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Jordan Supercast

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  • Episode 152: Growing Young Minds with an Outdoor Garden at Riverton Elementary

    They are thinking outside the box, looking beyond the typical classroom to give students hands-on learning.

    On this episode of the Supercast we take you to Riverton Elementary School where they are growing young minds using an outdoor garden. Find out how it works and why students can’t get enough of the outdoor classroom.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are thinking outside the box, looking beyond the typical classroom to give students a hands-on learning experience. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Riverton Elementary School, where they are growing young minds using an outdoor garden. Find out how it works and why students can't get enough of what has truly become an outdoor classroom.

    We’re here with Katie Fuller, the PTA President. Katie, what has PTA's involvement been in this outdoor classroom?

    Katie Fuller:

    Well, about two and a half years ago, actually three years ago now, my little brother came to me. His daughter had started school here and I was involved in PTA and he helped plant this space when he was a student here. And he said, ‘it's really not been taken care of these last few years and it needs some help. And what can you as a PTA do?’ And so we got involved in cleaning up the space and kind of renewing and refreshing and starting to take care of it again after it had kind of been neglected for a couple of years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. And has your brother been out to see it since it's been spruced up?

    Katie Fuller:

    He has, he actually came.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I don't know if there is spruce. Can I say that it's spruced up? Since it's been Oaked up or Aspened up? I don't know. Okay. We'll get to that. We'll get to that.

    Katie Fuller:

    He came out and helped with one of our cleanup activities and we've had probably about a hundred volunteers come out and help with cleanup. We've had some community involvement from different businesses that have been willing to help us. And we've worked with the forest department to get some new trees and just really worked hard to get it cleaned back up. And we're grateful we have this space. It's really an unusual thing. I think for an elementary school to have something like this.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's gorgeous. I love it. And I love that PTA has jumped in as PTA does to help where you see the need. I'm on the state executive board for PTA. I love PTA and I love that you've been involved in this now. I was at a great community night that you put on, that the PTA put on, food trucks and everything. And part of that was also celebrating 25 years. Ish I saw the ish after the 25 years. 

    Katie Fuller:

    COVID kinda messed up our timeline. Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    25 or so. But it's been here for a long time and it's really exciting to see it receive some love and attention that it needed. So thank you for making that possible. Over a hundred volunteers. And what did you hear from people as they were part of this?

    Katie Fuller:

    Mostly that they were amazed at what was here. A lot of people I think, are not aware of this, even our students. The first time I walked out here and was coming out to just kind of see how things looked, I had several students approach me and tell me they thought the space was haunted and that I should stay out.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, there's always that possibility, I suppose.

    Katie Fuller:

    So I think there were some students who just were not familiar with it. And I think even more so the parents. The parents who have come out have just been awestruck by what a large space it is first of all. And then just how beautiful and quiet it is. Even when their classes playing at recess, it's quiet and peaceful here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It is quiet and peaceful. And I was telling the kids I've been here just a few minutes and I already feel better. It's really secluded, surprisingly secluded for an elementary playground. It's the power of nature. That's for sure. Yeah. Well, thank you again for everything you've done to make it what it is right now. Katie Fuller:
    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're here with Jeran Farley with Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and his division has been very instrumental in making this possible as well. Tell me about your involvement.

    Jeran Farley:

    Okay. So I'm the Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator, and as part of that position we distribute grants. Most of them are funds that we receive from the forest service. We distribute grants for communities and also for schools for urban forestry projects. We started a new grant last year specifically geared towards outdoor classrooms. And the first school that actually applied was Riverton Elementary. So I was able to work with Katie and other members of the PTA. They applied for this grant and they already had this space existing, which was great. So we were able to focus on granting money for materials, outdoor educational materials, which they have now in the shed. So now kids can come out and use these materials and actually utilize this space and learn in it and they can study the leaves. They can study the insects and the birds and all the things that are out here. Additionally, we are able to use some more of that funding to add an additional 10 or so trees to the space.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, it's a beautiful space and all the trees you added make a difference because it feels very secluded. And you really can't tell, it's kind of a magical forest because as you walk up, you don't imagine that there's so much space in here. And that there are tables and chairs or benches, and that there are paths through here, because the trees just kind of set it apart from the rest of the property. Now you had a planting day at the end of last year I understand.

    Jeran Farley:

    It's one of the last weeks of school last year, 2021. And we had Tree Utah come out and help us plant the trees. We had all of the kids in the entire school come out class by class and assisted in planting all the trees. They learned their names and they just, it was kind of almost a field day type of experience. It was just so much fun for me to see all the kids participating and learning the proper way to plant a tree. It was a great experience.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I think you've planted some enthusiasm in kids for nature and for understanding the world around them at a deeper level. We have a shed full of material here. Now the shed itself is new as well. Correct?

    Jeran Farley:

    That is correct. Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So, walk me through some of what we've got here. Oh, we've got an emergency supply of sidewalk chalk. If anyone needs sidewalk chalk in a pinch, we are well stocked here. This is awesome. You've really thought this through.

    Katie Fuller:

    So our outdoor classroom chairperson and our group as a PTA have worked together. We wanted some flexible seating. So we got these five gallon buckets with lids for the students to be able to sit on and they can spread out throughout the outdoor classroom or move around in small groups. However, the teacher wants them to be able to interact. And we have a teacher bucket that has supplies that they might need. So scissors, a little emergency kit, anything you can think of that they might need. We've got glue scissors, pencils, measuring tapes, colored pencils. So the idea is to not have to cart everything out from the building. That it's all right here for the teachers to use when they need it. Clipboards. We recently had Walmart just donated tons and tons of seeds. So we're trying to decide how we want to use those with our students and let them kind of experience growing some great plants. We've got magnifying glasses and rulers and just lots of materials for them to be able to use and enjoy the space and be creative in how they work in the outdoor classroom.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. I love that. You've made it a lot easier and more user friendly because you walk out here and it's all right here waiting for you. Lots of wild bird feed too. I've heard, I can't identify them by any stretch, but I've heard four or five different birds at least out there.

    Katie Fuller:

    We have some blue jays and some crows that like to hang out. I know those are some of our residents out there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The crow really wanted to be a guest on the podcast, there's no question about that. I'm just really overwhelmed at this. This is such an immersive environment for kids to learn in and it's the deep type of learning that we're always looking for. The type of learning that sticks because it's, it's all around them.

    Katie Fuller:

    Yeah. We were lucky our outdoor classroom coordinator is a former teacher and so she had the insights into what would be useful for curriculum and for the things that we're doing in the outdoor classroom space.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    This is fantastic.

    Katie Fuller:

    We also have a box of books for teachers to use that are nature based and social, emotional learning based. So it's a great space for them to enjoy those books together as a class.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's wonderful. What a great experience for everyone. Can you talk me through some of the trees that were planted this last time around?

    Jeran Farley:

    So I wanted to focus on trees that had differences in say their leaves and their seeds so that kids could look and see maybe those are pinnate leaves or those have leaflets. Those have acorns, those have samaras, those have needles, just so that they could go around and identify all kinds of different types of trees. Because there's so many different varieties out there. And oftentimes in our urban environments, we have what's called a monoculture. We have just one or two types of trees throughout towns. And so I think learning tree species diversity is very important. Learning that there's so many different kinds of trees out there and giving them the experience to see those.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me more about the Urban and Community Forestry. Is that the term that you used? Tell me more about what that involves.

    Jeran Farley:

    Okay. Urban Forestry is basically, it's a lot. It's pretty similar to somebody who works out in the forest, a forester, however, it's in an urban environment. But they do the same kind of things. They're stewards for the trees. They maintain them. They make sure that they have proper health. They do pruning. And then, like I say they make sure that they get the right tree in the right place.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The right tree in the right place. What goes into a decision like that?

    Jeran Farley:

    Well, in our urban environments, there's often, there's so many different microclimates. You've got areas where you've got pavement, where you've got reflective heat. So there's certain trees that can't tolerate that kind of heat coming up from the sidewalk. So you've gotta look at trees that can handle radiant heat. You've got different wind environments, you've got pollution, you've got small spaces, you've got power lines. There's trees that can fit in all these different places. But you've got to know how big your tree's gonna get. You've gotta know what kind of soils it can tolerate. And then even down to things like what color is it gonna be in the fall? What the leaves look like, just so that you can get a good looking tree in a good space. That's gonna not only survive, but it's gonna thrive.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The right tree in the right place. There's a deeper metaphor there for sure. That's really, that just gets me thinking about all the trees that I pass as I'm driving around town. And I'm not even thinking about the fact that there's an urban forest spread throughout the city that needs care and attention and some intentionality in the way that it's planned and planted.

    Jeran Farley:

    Yep. It's often overlooked. And I mean, that that's both good and bad. Oftentimes people don't notice the urban forest unless there's a problem, a broken limb or a dead tree. So often, if they don't notice a forest, maybe that's a good thing. But at the same time, it's nice to be aware and realize what goes into keeping an urban forest healthy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    As an occupational hazard, do you notice trees everywhere you go? And drive up to a friend's house and say, oh, you shouldn't have planted that one there. That's not the right tree.

    Jeran Farley:

    Yep. In fact, I have to hold my tongue a lot of times and just say, ‘I'm glad you planted a tree.’ That's okay.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Alright. I need you to drive by my house and tell me what is wrong with the trees at my house and what trees I ought to put there. Because I was thinking about that the other day out in my yard. I thought, I, you know, I moved into this house. I don't know if those are the trees that ought to be there. So that's really exciting that you have that knowledge and that it's passing on to the kids and that we benefit throughout our community from that program and from your division. So thank you very much for your help here at Riverton Elementary.

    Jeran Farley:

    My pleasure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back, we'll talk with students about the outdoor classroom and why they like it so much.

    Break:

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    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right, we are at Riverton Elementary out in the outdoor classroom. It smells great out here. It sounds great. And it feels great to be outside. We're with some students who have actually used the classroom. Why don't you tell me your name, what grade you're in and tell me about being in the outdoor classroom.

    Brooklyn:

    My name is Brooklyn and I'm in fifth grade. And my class came out here to plant tulips and it's a nice way to feel calmer and relieve some stress. 

    Eli:

    My name is Eli. I am in fifth grade and my class came out here to release butterflies.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about releasing the butterflies.

    Eli:

    Okay. In our classroom, we had raised a bunch of butterflies from, I believe just caterpillars. And we learned a lot about them, until you watched them grow until eventually when they had hatched from their cocoon, then they were just butterflies. We came and released them out into here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about planning the tulips, what was involved there?

    Brooklyn:

    So one of our classmates brought in the shovels and we used those to plant the tulip bulbs. Like, we were going in groups because one of our other classmates had brought puppies and we were all distracted, but we were going in groups to plant tulips. A lot of the ones on the outside edges died because people weren't taking care of them, but hopefully they'll get better.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. And now where are the tulips? Point to where those are here.

    Brooklyn:

    So, they're kind of all over the place. Like we didn't just plant them in one place. Like some people planted like over here or over there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh yeah. Okay. I see some right over here. Very nice. Well, that's great. Well, they'll continue to make this a beautiful spot. And I like that there's a bird in the background that wants to be on the podcast too. Can't blame him. Now, there he is. Tell me about your experience.

    Seth:

    My name is Seth and I'm in second grade. And my class came out here to do scavenger hunts.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And tell me about the scavenger hunt. What were you looking for?

    Seth:

    There were just like pictures on these cards that were hanging on strings all over the place. And we had a clipboard with papers that showed us the pictures. We had to find those pictures that are hanging down and there are numbers on it. And we write the numbers on the circles on the paper.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That sounds pretty fun. So you get to go out into a natural habitat for butterflies and do a scavenger hunt. That's pretty awesome. How about you?

    Charlie:

    Hi, my name is Charlie and I am in second grade. My class came out here to do some reading and drawing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And how does it feel to read and draw outside in this classroom instead of an inside classroom?

    Charlie:

    It feels good to feel the soft air and to have something to draw.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And is it inspiring for your art to be outside and to see some beautiful things around you?

    Charlie:

    Yes, it is very beautiful.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yes. It's great out here. I can imagine that would really be a boost to creativity. Tell me about your experience.

    Shlok:

    I am Shlok. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What grade are you in?

    Shlok:

    I'm in second grade. So we came out here to do reading math and drawing and a lot of activities.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How is it doing math outside versus inside?

    Shlok:

    It's, we don't struggle to do math a lot.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you like doing math outside versus inside?

    Shlok:

    Yes, we, I like doing math outside then inside.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The fresh air maybe clears your mind a little bit.?

    Shlok:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What's your favorite subject?

    Shlok:

    Math.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Math is your favorite? That's great. Okay. Well what do you guys think just overall about having an outdoor classroom?

    Brooklyn:

    Well, when I was at my other school, or any of my other schools, they never had anything like it. So it's very unique and I think it sends across a great message and is really nice for the students to have too.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's great. Well, thanks a lot you guys. 

    We're here with Michael Marett talking about the history of our outdoor classroom. You've been involved with this for quite a long time.

    Michael Marett:

    We started this probably 1996, the concept, then started actually working on it then in May 28th. I keep a journal of what I've done through my life, and on May 28, 1998, we dedicated this classroom to the existing principal at the time, Bonnie Dahl, who originally had the idea and really pushed hard to get it, make it happen. So we got a cement pig, a life size cement pig, because her

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now wait, now, wait a minute. You just said life size cement pig, right? 

    Michael Marett:

    Right, life size. Not, not live cement pig.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Right, but not a small cement pig. 

    Michael Marett:

    Oh no, it was like six foot long, four foot high.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That went, that took a left turn that I wasn't expecting. 

    Michael Marett:

    That was her spirit animal.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow.

    Michael Marett:

    So we went and bought this cement pig. Brought it in here and we put a plaque on it, commemorating her. And this was on May 28, 1998. By then the classroom had been outlined, and most of the trees had been planted. We'd had, by that time we got the grants and stuff to put the tables in. And so we actually had a nice little outdoor classroom. It looked nothing like what it does today, because everything was small and short and there were two or three existing ash trees that they left here. That was part of the school cuz all along here had been ash trees before they passed away. These are the only three left original. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Of the ash trees?

    Michael Marett:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And they're big. They're huge. It reminds me of the old adage. When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. And when's the second best time? Right now. So we're seeing both here. Recently planted trees and trees that we've benefited from for decades.

    Michael Marett:

    You seem to have adopted to this forestry thing real well. You actually know some of the stuff. That's great. But the original concept of this was to keep it native. Native plants in Utah. At one time, I think we had the best garden for native plants in the whole state. Because we had had everything from plants from Southern Utah, all the Northern Utah plants. And some of 'em had different watering needs. That's how come the irrigation became kind of a problem. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, I heard that you had to adapt the system here because the trees were getting watered as frequently as the grass was. And it wasn't good for some of the trees.

    Michael Marett:

    Right? Most native trees don't get that much water in Utah. And as evidence in the last couple years, it's really shown that there's trees that do thrive a lot better with this desert climate we're having now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But my only question is what happened to the cement pig? Where is it?

    Michael Marett:

    You know, it was out there in the lawn. So it took an awful lot of watering, which pigs don't need that much water either. And it just slowly started falling apart. And after about five or six years, we had to just pick it up and take it away because it just wasn't hanging in there anymore.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's just the inexorable march of time that none of us can avoid. All right.

    Michael Marett:

    It got too old, too fast. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You know. Fair enough. Thank you to both of you for, at various times throughout Riverton Elementary's history making this possible.

    Michael Marett:

    Well, I personally like to thank Jaren for coming back in here and making a difference back in here again too. So yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Thank you very much.

    We're talking now with Joel Pullan, the principal at Riverton Elementary. Joel, you're pretty lucky to have an outdoor classroom at your school.

    Joel Pullan:

    You know, I kind of walked into paradise.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, and you get to walk out to paradise anytime you want.

    Joel Pullan:

    I do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You can hear the birds chirping. Is the sky bluer here? Is it like brighter blue here than it is anywhere else? It feels like it. 

    Joel Pullan:

    We call that Riverton Elementary blue.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Fair enough. I think it's fabulous out here. Tell me what impact has this had on the school?

    Joel Pullan:

    The impact's been significant and I think that impact is represented over the years of community working together with the school to do great things. And so that's what this space represents. A sense of community and school working together.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, coming to Riverton Elementary, you came to paradise, but you also came to a community that over the decades has wanted to jump in and create great, unique experiences for students. And that's really rewarding.

    Joel Pullan:

    That's true. It's great to be a part of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, thanks for taking the time everyone. What a gorgeous space and this won't be my last visit. I'll just be stopping by, maybe unannounced. You never know. 

    Joel Pullan:

    We look forward to seeing you here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Thanks very much. 

    Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see out there.

