Supercast

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It will help keep everyone safe and informed in the event of an emergency in one of our schools. It's called Standard Response Protocol, or SRP, and it provides consistent and clear language and actions for all students, staff, first responders and parents. It is language that can be applied in any emergency situation.

On this episode of the Supercast, find out why SRP is now being used statewide and why knowing the language is essential to everyone to help keep our schools safe.

Today we are at the South Jordan City Public Safety Building to talk with School Safety Coordinator from Jordan School District, Matt Alvernaz, and Sergeant Eric Anderson, who oversees the school resource officers in our schools for South Jordan City. Gentlemen, thank you very much for taking time to talk with us about the new terminology and the new actions that are in place for schools to take in case of emergency.

One of the things that's exciting about this is that everyone in the state is on board now, and this is terminology that's going to mean the same action and means that we take the same action throughout the state, which is really going to help. But before we dive in, just give me a little introduction about yourself.

Matt Alvernaz:
So I'm Matt Alvernaz. I'm the School Safety Coordinator. Prior law enforcement of 14 years. Before that I did four years with the Army as a ranger in special operations, and now work with the Jordan School District. I was a school resource officer myself, so I do have experience in the schools as well, and it's been an enjoyable transition. And I'm now the trainer of trainers for the standard response protocols for Jordan School District.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
As Anthony said, Sergeant Eric Anderson, I am with the South Jordan City Police Department. I've been with South Jordan for over 22 years. I actually joined in 2001 with every intention of leaving, and I never did.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're glad you didn’t.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
Yes, no, it's been great here. I've worked in investigations- eight years in there, SWAT team 12 years. Like Anthony said, I now manage our SROs, and I'm a myriad of other things, but that's my primary responsibility.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the unique assignment, both of you, of being an SRO in a school as compared with being an officer in other roles.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
There's a different mindset when you step into a school, mainly because you're working with the school staff, as opposed to just working as a law enforcement officer. What that typically means is when something happens in the school that requires police intervention, you really have to kind of put on the brakes before any decisions move forward.

And so an example I would give you is vapes. An officer walks into a bathroom, sees some kids using a vape, and they confiscate the vape, take the kids to the school administration, the principal, the VP, and they just discuss what to do with that. You know, does the kid have prior incidents involving the same crime, things of that nature, and then they make a determination on where to go from there.

That's different from the patrol aspect. On patrol, you would just most likely issue a citation for a tobacco violation or THC violation of that. So that's really the main difference is you're taking that partnership with the district, with the administration, to decide on what's best for that kid.

Matt Alvernaz:
Police in the schools has become the earliest form of proactive policing. Really getting ahead of decision-making before crimes occur years in the future. To help these kids have a better relationship with law enforcement and to help make better decisions in education and having that exposure there.

So the degree of discretion while you're in the schools kind of broadens. It's not so much black and white. Patrol guys have discretion as well, but it's more, there's the enforcement mindset to it. This is more of a development and correction mindset. Like he said, you know, pump the brakes and take a different approach because these are kids, and we want them to be successful. So we're going to proactively partner schools with law enforcement to help these kids make good decisions and become better people.

Anthony Godfrey:
I agree with all that, and to me a key component is the relationship. The relationship that you develop with students means actually you get information about what kids need and what's happening in the school so you can prevent issues and solve problems in advance. And that's where I've seen it be really effective is I'm impressed with the level of relationship officers are able to develop with students and how helpful that is in creating a safe and productive and positive environment for everyone.

To me an essential component of keeping schools safe is a close working relationship with our municipalities and police departments in particular. Tell us about the relationship between Jordan District and South Jordan Police from your perspective.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
So yeah, no, I agree 100% with that. You know, going back to working with Lance Everill, who you replaced, Matt. So yeah, even from that, just that communication is huge. The training aspects are huge. Being able to be on the same page as far as all this goes when it comes down to terminology and how each school is going to react to an incident, whether it be minor or an urgent emergency. So it's really important that we're all on the same page.

Matt Alvernaz:
Yeah, all this training and everything we're doing is very much a collaborative effort. When I'm trying to conduct trainings or put things together for safety concerns, I talk to the law enforcement agencies, our agencies we're here with, especially South Jordan. For example, we have a meeting later today. They're going to help me vet some ideas that we have on different safety options. So that working relationship is huge to keep the communication going with the public as well. Help to build trust with the students in the community, with us as education and in law enforcement.

It's been an ongoing effort, but for me, moving into it, I tell you, it's been pretty seamless. This relationship has been here and it's been strong.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you've done a tremendous job, and South Jordan has always been a wonderful partner. So it's really great to have your officers in our schools, and I think they're a much better place for it. Much safer and a very positive, productive environment as a result.

Before we go through the five protocols, I just want to mention at the top of the poster, and you'll see this on the website if you follow the link in the show notes, it says, "In an emergency, take action." That's the main thing. People get kind of paralyzed when an emergency comes or when there's an announcement or a drill. So we are going to be continuing to drill these in our schools to be sure that people are ready to take action in case of an emergency.

Matt Alvernaz:
Absolutely. I was going to say that we are drilling. We've increased the amount of drilling we're doing. We're doing monthly trainings for the schools on each of these drills, and then the schools are then turning around and implementing those into it. So we can expect that communication home for parents to hear about these things. Kids coming home saying, "Hey, we did this new drill. We've never heard of it." And so an idea of each month as we do this, it becomes standard, as it's called, and we know what to do, and new parents know what to expect, and the kids know what to expect, and it continues to progress from there.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
I'm going to double down on what you said, Anthony, of freezing. I mean, if you think of the three Fs, fight, flight, or freeze, freeze is absolutely the worst thing you can do. When you do nothing, that's when things can exponentially get worse. So I'm just going to double down on what you said there.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the fact that these are actions and protocols and you do something under each of these is important to remember.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
Take action. Take action is a great explanative at the top of the sign.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back more about SRP, our standard response protocol.

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now let's talk about the standard response protocol. This is a statewide list of actions we take in case of emergency and new terminology associated with those actions. There are five protocols, hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, and shelter. Let's start with hold. Tell me what hold means and when we would use that.

Matt Alvernaz:
Hold is a new one that's been added. It's something that's going to be unfamiliar to a lot of students and parents at home. It's basically just calling a time-out. Any time that the school needs to say, "Hey, we don't care what the bell's about to ring or what's about to happen, we're just going to tell everybody to stay in your class, stay in your area, just hold."

Maybe there's debris or something in the hallway, you know, a pipe breaks, and we need to keep students away from that. Maybe there's a medical emergency, we need to keep the hallways clear for responders. Or any other reason that the school decides, "Hey, you know what? Let's just call a time-out and keep everybody in class." It could last five minutes, it could be a little bit longer, but typically it's not something that's going to be prolonged, but it's just a good tool that can be used in conjunction with any of these other response options as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
So under Hold, and each protocol has a list of actions for students and for adults. Students clear the hallways, and remain in their room until the all-clear is announced. They continue with business as usual, and adults are responsible to close and lock the door, account for students and adults, and also continue with business as usual.

Matt Alvernaz:
Correct, and the big difference on this is it's not like an emergency where there's an attacker or a threat that's actively coming after people. So students can be let in and out of these locked doors. They can be, you know, it's low-key. It's more just like, "Hey, we're just dealing with something." Everybody just kind of pause for a second.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's talk about secure.

Matt Alvernaz:
Yeah, so secure has been around, but we've known it as lockout. We've changed that terminology because lockout gets confused with lockdown. Lockdown's a little bit more intense of a protocol and response so we've seen inadvertent panic, we've seen confusion. What exactly is lockout? Or people, you know, slip of the tongue, meaning to say lockout but saying lockdown.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Matt Alvernaz:
So we've changed that to secure. Secure means that there's a threat or a hazard of some nature outside the building. We're securing the inside. We're just going to lock the exterior doors and windows. We're going to keep everything out. We're going to modify the access. So depending on what the reason is, maybe there's a wild animal outside. We want to bring the students in. We want to lock the outside doors. We don't want this animal to get in. We don't want the students to get hurt. As maybe a parent doesn't know, they come to the door. We can modify that access and allow them in.

