in these two houses, the babies are down here, the brood is down here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Amber Allen:
We can try to separate and show you. It's just that there's so much honey. I don't know if we'll be able to separate them right now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Sure.
Amber Allen:
But the brood's down here, the queen lives down here. So when we check for her we do have to separate them and then up here is where all of the worker bees are at making the honey.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you have taken- so there are these slats in there, these sheets of honeycomb and you're taking a hook to kind of pull it out and gently pull it out of the box. Then you use the clamp to pull it straight up.
Amber Allen:
Yes. Bart, do you want the tray?
Anthony Godfrey:
You can already see that it's a little bit gooey.
Bart Allen:
Yeah, we're gonna make these guys a little bit angry because we're gonna kick them out.
Anthony Godfrey:
So how do you kick out the bees? You’re just scraping them off?
Bart Allen:
You just touch them, yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you’re just scraping them off.
Bart Allen:
You want to do it?
Anthony Godfrey:
Can I scrape some bees off?
Amber Allen:
Absolutely. You just say “sorry, we're sorry guys.”
Bart Allen:
Just be gentle. Say “Sorry, we're taking all your food.”
Anthony Godfrey:
If they stick on me then do I just brush them off of me?
Bart Allen:
Yeah, they’ll go away too.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.
Bart Allen:
You can actually let them off and go on your hand if you want.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, a few of them are flying around a little bit.
Bart Allen:
And if the guards come, like I said, they'll start banging against your head.
Amber Allen:
Do you want to do that out here?
Bart Allen:
Well, we can take that in the house. I just wanted to take the suits off so we can check for any bees.
Alexa Allen:
Before we had the beehive I was the stereotypical person of see a bee and run away, but now I look at them and I'm like, ‘oh my goodness. Look at that little guy, he's just working hard.’
Amber Allen:
You move all of this layer and then that's where your honey’s at. That’s the process Alexa was explaining to you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so the honeycomb is the top layer and then underneath is where you can harvest the honey. Amber Allen:
In the middle and that's the part that we're separating when we put it in the hot space.
Anthony Godfrey:
I see. Oh wow. Yeah, that's perfectly formed. That's amazing. I've not seen it like this.
Alexa Allen:
Okay, dare? I double dog dare you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, sure.
Bart Allen:
Oh, yeah, it’s fresh. Let’s do it.
Anthony Godfrey:
So do I just put my finger right in there? All right.
Amber Allen:
Okay, we're tasting the honey right off the comb.
Anthony Godfrey:
Right off the comb. Oh, that is so sweet.
Bart Allen:
Right?
Amber Alen:
Isn’t that delicious?
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Bart Allen:
That's crazy it never goes bad. Right? How does that happen? So that means there's bacteria that can't handle it.
Anthony Godfrey:
I mean, I've had a lot of honey in my life, but it's never tasted this good.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, this is the real deal.
Bart Allen:
No pasteurization.
Amber Allen:
And because of Miss Kitty. Don’t forget about her.
Anthony Godfrey:
Miss Kitty, I thank her for her hard work. Alright well, thank you so much for taking the time and for giving me a little window into what it's like to have bees. I think it's fascinating and they're in good hands. You're taking great care of your bees, so thank you for letting us be part of that.
Amber Allen:
Thank you.
Bart Allen:
You're welcome anytime.
Alexa Allen:
Yeah, thank you. It's been really fun.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.
[MUSIC]
21 min
October 12, 2023 Episode 214: Statewide Campaign Focuses on the Impact of Social Media on Students
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has launched a statewide campaign to address the impact of social media on students.
On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with Aimee Winder Newton who is Senior Advisor to Governor Cox and Director of the Governor’s Office of Families. She tells us how the public awareness campaign hopes to empower parents, and provide them with the tools they need to educate their kids about the potential harms from using social media.
Audio Transcription
[Music]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Governor Spencer Cox has launched a statewide campaign to address the impact of social media on students. On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with one of the Governor's senior advisors, Aimee Winder Newton, who also serves as the Director of the Governor's new Office of Families. She tells us how the Public Awareness Campaign hopes to empower parents and provide them with the tools they need to educate their kids about the potential harms from using social media.
[MUSIC]
We're honored today to have Aimee Winder Newton in the studio. Aimee is a member of the Salt Lake County Council, as well as a senior advisor and director of the new Office of Families in the Governor's Office. So thank you very much for joining us today.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah, thanks for having me.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit about your work in the Office of Families. That's a new position that we're all excited about.