    25 min
  • Episode 151: The Inside Scoop on Skyward to Increase Your School Connection

    It can enhance levels of parent engagement like never before and it makes transparency a top priority.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we have everything you need to know about successfully using Skyward Family Access. It’s a cloud-based student information system, which allows you to access your child’s daily attendance, progress reports, grades, lunch balance and more. We have tips to make using Skyward really easy and worry free.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It can enhance levels of parent engagement like never before and make transparency easy. On this episode of the Supercast, we have everything you need to know about successfully using Skyward Family Access. It's a cloud-based student information system, which allows you to access your child's daily attendance, progress reports, grades, lunch balance, and more. We have tips to make using Skyward really easy and worry free. We are here in the studio with Steffany Ellsworth, from our Information Systems department to talk about Skyward Family Access. Steffany, thanks for joining us.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Thanks for having me. I'm so excited.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, Skyward is something we use for all kinds of things. And the old system for those who've been around for a long time was called Delta. We went through a big bid process. I remember there was lots of committee work. We needed a system that could take care of everything. You could find separate systems that could do things well, but we wanted one system that could really do everything we needed to do from an Information System standpoint. So that we have payroll, employment, financial, student information, and family information. What else is in there?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Employees can look at their paychecks. We have our teacher grade books.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's all there.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Communication. We can communicate using Skylert through Skyward. It's all there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    One stop shopping. So I want to talk first off just about Skyward Family Access and the ways that that can help empower parents to be a part of their students' education. I think through COVID, we've had a really difficult time staying connected with parents. We've sent them lots of emails and Skylerts with bullet points and things like that, but we haven't been able to involve parents to the degree that we like to, because we haven't been able to have everyone in the building that we'd like to have there. And just over time, we've lost a little bit of connection that I really want to regain. And even move beyond where we were before, in engaging with families and parents. So, that's really what I want to start with. I know there are lots of features within Skyward Family Access that may be overlooked, that maybe people don't realize are available to them. And by managing and maximizing the options available through Skyward Family Access, parents can really be more involved in their child's education.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yes, absolutely. Skyward can be used to communicate with parents. Parents can email their teachers, they can go in and sign up for notifications within Skyward. Attendance notifications, low lunch balance notifications, get progress reports on their students. They can view their student’s grades, student’s attendance, schedules, calendar for the school year, see their student’s report cards. They can even plan for the future. We have arena scheduling where they can go in and see their student’s future schedule or add and drop classes depending on what their students need for graduation. They can view grad graduation requirements within Skyward and just overall create a plan for their current and future school years within Jordan School District. I know one frustration that many families have is that teachers like to use all sorts of different applications. We have Remind and Canvas and Skyward, and you know, you have to go in and sign up for this account or that account. And then they're getting emails and text messages from many different sources. Whereas, you know, you gather it all within Skyward and you have one login. You can communicate with all teachers and see all of your students from every different school within Skyward.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, just to answer some basic questions about Skyward, the parent login is the same for all of their students. They log in once and all their student information is right there for their entire family.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yes, it is. If any parents are seeing that it is not set up that way something has gone wrong at the school and they just need to contact their school to make sure that they've been added correctly in Skyward. But yes, they should be able to login and see every single student within their family.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Let's talk about that login specifically. There are some folks who have had kids in the system and maybe they now have guardianship later or grandkids who are coming through and they want to register and their old email address is still in Skyward. So they try to sign up and it says this email has already been taken or it's already in our system. What should somebody do if they've been in the system for a long time and they kind of need a refresh.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    If they've been in the system before they can usually contact the school and we can reset a login and a password for them. If they've never been in the system, we actually have a link on the Jordan District website, under Parents and Students, Registration, and Enrollment, and they can sign up for a new temporary account to get their students enrolled for the first time. And then they'll get a permanent account once their students have been enrolled in the school. So, they can either create a temporary account or they can contact the school to get help logging in if they've had a previous account.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So contacting the school, they can help reset that account and going to jordandistrict.org, Parents and Students, and then what was the next tab after that?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Registration and Enrollment. There's links there to create a new temporary account for parents that haven't had access before. Students new to the district, you know, coming from outside our district, just moved in, maybe they're returning from a charter school or homeschool. They can enroll students there using that temporary link.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So that's the way you get started in Skyward if you're not already in the system. 

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Then once you're in, then, like you said, there's a long list of available functions for families. Let's talk about notifications. What are some of the things that you can sign up to receive automatically throughout the year, updates about your child?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    You can receive attendance notifications. So anytime your student misses a class or the entire day, you can get notified that they were absent from class.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now let's talk about how that notification comes. Do they have options on which ways that they receive that notification?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    They do. They can log into their account within Skyward and set whether they prefer to receive them through email, through a phone number. They can also add additional guardians to receive those notifications.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Could you add an additional guardian during a particular period of time and then take back out of Skyward after like, if you have a different work schedule or you're out of town or something like that?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    The notifications yes. You can turn those on and off as you see fit. Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, great. What other types of notifications besides attendance are available?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    There's also low lunch balance notifications and you can set the dollar amount. You get to choose what dollar, if it goes below $5, I want to get notified. Or if it's below $10, I want to get notified. You can turn those on or off. And you can also set them to send you an email as well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So then you are made aware in advance that your child needs some additional lunch money in the old account, which is particularly important now because we've been used to universal free lunch for a couple of years. And those alerts are gonna be really important as we enter a new era where lunch is not free for everyone anymore.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Definitely. And I think it's important for parents to keep in mind that possibly at one point they might have turned those off knowing that the lunches were free. So it'll be important to go back in and check that and make sure they get them turned back on.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, good reminder. Yeah. What else alert wise is available to parents?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    You can get progress reports sent to you. If you want them set up weekly, monthly, daily, you can sign up to have progress reports. That'll show your students assignments, what they've handed in, what they're missing and what grades they've received on those assignments.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you can set that and decide how frequently you get those notifications. And that includes all of the grades. Is the attendance a part of that or is that only the separate notification?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Just that separate notification. Yep. And then we also have Skylert. Skylert is the system that our schools use to mass send messages out. They can send them through email, phone or text messages. Within Skyward, families can choose which phone numbers they want those Skylert messages to go to, what email addresses, and if they want to receive text messages.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And this is a good time of year, really any time of year is a good time, to double check those and make sure you're receiving those messages the way that you want to. I know that we needed to do the same thing at a certain point because I was getting notifications that my wife wanted to get. So we just made sure we were both getting all of those notifications. So if there is a frustration with thinking, ‘Hey, I'm not getting communications from the school’ or it's the wrong phone number, wrong email address. I do hear that on a fairly frequent basis. Just jump into that account and double check what those settings are and make sure that it's something that'll work for you.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yep. Once they log into Skyward, there's a link on the left hand side called Skylert. They'll just check their emails, phone numbers, and text messages there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. The Skylert link on the left hand side. And where do they find the alerts for attendance and grades and for the lunch deposit?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Once they go under My Account, there's a link for notifications there that they can go in and decide which notifications they wanna be signed up for.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back, did you know you can access Skyward on your mobile phone? Find out how when we return.

    Break:

    Do you simply love learning online? We can't wait to have you join the amazing teachers in our brand new Jordan Virtual Learning Academy. In Jordan Virtual Learning Academy schools, we offer innovative, fun, and flexible online learning with daily real-time instruction from teachers. Enrollment is currently open for all K-12 students in Utah. Start on the path to personalized virtual learning success now at connect.jordandistrict.org. That's connect.jordandistrict.org.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    To coin a very old advertising motto. There's an app for that, right?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    There is an app for that, yes. It's really nice to have the Skyward app so that on the go, you can check your students' attendance, their grades. You can communicate through the notifications. You can check to see if you have any notifications from teachers just on the go. And there is a link that I will provide on how to download that app.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What are some of the misunderstandings maybe that are out there about Skyward?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    I think probably one of the biggest misunderstandings is, you know, students submit a lot of their work through Canvas and they may see a grade in Canvas. They may see a score in Canvas, but Skyward is our official grade book. So although they're submitting work through Canvas and teachers are grading it in Canvas, those scores are then transferred back over to Skyward. So Skyward's the official grade book, whatever grade is in Skyward is the grade that's gonna be posted on a report card and on a transcript. Canvas is only the means to deliver and score and teachers to store their lesson plans. And that's where students will go in and turn in their work. But the actual score is kept within Skyward and that's our official grade book.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And I do know that can be confusing because students right before a weekend are trying to convince parents that yes, I have done all of the work. Even though it's not showing in Skyward, I should get to go out because it is in Canvas. So parents might want to check Canvas to see that an assignment has been completed in Canvas, but hasn't yet been transferred over to Skyward. Students are not trying to pull a fast one. If they say that it is actually accurate, that it can be in Canvas, not in Skyward, but completed and turned into the teacher.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    I have in fact had that conversation with my teenagers many times. So yes, the teachers manually push scores to Skyward. So until they've pushed that button within canvas to get the scores into Skyward, there may be a difference between the grades and the two systems.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And some people ask, why isn't that automatic? But I think that gives them flexibility for the teacher to work with the student and say, let you redo this part or you're missing this part or let's make sure that that's an accurate score before we bring it over to Skyward.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yep. That's right.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There's a separate student login and a separate parent login for Skyward. Tell me about how those two interact and what parents need to know about that setup.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    The main difference between the parent and student login, the parents are allowed to pay fees and complete registration for schools, enroll additional students if need be. Students don't really see anything dealing with fees in their login.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But parents can see everything that students can see. There's nothing in the student portion that parents don't already have access to through their own account.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yes. Some schools, when we have arena scheduling open, will not allow parents to arena schedule. Students can arena schedule, not all schools will allow parents to arena schedule on top of the students.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I see.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    But yes, for the most part, parents can see everything that students can see.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Which is a tip for those parents who do have a student at a school where both accounts can get in. You can be logged in at the same time. One can work on A day. One can work on B day and you can get that schedule in place pretty quickly since it's kind of like buying concert tickets. As soon as it goes live, then everyone's trying for those preferred classes.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yes. It’s like the Hunger Games. That is a good tip. It's a well known secret amongst the, you know, seniors and juniors, when they're arena scheduling. Get your parents logged in too and that they'll get, get sat down and go for it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And the arena scheduling really is set up to allow for maximum choice for parents and students so that they can not just request classes, but really build a schedule of their own. It does result in some high stakes refreshing of the page right before it goes live, but it does offer that opportunity. And it's worthwhile checking back later to see if spots have opened up. If as a student, you didn't get the exact classes you were hoping for.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Always. Yep. Check back as often as possible. And often schools will open arena scheduling in the summer too, right before school starts for students to make their own class changes, which is really nice instead of having to wait in line to see your counselor at the school.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Right, right. Now we have supports available for those who need help with Skyward Family Access. How do they get help?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    We do. The best resource for them is going to be to contact their schools. Each school has a number of people there that are available to reset their logins and passwords and help students get logged in. If they're not getting the help they need there, they can call our helpdesk at (801) 567-8737.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And start with the school, but use the helpdesk if you still need some assistance beyond what the school is able to offer. And sometimes that's gonna happen in the summer. Might be difficult to reach someone, but we really want families to be able to access the information they need, get the setup they're looking for. If you have trouble changing any of the settings we described, then just reach out to the school, reach out to the helpdesk and get things squared away for the coming year.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yep. The schools really are better equipped to verify that who they're speaking with should have access to the student information. Sometimes if they call our office, we do have to hang up and call the schools and try to get verification that we're speaking to who we should be. You know, we never wanna share student information with those that shouldn't have it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. We're very cautious about that. What are some of the other features of Skyward Family Access that may be used less frequently?

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Well, yearly rather than getting that big packet of paper sent home each year in the backpack that maybe you did or did not see, you can log in and do your Registration for School. That's where you'll verify all of your students' data. Make sure that their contact information, your contact information as a parent is updated. You'll sign the Network Acceptable Use Policy, the Chromebook agreement, just that big packet of papers you'd get, you can now do all of that online.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I used to be responsible for creating that big packet of paper so I’m very grateful that it’s through Skyward.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    And you have to make sure there are a lot of colored papers, different colors. The hot pink was the most important. Right?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Exactly. The golden rod was less important, but the pink was crucial. 

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yes. They can also make their lunch and fee payments. You know, if students are enrolled in extracurricular programs, they can pay those fees there as well. They can apply for a free and reduced lunch through the application that's available on Skyward. You can also schedule your parent teacher conferences. You know, we have parent teacher conferences twice yearly and you can log into Skyward and schedule those conferences with your teacher. See what time slots they have available and sign up when it's convenient for you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Fantastic. Well, I appreciate the features that Information Systems has added over the years to make things even more accessible to parents. And I don't know what we would do without Skylert messages. I know parents received a lot during the COVID era. 

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Yes. Yeah. We even during COVID we had to create some custom forms, you know, so the parents could, yeah. My student’s high risk or my students want a schedule change. Right. Or they wanna be virtual. All within Skyward.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. We made all of that work, and Information Systems has done a tremendous job throughoutthose difficult times, adapting and helping us communicate and shift and be flexible through all of this. So thank you for everything that you do and you personally are so supportive and so responsive when any of us need help. So I really appreciate that. Thanks for taking the time today. I think it'll be a big help to parents.

    Steffany Ellsworth:

    Thanks for having me. We're really excited about Skyward Family Access and how it can help parents to better engage with their students' school and teachers.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    If you have any questions about logging in and using Skyward, contact the help desk at 801-567-8737. 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.

    20 min
  • Episode 150: Welcome to the Brand-New Oak Leaf Elementary School in Herriman

    Excitement is building for students, teachers and staff as the brand-new Oak Leaf Elementary School in Herriman prepares to open for the 2022-23 school.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside for a sneak peek at the new school. That’s where we find Principal Ronna Hoffman who is hard at work getting ready to welcome students and preparing her rock star staff for a first year filled with making memories that will live on for a lifetime at Oak Leaf.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Excitement is building for students, teachers, and staff as the brand new Oak Leaf Elementary School in Herriman prepares to open for the 2022-23 school year. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside for a sneak peek of the new school. That's where we find principal Ronna Hoffman, hard at work, getting ready to welcome students and preparing her rockstar staff for a first year filled with memories that will last a lifetime.

    We're here at Oak Leaf Elementary to talk with Ronna and Thyme about opening a new school. This is our newest school in Jordan School District. And that's one of the exciting things about being in Jordan, is that we have lots of growth, and with growth we have lots of opportunities as well. So Ronna, thanks for taking a moment to talk with us.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Oh, excited to be here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And Thyme, you're the new Administrative Intern here full time. It's exciting. You get to be part of building a school from the ground up.

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    Yes. Very exciting. I'm glad to be here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, we're very glad to have you. Let's just take a bit of a look around in a minute, but first, how does it feel to finally be at this moment? You have not been working in a school for a little while because we needed your help with our literacy program, and so you've been helping lots of schools. How does it feel to get to come back and now get to own a school and to connect to a community?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Yeah, I have missed being in a school. I'm so excited. It feels like home and this is going to be home.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It is, and I always love coming to see things underway, and this school has shot up. We're working with some great partners who are making it happen very quickly. As I walked up, I noticed that the entryway is similar to our other new elementary schools. It looks just like a Jawa sandcrawler for any of those Star Wars fans out there. You know, the big moving fortress that the Jawa are in. Drive by, you'll know what I'm talking about. But the school looks fantastic. It looks great. So let's just kind of take a walk around now. We've added recently this huge display case. What plans do you have for this display case once everything's done?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    We want to kind of pay tribute to the history of Oak Leaf. It used to be a dairy farm. This is where a dairy farm was. So we kind of want to just give a history of the spot, the location, the name, and kind of have a display of pictures, start to finish of what the construction was like. Just like a tribute to Oak Leaf.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, I seem to recall in one of the Board meetings, when we were talking about names that a Board member had an old calendar that had Oak Leaf Dairy featured. Do you have that calendar?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Oh, we do have that. We got that from Marilyn Richards. She's helped us with the history behind it. And we do have that and we will be displaying that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now you met me over here at the new school, but really you have been working out of the Auxiliary Services Building, where we keep our new principles away from their building. They keep driving over and looking. I'm sure it's a different feel where you're looking at a new building coming up out of the ground. I remember being a new principal driving by Midvale Middle School, looking at it. It seemed vast, right? It seemed like a city, all its own. Very overwhelming. How does it feel to drive up and see the progress that's been made here?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Exciting, really exciting. Though, I have to say, since we've been in the building, my steps, my daily steps have like tripled. So it is a little city.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, it is a little city and it's very different from being in an office. So let's walk around, let's take a tour. You were previously in an older building. How does it feel to be in a new building like this?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Totally different, totally different feel. We get a stage here. That's exciting. We didn't have a stage before. The walls, the lights, the space, windows in all of the rooms. It's really exciting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Windows in all of the rooms. Yes, that is a key factor. And when you drive up, I know that there's not really much around you right now, but there's so much growth out here. I like to drive in, visit, and then on my way out count how many new homes have gone up since I arrived.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Well, we are getting new students regularly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And how many students do you anticipate having?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Around 500 to start.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And all these little pieces of blue tape and green tape that I'm seeing on the walls as I walk through, that's kind of the punch list, right? Spots that need to be fixed. And the punch list, violent though it may sound, is just what we accumulate for those who built the building over the course of the year. So they make adjustments and fix things over the year just to make sure it's just right.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Yeah. They've been really easy to work with. Really great to work with.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it's Hughes Construction, right?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    It is Hughes Construction.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    They've really done an amazing job of keeping this on time and moving things forward. And although you're always watching the calendar and making sure that we hit those marks, I really have not been worried about this school because I know that they've been doing a great job out here.