Maybe we do have information of police activity nearby that's unrelated to the school, but something that could pose a hazard or a threat to the school potentially. We're just going to, again, we're going to lock it down. We're going to secure it, and we're not going to let anybody in because we don't know what that threat is until we have better communication with law enforcement. Which, again, goes back to our partnership because we typically know exactly what's going on as we need to know it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And secure is often going to be put in place just as a precaution. If there's police activity anywhere near a school, “Hey, just in case, let's keep kids inside.” It doesn't necessarily mean that there's a serious incident where you're worried about harm to students, it's just a precaution.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
That's correct. The best example I gave you was actually not too long ago. We had a person flee from us in a vehicle near Bingham High School, and so the SRO at that school overheard this on the radio. At the time, we were still using the old lockdown/lockout terminology. He asked them to go into lockout mode. They actually went into lockdown mode, exactly what Matt said. There was some confusion there, which scared kids, which ended up resulting in a lot of texts going out to parents. But it was really just to make sure if that vehicle that was fleeing from law enforcement had stopped, crashed, or anything near the school, that individual or individuals wouldn't have access to the school.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that's a good example of why secure is a good term in place of previous lockout. So, secure, get inside, lock outside doors for students. The instructions are return to inside of the building, continue with business as usual, and for adults, bring everyone indoors, lock the outside doors, increase situational awareness, and account for students and adults. So, that's hold and secure now. Now we move to lockdown.

Matt Alvernaz:
Lockdown is definitely, we've progressed now. There's a threat inside the building, or at least we believe there to be a threat inside the building. In this case, we don't need to worry about securing the outside, because we already believe the threat is inside. So, we're going to lock all the doors inside. We're going to lock and secure there. We're going to do as it says here, "locks lights out of sight." And that's huge. We need to make sure that students know to be aware that they need to darken and silence their cell phones.

Now, we're not trying to prevent communication at home, because we do actually encourage that. We want that. But we want it to be in a way that's safe, and that we can keep cell towers clear enough for those who need to use it, emergency responders and whatnot. And then wherever it might be, whatever room you might be in or near, you need to go in there and lockdown, stay quiet. And this will be followed by an evacuation, which will be police-led in a real situation, room by room.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
So, and to add to that, I think understanding that this is going to be a lengthy period of time.

If we go into a lockdown with an actual incident occurring, the time it's going to take for law enforcement to go through that school, whether it's an elementary school or high school, it's going to take quite a while. They're going to be meticulous. The only time that that changes and goes to a dynamic type of response is when there's something actively occurring, and the officers that have responded can hear stuff that's occurring. And they're going to run and rush to that situation. When there's nothing going on it's going to be methodical, and it's going to take a lot of time. So just understand that it's not going to be quick.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's also going to be rare. It's only going to be in extreme circumstances that we go into a lockdown. Whereas, because of what you referenced earlier, I think that happened a lot more frequently because of the confusion about a lockdown or a lockout.

So lockdown is “locks, lights, out of sight.” For students, they move away from sight, maintain silence, do not open the door. Adults recover students from the hallway if possible, lock the classroom door, turn out the lights, move away from sight, maintain silence, don't open the door. And prepare to evade or defend if we're in a serious situation.

Matt Alvernaz:
Correct. Yeah, we teach the avoid, deny, defend. And that was something that was developed out of Texas with the alert. And yeah, so you have those options to add to it. So as something's unfolding in front of you, you have the options to avoid if you can. Deny access is what we're looking for. And in a worst-case scenario, like you said, defend. We have the right to survive. Everybody has the right to life and survive. And there's no need to not take action. And if that means defend, you defend.

Anthony Godfrey:
It does take a while, but when that lockdown is over, what is that going to look like? What does the end of a lockdown look like?

Matt Alvernaz:
Yeah, so like I said, it's going to be like a police-led evacuation. Now, we don't release lockdowns through a PA and that's through safety precautions. We don't want false releases given by someone else. We want to make sure that everybody is who they are and where they are supposed to be.

So as we go through the building, police will lead it, and they will unlock every classroom one by one. They will give commands. And most of the time, those commands are going to be stern of making sure your hands are visible, making sure you're following directions. They're going to guide you out of the classroom and out into the evacuation area. So that one by one, the evacuation will begin. And like I said, it'll be slow, methodical, and patience is definitely going to be needed for this.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. The next protocol is evacuate. Talk about evacuate.

Matt Alvarnez:
Evacuate is something that's been around for a long time. We've been doing this for fire drills. We've been doing it with everything we have, you know, earthquake drills or what it might be.

Evacuate is just that. We're going in a calm manner. We're not like a kindergarten cop all rushing out and always carrying several students in his arms and screaming. But, you know, they do the calm manner depending on why we're evacuating. Whether it's a lockdown, it'll be a police-led evacuation. It'll be slow and methodical. But the typical evacuation is going to be, you know, a fire alarm going off. We're going to gather our safety equipment. Every classroom has a tactical emergency care kit and other things that would be needed. And we're going to get to a safe area. Whether that's the primary or secondary, these things are predetermined or predesignated. Maybe the primary area is blocked off by something. So we need to go to the secondary. And so this is something that's been around a long time. We're pretty good at evacuating.

Anthony Godfrey:
We've done a lot of evacuation drills over the years. So for students, leave your things behind if you're required to. If possible, bring your phone. Follow instructions. And for adults, lead students to the evacuation location. Account for students and adults and notify authorities if anyone is missing, injured, or if you have extra students that you grabbed who happen to be close by in the hall or whatever else so we can account for everybody quickly. And as indicated here, sometimes there may be an alternate location depending on the reason for the evacuation. Our last one is shelter. Talk about what shelter means under these new protocols.

Matt Alvarnez:
So shelter is a response to a hazard or some sort of natural disaster. Whether it be weather or a chemical spill, or something of that nature. And this is where we're going to need to stay inside. We're not worried about maintaining access from people or threats of that kind. It's more of like if noxious gases, fumes, we want to keep the kids inside, keep them safe, come away from the windows or blizards, weather situations. We want to be able to seal the windows, turn off the ventilation system, and get to a safe area.

We might be there for a while because it is shelter. And this is where the kids will be housed, where everybody in there will be housed, and kept safe until we have a new plan to get everybody reunited at home and safe where they need to be.

Anthony Godfrey:
And at any rate, we have some very specific plans in each school if we do need to shelter for a longer period of time. So just to sum up, there's hold where you stay in your room, secure where you lock the outside doors, lockdown where you lock all of the internal doors and you're out of sight and the lights are out, evacuate which is the traditional fire drill where you're outside of the building, and shelter where you kind of hunker down based on some natural disasters or some unnatural disasters with maybe a hazmat situation.

So that's the list of protocols, and it's not just that we have this poster in every classroom, but we are training staff in every building. We're drilling on this and we're going to continue to train on this, and our municipalities are trained on these same protocols as well.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
Yes, we disseminated this information after going to Matt's training not too long ago to our entire patrol staff, our investigations unit, every sworn officer in the department was South Jordan City Police Department. We've all been educated on this. It's been part of our morning briefings, afternoon briefings, graveyard briefings. So this information's really been mixed around the entire department.

Anthony Godfrey:
Matt, anything else to add?

Matt Alvernaz:
Yeah, one thing that I can't stress enough is the level of communication. The school district is going to do everything we can to get information out as quickly as possible as accurately as possible. Students don't have that responsibility. They have text messages. They have social media. They have all this ability to put out any rumor they hear. And for us to move at the speed of rumor is irresponsible and dangerous.

We do not try to withhold any information by any means. We want to get that as quickly as possible because our parents are another huge partner to this community. The partnership that we have with the police department, us, and you guys are very much involved. But I can't stress enough to please understand that information you might be hearing from students, which you most likely will hear first, is more than likely inaccurate. So we will get that information out as quickly as possible when it's safe and responsible to do so.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you both for taking the time today to talk with me about these new protocols. I really feel great about the level of clarity. I'm excited to continue the training and really get us all on the same page. We'll keep preparing for the worst and expecting the best. And just thank you both for the roles you play in keeping our students and our schools safe.

Matt Alvernaz:
Thank you.

Sergeant Eric Anderson:
Yeah, thank you for having me.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are twins attending West Jordan High School in their sophomore year, and they are only having their fourth birthday. At Antelope Canyon Elementary School, a longtime second-grade teacher is finally celebrating her 16th birthday.

On this episode of the Supercast, we find out what it's like to have a leap year birthday. A birthday that comes around just once every four years on February 29th, when the year is actually 366 days long instead of the regular 365. Are leap year birthday folks forever young? Let's find out as we talk to them today on their actual leap year birthday.

Come right in here. Let's do the birthday interview today. And we actually have from the Nutrition Services staff here at West Jordan High School a little birthday cake for each of you with some balloons. So happy birthday to the three of you. Alright grab some cake and let's talk about this birthday of yours. We're here at West Jordan High School with two students and a teacher who share February 29th as their birthday. And because the podcast comes out on Thursdays, we thought we'd talk with them today on the day of their birthday and celebrate with them and talk a little bit about what it's like to have kind of a non-day as your birthday. So let's have the twins introduce themselves first.