Aimee Winder Newton:
It is. Well, about a year and a half ago, the governor, when he did his State of the State address, talked about how we need to be looking proactively at how to better strengthen families. We want the best outcomes for kids and we know that that happens through strong families. So he developed this position and I was hired a year ago. We've got some initiatives that we've set out to accomplish and some policy objectives and it's been a great ride.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we're really grateful to have you in that position. I know part of that has been helping the Governor and pushing this campaign to help raise awareness with families regarding the dangers of social media. And when you look through the materials, which I've done, I appreciated the chance to be there when the campaign was announced. What's staggering really is the statistics that you see. It's difficult to see the numbers. We know the impact that it has, but when you see the hard numbers that show just how frequently students are involved, how deeply they're involved with social media, and the obvious negative impacts, it's really harrowing to see that.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah, absolutely. Well, and you as school administrators and our school teachers and others in the classroom, they see the impact, right? You see how it's impacting kids. So just a few data points. In Utah, only 37% of our Utah youth got at least eight hours of sleep on an average school night. You know how important it is for kids to be to school well rested and ready to learn. And these kids are not getting enough sleep. Now, this is all according to the SHARP survey, which has been a great help for us as we look at data for our Utah youth.
Some other data points- 32% of Utah youth felt sad or hopeless for two weeks or more in a row during the past year. And 18%, that's one in six, of our Utah youth seriously considered suicide in the past year. So it's very concerning. We do have some other interesting data points too, because social media seems to affect young women at a higher rate than it does young men. So 53% of female high school students had persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, which is a 61% increase since 2009 when social media was invented. So some of these numbers are startling. We see this correlation and causation between social media and how it's impacting our kids, and we need our parents to get engaged on this.
Anthony Godfrey:
The correlation, it was 2009, right? When social media really took off and where the statistics got really bad for teens. It's really difficult to ignore that timing.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah, and I mean, if you look at the graphs that show like emergency room visits for self-harm from 2009-2010 till now. I mean, it's like a hockey stick. It's so extreme. And so, you know, we're very concerned. In fact, we did a survey of Utah parents before we started this campaign to just kind of gauge where everyone was. And we at least know 88% of our parents believe there's some sort of detrimental effect on the mental health of their children using social media. So we know that parents believe that there's a detrimental effect and what we need to do now is give them some help.
Part of what the state's trying to do, besides this campaign and educating parents of the harmful effects of social media, we're doing things like legislation to help rein in social media companies. We also have lawsuits that we're looking at for harm that's been caused to our Utah youth. So there's things there, but the Governor's incredibly concerned about the mental health of our youth. We're just grateful that Jordan School District understands this and your great leadership to help us figure out how we can get this message out.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, the Governor's been a strong voice, a strong advocate for mental health issues for students for a long time. He's told his own story about how he struggled as a teen.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I think that's powerful. I really appreciate your focus and his focus on this issue. Tell us, first it's that you want to make sure that parents are aware of the harm that can be done of the dangers of social media, so that we're not dismissive of that. But then you're also giving tips for parents on how they can engage and help manage that with their teen.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of those suggestions for parents.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah, so let me share five tips that we've been talking about. The first one is creating a family media plan. So this is everything from having open discussions and setting expectations to deciding ahead of time what the rules will be. So for instance, when I had kids, my kids are all now young adults, but when they were at home and they were teens, we had a rule that they had to check their cell phones in our bedrooms at night. And so they'd plug in their phone - I did have one kid one time try to be sneaky and put just the phone case with the little plug going into it, but we caught on and that was the end of that.
Anthony Godfrey:
You know, that's a good trick for me to be aware of.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah, yeah. Be aware.
Anthony Godfrey:
Kids listening, don't try this at home.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Don't try this at home.
Anthony Godfrey:
'Cause it won't work.
Aimee Winder Newton:
That's right. Parents are smarter than that. But we liked having it in our bedroom 'cause we said, you know what, at nine o'clock, phones checked in so that it wasn't distracting them. It wasn't keeping them up late at night. And so-- -
Anthony Godfrey:
My 14-year-old plugs his phone in the kitchen in a particular spot and we even don't have to ask much anymore because it just kind of happens. It's become a habit that the phone doesn't go downstairs at night.