    Well, this is about as calm as the media center's going to get. But we do have some power tools going in here as all of our technology is being put in place. Now we have a pencil at the middle of the media center and that's been true for most of our new elementaries over the years. In the past it said number two on the pencil, but everybody wanted to be number one. So is this a number one pencil?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    It is absolutely a number one pencil.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. All right. What are some of the features that stand out in this school?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Boy, there are so many actually. Windows, like I said, there are a lot of windows. Even in the media center where we are. There are so many shelves. The carpet has colors that match the wings of the school, which is really fun. Our cafeteria has a new floor in it that is different than any other cafeteria in our district.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's remarkable as we were talking about how quickly the school went up and it looks great. As we walk through, what is still remaining to be done? What still needs to get finished before students come?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Well, as you can see, looking around, it's hard to believe that we're going to open in less than three weeks. There's a lot of cleanup, last minute touches. We have someone here touching up walls. We have the cafeteria and gym floor that still needs to be in place. We've got a lot of supplies to put away. A lot of furniture to put away. Just details, the baseboards, that kind of thing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But it's looking really close. And like you said, as things get closer, you always kinda wonder how quickly all this can happen, but it's quite miraculous how quickly everyone's able to put things together.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    We come daily and see amazing progress every day that surprises us.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, I'm standing with you here in the cafeteria and the stage area. You said that the floor is going to be different than in any other elementary. What's that gonna look like?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    It's going to look the same as the wet areas that are in the classrooms. It will be a little bit textured and a little colorful.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, very nice. Kids will like that. Walking out the back of the school, you just see fields. Can you imagine this filled with homes of your students over the years?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    I think we're going to see that, yes. It doesn't matter what window you look out, or what doors you go out, I think we've got a beautiful view all the way around the school.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You really do. It's gorgeous looking back at the Oquirrh mountains, but let's walk just around the corner. And I think you have a pretty stunning view of the Wasatch front. I remember coming out here at the groundbreaking and you have a gorgeous view of the Wasatch front from here.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Yeah, we really do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I see lots of dirt where there will be grass. Do you know how that's going to look by the time students get here?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Well, we will hopefully have the grass in by the time students come, but we will have to stay off of it for about a month.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, well that will be a unique challenge. Having kids stand at the edge of the green grass and just look at it longingly.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    We have a lot of other fun things to do on the blacktop.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You do. Let's look at the you know, this is, this is not the playground that I was accustomed to. The metal slides that would burn the back of your legs if you slid down them at just the wrong time. This is a very sophisticated playground situation. This looks great. This is like city park level stuff. You could really play the floor is lava very well with this playground set.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    And I'm sure kids will.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, did you get any say in picking the colors because we've got yellow and turquoise?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    I did not get a say in it, but we like it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think you could probably see this playground from space. And it is next to Kennecott Mine, which you can see from space. So you could probably just look over just a little ways and see that playground.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    You know, Starlink has come by a few times over the last few days. I'm sure they've got a picture of it somewhere.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I'm sure they have pictures of all of us.

    Stay with us. When we come back more on what it takes to open a new school and what the new school colors and mascot might be. We'll talk about that next.

    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 workatjordan.org.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me, what are your hopes for the first school year at Oak Leaf?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Our goal for the first year is to build community and to just become a family and work together, partner with our parents. Just be a very cohesive community that works together for the good of our kids.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I have no doubt that that's how it'll feel here. I just know the type of principal you are and that's how it's gonna go. Now, the name Oak Leaf came through a process that we've used for every other school, where we get community feedback on ideas for what the name ought to be. And then we survey and based on those results, then the Board makes a final decision. Have you chosen colors and a mascot yet?

    Ronna Hoffman:

    No, we're going to let our students do that. So in September, August-September, we will be choosing a mascot and school colors.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that's normally how we do that, which is great because then that means the students who are coming get to be a part of that process. The other thing that's been nice is that the boundaries have been established for longer for Oak Leaf than usual. We did that. We went through that process along with some other boundary changes that needed to happen. And so people have known for a while that they're coming to Oak Leaf and that's probably making it a little easier to build that community initially.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Well, we do plan to have everyone feel like family because we're one big family. They have known for a while, but they still miss their old schools. So we're going to have to work hard to become their favorite.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And we know that that's part of the equation when we work so hard to make every school a great place to be, then it's always hard to leave. But I know it's gonna be a great place to be. Now Thyme, you are a new administrator in a new building. How does that feel?

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    Exciting to say to the least. It's just amazing. Like you said, I come by and drive near this school and just exciting to be here on the ground and just, can't wait to see students in the building.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think it's a great place for you to start as an intern. Not only because you get to work with Ronna, but also because everyone's going to be on a bit of a level playing field. Everybody's new, everybody's figuring it out together and I think that'll really bring you together as a group. People will get a chance to rely on you, right outta the shoot. Instead of you getting to know something that's established, you get to be a part of something right from the ground level.

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    Yep. We're all in it together. I love it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, where did you come from before Thyme?

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    I was at Elk Meadows Elementary before this. I was a fourth grade teacher and I've also taught second grade.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What's available to parents when school starts?

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    So on August 17th parents and students and their families can come in and teachers will be ready to meet them. They can walk through the school and get to see where they're gonna be sitting for the next school year. So we're excited to have that Back to School night option the day before school starts.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I'm sure there's a lot of anticipation, people wanting to get inside the new school.

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    Yes, yes. And I don't blame them. It's exciting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It is. I remember going to a new school in fifth grade and it was a brand new school and we were all very excited to be a part of that. How many teachers have you hired so far? And are you all staffed up?

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    We are, as of this week, all staffed up. We have three teachers in every grade except for one, we have two teachers.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And which grade do you have two teachers?

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    We have two teachers in fifth grade.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Actually three in almost every grade is a great start. That's pretty big actually for a brand new school. And all of your support staff are in place?

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    No, we're still looking for some people. So we are in dire need of copy and recess aids. We know that we utilize those a lot. So we're looking for those, as well as some nutrition workers and a couple of Walk to Read assistants. We're looking for those too.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All positions where you get to know great people and get to interact with kids. And it's a great time.

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    Yes. Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Anyone who wants to come and work with Thyme and Ronna in a brand new school, come on over and check it out.

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    We'd love to have you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, thank you very much for the tour and the time here at Oak Leaf. It's great to get to chat with you both on the cusp of a fresh new year, straight out of the package.

    Ronna Hoffman:

    Thank you, Anthony. It was fun to have you here.

    Thyme Meleisea-Vea:

    It was exciting to walk through the school with you.

    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.

    17 min
  • Episode 149: Superintendent Boards the School Bus for a Big Safety Challenge

    It is an event focused on school bus driver safety and sharpening skills. Dozens of school bus drivers competed in Jordan School District’s "Bus Safety Challenge."

    On this episode of the Supercast, find out how school bus drivers' skills were put to the test as  they snaked their way through a series of traffic cones, navigated a diminishing clearance, curbside parked, conquered an offset alley and more. It was a challenge to help drivers be the best they can be in keeping students safe on the school bus.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godrey. It is an event focused on school bus driver safety and sharpening skills. Dozens of school bus drivers competed in Jordan School District's “Bus Safety Challenge.” On this episode of the Supercast, find out how school bus driver's skills were put to the test as they snaked their way through a series of traffic cones, navigated a diminishing clearance, parked curbside and conquered an offset alley. It was a challenge to help drivers be the best they can be in keeping students safe on the school bus. Join me as I board the school bus to experience this challenge firsthand.

    All right. We're here at Transportation with Marcus. Thanks for taking some time.

    Marcus:

    Hey, not a problem.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now tell me the name of this event today.

    Marcus:

    So we've named this event the “School Bus Safety Challenge”.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    “School Bus Safety Challenge”. And what's the point of the “School Bus Safety Challenge”?

    Marcus:

    So the point of the “School Bus Safety Challenge” is to really hone in on our driver's skills. It puts them in situations that are found out in the real world, but even tighter, even harder. So they can really hone in on their skills and see where they might be lacking. See where they're doing a great job. And it's an overall fun challenge for them.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now you're a trainer here with the Transportation department. And do you think you could train me to be a good bus driver?

    Marcus:

    I am sure of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's because of your skills, not mine. I am really in awe of bus drivers because of the number of things that they have to keep track of all at the same time. The least of which are rear view mirrors or side mirrors and mailboxes and that, but more than anything, they're keeping the people on the road safe and the kids safe most of all. So it's a tough thing. I've driven a bus around this parking lot which made it clear to everyone that I should not drive beyond this parking lot. Tell me, just from a trainer's perspective, what's the hardest part of being a bus driver do you think?

    Marcus:

    The hardest part, and I tell this to all of the people coming on board is student management. They're always intimidated about driving the vehicle and within the first two weeks they got it, they're doing it. They're perfect at it. Student management's one of those skills that's hard for us to actually simulate behind the wheel training. Because it's something that we can give them the tools, but they really need to get the experience out on the road. So for our drivers, I would say that's the hardest skill to learn at first. But once they master it, you really learn to love the kids and love your route.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. I love that. I also, I have to say, I love coming to Transportation because I always get this huge parking spot. It's meant for a bus, but man, it's very roomy, very spacious. So tell me about the event today. What are some of the challenges that you've set up along the course?

    Marcus:

    So we have a bunch of challenges. We have anything from a right hand turn challenge, which really hones in on the driver's right hand turn skills, because as you can imagine, turning a 40 foot bus can be difficult. It's not like turning a car in a neighborhood, you’ve got 40 feet of vehicle to turn. We have what's called an offset alley challenge that really hones in on their experience with stuff like construction zones, things of that nature. We have a diminishing clearance, which basically puts them in a 10 foot wide space and a bus is eight foot wide. And that slowly narrows down to when they're at the very end of the diminishing clearance, they literally have inches on each side of the bus to make it through.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh wow. So it's just, how far can you make it without touching the sides?

    Marcus:

    Exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Does anyone make it all the way through?

    Marcus:

    You know, we've had some drivers that are really experienced that have made it all the way through. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That's impressive. So at the end of this, does a driver say to themselves,’This is a skill that I really need to work on’?

    Marcus:

    Yeah. I would think any driver that would do any sort of self-reflection would look at their scores at the end and see where they did good, where they did bad. And I don't even wanna say bad, because the course itself is quite challenging. I did one, six years ago when the state Department of Education used to put 'em on, and I remember just being so nervous going through it, but it really teaches you what you could be lacking in. But in that area of like expertise to where it's like fine, fine skills that you're practicing here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Right. Yeah. The other thing that it would do for drivers, I would think, is build your confidence, not just tell you the things that you could focus on, but to say, ‘Hey, I did really well at that. And actually I've really developed my skills and I've come a long way.’

    Marcus:

    Yeah, most definitely. Especially when we do the tour of the actual course itself, you see kind of that fear in a lot of the driver's eyes like, ‘Oh, can I actually do this?’ And then they actually go through the course and they're like, ‘I'm doing this, I'm actually making it through this. I didn't hit any of the obstacles.’ Or if you hit one, they just barely nudged it. Something like that, not they go into it thinking, ‘Oh no, I might totally fail this thing.’ And then by the end they're like, ‘Wow, I did a good job.’ And it really boosts that confidence.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Plus the competitive aspect of it makes it fun.

    Marcus:

    Oh yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Are there prizes involved?

    Marcus:

    Yep. There's prizes involved. We have some trophy plaques that they'll put in their bus bulkhead, which is really nice because then their passengers on their bus can see, ‘oh my bus driver won the competition. I'm in a safe bus’.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh right. Yeah. That's cool. I love that. Yeah. What are some of the prizes that they're giving?

    Marcus:

    So we got a bunch of stuff actually donated to us through some of the high schools and some of the secondary schools that sent in donations. We have a bunch of donations that actually came in through some of our bus sales people like Rush, Thomas and Bluebird. They donated prizes. And then like I said, those trophies.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can we go take a look at the diminishing clearance?

    Marcus:

    We most definitely can.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Let's check it out. 

    Okay. This looks intimidating. So what's the method on this? Do you try to stay really close to one side as you go down? Or do you stay centered and allow each side to get closer and closer?

    Marcus:

    Multiple people have multiple strategies to it. Me, myself, I like to stay closer to the left side because that's the area you have most visibility on a school bus is that left side on the vehicle.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yep. We're about to watch Roslyn go through the diminishing clearance and she's in the 40 foot bus, which is regulation for these competitions. And while we watch her go through this, she's not supposed to stop and she's trying to avoid hitting the sides that get narrower and narrower. And it looks like she's trying to stay close to the left side. Is that what you think there that she's trying to do?

    Marcus:

    I would say so. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hasn't hit anything so far, it doesn't look like, see, see where the real hub the judges are watching. Oh yeah. There's a wheel hub there. That sticks out a little bit. I see that now. Yes. I see that now, but she hasn't hit so far. Did she stop? She might have stopped once.

    Marcus:

    Oh, there we go.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There we go. Hit one on the right hand side bus on the way out, but that's still quite remarkable.

    Marcus:

    That's still quite remarkable. Especially Roslyn’s only been driving a bus about six months. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, wow. 

    Marcus:

    Yeah. So she's brand new to this.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Brand new and just missed the one. That's really impressive. That's really cool. Well, I think this is a really exciting way to highlight bus driver skills. Give them some idea of where to focus next, but we've got a lot of really incredible drivers.

    Marcus:

    Oh, we do most definitely. The thing I really like about my job is I get to spend the first four weeks with these people, teaching them how to drive and you learn the back stories and where they're coming from and why they want to do this job. And it's just awesome to see people go from a skill level of nothing more than driving something like a minivan to up to driving a 40 foot bus and doing it with a lot of confidence.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. It's impressive. Well, I appreciate what you do, Marcus. Hey, thank you. And thanks for your enthusiasm for helping drivers be at their best.

    Marcus:

    Hey, definitely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us more of our amazing school bus drivers, making their way through a challenging safety course to sharpen their driving skills.

    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 workatjordan.org.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Roslyn's about to do what's called the offset obstacle where you're trying to go through a very narrow area and then adjust, kind of turn a little bit and swerve to the left slowly and then go through the next narrow passage. So you've gotta be able to turn and then straighten the bus out really quickly. And wow, it's tough. It's really challenging the drivers that are here. And I can't imagine it. I can't imagine doing it. It's very narrow on both sides. So how did she do?

    Marcus:

    She hit three and then stopped twice. Okay. So that's seven for each one she hits and then 16 for the stopping, eight for stopping.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So describe the obstacle here. What do you have set out? So

    Marcus:

    It's offset. So basically you're coming through, then you offset into this side without hitting. So you've gotta be able to turn, make the turn without hitting the pylons here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, so you have two kind of almost white fence looking structures with red on the tip. And the idea is to squeeze through a narrow passage and then you have to go, what was the term that you used?

    Marcus:

    Offset.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Offset? So then you offset to another passage and straighten out.

    Marcus:

    I would dub this, the Daybreak run, because cars are so close together in Daybreak and you gotta turn.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You gotta kind thread the needle.

    Marcus:

    Yeah. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Okay. We're here with Roslyn who's been driving, I understand for six months, right? 

    Roslyn:

    Yep. Just about.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And before that you had a public service job as well. Tell me about that.

    Roslyn:

    I did. Some years before I was a police officer with Salt Lake City Police.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And tell me about being a police officer versus driving a bus load full of kids.

    Roslyn:

    Surprisingly the challenges are very varied. I had no idea how much concentration and divided attention was required for being a bus driver. And while they’re are very different jobs, that is a similarity, absolutely between law enforcement and driving a school bus.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You have to keep many things in your mind all at the same time.

    Roslyn:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There's a level of awareness required at all times.

    Roslyn:

    Yes. What's going on outside the bus and inside the bus, watching for traffic, being a defensive driver, just, you know, like everyone should all the time, but kind of the stakes are higher because if you miss something, you're really big and can smash whatever you might hit.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Right. Tell me about today's competition. What did you think?

    Roslyn:

    I liked it. I have not done it before.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think you had one of the best runs on a couple of them.

    Roslyn:

    Well good. I'm glad that's where you were watching.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Some swag and prizes are coming your way I suspect. Now, tell me what do you like most about being a bus driver?

    Roslyn:

    Well, I like the challenge of driving a big vehicle. That was kind of like for years, I kind of thought I would like to drive something big, a semi, bus. The whole semi thing is, that ship is sailed, but this is a much more enjoyable, local. And I frankly did it now because moms in my neighborhood were complaining that sometimes the bus didn't show up because of the bus driver shortage. So I just thought, well, if I'm ever gonna do it, it should be now. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Great. And anyone else listening that wants to be part of driving a 40 foot vehicle we're ready for you? Competition, prizes and excitement await you. So come on over. It's a great place and they're great, great people we have in Jordan District driving buses.

    Roslyn:

    It's all good.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What was the hardest challenge that you went through just now?

    Roslyn:

    Marcus will probably laugh, but it was probably the first one because since I didn't know what it was, I had started in a bad position and it's just like getting your outside tires on a pad on the ground and Itotally failed it. Yeah, I did.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The right hand challenge where you're trying to get the right side of the bus up against the curb?

    Roslyn:

    Yeah, yeah. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. All right. Well that right side can be pesky. What was the easiest?

    Roslyn:

    Probably the serpentine.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The serpentine. Really? It does not sound like it would be the easiest. It sounds like a terrible roller coaster ride I'd never want to get on.