Luke Pearson:
I'm Luke Pearson.

Melanie Pearson:
And I'm Melanie Pearson.

Lucinda Preece:
And Lucinda Preece.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Lucinda you teach at Antelope Canyon. How long have you been teaching in Jordan District?

Lucinda Preece:
39 years.

Anthony Godfrey:
39 years, wow. Nearly four decades of teaching. Yeah, we love that you've been here.

Lucinda Preece:
Lots of birthdays here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, that's right. But a lot fewer than I've had, right? How many birthdays have you had?

Lucinda Preece:
I've had 16 official birthdays.

Anthony Godfrey:
16 official birthdays.

Lucinda Preece:
Sweet 16.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you've had 16 birthdays and the two of you are turning 16 today, is that correct?

Melanie Pearson:
Yes, but officially it's our fourth birthday, like big day birthday.

Anthony Godfrey:
For your fourth birthday, you're turning 16. She's had 16 birthdays. Worlds are colliding right now. Now here's the first thing. I don't know exactly what to call you. Do you have names for yourselves because you share this birthday? Are you leapers? Are you leaplings? What exactly is the proper term? Does anybody know?

Lucinda Preece:
I don't. I've heard on the radio, leapers is kind of a big thing right now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Leapers? It sounds a little close to leper though.

Lucinda Preece:
I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
I don't know if that's really what you want. I'm going to go with leapling. So tell me how does it feel to be a leapling? Tell me what that's like.

Melanie Pearson:
I don't know. For me it just kind of feels the same. I don't know. I've never known anything different. But it's cool because people can remember your birthday easier. I don't know. They're like, “Oh yeah, you're born on leap days.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah. So people do remember your birthday more frequently. And you've got your twin brother here so you at least have someone to share it with. How about for you? What is it like for you?

Luke Pearson:
It is kind of nice because people always remember my birthday.

Anthony Godfrey:
Not anything that impactful in your life. So how about for you? Have you met before today? Have you met other leaplings?

Lucinda Preece:
You know, one year I actually had a student in my class who was a leap-year baby. And it was a leap year so we celebrated together with the class. I felt really lucky that that happened.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you met them in a leap year. That's awesome. So let's talk about other years. Today we get to celebrate with you. But what do you do in other years when you don't have a birthday? Do you celebrate it all? Or do you just save it up so that every four years it feels particularly special?

Luke Pearson:
Well usually on the 28th we just have a party and stuff.

Melanie Pearson:
We kind of just treat the 28th like it's our birthday. I don't think my parents would want to deprive us of it. “No, we need to save some extra money so…” I'm just kidding.

Lucinda Preece:
I actually grew up celebrating mine on March 1st. Just figuring it was whatever day would have been the day after the 28th. So that's why we just have always had March 1st. It's been kind of fun because I feel like on the non-leap years people aren't really sure what day so I kind of get two days. Do you notice that too? Yeah, and then I always did March 1st but then since Facebook came about it just sticks me on the 28th so I started getting all of these birthday wishes on the 28th so woohoo, kind of stretch it out there. Do you find that too?

Anthony Godfrey:
You said the same thing happens for you.

Melanie Pearson:
Like last year lots of people knew my birthday was the 29th but on the 28th they told me happy birthday but then some people were like on March 1st they told me. So it was like a two-day celebration. It's pretty fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you deserve that since you don't get any day some years so hopefully that starts to help make up for it. I did a little research. In 1712 in Sweden when they were switching from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar it was actually a February 30th. So I felt really bad for those people.

So if you were in Sweden born in 1712 on February 30th you really only had one birthday and that was the day that you were actually born so that would have been too bad. So see it could be worse, it could be worse. How about capitalizing leap year? Nobody capitalizes leap year. Does that feel like something that should be happening?

Melanie Pearson:
I don't know.

Lucinda Preece:
I do have a leap year shirt on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh let's see.

Lucinda Preece:
Yeah, and I actually bought three because I couldn't decide on one. I think it says February 29th birthday something about being so awesome that the world could only handle it once every four years.

Anthony Godfrey:
I like it. I like it. That’s awesome.

Lucinda Preece:
So somebody made money on capitalizing

Anthony Godfrey:
That’s awesome. Well, it is very rare. We have nearly 58,000 students in Jordan School District and there are only 43 students who have a birthday today, and you're two of them. So there just aren't very many. And we have 9,000 employees and we only have 11 employees out of those 9,000 who have a birthday today.

Lucinda Preece:
Amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is pretty rare.

Lucinda Preece:
I'll thank my mom.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what plans do you guys have for today? Do you have big birthday plans today or this weekend?

Luke Pearson:
We're probably going to have our family come over later today. And then probably, I don't know, we'd probably hang out with our friends but I might go to–

Melanie Pearson:
St. George.

Luke Pearson:
Yeah, St. George with my dad because he wants to go to a four-wheeling thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you?

Melanie Pearson:
I don't know. Just hanging out with my family and maybe my friends this weekend. I don't know. Nothing too special.

Lucinda Preece:
We're kinda the same. Dinner with family tonight and then lunch with some friends on Saturday.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well that sounds fantastic. Now are there leap day sales? Leap into savings? Is this like a big day for– I mean, I think companies find any excuse that they can to try to email us about a sale coming up.

There's a leap year movie with Amy Adams about the Irish tradition where supposedly women ask men. Women propose to men on leap day as an Irish tradition. So that's a movie based on that, and there's also 30 Rock. Anyone who watches 30 Rock, there's the one where they have a mascot for leap day. Kind of like the Easter Bunny but for leap day. It's a very odd kind of wacky episode.

So it's hard for me to remember all of my 54 birthdays but because you've only had four, is there one that stands out for you?

Melanie Pearson:
No, not really. I don't know. It's kind of just always a party. I don't know.

Lucinda Preece:
I've had a lot but I just kind of enjoy every one of them. I think one year– I usually don't take it off for school because it's a fun time to celebrate with the kids. So we've done like leapfrog things before you know for leaping and then that one that I had with my student was pretty special.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I imagine elementary students have a really good time with February 29th. I kind of get to really be a kid again so that's fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
I wondered about this when you're filling out a form. Is it in the drop down menu that asks for your birthday? Does it say February 29th ever? My birthday's in June so I have no idea. Or do you just have to put the 28th or March 1st? Do you just have to choose a different birthday?

Luke Pearson:
You usually have to put the year and then it'll show up as the 29th option. So like if you just try to pick 29th sometimes it's just not there until you put the year into the...

Melanie Pearson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh okay. So 16 years ago, what year were you born then?

Luke Pearson:
2008.

Anthony Godfrey:
So in 2008 it was a leap year.

Lucinda Preece:
And I find the same thing when I try to put a date in. I have to go forward to the year and then I was like “Oh yeah, you're right. Okay you were born on the 29th.”

Anthony Godfrey:
So it gives you the option based on the year. Okay that's great. Tell us a little bit more about yourselves here at West Jordan High School. You’re sophomores at West Jordan? How soon is the driving going to start now that you've turned 16?

Melanie Pearson:
Whenever they reach out for roads they're a little behind here. So whenever we can do our road tests and stuff we'll get it. I'm very excited to drive but they're a little behind.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now do you have–

Lucinda Preece:
I've been driving a long time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you've been driving a long time so you're all set. So they turned 16. This is your 16th birthday. Do you have any wisdom to share after all of these February 29th?

Lucinda Preece:
I would just say suck it in on those years that it's for real, but even the non years take those in because you know you have two or three days people just kind of celebrate you. And the uniqueness for conversation. That's pretty fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I don't think I've ever met anyone with a birthday on February 29th so I really appreciate your spending your birthday and leap day with me here this morning and I wish you a very happy birthday and a handful more birthdays to come.

Lucinda Preece:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you to Colbie Summarell and Allison Morgan from Nutrition Services here at West Jordan High School for baking these cakes for these students and this teacher on leap day on their birthday. We really appreciate your support.

Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today even if today only comes around every four years. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was an evening of fun traveling back in time to 1984 when Joel P. Jensen Middle School first opened its doors. Joel P. Jensen recently threw a big birthday bash to commemorate four decades of being at the heart of their community.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the 80s style party where everyone was having fun celebrating 40 years of history, making memories, building friendships, and educating students.

