Author: communications

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Their music will
warm your heart and make you smile. On this episode of the Supercast we share sweet sounds of the
season performed by some very talented Jordan School District students. First let's hear from the
Bingham High Madrigals.

Bingham High Madrigals singing:
Deck the Halls

Anthony Godfrey:
And now a performance from the students at Majestic Elementary Arts Academy.

Majestic Elementary Arts Academy students singing:
Jingle Bells

Anthony Godfrey:
And now performances by the Copper Mountain Orchestra.

Orchestra playing:
Carol of the Bells
Feliz Navidad

Anthony Godfrey:
Now let's enjoy the sounds of the Mountain Ridge Madrigals.

Mountain Ridge Madrigals singing:
Somewhere in My Memory

Merry Christmas!

Anthony Godfrey:
Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a safe, prosperous new year. Thanks for joining us on 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 will be the experience of a lifetime for two Mountain Creek Middle School students with special needs. Jaymi Bonner, an 8th grade student who plays violin and Emma Figueroa, a 9th grade student who plays trumpet will both be representing Utah in the Rose Bowl parade. On this episode of the Supercast, find out how the students were selected, what it means to them and how excited everyone is for this dynamic duo. We'll also tell you about a program called United Sound, which is proving to be a source of pride and is very important to students with special needs and their peer tutors.

We are here at Mountain Creek Middle School with Karlee English and Cameron Elliott to talk about the United Sound program, which is really exciting. It's well, something that I'm gonna let our teachers here describe. So Mr. Elliott, why don't you start us off?

Mr. Elliott:
All right. So United Sound is a program that gets students with various needs and abilities that are usually in like a self-contained class or a part of a neurodiverse population. And it gets them involved with their neurotypical peers building relationships with kids their age that they don't usually have access to because of their scheduling and other accommodations at the school level. It focuses on building those relationships through music and through doing peer lessons with music teaching. So not only are they learning from myself and Ms. English about music, but they're actually learning from people their age that already play the instruments that these kids want to play. So we're giving them these life changing opportunities where instead of someone coming in and telling them what they can or can't do, we come in and we say, you can do whatever you set your mind to, whatever you want to, and we are here to help do that in any way possible. And we have a team of students that kind of just makes dreams come true every day and focuses on encouragement and the relationship building, making friends and having fun while doing it.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a benefit that every student gets from participating in a music program. It’s feeling more connected to their peers, and really, I think discovering they're able to do things that they weren't able to do before. You get a sense of efficacy. I try, I work hard, I practice and I get better. Explain what that looks like for United Sound.

Mr. Elliott:
So in United Sound, we're really focused on everything is an achievement. Even the smallest things that people think would be menial in the average music classroom is celebrated. Like it's the best thing we've ever done, because everything that we do about this program is deemed by most people as a challenge. So whether it's putting the instrument together, whether it's making your first sound, if it's being able to read a rhythm correctly, then we pretty much stop class and we have like a mini 30 second party for that achievement. And it gives these kids so much joy to have that. It gives our peer mentors so much joy to be able to support that. And they really start to appreciate the little things in their musicianship, and they start to appreciate the growth in the students that they're mentoring as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
And there's got to be a huge benefit for the students who get to mentor students who are not neurotypical.

Mr. Elliott:
You know, it's something most of them have never had the experience to do. Most of them don't get the opportunity to teach or mentor at this age anyway, but to also do it with such a fun, cool, loving, appreciative population it's very eye opening for them. And a lot of them find a passion for it that they didn't even realize that they had.

Anthony Godfrey:
Ms. English. We are always about inclusion. This seems like a deeper level of inclusion. Talk to me about that.

Ms. English:
I have always been 100% about inclusion. Since I first came here to Mountain Creek Middle School, Mr. Glenn has kind of just given me the thumbs up to, you know, make it a more inclusive school all the way around. So the first year that we had our, if we wanted to call it cluster or self-contained, I approached Mr. Elliott and I said, ‘Hey, I'd love to have some of my kids in band.’ And it was such a cool thing that he, after that conversation, he looked into more stuff and he knew people, he knew about this program, United Sound, and he actually brought it to me. And I'm like, that's exactly what I'm looking for, because I feel like the more you're including what typical kids might wanna do, they wanna do it too. And the funny thing I think is some of these kids are amazing little musicians. We have a young man that maybe is not, you know, just very high cognitively, but boy, he can make a sound on that trombone and he is good. And so like, he is so celebrated in his family with his grandparents among all the peers, among all my class. It's very cool to watch him get so excited because he just excels at it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now this is a unique program, isn't it? Mr. Elliott, tell us about that.

Mr. Elliott:
Yes, so the United Sound program is a national organization. And they've got chapters all across the country. It started in Arizona, I believe, or at least it's based out of there now at the high school level. And it's since now ventured into high schools, middle schools and even colleges and universities. The closest one to us collegiate wise would be Northern Arizona University has an active chapter so that our students even have opportunities for music when they get older, which is really cool. But the neat thing is that we are actually the first chapter to ever exist in the state of Utah, ever. And so now in the last couple weeks, I've actually had some other directors in this district and around the state that have come up to me and said, so I heard about this United Sound thing, tell me more.

And that's what we wanted. That's what we were hoping would happen. Last year with the pandemic and things we weren't able to do much sharing of what we were able to do, but even last year we were also one of the only chapters in the country that was actually active because we were actually had the time and the space and the protocols here at school to be able to achieve that. So we're really breaking ground here with this organization, but as a national organization, there's so many stories of the good that it's done for these students, for the families. I mean, you see parents just crying because their students are doing things that they never thought they'd see them be able to do in their lives.

Anthony Godfrey:
Ms. English, tell me about the impact this has had on your students.

Ms. English:
Oh, so we were doing it Friday during our kind of crazy Friday schedule last year and Monday first thing. Oh my gosh. United Sound was so cool Monday. I can't wait till it's Friday. I can't wait till it's Friday. They get so excited. They talk about it all week in my class. But I also have to talk about how it completely affects my students, but I think the biggest impact is actually on peer tutors. I mean, they have never worked with anyone that looks or maybe appears different than they are. And this is such an opportunity that I have actually seen so much growth in their typical peers. And it's in band. It's not like you're in a peer tutor class where you kind of have to do this and have to do that. It is on their own willingness to do it. They actually brought all my students Christmas presents last year, just on their own, like the sweetest thing ever. And they have built this relationship. I know for Jaymi, her peer tutor comes over to her house and helps practice with her. Today, I mean currently. So it has just built this like a real relationship, not like a kind of a, oh, well, I'm a peer tutor at school, da da, da, da. It is like a real relationship. And when they see each other, they're high fiving, they sit at lunch with each other. It's just a beautiful bond to watch what happens within the school. It makes our school a kinder and a lovelier school all the way together. And I do, you have to say, we're very included in every aspect of school here. A lot of my kids are in leadership positions. Jaymi is a student body officer. Emma is on Choose Kind this year. So there's a lot of involvement for all students here to be included in what they want to be included. We don't wanna force this on 'em, but if they wanna be included, we want them there.

