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Jordan Supercast

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  • Episode 142: Proud to Present the Graduating Class of 2022

    They have made memories to last a lifetime, sharing a love for learning, fostering great friendships and paving a solid ground for the future.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with members of the Jordan School District Graduating Class of 2022 to find out how they are feeling as they head into a whole new chapter of their lives.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They have made memories to last a lifetime, sharing a love for learning, fostering great friendships and building a foundation for a great future. On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with members of the Jordan School District Graduating Class of 2022 to find out how they are feeling as they head into a whole new chapter of their lives.

    Alex is here from Riverton High School. Alex, tell me about your graduation speech.

    Alex:

    Awesome. Yeah, I auditioned to give a speech and I got in. So I use the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world as a metaphor. It took 12 years to build and I use it as a metaphor basically to explain that we are the project spent on by thousands of people and unlimited resources to create these wonders in 12 years. And so, I love metaphors, and that was the one I chose.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it's a good metaphor. There are a lot of people who contribute to the growth of seniors and to where you arrive.

    Alex:

    Exactly. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can you tell me about some of those people?

    Alex:

    Yeah, of course. Some of my greatest mentors in high school have been Mr. Briggs. He was my history teacher last year and he is just so energized and then enthusiastic about everything he teaches and really just involves his students. And also my theater teacher, Mr. Eaton also is just an awesome example of how to work hard and really just like dive in head first into everything you do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about some of your favorite classes over time. You talked about history and drama.

    Alex:

    Yeah. So yeah, I act and so I love my acting classes. I've been able to take a lot of them. I've been able to be on MDT, the Music, Dance, Theater class. It's the audition, you could call varsity, program at Riverton. And that's been an incredible experience to work with 28 other students and just, you know, all share our love we have for theater. It's been an incredible experience, we get to put on three shows a year. And so we get to where we're always busy at Riverton.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that's a power packed combination of talents. That's not, I can just sing or I can just dance or I can just act, that's everything put together.

    Alex:

    Yeah. It's the triple threat for sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What will you miss most about school?

    Alex:

    I'll miss, I mean, the structure for sure. Having it built in and having somewhere to be and having something to do all the time. And also just like the comradery and the constant feeling that everyone is looking out for you. Cause I definitely feel, at least at Riverton, we have a very good community feeling. I constantly feel like, I don't know, there's always someone I could turn to. There's never been a moment where I'm like, ‘oh, I don't have anywhere to turn.’ If it's a teacher, an advisor, a VP you know, friends, I, you just always have someone to look to. I think the way we can find other people to look to as we go on, but it's kind of sad to close that chapter, the book and move on. It's a little bit surreal.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The connections don't go away, but they change. Yeah. It's a great way of putting it. There's a schedule. There's something you're expected to do, you know, what's next, and you have a connection to people to help you help you get there.

    Alex:

    Yeah, no, it's nice for sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Would you read a portion of your speech for me?

    Alex:

    Yeah, of course. Yeah.

    ‘Don't you see? We are the 12 year project, the work of thousands; faculty, students, coaches, friends, and family have worked to shape our todays and our tomorrows. So many have given of themselves to give us the tools so that each of us, in due time, may challenge the sky. As we go on to become the greatest creators of all time, I challenge you to never be content with mediocrity. To never falter with the wind in your face. To never take lightly the time and effort the people in our lives have taken and given to construct you. Finally, my fellow graduates, my friends, let us realize that the sky is no limit because for us, anything is possible.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Challenge the sky. I love that. That's great. Yeah. What's next for you?

    Alex:

    First I'll be serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Where are you headed?

    Alex:

    I am headed to Kansas, Wichita.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Kansas, Wichita. Nice.

    Alex:

    Yeah, I'm so excited.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Have you been to Kansas before?

    Alex:

    No, no, I have not. I hear there are tornadoes and lots of open fields.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And when you return, you'll be able to make jokes about not being in Kansas anymore, endlessly.

    Alex:

    I am so excited for that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    As a  theater person, you'll have, you know, particular cred when you do that.

    Alex:

    I will abuse the privilege. And then after that I'm headed to Utah State, most likely, unless things change, to pursue a business something. Maybe marketing, just something in the business field probably.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But you have time to figure that out.

    Alex:

    Exactly. Yeah. That's the best thing about it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, you're in a great spot and I'm glad it's been such a great experience. I've really enjoyed talking with you. I wish you the best.

    Alex:

    Thank you so much.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I'm speaking with Valentina from Copper Hills High School. Hi Valentina, thanks for talking with me this morning.

    Valentina:

    Thank you for inviting me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're speaking at graduation. Tell me about your speech.

    Valentina:

    Basically I talk about the memories that we create from school and we're going to like, remember after school and even after college and all that stuff.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Could you share some of it with me?

    Valentina:

    Yeah, sure. I think one of my favorite sentence, it's a word that I found on the internet, and it's ‘the flapping of a butterfly's wings in Ecuador can cause a hurricane in Texas. I know it sounds a little bit absurd, but that is exactly what happened to us. The whispers of the past that said ‘Study, keep going. You can do it’, became hurricanes and changed our lives. And all these events that have made us be here today. It's funny how for years we counted on vacation days, but this time it was a little different. We waited to finish school for so long that now at the end, we see how much we're going to miss it.’

    I don't know. I think in my personal opinion, I have really good memories with some teachers. And I think like right now, when I see that, like I'm almost graduating, I think where I'm going to really miss, like having those times with those teachers and the classes of my classmates.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can you tell me about some of those teachers and some of those experiences?

    Valentina:

    I think like the teacher that I have most connections with were my two dance teachers that I have Miss Jennifer Fulger and Miss Anna Bay. They were like, like their personality was really similar to mine and I feel like they were like my family more than just teachers. And most of the time when I had trouble, I laid on them, like to talk to them. I really feel confident with them.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That means a lot to have a relationship like that where you can have support from, from a teacher in that way. Tell me about some of your favorite classes from K-12. What were your favorite classes and grades?

    Valentina:

    I always had like straight A's or maybe right now I have like a B in Food class. I'm really bad at Foods. But I think my favorite class would be like Dance of course, and Ballroom. Maybe business classes, like Business Office or Economics. I'm taking college classes, and I have like an A I know that, Marketing or Retailing. Yeah, those are my favorites.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It sounds like you had a wide variety of great experiences at school.

    Valentina:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What's next for you?

    Valentina:

    I'm planning to study at the University of Utah. And then later on maybe work at, I don't know. I was planning on the headquarters of Disneyland, something like that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That sounds like a great ambition. Can I get a couple of passes to Disney World?

    Valentina:

    For sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, great. I appreciate the hookup. Now, you've danced for how many years?

    Valentina:

    Since I remember I've been dancing. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. What's your favorite kind of dance?

    Valentina:

    I will say like contemporary.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay.

    Valentina:

    But now that I'm taking like ballroom classes, I never took them since junior year, and I really like Salsa or Bachata, they're my two favorites.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Are you going to continue dancing beyond high school?

    Valentina:

    I hope so.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, that's great. What are some of the things you would say to students who are just starting out in high school? What advice would you give them?

    Valentina:

    Just create a balance between studying and also socializing. I think those two are really, really important during your school years. So like, keep your grades up and also like have time to enjoy with your friends or with your community. I think all those stuff are really important.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Sounds like you've been able to strike a really good balance between those two.

    Valentina:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about some of your friends. Do you wanna give a shout out to anybody?

    Valentina:

    To, I don't know, my best friends Anna, Patricia.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What what's Anna been to you during high school?

    Valentina:

    She's been like a sister to me. Like every time that I've been like on my best or in my worst, I've been there for her and she's been for me. Like we always been together and I don't know, I feel like a really good connection with her.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Sounds like you're fortunate to have each other. Well, I wish you the very best and I'm excited to hear your speech.

    Valentina:

    Yeah. Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Congratulations.

    Valentina:

    Thank you for inviting me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back, we'll hear more from members of the graduating class of 2022.

    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:

    We have Owen here from Herriman High School. Owen, would you mind sharing some of your speech with us?

    Owen:

    Yeah, of course. ‘Everything we did was an exchange. My lab group and I collaborated and thought through everything together to attempt to understand our very confusing experiments. If you did not understand the difference between exothermic and endothermic reactions, how to do a titration without making it oversaturated, or the importance of significant figures, you just had to ask and someone would be willing to help you. We worked together as lab partners like athletes, musicians, or actors work together to make something better than any one person could create. I hope I remember to value the people in my classes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and family. And I hope that all of you will try to do the same.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's a great message. We rely on each other. And you've learned to rely on others through high school.

    Owen:

    Yeah, for sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me more about that.

    Owen:

    Yeah, so I’m my  graduating class’s Valedictorian and I was trying to think about what message to write about. And I was just thinking about how my success is not just the product of myself. My success is really just the result of me and the people around me who helped support me throughout the four years of high school. So I just wanted to talk about how we should be more grateful and like show our gratitude for those in our lives for helping us bring guests to where we are today.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's a remarkable perspective. I was at the Herriman Senior Awards night and I saw you walk across the stage quite a few times. And for you to be focused on other people and their assistance and their role in getting you to where you are is really commendable.

    Owen:

    Yeah. I really try to make sure that everyone in my life is happy. And it's just been a very big goal of mine for a long time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You have a lot of accomplishments behind you already. What do you have in store after graduation?

    Owen:

    I will be attending the University of Utah. I will be majoring in biochemistry and then I will get a minor in Chinese and psychology.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Have you been taking Chinese?

    Owen:

    I have, yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    From what age?

    Owen:

    Since I was six. I’ve been in Chinese immersion since 1st grade.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. What's your favorite phrase in Chinese?

    Owen:

    Probably just like classic Huānyíng dàjiā. That just means like welcome everyone. Just because like throughout all of elementary school, that's just how our teachers would start most of our lessons and it's just welcome to everyone. I really liked it and it's just simple.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So not only have you studied Chinese for a long time, but you obviously enjoy it since you're going to pursue a minor.

    Owen:

    Yeah, I love it. My best friend is actually an immigrant from Hong Kong, China. So I've been trying, really trying to incorporate like the Chinese culture into my life for years now. And it's, yeah, I just love it. And I wanna learn more about it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Have you been?

    Owen:

    I have, yeah. I went in 2015 with my family when I was like 10.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow, that's incredible.

    Owen:

    It really was.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And did it feel good to have the chance to use the language in China?

    Owen:

    For sure. I mean, it was obviously pretty challenging considering I was only 10 at the time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    For sure. Sure.

    Owen:

    But yeah, it was a really life changing experience to be able to actually use something I'd been learning for the past five years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What has drawn you to biochemistry as a major?

    Owen:

    I've always really been in love with science, but I think the biggest reason I decided on biochemistry was my AP Chemistry teacher. Just because that class really drew me in and I really loved all of the content. It was one of my favorite classes last school year.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what is it about biochemistry content? Is it that you understand the world in a different way or what?

    Owen:

    I think it's just a very interesting perspective on the world because I think chemistry as a whole is a very overlooked subject, and chemistry, especially biochemistry is like literally everything. And I just think it's interesting to learn about how the world works on such a small level.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The whole world is made up of chemistry.

    Owen:

    Yeah, exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. What are some of the things that you'll remember most about your K-12 experience?

    Owen:

    Probably just the people. I've had incredible people throughout my life, and they helped raise and support me, and they mean the world to me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you wanna give any shoutouts to anybody?

    Owen:

    Probably my chemistry teacher. Jessilynn Morton. She's an incredible woman. She's also our school's yoga teacher. So she's very versatile.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yoga and chemistry. Wow.

    Owen:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's impressive.

    Owen:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    She's almost as impressive as Chinese and biochemistry.

    Owen:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You’ve got a great future ahead. Thanks for taking the time to talk with me.

    Owen:

    Thanks for having me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We have Easton from Valley High School here. Easton you're speaking at Graduation this year.

    Easton;

    That's correct.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me some of what you're gonna be sharing with the class.

    Easton:

    A lot of it is kind of talking about how we are moving past this big chapter in our lives and it's now time to move on to a different path. Like we've been working towards school for 12 years now and it's probably, like everyone says, it's one of your first biggest achievements and now we're all finally leaving the nest. So it's time to move on to bigger things now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Would you like to read a little portion of it?

    Easton:

    Yeah. So I have this one paragraph it says, ‘Author, Ken Poirot said “Today is the opportunity to build the tomorrow you want.” I think that's an important takeaway for all of us to remember. As long as you have the will and determination to pave the path for your future, there's no roadblock big enough to stop you. When you're in times of doubt, always keep in mind that you've all endured your own individual hardships, yet, you've come out on top. All your years of going to school support this. There have been times that it seemed hopeless, never ending, unbearable, or even just an all around undoable task. However, we all conquered the odds and proved to ourselves just how capable and tenacious we are. Don't lose that tenacity now that you're graduated. Much like everyone's favorite fictional boxer used to say, “It ain't about how hard you get hit, or it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.” So keep moving forward. Never stop moving forward in the face of adversity. sSow the world how unwilling you are to quit.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. Inspiring.

    Easton:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about your time in school. What are some of your favorite memories from school K-12?

    Easton:

    Let's see. When I was, I guess a sophomore, I transferred over to Alta High School. And that's where I met and one of my closest friends, that I'm still best friends with today. And I can't really say I necessarily enjoyed going to school until I came to Valley. It was the first school that I wasn't miserable when I woke up in the morning, and I was looking forward to seeing all my teachers and just, yeah, being there. It's a good place to be for me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What was it about Valley that made it such a good connect for you?

    Easton:

    The schoolwork wasn't as overwhelming and they always tell you that the teachers there, they actually care about you. Like actually have connections with them. I'm friends with them and they're just really easy to, I guess, have a relationship with and thrive there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So it was connections with teachers that made the difference at Valley.

    Easton:

    Yeah, I would say so.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What interests are you pursuing next?

    Easton:

    I want to go to a trade school in Orem called MTECH and I either want to become a mechanic or go into web design. I think those seem super interesting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That's a wide range of skills.

    Easton:

    Right? I think that'd be super cool.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, that's great. Everybody needs someone that can fix their car and fix their computer. That's right.

    Easton:

    That’s right. Yeah, I get both ends of the deal.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're gonna be very very important.

    Easton:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How does it feel looking back on a K-12 experience? What advice would you give to other students?

    Easton:

    I would say don't do what I did and start procrastinating and letting school work build up. Just get your schoolwork in while you can, so you can get good grades and it doesn't screw you over later. And also, just make the most of it because there are definitely times that I am gonna miss about. Cause I know school is definitely gonna be easier than going in the workforce and being an actual adult with responsibilities. So yeah, just make the most of being able to spend hours with your friends and doing, I guess, pretty easy school assignments and stuff like that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great advice. Anyone you wanna give a shout out to?

    Easton:

    I would just say my friend Keegan. He was my only friend when I transferred to Alta. I was too scared to talk to anyone, but yeah, me and him became super great friends and like I said, we're still best friends to this day. And so I just really appreciate him being there for me. And yeah, we've been through a lot together.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Sounds like you have a lot of years of friendship together ahead of you.

    Owen:

    Yeah, that's right.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Well, it's great meeting you.

    Easton:

    You too.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Thanks for the time.

    Easton:

    Yeah, thank you very much. I appreciate it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We wish every student in the Graduating Class of 2022 the very best in the next chapter of their lives. We will always remember them as students who possess incredible strength and perseverance.

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

    22 min
  • Episode 141: Mountain Ridge High Student Competes on “American Ninja Warrior” TV Show

    He will be running up warped walls, attempting notoriously difficult rope climbing and racing through gravity-defying obstacle courses.

    On this episode of the Supercast we head to the gym with Mountian Ridge High School senior Tyler Kurtzhals. Tyler is training to become the next American Ninja Warrior on the TV show which premieres on Monday, June 6. Find out what it takes to make it as an elite athlete in an extremely difficult and demanding sport.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He will be running up warped walls, attempting notoriously difficult rope climbing, and racing through gravity defying obstacle courses. On this episode of the Supercast, we head to the gym with Mountain Ridge High School senior Tyler Kurtzhals. Tyler is training to become the next American Ninja Warrior on the TV show, which premieres on Monday, June 6th. Find out what it takes to make it as an elite athlete in an extremely difficult and demanding sport.