We are here at Joel P. Jensen celebrating 40 years of Joel P. Jensen. It's an exciting time. Introduce yourselves and tell me about your relationship with Joel P. Jensen, the middle school, not the man, and how long you have been here.

Aaron Hunter:
Aaron Hunter, principal, off and on at Joel P. for a decade, 10 years.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the offs and the ons.

Aaron Hunter:
So I started my admin career in Jordan District at Joel P. I was an assistant principal here for six and a half years and then two years ago came back as principal.

Anthony Godfrey:
A triumphant return to everyone's delight that they got to have Aaron Hunter back in their lives.

Aaron Hunter:
It's a great place to be.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you have done a great job of promoting Joel P. Jensen and the great things that are happening here, which we'll get back to in just a moment. But let's take a trip through memory lane and talk with a couple of employees who've been here for a while.

Deb Atkinson:
I'm Deb Atkinson. I'm the head secretary. I've been here for a really, really long time. This is 26 and a half years so far.

Anthony Godfrey:
26 and a half years.

Deb Atkinson:
I had one little break in between where I got bumped to the district office and I was in Info Systems for 13 months and then I interviewed and came back to my school.

Anthony Godfrey:
You knew where you needed to be. Okay, we'll get back to some stories from you. Tell me about your time here at Joel P. Jensen.

Suzie:
My name is Suzie. I started 25 years ago. I started in the ISS room. Steve Crowther hired me. I was there for a while then they asked me to be a hall monitor. I was that until we went under numbers. So then they said that I had to not do a hall monitor, but I didn't want to leave because I liked Joel P. so much, so I stayed as a tracker. And then when numbers went back up, I came back to the hall monitor and then they went to the part-time stuff. I hung out with that and then I kind of retired until this lovely gentleman over here called me and said would you come back? For some reason, I said yes, probably because I love Joel P. So I came back and so I've been back for the last year and a half.

Anthony Godfrey:
So this is really a pattern for all three of you. You leave, you come back. And for you you leave and you come back and you leave and you come back.

Suzie:
Yeah, it was like I can't describe it. There's– Joel P. is just different. The kids are different. I love it. I missed it. I tried somewhere else a long time ago and it's just not the same.

Anthony Godfrey:
As Al Pacino says ‘They keep pulling you back in.’

Suzie:
He pulled me back in and she's amazing so to work with. The two of them have just been– it's just really cool. It's a good relationship. I really like it and the kids. I mean there are no other kids like Joel P. kids. They just climb into your heart and they hang out there. And then they come back and see you, and then they bring their kids to register which makes him feel older. I'm fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you've had multiple generations of kids here at Joel P. Jensen that you've worked with.

Deb Atkinson:
Some this year that we have the parents that were like “Hey, I remember you. You were here.”

Suzie:
And then they go “These are our kids” and then they go “and you're still here.”

Anthony Godfrey:
But see if they can remember you after 25 years that's a really high compliment to you that you've been able to be recognizable after that many years. Tell me what is it about Joel P. Jensen kids that you love, and I'm going to have each of you answer that. What is it that makes this place special when it comes to the students?

Suzie:
There are so many different– just diversity in these kids but they all get along together. They're just– to me, it's just, I don't know. You walk into Joel P. and it's so different but they're so much the same. They're like no other kids. I don't know. I can't explain it. They need you. Joel P. kids need you and Joel P. kids let you know that they truly need you. You come in here and I see all these mini-me's because I struggled. I mean I went to Kearns High and I was not the best student. I’ll own it. That's why I'm really good at what I do. But the kids that are here– I mean, you walk in and you know they care and you know they need you. These kids just crawl into your heart and they stay there.

We've gone through a lot of admin together me and Deb. We've had a lot of teachers we've gone through. And some of the admin crawl into your heart and they stay, but Joel P. you're just– I don't know I can't describe it but we keep coming back. It's like you can feel truly that they need you and it just– I get a little emotional about it so it's Deb’s turn.

Deb Atkinson:
Well, I just love the fact that they're so unpredictable. So when you feel that you've seen whatever one student is going to do, you’re like “Okay I've seen it all now” and then they come up with another fun thing that you're going like “Okay, this is why I come back every day because they make it great.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's true, if anywhere in the district is full of surprises it's middle schools. You never know what your day is going to bring. I miss middle– I started out as a middle school teacher at Bingham Middle School and then at West Hills. I love the middle school age and like you said Joel P. Jensen is unique even within the middle school group because of the the kids that you have here and the real sense of belonging that you create here. I've known that for a long time. Tell me about the students here Aaron.

Aaron Hunter:
Yeah, it's been said, but it really is a special place. People laugh when I say it's the best school in the state, but I really, truly do believe that. I think a lot of our kids outside of West Jordan are misunderstood. I think people– there's a certain stigma outside of our area of Joel P. and it's all wrong. I can tell you that 100 percent. Most of them need caring adults and that's why relationships are number one in our hearts. That's what drives our work here is those good relationships. There's nothing better than in June when they come back with a graduation announcement or “Hey, I'm working at Jiffy Lube”. You know, just great news of “Hey, you spent time, you took time out of your day to care about me and it means a lot.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, what I found, and this is very true of Joel P. Jensen, is that schools like this draw those caring adults because you don't survive if you don't care about kids. And so over time, over 40 years, the faculty just continues to attract caring adults that care at a deep level and make a personal connection with students like all of you have described. It's really rewarding to see as a Superintendent a school that functions like that.

Stay with us. When we come back more fun memories celebrating four decades of Joel P. Jensen Middle School.

Break:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here, every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @jordandistrict. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the faculty and the people who've worked here over the years. You've been here off and on over the last decade. We'll come back to Deb and Suzie. I'm sure they have a lot of stories about the people who've passed through here. Tell me about about those caring adults that you've worked with.

Aaron Hunter:
Well, you hit the nail on the head. I've been here a decade-ish, the teachers that stay are the teachers that– I don't want to say are the teachers that care because I think every teacher cares. I think everybody that goes into education, they care about kids.

Anthony Godfrey:
But there's an intense need for that different level of relationship here. If that's something that you're ready for then this is the type of place where you want to be.

Aaron Hunter:
Yep, and we and we foster that because this is a– I don't even want to say difficult. It's just our kids have different needs here. And so because of that fostering that sense of family is very important. I can't speak for everybody that works here, but I know me as a principal, my number one priority is to make sure that our teachers feel that they're supported to be their best selves. Because like you said middle school is hard. Joel P is sometimes hard and so we have that family aspect here where we can rely on each other. We can cry on each other's shoulders. We can get mad at each other. But at the end of the day, it's all because we love and care about kids. Our kids are never going to do the best on the state test scores and I fully know that as principal. But I can tell you one thing, they leave here knowing that they're fully taken care of and cared for.

Anthony Godfrey:
I like what you said about taking care of each other. It’s adults looking out for each other as well and supporting each other as you support the students. How about for you Deb?

Deb Atkinson:
Well, I think the faculty and staff they kind of have more of a family atmosphere where it's like we're all one group and we're all working together for the same goal. So that's what draws me to it. That's why I wanted to come back so bad because I just love the whole atmosphere, the people I work with. It was just great here, so that's why I wanted to come back. And I still love it. Anthony Godfrey:
There must be hundreds of faculty members you've worked with over 25 years.

Deb Atkinson:
Oh yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's really exciting. How about for you? What do you think Suzie?

Suzie:
Faculty-wise, if you stop and think about it, we had Connie Bailey here she was a PE teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.

Suzie:
Who's now an admin. Cynthia VanderMeiden.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Suzie:
She was a teacher here and then Todd was here for a while. We had Joanne Ackerman. She was a teacher and then an admin. Oh my gosh. Tim Heumann. I mean and the stories. Oh my goodness. He was a science teacher. Yep, yep. We'll just go on to the next one. Tim was a blast. Love, love Tim.

So yeah, I mean we've gone through a lot. We were talking about that. We figured 25 maybe admin, teachers are just tons, and then you figure kids average a thousand a year. That was 26,000 kids. It's just– I don't know it's always just been that unique school.

It's like I said when I came back. I wanted to be in a place where I wished I had– I wanted to be what I wished I had when I was at school. And that was my goal to make sure. Then you see teachers struggle here, so we do things like sneak down and put stuff on their desks and don't tell them where it came from. Just something that you know they like.

You know when I was a hall monitor, I would go help them out with their lovely students, my mini-me’s, that would be in there because you just support each other. There's no place like it. It's just really weird. I get to look back at Connie Bailey you know and Cynthia, remember those days with them, and boy the stories that you could go on for those. Me and Deb were thinking we could probably write a book one day when we retire officially and we don't come back.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well you never know that it will be permanent it sounds like. You could never count on that. Luckily, luckily you keep coming back.

