Author: communications

Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Students throughout Jordan School District work tirelessly in the month of December, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help others in their annual holiday charity drives. On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Riverton High School where students are about to reveal the total amount raised during Silver Rush for their charity, the Children's Justice Center.

It is Silver Rush Day at Riverton High School, and it is one of the most exciting days of the year. Introduce yourself and tell us about what's happening today.

Katie Borgmeier:
My name is Katie Borgmeier. I am the SBO Advisor, the one kind of over all of Silver Rush.

Ella Gillespie:
And I'm Ella Gillespie, I'm the Senior Class President.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you have a water bottle strapped to you with Christmas lights taped around it. Tell us about that. And we're at the drafty front door of Riverton High School. Why is that?

Ella Gillespie:
So right now, all of us officers are standing at all the doors and we carry around these water jugs and that's how we collect our money throughout the month of December.

Anthony Godfrey:
I said water bottle, but it's a water jug, like a jug. It's the water cooler that you gather around and talk about last night's TV shows. So is this an effective method of getting cash and raising money for the cause that you've chosen?

Ella Gillespie:
I think it definitely is, especially because they're so big and everyone decorates them, they're really visual. So students, as they see us, they see the jug and they know that they want to donate.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you think that some of them root through the change in their car and at their house so that they're prepared to give money when they walk in?

Ella Gillespie:
Oh, definitely. I know a lot of times too, we’lll go stand out in the parking lot and that's a great time to get their change because they're all just in their car, so they'll do it that way or they'll bring them during lunch. We have like penny wars and so each class is like competing to see who can bring the most change, so people get really involved with it.

Anthony Godfrey:
In other words, Riverton High School may be single-handedly responsible for eliminating the coin shortage in the United States.

Ella Gillespie:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Very good. Tell us a little bit about how all this got started.

Katie Borgmeier:
So when Riverton first opened back in 1999, you know, they wanted to do something different than the usual Sub for Santa. Sub for Santa is amazing, right? But they wanted to do something that could have a change and impact on the entire community. So they kind of started like, Hey, we're gonna find some sort of social issue maybe, or some sort of medical need that we can address and teach our student body and our community about that. That's a big part of Silver Rush is education. We want to educate everyone about something. So like this year we chose the Children's Justice Center, so we're teaching our community about ways to prevent it, how to help it, and just spread awareness about what abuse might look like, here's how you go about reporting it, and things like that. And every year it just gets bigger. Everybody wants to be involved and they find ways to get involved. They're so, so creative.

Anthony Godfrey:
And when you say everyone, you're talking about every student, but you're also talking about a lot of people in the community who want to be part of it.

Katie Borgmeier:
I am. You know, we had every year there's like alumni jazz band members that go downtown and they'll start playing songs on a corner of a street and collect donations and bring it to us. So it's something that lives on forever. You know, in our Riverton High student body.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's exciting to think about all the alumni who still want to be part of this and can. It's a way that, you know, there is a way for people to connect to it because people throughout the community are helping raise money. Everybody knows about Silver Rush. What is important to me, I think, is that the student government is so intentional and thoughtful about who they choose.

Katie Borgmeier:
Right? It's quite the selection process. I do get applications every year from charities that want to be a part of Silver Rush, but I still make my officers go out and research it. Like, what does your community need? No one knows it better than you guys do. So how can we help them? So they all go research it, find charities that could help our community. We bring it together, we talk, we discuss, we narrow it down to our top 10. Those top 10 come in for an interview and we learn more about those charities. And then from there we narrow it down to the top three and we present it to our admin. The rest of the student council kind of get their ideas, their feedback. And then from there we take it to the top one. So it's not something we do lightly. We really look at how we can help this charity, how this charity can help us as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, high schools, I think have patterned what they do after what Riverton High started in the nineties.

Katie Borgmeier:
I would agree. I mean, you know, you just look at what other schools are doing. I get emails and phone calls and tags, and when we go up to our leadership camp in the summer, ‘What do you do? How do you do it?’ I'm like, ‘I don't know. But I think kind of the biggest part is your community.’ And our community loves it. And they're here to support our students in what they do each December.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love the way you described the layers of impact that you hope this project and this drive will have on students thinking about abuse, preventing abuse and raising money to help those who've suffered from it.

Katie Borgmeier:
Yes. You know, it's a great thing. As we said, we're a school, we're here for the education purpose and if we can teach them something that they can use throughout their lives, that's what we're here for, right?

Anthony Godfrey:
Exactly. Now, I've never seen a school more heavily decorated than Riverton High School today.

Katie Borgmeier:
And can you believe it? It's been three weeks, 21 days, and all of this is still up. There's not much missing from the first day.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. It's pretty remarkable. And it's palpable. You can feel the excitement about the reveal later today. Yes. And that last push, you might even call it everyone experiencing a Silver Rush this last day.

Katie Borgmeier:
Yes. I love that. Yes. It's a Silver Rush.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, tell me, how has it felt for you to be part of this this year? I know you've been part of it in other years, but as a senior, how does it feel?

Ella Gillespie:
It's been, oh, it's been really special as a senior, it's like knowing it's your last year, you just wanna give it your all. And it's been really cool seeing, especially like sophomores as they come in their first year or juniors, how they had the previous year and seniors, it's like our last year. So it's really cool to see all the different dynamics and just see how those people are all working together and it's my favorite thing ever.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I know there's a lot of work left to do, a lot of fundraising left to do in the final hours.

Ellie Gillespie:
Yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
So I'll let you go, but thank you very much for spending time with me this morning. Can't wait to be with you this afternoon.

Ella Gillespie:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Earlier you told me the total so far. What was that again? I can't remember.

Katie Borgmeier:
Ha ha. You are a funny, funny man.

Anthony Godfrey:
Am I? Yeah. I just can't remember what you told me.

Katie Borgmeier:
You know, quite honestly, I don't know, it changes by the second on this day.

Anthony Godfrey:
It does change by the second. I have no idea and it's a big deal. I do not have the type of power required to find out that number in advance.

Katie Borgmeier:
Yeah. If you did, I'd make you tell me. But know this way our principal will find out seconds before we tell our artists and our finance officers and they'll go make it 30 to 60 minutes before the assembly. So, like I said, it changes by the second on this day.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've described a lot of impact that the fundraiser has. So the final total is really exciting because it's the amount of money that you've raised and it shows the result of your hard work. But there's a lot more to it than that, as you've described.