    We are here at the Impact Ninja Gym with Tyler Kurtzhals talking about his American Ninja Warrior quest. Tyler, thanks for taking time with us.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah, thanks for having me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you're a student at Mountain Ridge.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What year are you?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    I’m a senior.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you're a senior at Mountain Ridge and I know you've been an American Ninja Warrior fan for a long time. Tell me about when you started watching and what got you interested in this. And then I want to talk about what's ahead for you.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So I got interested when I was eight years old. I was just scrolling through the recorded list of TV shows on TV and my mom had recorded this show called American Ninja Warrior. It was just a super cool, giant playground to me at the time. As a kid, I would climb on just about anything you could think of: trees, hallways, doors. I would climb on doors. And it just looked so much fun. It was like a giant playground for adults with extreme obstacles. And I was hooked from age eight and started competing when I was about 14 years old.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now we've been watching it as a family. My two boys really like it. We've watched it for years as well. And it is a lot of fun to watch and cheer for certain people. So can you describe a little bit more to those who may not have watched American Ninja Warrior, what it involves?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So, American Ninja Warrior is an obstacle course TV show. It starts with a qualifying round where they call about 500 participants to a certain city and then they film five separate qualifiers. Out of each qualifier, the top 30 go to another city for the semifinals. And then out of each semifinal, the top 15 advance to the National Finals in Las Vegas, where there are four obstacle courses. And if you complete all four stages, you can win a million dollars.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Who is your favorite American Ninja Warrior? Would you say?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    I think one of my favorites is probably Daniel Gil.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I remember Daniel.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah. He's got really long hair. He's a worship leader from Houston, Texas. He's just really inspiring because he like, he's a man of the people. He's really close to his community. He was really uplifting. He's a super nice guy. And plus he's one heck of a Ninja too. I mean he's scaled the Mega Wall, which is an 18 foot version of the warped wall. If you get it in one try you get $10,000 and I'm gonna be trying to follow in his footsteps later this year. I'm gonna try to go for it if I get there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So let's talk some more about you as a fan before we talk about you as a competitor. Now I seem to recall that you have attended some of the American Ninja Warrior competitions, maybe in Las Vegas? Is that right?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah. I've been to Vegas to watch the filming three times and I've been to one of the qualifying filmings once.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now I have to ask this because as I watched it, I saw that there's a pretty small crowd at those events or it seems that way. How did you get to be part of the crowd? Did you have to sleep out and camp out to get in line or how did that work?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    There's this website, it's called On Camera Audiences and they basically distribute tickets for all sorts of TV shows like America's Got Talent, Wipe Out, American Ninja Warrior. And basically the tickets are pretty much free, they're like first come first serve though.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So, you get a free ticket, but then you have to be there and show up and be one of the first people there in order to get something out of it.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah, exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, so tell me about your path to being a competitor.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So, when I was younger, I didn't know exactly that there were, there's actually a lot of like local leagues and stuff with Ninja, like all across the nation. I had no idea. So the first comp I actually did was the junior TV show. So there's another TV show called American Ninja Warrior Junior. Where it's two side by side courses and kids are brought on, ages 9 to 14, and they race. First one to the end wins.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now the adult competition is timed.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So that there's only one person on the course at a time. And then you compare times with each other.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But it was side by side competition for the youth league?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. And, so when did you first compete in that?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    2018. I was 14 years old. I applied for it having no real idea if I was gonna get on or not. And then probably April of that year, I found out I was gonna get on it. And then I did my best to train for it. I hadn't been to a Ninja gym very much beforehand. So that ended up being my first experience competing. And that really opened me up to a lot of the leagues all over the place. And I was able to go spread my name a lot more.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So where all have you competed?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Just about everywhere you can think of really. The furthest I think I've gone, was probably Florida or Connecticut.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Wow.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    I’ve gone all the way to the East Coast to compete, gone to probably all four corners of the country.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you have a competition coming up soon. Tell us about that.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah. I'm actually competing on Season 14 of American Ninja Warrior next week.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That's amazing. That's really cool. So when will that air?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Probably sometime in June, they haven't announced airing dates yet. But it films all next week for qualifying. And then if I keep doing well, I'll keep advancing and going to more filmings to try to get further and further into the competition.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So this isn't junior.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Nope.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    This is just the straight up competition.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    This is the big show.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That's pretty amazing. Now, as I watched the show, there were some people who talked about camping out to try to get on. Is that kind of like a wild card option that people have to get on? That's a different path from yours, right?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah, it used to be before COVID they would allow it, but it was called the walk on line.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, okay.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So people who didn't get accepted would wait up to like a full month in a line outside of the set. Just to get a shot to compete.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. But you've built your name up and you're able to just get on the show.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah. So the other way to get on the show is the application. So it's like eight pages of like questions and stuff. And then you have to submit a two to three minute video explaining.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I remember watching the videos about ‘I'm doing this for my father and he watched me train’ and that sort of thing.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There were kinda some heartfelt, touching stories about how people are overcoming adversity in their lives to be able to be part of it.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah, basically tell them your story. And if they're interested in you and want to do a bigger scoop on you, then you've got a really good shot of getting on the show.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    But you've gone through more the competitive path to show that you're a real competitor and someone who can advance.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Stay with us. When we come back more with Tyler and we talk to his mom about supporting her Ninja Warrior son through the highs and lows of competition.

    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:

    As someone who's watched the show, I'm very interested to hear more behind the scenes about how you've prepared. So, we're here at the gym, as you can hear in the background. And there are all kinds of contraptions here that really, to me look more like they're designed for torture than exercise. But fortunately for you, I suspect they look like fun. So, can you show me some of the exercises that you've gone through to prepare?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah, sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Let's describe what you're gonna do and then let's see.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So typically the first round will have like six obstacles. Three of them tend to be upper body and then three of them are lower body and it always ends with the warped wall, which is this big ramp.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Here's the warped wall. Tell me about your technique for the warped wall.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So the best technique for the warped wall is to plan out your steps. Usually on the show, they allow about 10 feet of run up before the wall. So like probably that's where I'm standing now. And usually when I get to the foot of the wall, I try to look up and find the bar on top. And then cuz usually your body is gonna follow wherever you're looking. So if I find the bar, my body's just gonna go straight up.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So the lesson here is look. You have to keep your eye on your goal.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    In order to get there.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Look where you wanna get to.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So for, for those who are listening, it's a very, very steep ramp that he's trying to run up. And by steep, I mean like 90 degrees in the air ramp and then he's gotta grab a bar at the top and pull himself up. And how high is the wall?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    This one's 14 feet. The one on the show is 14 1/2 feet. And then they also have the Mega Wall, which is 18 feet.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that's the one where if you scale it, you get $10,000 on the first try.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Well, are you ready to show me what you've got on this?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Sure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. How many times, before we do this, before you do this. Let's be clear, it's you doing this.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How many times have you scaled the wall like this would you say?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Way more than I could count honestly. They're in just about every competition that I do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Alright. Let's see.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    My gosh. You just leapt up there. It's like nothing.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I don't mean to suggest that it's easy, but you make it look easy. Holy cow.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    It gets easy after a while.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. That's a tough one because it takes some precision.

    Oh my heavens. You skipped, you just went every other hook. That was quickly done. Oh my Gosh. I really can't get over how fast you've scaled up that.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Thanks.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That is something. So is this like in the competition?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So this one's actually a little bit different than the competition. So, on the show, the gaps between the rungs are a foot, 12 inches, and these gaps are 8 inches. That's why I was skipping that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So that's why you doubled up, but that's still farther than you're going to have to go in competition.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Yeah. We have another salmon ladder over there that's the right size.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I see. Now, I just kind of can't get over how fast you can do that. What is your persona? What is your name? Your character, or are you just you? What's your outfit? I mean, what's your look for the show?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So, mostly what I'm wearing right now is actually what I'm gonna be competing in. I’ll have different shoes because these aren't really competition shoes. But my nickname in Ninja is TK Ninja Tricks. It's basically for all the stupid, like tricks that I'll do at comps. Like for example, in my last comp I made a really good save on an obstacle and I ran off the platform and did a flip.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh wow. So do kids at school know about this and your friends know about this, I assume. And what do they think of your being an American Ninja Warrior?

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    They think it's pretty cool. It's a really unique thing. There's not a lot of Ninjas out here. And they think it's really cool to see someone just going after their dream at school. I feel like a lot of people don't really follow their dream very much. They have a really big dream in their head and then kind of just set it aside for like money or something they think will make them happy or something like that. So it feels really cool. It gives me a really good sense of power and makes me feel like I'm inspiring a community a lot. And most of the people at school think it's awesome.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I think it's fantastic and I love that you have dedicated the time and effort that you have to making your dream come true. Tell me what kind of practice schedule you have.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    So right now I train about four days a week, usually for two hours per training session. Basically each day is kind of separated into different disciplines in Ninja. Like one of the days is balance. Another day is strict upper body like holding a lock off. A lock off is like where you hang with your arm bent, whether it's off of one arm or off of both arms. Or I'll do like technique or just like power, like training certain moves, like bigger throws. Usually I'll run 'em all in courses together. Like I'll compile all the obstacles together and run probably 10 obstacles in one course and just have fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. Let's talk with your mom Stacy about what it's like to be a Ninja Mom. Tell me about your part of this journey.

    Stacy Kurthzhals:

    It requires a lot of dedication to travel. There's not a lot of competitions locally, so they’re a lot more on the east coast than there is out here. So we get a lot of frequent flyer miles cause we have to fly back and forth quite often. Initially for him there wasn't anybody to train him. So that was really hard because there was nobody that did it out here. There were actually no gyms when he started. So he kind of trained himself, but then finding places and getting him more access to things has been, you know, one of those things we've had to do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Did you kind of know early on like ‘yeah, this is gonna take hold. This is what he's gonna do.’

    Stacy Kurthzhals:

    Yeah. He had some really natural skills at it. And as we started getting him into competitions and seeing what he did compared to people who had actually trained, we knew that he was actually really good at this and I've never seen a kid at 12 years old who put their heart and soul into training and never quit. And that was something that he's just really dedicated to it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's really impressive. Just talking to him, it's very clear how much he loves this and how much he has dedicated himself to it.

    Stacy Kurthzhals:

    Absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Is it hard to watch as mom? Does it make you nervous? Or have you developed the same cool, collected, demeanor that your son has?

    Stacy Kurthzhals:

    It depends on which kind of competition it is. If it's a local competition, I don't worry. Not a big deal. When he gets into some of the bigger ones that he does, I definitely get the nerves. It's not about his ability. It's more of, he wants this so bad and he gets one shot. And so I don't wanna see him disappointed for any reason.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, that's the difficult thing when I watch. And when I even think about watching you, Tyler is that there's no margin for error. It's not like basketball where you can miss all kinds of shots and still have an amazing game. You miss and it ends.

    Stacy Kurthzhals:

    One shot.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    That’s the name of the game.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's the name of the game. All right. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I'm really excited to watch you in this competition. I can't wait. And I'm really proud of the work you've done. It's really exciting to see everything you've put into this. And I really like your chances.

    Tyler Kurthzhals:

    Yeah. Thanks for having me. That means a lot.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And Stacy, thanks for letting us come and talk with you guys and good luck on your part of the journey as well.

    Stacy Kurthzhals:

    Thanks. The mom nerves will be there, but I'll be okay.

    Tyler Kurtzhals:

    Oh, she's gonna be louder than the whole audience in the entire crowd.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I bet she will.

    Tyler Kurthzhals:

    She is the loudest fan ever.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I love that. And now I'm remembering that there's a part kind of before and after where they say here's mom watching and they show, you know, holding your hands, like, oh my goodness, shaking and yelling. And so I look forward to watching that as well.

    Stacy Kurtzhals:

    You'll probably hear me all the way here in Utah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's good, that's good.

    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.

    19 min
  • Episode 140: The Inspiring Story of Three Sterling Scholars Who Simply Love to Learn

    They were already excelling in math and science in second grade. By the time they hit high school, their love of learning was paying off, paving the way for a very promising future.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with three Herriman High School students. All three are Sterling Scholars in STEM and recently recognized for their incredible achievements in math and computer science.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They were already excelling in math and science early in elementary school. By the time they hit high school, their love of learning was paying off even more, paving the way for a very promising future. On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with three Herriman High School students. All three are Sterling Scholars in STEM and all three were recently recognized statewide for their incredible achievements in math and computer science.

    We're here at Herriman High School meeting our Sterling Scholars and we're now talking with Madelyn. Madelyn, introduce yourself.

    Madelyn:

    Hi, I'm Madelyn. I'm the Skilled and Technical Sciences Sterling Scholar at Herriman High.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Skilled and Technical Science. Talk to me about what that entails.

    Madelyn:

    So for me, it's a mix of woodworking and computer science. I use mostly computer science, that's what I wanna go into in my career. But I also do woodworking and that also uses a lot of computer science. Like for example, on the CNC machine in the wood shop, which cuts wood pretty much, I use like code. You put the code into the computer and so the machine knows what to do. So stuff like that is my passion.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. So you just blew my mind very quickly. Woodworking and computer science are two things I don't necessarily put together and they're definitely not a part of my normal day. And what did you call the machine? A C+C Music Factory?

    Madelyn:

    A CNC machine.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, a CNC machine. And tell me what the CNC machine does again, and how that relates to computer science? You're programming the machine to cut the wood in a certain way?

    Madelyn:

    Yes, pretty much that's it. So yeah, you just type it into the computer and it does what it's supposed to do. It cuts the wood into the shapes you want it to be.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Time to set modesty aside. Why do you think you're the Sterling Scholar in this area?

    Madelyn:

    I feel like I'm a strong scholar just because I'm so well rounded. Like I do theater, I do FBLA, I do business, I do karate. Like I do just a lot of different things. And then the thing is that like, I'm really passionate about like, computer programming, wood shop, business and stuff. I feel like that kind of like, set me higher. And so yeah, I feel like that's why I got the Sterling Scholar.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That is quite a combination of skills. Which of those do you think you want to pursue the most?

    Madelyn:

    I would say computer programming. That's definitely where my passion lies. I wanna go into data sciences, which is like database development and stuff like that at UVU. And so that's my plan.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How does someone your age get turned on to database science with the passion that you just expressed?

    Madelyn:

    Well, I first got into like computer science and database, I think it was like sophomore orientation. We were like walking around the gym and all the different like tables and stuff and I saw some robots. I'm like, 'yo that's cool.' And so I went to talk to the teacher and he convinced me to take one of the classes. And so I just started taking coding classes throughout high school. And then just this semester I took a database development class and I was like, 'wow, I love this. This is so cool.' It's just like, has all the like elements that I really enjoy, like design and creativity. And then I also like still following like rules. So it's still like satisfying and stuff. So yeah, I dunno. I really like it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So creativity within a certain set of rules that'll make things work like they need to.

    Madelyn:

    Yeah, I would say so.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So where are you headed after high school?

    Madelyn:

    I want to go to UVU, which is Utah Valley University and study computer science and data sciences. And then I hope to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and then get married and have a family and maybe start my own business. We’ll see what happens.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. What kind of business?

    Madelyn:

    Just like a database development or like database security or like ethical hacking would be so cool. So yeah, that would be like my dream.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Ethical hacking. Meaning when companies hire you to show the weaknesses in their system.

    Madelyn:

    Yeah. So basically they'll hire you and you can go in and kind of see whatever you want to, try to get into their system and to make it stronger. So bad people can't do that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    If someone had acted in all of these roles, I would be impressed, but you've actually done all of these things. That's very impressive. And I like your chances for having a successful business of your own.

    Madelyn:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Thanks for talking with me and good luck with everything.

    Madelyn:

    Thanks for having me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're talking with Addie. Addie, introduce yourself.

    Addie:

    I'm Addie. I've been going to Herriman for three years. Obviously I'm a senior. I won the Computer Science Sterling Scholar, which has been a crazy ride, but has taught me so much. I do a lot of things outside of school. I work and I dance and it's kind of crazy, but it is what it is.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You work, dance and do computer science.

    Addie:

    Yeah, it's a lot isn't it?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what kind of dance do you do? I do more interpretive dance. A little bit of jazz, but when I was younger, how about you?

    Addie:

    So I do point ballet, which is what you go to see if you were to go and watch Ballet West. I dance on my toes and it's a lot of work, but I love it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How's your pas de duex?

    Addie:

    Oh, it's amazing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I thought it might be.

    Addie:

    My partnering. Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Very good. So tell me what is it that drew you to computer science?

    Addie:

    Well, to be honest, I kind of stumbled on it by accident. I tell everyone taking a photography class was the best mistake I ever made. As a sophomore I signed up for a photography class. Didn't love it so much. And I went to my counselor and was like, 'you gotta get me outta here. I'll take anything.' And so she's like, 'well, the only class open is computer science.' And I said, 'all right, I guess I'll give it a shot.' I took it. I fell in love with it. I love the teacher. He's an amazing guy. And I just love the logic of it. Everything about it just seemed to click with my brain.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what you like about the teacher.

    Addie:

    He is the most supportive guy. So he has a doctorate degree from Stanford for computer science. So because of that, Herriman gets to have so many college computer science classes that no other high school in the district or even the state has, which is amazing. I feel so blessed for this opportunity to be on such an accelerated track. He tells us all about the experiences he's worked in the field. Like it's really inspiring to see how he's worked hard and how he's made a difference in people's lives.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It really is amazing the impact that one teacher can have.

    Addie:

    Exactly. I think if I would've had any other teacher, I might not be on the same track I am now. But he really put that passion for computer science in me, and now I wanna take it just as far as he did.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    The experience you've described is exactly what I hope for, for every student. That by whatever means they stumble upon something that they're passionate about. That's why we provide this range of classes for everyone. I love how photography was the best mistake you ever made. Did you tell the teacher that was a great mistake to make?