Suzie:
I don't think so. I don't think it'll be permanent. As long as he's here and she's here for right now. They keep my sanity. I had a rough couple of years and they brought me back so you know it is what it is. You know, these kids that pop back in and see you and some of the teachers I run into, and then they say “Do you remember?” and I'm like “I do not recall that”.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, you can only store so many stories up there. That's right. So when you're in this area of the district just driving around stopping for gas, shopping, whatever, I'm sure you run into some of those 25,000 people everywhere you go.

Aaron Hunter:
All the time. Yeah, all the time. Jordan Landing, O'Reilly Auto Parts down the street. And what's the most rewarding part of the job for me is, like I said, the goal is for our kids to at least reach it to high school and graduate. That's the goal. Unfortunately, for some of our kids, that doesn't happen. But it doesn't make it any less rewarding to see the kid working at O'Reilly that didn't graduate but is still a productive member of society and is doing his part. And “Hey Mr. Hunter do you remember me?” I mean, of course, I remember. You were in my office 70,000 times. So yeah, that's why we do what we do. I was told the other day that we think about these kids often but the kids that we impact think about us 10 times more than we think about them. That's pretty powerful.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you know, you're looking at how you can support them academically, of course, that's a very important goal. But you're supporting them in all kinds of other ways. How to manage the difficulties in their lives and how to find a pathway forward. Hopefully, that pathway includes graduation from high school, but credits are not the only thing that you take away from school when you have caring adults looking out for you. I think it's a great compliment when people say “Hey, remember me?” It's because they want to go back to those times and remember those times when they see you. That's because you've created memories and you've made the most of those moments with them.

Aaron Hunter:
Yep, yep, sure. Yeah, I mean like you said, as principal academics are obviously important. That's the number one reason you come to school is to learn. We tell kids that all the time. But the number two reason you come is to hang out with your friends and establish relationships. A lot of times with our kids that means more to them than the academic piece and that's why we love working here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, the sense of community makes the academics possible.

Suzie:
I live in West Jordan, closer than you think. So I live real close to West Jordan in a sense and I'm very very protective of Joel P. and I get really outspoken when people say things about Joel P.. I'm like “No, you need to be there to understand. Joel P. is a different type of school. What I enjoy is when the kids come back and say, let me see if I can word this right. “I'm sorry I was not nice to you. I'm sorry I said those things to you. But I want to tell you how much of an impact you made on us.”  I had some parents who would come by and “Why do you work at that school?” Why not? If I could’ve had a Joel P. when I was growing up I wouldn't have gone the path I went in a certain amount of years.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about today's celebration. 40 years is a big deal. I mean, I did the math. I could have been a seventh grader here the first year that Joel P. opened. That's how old it is now. So that's a long tradition of taking great care of everybody. Tell me about today's celebration.

Aaron Hunter:
Yeah, so 83-84 was the school year that Joel P. opened. This year with parent-teacher conferences our theme has kind of been to think outside of the box and to have a different spin on it. So we thought, what better time to celebrate 40 years? So tonight it's a big party. Everybody should come. Magicians, food, activities, booths, prizes, music, everything. It's going to be a big party.

Anthony Godfrey:
And because Joel P. Jensen opened up in the early 80s, it's an 80s theme tonight I understand.

Aaron Hunter:
Yes, 80s theme. I'm about ready to get my Miami Vice on right now as soon as we're done with this podcast.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it sounds like I need to stick around just a little bit longer then so I can make sure that I get to see that. I'm sorry I'm not wearing two Izod shirts with my collar popped.

Aaron Hunter:
You always can Superintendent.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. I could. I could.

Aaron Hunter:
It’s always a possibility. Slick back the hair-

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that’s right. Peg the pants a little bit, yes.

Aaron Hunter:
–get some gold chains, no socks.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, boat shoes. The list goes on.

Aaron Hunter:
Yes, pleated pants. I mean, it’s all in my closet.

Anthony Godfrey:
You are clearly a man of style. How about for you guys? Is your 80s wardrobe in the closet ready to go?

Suzie:
I could be his mom, so no. I could be probably everyone’s mom.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, in a way you are, it sounds like. In a way, you are.

Suzie:
I am. You made it really clear. Yes, most of the assistant principals, my children are older than them. So I could be a grandma. You never know.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that's awesome. In addition to all these great things about Joel P. Jensen, you are the only school with a middle initial. JPJMS it just kind of rolls off the tongue.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right, JPJMS.

Suzie:
Today’s a good day, JPJ.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah.

Suzie:
See we've got all kinds of them.

Anthony Godfrey:
It rolls right off the tongue, it rolls right off the tongue. You're also the closest school to Dunford Bakery.

Suzie:
I know, straight up, seriously.

Anthony Godfrey:
How do you not stop for a cherry turnover every single morning?

Aaron Hunter:
I was going to say, we actually kind of do. There's no how do we not, we go to Dunford often. Anthony Godfrey:
Well, with the middle initial, and the donuts, and the caring people, and the great tradition of creating a community like this, permits are available for next year. If anyone's listening and thinking I need some Joel P. Jensen Middle in my life because it is a tremendous school with obviously, as you hear tonight, tremendous people. So thank you for taking such great good care of kids and taking such great care of each other.

Aaron Hunter:
Thanks, Superintendent.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a lesson that can bug some students while others are literally eating it up.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Mountain Creek Middle School, where we find social studies teacher Kristina Meng bringing some creepy, crawly creatures into the classroom. It's for a lesson on how bugs are considered a culinary delight in some cultures around the world. Join us for a classroom taste test like no other and a lesson students won't soon forget.

We’re here at Mountain Creek Middle School with Ms. Meng, we're about to talk with her geography class. What are we in for today?

Kristina Meng:
So today we're talking about cultural relativism, how different cultures place different values on things. Just because different cultures all do things differently and if you're judging a culture, you have to judge it like off of what's normal for them, not what's normal for us. So sort of our case study, our example is eating bugs because here in the US, that's seen as like disgusting, gross, dirty, awful. But in a lot of the world, bugs are a viable food source.

Anthony Godfrey:
A great source of protein, as you say.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. And it's also going to bring in cultural diffusion, spreading cultures around the world, looking at like global sustainability, how a lot of people in like sustainability efforts are trying to use more bug protein instead of like other livestock and things. So we're going to be, you know, introducing all those concepts to the students today, and then at the end, they get to try bugs.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And have you done this with other classes previously?

Kristina Meng:
I have, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is the general reaction when students try bugs? How does that normally go?

Kristina Meng:
Well, it starts out, I have them take a poll, like, have you…? I don't tell them that they're going to have a chance at the end yet. I just say, “Have you ever eaten bugs before? Like would you ever?” And they're like, “Oh, no, disgusting, awful.” Some of them are like, “I don't know, it doesn't sound that bad.” But then we get to the end, like, “Well, you know, would you?” And I pull them out and they're like, “Oh, I don't know.”

Anthony Godfrey:
So now they’re faced with a real choice instead of just a hypothetical one.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. Instead of hypothetically.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Kristina Meng:
And there's some of them who just totally refuse to try. Some of them who try reluctantly and then hate it and regret everything that brought them there.

Anthony Godfrey:
They question all their life choices at this point.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. And then there's a lot of them who are like, whoa, that's so cool. They're like, “That's way better than I thought it would be. Can I have another one?” We've got different flavors of crickets. So some of them ask to try like every flavor. So yeah. And there's ants too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is there a particular seasoning that pairs better with bugs than others?

Kristina Meng:
I think that no seasoning pairs well with crickets. In my opinion, crickets are always bad.

Anthony Godfrey:
I did hear that ants are one of the options as well. Or is that not the case?

Kristina Meng:
So I tried them last–the ants are in the options. Yes. I tried them last year and I was really reluctant because they looked like ants.

Anthony Godfrey:
Too ant like.

Kristina Meng:
Except they are–Ants are naturally citrus-flavored. They have like they've got like–

Anthony Godfrey:
Wait a minute. They're naturally citrus-flavored?

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. It's like some acid that they have in their bodies. So they taste sort of like lemon zest. If you just like close your eyes and imagine that you're eating lemon zest, it's a lot more bearable.

Anthony Godfrey:
So in other words, you really do have certain spices that might pair better with certain insects based on their inherent flavor.