Mr. Elliott:
And you hear us keep going back to the relationship aspect. Like that word comes up, but even just as the United Sound organization that's their main focus. It's really about that human connection because that's what changes lives ultimately. Music just happens to be, I think, such a wonderful vehicle for that. Just because of the nature of being in an ensemble and working so closely with someone. But I've seen the confidence in Karlee’s students just skyrocket. I mean, we had one student last that just went from coming into school every day, talking about how he can't do anything. He can't, he's not successful. He's so dumb. And he went from that to learning how to play drums. And all of a sudden, he was a rockstar. I remember with about a month, he's up in front of the classroom telling me he's the smartest kid in the room and that's something we never thought, you know, we would hear out of him.

And so you just see so much growth in their confidence and their self-esteem. In my more neurotypical students that are the peer mentors, you see a huge growth in compassion and empathy, openness and patience. That not only just makes them better musicians, but it makes them better people. I think that's one of the fun things to watch is you just, you get to watch these young adults and teenagers turn into just really the people that we want to see, you know, going out and changing the world in the future and the qualities we want in ourselves on a day to day basis.

Anthony Godfrey:
Obviously these are experiences that are changing every student permanently. And I know it's something that they'll never forget because it takes them outside of themselves. And it teaches them that they can do things they didn't think they could do. And I'm not just talking about learning an instrument. I'm talking about empathy and connection to people that aren't like you. That's a great lesson to be learning at this age in particular. It's a lesson we all could use more of in the world these days. So thank you for your efforts to make this possible.

Stay with us more with United Sound when we come back.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Introduce yourselves. Tell us your name.

Emma:
Emma.

Jaymi:
Jaymi

Anthony Godfrey:
Emma, and Jaymi. First of all, first things first, who's going to win the game, the Rose Bowl game?

Jaymi:
Utah.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Yes. Emma, do you feel the same way?

Emma:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. So do I, you're in good company. So the reason we ask who's gonna win the Rose Bowl is because the two of you are performing in the Rose Bowl Parade. That's incredible. That is a sentence I will never say about myself. That is really quite an amazing opportunity. Are you excited to be performing Emma?

Emma:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are you looking forward to?

Emma:
Everything.

Anthony Godfrey:
Everything, fair enough. I think everything about the experience is gonna be fun. How about you, Jaymi? Are you excited?

Jaymi:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what are you looking forward to?

Jaymi:
I got scared.

Ms. English:
What are you most looking forward to?

Jaymi:
Disneyland.

Anthony Godfrey:
Disneyland? You get to go to Disneyland as part of this?

Jaymi:
Yeah.

Ms. English:
They actually get to perform at Disneyland.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're performing at Disneyland?

Jaymi:
Yeah.

Ms. English:
Not only the Rose Bowl, but also Disneyland.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. So you're performing at the Rose Bowl and at Disneyland. That's really exciting. Which are you more about, Disneyland or the Rose Bowl Emma?

Emma:
Disneyland

Anthony Godfrey:
Disneyland. I don't blame you. What is the performance gonna look like at Disneyland?

Mr. Elliott:
The organization that they're actually performing with is called the Honor Band of America. That part of the Music For All organization which oversees a national circuit of marching band competitions and concert band competitions and performances throughout the year. But the marching band arm of Honor Bands of America puts together an honors marching ensemble every four years that is comprised of the top musicians from around the country that audition for this role. And you're talking, you know, All State players from all 50 states. These are the best of the best. They come down to California for a couple of days upwards of, I think, five to six days and they learn an entire parade routine. They prepare physically, mentally, musically to march a five mile long parade,

Anthony Godfrey:
Five miles?

Mr. Elliott:
Five miles. It's insane. They get this awesome custom honor band of America uniform that these two ladies will get to wear as well. And they get to really be the premier high school marching band in the country for that day, and for that time, because of just the high quality musicianship that's happening there,

Anthony Godfrey:
That is so exciting. Now, tell, tell me which instruments do you play? Emma, what instrument do you play?

Emma:
Trumpet.

Anthony Godfrey:
The trumpet. All right. And Jaymi, what do you play?

Jaymi:
Violin.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like about the violin?

Jaymi:
Music fun play.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it fun to play?

Jaymi:
Yeah.

Ms. English:
And it's been fun because her cousins play, so then they get together and they can, you know, do some stuff together on your violins. Right?

Jaymi:
Mm-hmm

Ms. English:
And all her strings are color coded. She can do all her fun stuff. Right?

Jaymi:
Yeah.

Mr. Elliott:
You can see her face light up when she plays. It's just, it's pure joy. It's so much fun to watch.

Anthony Godfrey:
I will be cheering for the Utes, but I'll be cheering more for you. Pretty excited to see you guys perform. Mr. Elliott, show us a little bit about what the sheet music looks like for United Sound.

Mr. Elliott:
So this is maybe one of my favorite things about the program. When we first started, they mentioned to us that they do a modified curriculum and they kind of sent us examples, but then we got to go through these books with them. When you start a chapter, they ship you a method book for each student, that's this line specifically for United Sound. And it takes the typical music notation and turns it into more iconography or symbolic stuff. So for a quarter note we use the word cake and a picture of a cake for a half note, we use the word soup and we hold that out for two beats and a picture of a bowl of soup where the note head would be. And then for eighth notes, we use the words donut. And so when you say a rhythm like a quarter, half, an eighth note rhythm, you might say something like cake donut soup.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's a little bit of a different version of doe, a deer, a female deer, just all food related.

Mr. Elliott:
Right. For rhythm, for notes, whatever it is, it's things that these students know, can relate to, can recognize the picture. So that wherever the student is cognitively or physically or with musical experience, it's something that's so universal that they can find success immediately.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love this and I love that it makes it simple to begin with, but then it brings everyone along to more and more complex notation. And boy, there's so many levels on which this is exciting for students.