Katie Borgmeier:
Right. We like to say it's not about the money, it's about the change. And, you know, that can kind of go a couple ways. Like pennies, nickels, dimes, they all matter just as much as the bills do, but also about the change that it makes for whoever uses the services of the charity and the change that we get from within. Like, we just heard Riley and Charles, like their odd job experiences will change them forever. And if you ever talk to alumni, the things I remember most are what they did during Silver Rush and during our odd jobs time. So it really does leave a lasting impact and a change in our lives. And after 12 years, I would like to think I'm changed for the better. But you know, I still learn things and I still have change in every year, every time I do this.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with two of the students who've been involved in the myriad activities that have been scheduled and organized around this fundraiser. Introduce yourself to start.

Charles:
I'm Charles Smith, I'm a junior.

Rhylee:
I'm Rhylee Tatton and I'm a senior.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of the activities you've been involved in this year.

Charles:
One of the biggest activities is odd jobs. They do it every day after school and I went pretty much every day. And you just go door to door and ask for donations.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a lot of your time. Tell those who may not be familiar with that, what odd jobs entails.

Charles:
So you have your group with a student body officer and you're just going door to door to every house in Riverton boundaries and you tell them what Silver Rush is. Tell them about the charity and ask them if they're willing to donate or if they have any odd jobs that they want you to do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Are there some pretty odd jobs you've been asked to do over time?

Charles:
Yeah, there've been a couple of weird ones.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Tell me about them. Just don't give the address where they were requested.

Charles:
So there was one time where we had to, it was last year actually, we painted the horns of a goat purple.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh really? Yeah. You painted the horns of a goat purple. Was there music playing in the background? No candles lit, anything like that?

Charles:
No, it was kind of just in a dark backyard.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Yeah. What are some of the other odd jobs that you've been involved in? More, some of the more conventional ones.

Charles:
There was a lot of snow shoveling. We did weeding and a couple of decorating for Christmas. Christmas trees and all that. Putting up Christmas lights.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great. I wish you'd knocked on my door. What are some of the things you've been involved in this year?

Rhylee:
Along with Charles, just odd jobs almost every single day. I also have gone to all the afterschool activities like Silver Swap, if you know what that is.

Anthony Godfrey:
I don't know what Silver Swap is.

Rhylee:
So what it is, is they make all the dance and cheer girls play basketball, and the basketball boys wear the cheerleaders uniforms and cheer, and the girls basketball team does a halftime show, and it's just this really fun event where you can donate money.

Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say about the student body here at Riverton High School based on what you've seen?

Charles:
They're definitely very involved, and they like what they do or else they wouldn't be doing it every day. I feel like they always have a good attitude about what they're doing.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you?

Rhylee:
I'd say that especially regarding Silver Rush, everyone has this deep desire and like dedication to it because odd jobs are four hours every day and it's just like really cold. And if you didn't have like a big desire to make a change, then you wouldn't go. So just Riverton’s student body, we're all very like, connected in that way where we just wanna make the change.

Anthony Godfrey:
Are you excited to find out this afternoon? The final total?

Rhylee:
I'm so excited. I couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any predictions?

Rhylee:
I'm hoping we go above $200,000 this year. I think we can do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. We'll see what happens.

Did Riverton High break a school record in fundraising? Stay with us to find out.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We are here just in the hallway outside the gymnasium where we're about to have the assembly to announce the final number and to celebrate the culmination of this fundraiser. Silver Rush. At Riverton High School, we're talking with Sim Gill, who is here for the assembly and was here for the, for the launch of, of the fundraiser. Sim Gill is the Salt Lake County District Attorney. Now you were at the kickoff assembly for Silver Rush and shared the experience with your staff. When you returned to the office, what moved you about that experience and Riverton High School student efforts to support the Children's Justice Center?

Sim Gill:
Well, first of all, just to see the passion, and the excitement, and the commitment, and this camaraderie that was created by the students. It was incredibly moving. As I was sharing with you earlier, you know, when I think about the world, we have a lot of reasons to be cynical about it, but seeing these young adults care so deeply about their community and for a cause like the Children Justice Center was nothing short of just inspiring. It certainly filled my cup and we went back and we shared that enthusiasm because if this is the future of our country, then our country's in good hands.

Anthony Godfrey:
I agree completely. We are in good hands in the future with these students. How will the support of Riverton High’s Silver Rush make a difference at the Children's Justice Center?

Sim Gill:
Oh, it's gonna make a tremendous difference. Every year, you know, your community may not know that the Children Justice Center was created specifically to work with children and families who’ve undergone often some horrific trauma in terms of either sexual abuse or physical abuse. And we roughly help about 1500 families each year. So, it's not just the individuals, but it's their families. So, these resources will help us to lean into that space to create a safe place for these survivors of these crimes and their families to be able to go through this experience and then transition on. So it's about getting access of services to get them the resources that they need, but more importantly, to let them know that there is a community that cares and is there to help some of our most vulnerable victims in our community.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. What would you like to say to the students and community members who've been involved in Silver Rush this year to help support the Children's Justice Center?

Sim Gill:
I want them to know that they are making a difference. Sometimes we question what I do, is that gonna make a difference? I can assure them to every student who committed and supported this, that individual action is being amplified and multiplied and it is going to make a difference in the life of some child, some family, and they are actually helping us solve this problem. And they can be absolutely proud of that fact.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much for being here and for all the work you do with the Children's Justice Center.

Sim Gill:
Thank you. Thank you for the invitation. What a great event to be a part of, especially during the holiday season. It just warms my heart up and so thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much.

We're talking now with Susanne Mitchell, Associate Division Director for Victim Support Services. Tell me, how does it feel to see students supporting the Children's Justice Center like this? Have you ever experienced anything like this?

Susanne Mitchell:
I've had the fortunate experience of working with a lot of schools on cool projects like this. I had no idea Riverton students could reach new heights above and beyond my wildest dreams. It really makes it extra special for me because my children went to Riverton High School and graduated from here. So I have a special place in my heart for what's going on here, and I love that the students rallied and embraced this concept of making a safe community for victims to come forward and speak about abuse. So not only did they try and raise funds, but they've been really proactive in raising awareness and creating a beautiful place for their students to feel safe with each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's really cool that your own kids were a part of Silver Rush years ago. How did that impact them personally?