Aimee Winder Newton:
That's awesome. Well, and I feel like if you set the standard with the first child, the rest know, Oh, it's not worth the battle 'cause mom and dad aren't in a cave, so.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I do like that you said you set the standard in advance because if in the midst of an important interaction, suddenly there's a rule, then that doesn't work.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Right, right. And as part of that family media plan, I mean, that can go to TV, to gaming, to anything else. But having those expectations ahead of time, and you know, we even have some parents who have a little contract with their kids that you can only use it for this amount of time and during these hours and everything, And then they agree as parents that if you come to us and tell us about something inappropriate you've seen, we agree to not overreact and get angry, that we will always be supportive of your endeavors. And anyway, they kind of have this mutual contract. So there's a few ways you can create the family media plan. But talking about it in advance and setting those expectations and having your kids even be involved in that is a really good way to do it. So that's the first one.
Anthony Godfrey:
OK.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Second one, create tech-free zones and encourage children to foster in-person relationships. So one of the biggest issues that we see right now is a lack of human connection and how it's affecting kids and adults. Going through COVID and all of that, there was an impact there with that human connection piece. So right now we've got kids walking through the halls at school glued to their phones. They're not saying hi, they're not connecting, and they're missing that in-person connection. They're missing that. They can't just be friends over a device. You have to have that in-person connection for you to really feel that and have it positively impact your mental health.
Anthony Godfrey:
And a device is a really easy way to extricate yourself from an awkward social situation. Even adults do that. While I'm standing around for a second, okay, I'm gonna look at my phone and now I feel comfortable because I don't feel like I'm obviously standing here alone not talking to someone.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Right.
Anthony Godfrey:
And as a result, the disengagement just kind of perpetuates itself.
Aimee Winder Newton:
That's right. Well, and as parents, when we set those tech-free zones, I mean, it's easy to say, okay, everybody, we're checking our phones in during dinnertime, or when we have family activities, or whether we're reading or watching a movie together, bedtime, setting that bedtime time that we talked about is really important as well.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you're right. I need to be better at dinnertime. I don't know how you knew that, but I do need to be better at dinnertime.
Aimee Winder Newton:
That's why I'm here, Dr. Godfrey.
Anthony Godfrey:
I know. You're here to help. You're here to help.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back more tips on what parents can do to prevent some of the potential negative impacts from student use of social media.
Break:
Hello, I'm Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counseling Specialist for Jordan School District. Do you know all the ways Jordan School District counselors can help you and your student? School counselors play such an important role in our schools. They provide parents with resources to help guide their children in academics. They provide support with the mental and social well-being of students in our schools. And if you are in the process of preparing a student for college, or just beginning the conversation of higher education, now is the perfect time to reach out to your child's counselor. We can assist with college applications and college readiness. I encourage parents and guardians to schedule an appointment and get to know your student's counselor. Together, counselors and parents can help develop plans and strategies for students to succeed long after they leave Jordan School District. Reach out! We're always here to help. You can find us and learn more at counseling.jordandistrict.org.
Aimee Winder Newton:
So the third one is, and this one goes along with what we were just saying, model responsible social media behavior.
Anthony Godfrey;
Yes.
Aimee Winder Newton:
You know, there's a study that came out of the Wheatley Institute that showed that what affects a kid's mental health even more than them being on social media was how much their parents are on social media. So when a kid has to compete with Instagram or TikTok for their parents' attention, it's sending a pretty strong message to that child. We need parents to model good behavior with their devices.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a really important point. And I'm getting emails day and night, and it's really easy for me to just remain engaged with that unless I'm very intentional about, as you described, thinking about the idea that I'm setting an example and I need to have these zones that are tech-free.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah. Well, and I think-- I mean, what message is it sending to our spouses and others in our life when we're choosing our phones over that human interaction? The fourth one is work with other parents to establish shared norms and practices. So this is working with your kid’s friend’s parents to say, “Okay, our kids are all friends. Let's agree on which apps or which means of communication we're going to allow our kids to have.” And if you have this coalition with other parents to say, we're not gonna do Snapchat or we're not gonna do, we're not gonna have these apps. We want our kids to be texting each other instead or whatever it is. So much easier to convince your kids that they're not the only ones that have to do this.
