Butterfield Canyon Elementary School teachers have been working hard to create meaningful connections and fun memories with parents this school year.
On this episode of the Supercast, find out how a Thanksgiving performance by third-graders, followed by “Parents and Pie” is bringing everyone together in a sweet expression of thanks and gratitude this holiday season.
Audio Transcription
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Butterfield Canyon Elementary School teachers have been working hard to create meaningful connections and fun memories with parents this school year. On this episode of the Supercast, find out how a Thanksgiving performance by third graders, followed by "Parents and Pie" is bringing everyone together in a sweet expression of thanks and gratitude this holiday season.
We're here at Butterfield Canyon Elementary for the "Parents and Pie" event, and we're talking with Dr. Jay Eads, the Principal of Butterfield Canyon. Thanks for inviting us over today.
Dr. Jay Eads:
Thanks for coming. We appreciate it.
Anthony Godfrey:
I understand you're going by Dr. Jay these days. Is that right?
Dr. Jay Eads:
Yeah, that's a little easier to say than Eads so the kids can say, Dr. Jay pretty easy.
Anthony Godfrey:
That has a ring to it. I like it. Tell me a little bit about this event and the way that third graders have been talking about Thanksgiving.
Dr. Jay Eads:
So, the "Parents and Pie" event was something that was happening pre-COVID. Of course, COVID kind of put an end to it, but now that we're past that, we brought it back this year. The emphasis is helping kids to feel gratitude for the things that they have in their life so that they can express that. We have a Thankful Tree outside of our doors to our gym and cafeteria here, where students have listed what they're grateful for. And then just with the songs, it's just been the opportunity to perform for parents and for getting parents back into the building so that they can be part of the school and part of the community again. I think that's important.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's a great connection and it's a great combination. The tree with the leaves, it's a paper tree. Two paper trees at the entrance of the cafeteria with individual autumn leaves that have been written on by students just to express what they're thankful for. And then the program and the "Parents and Pies". We'll talk with teachers that have organized this. What impact does this have on the culture of your school having an event like this?
Dr. Jay Eads:
I think the most important thing, I think a couple things. One, it brings parents and students together back into the school. I think that's critical. It helps to reinforce, we're a Leader in Me school. As a Leader in Me school, it helps promote some of those concepts. We can link to them. Gratitude helps, it is a form of respect, actually I think. By being grateful for the things we have, we're actually showing respect for those things and gifts that we have in our lives, for our parents, and for others.
Anthony Godfrey:
And Dr. Jay, what are some of the things that you are grateful for?
Dr. Jay Eads:
I’m grateful for my family, of course. I'm grateful to be here. This is a wonderful school. It's a wonderful staff. Kids are just absolutely fantastic. They're responsive. They're eager to learn, eager to please. It's just been such a positive experience just in my short time here.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we're very grateful to have you here. You've played various roles in the district extremely well at every turn. And we're really happy to have you here as principal.
Janet Hall:
Thank you so much for coming to our program today. In a minute, we're gonna have the kids come and find you, their parents or family members that are here, and then we'll excuse you by color of your table you're sitting at to get pie. While you're waiting for pie, or while you're eating, the kids will have a questionnaire sheet that you guys can ask each other questions and talk about things you're grateful for. We also have a few photo backdrops, if you wanna take a photo, you're welcome. We just want you to know how thankful we are for you as parents and all the support you give us as teachers at our school, but most especially to your kids. They are amazing.
Students:
Amazing!
Janet Hall:
And we're so grateful to have a small part of their life. So thank you so much. They'll be coming to you in just a minute.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking with Janet Hall, one of the third grade teachers here at Butterfield Canyon. What a fantastic program.
Janet Hall:
Yeah, we've loved it. The kids have been practicing since before Halloween, and when we told them they needed to have everything memorized, they just rose to the task and have loved singing. They even sing at recess.
Anthony Godfrey:
They nailed it. I'm not surprised by that. Their performance was so crisp, and I've been to a lot of great school programs. I've never seen anything like this, and I've never heard these songs before. I thought it was fantastic.