Mr. Elliott:
It goes one step further even, outside of just the method book of once these students kind of master what's going on in the book they are actually given the opportunity to perform with the band and with the ensemble in a concert. And so our peer mentors take this notation that they've been teaching and they write out a part from their concert music for their instrument and they hand write a modified part that I can then go in and put in specific notation software. But our peer mentors have done the work of here's my modified part for my musician. And I can workshop them on, well, maybe this might be a better accommodation, or this might be other than this, but they do most of the grunt work up front and take ownership and responsibility and then teach those parts to our students.
So they learn their instrument, they learn the technique and then they learn how to put it in action. And so our students got to perform with us at our band concert last spring. And that's really what we're working for. You kind of hear this chapter meeting as well or these chapters of, well what's the end goal? What's the end result? And the end goal is for every semester, roughly that, that they get at least one performance opportunity with their neurotypical peers in a typical ensemble setting so that it doesn't become tokenism or patronizing or charity or anything like that. But it truly becomes inclusion. And it's so fun because they're on stage performing and their peer mentors are right there next to them during the performance, giving up their opportunity to play, to sit next to the student and help them be successful. Very similar to what's gonna happen with Emma and Jaymi when they go to the parade in a couple weeks.

Anthony Godfrey:
I absolutely love that. The fact that it's genuine inclusion and there's no culminating activity like a live performance. There's a deadline, it's happening. And that is real and it's genuine. And to have everyone involved and again, like you said, you learn to rely on each other, you know that you need each other in that performance as part of an ensemble and what a great lesson for everybody involved. There's nothing like genuine, deep inclusion that really builds relationships and skills and confidence. And I'm thrilled that the four of you are at the forefront of this effort in the state and that the two of you get to go to the Rose Bowl and to perform at Disneyland. And I'm sure this is something that's going to gain momentum in the state with great example you're setting for inclusion and for just becoming great musicians, Jaymi and Emma. So congratulations, great work. I'm really proud of what you guys are doing and I can't wait to see you perform. Thank you Jaymi. Thanks Emma.

Emma:
You're welcome.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks again. Thank you so much.

Anthony Godfrey:
Best of luck to Jaymi and Emma, as they head to California, we'll be watching with pride. Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see out there.

Anthony Godfrey:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. On this episode of the Supercast, find out more about the open enrollment process and what parents need to know about the permit window, which is now open. First, a brief summary. Jordan School District is now accepting applications for School Choice Open Enrollment for the 2022-23 school year. Students currently attending on a school choice permit do not have to reapply for a permit if they are remaining at the same school for the 2022-23 school year. However, students who want to move schools or any student currently on the waitlist without a permit must reapply to become considered for a 2022-23 permit.

We're here to talk about permits today. Caleb, why don't you introduce yourself?

Caleb Olson:
Thanks. My name's Caleb Olson. I am currently working as the Planning and Enrollment consultant. I have several things in the district that I get to be responsible for, but one of them is the permit process.

Anthony Godfrey:
First of all, for those who may not understand exactly what a permit is, talk to us about how permits work and what they are.

Caleb Olson:
All right, let me give you a little bit of an example if I could. So I think anyone who's probably listening to the podcast has been in a big restaurant or seen a big restaurant that has a bunch of tables and lots of people and a lot of places you can go. When you go to a restaurant like that, they always find a place for you to sit. And you may say to the host at the entrance, you know, I want to sit in a booth or I want to sit by a window or here's where I'd like to be. Sometimes they can accommodate that. And sometimes they just find the spot that you are going to be able to sit in.

Anthony Godfrey:
For me, it's close to the salad bar. That's where I want to be.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly. So that's sort of how the permit process works in Jordan School District. Everyone has a seat at a school. For most students, that's going to be at their boundary school or their neighborhood school, but there are some people who have a preference. That means they want to attend a different school. They wanna go to someplace else. They may have childcare concerns, or they may want to attend a school that they actually live closer to but they're on the other side of the boundaries. The permit process allows a student who doesn't live in the boundaries of a school to apply for a seat at that school. Now not every school in the district has seats available, but every school is taking those applications. And once those applications come in, we process them. And when seats are available, we offer those to students who live outside the boundaries to attend the school that they wanted to go to.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, State law is very supportive of the concept of parents choosing the school that they wish to attend. I know that my brother lives in Maryland and you attend the school where you live. You attend schools based on where you live and there really isn't an option for changing that. But in Utah, for many years, the law has supported a choice for parents in what school they would like their student to attend.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly. We have a lot of choice available for parents. The only exception, or the only caveat is that there has to be space at the school you want to go to. We have some schools that are really growing areas of the district. We know parents would like to go there, we know students would like to attend, but the boundary population is just so high there aren't any seats left over for anyone else. So in those cases, those schools probably are not going to be able to offer permits. Parents can still apply because there's always a chance that a seat might become available at some point that they could apply for. But they can take their choice and pick up to three schools that they want to apply for. We have some schools in the district that anyone can apply to attend. They don't need a permit. Those would be our virtual academy schools, Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary, Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle and Kings Peak High. There's no permit needed for that. Anyone who's in the Jordan School District can apply to and attend those schools. Outside the district would still need a permit. Any of our regular brick and mortar neighborhood schools are going to be accepting applications. Some of them won't have seats, but they'll all be taking those applications online.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I mentioned the law earlier, we're actually required to post how much space is available in each of our schools. Tell everyone where they can find that information.

Caleb Olson:
So what our patrons will want to do is go to planning.jordandistrict.org or they can go to the District website and search for Student Services and then Planning and Enrollment. Once they get there, there's a tab at the top that says “Enrollment” and they can click there and choose School Choice Permits. That page has a lot of information, including a link to a document that shows which schools we think are going to be over capacity or full next year and which schools may have some space available for out of area students.

Anthony Godfrey:
So provide a link to that page in the show notes so that you can find it easily. Now that allows folks to plan for which permit they might want to request. What if they think, well, I want to permit at this school, this is my first choice, but they may not have space. So in that case, I would permit to this school. If they're two different schools they'd like to try to permit to, how do they go about doing that?

Caleb Olson:
On the permit application that will be available for parents they can actually pick up to three schools and put them in their preferred order. First choice, second choice, third choice. If they're not able to get a seat at the first choice school, they may be able to get one at the second or third choice school. It really just depends on the seats that are available at each school. If parents are applying now, they'll be able to find out what seats are available just after the first of the year in January. If parents apply in the January or February timeframe, they may have to wait a little bit longer to find out, but all parents should know by about the beginning of March, where they will be able to have a seat or, or what schools will not be able to offer those.

Anthony Godfrey:
So let's talk a little bit about the timeline. The window opened on December 1st for permits to be submitted. And as you indicated, December is the time during which any permit submitted at any time during December gets the same consideration. Can you explain that process to everybody?