    Addie:

    I don't think I've told the photography teacher.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Probably a good policy. And the photography teacher is a great teacher I'm sure for those who are passionate about that.

    Addie:

    Exactly. It wasn't my thing, but someone could stumble upon photography and that would be their path.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So where do you plan to go from here?

    Addie:

    I am heading up to Utah State in the fall to major in computer science. Hopefully the dream is to become a systems analyst for a company. I’ve set my bar high right now. Hopefully I'll make it there, but we'll see what the future holds.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I would imagine that that is well within your reach. It's something that I know that we need a lot more of out there. What would you say to someone who's considering computer science, but it maybe sounds intimidating?

    Addie:

    I would say, just give it a shot. There's a lot of very basic level classes that you can take. And I think even if you don't pursue computer science, I think everyone should take at least one. It teaches so many skills that you can use outside in your life. It's problem solving, logic, how to work well with others. I use those skills in everything else that I do. It's not just computer science. So even if you take it, you try it, you don't love it, you're still gonna learn a whole bunch of skills that you can use and apply to whatever you are passionate about.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Logic, working well with others. Those are the skills we're really trying to achieve.

    Addie:

    Exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So how does dance influence your computer science passion? Do the two ever intersect or overlap?

    Addie:

    They really do. I use computer science in my dance world because I am a teacher as well. So I use the skills I've learned in computer science to learn how to be a better teacher, and stay organized, and help people get better. But then I also think ballet, and that creativity side of it, really helps me in computer science because I can be more creative in how I solve a problem. It's not just only left sided brain, do X, Y, Z. I learn how to take this complex problem and use that creative side of my brain and try different solutions. And they really intermingle well. You wouldn't think that ballet and computer science kind of go together, but for me it has that creative side and then also the very structured logical side and they click together.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Madelyn mentioned a similar thing with woods and computer science because there are certain rules you work within, but that allows for greater creativity.

    Addie:

    Exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it sounds like that's true of dance and of computer science also.

    Addie:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And I love how you talk about being a better teacher because of that. It probably allows you to think logically and how you lay out one step and then the next one in an order that will allow the student to really learn what to do. So you teach dance, is that correct?

    Addie:

    Yes, I do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what age group do you teach?

    Addie:

    I teach 12 to 18 year olds.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What do you like most about teaching?

    Addie:

    As a dancer, I know that it can be very challenging sometimes both physically and mentally. And so as a teacher, I get to see the other side of it. Where you gotta push these girls, even when they're tired. But I see them progress. And when something clicks or they do something right, I see it light up on their face and it's so amazing for me to watch because I know that exact feeling. But then I love to see that I'm able to do that for other people as well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    When you're able to push people to do things they didn't think they could do. That's very rewarding.

    Addie:

    Exactly. It is very rewarding. I love it. It takes up all my time, but I think it's worth it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're using your time very well it sounds like, and I wish you the best in college in just a few months.

    Addie:

    Thank you so much.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back more from our amazing Sterling Scholars.

    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 Simon, another Sterling scholar at Herriman High School. Simon, introduce yourself.

    Simon:

    I am Simon. I like math, like to code and I don't know, just trying to get ready for college I guess.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You like math and you like to code?

    Simon:

    Absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what you like about math.

    Simon:

    It's always one answer. It's right or it's wrong and there's always kind of a procedure to get there. It's problem solving skills.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what you want to do with math going forward.

    Simon:

    I'd love to be an engineer. Aerospace has always fascinated me. I'm like, ‘Hey, maybe I could actually work in rockets someday.’ But robots, really cool artificial intelligence. I love how technology is kind of improving the world we live in, giving people more options, helping us explore, improve science, understand medicine and I definitely plan to pursue all of this. I haven't decided fully yet exactly where I want to be because there are so many options and they're all really cool. I guess I'll see where I end up when I go to college.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You are going to have a lot of options, I have no doubt of that. Tell me, do you remember when you first really latched onto math and you realized you were good at it?

    Simon:

    I think the first case I can think of was first grade. I was homeschooled that year, it was when my family moved and so me and my sister were homeschooled. She's a year older than me, and I remember I loved the math curriculum part of the homeschool enough that I finished my entire course in half the year. So my mom just gave me my sisters, and then I finished that as well that year. Which made second grade really easy because I've done all the math, cause I went back to the public school that year. But yeah, like I just loved it. Like, I looked forward to doing my math each day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you've enjoyed mathematics ever since. Tell me about the Sterling Scholar process for those who may not have gone through it, what's involved.

    Simon:

    So it's funny. I didn't even realize until this year, even though I've been thinking about it for years. I didn't realize that it went farther than just school. So I was like, okay, I'll take the Sterling Scholar of Herriman High. That'd be cool. Then I realized you can compete against people all over the state. And so you kind of show off everything you've accomplished, everything you've done in mathematics. I was able to say that I've done competitive mathematics in sixth grade. I was able to say that I've been a math tutor. I have been a math coach for a junior high school team back in my freshman year. It all comes together. You show leadership, service. I was able to talk about choir and track and field. It's all about who you are as a person. The way you work hard to accomplish things to kind of prepare you for the future, all the skills you picked up, and just the ways that kind of puts you ahead in your category.

    And then of course mathematics just comes down to what you know, what you don't know. The interviews, the two I went to, there's a problem on the white board and you walk in, they say solve it and talk out loud as you do it. So they can, even if you get it wrong because of nerves, which happens, they just analyze your problem solving process. They wanna see that you have those problem solving skills. Because that's what mathematics is. That's what mathematics teaches. And so the Sterling Scholar process is a bunch of different levels, but it's all just evaluating what you've done, what you know, and it's really cool because you get to meet other people who love the same things you do. You've also gotten really far ahead. And I thought that was really cool.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's very impressive. That part of the process is just walking up to the whiteboard and solving a problem. That's high pressure with some experts in the room watching how you do it and not just whether you get to the right answer, but how you get there, and what your process is.

    Simon:

    It does. It's very high pressure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That makes it all the more impressive that you got to where you are. I'm envious of your math skills and your passion for it. It's exciting that you've reached this level. What's next? You wanna be an engineer? Where are you gonna study?

    Simon:

    Brigham Young University currently. I was accepted and I plan to attend there and study math, computer science, maybe some engineering. They have a really cool engineering building I took a tour of and I'm very excited to go there. I'm going to decide as each year comes, what interests me the most, what I'm gonna pursue as I get to try hands on experiences and get to actually apply everything I've been learning for the past 12 years of my life.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I congratulate you again on everything you've accomplished and I know you have great things ahead of you.

    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 139: The Inspiring Story of a South Valley Student Graduating and Finding Success

    It is a school that provides training for special education students in character education, independent living and learning vocational skills which last a lifetime.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to the South Valley School where we meet an amazing young man who is about to graduate. A young man named Jonathan who is making his way in life thanks, in large part, to skills he learned at South Valley. Jonathon’s positive attitude is contagious and to be in his company is a real treat. Here is Jonathon’s heartwarming story.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a school that provides training for special education students in character education, independent living and vocational skills to last a lifetime. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to the South Valley School where we meet an amazing young man who is about to graduate. A student named Jonathon, who is making his way in life thanks, in part, to skills he learned at South Valley. Jonathon's positive attitude is contagious and to be in his company is a real treat. Here is Jonathon's heartwarming story.

    We're at South Valley School and I'm finally getting the chance to talk with Jonathon. How are you today?

    Jonathon:

    I'm doing quite good. How are you?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I'm good. Jonathon is about to finish up his time here. You and I met back at a meeting early in the year with all of our student body officers from our various high schools.

    Jonathon:

    Across the, across the Jordan District.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Exactly.

    Jonathan:

    At the Capitol.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I feel like we hit it off right away. Do you agree?

    Jonathon:

    I can say the same.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. You're a great conversationalist and as we were up at the Capitol, when we had speakers come in, nobody listened more intently or had better questions than you. You really seem to connect with the people that you talk with. Why do you think that is?

    Jonathon:

    Because I want to have a better understanding, a better understanding of what's going on around me. I like to know what's going on here. What the plans are, why things are this certain way, you know, I like to have a better, better understanding of things, cuz then I can have better knowledge of what's what.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I really like that. And one of my slogans for the district, I've asked all employees to be curious and you live that.

    Jonathan:

    Yes I do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So, tell me what are some of the things that interest you Jonathon?

    Jonathon:

    Well, one of the things that interest me is the opportunities.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay.

    Jonathon:

    And the education that we give to all of the students.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me some of the things that you've learned here at South Valley,

    Jonathon:

    Friendship.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Friendship. You know, when I talk with people from South Valley, that's what they talk about a lot. The relationships and friendships that they create. What are some of the friendships you've been able to enjoy here?

    Jonathon:

    Well, one of the things that I enjoy a lot is how nice and kind everyone is in this school. They help out with whatever you may need to help, to help transition into the adulthood of life.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can you think of some times that's happened for you here?

    Jonathon:

    One of the things that I have personally learned in this school is to be open with people and to share some thoughts, some ideas and to not only open my ideas, but listen to other people's ideas and opinions.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, like I said, you're very good at that and I'm impressed and you've opened up to me. We were talking a little bit about your work. Tell everyone about the work that you do.

    Jonathon:

    I'm a courtesy clerk at a grocery store called Harmon’s and it's close by my house. I help pack up groceries for the customers.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, when you say the phrase courtesy clerk, it really takes me back because back in the 1900s, I was a courtesy clerk.

    Jonathan:

    Really?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I was a courtesy clerk in high school. It's so funny to me that they're still called courtesy clerks. They used to call us baggers. Does anyone ever call you a bagger?

    Jonathon:

    Well, that's what it used to be before I applied for the job as well. Like a month or so ago before I even applied there, they were still calling us baggers, but they recently changed it to courtesy clerk because we do more than just bag up groceries.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That is correct.

    Jonathan:

    I also, if the customer wants ice for any size, I go over and get the ice for them.

    Anthony Godfrey;

    Sure.

    Jonathan:

    If they want a car, a car side lift, well, I help put the groceries in the vehicle for them. I do that as well. So there's a little more than just bagging groceries for the customers and putting it in carts for them.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What do you like about being a courtesy clerk?

    Jonathon:

    What I love is how I can meet some new faces and just, and it's overall just small talk too as well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah.

    Jonathon:

    My managers have told me just to just do some small talk to see how their day's going and everything.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah.

    Jonathan:

    And I'll go over and as they coming up, paying for their stuff or say, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ You know, ‘how is your day?’ You know, that's pretty much it. Just little small talk.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. It's interesting. I read a book a long time ago that talked about the importance of small talk. Small talk actually helps us find things that we have in common. Talking about the weather, talking about things you might be bagging up and you say, ‘Hey, I like this too.’ It makes a connection. And like I said, you're very good at making those connections.

    Jonathon:

    I've just flat out joked before where I would see them getting a Vanilla Coke or White Cheddar Cheetos. And I'll jokingly say, ‘Hey, that's my item.’

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Because it's something that you like.

    Jonathan:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Gofdrey:

    You and I have had very similar experiences as courtesy clerks. So your time at, South Valley School’s coming to a close, this is your final year.

    Jonathon:

    Yes, it is. I'm gonna be graduating when the school year ends, that's gonna officially be it for me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So what's next for you?

    Jonathon:

    Well, what's next for me is that I'm gonna work on getting my driver's license because once I get my license, then I'll have the freedom to go pretty much wherever I want. Also, another thing I'm gonna be working on is completing my GED.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. I love that. Two great goals. Are you gonna continue to work at Harmon's?

    Jonathon:

    Probably for a long time, at least another five to six years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Good. It's good. I love being at a grocery store. Everybody comes through. Now tell me which Harmon’s you work at.

    Jonathon:

    It's the one in Cougar.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, the Cougar Lane, the Kearns one kind of close to, just north of the airport.

    Jonathan:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Awesome. Well, people can get lots of courtesy from the best courtesy clerk around stopping by in Kearns.

    Jonathon:

    They sure can. They noticed right away, within two months, that I was a good worker, cause I'm fast and efficient.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you connect to people. You've gotta have all three.

    Jonathon:

    You do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, I like to talk to graduates about advice. What advice do you have for people?

    Jonathon:

    To never stop believing in their dreams.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Good.

    Jonathan:

    That life can be challenging at times, but that's the whole, I feel that's the whole point of it in all my years. And especially coming here to this specific school that there's always obstacles everywhere you go.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah.

    Jonathan:

    You know, it's like that song from Miley Cyrus you know, there's always another mountain, you know? And she talked about how sometimes you just have to accept defeat, but what's most important is getting back up on that horse.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's very inspiring Jonathon.

    Jonathon:

    And all of the motivations that I've heard over the years when I felt down, one of the things is short but simple, that says you can either get up or give up, you know.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Getting up makes a lot more sense. That's very touching. That really rings true for me, Jonathon.

    Jonathon:

    And I hope it'll ring true for others too in this school.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. I think it will. I think it will. You really embody that, you're a very positive person. How do you manage to stay positive all the time? Like you do, we all get down. How do you stay so positive?

    Jonathon:

    I just go with the flow of things. One of the things I've learned, and especially in this classroom right here is just to glow with the, you know, go with the flow. If you mess up, it sucks, you know, own it, but just, just keep moving on.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's gonna be a lot easier for me to go through my week. If I keep that, uh, attitude in mind, that's really smart.

    Jonathon:

    Well, it's just part of, it's just part of nature as well. If a horse is all wild and galloping and stuff, there's just no way you can hang on. It's just, it just is what it is. You know, you can't hang on and sometimes that's life and sometimes that's you, but regardless what choice it is, it's not a matter of how many times you fall. It's the amount of whether or not you choose to get back up or not.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You get back up on that horse. But I also like what you said, you can't tame every horse.

    Jonathon:

    No, you can’t.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So some of those you have to just walk away from.

    Jonathon:

    Some things you just have to just accept.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Accept the way it is.

    Jonathon:

    Sometimes those, sometimes every win's not a win. Sometimes a lose is just a lose. It may hurt, it may suck, but that's, I feel like that's the whole point of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I sure appreciate your wisdom today, Jonathon. You're quite an individual. You're very well rounded in your thinking. You think about other people, you think about yourself.

    Jonathon:

    I always have empathy for others.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, you really do. So I've been impressed with you from the start and that just deepens the more I get to know you. Sorry.

    Jonathon:

    No, you're good.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're quite miraculous. You're quite a guy. Sorry. I'm only crying Jonathon because I think you're pretty remarkable.

    Jonathon:

    Oh no. It's all good, man.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's just, I think you're quite a guy. I think you're quite a guy.

    Jonathon:

    I'm holding back myself too. Believe me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, no you're good. You're good. You know, you're leaving South Valley School. Tell me about a time that others have helped you when you've been here.

    Jonathon:

    There was, one of the people that had helped me was my old teacher Bob. And what I liked about Bob was that he's not only a great teacher, but he helps guide us into independent life. Just like with this class right here. But with this class it takes it a step up. And one of the things he always told me was to just, you know, keep going. You know, just keep moving.

    Since I'm part of, you know, DSPD, I'm still special needs and everything. I would have, a little bit of time ago, I would have this one on one thing where a staff person from a community organization or whatever would come over and would help me out with whatever one may need. So one of those people that first came was named Michael. And at first I was very introverted. I just wanted to stay in my room all day. I didn't wanna do anything, but eventually he got me slowly but surely, he got me to come out the house and we ended up doing things together and we were having, you know, fun and all. I still hang out with him from time to time to this day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's hard for me to imagine you being introverted, Jonathon.

    Jonathon:

    I think it's hard for anyone to believe that I'm introverted because I'm so better now at being sociable, compared to I was a couple years ago, per se. Even the first year starting in the school, I probably wouldn't be anywhere as good socially compared to where I am now.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I think that's a great lesson that we can change, that we can improve, that we can grow. Because so many times we tell ourselves things about ourselves that keep us from that type of growth that you just described. Oh, I'm this type of person. I'm not that type of person.

    Jonathon:

    I've honestly compared myself way too much in life. I've looked at myself unharshly and harshly at times.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I know you have a lot of great things in your future. I really look forward to seeing you at Harmon’s now that I know where to find you. I'm really glad to know there's gonna be a way for us to stay connected.

    Jonathon:

    Just be sure not to bug me and disturb me from all my work.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now I'll tell you Jonathon, I promise to buy things and then go through your line to make sure that we are connected without distracting from your professionalism.

    Jonathon:

    But hey, if things get a little too much, like, especially around the holiday season, it's all good.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me your parting thoughts about South Valley School.

    Jonathon:

    One of the things I love is the whole opportunities we give to all of our students overall. We help educate them in whatever level they may be in, in whatever level they may be in. It could be a physical disability where they may be in a wheelchair. It could be a mental or psychological disability. One of the things I personally have is that I have a learning disability, which means that I need a lot more learning on something. Especially if it's something new, compared to the average person.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What I like though, is that you give yourself the time and it doesn't make you less curious or less engaged. You just know what you need to do in order to learn what you wanna learn.