Janet Hall:
Yeah, there's a really great resource called Music K-8. I know our music teacher, Tina Workman, uses it a lot. But they have a lot of fun, unique songs that the kids just really love.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, they did a great job of it. Tell me, how did this get started? The "Parents and Pie" tradition?
Janet Hall:
Well, it started actually with one of our third grade teachers, Mrs. Workman, who's our music teacher now. But we used to do a reader's theater of There was an Old Woman who Swallowed a Pie, and she would invite her class in and they would do the reader's theater and have pie. And then a couple of others of us started doing it, but then pretty soon, all of the third grade teachers wanted to be a part of it, and so that's how "Parents and Pie" started.
Anthony Godfrey:
I think it's a wonderful connection back to parents. And you mentioned this when you were the MC, that it's just so nice to have parents out and it's a chance to be grateful. To show gratitude for parents and show gratitude for their kids that you get to be a part of.
Janet Hall:
Yeah. And you know, really that's why we do our jobs. For the kids. But without that good support and love from their parents, they need that. So when they come to school, they're ready to learn and be a part of it. And we just really are super grateful for everything they do to encourage their kids to make sure they're here at school and just the support and love that they give to us as their teachers.
Anthony Godfrey:
So there's this fantastic performance, and then "Parents and Pie", and the students go out and find their parents, and then there's a list of things for them to do or talk about. Tell me more about that.
Janet Hall:
Yeah, so we wanted it to be a time for parents and their kids to really be able to connect with each other. A lot of times life is so busy, we just don't have time for those casual and meaningful conversations. And so we thought if we could give them some questions and conversation starters and provide this opportunity where they can focus on their kids and be in the moment. What a great opportunity for them to learn what their parents are thankful for, for parents to get insights on what their kids' lives are like outside of their home. And we just thought it would be such a good opportunity for some communication.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's a connection between parents and their child and it's a connection between the school and families.
Janet Hall:
Yes. And we're so, so grateful to be able to have families and parents at the school. You know, during the pandemic when we couldn't, there really was a piece of that missing. And I think the community missed it and we missed having them come in.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's not the same without that family connection. Thank you for being so intentional about making that possible once again.
Janet Hall:
Yeah. You're so welcome. Thank you for coming and enjoying our program today.
Anthony Godfrey:
It was awesome.
Stay with us. When we come back, hear Thanksgiving performances from third grade students at Butterfield Canyon Elementary.
Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian? Commercial pilot? Programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant. 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 or for 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. 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.
Students Singing:
Turkey dinner, turkey dinner,
Gather round, gather round.
Who will get the drumstick? Yummy, yummy drumstick.
All sit down, all sit down.
Chocolate muffin, cornbread stuffin’,
Pudding pie, one foot high.
All of us are thinner, ‘til we get to dinner.
Me oh my, me oh my.
Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with a mother-daughter team at Butterfield Canyon, attending "Parents and Pies". Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about the activity that they set up for you today.
Cassidy:
My name's Cassidy and I am the mom to Jaidyn. This was set up as "Parents and Pie" where we got to listen to them sing about what they were thankful for.
Anthony Godfrey:
They did a great job, didn't they?
Cassidy:
Yeah, they did. They should be a choir.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, they should. Yes. I think they should be a choir.
Anthony Godfrey:
It was awesome.
Cassidy:
Yeah, they were awesome.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now I know there's an activity where there's a list of things for you to ask each other. Have you had a chance to talk about that?
Cassidy:
Yes, we did.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Can we go through a couple of these and hear what their responses were?
Cassidy:
Yeah, absolutely. What is something you are looking forward to?
Jaidyn:
I'm looking forward to my trip to...
Cassidy:
We're going to the Dominican Republic. So we're looking forward to a family trip.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, awesome. That sounds fantastic. I have not been to that particular republic, so that sounds pretty fun. Jaidyn, what was one of the questions that you asked your mom?
Cassidy:
What's one of the questions?
Jaidyn:
What is something you love doing with your family?
Cassidy:
What is something I love doing with my family? We love going on trips. We also love playing games. We love playing family games. We have game nights a lot.