Kristina Meng:
True. Yeah. Yeah. I've seen ants in like–not restaurants that I've been to, but I've seen pictures online of ants used as like garnish in fancy sushi places.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Yeah. I have not been to a place that fancy. I don't think. So it's interesting this point about cultural relativism and realizing that something is not inherently gross or bad or strange just because it's something that isn't common to you.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's interesting. I went to a training once for International Baccalaureate. To get us in that international sort of mindset the question was, what do you think kids eat most often? So what do you think the answers were initially?

Kristina Meng:
Chicken nuggets.

Anthony Godfrey:
Chicken nuggets, hot dogs, McDonald's, whatever. What is the actual answer? Rice. Because it's kids throughout the world that they were referring to. But what we do is we automatically think about the children in our own lives, when we were a child. So I think this is an extension of that kind of concept that there are things that other cultures do that would not occur to us, but that are a part of a sustainable, healthy, meaningful lifestyle.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. And it's interesting. One of the other geography teachers, she did this lesson earlier this week here, and she brought home some extra crickets to her four and two-year-old daughters.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Kristina Meng:
And she said they loved them. They were like getting all the legs to finish them. So without that, I guess, inhibition of being told, like, “That's gross. That's awful.” Like, they really enjoyed it.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the trick is to try to get crickets on the plate of children early.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. That's how you trick them.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think there are some people who may be listening thinking, ‘I can't get my child to eat anything that's green, much less a cricket.’ So, you know, it's worth trying. Those listening out there, get a cricket in front of that four-year-old.

Kristina Meng:
See what happens.

Anthony Godfrey:
See if we can get some sustainable protein in front of them. See if they like it. Do you eat crickets or ants every time?

Kristina Meng:
I do. Yep. I have to, you know–

Anthony Godfrey:
And have you developed a taste for a favorite?

Kristina Meng:
Absolutely not. I think they are terrible every time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Which is okay.

Kristina Meng:
Which is okay. Although I will say I don't like just whole crickets, but I have tried cricket powder ground up in pancakes. You can't even taste it. It's like a normal pancake. It's delicious.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have heard that there's kind of a meal or a flour or something you can create.

Kristina Meng:
You know, whole bugs may not be for everyone, but it's surprising how many options there are out there that are bugs, but not in a way you may recognize.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can I ask you what your bug source is? Where do you get these bugs?

Kristina Meng:
Amazon.

Anthony Godfrey:
Amazon, ok.

Kristina Meng:
Which we have to search very carefully. Our incredible secretary orders them for us. And when you first search like dried crickets, it's all like snake food that you see. And so you have to search human food crickets nd then you find good stuff. It comes in all sorts of flavors. There's barbecue, there's chili lime, there's dill pickle. So there's a variety.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Well, so those listening can hop on Amazon and get two-day shipping and have crickets brought to their door.

Kristina Meng:
Just make sure they search for human food crickets.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. I think that's an important point.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the student takeaways you're hoping for?

Kristina Meng:
So one of the big things I hope is I think it is a very memorable way to learn about cultural relativism and how different cultures place value on things. But also I think one of them is just broadening student's horizons and realizing the way that they've been told their whole life of this is how things are.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Kristina Meng:
Realizing that that's like the world is a bigger place than just our experiences. And hopefully like across all of geography, hopefully one of the big things they're learning is how big the world is and that it doesn't have to be scary. That just because something is different doesn't mean you have to be afraid of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
The world is big. The world is different. And it doesn't have to be scary because of that. I love that. That's a great message. And actually, I think that's going to apply to the person sitting next to them too. Like this person next to me may value some different things. And I may be a little more comfortable with that than I was before I ate an ant.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah. And like we've got students from a lot of different cultures. So it's possible that like there are students at this school who have come from countries where it's normal to eat bugs.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Kristina Meng:
And to have I guess students can start to realize like that they can accept that other people are different. Not just that like people in other parts of the world are different and that's okay. But like people here are different too. Like you were saying like you know even with this person sitting right next to me no two students have had the same life experiences to bring them here and just starting to open up that worldview and like it's okay that you're different. You can be different and still accept each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm sure as a teacher of geography it's very rewarding for you to experience this to see this happen with students that their world gets larger because of you.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah absolutely. It's definitely one of the most gratifying things. Sometimes I even have students who will be like “Oh, I went on vacation to this place and I thought about this thing that you taught us” and I love that because I love that geography is just, it's the world. It's all around us all the time. And I love when they start making those connections.

Anthony Godfrey:
So their experience in your classroom impacts the way they view the world and the learning doesn't stop in the classroom. They're on vacation thinking about your class. That's one of the highest compliments you can have I think.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah, and hopefully you know that's the goal of like all education. That it doesn't stay in the classroom. The goal right is to prepare these students to go out in the real world. They are in the real world already and preparing them for life.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Well, I think it's fantastic. I love your enthusiasm. And I love the way that you make this learning very real. You don't forget either eating a cricket or an ant or having to choose whether to do it or not. And it says you learn about yourself, you learn about the world, and you learn that ants taste like citrus naturally. Now I'm not going to look at an ant the same way anymore.

Kristina Meng:
Now you know lemon zest in your backyard.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK perfect. Well thank you very much for taking time with us today and for providing such a unique and memorable experience for your students.

Kristina Meng:
Yeah it's been my pleasure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back some of the students try some insects for themselves.

Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant, work in digital media, robotics, welding, or web design. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education, CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment and/or a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. Our two Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) campuses offer unique programs to fit your child’s dreams for the future. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.

Kristina Meng:
So by the end of class today you guys are going to be able to define what is cultural relativism as well as giving examples of it. You're also going to be able to define cultural diffusion and explain how cultural relativism and cultural diffusion can be linked.

Just for you guys we have bugs that you can try. We ordered them off Amazon. When you first search it's all like snake food, but these are human food-grade crickets for you as well as ants. So the crickets come in multiple flavors. There's fiesta. I don't know what that is. It's just what they call it. Fiesta flavored, dill pickle, smoky barbecue, chili lime, and hot and spicy. And the ants are naturally citrus-flavored. They taste like lemon zest. Like if you like close your eyes and like don't look at what you're eating. They're like pretty good.

So, oh, and an allergy warning. If you're allergic to shellfish you may be allergic to insects. Please don't have an allergic reaction. So if you guys want to try them we've got a mega bag.

So the ants are pretty small. I've got like a spoon to scoop them out. The crickets. If you're like, I don't know, maybe. I will say Miss Anderson did this lesson earlier this week and she brought some extras home to like her two and four-year-old kids who couldn't get enough of them. They were like, "This is the best snack I've ever had". And in case you're still thinking that it sounds disgusting and no way. Here's the reviews on Amazon.

“Five stars. Delicious. These crickets are absolutely delicious. I just love the way they crunch between my teeth.” I don't think they're that crunchy for what it's worth. I don't think they're that crunchy.

“Squirmed on the first two or three but after that they were a go-to snack. Even had trouble with the kids stealing them. Also, I think as an American we are sheltered from the fact that insects are really a normal and viable food source for most of the world. Glad I broke that barrier.” So if you guys try them you can be smug like this person.

And my favorite one-star review. “One star failed to meet my gustatory expectations. This is my first time trying edible insects and so far I'm very disappointed in the taste.” So up to you. So if you want to try insects, now is your chance. Come on up. Let me know what flavor you want.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so now you have a cricket in front of you. What flavor did you choose?

Oliver:
I think I got smoked barbecue.

Anthony Godfrey:
Smoked barbecue.

Oliver:
I think so.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how about for you?

Millie:
The same.

Anthony Godfrey:
The same. Smoky barbecue. Okay. And you were the first to leap up when you had the opportunity to eat a cricket.

Oliver:
Okay. Last year I was given the opportunity also by Ms. Meng after she had the lesson with Ms. Anderson. I was given the opportunity, and I held it, and I chickened out, and I regret it. That I feel weak.

Anthony Godfrey;
This is your moment.

Oliver:
This is my moment to prove myself.

Anthony Godfrey:
To take care of those regrets.

Oliver:
Yeah. I'm just gonna do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Alright. I'm glad that I'm here to see this progress.

Oliver:
We should do it together.

Millie:
I'm terrified.

Oliver:
Oh, I hate the way it feels.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now you’re doing it with a friend. Does it not even... Let's take a look here.

Oliver:
I'm taking the wings off. I don't care.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, well what if the wings have all the flavor?

Millie:
They feel weird.

Oliver:
Yeah, what if?

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Oliver:
I'm going full-on.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're going with the wings.

Oliver:
Um, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow. There's quite a nice pattern on that.