Caleb Olson:
Yeah. In a lot of districts and in Jordan District as recently as a few years ago, on that first day of the permit window, you had to be waiting outside the building with your permit, filled out, ready to go because it was first come first served.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember those days, we had parents that would camp out overnight at certain schools to be sure that they were first in line. Quite honestly, if I were in that situation, I would've done the same thing. I've camped out for a lot of concert tickets over the years before everything went electronic, slept on the rock salt out in front of Smiths to try to get the best seat I could. When it comes to education, you know, it was difficult that way, because sometimes you had to just really spend the night, literally, in order to get the permit you wanted.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly, and that wasn't an ideal situation for anyone. So to get around that and to avoid that when we had the boundary changes a few years ago, the Board of Education in the District moved to an online permit system. So there's an online application that parents can fill out either by finding the link that you mentioned will be in the show notes, or by searching on the district website. They can also go to permit.jordandistrict.org and that will direct them to the English application. They can go to permiso, P E R M I S O, permiso.jordandistrict.org for the Spanish application. When they get there, they'll answer some questions and their application will be submitted. Now in the month of December, the Board of Education has decided to run a lottery for all of the applicants. It doesn't matter when you apply in December, you have an equal chance at a seat they've established priorities for each school level for elementary, middle, and high school, that will determine where those seats go.

The students who are in the first priority group, or the highest priority group, have the first shot at seats as they're available. If you qualify for a lower priority group, you may not have as good a chance when those seats are available. Those priorities are different for each level, but they are based off of things like how far you live from the school, if you've been attending the school previously, if you have a sibling at the school, if you have a parent who works at the school. That happens in the month of December. When we come back from winter recess at the beginning of January, we run that lottery and we place students on waiting lists at the schools they selected based on those priority orders. Then schools start to offer seats if they have space available. From January, actually all the way through the end of the next school year, schools are still taking permit applications, but those go to the bottom of the list. And those do go in based on when you apply. So if a parent misses the December window and they decide in January or February they want to apply, they can still do it. They still have a chance. There may be some people on the waitlist ahead of them. But once December is over, you want to apply as soon as you think you know which schools you want to go to to have the best chance.

Anthony Godfrey:
I like that you have the month of December to decide to put that in. You don't have one high stakes moment where you're trying to get those permits in. The priorities were something discussed years ago when we were involved in what we like to call MOAB or the Mother Of All Boundary changes. There was a revamp of the permit process at that time and those categories that the Board created, those priorities rather, were really established to try to be respectful of the different circumstances that families might find themselves in and the reasons that they might be seeking a permit to a school other than the boundary school. So when can parents expect to hear an answer, at least initial answers, about whether the permit request has been accepted?

Caleb Olson:
If they applied for a permit in December, they should hear back from the schools by about the end of the first week of January, back from winter recess. After that point schools have until the third Friday in February to let parents know, but a lot of our schools process and handle those applications much quicker. So parents should know usually within about a two week period after January starts whether they're at on a wait list or if they'll be able to be offered a seat at the schools they selected.

Anthony Godfrey:
Roughly, just off the top of your head, what percentage of our schools were able to accept permits this year?

Caleb Olson:
Well, we're a growing district and that means that we have a lot of schools that are pretty full. There were a lot of schools that were able to offer seats, and there were a lot of schools that weren't. I can tell you that for this year, we're expecting about 2000 seats to be open across the district. Those seats though, aren't always going to be at the places people want them to be. We have a few schools with a lot of seats, and we have a lot of schools with very few seats. So it really depends on where you're at in the district and what schools you're interested in. In the West Jordan area, we have a lot of schools with more space and there are more seats available when you get further south in the district in Riverton or Herriman, we have schools that are a little more full. So those schools are probably less likely to offer seats. At the secondary level it's a little easier for schools to have seats because there's more classes, there's more opportunities, there's more offerings. So elementary is gonna be a little more challenging across the district. The secondary schools will be a little easier.

Anthony Godfrey:
More information on the permit process with Caleb Olson when we come back.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We talked about the fact that this is all based on school capacity. Depending on the time of year capacity is calculated differently. Explain that.

Caleb Olson:
So at the time that we're talking about now in December, we are projecting enrollment for next year. We don't know exactly how many kids will show up in August, but we're doing our best to make an educated guess. And that's what we base the number of permit seats off of before the school year starts. When we get into August, when the school year has actually begun, we base our capacity off of the number of teachers in the building. At an elementary level, we would look at a specific grade and if that grade was low or that there were seats available, we might be able to offer permits just in that grade. At the secondary level, it gets a little more tricky because you may have seats in a language arts class, but not seats in a math class. And at secondary, we have to be able to offer a spot in all of the classes a student would need to be able to accommodate them. So right now we're doing our best guess off of the trends and the move-ins and the information we have available. As we get closer to the school year, and when the school year starts, we switch to using teachers and the amount of students per teacher in every building.

Anthony Godfrey:
During the initial permit window, in other words, can the building fit extra students? If so, then we can accept some permits. But there's a point at which even if there are some empty classrooms, you may not accept permits because you're not staffed at a level that would allow you to accept additional students. Otherwise the staffing would be shifting throughout the year, and it just would be impossible to have teachers and students matched up appropriately in classrooms. So really the bottom line is the best time is December but you can always apply beyond December. There's a lot that can shift between December and the beginning of the school year.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly. And parents need to not be worried about applying in December, because if they're not able to get a seat in December, their name stays on a waitlist, actually all the way through the following school year. So we're accepting permit applications now for the 22-23 school year. Anyone who goes on the waitlist in December will actually stay there until the end of June of 2023. So no matter what happens, you're on the waitlist, and that spot won't go away. So if seats come open, if there are big changes at a school, they may need to call some people on the waitlist and offer seats. So you may get that chance. We keep your name on the waitlist. If you are on a waitlist for this school year, you'll want to reapply. Because again, that waitlist only goes through the end of the school year so you'll want to reapply every year if you don't get a seat. If you do get a seat, you don't have to reapply. You get to keep that permit, until you either choose to return to your boundary school or until you finish the grades offered at that building. So a permit at the elementary lasts through sixth grade, through ninth grade at the middle school, and until you graduate at the high school level. There's also not a fee associated with the permit application. It's available to anyone in the district, anyone in the state of Utah. They can make those applications. They can do it online at the websites we mentioned. They don't have to worry about waiting outside or trying to get to a school during school hours. It's available anytime night or day during the month of December. So if they don't make a decision on a school until winter recess starts, there's no worry about the school not being open. They can go straight to the permit application and fill one out.

Anthony Godfrey:
Transportation. That's a question sometimes. A student on permit does not qualify for transportation except perhaps on a space available permit, which would be rare for that to be available for someone out of boundary, because there normally wouldn't be a bus close enough. Maybe in the situation that you described, where someone lives fairly close to a school, but they're not in that school's boundary, that could possibly happen. But really that's the only way that they would have transportation to a school to which they're permitting.