Now, I will add a caveat. Sometimes the other parents aren't willing to do it or they don't stick to it. And you know what? You just have to be brave and you have to be courageous as parents and say, this is my kid, I'm going to do what I think is right for them no matter what their friends' parents do. But that does help. If you can get a group and rally together, it helps our kids.
Then the fifth one is to reconsider allowing your child to use social media, period. Our governor has a 16-year-old daughter. They do not allow her to use social media yet. I had a neighbor who they didn't allow their daughter to use social media. And it's interesting, she's 20 now. And I remember there were battles, it was hard. She's 20 now and she will tell you she's so grateful. She saw what that did to the other girls that she was in school with. And she was so grateful her parents stuck to their guns and that she didn't have it. Now they found creative ways to do it. So for instance, she had an Instagram account but she could only use it on her mom's iPad. So she'd get permission from her mom to upload her dance pictures or things like that so that she wasn't totally out. But it was limited. It wasn't on her phone. It was on her mom's iPad and she'd get a few minutes to do that and then it stops the continual scrolling or checking back to see what kind of feedback they're getting from likes and comments and that type of thing. So there's a way that you can do it.
I think parents are gonna find it's going to become more popular to just say, we're not gonna let you have social media yet. And even our surgeon general came out and said, 13 is too young. Consider 16, 17, or 18, and figure out when your child is mature enough. But he, the US Surgeon General has said 13 is too young.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, one of the statistics that I found on your website is in a national survey of girls 11 to 15, one-third or more say they feel addicted to a social media platform. So a third of girls who are not even at the age where we would recommend that they even start with social media, they're already addicted.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Yeah, it's very addicting. I mean, they're creating algorithms to try to keep people on. That's part of it. So this is an issue, and it's an issue for adults too, but our kids' brains aren't fully developed and so that's why we're seeing such major impacts to their mental health.
Anthony Godfrey:
I think it's also impactful when, as part of the campaign, I've heard discussions about how social media is created to be addictive. And I think especially as a teen and even as an adult, once you understand that they are deliberately trying to addict you to your interactions on social media, you're much more cautious about how you approach it.
Aimee Winder Newton:
That's right, that's right. Well, and even in our TV ads that we're doing with this, you know, we show a child with a mask on and it looks like they're smiling and they're scrolling on their phones and everything's A-OK. Then you start seeing the negative messages they're getting about their body or that they have no friends or whatever and then the mask comes off, and you see them crying, and a parent's there to put their arm around and take the phone away.
That's kind of what we're trying to help parents understand is your kids are hurting inside. If you ask high schoolers, if everybody had to get rid of social media, is that better? Or if some can have it and some don't? And they'll say, if everybody got rid of it, that would be better for us. It would be better for our mental health. But they're worried about the social piece and the level playing field because it is such an integrated part.
One of the things that we've even said for our schools is, “Hey, figure out a different platform to advertise your activities.” I mean, there's some apps out there that are not social media based that can still advertise and show fun games and sports events and the things that are happening at the school, but it's not now kids having to go to Twitter or Facebook or Instagram to find out what's going on at the school. It's in an app format. So, I mean, there's ways our schools can even be involved to help.
Anthony Godfrey:
No, I think those are great suggestions. ‘Unmask the Dangers of Social Media’ that's the name of the campaign. I do think those ads are very impactful. And, you know, when you, again, I go back to the statistics. Teens who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes. According to a survey of 8th and 10th graders, the average time spent on social media is 3.5 hours per day. So when you couple those together, social media is difficult to manage, especially for younger kids.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Well, and get this, this statistic is startling to me. Almost 60% of teen girls say they've been contacted on social media by a stranger in ways that made them feel uncomfortable. So we're dealing with lots of issues with social media. You've got the potential predator issues. We hear of the sextortion cases and even other issues there. Exposure to inappropriate material that is not appropriate for their age. But then there's other things that are getting feedback on body image. I mean, the body image issue is huge for girls especially. Depending on your worth being based on likes and comments and all of that. Like there's the filters now where nobody knows what's real anymore and how that's distorting their body image. I mean, there's just so many issues that we're concerned about.
Anthony Godfrey:
And some of the issues, as you described, are just obviously problematic, obviously harmful, that many are insidious. They're not obviously on their face- they don't appear to be as damaging as they really are.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Right, exactly. Thus the mask analogy, right? Parents may think that everything's just fine with their kids as they're sitting there scrolling and inside they're hurting. We want to engage, educate, and empower those parents. We need their help. We need them to be brave. We need them to be courageous and to stand up and figure out what is right for their children and we highly recommend that you think twice about your child using social media.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the reaction you've received to the campaign.