Anthony Godfrey:
I like games too. What's one of your favorite games, Jaidyn?
Jaidyn:
We usually play Uno or Sorry.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Wow. Those are fun. Now tell me, what are some of the things you're thankful for Jaidyn?
Jaidyn:
I'm thankful for my family, my friends, my house, and that I get to go to school. The sports that I do, the stuff that my mom and dad pay for, like the trips and stuff that I do.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what's your favorite thing about school?
Cassidy:
I ask this question every day, huh?
Anthony Godfrey:
Recess and lunch are acceptable answers.
Cassidy:
No, she doesn’t say that.
Jaidyn:
I like math.
Anthony Godfrey:
You like math? Fantastic. That's great. I really like math too. I wasn't as good at it as you are probably, but I did like math.
Cassidy:
She's pretty smart.
Anthony Godfrey:
Is there something about math that you like the most?
Jaidyn:
I really like multiplication.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. Okay, great. Well, you stay with that math. That's fantastic. And how about your mom? What do you think she's thankful for? Shall we ask her? All right.
Cassidy:
I'm thankful for my kids, and how good they are, and my family, and that we just have a roof over our head right now.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's fantastic. Well, thank you for being here and thanks for talking with me today.
Cassidy:
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Have a great Thanksgiving, both of you. And a wonderful trip to the Dominican Republic.
Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about the activity today.
Lucie:
My name is Lucie. Something I like to do with my family, I like to do razor rides. And the Native American taught pilgrims how to grow corn. What is something you are glad you learned this year? I'm glad I learned division and multiplication.
Anthony Godfrey:
You like division and multiplication?
Lucie:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Is math your favorite subject?
Lucie:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Great. What are some of the things you're thankful for?
Lucie:
I am thankful for my family and my cousins, and I'm thankful that we could be here on earth.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a great thing to be thankful for. How many cousins do you have?
Lucie:
I would say on my mom's side, I have 30 something, but I have more than that now.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.
Lucie:
And I also have on my dad's side, for my first cousins, I have about 10.
Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's a lot of cousins. That's good cousin time. Let's talk to your mom too. Let's ask her to introduce herself and what she's thankful for.
Angie:
I'm Angie and I am thankful for family and peace that you can create at home in a chaotic world.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. Tell me about "Parents and Pie".
Angie:
"Parents and Pie" has been really nice. I love seeing the kids sing their songs. Lucie's been singing her songs nonstop at home, so it's really fun to see it all put together with actions and the energy. It's been really sweet to have some time with her.
Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. Lucie, tell me, what was your favorite song from the program?
Lucie:
Uh, I liked the dinner one the best.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I thought they were all so great. What does the song talk about? One foot high. What's one foot high in the song?
Lucie:
The turkey dinner.
Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, the turkey dinner. Okay. Well, hopefully your turkey dinner is one foot high and you get lots of cousin time.
Angie:
I love it.
Anthony Godfrey:
Happy Thanksgiving. Have a great time.
Angie:
Happy Thanksgiving to you guys.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks very much. Thanks for taking the time.
Students Singing:
We are thankful, we are thankful. We are thankful, oh we are thankful.
We're thankful for the things we have, thankful for the things we have.
Ohhh, thankful!
We are thankful, we are thankful. We are thankful, oh we are thankful.
We're thankful for the things we are, thankful for the things we are.
Thankful for the things we have, thankful for the things we have.
Ohhh, thankful!
We are thankful, we are thankful. We are thankful, oh we are thankful.
We're thankful for the things we do, thankful for the things we do.
Thankful for the things we are, thankful for the things we are.
Thankful for the things we have, thankful for the things we have.
Ohhh, thankful!
We are thankful, we are thankful. We are thankful, oh we are thankful.
We’re thankful for the things we’ll be, thankful for the things we’ll be.
Thankful for the things we do, thankful for the things we do.
Thankful for the things we are, thankful for the things we are.
Thankful for the things we have, thankful for the things we have.
Ohhh, thankful!
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 and thank you for listening.