    Roslyn:

    It's just, you know, knowing where your wheel placement is. Which ironically is the same as that, you know, right side curb challenge. 

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But you were in the groove by then

    Roslyn:

    it was better. Yes. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. And describe that challenge for me. What exactly was required?

    Roslyn:

    Well, there's a line of cones and you have to serpentine through them. And there's actually plenty of room, but when you are considering how long the bus is, it has to be fairly precise as to when you start your turn and make sure your rear wheels go around, you know, each cone. And so you drive left and right. Much farther than you think you might have to in order to get the whole bus to clear.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, the bus isn't hinged in the middle, so it does not it doesn't bend. And how many points did you score in the wheelie challenge?

    Roslyn:

    I aced that. Like 50 points were available and I got it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, was it a front wheelie or was it the side with the Dukes of Hazzard style? 

    Roslyn:

    Dukes of Hazzard.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Dukes of Hazzard style. Yeah. Good solid choice. Yeah. Okay. Well, we're really glad to have you driving with us and thanks for taking the time to chat. 

    Roslyn:

    Sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Thanks to our team of school bus drivers who participated in the safety challenge. If you would like to join the Jordan School District team as a school bus driver making a difference in the lives of children every day, we are hiring. We invite you to apply now at [email protected]. 

    Thanks to everyone 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.

    17 min
  • Episode 148: Federal Government Ends COVID-19 Meal Program in Schools

    Beginning in the new school year, families must once again apply for the income-based free and reduced lunch subsidy. That’s because the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced recently that it is returning to pre-COVID-19 rules requiring families to apply for free and reduced lunch, rather than allowing all K-12 students to receive free meals.

    On this episode of the Supercast, find out what you need to know about school breakfast and lunch moving forward. And, how to apply for free or reduced meals for the upcoming 2022-23 school year in Jordan School District.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. During the pandemic, the USDA offered free breakfast and lunch to all students K-12 nationwide. Those pandemic rules are now changing. On this episode of the Supercast, find out what you need to know about school breakfast and lunch moving forward, and how to apply for free or reduced meals for the upcoming 2022-23 school year in Jordan School District. We're here with Katie Bastian, the new director of Nutrition Services. Thanks for taking time.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yes, thank you. Thanks for having me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I can still say new, right? Even though you've done it since last year.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yeah. I hope so. Yeah, I feel new. Everything's a new day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I just finished my third year. So I think I have to stop saying that I'm new, but it feels good when you're able to do that.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yes. A little bit of leeway.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The last couple of years, the USDA has provided free meals because of COVID and that has happened nationwide. So this change is not a Jordan District change. This is a change that's happening nationwide where now there is no longer an exemption and students will need to pay for their meals. The good news is that Jordan District has not increased the cost of a meal for 13 years, if I'm not mistaken.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yeah, our meals this year, as you know, we go back to a free, reduced and paid price structure. The cost is just the same as it was pre-pandemic. So, the prices aren't increasing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it's been over a decade that we've kept those prices low.

    Katie Bastian:

    It's pretty incredible. Yeah. But through budgeting and making use of, like you say, we make foods from scratch. So we have more labor than most districts do, but we're able to save money and control our quality by doing things from scratch.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So the overall cost is lower, that's what's made it possible for us to avoid increasing cost for over a decade, but it's also helped with supply chain issues that we've been able to cook from scratch. Tell me a little bit about that.

    Katie Bastian:

    We have a warehouse in our district, which we're really lucky to have, so we have a little bit of control over what we bring in and we're able to purchase in bulk. But yeah, when people are having issues getting bread products, bread products haven't and are not an issue for us because we make a lot of our bread products from scratch. We just have to make sure we have all the, you know, raw ingredients of flour, whole wheat flour and that sort of thing. So we are able to control the quality and the cost of it and put out a healthy and delicious product.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So when I think about aspects of the district that are run very efficiently with a high quality output it's Nutrition Services that I think of. We do a lot of things well, and that is one of them. It's just incredible what you have done over the years to provide very nutritious, high quality meals at a very low cost and providing jobs. And doing so for less than it would cost to just bring that food in instead of create it here.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yeah, no, I appreciate that. And our staff is incredible. We have over 500 employees at you know, our 64 different sites and they're incredible. They were flexible during COVID. And even now COVIDs getting a little bit better, all the supply chain issues and they've just been flexible. They rise to the challenge every single day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it's been a challenge because throughout every summer we've continued to feed students. And so if anyone hasn't received a break it's Nutrition Services. Even when we shut down schools in the spring of 2020, everyone else was home for the most part, except for our education support professionals and that included Nutrition Services who continued to provide meals in very uncertain circumstances. Thank you for providing that consistency and just a really important part of a student's day.

    Katie Bastian:

    Definitely. Yeah. They're amazing. Our staff is amazing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    An amazing thing that's happened since the USDA has been reimbursing us for all meals is that fewer families have applied for those free or reduced lunch benefits that they would normally be eligible for. So how does a family go about renewing those benefits?

    Katie Bastian:

    So with the USDA suspending those waivers and us going back to everything normal next year, we've really just been letting parents know to apply for the free and reduced lunches through their registration process. They can do it online through their Skyward account, or they can, every school has a paper application too. So even if you're not sure if you qualify, please just apply for free and reduced meals and see. And then also we want parents to know, go ahead and put money in your student's lunch account, which you can also do through Skyward. And that will get them all set up for the first day of school.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I've heard this a couple of different times, but third graders, second graders, and first graders have not entered their lunch number before. They haven't had to go through that process because either they were in kindergarten before the pandemic and didn't have lunch to begin with at school. Or they just have had a free lunch during the pandemic. So we have a lot of students, sometimes half of our students at our elementary schools, who will be figuring out that program for the first time. So those first couple of weeks are going to be a little bit intense.

    Katie Bastian:

    Definitely. Yeah. Parents will figure things out and we'll figure 'em out with the kids. So yeah,

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It'll be great. It'll be great. Just part of adjusting to being back in business in the way we used to be.

    Stay with us. When we come back, find out what is happening in the free summer meal service program for Jordan School District.

    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 workatjordan.org.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We have a summer meal program that a lot of people don't realize goes on throughout the summer. Many people ask, what do we do all summer? Well, this is one of the ways that we stay connected to kids and communities. Tell us about that and where that's located and who it's available to.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yeah, so we have five summer feeding locations and they're mostly in West Jordan because that is the area that qualifies for eligibility based on their free and reduced percentages. But we have five schools. We have Columbia and Heartland and Westvale and Oquirrh and Majestic.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And we are here at Heartland right now in a lull between breakfast and lunch. But this will be filled with kids before too long, having a free lunch that's provided through federal funding. And that's one thing I want to clarify, the rules come from the federal government and the funding comes from the federal government.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yep, the USDA.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And this is a little bit of a switch over the last couple of summers. Because of COVID, we've had the flexibility to offer summer meals throughout the district at schools in locations farther south and farther west.

    Katie Bastian:

    But we had waivers in place that allowed us to do that and now most of those COVID waivers have gone away. So we're just back to kind of the five or six sites that qualify each year that we we've done in the past before the pandemic.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And these summer meals have been going on for a long time. Do you have any idea how long this has happened?

    Katie Bastian:

    Oh, you know, I've been with the district as our dietician, before I was the director, for 12 years. And I mean, it's been going on as long, long before that. As long as I know, like, as far as like, if you have summer lunch, you have summer meals. If you have schools that qualify. So yeah, it runs hand in hand and it's always been free too for kids zero to 18.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And the zero to 18 is something that people sometimes overlook. So even if you've graduated, but you're 18, you still qualify. And if you are zero to five and you haven't even been to school yet, you still qualify. And you told me earlier, you even have baby food available. Tell me a little bit about that.

    Katie Bastian:

    We do. Yeah. We do have baby food available for, of course, the kids who aren't eating regular table food. And then our meals are served hot off the line every day. So it's not a cold grab and go sandwich every day. So it's a pretty good quality meal. And people need to know that they don't have to be within the school's boundaries to come. If someone from, you know, other places in our district want to come, it's open to everyone.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's just open to anyone age zero to 18. You don't have to qualify with your family's income or any of your family circumstances, and you don't have to qualify according to where you live. Just anyone age, zero to 18 qualifies. But if a parent comes with them, they do not qualify to have a meal.

    Katie Bastian:

    Right. The parent can buy a meal if they'd like to eat with their kids, they're more than welcome to do that. And we love parents to come with their kids too.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what's the charge for a parent to come?

    Katie Bastian:

    I believe it is $3.30, an adult meal cost.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, that's a bargain.

    Katie Bastian:

    It is.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's a bargain. Bring the whole family. So anyone is welcome at any of those five schools. And tell me about the hours. When is that available?

    Katie Bastian:

    We serve a hot breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30, and then we serve a hot lunch from 11:30 to 12:30 every day. And that's throughout the summer.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that's the same time at every location.

    Katie Bastian:

    Yep. Same time every location.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And we have Tawnya Elwood here with us who is normally the Nutrition Services Manager at Daybreak, but is filling in and helping out here at Heartland. Thanks for taking a few minutes to talk with me.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    You're welcome.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about the summer meal program.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    So anyone can come and then we'd love to see any kids come and help from zero to 18. They mentioned the baby food. We have lots of hot meals. It changes every day. So we have like a five week cycle that we cycle through breakfast and lunch.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I assume that you have some of the same children that come through over that period of time and you get to know them pretty well.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Yeah. It's really fun. A lot of the same kids come. And so we get to know their names and get to see how their summer's going and visit with them one on one.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Like I was talking about earlier, although we do have many people who do not work in the summer, we have a lot of things that continue throughout the summer. You really don't get a rest and I really appreciate that you're here to help out.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    That's okay. I'd love to help. I, you know, it's great that we can work and keep and still have a job and help these kids and help make sure that they get a meal.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, it's really important to the community and I know it means a lot to them, so thank you very much for making that possible.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How long have you been a nutrition services worker in the district?

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Since 2013.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And where all have you worked?

    Tawnya Elwood:

    I've worked at Joel P Jensen Middle School for eight years. And then I've been at Daybreak. Well, I went to Joel P Jensen for eight years, and then I came here at Heartland during COVID and then I got manager at Daybreak two years ago.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh. So when you come back to Heartland, you know these kids.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Oh yeah, yeah. I've been summer feed here for three years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Being able to connect with kids as part of their meal, whether it's in the summer or during the school day, they really get to know you and become friends I'm sure.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Yeah. It's a lot of fun getting to hear about their summers.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So as a Nutrition Services Manager in the summer, you maybe get to know students in a different way because there are fewer, first of all. Even though there are a lot of participants, it's not like during the school year.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Definitely. 100 versus 500 kids. Because during the summer we have about, I don't know what they feed here at Heartland, but I know at Daybreak we serve about 500.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So that gives you a chance to get to know them better because the numbers are lower. But you also get to connect with their families and maybe get to know parents of students that you've known for a long time because they come with their kids for the summer program.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Yeah. A lot of the same parents come with the same kids. And so we talk to them and get to know them and their family and what's going on with them as a whole.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's a great service and a wonderful way to stay connected.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Definitely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Katie mentioned that we do not just serve a grab and go, it's a hot lunch and a hot breakfast off the line. Tell me about some of the foods that are available. They're fresh foods as well.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Yes, we serve 'em right here in the cafeteria. So they come in here and they eat in the cafeteria and there is, like today we had waffles and sausage. Sometimes we have sweet and sour chicken, or we have spaghetti. We've made tacos from scratch today. We make rolls from scratch. So they get a wide variety. There's lots of fruits and vegetables. We make salads. We've had pineapple, cantaloupe, which is a lot of the fresh fruit.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it is impressive that we do so many meals from scratch. I know that that is one of the things that sets us apart, I think a little bit, from some other programs. And so it's great food and it's definitely something that people ought to check out if that's of interest to them at any of those schools during the times we mentioned. We'll include the list of schools and times in the show notes as well. Well, I know that there's a lot to be done in summer, but it is almost lunch time. So I will let you go, but I really appreciate your spending the time. And it's a pleasure to talk with you. Thanks for everything you do for our students and for our community. Thank you so much.

    Tawnya Elwood:

    Thank you.

    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 out there.

    16 min
  • Episode 147: Aviation Sciences Program Taking Student Learning to New Heights

    Students are earning their wings and reaching new heights in a unique high school program that focuses on hands-on learning and future careers.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the Aviation Sciences Program at JATC North in West Jordan where students are able to get inside the cockpit of a flight simulator. That’s where they are able to explore what it’s really like to be a pilot and maintain control of an aircraft when rough weather or other challenges come their way.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Students are earning their wings and reaching new heights in a unique high school program that focuses on hands-on learning and future careers. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the Aviation Sciences program at JATC North in West Jordan, where students are able to get inside the cockpit of a flight simulator. That's where they are able to explore what it's really like to be a pilot and maintain control of an aircraft when rough weather or other challenges come their way.

    We're here with Aaron Organ, the aviation teacher at JATC North. Thanks for taking time with us.

    Aaron Organ:

    Absolutely. It's an honor. Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Will you describe this program to us first of all?

    Aaron Organ:

    Absolutely. Yeah. This is a program that offers four different classes, each covering different things related to aviation. They can come in and explore the world of aviation and earn industry certifications to prepare them as well as earning college credit. All four classes are concurrent enrollment classes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what got you interested in this? What's your background with aviation?

    Aaron Organ:

    So I was introduced into aviation when I was about 13 years old and was able to start working in aviation at a very young age. I earned my pilot's license when I was in high school. So I've always loved everything about aviation. Long story short, it wasn't a good time to go be an airline pilot when I was going to school. So I did a degree in aviation management from Utah Valley University. I went and worked a job in DC servicing airports, different services to different airports, made my way back to Utah and eventually kind of fell into teaching here at JATC.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, we're very glad that you fell our way. That's exciting to have you here. And I'm just excited that this is something that we offer as a district. Tell me about the students who are drawn to this class.

    Aaron Organ:

    Yeah, we get a variety of students, you know, some have known since they were very young that they wanted to be in aviation. Some of them have, you know, parents or aunts or uncles, or it's kind of in the family. And then we have others that are completely new to it that have never really thought about it, but want to come explore what it would be like to work as a pilot or in the aviation industry. So we get kind of a wide range of students that come into this program.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And tell me about the four different classes that you offer.

    Aaron Organ:

    Yeah, so most of my students come in wanting to be pilots. So we offer a Private Pilot Ground School course which prepares them to go take the FAA written exam to become a private pilot. And we also, like I mentioned earlier, added a Drone class this year. So that's to prepare them for the FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, written exam to earn their commercial drone license. We also have an Aviation History class. So we talk about the Wright brothers all the way to present day. You know to present day space travel and things of that nature. In that class we also do a lot of career exploration type of things. And then the other class that we also just added this year is Air Transportation Management. So that's a look at the aviation industry from the management perspective, so not from the pilot perspective. It's fairly airline heavy, so we look at the operations of airlines, the business side of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I understand that as a part of teaching these classes, you've developed a lot of partnerships and connections to the industry to give kids a real taste of what opportunities there are out there and what the issues are, and to really learn from those who are in the field. Tell me about some of the connections that you have.

    Aaron Organ:

    Yeah, absolutely. That was one of my biggest goals coming here to JATC is truly engaged learning. Where we can connect the students to the industry and they can see it and feel it and hear from the people actually living what they dream to do someday. So yeah, networking is everything I think in life, but especially in the aviation industry. It's a big industry, but everyone really does seem to know everyone. And so just networking, I have a lot of different connections to airline pilots, the airport management at the Salt Lake Airport, down at Provo, the three different collegiate programs here in Utah, their aviation programs. So just, yeah, different people that I've met along the way have been really gracious to host us for field trips or come be guest speakers.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What are some of the field trips you've taken?

    Aaron Organ:

    So, we went to Utah State in Logan and down to Utah Valley University to check out their college programs. Southern Utah University brought a helicopter to us. They came and landed a helicopter here at JATC. So we covered those. We went to the Salt Lake International Airport to get an airside operations tour, which was really cool. On the drone side, we went to Fordham Technologies in Pleasant Grove. They're a cutting edge drone startup here in Utah that started about five years ago. They have a lot of defense contracts and do a lot of cool things. So those are a few of the many field trips.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's an awesome chance for kids to really get to know the industry. Well, let's head out and let's fly a little.

    Stay with us. When we come back, students take to the skies, showing us their skills in flying a drone.

    Break:

    Do you simply love learning online? We can't wait to have you join the amazing teachers in our brand new Jordan Virtual Learning Academy. In Jordan Virtual Learning Academy schools, we offer innovative, fun, and flexible online learning with daily real-time instruction from teachers. Enrollment is currently open for all K-12 students in Utah. Start on the path to personalized virtual learning success now at connect.jordandistrict.org. That's connect.jordandistrict.org.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're here with Brayden and Caden, both students in the aviation classes here at JATC North. Introduce yourselves and tell me a little bit about what interested you in the class.

    Caden:

    So I'm Caden. I've always loved aviation. I've always wanted to be a pilot. So I saw an open house for this my sophomore year and I thought it looked pretty cool. So I decided I'd tried out my senior year and man, it was an amazing class, best class I've ever taken. Aaron's an amazing teacher. And man, I just had a ton of fun taking this class. I learned a ton of stuff. I know so much more about aviation than I previously did obviously.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me something that stood out for you in the class that really surprised you, or was a favorite part of the class?