Susanne Mitchell:
I told my daughter what was going on and right away she said she has the happiest memories, and she knows the excitement that builds up for something like this. And I really think it creates an opportunity for the students to experience leadership that they will use in the future. I mean, what's happening here through this project is above and beyond just a donation.

Anthony Godfrey:
I agree completely. There are layers to the impact this has on the students and community members who are involved. Now you have a guest with you here as well?

Susanne Mitchell:
Yes. Let me introduce, Colby Wilcock is the President of the Friends of the Children's Justice Center nonprofit, dedicated to supporting the program with a mission of empowering children to speak up and feel supported.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much for being here. What are some of the impacts that these funds that the kids have raised will have?

Colby Wilcock:
One of the greatest ways that these funds get to be used is that when a child comes into us at the situation of having to face a trauma that they've been through there are certain rules that have to be followed in the justice system and in the legal process. And so our government friends cannot do certain things like provide comforts or experiences or even relief to these children and their families.

Anthony Godfrey:
Because of the role they play in resolving the situation.

Colby Wilcock:
That's right. And so because what would happen is they end up being considered tampering with evidence. Right? So what we can do is come in as a third party entity. We have no rules holding us back and we can do anything we want to help empower both this child and their family. And this is something that we've been leaning really hard into this year as a nonprofit, is to not just focus on the victim, but also the family. Because there are so many other people that are involved in the process and in the experience that live with the trauma and sometimes don't have that rehabilitation happen in their lives.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for the work you do and I think there's gonna be some really exciting news about the outcome here. I just keep hearing about how impactful this particular cause has been for students. So I'm excited to celebrate with students here and with all of you and I think we're gonna be really, really excited about the results.

Colby Wilcock:
Thank you so much.

Anthony Godfrey:

Thank you. Let's go into the gym now, and we're going to participate in that assembly and the reveal of the final amount that students have raised here at Riverton High School through Silver Rush 2022.

SBO President Skyler Anderson:
Thank you all. Thank you so much for being here. I’ve really enjoyed being able to thank all of you for allowing me to be in a position where I have been able to experience Silver Rush in such an incredible way. Thank you all for the bottom of my heart. You guys are the ones who make this possible. You guys are the ones who've done all of this throughout all the years that Riverton has been around. So sorry, this is getting repetitive, but for one last time, for all the students who gave time or donations this year, all the organizations who ran events and activities, the teachers and faculty of our school, including janitors who stayed at the school for many late nights, to our community and local businesses who fully support us, and everyone else who has been a part of the incredible experiences that Silver Rush provides. Can I please have you give a loud cheer to those who made Silver Rush successful this year?

Before we start the video, a message to the seniors, our last Silver Rush is over, but the change will never end. In fact, it is still going. Since the banner was made less than 30 minutes ago, we have just been informed that an additional $50,000 has been received that will not be on the banner. Always keep charity in your heart for a little help to have pure love for all that you need in your life. Congratulations, Riverton. Now without further ado, please start the video and turn off the lights.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. We have pretty much every phone in the place is aimed at the banner. It's about to go up. And they announced right before the banner went up that there was an additional $50,000 that will add to this total. The air is electric here. The kids came running out of the bleachers onto the floor. It's so exciting. So the banner announcing the amount is about to be hoisted up in the gym. They're hoisting the banner. Wow. $212,000 with an additional $50,000. $262,000! Wow! That is a record. That is a record at a school that raises so much money every year. $212,000 plus $50,000. $262,000. Tears and excitement everywhere. I cannot even hear myself. This is incredible. What an effort by the school and community. It's something for everyone to be proud of. Incredible.

We're gonna track down the student body President Skyler Anderson, and try to pull him from the thongs of students who will be celebrating with him and talk with him about what this means to him.

We were able to track down Skyler Anderson amidst the throngs of celebrating students $262,000. How does that feel?

Skyler Anderson:
It makes me speechless.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's emotional for me, just being here and being able to witness the enthusiasm from the crowd. They love seeing you come on stage, but they're so unified in this effort. It's just obvious.

Skyler Anderson:
It is so incredible what we're able to do here at Riverton. How we can have all 2000 students that go to our school come together for one cause and to help so many people. And I really just hope that it changes who each and every one of us are as people, so that once we're done with high school and this is all over, that we keep giving and that we just be better people than we are today.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you think it says about this student body that you represent, that they're able to unite around an effort as important as this and have results as incredible as this?

Skyler Anderson:
Honestly, it's just amazing. The community that we have here in Riverton that has been cultivated throughout so many years. And it says so much about who the people are that live in this community and that they're willing to give of themselves to help people that are in need.

Anthony Godfrey:
And to see high school students around a cause like this is inspiring to every single person here.

Skyler Anderson:
Thank you so much. It definitely is.

Anthony Godfrey:
I hope that you can get some rest over the break. I'm sure you haven't had much for a very long time.

Skyler Anderson:
I'm excited. I get to go spend some time with my family and it'll be great.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you deserve it. Thanks for your leadership and for giving a huge boost to my holiday season.

Skyler Anderson:
Well, thank you. Thanks for all that you do for us.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is such a thrill to have been here at Riverton High School. What a wonderful effort. And I know that schools throughout the district have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit others. It's really inspiring and I'm really proud to be associated with all of these efforts throughout our district. Congratulations to everyone who's been a part of that, and I hope everyone has a wonderful winter break. And thank you for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. And remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was a magical night of holiday music at Herriman High School as students from across the district gathered for a Christmas concert like no other. On this episode of the Supercast, we invite you to enjoy music that is bound to put you in the holiday spirit, performed by some really talented high school students. What makes this concert even more incredible? The show went on despite a school-wide power outage. It didn't stop students from singing their hearts out for the holidays.

Speaker 1:
Good evening, this is Riverton High School. Great to be with you. We'd like to sing for you first, an African American spiritual called Children, Go Where I Send Thee. It is an old familiar one, often sung with Christmas. The composer did some fun things to bring it into 2022, so you'll hear a rap and you'll hear an Audra McDonald type soloist. So that is Kate on the solo and Peter on the rap. We’ll have them come way forward so hopefully you can hear them. And we’ll ask the choir to go way down on their solo, we'll adjust. Thank you.

Soloist Singing:
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?