    Jonathon:

    In fact, that's what made me who I am today. That specific thing in fact. Because since I had to look at something a lot more closer, I had to really make sure I'm getting what I'm getting. And that's why I'm generally a deep thinker and deep questioner as a whole. And by having extra push, extra juice, into looking at a specific theme or topic or whatever it may be, helped make me the one of who I am today.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, the result is quite remarkable. I know you have a lot of growth and great opportunities ahead of you as well. It's been an absolute delight talking with you and getting to know you. And I am thrilled that I know exactly where to shop, to stay connected. And Jonathon, I think you're quite a guy.

    Jonathon:

    I can say the same to you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back, we're joined by Jonathon's mom and some staff at South Valley School.

    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 Rita Bouillon, the principal at South Valley School and Codee Flores, a teacher, Jonathon's teacher. Tell us a little bit about South Valley School and about the class.

    Rita Bouillon:

    So at South Valley we have students' ages 18 to 22. And our job really is to prepare them to be great citizens in their community. So we work with them on getting jobs, learning UTA, learning to be independent to a different level than they've ever been given the opportunity before.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And Codee, tell me about the class and, and about Jonathon in the class.

    Codee Flores:

    Our class, like Rita said, is to prepare the students for life after the school is over. I mean, they've gone to school for all these years. There's a life out there that they're ready to get to. And this class is preparing them to get jobs, to learn how to use the public transportation, to be better community members. That is our goal for all of our students.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And is there a sense of urgency for students who are turning 22, they're about to graduate and maybe they connect a little bit more with the content of the class because they think, ‘Hey, this is coming fast and I better make sure that I'm ready.’

    Codee Flores:

    I feel that they do, and especially in this classroom. It's kind of like Jonathon said, a little bit of a step up for him even. We hold them accountable, we treat them as adults and we really focus on what they can do and letting them fail is part of that. We can't always do everything right. And we learn from all of our mistakes every single time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    This is a really remarkable school, and the progress that students make when they come here is really amazing. Angela, you're Jonathon's mom, tell us about Jonathon.

    Angela:

    Where do you want me to start?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    There’s a lot to cover.

    Angela:

    Yes. Well, to give you a brief background, because I'm just really proud of how far he has come, and South Valley has really been a big part of that. But Jonathon's a twin and they were both born four months early. And so they were extremely behind, developmental disability disorder is what they were diagnosed with. So what that meant was, Jonathon has come a long ways. So just to give you a good idea, in the first grade he was still wearing pull-ups, he was drinking out of a sippy cup and he wasn't eating food, and he didn't give eye contact. And so that’s severe and of itself at that age. And then he went from there to here over the years, from having a lot of guidance from family and great support, you know, people in the community. But really it’s Jonathon, just always, you know, pushing. The song that he brought up about the mountain. A lot of times I thought of that as kind of an analogy, because I felt like as soon as I'd pushed them a bit and as soon as the twins, especially, you know, John specifically, cuz we're talking about him, but as he would get to a certain top of the mountain, you know, a certain scale, there'd be another one right there behind him. I was constantly pushing him and he didn't always like it, but he's always taken the bull by the horns and just keeps going.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well the combination of your pushing and his determination, it's incredible. The progress that Jonathon's made and he's quite something.

    Angela:

    Yeah, I have three disabled children and they're all amazing that way. And I can't say that I'm perfect at knowing when to pull back and when to push forward, you know. I've been blessed that I’m able to do that, but I believe that it's because of them that I'm able to do that. They let me know. You know, like when you're growing up, back in our generation, parents would say, ‘because I told you so’, or ‘you can't eat in the living room’ cause you know, all these great things. And you think when you're a kid that when you grow up, you're gonna say that to your children. Well, it wasn't the case. My kids keep me very accountable. And you learn that you have to lead by example, especially individuals who are a bit challenged.

    You know, you kind of have to walk the walk right along with them. Jonathon though, what's amazing about him specifically is that I don't even have to really do that. He does it himself. His goals for being a student body officer was from the first year he was here. He knew he wanted to work at Harmon's four years ago and he would let people know that those are his goals. So sometimes people feel like they need to push him to help him get to those goals. But he's pushed himself. So he'll like take a step out and then, oh this is too scary. I'm gonna go back in and then he'll step out. So Jonathon has like, always been really good about determining when he can do something. And when he can't, he has role models to look towards and his brothers. What he likes, what he doesn't like, and he determines his own path.

    He is very introverted. That's one thing that not too many people know about him. He still is, but I think coming here has really got him out of his shell because it's forced him to really be sociable, you know. Not just work hard academically or on his skills, and he's starting to enjoy himself. This last year has been huge because he's, instead of like, ‘I need to be sociable cuz this is what I'm trying to work on.’ It's been, ‘I'm just having a good time. I'm really enjoying.’ And when he said friendship, that's actually how I see it too, is that friendship's been like the biggest thing that he's really learned and come across this year.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, congratulations on raising an incredible son.

    Angela:

    Thank you. I don't know that I have any credit for that.

    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.

    23 min
  • Episode 138: What It Takes to Be a Teacher

    Teacher Appreciation Week is an opportunity for everyone to honor educators for their dedication to a job that is extremely rewarding and requires hard work as well.

    On this special “Teacher Appreciation Week” episode of the Supercast, we find out what it takes to be a teacher, with an inside look at the District’s Teacher Ed Program offered at JATC South in Riverton.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Teacher Appreciation Week is an opportunity for everyone to honor educators for their dedication to a job that changes lives. On this special "Teacher Appreciation Week" episode of the Supercast we find out what it takes to be a teacher with an inside look at the District's Teacher Education program offered at JATC South in Riverton.

    We're here with Brenda Straley, the teacher in the Teacher Education program at JATC South. Thanks for taking the time.

    Brenda Straley:

    Thank you, Dr. Godfrey, thank you for coming in.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell us about this program. Many people may not realize that we have a Teacher Education program for students who want to be teachers.

    Brenda Straley:

    Yeah, so we've had this program for gosh, 14 or 15 years now, and I've been doing it for 13. Essentially, you know, we started out with the idea that we needed paraeducators. I think Todd Quarnberg was the one that originally started this. Then we slowly moved into really focusing on being Special Ed and general ed teachers, because obviously we see a need in our district and across the nation for teachers. One of the focuses for this program is that hands on ability to see things hands on. I really feel like if we had the switch of 80% of our time was spent working with a mentor teacher and 20% in the classroom learning things, then we'd be able to have teacher retention and be able to have those real opportunities to learn the things that are gonna happen in your classroom because you know, most teachers leave because of behavior management and they don't learn that.  So being in the practicums two days a week is an important part of this program where they get that hands-on learning. They work with a mentor teacher and are able to really see what it's all about.

    We have Introduction to Education 1010, which is an introductory course that all colleges require of students. FHS 1500 is a three credit class and that's Human Growth and Development. And then SPED 1000, which is through Utah State University.  That is combined with the practicum, learning about Special Education, working with kids with disabilities.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. What a great start for kids who are interested in teaching. I love that they have that opportunity while they are still students. Do you think they look at their teachers differently as they're going through this program?

    Brenda Straley:

    They do. Some of my favorite comments are when I teach them about proximity control, and the teachers in their class will go around and stand by them as they're not paying attention. And then they look at their teacher and say, ‘I know what you're doing. It's called proximity control.’ Sorry teachers. That was me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Secrets out, secrets out.

    Brenda Straley:

    But yeah, they definitely look at their classes differently and they have more compassion for their teachers. Because they see what goes into being an educator, and they see how hard that teacher works, and how much time they put into a lesson plan.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Teachers are taken for granted, there's no question about that. So for students to have that experience and to really see things from the other side, I wonder if every student ought to do a little bit of that so they can appreciate their teachers a little bit more.

    Brenda Straley:

    I think that's a good idea. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me what draws students to the program. What do you find makes them want to be teachers as you talk with them?

    Brenda Straley:

    Gosh, you know, that's a really good question. I think they want to change the world. They come in with this idea of, they want to make a difference in kids' lives. Across the board that's what it's about. And sometimes they come in because a teacher made a difference for them. Sometimes they come in because they didn't have a teacher that made a difference for them. And I talk about that myself, and I say, ‘You know, I got into teaching because I was that student, and I didn't feel like I had a teacher who really understood me and liked me very much.’ And I was like, I'm gonna do something different. I really love high schoolers. I think they're the most amazing humans. And so I see kids getting into education, either wanting to make a difference or, you know, just being somebody that is there for students.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Lots of great reasons to become a teacher and to have them reflecting on that at this age is just really exciting. What do you find that students think is most challenging about being a teacher when they first start?

    Brenda Straley:

    I think they're nervous about being in the classroom and behavior management is probably a big one. Being able to prevent the behavior, so I talk a lot about that. We want to manage our restaurant, we want to manage things. We want to make sure we prevent things from happening. And that's always really hard for students. And also that balance of wanting to be liked by the students. So important for a lot of future teachers.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I remember being a student teacher, I was not much older than the high school students that I was teaching.

    Brenda Straley:

    Oh yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And my cooperating teacher that I was teaching under and learning from, my mentor teacher, was at the end of her career. And so I was just starting out and it was really strange to teach students that were just a few years younger than me. Do the students in your class teach all grades or do they mostly focus on elementary to start? Tell us a little bit more about that.

    Brenda Straley:

    Yeah, so mostly preschool to ninth grade. They often wanna go into the high school and I'm like, you guys already know what it's like to be in high school. I'm pretty sure that we can just have you in, you know, elementary. And so what I do is the first practicum that they do is whatever they want. So it's their comfort zone. For some reason, everyone wants to be a second grade teacher. I don't know. So they all go to second grade and then they're like, okay, now it's time to shake it up. Now I want you to go outside of your comfort zone and you're going to something that you are not excited about doing, or you're afraid to do. And that's where growth happens. So then that usually is middle school, bless those middle school teachers. And they do middle school and they either decide they love it or they hate it. And then I encourage them to go into a special education classroom so that they have experience with working with kids with disabilities. And I let them know as well that any class you're in, you're gonna have many students with disabilities in your class. So you might think you don't, but you do. Those invisible disabilities.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And helping them understand that being a teacher means focusing on the needs of each individual student in class is is a really great message for them.

    Brenda Straley:

    Absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What would you say to students who are considering being part of this program?

    Brenda Straley:

    Absolutely do it. Even if you don't wanna be a teacher, you can find out if you do or don't. That's just as exciting to me as, you know, if somebody comes in my program and they're like, I wanna be a teacher. And then by the time they're done, they don't, that's just as exciting. That's really important. And that's what we're here for at JATC. That's what we're here for in CTE and Career Development is to give students opportunities to try on different hats and see what's gonna work for them. Because the only way you're gonna know is if you try it. We have so many great programs that you can just kind of try one on.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And I think that's a great point. Maybe you join this program and find out you want to be a teacher, or you find out that you didn't want to teach second grade after all, and you do want to teach a different grade. I loved teaching eighth grade myself. Or you find out that it's not for you. And finding out it's not for you, like you said gives you different perspective on other careers you might consider and you learn something about yourself, no matter what.

    Brenda Straley:

    Absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I love that you're doing this program. We love our teachers and I love that you're helping us find even more among our own students. And this is a great start for them to be on the path to a wonderful career and a rewarding career as a teacher. So thank you for doing that.

    Brenda Straley:

    Thank you, Dr. Godfrey. This is a great program. And I just really, I feel it's an honor to be able to teach and do this program.

    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 students from the Teacher Education program at JATC South, introduce yourselves.

    Brooklyn:

    I'm Brooklyn.

    Jacqueline:

    I'm Jacqueline.

    Bode:

    I'm Bode.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me, why are you taking this class?

    Brooklyn:

    I have a passion for social studies. I always knew I wanted to do something in that field. And my mom wants to be a teacher too. So we both have kind of decided to go down this path together.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So your mom is pursuing a career in education also. And what does she want to teach?

    Brooklyn:

    The same thing, she's going to USU online and she's really close to finishing her degree. So it's been really cool to see her do that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So she's a little bit ahead of you.

    Brooklyn:

    Yeah, definitely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, that's good. She's forging a path. You can learn a lot from her, get some materials from her. Awesome. Why did you decide to take this class?

    Jacqueline:

    I decided to take it because I really wanted to just broaden my spectrum and like really understand what teaching is and what it's like to be in the education system. And it's given me the opportunity through practicum and interviewing with other teachers. And it's been really great.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what are some of the things that you've learned being in this program?

    Jacqueline:

    I've learned that teaching is not as easy as it sounds and there's a lot more than it looks. Teachers really dedicate their lives and their wellbeing to the students. And I think that's very important to consider.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What is it that you want to teach?

    Jacqueline:

    I want to be an elementary teacher, fifth grade, probably.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. And tell me why you decided to join the program.

    Bode:

    So originally I applied to the school with like the goal of going to Computer Programming, but I applied for Teachers Ed as well as a backup, because I always like helping people. That's always something I love doing throughout my entire life. So I didn't get Computer Programming, but I did get this class. And so over the course of it, I've grown a lot more passionate about helping out kids with their education and being able to be there for them and be a facilitator and also to help know that they're cared for and have a space to learn.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What are some things that you learned that maybe surprised you?

    Bode:

    I guess I learned that both that maybe teachers deserve a little bit better, but also that teachers have a lot more than I thought too. It's like both those things at the same time, because I know that teachers have a lot more skills that they learn than I originally thought, and that they have a lot more things to do and that, so they have a lot more ways to connect with students and to be able to give them what they need in order to succeed in the class.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what do you want to teach?

    Bode:

    I'm kind of split between a lot of things right now. But right now, if I go into high school it would either be chemistry or astronomy. And if it's Special Ed it would probably be elementary, maybe like something like Severe Special Ed for like sixth grade, which is where I'm volunteering right now actually.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. So you have a wide range of options ahead of you.

    Bode:

    Yeah, I do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now, many people may not realize that there's a competitive aspect to being in this program. There are state and national competitions and you guys are participating at the national level. So tell me about that.

    Brooklyn:

    I competed in the division called Creative Lecture. It's like public speaking, but it's supposed to be around like a Ted Talk type of style. I chose that because I feel like I'm really good at kind of talking to people. Like, I'm not good at reciting off like a memorized speech. And so I thought that would be better for me because I'm really good at like talking and explaining myself through. And so that's the division I chose and I think it turned out really, really well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you're going to Nationals.

    Brooklyn:

    Yeah, I'm going to Nationals. So I think I did a good job picking a division.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What's your topic?

    Brooklyn:

    It was on what schools can do to help kids struggling from the pandemic. So like helping kids with their social and emotional health.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what category did you compete in?

    Jacqueline:

    I competed in Children's Literature Pre-K. So I was the illustrator of the book, my friend Abby, she wrote the book and it was just very, very fun going through and finding careers. So we titled our book Careers in the Alphabet and we wanted to really talk about that even though it's a Pre-K book. We wanted to like start broadening children's spectrums like about what's in the world, what you can accomplish and what you can go through. There's a lot of jobs and there's a lot of opportunities that are misrepresented and not really talked about in schools. I think it's important that kids are exposed to lots of different careers and lots of different things so they can really feel passionate about what they're doing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Is being an illustrator something that you want to do long term?

    Jacqueline:

    An illustrator would be a very good job. Yeah. I really do enjoy art.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What category did you compete in?

    Bode:

    So I competed in Exploring Support Services Careers. So I had to job shadow someone who does a non essential teacher, like support service for students in the school. So I did an SLP at a preschool who helps out with children who struggle with pronouncing certain parts of words.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what did you learn through that experience?

    Bode:

    Oh, I learned a lot. I learned that it's really, really fun. I learned that a lot of people in support services, especially in schools, have a much more flexible like schedule and like curriculum that they have to teach and that they get a lot of support from the school to do what they need to do.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, great. Well congratulations on making Nationals and good luck back in DC.

    Students:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me your names.

    Kylie:

    I'm Kylie.

    Aubrey:

    Aubrey.

    Kali:

    I'm Kali.

    Markelle:

    I'm Markelle.

    Speaker 8:

    I'm Elinor.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What makes each of you want to be a teacher?

    Kylie:

    I really like people paying attention to me. Like, I think it's really fun but also, I just, I wanna see like myself making a difference in the world.

    Aubrey:

    Mine actually came from when I was a little kid. My mom was a preschool teacher and that really kinda like, you know, little kids think, oh, I wanna be just like mom, like just like dad or whoever. And as I grew older and saw more examples of like the impact teachers can have on students and just even the impact that they have on their students' learning, I really want to do that. Cause I think education is really important for kids and I want them to understand that not only is it important, but can be fun. It doesn't just have to be here, we're gonna sit at this desk and we're gonna take the notes and just move on.

    Kali:

    I've always wanted to be a teacher when I was little. I wanted to because I love bossing people around. But ever since fourth grade I had a really inspirational teacher who taught me to be myself and how to inspire others. And so just ever since then, I've been so inspired by her and I've wanted to be a teacher just like her, who can just help shape the students of our future.