    Caden:

    Probably just getting out and going and doing stuff. We fly drones a ton. We did tons of field trips. How many field trips do you think we went on?

    Brayden:

    Like 10.

    Caden:

    10. We went on 10 field trips and I was not expecting that. It was tons of fun. Aaron sets up a lot of stuff for us to go do. So we're not just sitting in class just on our phones and stuff, but yeah. Tons of fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It was a deeper experience than you expected.

    Caden:

    Oh yeah, for sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. And are you even more committed to aviation now?

    Caden:

    Yeah, 100%. I'm actually going on an LDS mission, then I'm gonna come back and go to flight school at Utah State. And I just feel so much more prepared and ready to do that now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So what is that path forward for you? You go to Utah State. Is it a four year degree? Where do things go from there?

    Caden:

    Yeah, so I'll get my bachelor's at Utah State and then I will hopefully end up as like a flight instructor. And then my plan was to fly a little bit of cargo after that to gain some hours then probably hop on with SkyWest or some other regional airline and then move on to hopefully Southwest Airline. So that's my goal.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That sounds like a very realistic plan. I have a friend who's a pilot and that's really kind of the course that he followed. So you've really thought that through. That's impressive. Tell me about your experience.

    Brayden:

    My name is Brayden. I never really considered flying until this year. I always thought planes were cool and I actually wanted to do engineering first. So I took an engineering class here but I really found out that it really wasn't my thing, but I still had an interest in planes. So I took this class and found that, you know, flying is something that I could see myself doing as a career. And I just have really enjoyed this class. I've learned a ton. It's just crazy. The friendships made here and Aaron is a great teacher, very knowledgeable and everything.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Have you watched Top Gun?

    Brayden:

    Oh yeah. I saw it last Friday. It's really good.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It’s good.

    Caden:

    We're actually going as a class tonight.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, are you? That's awesome.

    Caden:

    All set up and ready to go.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. It's a great show. As long as it's happening on the screen I can picture myself as a pilot, I'm really excited about it. But if it really came down to it, I know my limits. So, I'm impressed that you guys are in this program. Well, let's head out. Let's fly drones.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're outside now with the drone in the drone zone, ready to take flight. So we've gotta connect through the app and we'll get going. Wow.

    Aaron Organ:

    So you got two sticks here. This, if you go straight up, we'll go up in altitude. You can gain a little bit of altitude before I show you the other stuff.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That really, that really responds and it just sticks in the air.

    Aaron Organ:

    So your left stick up and down, up, down, left to right. We'll just turn it in while it's hovering there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. So it's rotating with the joystick, correct? So far so good. It's looking around, casing it out.

    Aaron Organ:

    What you see on the screen is the video feed.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's great. Wow. That's a really high quality video there.

    Aaron Organ:

    Yeah. Good 4K filming. Your right stick is basically turning it in flight.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    To take this class, you can come out with a license and an ability to earn some money.

    Aaron Organ:

    Yeah, absolutely. It is illegal to earn money unless you have your FAA, so Federal Aviation Administration, part 107 license. That's what enables you to make money legally with a drone. So by earning that commercial drone pilot's license that'll enable you to go get a job flying drones, getting different photography or filming or surveying and using the data of different things.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You can see that this would get very addictive very fast. And even though it may not be a career for some, getting that drone license means that you can earn some money while you're going to school or whatever else.

    Caden:

    Totally. It doesn't have to be an end career. It could be something that you could do for a little bit until you find something that you like.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What stood out for you in these classes that you discovered maybe about yourself.

    Brayden:

    Just how like really anyone can do it if they put their mind to it. And just how Aaron just takes the time to really help you through it. And just like how personal the class is.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You've both pointed out the importance of a great teacher to help you latch onto a subject. Tell me more about Aaron.

    Brayden:

    I mean, he makes everything really personal in the classroom. He doesn't, you know, require us to call him Mr. Organ. He just, you know, we go by Aaron, you know? Yeah. So it makes, you know, us feel connected to him.

    Caden:

    Yeah, he's just really, he's more of a friend.

    Brayden:

    Yeah, a friend than a teacher.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    A friend who's helping you along a career path and discover abilities in yourself.

    Caden:

    But he just, he makes the class a lot more. He just goes above and beyond. Like he makes connections for us just so we can go on field trips. He'll make connections just so we can have a guest speaker come in and he'll just go above and beyond trying to get us the knowledge we need to succeed.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So your connection with aviation beyond the classroom happens a lot.

    Caden:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So as a flight instructor, you might say he puts the air in Aaron.

    Caden:

    yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Let's take a look at the simulator. Show me how those work. There's a screen in front of you and then a screen on each side and lots of buttons.

    Caden:

    Yeah. So we're at the Salt Lake Airport.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can you simulate various airports on this flight simulator?

    Caden:

    You can go anywhere in the world.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. Yeah. Okay.

    Caden:

    But we like to fly out of Salt Lake City just because it's our airport here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, sure. You've got the controls here. What does each pedal do?

    Caden:

    So these are the rudders.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    One is the clutch, right?

    Caden:

    No, not exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I've got a little bit to learn here. So these are the rudders. Okay.

    Caden:

    These are the rudders, and this is the yoke, and here's your throttle and your mixture. And these are the flaps for landing. This is your trim wheel.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what does the trim wheel do?

    Caden:

    So what your trim wheel does is when you're in flight, you're not always having to pull back on your yoke. You can trim it out so that you can not strain yourself so much, trying to always fight up and down on the yoke. So we start it up.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Just started it up.

    Caden:

    Then we get ready. And the simulator is a lot more sensitive than a real airplane. I've done both.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So tell me, you have flown in a real airplane?

    Caden:

    Yeah, I did that for, sorry. I'm just trying to focus on taking off.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. I'll let you take off.

    Caden:

    It's a little program that Utah State does. It's like a camp for, I think it's a little less than a week. You just, you get to fly a helicopter. You get to fly in an airplane and you get to manipulate the controls. It's really cool. That's also what made me really love aviation more too.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Sorry. This is why they have a door on the cockpit. So people don’t ask you questions while you're trying to take off.

    Caden:

    Oh no, it's fine. We're in flight now, so it'll be a lot easier to just gain altitude. So we actually got to go on a field trip to Utah State this year. That was probably one of my more favorite ones. They go around, talk about their program and they show you all the airplanes and it's especially cool for me because I get to fly in all those airplanes there in two years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Huh. That's a good head start there to be able to be up there. Well, you made that look really easy. That was very smooth. Tell me, have you had to crash? Have you crashed?

    Caden:

    We have simulated a crash.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    On purpose. You simulated one.

    Caden:

    Yeah. Just when we were practicing our stalls throughout the year, it's just, it's a little bit more hard to do I'd say in the simulator. I've never done a stall in a real airplane.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So what you do is you practice if it stalls what you would do.

    Caden:

    Yeah, exactly. But it's pretty hard to do it on a simulator. I don't think it's nearly the same.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's okay, don't stall. This feels good.

    Caden:

    And this is what the trim wheel does. So I have it pretty trimmed out right now, but let's say it wasn't trimmed perfectly. So it would go like that. So now I can do nose up.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you just make an adjustment to make sure that it's,

    Caden:

    Yeah. So then you can adjust it. So I gotta bring the nose down a little more, little up and then it'll be. You can never get it perfect as a pilot, but you can get pretty close.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Brayden do you wanna land the plane here?

    Brayden:

    Yeah. I actually have a set up right here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Where are we landing? What tropical area are we? Oh, Salt Lake City.

    Brayden:

    This is just Provo.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Provo. All right. Let's land in Provo. Why not?

    Brayden:

    So these lights down here will show you if you're on the glide path or not. If there is more red, that means you're lower. And if there's more white, that means you're high. But if you have two red and two white, that means you're on the glide. So we'll be there shortly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It gets your attention. The simulator really does pull you in. You have actual airline pilots come in and work with the kids?

    Aaron Organ:

    Correct, yeah. Two current airline pilots, they're both at SkyWest Airlines. They're both moving on to major airlines right now, but they come in on their days off and basically run the sims. One of them actually is an alumni of the JATC program about seven years ago. So it's really cool to see, you know, high school to a regional airline, to now he's headed to Delta. So it's great having him come in so the students can see what the path looks like from here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There's high demand for the program isn't there?

    Aaron Organ:

    There is, absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Pilots are difficult to come by these days.

    Aaron Organ:

    Yeah. It's a fantastic  time to get into the industry. The demand for pilots is higher than ever before.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You guys are awesome. Congratulations on going through the program and look forward to hearing about your future.

    Brayden and Caden:

    Thank you.

    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 out there.

    19 min
  • Episode 146: Talented Student on Fast Track to Achieving Dream of Becoming an Olympic Athlete

    He is on a fast track to achieving his dream of one day competing in the Winter Olympics.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we head to the Olympic Speedskating Oval in Kearns where Ray Shim, who just completed 9th grade at Mountain Creek Middle School, hits the ice for another grueling practice. Ray has already set a national record in short track speed skating and soon he will be competing in higher level races like the American Cup and World Cup trials as he strives to make his Olympic dreams come true.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He is on a fast track to achieving his dream of one day competing in the Winter Olympics. On this episode of the Supercast, we head to the Olympics Speed Skating Oval in Kearns, where Ray Shim, who just completed ninth grade at Mountain Creek Middle School hits the ice for another grueling practice. Ray has already set a national record in short track speed skating, and soon he will be competing in higher level races like the America's Cup and World Cup trials, as he strives to make his Olympic dreams come true.

    We're here at Mountain Creek Middle School with Ray Shim. Ray, thanks for taking time.

    Ray Shim:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Ray is a speed skater preparing for his next race, but for even bigger things beyond that. Tell me about that preparation and how long you've been skating.

    Ray Shim:

    Well, I started skating when I was four in South Korea and my mom got interested in it. So I've been preparing for going to like bigger races for 11 years now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what's your ultimate goal?

    Ray Shim:

    To go to Olympics.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And how long before you would be trying out for the Olympics?

    Ray Shim:

    Well this next quarter would be my first year that I could ever try it out.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What's the age of eligibility?

    Ray Shim:

    I think you have to be at least 16.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. And you're gonna turn 16 just in time for that?

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah, the next Olympics is gonna be in three years, so I'll be able to make it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you remember when you started skating?

    Ray Shim:

    I don't. I started when I was four, so I barely remember anything.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So the only thing you remember is skating for your whole life.

    Ray Shim:

    Exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And did you have a talent for it early on? What have you been told about your early abilities?

    Ray Shim:

    Apparently my coaches said that I have a good talent for it. But yeah, I guess it's still improving right now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, it's always improving I'm sure. Have you always enjoyed skating? Are there times when it has been more exciting for you than other times?

    Ray Shim:

    The race season is always exciting and yeah, I've always liked skating,

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So it's easier to be practicing when you're leading up to a specific race, as opposed to just in the off season.

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah. Off season you kind of get discouraged a little bit, I guess.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about what the training looks like. There's a lot of time on the ice. Is there training off of the ice first of all?

    Ray Shim:

    Yes, we do off ice training. We run and stuff, but we have our own technical exercises we do for our off ice training.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And so what do some of those technical exercises look like?

    Ray Shim:

    They're just practically skating, but on the ground.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you're practicing skating on the ground. Is that practicing in place or are you in motion? How does that look?

    Ray Shim:

    Mostly in place, but we can also wear inline skates, which is roller blades, but yeah, we could also do that to train.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can you show me what that looks like?

    Ray Shim:

    Sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Or do you need special equipment to do that in place?

    Ray Shim:

    I don't need special equipment.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Show me what that looks like. I'm having a hard time picturing that.

    Ray Shim:

    Okay. First get into a 90 degree position.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay.

    Ray Shim:

    When your knee's here, and then move this way.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you get into the starting position. You're crouched down really where your torso is horizontal with the ground.

    Ray Shim:

    That's the best position that you should be able to get.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And then you're moving your feet from side to side. All right, I'll step aside. Can you show me what that looks like? Okay. So you're holding the position. So you move from side to side and hold the position for as long as you would be gliding. And is that a means of conditioning your legs so that you get accustomed to that movement and have the stamina to hold in position?

    Ray Shim:

    Yes, it's also easier to hold it off ice because balance is a lot easier. So yeah, we've practiced our technical moments here off ice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you get the technical aspect of it down. And then once you go to the ice, you're better off because you've tried it on an easier surface. And then when you get to the ice, you're better prepared.

    Ray Shim:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Your core must be just totally ripped.

    Ray Shim:

    I wish, but not that much.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think you're being modest. There's no way you can do what you just did that low to the ground without being in incredibly good shape. And there's a real grace to the motion from side to side. Is that something that, I guess since if you've been doing it since four, it comes pretty naturally. But do you have to think about that or is that just muscle memory now?

    Ray Shim:

    Well, I used to have to think about it, but I've done it for a lot of years. So it's like more natural now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what length of races you compete in.

    Ray Shim:

    I race 500 meter races, 1000 meter races, 1500 meter races and 5,000 meter races.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So the 5,000 meter race, I assume is a relay.

    Ray Shim:

    Yes, a relay. Only four person per team, and there's gonna be four teams. I would take a starter position since I have a pretty good start.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So different people have different skills. You're good off of the blocks. Are there blocks that you race off of? Or do you just have to start? You just turn your skate and that's your starting block, right?

    Ray Shim:

    Right. But everyone has to do one and a half laps every time and I'm a good sprinter type.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you get everyone off to a quick start?

    Ray Shim:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What do you like best, solo races or relays?

    Ray Shim:

    Solo races. They're a lot more exciting than the relays.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Because it's just one person against everybody else.

    Ray Shim:

    Exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now tell me, I have no sense for scale here. Tell me how long a 1500 meter race takes roughly.

    Ray Shim:

    Average race would be a two minute 32 second race. A fast one would be like a two minute six second.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And I would think that two minutes or two and a half minutes of skating at that speed would just, for most people feel like an eternity. Does it feel like a long time for you? Because there's so many things going through your head?

    Ray Shim:

    It's painful, but the time actually passes by pretty quickly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Will you do multiple races in one day? Or how does that work? There must be a lot of recovery time in between races because you're giving it your all.

    Ray Shim:

    Normally there's only gonna be like 20, 30 minutes between races. Yeah, we normally do prelims first. So all the 500, 1000 meter, 1500 races on the first day, and then the semifinals on the second day, and finals on the third day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How much time, since you were four years old, do you think you've spent? How much do you spend in an average week?

    Ray Shim:

    In an average week? Well, every day I spend around six, seven hours training. So times seven, that would be like 30-38, maybe in between, on average I guess.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I'm not gonna make you do the math. I'm gonna call it over 10,000 hours right now. That's pretty amazing. Six or seven hours a day. So tell me what a typical day looks like.

    Ray Shim:

    So you wake up at five and you eat a light breakfast, be there at 5:45 AM train until around 10 30. Come to school. After school is done, I go back to the oval train for another three hours, get back home and sleep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So do you have much time for much else? It sounds like that's pretty much your free time.

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah. Not really, but I manage.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it sounds like that is a stress reliever and kind of energizing for you to be able to be part of the racing and part of the training.

    Ray Shim:

    Yes. It's also a little bit stressing too, but it's also my stress reliever.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do your friends know that you do speed skating?

    Ray Shim:

    Well, most of my friends are speed skaters, but in this school, I don't think a lot of people know.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, well they will after this podcast because we're gonna spread it everywhere. You're ready for that, right?

    Ray Shim:

    Maybe

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. We're now talking with Ray's counselor, David Parker here at Mountain Creek Middle. Tell me about Ray.

    David Parker:

    Ray is a very polite, quiet kid who is very humble. And one of one of the nicest kids you’ll meet. You would never know, like he had said, what he has done. In fact, I've learned he's been speed skating for these three years, but to the level he's been doing, I found out after last April.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You wouldn't know what an animal he is on the ice and how competitive he is.

    David Parker:

    Right? For example, I knew he was going to be gone, cause we were trying to work some things out for future planning and I knew he was gone. He came back from his trip and he talked to his AP teacher and she asked how it went and he said fine. And then as we reached out to do all this thing, and I think it was interesting as we sent this stuff out and his accomplishments at that race, she approached me saying, he just said it was fine. And he's breaking these records and getting first place and you know, up there on the podium, that went ‘fine.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about what accommodations to the schedule and everything you've made to make all of that training possible.

    David Parker:

    So as Ray said, he's done ed release. This is his third year. He's one of the original Moose in fact right. This is our third year as a school at Mountain Creek. So he and his brother are considered some of the original Moose because Becky Hunsaker, our head counselor was the first hire in the department. And the very first meeting she ever had was with them to help kind of accommodate that. So Ray has always done ed release for the first three periods of the day and then at the afternoon period. And he supplements that with the virtual learning that's been available through the district. So he is here four or five periods a day and is taking AP classes in the midst of all that. And so like he said, he manages and I don't know how.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But what he's been able to accomplish.
    Stay with us when we come back, we'll head down on the ice with Ray Shim, an aspiring Olympic athlete and successful student.

    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 students? 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 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.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How much time do you think you've spent in this building?