Caleb Olson:
Exactly. Parents are always able to ask and to make a space available application for busing. They would need to wait until the school year started and ask for that application at the school, because it takes a little bit into the school year to really finalize those bus routes and how many students we have riding. But for the average student on permit, they are responsible for their own transportation. That's not provided by the district.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's say the school year's underway. A student is really not happy where they are and they'd like to switch to a different school after the school year has started. What's the permit process they would want to follow in that case?

Caleb Olson:
It's exactly the same as a student would be in applying for a permit right now, they would go to the permit application. They would fill one out. If it's after the start of the school year, I always encourage parents to reach the school and let them know that they've made an application because once the school year starts, a lot of schools aren't checking that as frequently, because we don't get very many. After the school year starts, they can certainly reach out to the school and ask. But the thing for parents to realize is a lot of our schools will have a waitlist. They'll have students who applied in December and January, who already have a spot on that waitlist. So those applications that come after the school year starts would go to the bottom of that waitlist. It doesn't mean it's impossible that they'll get a seat. It does mean that there are other students who would have a chance for a seat first, before it got to them.

Anthony Godfrey:
If, for whatever reason, a family feels strongly about being able to change schools, we can always find a spot for anyone to change schools. It just might not be their first choice, but they can call the principal or they can call some other schools in the area that might be on the way to work, where they could drop a student off, that sort of thing. We try to be as flexible as we can and as accommodating as we can to try to make sure that we honor parent and student choices.

Caleb Olson:
We have a lot of great schools in the district. So, like you said, there is a seat for everyone in the Jordan School District. It just may not always be at the first school you think of. We have principals who've done a great job at helping to find seats or getting families in touch with individuals who can help them to find those seats. But they just may need to be a little more flexible if they're looking for a new start or a school to begin over at. It may not be their first choice, but there will be a school that will be available to give them a seat.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sure. And sometimes it's just about matchups. You know, great schools can be even better for one student versus another. It's just finding that right teacher in that right school and the right fit. If anyone has a question about permits, where can they go for answers?

Caleb Olson:
The best place they can go would be to talk to the school they're interested in applying for a permit at. There are staff at each of the district schools who process permits and are familiar with the system and they can answer questions. If a family feels like they have kind of a unique situation, or maybe their circumstances are a little bit different, they're certainly welcome to call the district office and ask for Student Services. We can help them troubleshoot their permit questions in those circumstances.

Anthony Godfrey:
We haven't done this for quite a while, but at the beginning of the podcast, we used to play Two Truths and a Lie at the end of the podcast, you tell me two things about your life that are true and one thing that's a lie, and I try to detect which one is the lie. I thought about this game again, because I think you would be a worthy opponent in Two Truths and a Lie. So Caleb, I'm interested in knowing some things about your life plus a lie. Let's hear it.

Caleb Olson:

So let me give you a couple and we'll see how good you are at figuring it out. I can slam dunk a basketball.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, wait a minute. You said that present tense, right? I can slam dunk a basketball.

Caleb Olson:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Caleb, I feel like with you, I have to define a few more things too. This is a 10 foot rim.

Caleb:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Caleb Olson:
Regulation.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. All right.

Caleb Olsen:
Not in dress shoes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Measured just like in Hoosiers, it's the same thing, right?

Caleb Olson:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Caleb Olson:
I can speak Japanese.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Caleb Olson:
And I have a collection of Mr. Potato Heads from a variety of entertainment properties.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. I can narrow this because I have seen that Mr. Potato Head collection and it is really something.

Caleb Olson:
I gave you an easy one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Japanese or dunking. I feel like you can do both of them at the same time. I just feel you're capable of all of that. You know what I'm gonna say, that you cannot dunk a basketball.

Caleb Olson:
Unfortunately, you are correct.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, Caleb. I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be wrong.

Caleb Olson:
And I've always wanted to be able to dunk basketball.

Anthony Godfrey:
So, you know, I'm not good at any sports. But if I could be good at one, it would be basketball and dunking on someone has got to be a singular feeling.

Caleb Olson:
I'm sure it feels spectacular.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you and I will keep reaching for the stars. <laugh>

Caleb Olson:
Always have to have a dream.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right, Caleb. Thanks again for all your hard work. You do a great job and we really appreciate the information about permits.

Caleb Olson:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for permitting us to share another episode of the Supercast with you. 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. Every year, the Jordan Education Foundation provides holiday gifts for teens who would otherwise go without through an event called Christmas For Kids. On this episode of the Supercast, we find out how this event helps teens in need who are struggling over the holidays. Also, find out why Christmas For Kids volunteers say shopping with the teens is an experience they will never forget. One that brings true meaning to the holiday season.

We have two guests today to talk with us about Christmas For Kids. I'm going to let them introduce themselves.

Mike Haynes:
My name is Mike Haynes. I'm the director of the Jordan Education Foundation.

Brian Synan:
And I'm Brian Synan. I'm the President and CEO of South Jordan Chamber of Commerce.

Anthony Godfrey:
First, let's talk with Mike. Mike, you are the newly installed director of the Foundation. For those who may not be familiar with the Foundation, just tell everyone a little bit about what we're all about.

Mike Haynes:
Oh, the Foundation is a great resource for the District. We engage the community to provide resources for those students and teachers that have needs that exist in public education. There's some gaps and we step in and help fill those gaps with the public's help.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Mike is key to creating those partnerships and connections to the community and not only bringing in the donations and the support, but also helping everyone out in the community understand better what we do as a district and what those needs are for students and for teachers.

Mike Haynes:
Well, thank you. Yes, our goal is to help spread the word and to try to provide opportunities for people that have a desire to help. We have a great community with a lot of great people and once they hear about what we do at the Foundation, it doesn't take long for them to engage and want to get involved.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you do a remarkable job of drawing those folks to Jordan School District and helping connect those who want to help with opportunities to make a difference.

Mike Haynes:
Well, thank you. I don't think there's a better place on earth. The Jordan School District is the best, and we've got the greatest kids, greatest teachers and administrators, and it's a lot of fun to get out and spread the word.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's been exciting to see how much you've expanded what's happening in Jordan District and in the Foundation, even just since July. Which by the way, Mike has actually been with the Foundation for as long as I can remember. Way back, well over a decade as part of the board. So you're not new to this, just to the position.

Mike Haynes:
That's right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now Brian, tell us a little bit about Christmas For Kids itself. First of all, you're the President and CEO of the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce. Why is it that you are involved in this?