    Markelle:

    I actually didn't wanna be a teacher until about 10th grade because I always liked the idea of being a veterinarian. And then I had somebody tell me you're really patient with people and I think you'd be like a teacher. And then I started thinking about it and then the aspect of changing his child's life really pushed me over to want to be a teacher.

    Elinor:

    Both of my parents are teachers and I saw how much they learned from the students and how much they taught the students and made an impact. And how like my mom was having students from, I don't know, however many years ago like contact her and be like, ‘Hey, I'm getting married. You should come.’ And so like, just like the connection, like in building with the students, like I wanted that and making an impact.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You've all hit on really important and rewarding aspects of being a teacher, especially having everyone pay attention to you, you know, that's key. I'm really excited that you want to be teachers and you're all hired right now on the spot. So that's exciting for me that I just recruited five more teachers. So tell me about competition. I did not realize until a few years ago that there were teacher competitions. Tell me what category you competed in and a little bit about that.

    Kylie:

    So I was competing in lesson delivery and like lesson planning and delivery. And I taught a lesson about like how to crochet. I got third place, which is kind of cool, but it was really fun and really eye opening, just like to see the learning process of something I've been doing, like for the past 12 years. Just being able to see people starting out and I didn't win, but that's okay because I think that the process of it was really cool.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that's really the trick of it, is helping someone else get good at something you're already good at.

    Kylie:

    Yeah.

    Aubrey:

    So my contest, well not contest, competition was researching learning challenges. So this one was more, it was a partnership. So my partner was Braxon, but he's not here right now. And what we did is we went and we researched. The topic this year was visual impairment and the challenges they could have with learning and just in general, but also what could we do to help make it better? Like what are some possible solutions? And we ended up getting second place and that was pretty exciting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great. Congratulations.

    Kali:

    All right. So one thing I just wanna say is I had no idea Educators Rising was even a thing until being here at JATC South and I want more people know about it because it was really an amazing opportunity to just better develop my skills. So I did public speaking and I kind of talked about in my speech, just the achievement gap between white, Black, Hispanic, and low income students. And just how schools and teachers can just improve equality within schools, especially after the challenges that came from virtual learning. Just doing all of that research really opened up my eyes to a lot of things that I hadn't recognized within teaching. And it also just bettered my personal philosophy about teaching.

    Markelle:

    So I also did public speaking. The topic this year was what are the gaps that people have had between white, Black, Hispanic and low income learning through virtual schooling. Our task was to come up with solutions as to what we could do to fix that. I loved learning and researching about different solutions and different things that people have done and kind of implementing them into my own. And then I made sure to mention, you know, the issues with like school funding, because none of this would be possible without teachers. And so I think, out of my whole speech, that was something that I loved so much was being able to tell the judges, you know, this school funding is such a big thing that nobody really ever tends to realize unless you're in education. So, I didn't place, which is totally fine. As long as I got my message across, I'm fine.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you learned a lot.

    Markelle:

    I did. I learned a ton.

    Elinor:

    So I wrote a children's book with a partner named Gracee, she's not here right now also. But we wrote a Kindergarten through 3rd grade children's book called Alphabet Animal Party. And like our focus was kind of it was ABC. So we had a different animal for each letter of the alphabet and they were all coming together to create a party for their best friend. And we just wanted to kind of put across the message that like, it doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, but coming together and creating something for a friend can bring unity.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great message and a great experience I'm sure. Well, you're all fabulous. I'm so impressed. And it's been a real pleasure talking with you and good luck in your career. I look forward to seeing you in just a few years.

    Students:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

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

    23 min
  • Episode 137: JEF Challenge Run is Family Fun Benefiting Kids in the Classroom

    They will be running, climbing, jumping, crawling, and making their way through mud, all to benefit kids in the classroom.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we dive into the Jordan Education Foundation’s Challenge Obstacle Run which is being held on Saturday, May 14 at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan. Find out why it has become one of the most popular obstacle runs in the state resulting in fun for families and a big win for teachers in Jordan School District.

    To sign up for the JEF Challenge Run, please visit JEFchallenge.org
    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They will be running, climbing, jumping, crawling, and making their way through mud, all to benefit kids in the classroom. On this episode of the Supercast, we dive into the Jordan Education Foundations Challenge Obstacle Run, which is being held on Saturday, May 14th at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan. Find out why it has become one of the most popular obstacle runs in the state resulting in fun for families and a big win for teachers in Jordan School District.

    We are fortunate to have the director of the Jordan Education Foundation here, Mike Haynes. Mike, how are you doing?

    Mike Haynes:

    Well, thank you. Great to be here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You're always doing well.

    Mike Haynes:

    Well, thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it's always great to be wherever you are. You're always so positive and ready to go. And we have Jason Casto, the past past president of the Jordan Education Foundation and longtime contributor and foundation board member. Thanks for joining us.

    Jason Casto:

    I'm glad to be here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Two of the most positive, energetic people I know, and I'm not exaggerating. And I know a lot of positive, energetic people.

    Jason Casto:

    I agree with you. It always is nice to be where Mike is at.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's right. You’re both so energized and happy because you get to do so many great things for kids and for teachers and for the employees of our district.

    Jason Casto:

    You’re right.
    Anthony Godfrey:
    One of the ways you accomplish that as a Foundation is through the Challenge Run.

    Jason Casto:

    Absolutely. The Challenge Run.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's one of the ways that we mark time. You know, one of those markers is that as spring comes, I know that the Challenge Run is approaching. It's something I always look forward to and we haven't been able to do it with COVID getting in the way. This is really an exciting thing that we're back in business.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah. Two year hiatus. We're so excited to be back.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We see people of all ages participate. Talk to me about who can come to this event and enjoy it.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah. So I do wanna say very strongly right out of the gate that sometimes people hear an obstacle course and they think, all right, I'm out. You know, they might think of some of the extreme sports that we see kind of in our communities or on TVs. And this is not that. This is not the kind of obstacle course that you have to train for. We want to give people the idea of doing something fun. Doing something a little different, not your typical 5k or one mile walk or that type of thing. A little bit different, but not so intense that you feel like, all right, I have to have a training regimen going in. Anybody can do this. It's for the whole entire family. We say, you know, eight and up, but all in all honesty, we've had as young as a parent carrying their child in a little harness on their chest. And so we want everyone to feel welcome. You can really engage with the obstacles or hey, if this happens to be one that you don't want to go through the mud pit, you can go around the mud pit.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think Brené Brown, that's a quote from Brené Brown.

    Jason Casto:

    That’s it exactly.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You can go through the mud pit or around it. I don't know something like that. Yeah, there really is an ability for people of all ages, and athletic ability to really enjoy it. You can, like you said, you can decide how much you engage with various obstacles. And there's a lot of work that goes into setting up a really exciting course. And so it is a challenge run. You challenge yourself and see how much you can get out of yourself in this run. And that's part of the fun of it.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah. Maybe I can describe a little bit some of the things that they're gonna go through. So the run is done at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan, and it incorporates the whole entire park, including the rodeo grounds. The rodeo grounds and that area back there is kind of where most of the obstacles are.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Is bull riding a part of it, or have we eliminated that?

    Mike Haynes:

    That's a good idea.

    Jason Casto:

    We had that on the table and it just slightly got voted down.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. All right. Fair enough. Fair enough.

    Jason Casto:

    So some of the things that you'll do is there's the before mentioned mud pit. We always have a mud pit that people, you know, kind of tredge themselves through. Then inside the rodeo grounds, there are a whole bunch of cement barricades. So there's kind of a high hurdling of cement barricades. There's a sandbag carry where you gotta pick up sandbag and carry it kind of down and back. There's an army crawl. So crawling underneath the army net, which is super, super fun. Then we go inside where the cattle are normally held during the rodeo. And we kind of do a zigzag through there. We have a spiders web worth of rope that we tie. So you have to kind of wind yourself and weave yourself through there. There's some climbing underneath the bleachers. There is the Superman water slide towards the end where you get a running start and with the aid of water and soap, slide all the way down the hill. That's a highlight both from a fun standpoint and from a picture standpoint.

    Mike Haynes:

    Yes, there's where our highlights come from.

    Jason Casto:

    Our best pictures come from that, unquestionably.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And we've had a drone taking pictures if I’m not mistaken.

    Jason Casto:

    Yes, indeed. We have, again this year, we’ll have several drones that will be there taking pictures of the whole event.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So we’ll be well documented.

    Jason Casto:

    Well documented, absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We want to have everything up front. Okay. After the slip and slide, sorry, I interrupted your rundown of the obstacle course.

    Jason Casto:

    Well, we finish with a 120 foot long blowup obstacle that people kind of jump and climb through, which is a fun way to finish towards the finish line. There's a couple of other things in the back area, way out in the back fields, where you stop at a station and you use a sledge hammer to break a brick. I mean, hey, when do you get a chance to do that? Everyone wants to swing a sledge hammer.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So if there's any anxiety or frustration in your life, this will cure it.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah. You hear about the rage rooms where you gotta go, you know, and pay some money to bust a computer up. Hey, you could do this and a bunch of other stuff.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And, and if you feel like your kids are getting too much screen time, get 'em out into the challenge run.

    Jason Casto:

    Exactly. And after the break brick with the sledge hammer, there's also a station where you stop and you use a slingshot and a paintball to hit a target. I mean, just fun stuff.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us when we come back, find out why participants will also be dancing the day away to great music as I DJ the event. More fun with the Jordan Education Foundation coming up next.

    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:

    I do have a role in the challenge that I'm quite proud of.

    Jason Casto:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that is I get to DJ the event. I assume that I'm on the docket again this year?

    Jason Casto:

    We also assumed that, so I'm glad to hear that. If the official invitation hasn't been extended, consider it officially extended.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    No, I'm planning on it. I've been working on my classic rock playlist with some new tunes for the kids as well. You know, what all the youngsters are listening to these days. But yeah, I like to mix it up and create a good sonic environment in which to challenge yourself and to complete the run. I like making people listen to the music I choose, really is what it comes down to.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah. That classic rock list. That’s my favorite part of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And I know Mike's penchant for RATT and other, you know, hair bands from the 80s.

    Mike Haynes:

    Anything where an air guitar is appropriate.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    My real goal is when I put a song on and then I watch for the groups of teenagers and see that I'm getting a reaction.

    Jason Casto:

    That's fun. That's when you know you've hit the mark.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Ultimately, then the next song is for Mike. When he breaks into air guitar then I know I've hit my mark once again for the range of audience. But it really is fun. And, as I mentioned, the group of teenagers, there are teams that can be formed and schools can form teams. So tell us about how that works.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah, that really defines the structure of the race. Remember the point is to get money into classrooms for teachers and students. So the way that we do it is we have teachers sign up, teachers do it for free. So teachers are given a code so that they can create a team for free. So when they sign up, they create a team. A school can create a team, or a single teacher can create a team, or a group of teachers can create a team. And then as the community in general starts to sign up for the race, they are required to select a team. So someone might say, ‘Oh, I would like to select a team of, you know, Herriman High School or South Jordan Middle School. Or they are joining because some specific teacher has said, ‘Come and participate, come help me get money for my classroom.’ Then they'll join that specific teacher's team. And so we definitely do it all around teams. The bigger the team, the bigger the grant that the teacher gets. So that's our goal for teachers to build as big of teams as possible. The school that has the highest participation, whatever school by a percentage has more participation than any other, they're the big winner. They're the Challenge champions. They get a trophy. We have a traveling trophy every year. The winner gets their name on the side of the plaque and the big trophy. And they get a $2,500 grant for their school.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's fantastic! That can make a big difference for a school.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah, absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And all of the money that comes from the challenge run goes to schools and to teachers. All of that is distributed.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah, absolutely. All the money that comes in is distributed to the teachers for their classroom grants.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now as a runner in the event, you receive prizes. We have great sponsors that are there after the event. Great food. As DJ I expend a lot of energy.

    Jason Casto:

    And you need to replenish that energy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I need yogurt. I need sparkling colorful beverages. And all of those are available. Talk a little bit about that. And there's a shirt. So what do people get besides the sense of community and the chance to challenge themselves?

    Jason Casto:

    When you sign up, you do get a shirt, and so you're asked for your shirt size. So everyone will get a Challenge Obstacle Run shirt. And then, just as you mentioned, there are a lot of businesses that wanna participate and be part of this. So every year we have many that are there that are giving away freebies to the runners. We will have Chick-fil-A there that will be giving away breakfast sandwiches. Other places will be there, like in the past we've had In-N-Out Burger. Because after the race, there's kind of a festival atmosphere. There's rock climbing walls and trampolines. And we have mascots from the various Utah sports teams and from the various high schools. And so there's a lot of activity going on there. Things like face painting and then the different businesses will be there giving away free food. And so always things like ice cream, like Creamies and Fat Boys and Dannon and Pepsi have both been big sponsors in the past and will be this year, providing drinks, free drinks, you know, other types of treats and food. And no one goes away hungry.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I remember hearing from runners over the years that this was the best event for the after run swag and food and everything else. I remember I got a phone case from Mike Haynes. We had a booth with all these phone cases that a vendor had donated. You just never know what you're gonna find. I spun the wheel at the In-N-Out booth and got a little sippy cup thing.

    Jason Casto:

    You definitely will come away with a big, you know, haul of swag from this event.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yes, you'll have to have some energy left to carry everything to the car that you end up with after your race. So do folks sign up for the race.

    Jason Casto:

    So if you'll go to J E F challenge, so J E F for the Jordan Education Foundation, JEFchallenge.org that will direct you right to the signup. It’s super easy to sign up, a very simple process. Enter your information and then select your team and you are ready to go.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We'll include all of this information in the show notes as well, but tell us date, time, location and then that web address again.

    Jason Casto:

    Yeah. So JEFchallenge.org. It's May 14th. So we're about three weeks away. So Saturday, May 14th, we start at 9:00 AM. The run lasts for about an hour. We kind of stagger start times. Most people get through the course in about, you know, 30 to 45 minutes. And then from about 10, 10:30 to noon, that's kind of the festival after. It's in West Jordan City at Veterans Memorial park. The address of that is 1985 West 7800 South. So basically on the south west corner of Redwood Road and 7800 South.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what does it cost to sign up?

    Jason Casto:

    It's $20 to sign up. When you sign up, you get the aforementioned stuff that we talked about, all that good stuff. And you also are given the opportunity if you have someone in your network that can't participate or can do more than just simply sign up, every teacher who creates a team is given a fundraising team as well. And we encourage and ask for people to also do donations. So hey, you can come and run and have a great time to support your teacher. And you can also do a donation that will go directly to that teacher as well. And it's just a nice, simple way to do it. The whole signup process, you can contribute and sign up all the same site, very simple.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And one of the things that I've always been so impressed with is the amount of effort that the Foundation puts behind this. When you described all those obstacles, that's the Foundation putting together this route, putting together everything that you've described, but you also visit every school to talk with the faculty and to be sure that they know about creating a team and how they can make this a fundraising event for their school or, or for their grade level.

    Jason Casto:

    So one of the things we love, it gets us into all the schools. As board members of the Foundation, our goal is to be visible and be in the schools. And so we try to do that all year. This event is another, you know, chance to be there. And that is true. We have been in a faculty meeting at almost every single school in the District, letting them know about it. If you happen to be listening to this as a teacher and you missed our faculty event or were not there, please consider this your reminder about it. And if you use Teacher2022 as a code, that's your code to sign up for free.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay, great. So the code is out there.

    Jason Casto:

    Cheat code out. Cheat code out.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It’s been revealed. Our listeners get all kinds of perks, that's just one more perk that they get. I just want to reemphasize that about the Foundation. The Foundation is made up of community members, business owners, people who are just interested in helping the District. Some have kids in the District, some don't, and it's just a desire to help lift teachers, lift students, lift our employees and help provide support. And it's very, very inspiring. One of the most rewarding things that I do is to get to associate with Foundation members and see the dedication that they put into our District. It shows how important Jordan District is to the community. And it shows what a great community we have to provide us that level of support year after year, day in and day out. And it means the world. So thank you.

    Jason Casto:

    Well, thank you, absolutely. That, that perfectly, what you said describes me. I had children that all went to the school district and I wanted to be a part and a contributor. And you know, that was 13 years ago. I particularly had one teacher that made a miracle of a difference in one of my son's lives. And I thought, how can I give back? My kids are all grown now and have long stopped being in school, but I love the District and want to help. And there's a lot of people like me. There's other people that aren't on the Board, that are actively engaged in their school. And every year we are out and people get involved and then they ask, what can I do next year? Our committee and those who are participating just continue to grow because there's a lot of people who love teachers and students and want help.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And it's like you said, it's based on those miracles that happen because a teacher cared about a child and went the distance to help them no matter what it took. And like you said, there are many, many people out there who want to help and it's inspiring to see the Foundation continue to support us as they do. So thank you for that. Give us the web address just one more time, Mike.

    Mike Haynes:

    So JEFchallenge.org

    Anthony Godfrey:

    To everybody out there, sign up, become a part of it. It's a blast. It's a great way to give back. And it won't feel like you're giving back because you get every bit of value out of that $20. It's a great morning for you. And just mention that you listened to the Supercast, come up and find me. I'll play your song for you. After I play Mike's hair metal for him. There you go.