Oliver:
Yeah, it's pretty. I feel like... Hold on. Can I go get my water really fast?

Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's a good idea. Okay. Are you gonna do it together?

Oliver:
Do you want to do it together?

Millie:
Okay. Okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you want me to give you a count?

Oliver:
Let's do it. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Is it on three?

Oliver:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
When I say three, then you pop it in your mouth. Right?

Millie:
Oh, I'm shaking.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Okay. Here you go. Ready? One, two, three. Okay. You're chewing. It's in.

Oliver:
That was like... That was fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
How is it?

Millie:
It was fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
Smoky barbecue. You didn't even reach for your water right away.

Oliver:
I'm so dramatic.

Millie:
Wait.

Anthony Godfrey:
Uh oh.

Oliver:
This was a...

Anthony Godfrey:
A little bit of an aftertaste. Was there a wave?

Millie:
That's so bad.

Oliver:
Okay, I won’t lie. That was... I was being dramatic.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it impactful? It's not as bad as you thought.

Oliver:
It tastes like... I don't know, crackers. That's what I...

Anthony Godfrey:
Crackers? Okay.

Millie:
That's disgusting.

Oliver:
It was fine. The texture isn't that bad.

Anthony Godfrey:
You’re having different reactions.

Oliver:
It's just the seeing it. Honestly. Just the knowing that it's a bug. Cause if I see a video of live bugs, uh uh.

Anthony Godfrey:
It got inside your head a little bit.

Oliver:
But now it's fine.

Millie:
It’s so gross.

Oliver:
I still don't think I would eat like, I don't know, a caterpillar. No thanks. But this is fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think this is– It's a big step forward. You had a regret from last year-

Oliver:
Maybe I would eat a tarantula.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is a good pattern for life. You have a regret and you correct.

Oliver:
Maybe I'll become a... like only bugs. Maybe I'll only eat bugs from now on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Only bugs. This could be the first step of a long journey.

Oliver:
Yeah. Maybe. I'll be as smug as that one review.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, tell me your names.

Millie:
I'm Millie.

Oliver:
I'm Oliver.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what have you learned today from this lesson and from trying the bug?

Millie:
Lots of people eat bugs, more than I thought.

Oliver:
I also learned along with this and my weakness of last year that it's... If you get it in your head and just like... It's more scary to wait than to just do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just dive in. Get after it.

Oliver:
Just, you know, like even that one second of, you know what? Just immediately. Take it, go, and then it's fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
So maybe the anticipation–

Oliver:
The anticipation is so much worse.

Anthony Godfrey:
–is worse than the experience itself. Now, it wasn't as tasty for you.

Millie:
It was really bad.

Anthony Godfrey:
You don't regret doing it?

Millie:
Yeah–

Oliver:
I would get more.

Millie:
–cause now I don't have to do it again.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you won't have a year of regret that has to be corrected.

Oliver:
I would happily go get more. Like a full 10.

Millie:
Go do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
If you keep addressing regrets as quickly through the rest of your life as you have today, I think you're going to be in great shape for a long time. Well, well done. I admire you both. Bravo.

Millie and Oliver:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
We've got a couple more who have chosen the cricket. Now, tell me what you have. Are these ants right here?

Student:
Yes, they're ants.

Antony Godfrey:
Okay. Are they crushed up a little bit?

Student:
I think so.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they're supposed to have a lemon zest to them is what I understand. So which are you going to try first? Are you going with the cricket or the ants?

Student:
I say the cricket.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, cricket first. What flavor did you choose?

Student:
Chili lime.

Anthony Godfrey:
Chili lime. Okay. I did a count for the other students. Do you want me to give you a count?

Student:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. On three. When I say three, the cricket goes in. Okay. Alright, here we go. One, two, three.

Student:
It's not very good.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, it's not very good.

Student:
It's just, it's just weird.

Student:
It tastes fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it more texture than flavor?

Student:
Yeah. Like when you first bite into it, it's super like crunchy and then it just like–

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. All right. You're going to wash it down with some lemon zesty ant, right?

Student:
And these like aren't flavored at all.

Anthony Godfrey:
So my name is Anthony. So I kind of feel a kinship here. All right. Let's see this happen right now. Do you want another count to three?

Students:
Yeah. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. One, two, three. Oh wow. She just put her palm right up to her mouth to dump all the little ant parts in.

Student:
Oh, that's even worse. Ew. Oh, the ants are not good.

Student:
They taste like nothing, but they're really crunchy.

Student:
They're really strong.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, for you, they taste like nothing for you they're really strong.

Student:
They taste like lemon juice.

Anthony Godfrey:
Really? So you are experiencing that lemon zest flavor.

Student:
They kind of taste like lemon.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Student:
They're just really crunchy and really tiny. So it's weird to me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me your names.

Morgan:
Morgan.

Anthony Godfrey:
Morgan.

Lila:
Lila.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Lila. Okay. So do you think you'll be eating crickets and ants again?

Student:
I would do it again.

Anthony Godfrey:
A cricket?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Maybe less so on the ants.

Student:
Yeah, probably.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. So what have you learned today from the lesson and from trying some insects?

Student:
Um, that eating bugs, they want to try and get it more into diets because it's better for the environment and yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
But you're not fully on board yet.

Student:
Yeah. Well, I eat it again, but I don't think I'd eat it like every day as a diet.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. How about for you?

Student:
Same thing. Just like how we're trying to normalize it that people already do it daily.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Okay. Well, great. Thanks for letting me witness this moment. This was important.

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Good job. Congratulations.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Recently, many first grade classrooms in Jordan School District looked more like lively senior centers because students and staff were celebrating the first 100 days of the school year by dressing up as if they were 100 years old.

On this episode of the Supercast, we talk with some very impressive silver-haired students at Silver Crest Elementary School about their 100th day costumes. Find out what they say about the aging process and when someone is considered old.

We're going to start, however, with some teachers who also look aged to perfection on the 100th day of school.

I'm here with the first grade teachers here at Silver Crest. I cannot stop smiling and laughing looking at them, but looking at you guys was pretty startling as well. Did you have to dig deep for these costumes or is this just a regular Friday?

Teacher #1:
I just went over to my mother's house who’s 96 next month. I just picked from her wardrobe.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is this referred to as? Is this a house coat? What is this exactly?

Teacher:
Yeah, like a house dress.

Anthony Godfrey:
A house dress?

Teacher:
She called them a house dress. She always wore a turtleneck with it because she didn't want her neck to be seen. She had wrinkles on her neck.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, because she didn't want her neck to be seen. I see, because that would be a sign of old age.

Teacher:
And to keep her warm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, well you wear it well.

Teacher:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for the rest of you? The Golden Girls.

Teacher:
The Golden Girls look.

Teacher:
This is just fun Friday for me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it a particular Golden Girl or?

Teacher:
I am the Golden Girls.

Anthony Godfrey:
You embody all of them. Yes, very nice. Well, I really have to come back because some of you I haven't met and I really need to meet you in your natural state rather than in your this advanced age. How about for you guys? Where did you find your outfits?

Teacher:
I just got a collection. First grade teachers always have to have a bin of fun things. So we collect things, we dress up, lots of fun things.

Teacher:
I stole my grandma's nightgown.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does she know that you stole her nightgown?

Teacher:
Maybe.

Teacher:
I hit the DI.

Teacher:
So did I. The DI is an awesome place.

Anthony Godfrey:
The makeup, I hesitate to say this, but the makeup is a key component. It really brings out the, well, and the stockings. I can't stop looking at the stockings. The ankle stockings with the low heels and the skirt. Really, it's quite an ensemble.

Teacher:
My makeup took me back to my 80s.

Anthony Godfrey:
I also love that not only are you wearing glasses, but you have glasses on a chain around your neck. Now, the key component to this would also say, where are my glasses? I can't find my glasses.

Teacher:
Exactly. I never can.

Anthony Godfrey:
When you have two of them on your person.

Teacher:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Clearly, pearls are also...

Teacher:
Yes. I don't know if we all know you're right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, the 100 days of school, I really love that you are highlighting this. Because I think we're always looking at the next day, we're always moving forward. We forget to look back at the progress that we've made. And I would guess, I've never taught first grade, but I would guess that teaching first grade, you really get to see a lot of progress from the kids over those 100 days. Can you tell me about day one in comparison with day 100?

Teacher:
They wouldn't be sitting like this on day one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's clear you have some very effective routines down. No question about that.

Teacher:
When they come to us, they're just really little kindergartners. They're really still kindergartners. And now they've blossomed into students, right?