    Ray Shim:

    Too much to count. I have no idea.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, I'm sure. I'm sure. So is there always two sets of ice here? Two rinks?

    Ray Shim:

    Yes. One's for hockey skating, so they have hard boards. And one's for figure skating and skating and stuff.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. And this is the skating one over here?

    Ray Shim;

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. I remember hearing about this building, that it is one of the largest buildings without any posts in it at all, so that you could get line of sight for the cameras when the Olympics were here.

    Ray Shim:

    Oh, I had no idea, but yeah, there are no posts now that you say that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So tell me about your skates. I shouldn't be surprised, but those blades look really long.

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah. They're 17 and a half inch blades.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh wow. And you keep this cover on 'em to keep 'em sharp and keep from injuring yourself on those blades, I assume?

    Ray Shim:

    For protecting the blades mostly though.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You compete on the short track, so is this pretty much the same as the ice that you would compete on?

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How long does it take you to get all suited up? Oh, okay. Now you've just uncovered that blade. Can I take a look at that? That is a serious blade that could protect you in the parking lot on your way to the car. Wow. That is a serious business. And in proportion to the size of your foot, that's a pretty long blade.

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah. It's, I don't know. It's supposedly supposed to be longer than your foot. So like, you don't have to worry as much about the front and back shifting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh yeah. Gives you stability.

    Ray Shim:

    Well, this would last around maybe like half a year to a whole year because you would sharpen them like every two or three times you skate on them. It lasts a pretty long time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Ray, it looks like you're double laced and Velcro strap. It's a bit of a process. So it takes you 10 minutes, but it’d take me 20.

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah. Double laces are for the tightness of your ankle so that it doesn't become loose. And then Velcro’s more like to keep the laces so that it doesn't.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There are no brakes on these things. Once you get going, you just have to kind of turn and put your skates at a 90 degree angle to your trajectory.

    Ray Shim:

    Well, I guess you would just kind of glide until you start losing speed or kind of like start stepping like that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I can't wait to see you in action here, because this is a lot of build up. All right. Now you're all geared up. You've got your helmet on. You always skate with a helmet, I assume?

    Ray Shim:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Very good. And you've got, is this all one piece from shoulders to ankles?

    Ray Shim:

    Yes. All one piece.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. And your US Speed Skating jacket. That's pretty cool.

    Ray Shim:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's awesome. So tell me, how does it feel to be all suited up? Does that feel?

    Ray Shim:

    It's pretty uncomfortable. It's skin tight. So it wouldn't be something that I would want to wear the whole time. But it's best for your aerodynamic activities.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How much skating do you do before a race to warm up

    Ray Shim:

    Before? They only give you 10 minutes on ice and then you would have to wait until it's your racesnd then just skate then. So you would have to do like a lot of off ice warmups, like running, stretching.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, okay. So a lot of off ice warming up and then 10 minutes on the ice and then you're ready to go.

    Ray Shim:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you've got these, these gloves. It looks like you dipped just the fingertips of the gloves in latex. Is that part of your start? Tell me about that. And it's only on the left glove.

    Ray Shim:

    This is for pivoting. So when you go, when you start going fast and you start to lean more on ice, since you can't just kind of do it without the support of your hand on your ice, this is for like gliding it on.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Let's see you out on the ice.

    Man, he looks great out there. He's going so fast.

    Ray, that was awesome.

    Ray Shim:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That was really, I don't know. I was very overwhelmed seeing you skate. I thought that was incredible. It was so graceful, so fast. And when you finished, you glided all the way around with no effort, you had so much energy you'd built up, you went around once doing nothing.

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah, these skates glide really easily. So once you get speed, it's kind of hard to slow down.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. When you turned and leaned in and just put your hand down, I just thought, well, that's something I'll never do. That was incredible. I am so impressed. I'm so glad we got to come here to the ice and see you skate. It was just honestly, just astonishing to see how fast you go, how graceful it is, how effortless you make it look.

    Ray Shim:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    When we walked up to the ice, there was a kid who is obviously a speed skater who wanted to show you his skates. Do you have that happen sometimes when you're all geared up? You have a very gold medal look right now.

    Ray Shim:

    Oh, thank you. Yeah, from time to time. He just started learning how to skate so he's probably really interested in like other people who would be skating like him.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. That's really cool that you are already getting the chance to encourage younger skaters. When is your next competition?

    Ray Shim:

    It's gonna be in August, mid August, right before our school's gonna start again.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you compete here at any point where I could come and see?

    Ray Shim:

    In August.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    In August it's here?

    Ray Shim:

    Yeah, it’s here this year.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, great. Well, we'll be here. We'll be here. Thank you. Thanks for spending the time Ray, we'll be cheering you on from these stands.

    Ray Shim:

    Thank you for taking time.

    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.

    20 min
  • Episode 145: Student Auto Body Talents Wow Crowd at BHS Classic Car Show

    There were classic cars, souped-up lawn mowers and some pretty fancy farm equipment. Students in the Bingham High School Auto Body class worked their magic turning cars and trucks into something special.

    On this episode of the Supercast we fire up the engines and head to the annual classic car show at Bingham High School. It is an event that gives students a chance to show off their talents and creativity when it comes to cars and a wide variety of vehicles.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent, Anthony Godfrey. There were classic cars, souped up lawn mowers and some pretty fancy farm equipment. Students in the Bingham High School auto body class worked their magic, turning four wheels into something special. On this episode of the Supercast, we fire up the engines and head to the annual classic car show at Bingham High School. It is an event that gives students a chance to show off their talents and creativity when it comes to cars in a wide variety of other vehicles.

    We're here at Bingham High School with Travis Lucero, or Lucy as the kids call him. We are at the car show and this is the official beginning of summer in my book.

    Travis Lucero:

    It's the end of the school year for me. I'm exhausted.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're all exhausted. It's been quite a year.

    Travis Lucero:

    It sure has.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But I always look forward to this event and it's just got a great vibe, great feel and it gets to highlight some of the kids' work and what's important to them.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. We love it. It's our 26th year of doing this. Barry Wooten actually started it in 1995.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow.

    Travis Lucero:

    I've been doing it for 16 years and every year it gets bigger and bigger. This year we have over 80 cars out, three tractors, even a lawnmower.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I saw a tractor walking up and I've seen lawn mowers over the years. Tell me about the class that you teach, and why the car show?

    Travis Lucero:

    Well, I teach two classes. I teach a Collision Repair class, which is the outer skin of the car, like the painting and the body work. And then I also teach Welding. The car show is just, it's just like in my blood. We love hot rods. We love cars. And so it's just, for me, it's kind of like just a fun end of the year. Let the kids show off. We have four cars that have been painted that are here at the car show. And so we just, people can see what we're doing. And a lot of students are still really into cars out here. It gives them a chance to show off their pride and joy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now there are some really memorable cars over the years that I've seen. One of them was a DeLorean that I really like. That's a picture of me. That's going back to the past though.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. That's like five, six years ago.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, that's five or six years ago. Well, wow. Now that Chevy Nova over there. That brings back some memories. We had two Chevy Novas when I was growing up. One white, one blue. And tell me, I look out and I see this wide variety of cars. Tell me, what are the rules? Just that you're interested in showing off your car?

    Travis Lucero:

    So basically I try to keep 'em street legal, unless, you know, like you got a tractor or something under construction. I have a couple of really cool dirt bikes that aren’t street legal, but for the most part, if the kids can drive it in themselves, and it's street legal, they can bring it out to the car show. Whatever they're proud of, whatever they're into, we'll take. We've got some people that have some really nice classics. We've got some people that have really great tuner imports. Really big truck crowd. If they love it and they wanna show it, they can bring it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you have teachers show their cars sometimes?

    Travis Lucero:

    We do. Graber, the band teacher’s Austin Healy is over there. That was actually built here at Bingham. It's a 56 Austin Healy. We have Mr. Metcalf, who has his Mustang out there. We have Arbogast, who has his Ford truck out there. Dave Peck until he retired, showed a Ford car that had been built out here. So we've had quite a few teachers show their cars.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about the collision repair class and the students that are drawn to that.

    Travis Lucero:

    So we get a lot of students that maybe struggle in academic classes, but it's kind of like their saving grace. They really love the hands-on, tactile type learning. A lot of kids that are excited by the idea of something that is custom, that they've built or that they can work on. And we just give 'em a chance to learn how to remove dents, do rust repair, all the way up to doing custom paint and flames on panels. Just kind of give 'em the full gamut. So if they wanna go get a job in a body shop, they have the skills to do that. If they wanna do fun, custom stuff on their own cars, or they have the ability to do a little bit of that as well. And it's just great, cuz they get a chance to get a break from that really, you know, hard academic learning in their day. It’s just 90 minutes, they can do something new and give their brain a rest.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And hands on learning that can lead to a hobby or career.

    Travis Lucero:

    Oh yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And feels great in the moment too, just getting a chance to do that.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah, I actually have about a half dozen students that are working right now in collision and repair shops. And I have about a dozen students that are working as welders right now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow.

    Travis Lucero:

    So there's a high demand in both areas. And most of my kids that are welding are making about $20-$25 an hour as high school students. So you can make a lot more money. There's a lot of demand for it. And it's just fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, doing something you love.

    Travis Lucero:

    Doing something you love, getting your hands on something, and feeling like you accomplish something every day. You can stand back and see something that you accomplished every day in class. I always tell my students like when you're welding, it's instant gratification. If you're having a bad day go in and do some welds, you will automatically feel better about yourself by the end of the day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Light that torch, things feel better.

    Travis Lucero:

    Right. You burn some metal, makes you feel better.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So well, I'm really grateful that we have those programs, and I'm really grateful we have you.

    Travis Lucero:

    Well, thank you so much. I'm glad that we can be here and be a part of Jordan District and represent Bingham High School. We love Bingham. It's a great day to be a Miner.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It is always a great day to be a Miner. Let's walk around, let's check 'em out. And of course you can hear the music in the background. And we heard some pretty serious bass out there because cars stereos and cars are inextricably linked. Of course  we've got cars as far as the eye can see. Is this your car?

    Travis Lucero:

    This is.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right,  how do you describe this to people who are listening?

    Travis Lucero:

    This is a 1950 Chevy pickup truck that's been converted to a Roadster. And a Roadster by definition is a vehicle that has no roll up side windows. It's what they call a one weather car. So it has no top to it at all. It doesn't have any side glass. It basically just has a windshield in it. So like a 32 Ford is an open top Roadster. We've been working on it at Bingham High with my classes for over a decade. In that time we've done significant metal work to it. It's been painted, all of the suspension work's been done to it. The auto mechanics class rebuilt all the rear end and helped install the engine and the transmission and do all of that this year as well. So we just try and use it as like something fun that the kids can learn on. But yeah, every year a couple inches further to a finished vehicle.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It looks fantastic. What, what do you call this color of green?

    Travis Lucero:

    I don't know what we should call it. My friend, Ronnie actually is a custom painter and he came up with it. It's a custom mixed color. So it's a candy pearl green. A very heavy metallic pearl green.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It just shines in the sun.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. It's got some pop to it for sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Like it’s from space, I would think. And it's more like a beetle green, like it's this almost insect green.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. My one friend called it antifreeze. I thought that was kind of fitting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's pretty close.

    Travis Lucero:

    It's pretty close to the color of antifreeze.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So is this a street legal vehicle?

    Travis Lucero:

    Absolutely. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh my gosh.

    Travis Lucero:

    So when it's all done, it's not finished yet, but when it's all done, it'll have headlights. It'll have a bed on it, have blinkers, turn signals, the whole thing. It's completely street legal.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We need to get our picture by this one because this a stand out. Tell me about some of the other cars. Let's just walk around and then we'll talk to a couple of students.

    Travis Lucero:

    So, this is a vehicle that was done here at Bingham this year. This is just a little Scion that was actually bought as a salvage title. And we brought this in as like a fun student project and they did some body work and stuff on it. And then my friend, who's a good custom painter came in and showed the kids how to do some actual custom airbrushing and paint on it. It's got a matte finish on the top. This is actual lace. Like you go buy at a fabric store.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh really?

    Travis Lucero:

    And you paint, it's really old school techniques.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So, the lace was laid over the top of the car?

    Travis Lucero:

    And they spray over the top of it. Okay. Yeah. That's what they do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So that’s a lace pattern on the hood of the car.

    Travis Lucero:

    Then there's water droplets on here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Those water droplets are actually painted on there. That's part of the design.

    Travis Lucero:

    They actually spray water down, distilled water, and then paint over the distilled water, wait for it to evaporate and then clear over the top of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    This is so cool.

    Travis Lucero:

    It’s a really cool old school technique.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's awesome.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. That's a 1950 Chevy Bel Air. So this was brought in by a grandparent of one of our students. So it's pretty much what you would call a restoration. It's all original. This might be a 57 actually. But it's a beautiful teal in the off white top. It's just a really neat, all original vehicle.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Look at that. Now, talk about a time machine. That does take you back in time.

    Travis Lucero:

    Well, especially cuz they haven't really changed anything at all. These are like factory color options. It's got all the factory trim on it. It's got the factory bench seats in it still. So, even like the baby moons and stuff are all options you could have got in the 50s.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow.

    Travis Lucero:

    So it's a pretty period, correct car, except for some added in stereo equipment. It's all there. It's a beautiful piece.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You know, I'll allow the stereo equipment. I’m a music fan. I think that's the only fair that they have some banging tunes in there.

    Travis Lucero:

    I have like 12 speakers in my truck so I don't blame you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay.

    Travis Lucero:

    This Ford Bronco's pretty cool. A student and his dad's been working on this one.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So a student and his dad have been working on it.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. He told me they have a couple of 'em and actually, they did all the paint and the body work and stuff on it. It's got all the bed liner done down on the bottom. It's just a really cool, this would be mid 70s Bronco. Full size Bronco.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That is a really, really cool looking truck.

    Travis Lucero:

    I always really like Broncos. You can take the tops off like Jeeps in the summer. But they're like twice the size of a Jeep, so you can get a little more bang for your buck out of 'em, which is kind of fun.
    Anthony Godfrey:
    This and the fact that it's brown. Yeah. It just really, wow.

    Travis Lucero:

    You don't see a lot of browns.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It takes me back as well. That's really something.

    Travis Lucero:

    It's pretty cool.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    This is great. The kids are having a great time.

    Travis Lucero:

    Oh yeah, we just love it. Come out, it's  beautiful weather today. You know, we cook up J Dawgs every year. We feed all the faculty and staff for free. We sell the J Dawgs to the kids with a chip and drink for $3. Yeah. So we can pretty much come out and just relax and see a bunch of really cool cars.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's a great lunch and it's a great time.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. And the FACTS department actually does it. At the school store the teacher, they in her class, all put it together and cook all of it and do all of the stuff for it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And I know you saved me a shirt. You're wearing the shirt from the 26th Annual Car Show.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. And this was actually designed by our photo teacher this year.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    With the flames coming behind, what would you call that? Like a hot rod?

    Travis Lucero:

    Like a ‘34 Ford Roadster. Like a Tin Woody style Roadster. Kind of fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I love it. It's fantastic.

    Travis Lucero:

    This is a 1970ish, we don't know the year for sure, Sears & Roebuck lawn mower that belonged to my grandmother.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh my gosh.

    Travis Lucero:

    And in the 90s she couldn't get it to run. She pushed it out on the curb. My dad actually got it started in five minutes and took it home. About a decade ago he wanted to customize it. So I brought it down to the school and the kids helped me and we put flames on it, did a custom paint job on it. He threw away the lawn mower deck. He said, it's never gonna mow lawn ever again. And basically, we drive the little grandkids around in it. It's just for fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's so, it looks so cool.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah. I louvered this in college, that's how long ago.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Really? Oh man.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah, did that a long, long time ago.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I love the flames. There's a ton of, is this a decal?

    Travis Lucero:

    No, it's all painted.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's all paint?

    Travis Lucero:

    That's pin stripe. That's actually put on with a brush and it's called pin striping. You just trace around the graphics with a paint brush.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The flames look incredible. It's glitter flames. And what do you call this right here?

    Travis Lucero:

    That's a big shifter knob.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The big shifter knob is packed with glitter. Like a bouncy ball from the 70s.

    Travis Lucero:

    That actually came off of a Peterbilt semi truck.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Did it really?

    Travis Lucero:

    It did, yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Travis, this is fantastic. Thanks for baking these types of opportunities available to students.

    Travis Lucero:

    Yeah, for sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think it's so incredible that they get to do this and what a great way to feature it.

    Travis Lucero:

    So it's a lot of fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I never miss it. I'm never going to miss it. It's a great event. And thanks again.

    Travis Lucero:

    Thanks for coming. I appreciate it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back more with Travis Lucero and his students at Bingham High School's car show.

    Break:

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    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. We're here with Cooper and Vincent at the car show, talking about Skills USA and just the chance to show off their work. So thanks for being here guys, and talking with me. Introduce yourselves.

    Cooper:

    My name is Cooper. I'm a senior here at Bingham High School. I am helping run the car show. I have my own car here. It's gonna be a great, I'm having a great time.

    Vincent:

    I'm Vincent and I am the Skills USA President. And this is my senior year at Bingham High School.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about Skills USA for those who don't know.