Brian Synan:
Well, you know, a lot of it's about connecting business with community. Really businesses like to give back, they wanna give back, they just don't know how to give back sometimes. I'm also on the board for the Foundation, so that's another option for them to help with the projects that we do with the Foundation. But this event is unique. It helps so many kids in the district and it helps the chaperones. The people that come and actually participate and shop with those students. They have just as much fun and get just as much out of it as the students do. Actually this will be our eighth year doing it. For our first seven years, we've helped nearly 2,500 students. Amazing. Just amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Now I ask, why are you involved in this? But to anyone who's ever done it, it's absolutely obvious why you're involved in it. You talk about the impact that it has on those who help in addition to the students that receive assistance. Tell me about how it impacts the people that get involved as adults.

Brian Synan:
You know, I tell people a lot of the time, it's like a mentoring event. You're gonna give that positive vibe to that student for that hour, hour and a half that you're spending with them shopping. You're gonna get to know them. These are business leaders, educators, city officials, police, fire, the community, that all come together, roughly 500 students the last few years each, and probably again this year. So there's a lot of time to get that positive influence and for that student to go, wow, I can own my own business or I could be a police chief someday. You know, kind of something to strive for. These are deserving students that might not otherwise have an opportunity to meet with some of these people. So that's what I think makes it unique. Plus this event is for middle and high school students. You know, we say it all the time that the elementary kids get taken care of a lot, but sometimes the middle and high school students get kind of lost in the shuffle and people don't know that there's a need out there for 'em. And that they're deserving of the same things. And if they might not have a Christmas, we want to help them have a Christmas.

Anthony Godfrey:
So donations come in and then those who volunteer are able to go shopping with a student so that they have some things for Christmas that they would not otherwise be able to purchase.

Brian Synan:
Correct. We want them to get the needs and some wants. The chaperone piece and the donation piece are great because what I always say is if you're gonna donate, you have to register because you're hooked. If you register to be a chaperone, you're gonna be there almost every year. I mean, we have people from the first year where we had 40 students and that's all we had is 40 students. We still have some of those people chaperone. Chief Carr, since he became the Police Chief in South Jordan, has done it every single year with his wife. It's just a big community piece in helping the entire Jordan School District middle and high school students out.

Anthony Godfrey:
It’s a great way to celebrate the holidays in a very personal way. It's not simply a donation when you donate and then are able to be a chaperone. Then it, like you said, it creates a connection and that hour, hour and a half of one on one time as you shop, not only are you able to mentor the student and get to know them, but you also start to understand their situation in a way that you really wouldn't be able to without spending time with them directly. Right? Mike, you've participated in this for a long time. Tell me a little bit about what that's felt like for you.

Mike Haynes:
You know, I've gotta give Brian kudos. He is Christmas for kids.

Anthony Godfrey:
He is <laugh>. Yeah.

Mike Haynes:
I look at him and that's what I see. From day one he's been involved and he's got a passion for it. Thank you, Brian. You are a great example to the community and I know the kids and the volunteers look to you every year and appreciate the work that you do. Not only are we drawing volunteers to support this event from the Jordan School District, volunteers come far and wide. Last year I think we had several from Utah county, many from Salt Lake and even north of Salt Lake into Davis county. So it is an event that spreads. The word spreads, and people want to get involved, but it does mean a lot.

I remember every year we ask some volunteers to share experiences, and when these volunteers are tearing up about an experience they had with a student, when a student says, is it okay to buy a pillow? I've never had my own pillow, or just a number of things.

Brian Synan:
He wanted the lamp, a huge floor lamp, and we were wondering what was going on. We asked the chaperone afterwards and said that he wanted to read in his room, but didn't have a lamp in his room. Right. So those are, those are the stories that you hear every year., and it's just amazing.

Mike Haynes:
It is very heartwarming, and it kind of takes you back a little bit to realize, wait a minute, I take a lot for granted in my own life and here's a student trying to do the best they can in life with their conditions and circumstances that they're in. And then the sincerity when these students ask if they can spend a portion of their money on gifts for others. ‘Is it okay to buy my mother a gift with this money? I've never been able to buy my mom a gift.’

Brian Synan:
Right. You know, that's funny because we never thought about that when we started this event and Marilyn here at the school district, this is a perfect example. It was the first or second year and she came up to me and, and said, “he's putting in a toaster and a doll and things like that. What do I do?” And she said, “can I go over the limit and pay for it myself?” And I'm like, wow, um sure? We had no idea. And she did that and it was just amazing. We have people that actually budget now, over that $115 students get from the donations to be able to help more. A couple of years ago, Walmart didn't have what the student wanted. So the person said, get some other stuff, and then she went online and got it from walmart.com and then delivered it to the school to get the student. I mean, it's just, it's insane. What great things happen at this event. And that's why I always say, if you come, you're hooked. It's just amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now we've had a number of corporate sponsors over the years. Most recently the shopping has happened at Walmart for the last few years. And like you said, Mike, I just picture Brian at Walmart down in the holiday section, as we kind of reconnoiter during the event, throughout it, making sure that everyone's taken care of. So tell me about those partnerships and the partnership with Walmart and with others.

Brian Synan:
Yeah, sure. So this all started when Steve, the previous director, and I got together and he said he wanted to do some type of event. So we kind of just threw some ideas out. This kind of came to fruition. We wanted to get the community and businesses involved. I was at Gordman's at the time, so we hosted it there. Then when I left Gordman's we went to Kevin, Steve and I did, and said, would you have any chance, maybe wanting to do this? He's like, are you kidding me? I was trying to figure out how to steal it from Gordman’s <laugh>. So, he's been a great partner, Walmart's been a great partner. They give a lot to the event. Not only money, but time and resources, which is phenomenal. And businesses are doing a lot of great things. One of our newest members, Alpha Warranty, is doing a donation drive right now. And they're doing fairly well right now, already. So they got about another week left on that and then we should be able to go out and get the check, Mike, and I even go out there, maybe some other people. So, a lot of businesses are getting into it and really seeing the value and giving back to the community and giving back to the students.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's a very personal thing, ultimately when you're shopping directly with that student. So it doesn't just feel like they've been given an amount of money. They have someone helping them shop, connecting with them, and that's really where people get addicted to it and, and look forward to it. It's just a part of a lot of people's holiday celebrations in December.

Brian Synan:
And a lot of people say that is their holiday, that that really makes their holiday. I'm a proponent of long lines, and I actually got beat out this time. As the chair of the event you think you have a little bit of pull, but the committee decided we can't have those big lines anymore. I enjoy those because then those students and those chaperones are talking and mingling with those other students and chaperones. So yeah, you gotta wait an extra half hour in line, who cares? What you're doing is even more important in that line. So we'll have some lines, but we've changed it up a little bit this year. So it'll be less as we're going through, with people in the store at the same time, especially with COVID still an issue.