Teacher:
Yeah, I was looking at their journals from first day to now. And just the growth, it's so fun. I don't think you've any other grade you can see the growth that you do in first grade. And they're reading, they're writing. It's awesome.

Teacher:
Another thing you notice is the confidence. They come in crying, they don't want to leave their moms. And now they can't wait to come into school.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, and I love that. That's such a key element of what you accomplish as first grade teachers, is teaching them to be at school, giving them that confidence, that sense of efficacy like, "Hey, I belong at school. I didn't know how to do this, and now I do." Because my teacher helped me learn how to do that.

Teacher:
Yeah, it's awesome.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's wonderful. Well, I'm super impressed. I love this activity. And I really should have busted out my readers. So I'll put my readers on for the rest of the time. I'm going to go do something this weekend to feel young. I've got to, maybe I'll go clubbing this weekend. Well, you're all fabulous. Thank you so much for letting me take time with you.

Teacher:
Thank you for coming.

Teacher:
Remember, we tell parents that we will only believe half of what we hear if they promised to only believe half of what they hear.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's a fair bargain. I really think it is.

Teacher:
That's our motto.

Anthony Godfrey:
Believe half of what you hear. Well, you heard it here first at Silver Crest. Thank you very much for creating such a wonderful environment and for letting me take some time this morning.

Teachers:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back students answer the age-old question, "When is a person really old?"

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:
As first grade students are assembling here, we're looking at people in housecoats and curlers. There are a lot of canes and glasses are a key component. Oh, and there's some gray facial hair too. Lots of gray facial hair. So you guys are celebrating a hundred days of school?

Students:
Yes!

Anthony Godfrey:
By dressing up to be a hundred?

Students:
Yes!

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so tell me, how do you like my old man costume?

Students:
[Applaud and cheer]

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it pretty good?

Student:
That’s not a costume! That’s your actual uniform.

Anthony Godfrey:
Raise your hand if you want to tell Doug something about my old man costume. What makes it an old man costume?

Student:
It has a tie.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so wearing a tie kind of makes me look like an old man. Is that right? Okay.

Student:
White hair.

Anthony Godfrey:
My white hair. Oh, my white hair. Did the spray work? Can you see the real color of my hair?

Students:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, my hair didn't always used to be white. It used to be a different color. That's right. Raise your hand and somebody tell me about the oldest person that you know. Who is the oldest person you know?

Student:
Great grandpa.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how old is your great grandpa?

Student:
Ninety-four.

Anthony Godfrey:
Ninety-four. And are there some things he does that only old people do?

Student:
Watch TV.

Anthony Godfrey:
He watches TV. Does he watch a lot of TV?

Student:
He does.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what kinds of shows does he like, you know?

Student:
Old movies.

Anthony Godfrey:
Old movies. Does he ever watch Matlock? No, Matlock. Okay. All right. How about you? Who's the oldest person you know?

Student:
My dad.

Anthony Godfrey:
Your dad? And how old is your dad?

Student:
47.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does he do some things that make him seem old? What are some things that he does?

Student:
He does push-ups, I think.

Anthony Godfrey:
He does push-ups. I think that makes him seem young. Are push-ups for old people, kind of?

Student:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. All right. That's all right. You tell me, how old is old? How old does a person have to be before you think, you know, that person's old. How old? Tell me, how old?

Student:
To be like 100 years old.

Anthony Godfrey:
If they're 100, they're old? If they're younger than that, they're not old yet? Okay, that's good. That makes me feel better. Okay. How about you? How old is-- does a person have to be before they're old?

Student:
60.

Anthony Godfrey:
60. Once you're 60, you're old.

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Well, I'm not there yet. That's good. How about you? How old?

Student:
200.

Anthony Godfrey:
200? Oh, I'll never be old. I will never be old. That sounds great. What is your name?

Hudson:
Hudson.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Hudson, how did you pick out your outfit?

Hudson:
I just looked at it and it seemed like it would be for an old man, so...

Anthony Godfrey:
What about it makes it seem like old man? Is it because it's gray?

Hudson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it matches the makeup that you have on. You have big, bushy, gray eyebrows and a big, bushy, gray goatee. Tell me about-- who did your makeup?

Hudson:
My grandma.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, your grandma did. And what did you think when you saw yourself in the mirror?

Hudson:
I thought I looked pretty old.

Anthony Godfrey:
You do look pretty cool.

Hudson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
You look pretty old. So tell me. You also sprayed your hair white?

Hudson:
Yeah, I used like a gray spray..

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. So are you going to take a picture and then make sure you have a copy of that picture you can look at many years from now to see if this is what you actually end up looking like when you're older? The wrinkles. I just noticed the wrinkles. You also have wrinkles painted on. Oh, now wait a minute. Is that gray hair in your ears?

Hudson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That is a nice touch. That really brings the whole thing together. Very nicely done.

Student:
You look like old people.

Anthony Godfrey:
I look like old-- what makes me look like an old person?

Student:
You have white hair.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have white hair. Yeah, I do.

Student:
And freckles everywhere.

Anthony Godfrey:
And freckles everywhere. So my skin, my hair-- but other than that, I look pretty young, right?

Student:
Mm-hmm?

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Tell me, how old do you think I am?

Student:
You're 25.

Student:
200?

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, if I were 200, wouldn't I talk a little bit more like this? Really, you think I'm 200? How do you think I am?

Student:
Um, 50?

Anthony Godfrey:
50? That's pretty close. Actually, I'm old enough that 50 sounds really good right now.

Student:
I know how old you are.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm not the president.

Student:
56?

Anthony Godfrey:
But God bless America.

Student:
Are you the President of the United States?

Anthony Godfrey:
No, I'm not the President of the United States. Tell me, who is the oldest person you know?

Student:
My, um, Grandma Ruth.

Anthony Godfrey:
Your Grandma Ruth? How old is your Grandma Ruth?

Student:
I can't remember, because on her next birthday, she's going to be 100 years old.

Anthony Godfrey:
She's going to be 100 years old on her next birthday. Wow. So what are some things about your Grandma Ruth? What can you tell me about her?

Student:
She loves her dogs.

Anthony Godfrey:
She loves her dogs?

Student:
Mm-hmm. And she has grandkids.

Anthony Godfrey:
She has grandkids? Does she have some great grandkids too?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's pretty awesome. Is there something that your Grandma does with you, or that she makes for you that you really like?

Student:
Yeah, cookies. She makes cookies.

Anthony Godfrey:
What kind of cookies does she make?

Student:
I kind of don't remember.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can you tell me your name?

Student:
It's squeaky.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can you tell me about your costume? It looks really great. What are you wearing, and what did you bring?

Student:
I have the same walking stick as my teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Your teacher does have that same walking stick. Tell me about the clothes you're wearing.

Student:
This.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that's a hat with some gray hair attached to it.

Student:
And I have these kind of glasses.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Look at those glasses. Where did you get those glasses?

Student:
Got it from, like, a costume that we found on our computer.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And tell me about your outfit.

Student:
I have a hundred year old vest and this is a coat that my mom put on. And here's the "How DoYou Do World" scarf.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think you look fantastic. Even your shoes kind of look like old-person shoes a little bit. Yeah, I like it. If your old person that you're dressed up as had a name, what would his name be?

Student:
Um, I don't know. Paul.

Anthony Godfrey:
Paul? Okay. Very cool. Tell me the favorite thing you've learned or been able to do in those 100 days. What have you loved about the first 100 days of first grade? Right back here in the orange shirt.

Student:
Play Guess Who.

Anthony Godfrey:
Play Guess Who? Are you pretty good at Guess Who?

Student:
Yeah. Kinda.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Good. How about you? The suspenders here. Yes, sir.

Student:
Um, lunch.

Anthony Godfrey:
Lunch. You like lunch? Yeah. Which lunch? What do you like for lunch?

Student:
Macaroni and cheese.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's my favorite. I went to a school on Monday just so I could have macaroni and cheese. Okay. What's your favorite thing about the first 100 days of school?

Student:
Math.

Anthony Godfrey:
Math? What do you like about math?

Student:
That I count on and pick the bigger number. Awesome. That's great. I love that you love math.

Student:
Um, to be with friends.

Anthony Godfrey:
To be with friends. That's a really important part of school. How about you?

Student:
Math.

Anthony Godfrey:
Math? What do you love about math?

Student:
Um, so we can, um, everything.

Student:
I like reading. I like reading because I like reading books.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like, what type of books do you like to read most?

Student:
It was horror.

Anthony Godfrey:
Horror books? Yeah. Wow. Cool.

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.