    Mike Haynes:

    There you go.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I gotta take care of him first, but you're next. Come talk with me and we'll get your song on. Thanks again for taking the time and thanks for everything you do for the foundation.

    Mike Haynes:

    Thanks for having us.

    Jason Casto:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

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

    20 min
  • Episode 136: A Student, Parent, and Teacher Talk about Life-Changing Essay Assignment

    He put his thoughts into words in a high school essay assignment several months in the making.

    On this episode of the Supercast, a Riverton High School student, his mom, and teacher share some powerful lessons learned from the essay assignment. And we find out how one caring and compassionate teacher is impacting lives.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. He put his thoughts into words in a high school essay assignment, several months in the making. On this episode of the Supercast, a Riverton High School student, his mom, and teacher share some powerful lessons learned from the essay assignment. And we find out how one caring and compassionate teacher is impacting lives.

    We're at Riverton High School with DeSean. He's a junior at Riverton, and he's done a project writing about his life, talking about some of the difficulties that he's gone through. And I want to talk with him about the project and about some of the things that he's learned as a result. We're also here with Shasta Burton. Shasta, tell us your role in working with DeSean and a little bit about the assignment to start with.

    Shasta Burton:

    Sure. So DeSean was in my virtual language arts class and we had a journal prompt that he responded to that was really inspiring to me. And so I made an offer to have a project replace some of his other assignments that he was missing and it just kind of blew up and turned into a really amazing thing.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about your initial reaction to what he wrote.

    Shasta Burton:

    I was excited because he was completing an assignment and so there was some celebration there. And then as I was reading his response, I realized that there was a lot going on here that we could talk about. And really help him find himself again in school and getting him to participate more and just making sure he had his voice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And that's really what an effective assignment is about. Helping a student find their voice and helping them really discover something authentic about themselves. And so it's that authenticity and an assignment that can really lead to something. So I'm glad that you took the initiative and saw that there was something there so that you could pull DeSean into maybe a deeper exploration of what was going on with him.

    Shasta Burton:

    Yeah, absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So DeSean, tell me a little bit about what it felt like to have your teacher ask you to explore this. Did that surprise you after your initial assignment?

    DeSean:

    Yeah, I was in shock. I didn't know what to think. I wasn't expecting it to like turn into that. I just did an assignment. So it was just really shocking to me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me why this assignment sparked for you a little better than some others did.

    DeSean:

    I think the assignment was like a big thing in my grade. I don't know. So I just emailed her. I was like, ‘Hey, can I just write about my dad's addiction and his journey?’ And she's like, ‘yeah, that's fine.’ And so that's kind of just what I did it on. And like I have like all his journals and letters. So like I just wrote it off what he was saying how his life is.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So tell me about what that was like. Tell me about how you learned about your father and some things that you learned about him and what you've learned for yourself as a result.

    DeSean:

    What I've learned from him is that I know what is right from wrong and that you should never pick up drugs. It's a really hard subject to talk about. Like, I don't know, he wasn't really there, so I don't know how it is to like grow up with it and stuff like that. So like when I did write it and like when I did get to meet him, like it was a good, it was a good time. Like we got really close, but like once he like died, it was just, I don't know, it kind of just turned. I think that's what the assignment really helped me change, because I've changed so much as a person from that. Just opening up about his life and how it has taken a part on me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I know it may be the difficult to talk about, but tell me about your father.

    DeSean:

    So from like what his journals that he wrote has said it's like, it's just like talking about how he grew up. Going over those, I do see how he had a really hard life. I didn't really know him. It was like seventh grade when I found out who my father was. And then like, I didn't want to meet him until I knew he was clean and sober, so I didn't. Then like him and my mom, like kinda reconnected and stayed in contact.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And how long ago did your father pass away?

    DeSean:

    Almost two years ago.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    As you wrote the project, did it make you feel more closely connected to your father?

    DeSean:

    It did because I kind of just, it felt like I understood what he was going through and like how hard it was. Reading all his journals and his letters, it kind of did make me feel closer to him because those are the only things that I had of him. So like I could just read those and like kind of just, I had that connection with him. Like we kind of just got closer through me getting closer with his personal items.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So really it was his writing and your writing, both that brought you closer together?

    DeSean:

    Yeah. Maybe it's like his plan for me to be his voice. Cuz like, I don't know his, I was just maybe his voice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We also have Laura here who is DeSean's mother. Laura, tell us how did this assignment change to DeSean?

    Laura:

    It meant a lot because I know the impact it's had on DeSean. He has been able to talk about things more. He's asked questions more and getting into his assignment, gave him a chance to explore what it's really like to be a child of somebody that's an addict and not know where to go or where to turn. And it gave him an option to kind of let those things out and vent in a way that maybe he and I couldn't relate to at the time. He and I relate great and we have a good connection. But I think going through something as traumatic as losing somebody and in that way to addiction, that it helped him kind of release those feelings and be okay with talking about things. And gave him a little bit more hope in life in general.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Have you seen changes in DeSean since he wrote this and since he's been through what he has?

    Laura:

    Yes. This last year's been a complete full circle. He went from being quiet and depressed, sad, lonely to happy, outgoing, wanting to go to school, wanting to go to work, setting goals for himself and accomplishing those goals. And it's kind of given him more of a sense of communication. We can talk about things that maybe other people don't feel comfortable talking about because we've had that traumatic loss. He would ask me questions throughout the assignment and I would just push him to be open and honest and feel it and know that feelings are okay.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's the best kind of assignment that involves family, that has the support of a parent. And that really helps you explore yourself and understand yourself better. Your mom talked about some goals. What are your goals for the future and, and what are your plans?

    DeSean:

    I really want to graduate high school, which is kind of hard for me right now. I just want to be able to be successful in life. That's really just my end goal is just to be successful and in the future to be a father to kids and to get that connection, cuz I didn't grow up with that. So that's kind of what I want to set, is to be a good father figure too.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think that's a good combination and you're in the middle of your junior year. So there's time for you to accomplish whatever you need to to graduate from high school. So we'll help you. However, we can Stay with us. When we come back, DeSean reads an excerpt from his life changing essay.

    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.

    DeSean:

    So I'm gonna talk about the first time I met my dad.

    Three years later, I finally met him. I was a nervous 15 year old. My mom had given my dad my phone number with my permission. He texted me March 26th, 2020. I received the text saying ‘DeSean, Hi it’s Wendell.’ I was shaking, had the jitters. I anxiously responded establishing the roots of a relationship.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Any advice for anyone out there who may be struggling, trying to get through difficult circumstances trying to graduate?

    DeSean:

    I would just say like you kind of just have to have the positive mindset. It's hard. I get it, it's hard. It is really hard like losing your dad through high school is, and it just takes a toll on you. And then like with other kids growing up, with them going through like addiction, they might not know what to do or like what to say. It's just like not a thing to keep quiet about. Like you have to speak up about it and let others know what is happening so they can at least try to help fix it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I admire that you were willing to not only write about your circumstances and the difficulties that you'd been through, but also to share that with us today for the podcast. So thank you very much for taking the time to talk with me and I wish you the very best through the rest of high school as you get to graduation and beyond.

    DeSean:

    All right. Thank you. It's a pleasure being on the show.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Shasta. How does it feel to see an assignment of yours, and an assignment that you expanded, be so impactful in the life of a family and of a student?

    Shasta Burton:

    I really feel honored. At first it was really intimidating because it's such a sensitive topic and I wanted to be careful at the same time. Like we have this project with these standards and the things that we have to focus on. And how do I merge this with such an important story that needs to be told? And how do I approach helping him be a better writer without taking away from his story or making him feel like his voice is being squashed? It was intimidating for me because I wanted to do right by DeSean and his mom and his dad. So it was humbling. It was honoring. It was intimidating and I'm just, I'm really grateful to be here. And it's so exciting to see DeSean and the connections that he's been willing to make. The empathy he has for his father.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Laura, any final thoughts about the project or the progress that Dashaun has made?

    Laura:

    I am very proud of this kid here. He's gone through a lot in the last two years from, you know, moving to a new school and having everything new, to losing his father, to falling way behind on online school. Having a teacher just give him the opportunity to expand himself and open up has changed him completely. He's a hardworking kid and he's got a lot of goals and a lot of things on his plate that he manages to do, but it's brought him out of his shell and it's given him a chance. He communicates better from this project. He talks to us more. We have good communication. It may not be the funnest of times sometimes, but I mean it's really helped him to be able to communicate not only with his family, his teachers and let people know like I'm not doing okay or I am doing okay and asking those questions.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Communication is the key to having great support and giving everyone the chance to help you and for you to help them. I'm really impressed with your progress and wish you the best going forward.

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

    16 min
  • Episode 135: Daybreak Elementary Students Hoping to Make History in State Competition

    It is an academic program that has been getting Utah kids excited about history for thirty years. We’re talking about the Utah History Fair.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we find out how some Daybreak Elementary students used their knowledge and talents to take first place and qualify for the State History Fair competition. It is a competition that involves more than 10,000 students from Utah, proving that the process of learning about history is a whole lot of fun.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is an academic program that has been getting Utah kids excited about history for 30 years. We're talking about the Utah History Fair. On this episode of the Supercast, we find out how some Daybreak Elementary students use their knowledge and talents to take first place and qualify for the State History Fair competition. It is a competition that involves more than 10,000 students from Utah. Proving that the process of learning about history is a whole lot of fun.

    We're here with Ramsay O'Connor, one of the sixth grade teachers here at Daybreak Elementary to talk about the Utah State History Fair. And you have a few students who are advancing through regionals to the state competition. Tell me about what made you want to get students involved in this and what that process has been.

    Ramsay O'Connor:

    So I've been doing history day at Daybreak for, I think this was maybe my third year doing it. So I'm a lot better at it. The first year was kind of trial and error and then with COVID we took two years off. And then this year I wanted to do it again. And since we had that Walk to Read enrichment group time all the sixth grade teachers decided that would be a really good project for some kids that need enriching. So we started with about 30 kids and then I think I had about seven groups compete and two groups made it to the state competition.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, congratulations first of all, that they've advanced. So tell me about the structure of it. There's a theme for each year and then are there certain categories within which they can submit? And what are their options in terms of a project?

    Ramsay O'Connor:

    So there's a theme every year. We talked a lot about first choosing a topic that's interesting to you. And so we started with finding a moment in history that you find interesting; world history, local history, American history, they could choose whatever they wanted. And then talked about the categories; an exhibit, a documentary, a website, a paper, which nobody chose, and I think that was it. Those were the oh, and a live performance, which no one chose that either. Then yeah, they just go from there. They pick their category. And then we kind of talked about once they narrowed in on the moment in history that they were most interested in, then we talked about narrowing it down to really meet the theme. And we worked a lot on what's a thesis to help develop their project.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I love the deep, personalized learning that happens as a result. They get to pick their topic, they get to pick the medium that they're most comfortable with, and then they get to work with someone else. Teamwork is involved and competition doesn't hurt. It sharpens your focus a little bit and you want to do well. On Friday is the state competition and you have two teams that advance to that level?

    Ramsay O'Connor:

    Yep. This is the first time I've ever had teams make it to the state level competition, so I'm really excited and proud of them. I'm excited for all the kids that participated because they did great. But to have kids go to the state, I'm really excited because I've never done that before or helped kids get to that point.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I wish them the very best and I'll look forward to hearing how things go and thanks again for taking the time.

    Ramsay O'Connor:

    Of course. Thank you for coming.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I'm here with students at Daybreak Elementary who have competed in the Utah State History Fair. Now that is not just the history of Utah, but it's a history fair generally and you got to pick your topics within certain categories. So we're gonna talk with each of the three teams that are represented here. So let's start with the two of you. Introduce yourselves and your project for me.

    Lyla:

    I'm Lyla.

    Isla:

    And I'm Isla.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And tell me about your project.

    Lyla:

    We did it on the causes of the French Revolution.

    Isla:

    We thought it'd be a good topic because it's like in a different part of the world, which is fun to explore. And we decided to do the causes because that's a lesser known part of it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And after this project, what is your opinion of guillotines?

    Lyla:

    Well, the Reign of Terror was like not exactly a fun part in history and guillotines in my opinion are very bad.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yes they are. And dangerous. So the tell the people who don't know what the Reign of Terror is, what was the Reign of Terror?

    Isla:

    It was a time in the French Revolution kind of close to the end where thousands of people died because people were like getting really radical and violent during the French Revolution. Not what they wanted, but it just got really violent and tons of people died, they were beheaded.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. You were saying the nicer term died, but your partner here reminded you that they were actually beheaded. Back to the guillotine issue that I brought up earlier. So talking about history, we are really supposed to learn from history and it's supposed to inform what we do now. So what did you learn from the French Revolution that we might need to think about right now in current society?

    Lyla:

    Well, it was a lot about like the government and how like everything should be fair. You shouldn't be like ranked on like depending where you were born. Yeah. Like you'd be born into a certain category or a state and depending on that, you would be treated unfairly.

    Isla:

    When it wasn't even your fault.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So in other words, we want to be sure that people no matter where they're born or what the circumstances are around when they're born, that they have as much opportunity as anyone else. Would you agree with that? What was the theme of the history fair that made you want to choose this topic?

    Lyla:

    The theme was Debate and Diplomacy and the French Revolution goes with that kind of, because it was a big debate. The Estates General, which we focus on a lot, and that's what caused the French Revolution. So we decided to choose that because it matches the theme really well. And it also has some diplomacy in it at the end when they make peace and form a new government.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now you chose to do a website. There are lots of different things that you can do to demonstrate your knowledge of this part of history. Why did you choose a website?

    Isla:

    Well, we thought it would be a fun, new thing to explore. Like in grades in the past we'd often do like boards and it would be fun to try something new. So we decided on a website. We thought it'd be easy enough, but still fun. But actually it was very difficult, but in the end, we figured it out.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So do you want to continue to study more and more history? Did this spark your interest and do you want to become a webmaster now?

    Lyla:

    This has made me more interested in history. I like learning about what happened earlier and how we can learn from our mistakes, but I don’t think I wanna be a webmaster.

    Isla:

    Yes, I agree there.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Maybe a queen, but not a webmaster. Okay. Shall we sing the French National Anthem together? Allons enfant de la patrie Okay. Never mind. All right. Thank you very much. And I'm excited to visit your website. You can share the URL with me a little later and I'll check it out.

    Stay with us. When we come back more with the students from Daybreak Elementary.

    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:

    Introduce yourselves and tell us about your project.

    Ann:

    I'm Ann.

    Yolanda:

    And I’m Yolanda.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what was your project?

    Ann:

    Our project was about Separate but Equal, Plessy versus Ferguson, and the failure of that. The failure of the whole cause. And because we were following the theme Debate in Diplomacy and we found Plessy versus Ferguson, because we wanted to tie into something that had to do with civil rights.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what did you learn through the process?

    Yolanda:

    I learned that there was other people, not just like Rosa Parks or like Martin Luther King Jr. I learned that there was other people that also had a part in the civil rights movement and like what was going on during that time. Like how people were being separated because of their color and their race.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about some of the circumstances you learned about that you weren't aware of previously?

    Yolanda:

    Well, I was never aware that people had to like go to different schools because of their color. I was like not really aware of that. I was only aware of how people couldn’t go to the same restaurant or drink from the same fountain.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So as an elementary student right now, is it hard for you to imagine that in the past?

    Ann:

    Yes and no, because we have dived into the whole segregation part and we've seen like, even for us as black people, we feel like a little portion of what like some of the people endured during that time. And like we believe that if Ruby Bridges, if she could endure all the hatred and like racism she was getting during that time, then a child can, you know, learn about it, if she had to like endure it.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So is it inspiring to think that someone your age can have such a positive impact?

    Yolanda:

    Yeah, it is inspiring because I know I wasn't like born during that time, but get to knowing it through, like right now it's very inspiring.

    Ann:

    I think it is very inspiring that even though we might be really young and all that, we can help be a big part by learning about the things that happened in our history. So history doesn't repeat. And I think that as young people learning about it, because some older people or some people around the world, they don't take the time to learn about this history. And as young people and learning about the history of black people and segregation and the racism that was in America during that time, it is very inspiring that we can do that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about your specific project. It was a display board, is that correct? And I used the proper term of course. Right? Exhibit? Oh yes, exhibit. Pardon me. Tell me more about your exhibit.

    Yolanda:

    Well, the exhibit, it has like a bunch of information and a lot of pictures about like what was going on and then it like goes toward like Plessy and the court case.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And as you were putting together the pictures and putting together the exhibit, did that deepen your understanding of the circumstance as you decided, how to place all of that and what to include?

    Ann:

    Yeah, and I felt like when we did the exhibit, with our story, Plessy versus Ferguson Separate but Equal. Why we did the exhibit exactly is because we wanted to show our pictures. All our pictures had a meaning behind it. And when each picture we put down, we took it in through our brain and just like, oh, this is what happened. Some of the pictures we used were like hateful and we really understood everything that we were putting on there. And how it tied into the debate and diplomacy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    This is a project you'll remember.