Aimee Winder Newton:
You know, we've had so many positive comments about the campaign even from people who have kind of been naysayers in the past on some of this, they've loved it because what we want to do is help give parents a reality check really on what's happening with their children. And so we've had great comments from parents, even from other teens and those who are on social media.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it is a complex issue for families because there are different levels of involvement that parents are accustomed to and children are accustomed to. But the bottom line is that really an intentional approach that's informed with an understanding of how these social media sites work, the statistics on the potential harm, and really keeping in mind the ideas for managing it in a way that makes sense for your family. It's all very important information and I'm really grateful for the campaign and for the work you and the Governor are doing to get the word out.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Well, thank you and we appreciate the leadership with Jordan School District. The Governor is so grateful for all the hard work that you guys do to educate our kids and to be involved. You know, it's interesting how our schools now are expected not just to help with learning and education, but so many other facets of a child's life. And so we know that you see the impacts as well. So thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thanks for all your efforts. Thanks for taking time with us today. And it's great to be working together with you on this important issue.
Aimee Winder Newton:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for everything.
[MUSIC]
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.
[music]
21 min
October 05, 2023 Episode 213: Meet a True “Superstar in Education” at Riverton High
She is known as an extraordinary teacher who goes above and beyond for her students every single day. In fact, this amazing educator never forgets a face, keeping a picture and list of every student who has come into her classroom since 2019.
On this episode of the Supercast, meet Riverton High School CTE teacher Buffy Blunck. Ms. Blunck was recently honored as a 2023 “Superstar in Education” by the Utah Education Association. Listen and find out why.
Audio Transcription
[Music]
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She is known as an extraordinary teacher who goes above and beyond for her students every single day. In fact, this amazing educator never forgets a face, keeping a picture and list of every student who has come into her classroom since 2019.
On this episode of the Supercast, meet Riverton High School CTE teacher Buffy Blunck. Ms. Blunck was recently honored as a 2023 “Superstar in Education” by the Utah Education Association. Listen and find out why.
[MUSIC]
We are here with Buffy Blunck, winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for 2023 for Jordan School District. Buffy, congratulations.
Buffy Blunck:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's great to be here in your classroom at Riverton High School. Tell me a little bit about the award.
Buffy Blunck:
Well, it was a surprise and I'm very privileged to get it. It was given to me by one of my colleagues and it was one of the ten in the state of Utah that I was able to win. I was one of the ten people and it was a great honor to get this award. They did give me a cash prize for it, which was amazing. So that was nice from Ivory Homes. So that's a neat thing. I was able to do a banquet where I was given the award and I also had the ability to do a speech. I met the other 10 people and was given a poster. It was just a wonderful honor and my principal was there. And then also Melissa Brown and Rochelle Waite, my principal, were there representing UEA and JEA and my involvement with that.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, congratulations.
Buffy Blunck:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's an honor well deserved. I've long known about Buffy Blunck and the great things that you do in this district, and we've talked about having you on for a long time.
Buffy Blunck:
Yes, we have.
Anthony Godfrey:
Right from the start.
Buffy Blunck:
Being a health teacher, that's why.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's a long time coming, so I'm glad that we're here. I want to talk a little bit about your classroom first of all. The fact that you're a fantastic teacher just is immediately apparent as you walk into your classroom. Tell me about your mug wall. Let's walk over there. Let's walk over and check it out.
Buffy Blunck:
When I came to Jordan School District from Canyon School District and I ended up teaching Health in the classroom, I decided that my theme for the year is, or every year, kind of my philosophy is I'm here for you. And so I really like to get to know all my students, their names, even though I have, right now I have 252 students.
Anthony Godfrey;
Oh wow.
Buffy Blunck:
But I get to know their names and then at the end of the semester, when they leave, they have the opportunity to do a little Polaroid picture. So on my wall, I have all my students starting from 2019 when I kind of came up with this idea. And they're all up on my wall. For the past, I would say, missing COVID, of course, I wasn't able to do that, but you can see even a group of students back there with masks on.