Choir:
Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee one by one
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Laid down in a manger
That’s born, born, born, born in Bethlehem

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send you two by two
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Laid down in a manger
That’s born, born, born, born in Bethlehem

Children, go where I send thee
How shall I send thee?
I'm gonna send thee ten by ten
Ten for ten commandments
Nine for the nine that dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that went up to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed
Five the for gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped in swaddling clothing
Laid down in a manger
That’s born, born, born, born in Bethlehem.

Peter (rapping):
The story that I’m writin’, seed to sow is never ending
everlasting to everlasting and you know it’s on to heaven,
You get the God message in the aim is a lesson
and quit the instant messin and the messages are festerin’
Softening our hearts and it’s reachin’ all the people.
We do this in the streets and underneath the steeple.
Rather talk the talk but the young ones walk the walk.
They are crawlin’ in the dark but my voice it is the torch.
Drink the milk, eat the meat, fallin’ at the Savior’s feet.
The sinner take a peek, everybody take a peek
at the heart of the matter he’s the King of Kings.
Married to the church I got the Lord of the rings.
Gold streets where I’m dancin’, Father got mansions,
beauty in God imagine. What do you fathom?
You heard this story to grow. Hey! So it’s time to go!
Hey! Hey! You heard this story to grow.
Love and light so it’s time to go!
Hey! You heard this story to grow.
Love and light so it’s time to go!

I'm gonna send thee ten by ten
Ten for ten commandments
Nine for the nine that dressed so fine
Eight for the eight that stood at the gate
Seven for the seven that went up to heaven
Six for the six that never got fixed, and he never got fixed, and he never got fixed, so he never got fixed, so he never got fixed.
Five the for gospel preachers
Four for the four that stood at the door
Three for the Hebrew children
Two for Paul and Silas
One for the little bitty baby
Wrapped all up in swaddling clothing
Laid down in a manger.
That’s born, born, born, born, born, born, born, born!

Soloist singing:
Children go where I send thee.
How shall I send thee?

Speaker2:
Hello, this is the Herriman High School A Cappella. Tonight, we'll sing for you First I Met Thee from Home Alone, actually Home Alone II, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, and Somewhere in My Memory by John Williams.

Choir Singing:
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for the glorious season.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for a happy new year.
Sing merrily, merrily, loud and strong,
Welcome the wintry season.
Just follow along with the holiday song.
Santa is here again, yes!

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for the glorious season.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for a happy new year.
The reindeer fly, if you need any proof.
It's merely a matter of reason.
Just listen, you'll hear when they land on the roof.
Santa is here again, yes!

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for the glorious season.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for a happy new year.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for the obvious reason.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
It’s a magical, miracle, annual, lyrical,
sing-along now, sing a song for a happy new year!

Sing merrily, merrily, loud and strong,
Welcome the wintry season.
Just follow along with the holiday song.
Santa is here again, yes!

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for the glorious season.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for a happy new year.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
Sing a song for the obvious reason.
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas!
It’s a magical, miracle, annual, lyrical,
sing-along now, sing a song for a happy new year!

Choir Singing:
Candles in the window
Shadows painting the ceiling
Gazing at the fire glow
Feeling that gingerbread feeling
Precious moments, special people
Happy faces, I can see
Somewhere in my memory
Christmas joys all around me
Living in my memory
All of the music, all of the magic
All of the family, home here with me

Somewhere in my memory
All of the music, all of the magic
All of the family, home here with me

Speaker 3:
Good evening. This is a Legacy Choir from Mountain Ridge High School. We are pleased to sing Ola Gjeilo’s Tundra, conducted by our beloved student teacher, Bryce Hammond.

Choir Singing:
Wide, worn and weathered,
Sacred expanse
Of green and white and granite grey;
Snowy patches strewn,
Anchored to the craggy earth,
Unmoving, unmoving;

While clouds dance
Across the vast, eternal sky, eternal sky.

While clouds dance
Across the vast, eternal sky.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back the sweet sounds of Christmas from Copper Hills High and Bingham High School.

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young life and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Anthony Godfrey:
Welcome back. Now we'll hear from the Copper Hills High School Choir.

Speaker 4:
We are performing Niño Lindo by Julian Wachner.

Choir Singing:
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo

Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.

Esa tu hermosura, ese tu candor
El alma me roba, el alma me roba
Me roba el amor

Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.

La vida bien mío, mi alma también
Te ofrezco gustoso, te ofrezco gustoso
Rendido a tus pies

Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.

Adiós, tierno infante
Adiós, niño, adiós
Adiós, dulce amante
Adiós, dulce amante
Adiós, niño, adiós

Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.
Niño lindo, ante ti me rindo,
Niño lindo, eres tú mi Dios.

Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo
Niño lindo

Speaker 5:
Hello everyone, good evening. We are Bingham High School A Capella choir, and we'll end with a perennial American favorite, Jingle Bells.

Choir Singing:
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle.
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle.
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle.
Jingle, jingle, jingle, jingle.
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh.

Dashing through the snow,
in a one-horse open sleigh.
O’er the fields we go,
laughing all the way.
Bells on bobtails ring,
making spirits bright.
What fun it is to ride and sing
a sleighing song tonight.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh.

A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon, Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side,
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot.

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh. Hey!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
jingle all the way.
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh.

A one horse open sleigh.

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.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a holiday tradition started by one teacher at Herriman Elementary School, now helping homeless children and teens throughout the year. On this episode of the Supercast, find out how a pajama project is bringing comfort to people served by the Road Home Shelter on cold winter nights and beyond. 

We're at Herriman Elementary to talk about a service project, and here with us is Kelly Grundy. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about this project.

Kelly Grundy:
My name is Kelly Grundy and I teach here at Herriman Elementary. I teach fourth grade and they're pretty amazing. We have started a pajama project. Actually I started it years ago, but my fourth grade class is joining in with us and we're gonna get it going and they're super excited. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Now when you say years ago, it was 14 years ago. Am I correct?

Kelly Grundy:
Yes. 

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a long time.

Kelly Grundy:
It's been a long time. I started, the idea came from teaching, actually. I'm a student from Bingham High School, and then when I started teaching, I taught in North Las Vegas. That was my first teaching job. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, wow.

Kelly Grundy:
And it was very different from where I came from. And a little bit of an eye opener. I taught a fifth grade class and when I was teaching there, my very first year, we were talking about traditions and I told them that we dress up alike at Christmas time and wear silly pajamas. And after the class discussion, I had a couple of students come up after, and they were in fifth grade and they said, Mrs. Grundy, what are pajamas? And I said, what do you mean? You know? And I didn't understand their question. They really didn't know what pajamas were because they'd been living in the shelter and it just wasn't something they were familiar with or needed in life.