    Vincent:

    So Skills USA is mostly involved in the CTE programs of our school. So anything from welding, to woodworking, and auto mechanics. And our main goal is basically to develop a good teamwork environment for all, everybody from seniors to sophomores. And to really just create those bonds that'll go down and get that experience that will help us in the future to do our own things.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And which of those areas is your specialty?

    Vincent:

    So I came into Skills USA last year involved in the woodworking and the welding. This year I came in through the welding program.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And have you been working as a welder, or do you plan to work as a welder?

    Vincent:

    I do work as a welder at a fabrication shop and I do a lot of custom stuff over there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Is that something you want to continue with?

    Vincent:

    I honestly really love it. I enjoy doing it and I feel like this is something I could go down doing until, really, I die honestly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Good. That's awesome when you find that. Cooper, tell me about what you've been doing.

    Cooper:

    Well, I'm also in Skills USA. I helped build the drift trike by just like putting it all together. I'm going to be an auto mechanic. That's what I just found out I love doing, cuz it's just so fun. But when I first came in here, my sophomore year, I had Auto I and I just hated cars for like when I first started.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Really?

    Cooper:

    Yeah. It's just because I just didn't learn anything and it was just, I just felt like I didn't belong there. But then my mom put me in for Auto II in the second year. Then I got my current teacher, Mr. Metcalf, Aaron Metcalf, and he taught me a whole bunch of stuff that I just thought like, ‘Hey, this is not so bad because it's not as hard as I thought it would be.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, moms are good at pushing you into things that you didn't think you were gonna like, but turn out, being life changing.

    Cooper:

    Yeah, that's so true. I really gotta thank my mom for like, just forcing me into that class cuz I don't know what I'd be doing other than this right now if I didn't do that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I admire that you have these skills and that you've pursued them the way that you have. And I love what you said about Skills USA bringing people together and providing that support. It's really important at this stage in high school to feel like you connect with others and that you get to explore your skills. So I'm really excited that you've been a part of that.

    Let's take a look at your car Cooper.

    Cooper:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Let's go check it out. Tell us about it as we walk up there.

    Cooper:

    So, I have this car from my grandpa who passed away in February, just this year. It's a 2005 Ford F-150. There's nothing really that special about it, but I like it. I'm gonna keep it like for a long time cuz it's my my grandpa's car.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what you plan for the car.

    Cooper:

    Well, I hope to like repaint it, make it like a bright blue or like a nice blue color. I plan to raise it up a little bit. Just make bigger tires, make it sort of an off rotor sort of car. Cuz right now I think this is just a like working or just carrying stuff, car you know, just for work.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. And how long did your grandfather own this car?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    As long as you can remember?

    Cooper:

    No, I don't know how long he owned this car, but I know he had it for a long time cuz it has like over 200,000 miles on it. And his death was just well, his passing, I should say it was just a little bit of a sudden thing for us. And so like I just got his car and I don't know. I don't know if I wanna change it too much just because like, you know, it reminds me of my grandpa and all that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. That's very special that you have that and that'll be a great way to help remember him. Tell me, two of you are graduating seniors now. What advice do you have for those who are just starting high school?

    Cooper:

    Well, my advice is that I would just figure out, like find out something that you don't love, even though you may. Because for me, like I, when I joined Auto, I hated it. Like my first year I did not ever want to do it again. But like my mom just pushed me into there and this is what I want to do now. I love doing it. So I would say listen to your mom and do your very best.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Good advice.

    Vincent:

    The advice I would give to the younger generations out there, if you know what you want to do, you should go for it regardless of what anybody says you can or can't do. If you believe that you can set your mind to it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Awesome. Well, thanks a lot guys. I'm proud of the work that you've done and that you've been able to find some skills and find a passion through these classes. So great work and keep it up. All right, good luck in the future.

    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.

    20 min
  • Episode 144: Four Sisters Retire After a Combined 100 Years in the Classroom

    They followed in the footsteps of their father, dedicating their lives to careers in education.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we meet four sisters who recently retired after spending a combined 100 years in the classroom. It is a century of work among siblings who made a big difference in the lives of students throughout Jordan School District.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They followed in the footsteps of their father, dedicating their lives to careers in education. On this episode of the Supercast, we meet four sisters who recently retired after spending a combined 100 years in the classroom. It is a century of work among siblings who made a big difference in the lives of students throughout Jordan School District.

    We are here at Westvale Elementary to interview four sisters. One of whom has retired, three are retiring this year, and all have worked for Jordan School District for a long time. So I'm gonna ask them each to introduce themselves.

    Margaret Chandler:

    I'm Margaret Chandler and I am teaching at West Hills Middle School, and I'll have 24 years in with the district.

    Evelyn Marse:

    I'm Evelyn Marse and I'm the one that is already retired. But I have 40 years in and I finished up at Riverton High School.

    Pennie Lovato:

    Pennie Lovato. I am retiring with 40 years and I am at Herriman High School.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Cathy Sullivan. And I'm at Westvale Elementary right here. I've only put in 15 years with the Jordan District.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, Marilyn Richards turned me on to this story and she calls you the Quilter sisters. Why is that?

    Evelyn Marse:

    That's our maiden name.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, the Quilters. Oh, very nice. Yes. And how does she know all the Quilter sisters?

    Pennie Lovato:

    She taught me in junior high at West Jordan Middle School. 7th grade PE classes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    She told me about a remarkable seventh grade PE student that she taught. That must have been you Pennie.

    Pennie:

    I'm sure it was.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I have no doubt. How did the rest of you know Marilyn?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I went to school with one of her sisters. And that's kind of how I knew her.

    Evelyn Marse:

    I actually had Marilyn as my ninth grade PE teacher at West Jordan Middle. And I've worked with Marilyn when she was a vice principal and when she was a principal.

    Margaret Chandler:

    Well, and then when I got out of college, my first teaching position was at West Jordan Middle and she was a teacher there. And so we taught together for seven years while I was there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. So, you guys know her in lots of different ways. And she has been my boss in various ways. She was principal when I was an assistant principal at Jordan High School. And now of course she's on the Board of Education and decides whether I get my next contract every time, along with the other six Board members. So, we all have a close connect with her. That's awesome. Tell me each of you a little bit about where you've taught and what your education journey has been in Jordan District, and in other districts

    Margaret Chandler:

    I've always been in the Jordan School District. Started at West Jordan Middle School and taught there for seven years. And then I was having a family and I stopped and tried to see if I could run a preschool business to stay home with my little ones. I did that for about five years and that just didn't pan out. So then I got back into the district and taught at Indian Hills Middle School when they were still part of our district for five years. And then I jumped out again and ran a preschool business very successfully for 15 years. And then I jumped back in again and went to West Hills Middle School. Kim Baker was the principal at that time and hired me on. And so I've just been there ever since.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Okay. So boy, I think about it, I started back in 1980. I always tell people, when I talk about all the schools I've been at, I would get like the seven year itch. I would just go, I just need to look at something different, different windows, different students, different walls, something. So I taught seven years at Midvale Middle, and I had the opportunity to teach with my dad. That was, that was one of the best opportunities ever at Midvale Middle.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I was principal at Midvale Middle years after that.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Years after that, I was gonna say, yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So what did you teach? And what did your dad teach?

    Evelyn Marse:

    Dad taught math and I was special ed. I've always been special ed. So yeah, I mean, it was fun and challenging. My dad was old school. He didn't believe such things as learning disabilities. He thought that they were just play classes. I finally convinced him, you know, when he was struggling with a student. Why don't you just refer the student? Let's test him, let's work. And he started going through that process. And I would tell him about the testing and where the student was at and he'd go, ‘oh, that would make sense why he is not getting it.’ I mean, he started to understand special ed. So that was, it was such a growing experience for us. So that was, that was fun.
    After that I went to Mount Jordan Middle, I think I spent eight years there. And then Marilyn hired me at South Jordan Middle. I loved it there, but an opportunity came up to go to Genesis that was by the prison for the Youth Correctional Program. And I jumped at that because I wanted something so different and that was exciting. That was way exciting. So I just spent five years there and then I went to Riverton, finished out. That's where I stopped. I went, I don't think I wanna move one more time. So I finished out my last 12 years at Riverton.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you retired, how many years ago?

    Evelyn Marse:

    I retired in 2019 and then I took a year off. And then they called me back and said, ‘we don't have enough online special ed teachers. So would you be willing to teach outta your basement for a year?’ So I did. It was challenging. And I have to say, I would do that one again.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Really?

    Evelyn Marse:

    That was such a learning experience.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Well, I'll keep a note of that.

    Evelyn Marse:

    There you go.

    Pennie Lovato:

    Keep her in mind. Okay, so I started out teaching elementary and also it's always been special ed. And I decided that after six years of elementary, that I felt like I needed something more. So then I tried a self-contained classroom at Jordan High, the old Jordan High. Did that for a couple of years and decided that wasn't my gig. So then I transferred to Hillcrest High and did a Resource setting and felt like that was my niche. And so I stayed there for, I don't know, 19, 20 years at Hillcrest High, then transferred to Riverton High and then Herriman High.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Were you ever at Riverton at the same time together?

    Evelyn Marse:

    We were there together. And darn that finally came down that said we couldn't teach together any longer.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That nepotism rascal got in the way.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Because I mean, come on, we had different last names.

    Pennie Lovato:

    Although we did teach right next door to each other.

    Evelyn Marse:

    We don't look alike.

    Pennie Lovato:

    No, uh huh. No.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So what was it like teaching next to each other? Were you able to kind of share a little bit?

    Evelyn Marse:

    Oh my gosh, it was wonderful. It was like teaching with dad. It was like, this is such a great experience.

    Pennie Lovato:

    It was wonderful to have some of the same students and go and brainstorm, you know, what will work? How can we reach the student? So it was fun to collaborate.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you're not only all educators, but you've also been able to be educators together. That's exciting. And you're retiring from Herriman High School, okay.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I taught 43 years ago at Santaquin Elementary. I was determined, I wanted my kindergarten and that was it. They were the ones that offered me a kindergarten. They were kind of booming then. And so I had a large number, 60 plus kids come through my two kindergartens and I was the only kindergarten teacher. Loved it, just literally loved it. Then I married and we moved up here to this valley. I taught half a year at East Midvale Elementary and then had some health issues and had to quit as the family started coming on. I didn't get back to teaching until my oldest daughter said, ‘Mom, you're wasting your education.’ And I went, oh my gosh, you sound just like your grandpa. And so I did what I needed to and I came back. I interviewed all over this district and I had just, you know, you go by that gut feeling. And I thought, oh my gosh, this is Westvale. This is where, you know, I started in West Jordan right here. So I said, okay, I'll interview with Kathe Riding. And Kathe Riding said I walked in and I said, you know, ‘I was the first sixth grade class here.’ And she says, ‘Really? Well, how does this school feel?’ And I said, ‘It feels great. It feels like I'm coming home.’ And over the last 15 years, I would not have gone anywhere else. I loved it. Taught kindergarten, and then Brenda Anderson asked me to go to first grade. And then she asked me before she left, come back to kindergarten and I was like, ‘Oh yes. Oh yes. Of course.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you got to end at Westvale in kindergarten.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Yes. And I'm finally going to graduate kindergarten.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, congratulations. Wow. It's been a long journey. Now you said 43 years?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    No, just it was 43.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    No, I right. just since Santaquin. Yeah.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Yeah, since Santaquin.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So 43 years. That's the 70s, right? Wow. Just checking. Just had to put a number to that. Now we're here.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I'm a little bit old.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Because we're here at Westvale, I actually have this binder that has a picture of you in your class. What year was that? What year was that?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I don't recall.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    1967- 1968. Does that sound familiar?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I remember my teacher, Ms. Olsen.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    She was actually in our ward together.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, let's take a look there.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Okay. I am right there on the top row.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you look familiar there? Look at that. How about that?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I know, short hair still.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Short hair, yeah. Do you remember any of these people?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Actually I did.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about them. This one right here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, what about him?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    He was Mr. Peterson's son.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Big man on campus?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    He was, he was. He loved basketball and everything. And then there was a group of us that when Mr. Peterson was giving us our math times tables and we were trying to beat each other's time. Oh my gosh. So competitive. And I had no idea I was that competitive. It was crazy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. So did you beat him out?

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Only once or twice. He had, I mean, it was his father.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Fair enough. He had a bit of advantage.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    He had inside help. Yeah. And then Evelyn is in there someplace. I did see Evelyn.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now wait, what grade would you have been in Evelyn? Let’s take a look.

    Evelyn Marse:

    I would've been, third grade? Fourth grade?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Third grade. Alright, let's turn back.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Okay. Wait, wait, wait. These people look really familiar.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're just leafing through those class pictures for those who are listening.

    Evelyn Marse:

    There I am.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, there she is. Look at that.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Oh my word.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Is that a sweater vest?

    Evelyn Marse:

    No that, no, it was a dress.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, it's a dress.

    Evelyn Marse:

    You know that made it look like there was a little shirt under it. Yes, I have the groovy glasses going too. And look, my hair does kind of look the same. We all got pixie cuts.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. Looks good. Is Pennie in here?

    Evelyn Marse:

    Pennie, you should be in here. You were just a couple.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    And Margaret should too.

    Evelyn Marse:

    So you would, if I was fourth, you would've been first.

    Pennie:

    Second.

    Evelyn Marse:

    No, second.

    Pennie:

    Second. There I am, up at the top.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, there she is.

    Pennie:

    I got my little sailor dress on.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Your sailor dress.

    Evelyn Marse:

    I was gonna say she didn't have the same haircut.  She had a little pony tail.

    Pennie:

    I had a pony tail.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you remember the sailor dress?

    Pennie:

    Oh yes, I do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, it is funny how we remember the outfit.
    When we come back more from the sisters and their combined century in education.

    Break:

    Hello, I'm Tracy Miller, President of the Jordan School District Board of Education. There are seven members on the Board of Education, one in each voting district. We are committed to listening and serving our constituents as we work together to provide the best possible learning environment for the students we serve. As members of the Jordan Board of Education, we believe it is our duty and responsibility to: increase student achievement; provide parents with the choices they deserve and desire; recognize and reward quality in educators; empower school leaders through policy governance and professional development; and communicate with the public, legislators, business leaders, cities, and parents. We invite you to get to know the Board member who represents you in your voting district, and to please join us at our monthly board meeting held on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Or listen from the comfort of your home, on our live stream. For more information and to find your Board member, visit jordandistrict.org. With parent and community input and support we will continue our work to give students every opportunity to succeed in Jordan District schools and beyond. Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you soon.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What made you all retire at the same time? The three of you? What was the impetus for that happening? Who's responsible? Because we're losing you all at once.

    Margaret Chandler:

    Well, I'm finally old enough, 65. I felt that I can start getting insurance, another place. So, I was carrying the insurance for my husband. So just hanging in there and just getting enough years in.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And Pennie, is it just coincidence that you decided to retire at the same time?

    Pennie Lovato:

    I just felt like I had reached 40 and that was my max. Magical number.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Fair enough, yeah. I'd say four decades, you've earned it.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    I didn't know if I ever wanted to retire to be very honest with you. And then my husband said ‘Now, Cathy, we're going to retire together and we'll have lots of fun gardening and whatever.’ And I'm like, 'oh boy.' And so he retired this year in March, the end of March. And so I'm following suit like he asked. I'm like, 'you know what? This is a good year to go out on. It really is.'

    Evelyn Marse:

    I thought it was because I'd made retirement look so wonderful.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh yeah, yeah. That's right. Now  you've forged the path, so what is your advice?

    Evelyn Marse:

    Oh my gosh.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Retire for a year and then go back to work?

    Evelyn Marse:

    Yeah, you might need a break. You might need a break from retirement. I think I need a break from retirement.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Fair enough. Yeah.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Might have another year in me. But you know, we were looking at this. We kept adding up years, and adding up years and we finally came up with, between dad and all of us. We have 148 years in Jordan School District. And then between the other years that we're taught, it's just over 155 years in education.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That's amazing. Well, we're all grateful. So many of them were in Jordan School District. Tell me about your dad.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Oh my gosh. He was one of those teachers, I watched him do this a few times. He loved, he loved his team. I mean, he had a great math team, but they were such pranksters. I mean, I'd walk down the hall with him and all of a sudden he'd just lean over and flip off lights in somebody's classroom and I'd hear ‘Mr. Quilter, turn those lights back on!’ you know, because they all knew what he would be doing.

    When you didn't win in the drills on math, I'm shocked. Oh yes. Because I mean, dad drilled us. We were lined up. We know our times tables. We don't need a calculator or flash cards. And you know, he was the man that would just say, ‘just read me the scores.’ The end of the quarter would come and he'd go, ‘just read me the scores.’ And we'd read him the scores out of the book for a name. And he never used a calculator. Of course we had one over there because we wanted to prove him wrong and he'd say, okay, this is the amount.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And he'd add it in his head.

    Evelyn Marse:

    And he'd add it in his head. And it was like, what the heck? You really can do this, can't you?

    Margaret Chandler:

    Well, he was a mentor to us because we would come home from college and we would sneak in and sit in the back of his classroom. And we would observe him and how he went about teaching, and how his fairness with the students, how he talked to them, how he was stern. But they were able to joke and learn in that environment. He was a mentor to all of us.