But it just shows my students how much they mean to me. And when they come in and they see their brothers or sisters or their friends, they love to see all of their names and their pictures on the wall. So it's just my little mug wall. And I think they love to see that and see the connection that I have. And I have seniors that come back 'cause I mostly teach sophomores, and they'll come back and wanna get a picture of their senior, or look at them when they were a sophomore. And I don't force them, so it's just something that, if they want to do that, they can, but most of them end up loving to do it. So it's really, and it just makes me happy. It just makes me feel good about seeing all my students and know that they were in my class, and they love to come back and visit and take a picture of themselves or just visit.
Anthony Godfrey:
I love the theme, I am here for you. Then you have a sign laid up at the front of your classroom that says that. So they don't forget it. Every day they know that.
Buffy Blunck:
They know I'm here for them. No matter what, any way, in any capacity, especially teaching health and the way things are going, that is something that I'm always there. I always have lifesavers or treats or if they need anything, it's a safe haven for them to come. We are very open in this classroom and they just know that I love them.
Anthony Godfrey:
Would you say that I am here for you is your philosophy of teaching?
Buffy Blunck:
Yes, it is, it is. That's how I believe the safety and the feeling of my room should be - that I'm always gonna be there for them, no matter what. If they're having a bad day, just having a place to come where they can be themselves or if they are sad, if they need a break, that I'm here for them. So if they come after school or before school, that I'm always there. If they need to reach out through email, that I'm gonna take the time just to show them I care for them.
Anthony Godfrey:
I love that.
Buffy Blunck:
And mostly it's just a smile, knowing their name, saying “hi” to them.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, the treats and the sign certainly help but it's the way you treat them that makes the difference.
Buffy Blunck:
Yes, I have my tables are in groups. I have fun things all around the room so they're easily entertained so they can keep their focus or lack of focus. Either way, I'm going to care for them.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now even even before coming here I did hear that you had some really exciting visual aids in your class. I do. Tell me about some of the things that you have to help them stay focused.
Buffy Blunck:
I just teach Health and so of course my subject deals with all the anatomy of the body. I also teach Health Sciences for CTE. I'm very heavily involved with ACTE and all the CTE teachers for the state of Utah. So that is a big priority to me is to know the body and to feel safe so I have a lot of stuffed animals of the anatomy parts of the body. I have a lot of visual aids of just the body. I'm in charge of HOSA clubs so a lot of the things are tied into CTSO. I really believe in trying to help kids get into the medical field and obviously learn about that aspect of their lives or that direction they can take at the tech centers. And so that's a big huge priority. I’m also a big advocate for teachers on the CTE level. I’ve gone to Washington a couple times to advocate for teachers at the national level.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you’ve held some leadership positions at the state level?
Buffy Blunck:
Yes, and I still do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about that.
Buffy Blunck:
I work with ACTE. I've been the president. ACTE is Association of Career and Technical Education and I've been the president of that, and now I'm not the president anymore but I'm on the executive board and plan all the conferences. So we do a mid-winter conference for about a thousand teachers from all over the state. That's in February. I get to plan that and have a lot of fun with that and continue that education for teachers on that and the networking and the camaraderie.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's fantastic. So you do a ton to support students and a lot to support fellow teachers not just in this school but well beyond.
Buffy Blunck:
Yes, but I am blessed. I have an amazing village here at Riverton High School. My teachers here, my colleagues, they know how much I care about them too and how much they've been there for me throughout the years. I do feel their support and their love. I take pictures, we do the faculty slideshow at the end of the year, but it's just something that I love - the camaraderie that I have amongst my teachers. They're my village, they're my people, and so I'm lucky that I have that network. And then I'm able to share that same love and passion to my students. But it starts, you know, with the administration and the teachers and the people that I have surrounding me, including you at the district level.
I am very blessed that way too. To know people that are supporting me. That have moved to the district level that I still know, and to know that I have people backing me. Even at the UEA level and the JEA level. I feel like there’s still - there's hope. There's still people that are supporting us and fighting for us teachers to help us be better educators and better people all around.
Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely. Absolutely true. Now you sure seem to love what you do.
Buffy Blunck:
I do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Every aspect.
Buffy Blunck:
I've been doing this for 26 years and I would never change any of it. I don't regret any of it. I've worked in so many capacities and have a problem with saying no. I do have my no button over here that I push, but I definitely don't know how to say it.
Anthony Godfrey:
It looks like it's stuck. It doesn't work.