And so that stuck with me and I ended up speaking with one of the counselors at the shelter and I told her about that experience because it was an odd moment for me. And she said, it's just not something they need. It's a want. It's not required for their life. You know, food and things come first. And that just broke me. And she also talked to me for a while about how symbolic pajamas are for kids in homeless shelters or in transient situations and how changing out of pajamas and putting on a new pair of clothes and doing that little routine at night really makes them feel like they have a home and makes them feel, you know, like they've got a different way of life. And that was really symbolic for them to change clothes at night. So once I heard that, I said, ‘okay, I'm in.’

So I've been collecting with my family, just here and there. My kids from the district, they'll tell their school teachers and we've been collecting for years. And when I would teach, we'd kind of do it here and there, or my community and stuff. So I've been doing it for 14 years, but last year when I started teaching fourth grade, I was telling my students about the project and I said, my family has been doing this for years. And they just lit up. They said, ‘we want help.’ So I thought, ‘oh, can they? Can I do that with kids?’ You know, are they gonna really do it? I mean, pajamas aren't cheap and I don't know if this is something they can do. The students here at Herriman and the community just went crazy. And they ended up collecting over 250 pairs, and we packaged them up, and each kid in the class wrote little tags on each individual pajamas saying, you know, we love you. 

Anthony Godfrey:
So it was personalized.

Kelly Grundy:
It was awesome. And so I thought, okay, I'm doing this with my students now for the duration of my time because they really had a great time doing it. And they loved it. And they're so excited. We've already started collecting and they've already brought in bags and they walk around, they tell their cousins and family and they're just really passionate about spreading the news.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me again, the first time that you did it with students.

Kelly Grundy:
First time I did it with my own students was last year here at Herriman.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. And you were pretty surprised by the reaction it sounds like.

Kelly Grundy:
Yeah. Absolutely. I didn't think it would be. It's harder than collecting, you know, little cans or something small. Pajamas seem like a big ask.

Anthony Godfrey:
You don't say, ‘oh, hey, I have a new set of pajamas that will be perfect for a child in this drawer right here. Let me go ahead and grab them’, in the same way we can maybe grab food out of the pantry. So you have to be pretty intentional about saying, I'm in. I'm gonna participate.

Kelly Grundy:
Yes. And so I thought, well, I'll invite them and they'll bring a couple. They'll participate a little bit. And so I, you know, sent messages out. The kids made their own fliers and they wrote up a little thing about it and they shared it with people. And I thought, well, I'll get a couple out of this. And this area just from Herriman Elementary collected 250 pair.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's amazing. 

Kelly Grundy:
It was amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you have this year’s flier?

Kelly Grundy:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's take a look. Is this from students as well?

Kelly Grundy:
Yes. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Very cool.

Kelly Grundy:
We kind of worked together. They came up with what they wanted to say and we added it all together on the flier.

Anthony Godfrey:
14th annual. That feels pretty cool, doesn’t it?

Kelly Grundy:
Yeah. Yes. It was exciting. One year when I returned back, a cute little boy walked down the hall, said ‘the pajama lady's here.’ Okay, I gotta do this.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hey, there are worse things to be known for.

Kelly Grundy:
Yeah. I was excited. I was excited that I had a purpose.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's pretty great. So do you get a pretty wide variety of pajamas coming your way?

Kelly Grundy:
Yes. And for that reason this year, the data that we've got from the shelter says that there's 180 children that they wanna collect for. But with that being said, they don't tell us the sizes exactly. They can break down the ages, but they don't necessarily know their size always. And what they want. So with that, we try to double it. We try to double what they need so that there's choices. And that they're able to maybe even get a couple if they can, but the ranges go from, you know, two to four, but a four year old might wear a size eight, I mean, you just don't know what they're actually gonna wear. And the teenagers wear adult sizes. It's all over the spectrum. So for that reason, we try to double it if we can. So they've got 180 children that they're gonna service this year. So we're aiming for approximately 400 if we can get there.

Anthony Godfrey:
And if someone listening wants to become a part of this and contribute, how do they do that?

Kelly Grundy:
So they can drop off pajamas to Herriman High School. They can email me, I can come get them. Herriman Elementary has a Facebook page that has our flier on there. Any of those ways, we'll get it anyway that we can.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you find people without a connection to the school necessarily, pitching in?

Kelly Grundy:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Just random. The kids will take them to family members and, and somebody, I've had a couple people already who one of the children's parents put on Facebook and I had strangers emailing and calling and say, ‘I've heard about this and it sounds awesome.’ So they brought it over to us and dropped it off, and we don't even know where they heard about it. So we're, we were excited to have that.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's exciting. And it's encouraging to have that kind of support. Stay with us, when we come back hear a student talk about the pajama project and why she loves the tradition of giving back.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We also have the principal of Herriman Elementary, Bobbie Nixon here. Bobbie, what, what impact does this have on your school?

Bobbie Nixon:
I think this is wonderful for our school because it helps our students give. And I think the earlier you can learn to give the better. We've had different projects over the years, but I think this project from Mrs. Grundy is helpful because it can help so many people in a way we hadn't considered before.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the reactions you've heard from parents and students who have heard about the project and gotten involved?

Bobbie Nixon:
I've heard from parents that they love giving pajamas. Pajamas are all over this time of year, and Ms. Grundy purposely does it at this time of the year. You can go into any store and they're on sale and they're Christmasy and it makes 'em feel warm and snugly at this time of year. I've heard that their students get excited about giving and about making the note. And like I said, it's known about pajamas. We have the flyers everywhere, like on our Facebook. It's also caught on like, not only to do the pajamas, but now our third grade is like catching up for Utah Humane Society. So it's catching on, like just to do service and good things.

Anthony Godfrey:
So there's momentum that you really can't fight. Once they get a taste for service, it expands into other areas. And you're right, the younger the better because it feels great. And, it's a great time of year to be doing it. And every time they put on their own pajamas, they're reminded of the opportunity that they've taken to provide that for someone else. And I think that's exciting. Part of education is getting outside of yourself and connecting to the broader world. And this is a great way to do that.