    Pennie Lovato:

    I don't think he ever thought all of us would stay in teaching as long as we did. Because I remember him telling me, I mean, he was born in 1931, so it's the old, you get married, you have kids. And so when we were all starting to go to college, he's like, and we're going eventually we'll go into education and he's going well, that's okay. That's a good one to fall back on. So, you know, if you graduate, you graduate, if you don't, you don't. But if you graduate and something happens to your husband and you can't work or whatever, then you can fall back on teaching. It wasn't that he thought it was going to be our life profession.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    148 years later.

    Pennie Lovato:

    I know. I know. And, but for me, I felt like I found the gift I was given. I loved teaching. And I would do it again if I could go with the wisdom that I have now and all the tools. I don't wanna start out as a brand new teacher with nothing in my tool belt. Because I'm sorry, those first year teachers, they might have tricks, but wisdom comes from a lot of experience, trial and error and pain and anguish. If you don't think you're gonna get back, then you're in the wrong profession.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what you've liked most about teaching.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    The lights coming on in their eyes. When you see a student that finally you've worked and worked and suddenly they get it. I had one student. I have to tell this, I had one student. He could not get zero plus anything is gonna be that number. He couldn't get the zero secret. And I worked and worked and worked. And finally I was like, ‘Okay, Scott, what is 10 plus zero?’ ‘10.’ Oh my gosh. I think you've got it. And I said, ‘you've got a three day weekend coming. I'm gonna check you Monday morning. I'm gonna check you and see if you've got it.’ And sure enough, Monday came and I said, ‘Scott, what's one plus zero?’ ‘One.’ ‘What's 10 plus zero?’ ‘10.’ ‘What's 100 plus zero?’ ‘100.’ And I said, ‘Scott, I'm gonna pick something really hard. What is 1 million plus zero?’ ‘1 million.’ Oh my gosh. You've got it. And the whole class is cheering.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, that's awesome

    Cathy Sullivan:

    Yeah, it's really cool.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I thought 10 plus zero was a hundred. So I've learned something. I've learned something. Pennie, what did you love most about teaching?

    Pennie:

    I think I have loved it because in special ed with some of the students, we start with them in 10th grade and then I might have them in 11th grade and 12th grade. I have enjoyed seeing that progression through 10th, 11th, and 12th. The development, the growth, to see where they were and to have conversations with the students about, do you remember 10th grade and where we were and look at you now in 12th grade. I have enjoyed watching that development.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And having students three years in a row. You're able to see that, yeah.

    Pennie Lovato:

    And the relationship, the relationship that's developed in those three years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Sure, Evelyn?

    Evelyn Marse:

    Well, I agree with Pennie. I think that, you know, especially in high school, relationships are just a little more adult, a little bit, but a little more adult. But I think with all of that, I mean through my teaching, I'm one of those, let me give you a bit of wisdom. Let me give you a little bit of wisdom today. A little bit more. Let's talk about how your life could pan out and what you need besides school. So, I would give students bits of wisdom and I love the fact that I have run into so many students since then that have graduated and they'll go, 'Mrs. Marse, you were right. You were right. I listened to you. This happened to me. And I thought, this is what Mrs. Marse told us would happen. And this is what we should do. I listened to you.' And they thanked me and I'm like, okay, everything was worth it, all the pain, the anguish, the tears, the prayers that beat my head against the wall. It's all worth it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's very rewarding to hear that. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Margaret.

    Margaret Chandler:

    Well, I teach Family and Consumer Science. And I think the thing that I found so enjoyable is that I'm teaching the students life skills. Skills that they're gonna use the rest of their life. And they’re lab classes. And maybe classes that some students excel at, math or English or, you know, science, maybe they're not so sharp with the hands on. And then I have other students that are more hands on and they excel and they progress. And it starts their time to shine. And it's, it's just wonderful to see that the skills developed with the foods, and child development, with clothing, and sewing. And that's been very rewarding to see that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So what are your plans now? What happens now that you've retired from such great careers and I mean, you have a few days left, but what's ahead for you?

    Pennie Lovato:

    I think we're gonna connect with each other more. Even though we're in the same valley, we're so busy, we've been so busy that we haven't spent as much time as we want to with each other. And I think connecting with our families, grandkids and setting our own time schedule when we get up in the morning, you know.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you need a recording of the bell from school to kind of set your day? Because I think we could arrange for that if you'd like. Kinda wean you off of it gradually.

    Margaret Chandler:

    I don't think so. I think we're gonna be okay.

    Evelyn Marse:

    Gonna go cold turkey, aren't you?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, you talk cold turkey. You're ready to just shut it down. Okay. Fair enough. When I first went to the district office and there were no more bells to guide my day, I'd stand up every once in a while and just kind of walk out to the door of my office and my administrative assistant would say, ‘The bell just rang didn’t it?’ and I'm like, ‘Yeah. Yep. It did.’ So if you do that, you're not alone. Now when we walked in, we are in Cathy's classroom. How long has it been since you've been in Cathy's classroom?

    Pennie:

    Never.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Never in Cathy’s classroom?

    Pennie:

    Never. We've never been in Cathy's, she's never been in ours. No.

    Margaret Chandler:

    Oh, I think Cathy, I've been here in one of your classrooms, but I don't know if it was this exact room.

    Cathy Sullivan:

    It was probably the one across the hall. It was the bigger one. When I came back from first grade to kindergarten. This is the room they put me in and I love it. I mean, it's big enough. Westvale’s got such a weird layout. It's kind of like a spider with legs.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It is a different kind of school that's for sure.

    Evelyn Marse:

    No, we don't really get to each other's classrooms. Like I said, when Pennie and I were with each other teaching at Riverton, we were in each other's rooms all of the time. And I've been over to Herriman a few times, but, but otherwise, no, that's why we are not as connected as we'd like to be. And I think we all kind of like each other now. Maybe not so much growing up but, but I think we kind of like each other and we like each other's company. So that will be kind of nice to do more things together.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That’s awesome. I’m very grateful for the 150 years that your family has given to Jordan School District. And I know many, many students and families are as well. So thank you.

    Evelyn Marse:

    You're welcome. Thank you.

    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.

    27 min
  • Episode 143: Riverside Elementary Rallies Around Teacher from Ukraine with Love and Support

    She has an undying love for teaching and the students in her care at Riverside Elementary School.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with 3rd grade teacher Olena Bradford who was born and raised in Ukraine and now calls Utah home. Find out how her school community has surrounded Olena with love and support during a very emotional time. And, how Ms. Bradford remains passionately committed to her students and classroom, while finding ways to help friends and family impacted by war in her homeland.

    Audio Transcription
    [Music]

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She has an undying love for teaching and the students in her care at Riverside Elementary School.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with third-grade teacher Olena Bradford, who was born and raised in Ukraine and now calls Utah home. Find out how her school community has surrounded Olena with love and support during a very emotional time, and how Ms. Bradford remains passionately committed to her students and classroom while finding ways to help family and friends impacted by war in her homeland.

    [Music]

    We're here with Olena Bradford at Riverside Elementary. Just to talk about your experience as a teacher and you have had quite a year, haven't you?

    Olena Bradford:

    Well, it was an interesting year and we had many great things going here in school in Riverside. And also there are many different things that are happening in the world right now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're from Ukraine. Tell me about coming here to the United States and growing up in Ukraine.

    Olena Bradford:

    I came to the United States about 15 years ago and when I came here, I did not speak any English. I've learned English here. In Ukraine, I was attending the Ukrainian school, so everything was in Ukrainian, all the subjects. After graduating from the high school, I attended the Pedagogy University in Izmail, Ukraine in the south. It's one of the most south points in Ukraine, on the border with Romania.

    I was working in school since 1993. I was working on my doctorate degree at Odessa University at the same time. Later on, I became an assistant principal of the school in Ukraine. So I was combining administrative and coaching responsibilities for elementary school in Ukraine.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, today marks 100 days of war in Ukraine. Tell me about the impact on your family and your friends.

    Olena Bradford:

    I think this war affected everyone in this world, not only people in Ukraine, but people in so many other countries. Everyone who is standing up right now in Ukraine is being extremely brave and being an example to me. The president of the country is like a model for me how to be a grateful leader and stay with the people, every person, support, stand up, and protect everyone who you're responsible for.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We have seen a lot of examples of bravery, courage, and leadership coming from Ukraine. And I do think the world has been impacted as a whole by those positive examples. It's just a tragic situation and devastating damage and death. But I was first made aware of you because people were so amazed at your ability to stay focused on teaching and students in such a terrible circumstance. How are you able to do that?

    Olena Bradford:

    I think that thinking about every student in my class helped me to be focused and help each of them because my kids are here and they need me. They need my support and they need my help.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We have Olenna's principal, Mike Trimmel, here. Mike, tell me about Olenna's dedication to her students during this difficult time.

    Mike Trimmell:

    Absolutely. Olena, if I didn't know her personally and know what her and her family were going through, you would never know that this was affecting her. She is so dedicated to her students.

    She comes in early when I get in. And the first thing, instead of talking about what's going on in the world, she's asking about students. How can we support this student? She's asking about strategies. “How does Think-Write-Pair-Share work?” She's so focused and dedicated on the students that you wouldn't know that there was something else going on in her life. It's absolutely amazing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I also know that the entire school is getting a boost from your energy and your focus. We've all had a very difficult few years, but it puts it in perspective when I think about what you must be going through, having, I understand, a brother in Ukraine and family and friends in Poland that are struggling to survive and to get by. People have been inspired by you and your dedication and as a result have found paths through you to help other people, to rally around you and to rally around others. Can you tell me about the support you've had from the school?

    Olena Bradford:

    I'm really grateful for kindness and support of every student in our school, every teacher, every staff member. Because from the very beginning, from the very first day of war, I had people coming to my classroom, giving me hugs, leaving the small, very short notes, lifting me up. And reading those notes really helped me to go from one day to another.

    Also, in our school, I think our school leaders, Mr. Trimmel and Mr. Price, have done so much for me. They organized the whole entire event for us in the faculty room with the whole room decorated in Ukrainian style, with cakes made by kids, made by students, by using Ukrainian recipes. One of our teachers, Ms. Medina, was playing violin and she learned, especially for this day, the Ukrainian melodies that she played. That was absolutely touching. On that day, I received many notes from every member of our school, with just full of kindness and full of love.

    That meant a lot for me because at that point I was really struggling with my feelings. It was really, really hard. But having this support helped me to go through this difficult time and accomplish everything that I needed this year and be helpful to my students. That meant a lot for me because at that point I was really feeling, I was really struggling with my feelings. It was really, really hard. But having this support helped me to go through this difficult time and accomplish everything that I needed this year and be helpful to my students.

    Also, as a whole entire school, we helped some specific families in Ukraine. We were able to buy the minivan to deliver food to families in the south of Ukraine who are struggling and have no food, especially during this hard, difficult time. Also, not only people in our school, but people from the district reached out to me and they donated money to make this project happen. So I appreciate everyone's willingness to help people who are far away.

    It is really important for me when I talk to family and friends in Ukraine to pass this passion, to pass this positivity and vision of life, because many people in Ukraine really feel like no one cares. It's their fight and they're alone for many different reasons because there are many difficult circumstances being bombed and being shot. But for me, even showing small videos about what happened in my classroom, what happened in our school, what are we doing now, the steps of buying this minivan and collecting the addresses and delivering this food to different people really helps to lift them up over there and show them that everyone matters.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's really inspiring that people have come together like that and supporting you personally has also had an impact on friends and family you've been able to share that with. And for people to buy a minivan and to continue to buy food and supplies to help those who are impacted by the war is just incredible. Not surprising because that's the type of people that we have. Mike, tell me about the event that was held.

    Mike Trimmell:

    Yeah, so we came together as a staff and just decided that we needed to wrap our arms around Olena and make sure, I think we were giving her notes and passing by the classroom, but we wanted to come together collectively and just show her how much we care for her and for the people of Ukraine. And so we had teachers, support staff, parents, PTA members all come together and make Ukrainian flags out of construction paper. One parent went and bought, I don't know how many dozen sunflowers, which is a flower that is known in Ukraine as a ray of sunshine, and decorated the whole room in sunflowers. Another staff member looked up recipes and with students created Ukrainian desserts. Mrs. Medina-Ferrone learned Ukrainian music on her violin.

    We just decided that we were going to have an emergency meeting. Everyone knew except for Olena. So we had this emergency meeting in the staff lounge, which we never do. And so we all crowded in the staff lounge and as soon as Olena started walking down the hallway, we queued Mrs. Medina-Ferrone to start playing the music and I could see the look on Olena's face like, "Wait, what's going on?" And then when she came in, we all just embraced her and gave her hugs and words of support, enjoyed some Ukrainian desserts and just enjoyed each other's company. We just really wanted to wrap our arms around her and make sure she knew in a real tangible way that she is loved and that we care for her and support her and her family abroad.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What an incredible outpouring of love and support. That's incredible. Fantastic.

    Stay with us. When we come back, more with our incredible teacher, Olena Bradford.

    Break:

    Do you simply love learning online? We can't wait to have you join the amazing teachers in our brand new Jordan Virtual Learning Academy. In Jordan Virtual Learning Academy schools, we offer innovative, fun, and flexible online learning with daily real-time instruction from teachers. Enrollment is currently open for all K-12 students in Utah. Start on the path to personalized virtual learning success now at connect.jordandistrict.org. That's connect.jordandistrict.org.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I understand you have a brother still in Ukraine. Tell me how he’s doing.

    Olena Bradford:

    Currently, we have people who are helping him since my brother is blind, so he always needed some people around him to help him with different things. Running errands and doing other things. Just for now, it costs more than it cost before because prices for everything gone way high over there. At the moment, I'm capable of doing it. It's difficult. It's not easy, but they are doing everything that we can for him.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I wish your family and friends safety and peace as soon as possible.

    Olena Bradford:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Let's talk more about teaching. Utah and Ukraine and the United States. Tell me the differences between school and Ukraine and the U.S.

    Olena Bradford:

    There are some differences and some similarities. The students are the same. Everything is the same. Math is still math. It doesn't matter where. In Ukraine or here in the United States. One of the differences would be in Ukraine, we have elementary, middle and high school in the same building. When I was assistant principal, I was all over the elementary.

    Another difference is that the day broke up a little bit differently. One thing that I like about the schools here in the United States is that we have a specially dedicated time for interventions. RTI. Over there, at least when I taught 15 years ago, we didn't have that specific amount of time dedicated to the interventions, specific targeted interventions to lift up each student, to support each student. We did it in a different way, but it was during the tier one instructional time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Mike, I understand that there was a professional development experience around English language learners that Olena was involved with. Tell me about that.

    Mike Trimmell:

    We have a high population of English language learners at Riverside Elementary School. We also have dual immersion Spanish. Olena is a very empathetic teacher and she loves her students so much. We wanted the rest of the staff to understand what English language learners are hearing and dealing with on a daily basis. We thought if we use Spanish, that might not work because half of the staff speaks Spanish. We have a Ukrainian teacher who speaks Ukrainian. I asked Olena to develop a lesson so that in a staff meeting, she would teach math, which is a universal language, kind of.

    She taught a math lesson in Ukrainian and asked them questions that no one could answer at first. Then she added visuals and manipulatives. The types of things that we know work for English language learners to help support their language development. She, by the end of the lesson, was able to have teachers answering math questions in Ukrainian with all of the visual supports that she provided. It was a great opportunity to use her strength as a teacher, the language that she brings, the culture that she brings to our staff, and also to help us as a staff become more empathetic to what our English language learners are dealing with on a daily basis in the classroom.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What a great experience and deep learning because when you experience that, it's very different from thinking about how to connect with students. When you put yourself in the situation, now you're thinking shifts and you're really able to see it from someone else's perspective.

    Mike Trimmell:

    Absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's exciting. No other Ukrainian speakers on the staff, huh?

    Olena Bradford:

    No.

    Mike Trimmell:

    We had one trying to speak a little bit of Russian, but it just didn't–

    Olena Bradford:

    She used Translator.

    Mike Trimmell:

    One pulled out their phone and was using Google Translator. Cheating a little bit. It was a great– I would say it was probably the single best professional development we did this year, and she was a large part of that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. What a great activity.

    Olena Bradford:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what you love most about teaching.

    Olena Bradford:

    I love my students. I like each of them every single year. Each personality, they're all different. They're all unique. They are all special to me. And my goal as a teacher is to help them to become lifelong learners, just like me. I'm a lifelong learner.

    Mike Trimmell:

    Absolutely you are.

    Olena Bradford:

    I'm learning. And I want them to know how to find answers to the questions that they will have in their own life. Not only academic questions, but how to manage their own life, how to make a decision based on information, be able to find the reliable source of information. Dig deeper and then make the ethical decision in their life, because our life is full of making decisions, points, when we are thinking, "What should I do at this situation? How do I know that this is the right choice?" So I would say my main goal is to prepare each of my students for a real life, this way, and become critical thinkers. Always think. Always do your own research. Find the reliable source of information to verify your research and your choice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're obviously doing a great job of preparing them for real life. Thank you. We're very fortunate to have you here in Jordan District and here at Riverside Elementary. So thank you for sharing your experience and skills with our students.

    Olena Bradford:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And for lifting the community and lifting the school.

    Olena Bradford:

    Thank you.

    [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

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