Buffy Blunck:
It is. I just really believe in being involved. I think that's my biggest thing, I like to be at the games. I like to help out. I'm on committees. I think the more involved you are the better, you know what I mean?
Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. Thank you for everything that you're doing.
Stay with us when we come back more with Buffy Blunck.
Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian? Commercial pilot? Programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant, work in digital media, robotics, welding, or web design. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment and/or a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. Our two Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) campuses offer unique programs to fit your child’s dreams for the future. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.
[ Music ]
Anthony Godfrey:
Now this mug wall is difficult to describe if you're not here. It's the smaller Polaroid photos, but this wall is plastered with photos of individual students, mostly with their name written underneath. And it's just - it's really fun to see all these smiling faces all together that kind of tracks the history of life with Buffy.
Buffy Blunk:
Yep. There's, I would probably say, I guess there's probably around a thousand pictures above my wall of all of my students, like I said, since 2019, minus the COVID year. And just at the end of the semesters, I take all my students and ask them to take a picture. And like I said, 99% of them do put their name on it and they're up on my wall.
Anthony Godfrey:
And it's the first thing you notice when you walk in.
Buffy Blunk:
I did it as you walk in.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's an eye-catcher just as you go in. It looks like kind of a mosaic from a distance.
Buffy Blunk:
It does. It does.
Anthony Godfrey:
And you come up and hey, it's real human beings that have had a great time in your class, obviously.
Buffy Blunk:
And they're all the same and just the mini photos they do. So it is a little bit of expense too, but it's worth it. They're worth it to me.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's fantastic.
Buffy Blunk:
When students come in that I don't ever expect to come in just to take a picture or a brother or sister says, "Oh my gosh, that's my brother up there. That's my sister up there. And they loved your class.” It just makes a connection and it makes them feel safe in here, that they knew someone here. It could be a neighbor or somebody there that they recognize. And yes, when I come in and this is what I see, it's the reason why I'm a teacher. My students on my wall, my mug wall. And so it does help me sometimes when I'm tired or exhausted or even just trying to teach a subject that's sensitive. This wall is a representation of why I do what I do.
Anthony Godfrey:
This is a big group of very, very lucky kids to have had your class. And you've got a lot of wall space, Buffy.
Buffy Blunk:
I know, okay.
Anthony Godfrey:
Many years ahead. Plenty of wall space.
Buffy Blunk:
Exactly.
Anthony Godfrey:
I mean, we'll knock down a load-bearing wall and get you some extra space if you need it.
Buffy Blunk:
Thank you. A bigger room, I’ll take it.
Anthony Godfrey:
We can start on the ceiling. Let's not let space stop you.
Buffy Blunk:
It won't. It won't stop me. And it won't stop me being there for my students no matter what. I have a fun time teaching. I love teaching health. I think the subject is something that I lucked out, that I get to teach it because it's something that's every one of us. And I love teaching the fun parts of it. I mean, all the students know that they take my class, they're gonna get it. They're gonna get the real stuff, we're gonna have the real talks.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now, you teach Health and Intro to Health Sciences. Just off the top of your head, what are some of the most important things that students learn in your health class?
Buffy Blunk:
Mental health is a big thing that they love to talk about. And my biggest focus when I talk about mental health is that everybody's different and we gotta break down the stigmas that we have out there. That it's okay if you take medicine, it's okay if you need counseling, and that we all need to be there for each other. The most important thing is to be aware and to listen and to ask hard questions with our friends. And I think that's the biggest thing, but I love talking about it. I love opening up the can of worms and making sure that it's a safe environment to talk about things. And I do. I have students that come and talk to me after and plant seeds and when we break down those walls. That's my favorite part is to break down those walls with mental health.
And then of course, sex ed is always a big huge draw to the class. I love that the curriculum changed, so I have the ability to educate my students on what's important, what's going on out there. Not to focus on any of the taboo things that people are so scared to talk about. I talk about the basics. I talk about what makes us unique, but just the basics of our human anatomy, and then everyone else can fill that in, and we all have our prerogative to do that. So those are the big two topics.
I also love smart goals. I've a big focus on smart goals and mini-goals and atomic habits. We focus on as many things as we can because it's something really hard to learn about as goals, it's always this thing. You're gonna be dealing with goals with your whole entire life. So I try to make sure that they see that they do it every single day and they don't even know they're doing it. So I bring that in in our habits and things that hopefully will change their life.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's a 360 approach to health. I love that you're talking about their mental health, but also that they need to ask hard questions of their friends so they're looking out for the people around them. Now tell me about your Intro to Health Sciences classes.