Kelly Grundy:
Yeah. And I've noticed within my class, just once we started talking about the project, made the flier and started talking, they in general have kind of created a more giving community within each other. I know we have a little thankful jar in our class. And once we start talking about this project, they fill out a little slip of paper with things they're thankful for and they put it in the jar. Once we started the project, the jar started filling up, they started being more thankful. They push in chairs for each other. They're just a little bit more thankful. We did another project that we got a gift card for our class to buy supplies and they all said, let's, let's buy pajamas. And they are not thinking of themselves anymore. They really have a different vocabulary and they have a different way of talking. And it's brought a little bit, a lot of unity within our classroom as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's remarkable. The unity as well, and that they're looking out for each other. Once they went into generosity mode, it just doesn't turn off. That's beautiful. That's awesome. I love that. Speaking of, we actually do have a student here with us. Introduce yourself.

Emily:
My name is Emily and I'm a fourth grader at Herriman Elementary.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Emily, what do you think about this project?

Emily:
I'm really excited for it.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like about the pajama project?

Emily:
I just like how we are helping the people at the Road Home Shelter just have pajamas and be more comfy.

Anthony Godfrey:
How do you think it feels to you and your classmates just to have that opportunity and to be focused on something outside of your school and outside of your classroom?

Emily:
I really like it because we've, like, as she said, we've grown more unity with each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's exciting. So, you can tell a difference in the way you're treating each other. 

Emily:
Yeah. 

Anthony Godfrey:
I see that you yourself are wearing pajamas today. And tell me about the pattern you've chosen there.

Emily:
It's Harry Potter.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. And is there a particular house or are they all represented?

Emily:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
They're all represented.

Kelly Grundy:
What house are you from?

Emily:
I'm in Gryffindor.

Anthony Godfrey:
Gryffindor? I kind of got a Gryffindor vibe as I walked into the office, but I wasn't sure. Okay. Sounds good. Of the donated pajamas coming in, what's the favorite that you've seen? Have you seen a cool pattern?

Emily:
Yeah, I saw a couple like of TV shows, like I'm pretty sure I saw my Little Pony one and also a Mario one, and I like the

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, nice. Some of the branded stuff. Okay.

Kelly Grundy:
I do know, when I asked my class, some of the things they're most excited about doing, they're excited about collecting them. But for those that are maybe not able to collect as many, they're excited to make little hand-made notes that have little drawings on them. They spend time drawing these little drawings and they say, ‘you are special’, or ‘we love you’. And then on the back we’ll put the size and things like that for the parents to go through and pick. And then we just wrap it up in string. But the kids get really excited to make those handwritten notes, and they get excited knowing that they don't know who they're going to. But it's gonna go to somebody we've talked about in class. It's gonna go to somebody who needs to hear that they were thought of and not just given it to, but they're gonna put as much of their own personality to each individual tag as they can. So they get really excited about making the tags and putting their own little touch and telling someone that they're special.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love how that personalizes it. It adds another layer to the connection that they feel. Did you do tags last year or is that new this year?

Kelly Grundy:
I did and that was the biggest surprise. Cause I collected pajamas before, pre Covid. We used to wrap them, like physically wrap them, but then since Covid they said maybe not. So we just do ribbon. And I thought, well I’ll just have the kids help tie the ribbon. We did some lessons, we had to teach them how to curl the ribbons. It was fun for the kids to practice, and they got a kick out of that. But then I thought, well, we'll have these tags, which I always have done tags with a size on it, but I had never put anything on the back. And so the kids actually had thought of it last year, and when they started it just snowballed. And that ended up being the biggest, most exciting thing for them is to individualize.

They weren't hurrying through each one. They really went through, and we ended up making 500 different individual tags to tie onto them. And they all put their little heart and soul into each tag and put a little message. And I was touched when I saw some of the things that they had written that I didn't tell them to write. But these little fourth graders had come up with their own little messages and just encouraging, just a little thought. And it was really touching that they were showing each other, and asking each other, and how do you spell this? And it was really from the heart and you could tell it. We really brought a spirit into our classroom last year. So we're excited to do that this year. For the same group of people.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, just like pajamas themselves. This pajama project kind of makes me feel warm all over that you get to create this opportunity for kids and this connection with the community. It's inspiring and it's really exciting. Thank you for providing that for the community and for your students.

Kelly Grundy:
You are welcome. I'm excited to do it.

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.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was a day filled with fun and a focus on the ultimate prize, helping to break the world record in Sports Stacking. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you to Terra Linda Elementary School, where students joined others around the world in a race against the clock, stacking specially designed cups in something called the 2022 STACK UP! Find out how they contributed to breaking the world record in a really big way.

We're here at Terra Linda, where they are working on helping set a world record in cup stacking, and we're talking with the teacher who is overseeing all of this. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about today.

Jaime Scott:
Yes, I'm Jaime Scott. I'm the PE specialist here. We are just 1 class today, fifth grade, that is going to be a part of the world record. So it's going to be 3 days long. The world record is the most people sports stacking in multiple locations. So us in Utah, here at Terra Linda, other schools in Utah, other schools in the United States, and then schools in different countries, where we're all working to beat the 2019 record, which was 638,000. But the goal is to beat 650,000 people. They've been doing this for quite a few years. This is our first year at Terra Linda.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so you were not involved in the previous world record.

Jaime Scott:
We were not involved in any previous ones. This is our first time, but I'm expecting about 445 students to help with this record at Terra Linda.

Anthony Godfrey:
So is the record how many people have been involved over the course of the 3 days?

Jaime Scott:
Yes. And you have to stack for 30 minutes, and then I just keep track of how many were here today, and I'm gonna turn it in at the end of the day on Thursday.

Anthony Godfrey:
So to count in the group you have to stack for 30 minutes?

Jaime Scott:
Yes. Yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Well, I don't have time to count.

Jaime Scott:
That's okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
But that's not the first time that's happened. Okay. So I see lots of different sizes of speed stack cups. Tell me about that. Does it matter what size they're using?

Jaime Scott:
So today's kind of our fun station day. We're gonna wrap up with some jumbo stacks, which are the oversized cups, and we also have mini cups that we're kind of using with your fingertips. But your normal cups are the handheld cups that are your medium size, and that's what you'll time yourselves for a world record if you really wanted to, and that's what we mostly use.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now normally there's the pad, I see some of the pads over there.

Jaime Scott:
Yes, the mat and the timer.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the mat is there and it can detect when your hands are on the mat. Am I correct?

Jaime Scott:
Yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
And as your hands leave the mat, then the timer starts and the stacking begins.