Mike Haynes:
It's not just these chaperones that enjoyed that experience. At the end of the event, we interview chaperones and students and I remember numbers of students that would say, when they were asked, what was your favorite part of the experience? And they would say the time I got to spend with so and so, the adult, and very good experiences, these students love that time.

Anthony Godfrey:
If someone wants to volunteer, how do they go about doing that and how do they go about donating?

Brian Synan:
So, they can do them both on the website, jefchristmasforkids.org that's  jefchristmasforkids.org. And they can either hit the chaperone part and then fill that out or donate part. Or like I said, hit the chaperone, and after that hit, head over to the donation piece and every dollar helps. We're looking at nearly 500 students again this year, which is great, but it also means that there's a lot of need out there. Yeah, absolutely.

Mike Haynes:
A lot of times for some of these kids, English is not their first language. So our volunteers come in with the ability to speak different languages, and we connect those volunteers with students who speak that language. It makes a big difference.

Anthony Godfrey:
I guarantee you're gonna have a great experience if you participate in this, there's just no way not to. Everybody does.

Mike Haynes:
Christmas, community, connection. I think those are the three C words I think we just talked about.

Anthony Godfrey:
And kids, but that's a ‘K’. Kids. But yeah, it's a great time. So jefchristmasforkids.org. Sign up to volunteer or sign up to donate. Thanks to both of you for all the efforts that you put in to make this possible and to change the season for so many kids and so many chaperone volunteers. So thank you very much.

Brian Synan:
Thanks for having us. Yeah. Very nice. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, find out how you too can be part of Christmas for Kids and how it just might impact your own holiday happiness in ways you never imagined.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We are really excited to have one of our Foundation Board members and frequent Christmas for Kids volunteer Tina Rothe. Oh, and I forgot, former Jordan School District teacher. The list is long. Your connections to Christmas for Kids and to Jordan School District,  and just your history of taking care of kids in various ways throughout your life. Tell me about what it's like to volunteer at Christmas for Kids.

Tina Rothe:
Well, just so you know, it's addicting. You come once and you never want to miss it again. I was saying that last year, three days before Christmas for Kids, I was positive for COVID and so I couldn't go, and my Christmas was different. There was a hole missing because I didn't do Christmas for Kids. Once you go once, you never want to miss it.

Anthony Godfrey:
I've heard that so many times from people who have participated. Because like you said, it changes you and it changes the season and it sets the tone for the season. Can you think of some specific experiences you've had with kids over the years?

Tina Rothe:
Well, there was one boy that we had, that I had and very first thing he says, ‘I wanna, I wanna shop for my mom.’ And I thought, you know, this young man, who's here for a reason and we don't ever know what those reasons are. But I said, “Look, this is for you. Whatever you want for your mom, I will buy, but I want you to get for you.” So first off, he went and found a cute little sweater for mom. So I thought, you know, that's sweet. We don't know the situation they come from, but that was what he wanted to do was buy for mom right off the bat. I don't think there's a chaperone that goes through that checkout line that doesn't actually take from their pocket and say, you know, we don't tell 'em that up front, but we just whatever the bill is, we'll cover the rest. It's just you in that spirit, you know.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's very different when you're right there beside the person that you're helping, as opposed to donating anonymously and not seeing the impact of your donation. Tell me about the connection that you feel even during that brief time as you're shopping with a child.

Tina Rothe:
Well, I just think they are so grateful, you know. My grandchildren, they, we all have so much. We just want them to have that confidence. As a teacher, I think I've mentioned this before to you that, as a teacher, I wanted them to do well in math and the end of the year test and all that stuff. But my goal was always to walk out the door with more confidence to take them for the rest of their lives. So when you lift these kids out of different situations and give them a chance, you know, pick 'em up a little bit. Especially now the things that are going on in the world, these kids, bless their hearts. There's so much negative and darkness. If we can lift them up for an hour of shopping and they can meet Santa Claus and it's just positive and people are happy to be there. How can we not come away without being lifted ourselves?

Anthony Godfrey:
With my own kids I've always appreciated when there was an adult outside of our family, who they could connect with and who they knew was interested in them and cared about them. So that they could see that they had some value outside of those people who are required to value them, or because relationships automatically are expected to value them. But when someone outside of that circle takes the time and spends resources and really connects with them, then that really does lift a child and make them feel important.

Tina Rothe:
Yeah. And us too, as we have that experience every year, it lifts us too for the rest of the season and for a long time, that's why we come again. So it's the shared lifting on all parts and just the joy that you feel that people are just excited to be there. It's not like, oh boy, 6:00 in the morning. Why am I here on a Saturday? You know, it is, I've got to have this for myself, be selfish. This is something I want to do.

Anthony Godfrey:
There's a real sense of purpose when you're there. What would you say to someone who's considering volunteering or donating?

Tina Rothe:
I'll pick you up. What can I do to get here? You have to do this. I think of two years ago when I was able to go and just the lineup of people wandering, winding in and out of the aisles, getting ready to find who they're going to shop with. Just the excitement, waiting to find that person.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thanks for everything that you've done to support the foundation, and Christmas for Kids, and students in Jordan for decades. I remember in particular you used to have students do a marathon every year, didn't you? And they did it, bit by bit.

Tina Rothe:
Yes. The first six weeks of school and we ran 26 miles.

Anthony Godfrey:
26 miles in the first six weeks. Which is a great lesson to teach them. A little bit at a time and you make a cumulative effort, but that really adds up. The same is true of Christmas for Kids. It's one morning, it's one donation, but the cumulative effort and the impact that has going forward for a child is just immeasurable.

Tina Rothe:
It is. It's wonderful.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'll see you then, looking forward to it. Thanks Tina.

If you or your organization would like to donate to Christmas for Kids or provide adult volunteers for the event on Saturday, December 11th, please visit jefchristmasforkids.org. 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 has been a beloved school and community Thanksgiving tradition at Golden Fields Elementary for years. On this episode of the Supercast, we find out why the Turkey Trot and Turkey Tunes play such an important role in the school's Thanksgiving celebration year after year. Then we have some fun with students who show us their homemade talking turkeys and tell us what they're thankful for this year.

We're here in first grade at Golden Fields with Stephanie Murray and Amber Squire to talk turkey here before Thanksgiving. First off, you guys have amazing shirts on. Tell me about this.