    Yolanda:

    Yes.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I thought it looked great and it reminded me of kind of a museum display that you might see. So does that interest you at all helping bring history alive for other people?

    Yolanda:

    It does interest me, but I also have like my mind on like other things.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. What is your mind on?

    Yolanda:

    Like astronomy and stuff like that?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you're looking well beyond this orb. Well done. Yeah. My son wants to be an astronomer too.

    Ann:

    I feel like I would, after the history fair, I might wanna do it again. I think that it's really important for us to learn about our American history and all the things that went into place with what happened. Because of Plessy versus Ferguson, Separate but Equal, it was a failure since it was, it was basically a court case where it was justifying racial segregation and it was saying it's okay for races to be separate. We're still being equal, giving them equal rights, but it wasn't like that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And you've made a great point and everyone here has made a great point that we don't automatically learn from history. We have to be deliberate about seeking that out and seeking to understand what happened in the past and what lessons we can learn and what mistakes we need to avoid. Great. Well, thank you. Sounds like an awesome project.

    Nora:

    I'm Nora

    Emma:

    And I’m Emma.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And tell me about your documentary. What was the topic?

    Nora:

    The fight for voting rights.

    Emma:

    The Voting Rights Act of 1965.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. And tell me what you learned about the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

    Nora:

    It's a lot more complicated than I think people realize. Everybody talks about the Civil Rights Act because Martin Luther king Jr. Had a lot to do with that. But the Voting Rights Act was really important because it opened the way for people to actually be able to have the rights that the Civil Rights Act gave them. Emma:
    Yeah. It gave that population of people of voice essentially, to change things that they thought were unfair. And probably prevented quite a few things that probably would not have been so great if the Voting Rights Act was not passed.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So because the Voter Right Act was passed, other great things were able to happen in society and other progress was able to be made.

    Nora:

    Oh for sure. We would be a very different society today if the Voting Rights Act hadn't been passed. The struggles that happened then are still going on today, but that opened a lot more doors for people of color and just everybody.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me, what are some of the lessons for today that we can learn from your project?

    Emma:

    Probably just that everybody is important and everybody needs that chance to be able to say what they believe and what they think should happen.

    Nora:

    And don't be jerks.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Don't be jerks. Don't be jerks. What surprised you as you learned about the voting rights act?

    Nora:

    Probably the Selma to Montgomery March. It was this huge march of a lot of people from this little town called Selma to the capital of Alabama, Montgomery. And it was just, it was kind of scary to realize how rude people were to the marchers and how just how mean they were.

    Emma:

    Yeah. And it kind of brings a different understanding to it because of the importance that was to those people, because they marched it like three different times and they knew what was gonna happen. And they like still went out there and did it. So it brings of different like appreciation for those people.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It seems like this was a very impactful project for you. Do you think this is something you'll never forget?

    Nora:

    No, probably because I was so scared the day of the competition.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's the terror of competition. Yes. We've all felt that in various ways. But it sounds like it went well.

    Nora:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now does this make you want to be aspiring filmmakers? Have you texted Ken Burns? What is your plan?

    Nora:

    We talked about if we ever did this again, doing a website because the documentary was like, we have to get this whole recording done, this whole recording done and find like million pictures. So we're thinking a website next time.

    Emma:

    Yeah. But also sorry, just one thing to add. Yeah. Sometimes for me, somebody talking about it has a bigger impact than me reading an article. So if I were to do it on something that is very impactful or important to me, I would do it on, I would do a documentary again, just because of the influence that it has, at least in my mind. It was also super fun.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. So do you have a greater appreciation for the work it to takes to create a documentary? If you watch a documentary, are you going to appreciate it more now?

    Nora:

    Oh yeah, definitely!

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's inspiring. I need to go like bust out my history books because you guys have taught me a lot today. Thank you very much for taking the time and good luck to those of you who are competing at state this Friday. So congratulations on great work and the deep type of learning that we're looking for every day. So that's fantastic. Great work you guys.

    Thanks for joining us for 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 134: In a Class of Their Own, Two Amazing Award-Winning Teachers

    You could say they are in a class of their own. On this episode of the Supercast, meet two award winning teachers who go above and beyond every single day. They are educators credited with changing lives and having a significant impact on their school communities.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. You could say they are in a class all their own. On this episode of the Supercast, we meet two award-winning teachers who go above and beyond every single day. They are educators credited with changing lives and having a significant impact on their school communities.

    We're here with Andrea Hinojosa, a teacher here at Copper Hills High School, and we're talking with her about an award she was just nominated for by a colleague. Tell us a little bit about that.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    It is the Life Changer of the Year Award.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And is that now at a national level? Is that what I understand?

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    Yes, it is. I think there's about 800- 900 nominees nationally.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, teachers are life changers there's no question about that. So I'm really excited that you're nominated. Tell me about what happens now. When do you expect to hear back whether you've advanced?

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    I think the timeline is May. They've got a committee that goes through the applications of former winners. That's my impression. And they go through the applications or the nominations and they choose the winners.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, from everything I've heard about you, you have a great shot at it. And either way, it's an honor that someone would think of you that way. I know that you're changing lives just based on what I've read about your teaching. Tell us about what you teach here first of all.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    I teach AP US History and US History II, so I teach juniors.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I always loved teaching juniors when I was at the high school level. What do you love about teaching and teaching history specifically?

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    So AP US History is definitely my happy place. I love that course because it keeps me challenged as an educator. I can't afford to be complacent because we have that exam that keeps us all kind of on our toes. So I just, I honestly, I love lesson planning, like getting in the zone and planning out how things are gonna go even down to the minute. It's a creative process that I really, really enjoy. And that class in particular, because it's not so much me telling the kids what to think, but how to think. So it's not a lecture based course 100% of the time, right. Because they have to learn how to analyze the documents. They have to learn how to extract the information. They have to learn how to think like a historian. So strategizing how to help them develop those skills. But then I also kind of really like the game of how to help them earn more points on the exam, right? It's kind of like a puzzle and I really enjoy kind of strategizing and creating, oh, this is gonna sound so nerdy, but like geeking out over building proficiency skills. That will, you know, help them get the most amount of points with the, this is also gonna sound awful, the least amount of effort. Because in this timed environment where they only have 60 minutes to collect these seven points, so, how can we max that out with without overexerting ourselves, if that makes sense.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I think it's great that you focus on strategy and content because it really is about both. And if you're just thinking content the rest of your life, then you can't make the most of what you know, or even your skills. Strategy is a really important part going forward.
    Tell me, does it change a lot from year to year what you're gonna be covering? Tell us about that. For those who don't know, there's a lot of training and preparation that goes into being an AP teacher.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    Yes and no. I would say it depends. I mean, there's a lot of training available for AP teachers, but we have to seek out that training. I have to give a little plug to my department or sorry, my district wide PLC. I work with three phenomenal teachers within our district. Laura Taylor at Riverton, Kelsie Berrett at Mountain Ridge and Caitlin Ackley at West Jordan. And we have, I dare say, one of the most highly functioning PLCs within our district. I've worked with these teachers, Laura Taylor, since the day I got this job. I reached out to her and she and Jenicee Jacobson kind of took me under their wing and gave me everything they had. And we've been working together ever since. So everything I'm able to accomplish is honestly because I have a team of teachers behind me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It makes all the difference to be able to work with great colleagues and feed off of each other and get those great ideas.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    Absolutely.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about why you decided to become a teacher. That wasn't your first career path.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    No, it wasn't. I wanted to be a teacher. So I had an amazing eighth grade teacher, US History, when I was in middle school and she made me wanna become a teacher. But honestly, when I got to college the sad reality is that income became an issue for me. And I know that like, especially back then, teachers didn't make a lot of money. And so I went in another direction. At the time, I was about 28 years old, I was not in a professional happy place. And so I really kind of had to sit down and think through like, what is the perfect profession for me? And just like, what qualities am I looking for in a job? And teaching fit the bill. I went back to school when I was 28 years old, got another degree in social science education and got my first job teaching when I was 31. So I've only been here for 11 years, but it definitely is my professional happy place.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I'm really glad you made the switch. What was it about your eighth grade social studies class that made such an impact? Tell me about that teacher. Tell me about that class.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    So her name was Mrs. Reed. I just remember her making it just so interesting. And I wanna say that was the first year my parents invested in a computer, you know, like the really big dinosaur that was $3,000 and it was hard for them to afford it. But Mrs. Reed had like these guided notes that we would do with all the activities. And I remember recreating them on my parents' brand new computer so that I could use them when I became a teacher. You know, like she just really got me interested. I remember specifically being really interested in the civil war based on what she presented. I don't know, like, she just made it fun and interesting.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You had a high school teacher that impacted you as well.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    I did. Mrs. Ballard at Skyline High School.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about Mrs. Ballard.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    She is a quirky, quirky little lady and she is just amazing. She never wore the same outfit twice in a school year. That was one of her things.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Now I'm just gonna pause right there because people who have not taught before don't realize how significant that is. Because I remember as a teacher, students know everything that you own. And I remember students commenting ‘Mr. Godfrey, your shoes and belt match. and most men can't pull that off. So well done.’ And I thought, wow, they are watching every single thing I do. So for you to remember that is really kind of funny to me because that's one of the things I remember about being a teacher is just that kids knew. They're like, ‘oh, that's my favorite tie.’ They always knew what your wardrobe was. but she always wore something different, all year.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    All year. I can't even imagine what her closet looked like.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what else do you remember about her?

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    Well, I was able to go back and student teach with her actually when I became a teacher, because I wanted to learn from her. She really had been one of those teachers that inspired me and I wanted to kind of emulate her. And I do a lot of things in my classroom today that I learned from her. So one of the things I really remember from my student teaching experience was the trust that she gave me. She really I mean, she mentored me certainly, but she also gave me the confidence to know that I was doing a good job and that I could do it. So she really, you know, took that step back and let me do what I do. And that trust, I think, really helped me become who I am as a teacher. Because I had been her student, I had that relationship and I already had that level of trust with her. I knew that she would take me down a good path and that she would really mentor me. I wanted to make sure I was working with a teacher that I respected, that I knew I could learn from, that I knew would really teach me how to be a better teacher.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about how you impact lives as a teacher. I know that's the biggest reward.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    It is, and it's why I'm here. And honestly, my very, very wonderful colleague who nominated me for this award, did so I think this year in particular, because as you know, it's been a rough couple of years and it's hard. It's been hard to know that we are making a difference. And so she used this opportunity to show me, and I'm sorry, I'm probably gonna get a little emotional. But she wanted to make sure that I was aware that even if things aren't the same this year as they were in years past, that I'm still making a difference, you know? And I think we may not hit every kid. We may not even hit every class. Right. But, we keep showing up and we keep trying. You know as a former teacher, like we go home and we sit with it and we think about like, what could I have done differently? What could I have said differently to make that situation better? Those are the things I need to hold onto in these years that are rough. Is that I still care. I still wanna come back and I still wanna do better. You know, I don't wanna give up.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    These two years have been so difficult and this year has been, I think, the most difficult I can remember and you've described well some of the reasons for that. You're right, we hold onto that when we go home and we worry about the kids and we worry about whether we're having an impact. The difficulty is, you don't always see that immediate impact. It's not like you look over the assignments or you stand at the front of the class and you get this constant feedback that you're having this lifelong impact. But I'm sure you've been surprised sometimes that the students that have come back and shared that with you when you didn't really realize just how much you were impacting their lives.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    Yes. I love that. In fact, just maybe a week or so ago, I got an email from a former student that's in college who emailed and just wanted to check in. And you know, those are really, really nice reminders that what we do does make a difference. Even if we can't see it in the moment.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    You work very hard as a teacher, you're very organized. There's lots of content. There are lots of skills that you're teaching them, but when they look back on your class, what do you want them to remember?

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    That they were loved. I mean, I honestly, at the end of the day, I don't care about the content. I know, I’m sorry, that probably sounds horrible. I'm here to teach them content. I'm here to teach them skills and I want them to get that. But at the end of the day you know, that's not what matters to them. They need to feel loved and cared about and valued. And, I will help them pass. I don't care about that. I don't care so much about the grade as I do about them as people. So I hope that they know that I cared and that I do take it home with me and that I do think about it and it does bother me, you know, when we have negative interactions or things don't go the way I planned them to go because I care about them.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's obvious that you care a lot about them and that you love your students. It's a real honor to sit and talk with you about it. And it's really thrilling that we have a teacher like you here at Copper Hills. I just appreciate everything you do to have an impact on students.

    Andrea Hinojosa:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back a conversation with Riverton High School's Carl Perkins Service Award winner, Trudy Pecorelli.

    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 at Riverton High School talking with Trudy Pecorelli, who is the recipient of the 2022 Carl Perkins Service Award at the Utah, ACTE Conference. So the Career and Technical Education Conference for the state. First of all, congratulations on winning this award.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It's really exciting. And I have to say, we posted about your receiving this award. We posted your picture a little bit about the award and it took off on social media. You have a lot of fans out there.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Thank you. I pay 'em well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, you have a large budget because you apparently paid a lot of people. There was a lot, there was a really strong response. This award is not based on Carl Perkins, the 1950s rocker that sang Blue Suede Shoes before anybody else did. It's based on your contribution to the community, your demonstrated leadership in providing programs and activities that promote student involvement in community service and just being an all around great teacher, connecting to kids and providing them amazing opportunities. So tell me a little bit about, tell me what you teach here at Riverton. There are a lot of things that you do at Riverton High. What do you teach? What do you coach? Tell us everything you do here.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    I was the first head coach here in 1999 and I was the head volleyball coach till 2011. And then I stepped down from that and that's when I was put in the classroom. I was in regular Health, but then I went to CTE and now I teach Intro to Health Science and Emergency Medical Responder, Yoga and Aerobics. And I do Driver's Ed after school. And I am the assistant Girls Golf coach.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's pretty amazing. You've got a long list of things that you're doing here. So let's start with the fact that you reinvented yourself halfway through your career. What drew you to these CTE classes that you've been teaching for over a decade now?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Well, when I stepped down from being the head coach that pretty much took me out of the gym. So I was given the opportunity to start teaching different classes in the classroom instead of just always being in the gym, because I was teaching Lifetime Fitness, Lifetime Sports, Team Sports, Weights classes, and stuff like that. So it was just a great opportunity because I did have that background in health as well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about the EMT class. What's involved? What are some of the things that a student comes away with from that class?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    I've been working with Richard Clayton down at the JATC down here and he's the one that teaches the EMT course. And so with that, we wanted to kind of give the kids a baseline, a better baseline before went down to do the Emergency Medical Technician. And so now we're offering Emergency Medical Responder here, Health 1200, through SLCC. So the kids do get concurrent credit as well. When they leave here, they will be first aid certified. Recently I was contacted by OSHA when we went to the ACTE Conference where I presented the National Library of Medicine win their displays. I was contacted by OSHA, because they found out that I was an EMT to help prepare a 10 hour course for public health professionals.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you’re an EMT.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    I am an EMT.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So this may be the safest interview I've conducted in a long time.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Let’s hope.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So tell me more about your presentation. I did hear that you presented at the National Conference just a few weeks ago.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Yeah, the one in New Orleans. Yeah, I presented the National Library of Medicine. John, I’ll have to look up his name, sorry, came to Denise Abbott. She is the HOSA state representative, to put together the presentation for the National Library of Medicine. And so Denise was contacted and we were able to come together and create a Nearpod to teach the students. And that's where we've presented at all the conferences. We wrote up lesson plans, so even if you have a sub plan for that day, that's something that the kids can follow along with. There is a self-paced guide as well as a teacher paced guide on how to use this Nearpod.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Great.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    And so with that, they can become a Level I Ambassador or a Level II Ambassador learning how to use the MedlinePlus.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what is MedlinePlus?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    It's the National Library of Medicine’s website. You can go on there and look up anything and it's accurate. Most people will say they'll just Google something. Well, that's not always the most accurate information. This is the most accurate information for health purposes. So if you have something, like my mom was diagnosed, so I went to the National Library of Medicine and was able to look up treatment options and everything for her.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I learned something new just now. That's great. Yeah. That's great. Tell me, why did you want to become a teacher in the first place?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    I've just always had influential teachers in my life. I'd stay after school, like, you know, the class nerd, whatever to talk to the teachers. Miss Ostermiller was phenomenal, and then I had great coaches all through junior high and high school that just kind of directed me. I've always been like active and wanting to participate in sports and stuff. And this just gave me an avenue to continue on that.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What were the sports you participated in high school?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    I lettered in volleyball and basketball and track and softball.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I've said this in the past, I just wish people like you could have thrown one sport to people like me. Just gimme one of those to be good at, you know. That's fantastic. So tell me, what is it that you love most about teaching now?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Just seeing how much opportunity kids have these days. It's amazing! Like, I'm into the help field obviously, but there's other avenues that the kids can find a niche in and just explore. Which is a great opportunity for them because we didn't have that near as much back in the day. For example, like my youngest son loves Auto and he's been able to just thrive in the auto industry thanks to great teachers like Jay Hales here, that has just given him that niche in life.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Like we've talked about, you teach a wide variety of classes. Is there some essential element that you hope kids take from all of your classes regardless of what they're enrolled in?