Jaime Scott:
That’s exactly right. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, but this is not that.

Jaime Scott:
Nope. We're not trying to beat any timed record. We are trying to beat the most people sports stacking in multiple locations. So right now there's probably tons of other schools that are sports stacking with us at the same time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it all schools that are involved or are there other locations and other groups that are part of the sport stacking?

Jaime Scott:
It would be other schools K-12, maybe some groups, some teams that would be doing it too. But yeah, there's really no.

Anthony Godfrey:
And is this international or just in the US?

Jaime Scott:
Yes, it is worldwide.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. So we're part of a worldwide making of history today.

Jaime Scott:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me, what is it that got you connected to this global effort in cup stacking?

Jaime Scott:
So there were sports stacks when I came to school here four years ago. And it took me two years to kind of learn how to do it. So last year they learned sports stacks for the first time. It was later in the year. And then once I started doing my research, I realized, ‘oh, there's like a national, not a national day, but a day that they set aside to beat a world record.’ So that time I finally built into my curriculum so that we could take part of it. So this is their third day of sports stacking. So it's kind of our fun day.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Great. So what kind of training have they been doing leading up to this day?

Jaime Scott:
Yes. So we've learned the 3 stack, which is the very simple stack, just learning how to switch your hands. Then you add in two.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can you show me a 3 stack? So show me a 3 stack.

Jaime Scott:
You will get 3 cups in front of you. You'll always lead with your favorite hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, I’m going to try it. Do the flames on the cup help actually?

Jaime Scott:
Do the flames help? What do you think students?

Anthony Godfrey:
Do the flames help? Oh, the flame cups are faster. That's good to know. All right. At least I've got the fast cups. Except now I don't have an excuse. Maybe I should grab the slow cups because then it would be obvious.

Jaime Scott:
Here you go. Pink ones.

Anthony Godfrey:
The pink ones are slow.

Jaime Scott:
There you go.

Anthony Godfrey:
Or the purple.

Jaime Scott:
Purple, okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Or the green. You know what green feels right. Going with green. All right.

Jaime Scott:
So you always wanna start with your favorite hand. So favorite hand's gonna grab first, set it right next, and then not favorite hand and put it on top. Now your other favorite hand, you're gonna down stack and grab with your not favorite hand. Put it on top. So you have to switch hands. That is our rule.

Anthony Godfrey:
Switching hands.

Jaime Scott:
It's a world cup rule.

Anthony Godfrey:
Not favorite hand. Sounds a little mean.

Jaime Scott:
I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's just my right hand.

Jaime Scott:
Well, some kids don't know right hand and left hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
That makes sense. Okay, I got it. I got it. So, they’re all stacked.

Jaime Scott:
So you gotta start with 'em together. Favorite hand. Not favorite hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
I already messed up, it already fell over.

Jaime Scott:
It's okay. We mess up a lot, don't we?

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. That's what it's about, right?

Jaime Scott:
Yeah, growth mindset.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, here we go.

Jaime Scott:
Favorite hand, not favorite hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
Favorite hand. Not favorite hand.

Jaime Scott:
Favorite hand stacked down. Pull it that way. Good. Now not favorite hand. Put it on top.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Now I’ve got my favorite and my not favorite mixed up. Let's do it 1 more time. Okay.

Jaime Scott:
Okay. Favorite, not favorite hand. Switch. Favorite hand. Not favorite.

Anthony Godfrey:
I got it! That's the 3 stack.

Jaime Scott:
That's the 3 stack.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much.

Jaime Scott:
Yes!

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you. And that is the first step.

Jaime Scott:
That’s the first step.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's the most basic move. Okay.

Jaime Scott:
Yep. Then we add in two more stacks of 3.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, now that seems like a big leap forward. All right, let's try that.

Jaime Scott:
Okay. Now you wanna start on the opposite side. So you're always going 1 direction, towards your favorite hand. So you're gonna start here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, this is my favorite hand.

Jaime Scott:
Oh, your favorite hand’s your left hand?

Anthony Godfrey:
Yep.

Jaime Scott:
Okay, so you're gonna start over here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And what do I do?

Jaime Scott:
So start over here with your favorite hand. Okay. I'm gonna grab your hand. You're gonna go this way. So, favorite hand stack down. Not favorite hand stack on top. Favorite hand, not favorite hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah.

Jaime Scott:
On top. On top.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. On top.

Jaime Scott:
Favorite hand

Anthony Godfrey:
Favorite hand, not favorite hand.

Jaime Scott:
Now we go back to the beginning and then we down stack. So back to the beginning. Favorite hand, not favorite hand. Favorite hand, not favorite hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
Favorite hand, not favorite hand. Favorite, not favorite.

Jaime Scott:
There you go. That's the 3, 3, 3.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much.

Jaime Scott:
Now you want a timer?

Anthony Godfrey:
No, I do not want a timer.

Jaime Scott:

All right, you wanna learn

Anthony Godfrey:
What's the next step?

Jaime Scott:
3, 6, 3. And then a 6, 6. And then a 1, 10, 1. You wanna watch the kids do it?

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I wanna watch. I wanna watch 1 of the kids do it. I am not going to try that next step.
Jaime Scott:

Yes. Cade, Eva, Lilli, and Cashtin. We’ll get you on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let’s see what you’ve got.

Jaime Scott:
Okay, there you go Cashtin.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, tell me your names again.

Cashtin:
Cashtin.

Cade:
Cade.

Lilli:
Lilli.

Jaime Scott:
And here’s Eva.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, Cashtin, Cade, Lilli and?

Eva:
Eva.

Anthony Godfrey:
Eva. Okay, let’s see what you’ve got.

Jaime Scott:

Let's throw the 3, 6, 3. Everyone else you wanna come watch ‘em?

Other students:
Yes!

Jaime Scott:
Okay, let's stand an arms length away from 'em so we can give 'em plenty of space. Now you'll notice Mr. Godfrey, they all start with their hands on the table to mimic the timer. Okay. So 3, 6, 3. Ready? Go. So they're gonna start with the 3, then the 6 in the middle, and then the 3. It’s slippery on this table.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah. Okay.

Jaime Scott:
So that's the 3, 3, 3. Let's show him the 6, 6.

Student:
Can I do it? Can I do it next?

Jaime Scott:
We'll get you on here in a second. 6. 6. So now it's just two stacks of 6. Ready? Go.