Buffy Blunk:
Oh, I love it. So that class is a little more intense. I call it honors health if you want to call that. We go into more of the different aspects of the body, but more importantly, we learn about all the different careers. It's an Intro to Health Sciences, so it's an intro into the medical field. So anybody that's interested in going into the medical field or any of those pathways at the tech center or the higher-level classes, my medical anatomy and physiology, EMR, medical forensics, any of those, this would be a class to kind of make sure that this is an area that you want to go into and give them the basics. So when they go into those classes, they'll be successful. We really do focus on careers, diseases, and disorders.
But again, back to the careers. I love learning about and teaching these kids what classes, what careers they can go into, the right pathways to get them excited about that. And that's the same with our CTSO HOSA Club, which is future health professionals, which is an international organization. I work with another teacher, and we really inspire these kids to do blood drives and do all of these amazing things. Speakers come in and talk about their different careers. We have activities that we do. We're doing a service project right now for Maui and collecting toothpaste and toothbrushes and anything medical, band-aids, anything to mail that over with Bluffdale City. So it's a great opportunity that we're starting this week and this next month. So that's kind of what our HOSA club does. And more importantly, I just try to get them passionate about the medical field.
Anthony Godfrey:
So if someone is thinking about being part of HOSA, what do they need to do and what does that involve? Do they need to be in one of your health occupations classes to participate in HOSA? How does that work?
Buffy Blunk:
They do not. We actually just had a club rush week and so we just kind of promoted it with all the other different CTSOs and clubs here at Riverton. Then we go into health classes, we make morning announcements, anyone can join. I do have a lot of students that are in other classes or they heard about it from sophomore orientation, we do that right before school, and obviously during the assembly. We just try to get the word out through posters and banners around the school. So anybody can join, I have an application in my room or in the main office and they can sign up. They do pay $20, it is a national fee and a state fee, and we give them a t-shirt. The expectation is try to get involved once a month at an activity or some things that we end up doing.
Anthony Godfrey:
Friendship and service included no extra charge.
Buffy Blunk:
No extra charge. And food.
Anthony Godfrey:
And food.
Buffy Blunk:
'Cause of course you have to have food.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's right.
Buffy Blunk:
So we're having a little luau with our Maui fundraiser.
Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic.
Buffy Blunk:
It is a great way for kids that have the same interests are in the same club.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of the careers that you cover in the class. And maybe if you can think of some students who have ended up in those careers as a result of exploring them here at Riverton High.
Buffy Blunk:
I do. I actually, my HOSA president that took my class and then a whole bunch of other classes here at Riverton. He is actually now a Surgery Tech student at Riverton Hospital.
Anthony Godfrey:
Great.
Buffy Blunk:
So he is being very successful. I have a lot of students that want to go into be a vet or a pediatrician or an OB/GYN or even have some that want to go into psychology or social work or physical therapy or PA. We cover everything, even recreational therapy is something that some students do. If they're interested in athletics we teach them about athletic training and they can take a class and a pathway. Dentistry. I mean you name it we cover it. Anything from the basic doctor all the way to something a little bit on the way of physical therapy aid or recreational therapy as I said. We cover it all and we make sure that they understand where they are. I've had students who wanted to be a vet their whole life. They kind of take the class, they learn about it and some of them realize it's not all about rainbows and puppies that there is some issues with it, or they're not very good at blood, or they don't want to see animals die. Hopefully, I can even teach them that there might be something else they're interested in.
Anthony Godfrey:
Sure.
Buffy Blunk:
Or number two, that maybe they'll go to plan B because that's not something they want to do and so I save them a lot of time and energy going into the wrong pathway. Anthony Godfrey:
Figuring out early on whether plan A or plan B is going to be the best path is really important. Well, you've taken great care of hundreds of kids over the decades and you've connected them with great careers and helped them explore their interests and understand their own health better. I can't thank you enough for the incredible impact you've had on students.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you and thanks for even highlighting me. I'm just lucky to be where I'm at and lucky to be a teacher. I love what I do and I appreciate you talking to me and asking me questions.
Anthony Godfrey;
Well, we're very very lucky to have you in Jordan District, and thanks for everything you're doing.
[Music]
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.
[Music]
22 min