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    One thing about me I guess I could say is, I'm very passionate about what I do. For a kid to come up and say,’ Hey, I'm still participating in yoga,I  found it down at the gym.’ So after they leave high school that they're still participating and still active, that's that end. And anything in the classroom that they can walk away with, especially with a life skill.  I've been CPR certified since I was 12 years old and it's very important to me that people know that. People I know have had to use CPR and it has saved lives. So that to me is my passion. That if I can just help somebody get a little bit of passion for what they like especially again, the medical field and aim them in that direction, I feel accomplished.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, I just admire that you, throughout your career, since you were 12, getting CPR certified, you've cared about health. You've cared about physical wellbeing. And more than that, you've cared about making sure that students have great experiences. And you've been curious and intentional about jumping in and doing new things and then turning those experiences into opportunities for the students you serve. So that's very inspiring and I appreciate your taking the time and I really appreciate everything you're doing for the students here at Riverton High.

    Trudy Pecorelli:

    Thank you. This has been fun.

    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.

    23 min
  • Episode 133: A Lifesaving Story of Crossing Guards Keeping Kids Safe

    They are out in the rain, sleet, snow, and ice, protecting students from harm. We’re talking about school crossing guards.

    On this episode of the Supercast, we meet one of the many heroes helping to get students safely across busy streets to and from school each and every day. Hear how one amazing crossing guard recently saved a young life.

    Audio Transcription

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are out in the rain, sleet, snow, and ice, even when it is sunny and nice, protecting students from harm. We're talking about school crossing guards. On this episode of the Supercast, we meet one of the many heroes helping to get students safely across busy streets, to and from school, each and every day. Hear how one amazing crossing guard recently saved a young life.

    We are here outside Eastlake Elementary School talking to Lorena, one of the crossing guards. Thanks for taking time with us.

    Lorena:

    Yeah, my pleasure. I'm glad to be doing this.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How long have you been a crossing guard for Eastlake Elementary School?

    Lorena:

    I've been a crossing guard here for 11 years.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what made you want to start as a crossing guard? What interested you about that?

    Lorena:

    It was just a really fun part-time gig. I had little babies at the time, and so I could bring them with me in my car. Sit in my car for a little bit, cross kids. It’s just a good part-time job as a mom. And then I just, I started really loving my kids and just stayed here.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, kids start their day with you. You're really the first person that they see outside of the house. The first adult they see on their way to school. Tell me about what that means and what kind of relationship you're able to build as a result. Morning!

    Lorena:

    Good morning guys. The kids are awesome. Most kids are bright and, you know, ready to start their day. Good morning. How are you? Some kids are not morning people and they just kind of drag their feet. But yeah, I've seen kids grow up and seen little brothers and sisters come on towards the end, for as many years as I've been here. So it's been kind of nice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, 11 years would take someone from kindergarten to being able to drive. I know that you wouldn't see them past sixth grade, but do they ever stop back by and you see them through the neighborhood?

    Lorena:

    Yeah. I actually have one family who is really close to where I would park for crossing and they stop every now and then to say hi. And they're like, “Oh, hi!” and they know me and yeah. Their oldest, that I started crossing, she's I think a sophomore or a junior in high school now. It’s nice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow, that's really cool. So when you see kids in the morning, can you kind of tell whether they've had a bad start to the day already sometimes and you can check in with them?

    Lorena:

    Oh yes. All the time. We laugh when we say good morning and it's a ‘Good morning!” or grumble. Some kids tell you their whole life story in a matter of the 30 seconds that we cross them. And some kids just kinda drag their feet.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I can imagine, but it shows you how nice it is for kids to have a connection with someone they can share that with. What are some of the things that kids will tell you about their morning on their way in?

    Lorena:

    Oh, one little girl loves to share whether or not her grandma woke up in a good mood or not. And so it's fun. And she'll say, ‘she was great today’. Yesterday she told us something about the dog barking and so everyone was in a bad mood.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Wow. So you get the weather report on grandma every morning. How things are going to go. Tell me, do kids recognize you out in the wild as well?

    Lorena:

    Sometimes they do. I'm really bundled up. I get very cold. I'm a very cold person. So sometimes all you see is my eyes. And so they look at me kind of wondering, I know you from somewhere, but most of the time I do, I get recognized and they say hi.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So being a cold person, this is kind of a tough job. You're outside. It's a beautiful morning right now, but it's still a little crisp. So for a lot of the school year, you've really got to bundle up, I would think.

    Lorena:

    Oh yes, I wear at least 16 layers every day. It’s a little exaggerated.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    16 layers. That seems right. You can adjust to the moment that way.

    Lorena:

    Yeah, no, I do. I bundle up really well. And sometimes I ask myself why I continue, why I'm standing out in the freezing cold, but it's something I've grown to love. And as long as I'm bundled up and it's 45 minutes of my day.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What are the hours that you work?

    Lorena:

    So we start at 8:25 to give our early birds a little cushion and then end at 9:05 to give our late birds a cushion as well to get crossed.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And then after school what time are you here in the afternoon?

    Lorena:

    So, I'm only a morning crossing guard.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, okay.

    Lorena:

    I still have kids that need rides everywhere, so I've only done mornings and then I sub every now and then for afternoon crossings. But I only do mornings.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I guess I kind of assumed that everyone would do mornings and afternoons, but that would work out nicely. You'd do the morning and you're set for the day. Okay. Now, I understand that you had a close call in the recent past.

    Lorena:

    Yes. Yes, I did.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me about that. What happened?

    Lorena:

    It was just a regular morning. We were crossing kids towards the end of our crossing. We have a double crossing, so my other crossing guard, Heidi, was on her side and I was crossing on my side. Thankfully Heidi yelled, “Hey, Hey, Hey!” So I was able to turn my head and as I turned my head, this driver was just driving through. She was zoned out, didn't really see us in our big yellow jackets and our big stop sign. I had to kind of jump in front of the car as the student was walking. She was walking through, she was like between both of our crossing zones. And so thankfully I was just there at the right time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    When you describe that, jumping in front of a moving car, that is instinct. That's just that protective instinct of that child kicking in.

    Lorena:

    Yes. You know, I didn't think about it. I just knew that I had to get the driver's attention. Thankfully, she wasn't going very fast. She was just rolling through. I really think she was zoned out. She didn't see anything. She didn't see any one of us. And so when I got her attention, she was able to slam on her brakes.  A lot of people that drive through here, every now and then they just roll through our stop signs or roll through and we have to give them a nice wave and let them know we're here. And it's hard, especially when you're running late or when you are trying to get through. And we are trying to just make this safe for the kids and trying to teach the kids at the same time. ‘Hey, let's not just run through, or please get off your bike.’ And so it's a difficult spot to be put in to stop the kids and stop the cars at the same time.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How did it feel jumping in front of this car afterward? I mean, you did it in the moment. You didn't think about it. The girl was safe as a result of your actions. How did that feel after that happened? And you walked back to the corner?
    Lorena:

    I just said, thank God that I was there. Okay. And then we moved on. It just happened so quickly. We get a lot of loud cars. It just happened so quickly that I didn't really think about it until afterwards. I was a little shaken up, but then my day just kind of continued. And I was, I was just grateful to be there and to have the student cross safely. And that was it.

    Anthony Godfrey:
    And the child's mother sent you a letter, is that right?

    Lorena:

    Yes. She sent me a letter. I kind of had completely forgotten about the incident. That was just, I guess it's just part of the job. You just have to move on or else you can't really do your job correctly. And so she stopped me and she gave me some gloves, which was really cute.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, that's nice.

    Lorena:

    And then she did, she wrote me a letter. She said that her daughter really remembered the incident, and it kind of made her whole day. She came home, talking about it. And so she signed it, a grateful mom.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    That's incredible. Very impactful obviously for you to save that child. But on top of that, she'll never forget it. And neither will her mom, that's for sure.

    Lorena:

    Yeah. Yeah. So I was, I was just grateful to be there at the right time. We see any close calls with cars or, you know, things that we're not able to get to as fast as we would like to get to. So I was just grateful to be there. And I was grateful for my other crossing guard who was able to notify me, cuz my back was actually turned to the car.  I turned my back. I look the other way to make sure other cars are stopped. And so I was grateful for my partner,  because if she didn't yell, then I wouldn't have been able to turn around and stop the car.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well that emphasizes the teamwork that's required for it to keep kids safe.

    Lorena:

    Yeah. It definitely is. Our four-way stop is definitely a team work here. This is Maddie.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Hi Maddie.

    Maddie:

    Hi!

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How are you?

    Maddie:

    Good.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you remember the day that car was coming your way?

    Maddie:

    Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Can you tell me about it?

    Maddie:

    So I was walking my scooter and the cross guard was out. And I think this girl wasn't paying attention and then she jumped in front and helped me.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And how did that feel to you that she would jump in front of a car for you?

    Maddie:

    That made me really, really happy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah. And you told your mom that day and what did your mom think of that?

    Maddie:

    She was very, very happy.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And so your mom wrote a letter that you brought to the crossing guard. Right? What else did you bring her?

    Maddie:

    We got her a gift card.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Oh, that's very kind. That's very kind. What grade are you in?

    Maddie:

    2nd.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What do you like most about school?

    Maddie:

    I just like my teacher. She's really, really nice.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Who's your teacher?

    Maddie:

    Ms. Staley.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    It sounds like you're surrounded by lots of nice people, your mom, crossing guard and teacher. That makes for a good day. Doesn't it?

    Maddie:

    It does.

    Maddie:

    I love your pink hair by the way.

    Maddie:

    Thanks.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Have a great day.

    Maddie:

    Okay.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, thank you very much for taking the time. And thanks for the work that you do keeping kids safe, coming to school. It's so important and I've come to value it even more as Superintendent as I travel around the District. We couldn't do it without you and it means a lot. So thanks for taking the time that you do over more than a decade. That's awesome.

    Lorena:

    Yeah, it's my pleasure. I love these kids and I'm in awe of crossing guards that have a bigger crossing than me because that takes a lot of diligence and a lot of time as well. So I really admire all the rest of our crossing guards as well.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. I only have one last question. Do crossing guards tell why did the chicken cross the road jokes?

    Lorena:

    No we don't, but I do have a lot of dad jokes that I keep in my back pocket to try to get kids to smile.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    All right. All right. Throw me a dad joke.

    Lorena:

    Oh no, I'm on the spot. Why did Cinderella get kicked off the baseball team?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    I don't know. Why?

    Lorena:

    Because she kept running away from the ball.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Okay. Very good. Thank you. Thank you.

    Lorena:

    It’s my pleasure.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Stay with us. When we come back, hear from more crossing guards who simply love the job of keeping kids safe.

    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:

    Heidi, you yelled. That's the reason Lorena was able to see that there was a car coming, a child in the way and jump in between. Describe that for me.

    Heidi:

    I just expected this car to stop and it wasn't, so I hurried and yelled out to Lorena as fast I could. I didn't know if I should throw my stop sign or what else, but a yell was all I could do right then.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And what did you yell?

    Heidi:

    Like, ‘Hey, there's a car! Stop!” I didn't know if I was gonna get Lorena's attention or the car, if they could hear me through their window, but just a loud ‘Hey, stop!’ You know?

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So do you see a lot of phones out when people are driving?

    Heidi:

    Yeah, constantly. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And not just connected to Bluetooth, like in their hands.

    Heidi:

    In their hands, looking at the screen as they're driving right here around the school. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Well, it's a good reminder. Keep your eyes on the road and make sure that you're paying attention to what's going on around you.

    Heidi:

    It can be very quick. You don't know.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    We're here with Deanne who oversees crossing guards for South Jordan City. How are you? Thanks for joining us.

    Deanne:

    Yes, absolutely. Thank you.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Tell me how many crossing guards are there in South Jordan? We have a lot of schools in South Jordan.

    Deanne:

    We do. Okay. You're putting me on the spot. Let me think. We have 32. 32 crossing guards.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    32 crossing guards.

    Deanne:

    Yep. And we have probably 11 that’re subs. And then the rest are just like your regular. They do like a morning and an afternoon, or sometimes just a morning shift or sometimes just an afternoon shift. So Heidi does both. She does a morning and an afternoon. And then Lorena just does her morning shift and then Megan has an afternoon shift, but then she's also a sub that will fill in a lot of times for guards in the mornings.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So Megan, you've worked at a lot of different schools, a lot of different intersections. Tell me what you see at different intersections in different schools.

    Megan:

    Oh goodness. I was gonna say they can be busier. They can be not as busy.

    Deanne:

    So's there's some schools that have the flashing lights. You have to get there ahead of time and you turn on those flashing lights. We’re there usually before the buses come, before the parents are starting to drop off kids to get those lights and stuff on, we make sure that we get our cone in the proper place for the traffic, to kind of help do traffic. Sometimes we cross some streets that are like a four way, a four lane. And a lot of times we just have one guard. So we have to be very cautious of making sure that we make eye contact with the driver before we actually start crossing the street to make sure that they see us and we see them. And then once we make sure we have our traffic under control, then we will use, you know, hand motions and kind of wave the kids on. So that once we have the traffic all stopped and everybody sees us, then that's when we wave the kids on to go ahead and cross with us.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you probably get lots of questions about where the regular crossing guard is.

    Megan:

    Yes I do. Yep.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    They're always wondering, so where are they? What's going on?

    Megan:

    Yes. If I'm subbing in the mornings, they're, you know where’s so and so, and, I don't quite know. You know, they could be at a doctor's appointment. They could be on, you know, vacation.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    So you're just ready to leap into action every morning when a substitute is needed.

    Megan:

    Yes. Yeah. Deanne's really good about letting me know, usually the night before. We're good about letting her know if we're gonna be somewhere, unless you're sick and you just wake up sick with sick kids or, you know.

    Deanne:

    A lot of times those sick ones, if they call me and they are out sick, then that's usually where I will go and jump in and fill in those spots because it's such short notice.

    Megan:

    You’re good about that.

    Deanne:

    Super short notice when they call in and they've got sick kids or they're, they've been up all night.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    What are some of the misconceptions about crossing guards that you hear?

    Megan:

    A lot of people assume that I work for the school. So they'll come and they'll expect me to know all the school stuff. And I only do for this school because my daughter goes here. But last year I was like, I have no idea. So that's a big misconception. We don't work for the school. We work for the city.

    Deanne:

    For the police department, we actually work for the police department. Yeah.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Right. And I actually get that same question sometimes about crossing guards. It's kind of like when you're shopping in a store and people think that you work there.

    Megan:

    When you're wearing red at Target.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Exactly.

    Deanne:

    Because I think they see it's like a volunteer job. So I think they think that we're just like here to volunteer, which we do. We love it, but it's actually, you know, you actually get paid for the shift that we're here. Each shift is about a 35 to 40 minute shift and we get paid $15 a shift. So it's actually not bad. Like when I started doing it, my daughter went to Welby and one of my friends that worked for South Jordan City, she's like, you seriously should sign up and be a crossing guard. She's like, you are here every morning dropping your daughter off. You're here in the afternoon, picking her up. And I'm like, oh yeah, maybe I should. And so I did. And really you just kind of get paid to take your kid to school.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do there tend to be openings now and then?

    Deanne:

    We always have openings. We would love to have even a few more subs, you know, just to kind of be able to use a few more, to fill in our spots.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    How would someone apply if they're interested?

    Deanne:

    Do, you know what, if they just go on the South Jordan website and you can go down to job applications, or job opportunities I think is what it is. And you can just click right there and it will take you right to it. You actually are applying to be a crossing guard sub, is what the position is. We always have regular spots that if you wanted to do like a regular morning or morning and afternoon or vice versa. So, we kind of like to start them as a sub just to kind of give them a feel for, you know, the different corners. And then we try to do our best to work in like which school is close to their home, where do maybe their kids go. Different things like that. We try and take that into consideration so that it's not, you're driving all over South Jordan to get to your spot when you live on one end and you have to drive clear to the other end.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Do you have some crossing guards that have just no connection and decide that, you know, I want to drive in and do it?

    Deanne:

    Yeah. Oh yeah Lorena she doesn't and same with Sarge. Like Sarge actually, you know, he's an older gentleman and he doesn't have kids that actually go there. He doesn't even really live there. He started there because he lived closer, but he's moved. But now he's just like a staple over there. I don't know if he can ever leave. And Lorena too, she just kind of comes in.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    And once you get the nickname Sarge, you kind of want to keep coming back. I mean you’re in charge.

    Deanne:

    You kind of have to. He's in charge.

    Anthony Godfrey:

    Yeah, no question.

    Deanne:

    He is the man in charge. Like I said, when he was out sick, that corner really did not run the same without him because he knows everybody by name.

    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.

    21 min

About Jordan Supercast

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The Jordan School District Podcast Starring Superintendent Anthony Godfrey

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