Student:
I can do the 1, 10, 1. I know how to do it.

Jaime Scott:
There you go.

Students:
Cheering and talking.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Wow. That is impressive you guys.

Jaime Scott:
Now we put 'em all together. So it's the 3, 6, 3. The 6, 6 and 1, 10, 1. And that's called the cycle. Are you comfortable with the cycle? All four of you?

Anthony Godfrey:
So they go through the cycle of doing all of those in sequence.

Jaime Scott:
All in a row. Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's the 1, 10, 1?

Jaime Scott:
1, 10, 1. Yes. You'll see. This is the hardest one. We're gonna start with the 3, 6, 3.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right.

Jaime Scott:
They’re gonna show us the cycle and show Mr. Godfrey the cycle.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, let’s see it.

Jaime Scott:
Start in the 3, 6, 3. There you go. Then they turn it to the 6, 6. And then 1, 10, 1.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, how long does that normally take? On a good surface? I know this is a slick surface.

Jaime Scott:
30 seconds.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Jaime Scott:
We’ve got one 6th grader who can do it in 17 seconds.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. All right.

Jaime Scott:

This is the cycle. 3, 6, 3. Then a 6. 6. Stay with it. Good. There you go Cashtin.

Anthony Godfrey:
Those cups don't know what hit ‘em.

Jaime Scott:
So Eva's on the 1, 10, 1. There you go Lilli, 1, 10, 1.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Oh, we have a rebuild. All right. There we go. Eva. Nice job. Everybody looks good out there.

Stay with us when we come back more with students having fun in the 2022 STACK UP!

Break:
Are you looking for a job right now? Looking to work in a fun and supportive environment with great pay and a rewarding career? Jordan School District is hiring. We're currently filling full and part-time positions. You can work and make a difference in young life and education as a classroom assistant or a substitute teacher. Apply to work in one of our school cafeterias where our lunch staff serves up big smiles with great food every day. We're also looking to hire custodians and bus drivers. In Jordan School District we like to say people come for the job and enjoy the adventure. Apply today at employment.jordandistrict.org

Anthony Godfrey:
Lilli, tell me what you like about stacking.

Lilli:
I like the cup sound.

Anthony Godfrey:
You like the cup sound? Yeah. It's kind of satisfying as you're throwing those cups around.

Lilli:
Yeah, it makes satisfying sounds.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right. When I saw that you were doing the, is it called a 1, 10, 1 you started over because it kind of fell over. Do you have to do that sometimes?

Lilli:
Yeah. Sometimes it's just too hard to redo, so you have to restart. Like sometimes when it’s 3, 6, 3, but sometimes it's just like one at the bottom falls, so you have to restart.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does that kind of translate over to homework and other things that sometimes you just have to restart and just start over and start fresh?

Lilli:
You have to redo it several times and stuff. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Good. Well, it looks like a lot of fun. Do you do it at home too?

Lilli:
Yeah. My brother has the flame ones, so yeah, I do do it sometimes at home.

Anthony Godfrey:
And is what they say about the flame cups true? Are they faster?

Lilli:
I don't know.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a scientific experiment for the future, right?

Lilli:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey;
Okay. Eva, tell me what you like about cup stacking.

Eva:
It makes you be more faster. It could also help you with basketball. Like, almost like dribbling, it's helping you move quicker with the cups. And I also think it's cool because it's learning something new and different that a lot of people don't know.

Anthony Godfrey:
It really helps you focus too. It looked like everybody just kind of focused in and nothing else gets in your way. You just get focused on the cups.

Eva:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now do you like sports? Do you play basketball?

Eva:
I’ve played basketball. I play soccer and I'm trying out for volleyball.

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome. Well, good luck with volleyball.

Eva:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's really cool. And I'm glad to hear that the cup stacking seems to help your ball handling. Tell me what you would say to someone who's thinking about doing cup stacking.

Eva:
It's a little tricky at first, but if you keep on trying and try your hardest, you can get it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that a lesson that you've used in other parts of school, that even if things are hard at first with some work they can become easier?

Lilli:
Yes. Like I've heard that phrase or something like that before.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, great. Tell me, what do you hope kids take away from this experience?

Jaime Scott:
I hope they take away that it's fun, and it's something different, and to challenge themselves. So that's a lot of it, is that it's hard, and it takes a lot of focus, and working both sides of your brain, coordination. And it's not easy, but I hope that, you know, they see that they're active with cup stacking and that they want to take it home or get their own and just, you know, some fun like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it was interesting as I talked to the kids that they recognize that it's hard at first and it got easier with practice. And I think that's an important lesson.

Jaime Scott:
Yes, it is. That we will fail. We'll have mess ups, but just keep moving and don't give up. And I see a lot of attitudes change too. Some kids come in and they see cup stacking. It's like, ‘oh wait, I've gotten better than last year. This is kind of fun.’ So I see that a lot in PE with other units too, but I think cup stacking is the most evident to change some attitudes and mindsets.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's a great addition to the PE program and obviously they're focused, they're engaged, they're concentrating, and they're having a good time too. And they were very kind to encourage me, even though I was struggling quite a lot.

Jaime Scott:
Yes, and hey, you did it in a smash course. They've gotten it in 3 days. 3 different days.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, and I love these jumbo stacks here. These are the size of a waist basket. Yes. And they're doing the same thing. They you're doing with the handheld cups, except with something much larger and over here with a thimble, something much smaller.

Jaime Scott:
Yes. Fingertips.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you found that it's physically challenging for the kids?

Jaime Scott:
I do add in cardio to each lesson. So I do add in some exercise portion, but other than that it's gonna be more coordination and quickness.

Anthony Godfrey:
Dexterity.

Jaime Scott:
Dexterity, working to get ambidextrous. So, I do try to add in some fitness to it, as you can see the TicTacToe Relay race.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, and I do love the sense of efficacy. I wasn't good at this at the start. I've worked at it, I've tried and I'm better at something physical. And this is something accessible for everybody.

Jaime Scott:
It is. Yes. You can buy 'em on Amazon.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for being creative and giving them such a rich experience in their PE class.

Jaime Scott:
And being a part of a world record.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right. Yes.

According to the World Sports Stacking Association, the previous world record was 638,503 stackers participating in competitions at one time around the world. The current world record, which Terra Linda helped establish, stands at 737,480 stackers participating at one time. Congratulations Terra Linda students for being new world record holders. 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.

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.