Stephanie Murray:
Our whole program is based around the turkey and our first graders dress up in turkey costumes that they create themselves. So we couldn't just leave them hanging, we had to dress up as the turkey ourselves. So we reached out, purchased some shirts and surprised them this morning. When we walked out to pick them up, they almost lost it. They were so excited to see us sporting the turkey.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's a brown shirt with big googly turkey eyes and a beak. And of course the

Stephanie Murray:
Snood.

Anthony Godfrey:
The snood. I knew you would know the word. That's why I could just pause, the snood. So you look very festive. Tell me how did the focus on turkeys get started?

Stephanie Murray:
Well, long ago, when we very first opened the school, we had so much fun during the month of October celebrating Halloween and all of its festivities. We had a bunch of fun during December celebrating all of the winter holidays, but November kind of got passed over. That had us a little sad because November is a very important month and a time to reflect on being thankful and showing gratitude for what we have and those around us. So we started thinking as a team, how can we make this month focused on what it truly is about being thankful to those around us? And so we started a search to find some child appropriate songs, and we wound up finding turkey. So our whole month has been spent talking about turkeys, learning everything we can about them, but also about why the turkeys are so grateful to escape being eaten on Thanksgiving day, if they're ever so lucky. We use that as a stepping stone to talk to the children about what they are thankful for and just had a lot of fun along the way, using the turkey as our guide.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's a great tie into the Thanksgiving meal and to turkeys, but also to have the kids reflect on their own lives and the things that they're grateful for. What a wonderful way to make November exciting for the students. That's really what it's about, connecting with students. I'm sure this is something they'll remember for a very long time.

Stephanie Murray:
Oh, definitely. We still have kids that are here the first year that we did it that come up to us and say, I still remember Turkey Tunes and I have my costume and everything. So we hope that it is something that leaves a lasting memory with them for the rest of their lives.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me something about the costumes. What do they put together?

Amber Squire:
For the costumes, we just use brown paper bags, like grocery bags. We cut them up the back and then we actually cut arm hold inside of them and a little neck hole for the collar. Then we have large white circles for the eyeballs and then black construction paper for pupils. And then we have beaks and snoods, and that's the vest. Then we actually have the children put those on and we take Velcro and secure it so it can fit to their bodies perfectly.

Stephanie Murray:
We do a lot of dancing in this show, so we don't want to lose our turkey bodies in the process.

Amber Squire:
And then on their heads we take brown construction paper and staple it together to make a headband. We put feathers in a pattern, so we do a brown feather in the center sticking up from the back of their heads and then red feathers, orange feathers, and yellow feathers on either side. It makes a little secure turkey, feather hat.

Stephanie Murray:
We shake our turkey feathers a lot also.

Anthony Godfrey:
Shake your turkey feathers. Okay.

Amber Squire:
Shake our turkey feathers and point our toes like it says in our last song.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Now do you two dance along with them?

Stephanie Murray:
More than you would ever want to see.

Amber Squire:
We always joke that we get our cardio in these days. For the whole month of November, that's our cardio.

Anthony Godfrey:
So has Turkey Tunes taken over maybe even some of the other holidays throughout the year, or is it just kind of hanging with the others now?

Stephanie Murray:
You know what, it has taken over I think. In October, you know, we have the typical fun, the Halloween parade and the Halloween party. But Turkey Tunes invites the families in, it invites the friends in, it invites the community in to stop, pause, reflect on what we're grateful for and have a little fun while we're at it. So it's something that everybody around us looks forward to.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, here they come. Here come some of the students to come in and get reconnected with their costumes here. Tell me your name.

Jonah:
Jonah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hi, Jonah. What's your name?

Pierce:
Pierce.

Jocie:
Jocie.

Anthony Godfrey:
Pierce and Jocie. Tell us a little bit about what you're looking forward to today.

Jonah:
Being on the podcast.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it is exciting to be on a podcast.

Jonah:
I’ve already been on one before.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, have you really? Tell me about that?

Jonah:
I did one about Lego Mario.

Anthony Godfrey:
Lego Mario. Well, I have not yet talked about Lego Mario on my podcast, but it seems like maybe one day I should. And if I ever do, you'll be the first person I call. So tell me about today. Tell me about your performance.

Jocie:
Turkey Tunes. We do songs about turkeys.

Anthony Godfrey:
And is the word gobble in any of these?

Jonah:
Most of them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Most of them have the word gobble. That makes a lot of sense. Pierce, what's your favorite song today?

Pierce:
Glad I'm Not a Turkey.

Anthony Godfrey:
Glad I’m Not a Turkey. Well, I can probably guess, I'm pretty glad I'm not a turkey even without hearing the song. What's your favorite?

Jocie:
Um, Turkey Dance.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can you tell me what happens in the dance?

Jocie:
You have to say gobble and you have to wobble and you have to strut.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you, you say gobble and you wobble and you strut. That's a lot to remember. It's a good thing you guys have been practicing. Tell me about making your costumes. Was that fun?

Jonah:
Yeah, we used glue, staplers and scissors.

Anthony Godfrey:
Glue, staplers and scissors. Is this something that you're going to take home?

Jonah:
Yes, I mean no.

Anthony Godfrey:
No? No, you want to keep it here?

Jonah:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Did they ask to hang it up? Because it was so good?

Jonah:
No, we have to use it in like 15 minutes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, in 15 minutes you have to use it. But after that, are you going to take it home?

Jonah:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes. Okay. Are you guys going to wear this at Thanksgiving dinner?

Jocie:
Maybe.

Anthony Godfrey:
Maybe? Don't you think people would like it if you wore those feathers and you came in? Or would they feel uncomfortable eating turkey?

Jonah;
And there’s a turkey hat.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, there's a Turkey hat. Do you know where yours is? Can I get a look at that? Yeah. Oh, see, I thought the feathers would have gone at the front, but that doesn't make any sense. The way you're wearing it makes a lot of sense. You guys look really great in these costumes. I don't know, if I were you, I think you ought to be wearing them at dinner. I'm looking forward to the performance. Tell me what you're looking forward to most and Thanksgiving.

Jonah:
The main course.

Anthony Godfrey:
The turkey. Yes, you're very right. The turkey and the gravy. Do you put the gravy on the turkey? Yes. Okay. How about you? What are you looking forward to most?

Pierce:
Eating steak with my family.

Anthony Godfrey:
Eating steak?

Pierce:
Yeah, we usually have steak instead of turkey.

Anthony Godfrey:
So should you really be dressed up as a steak today?

Jonah:
We have a giant turkey in our fridge, by the way.

Anthony Godfrey:
You have a giant turkey in your fridge?

Jonah:
It's like the head’s gone and the organs are pulled out.

Anthony Godfrey:
The organs are pulled out and the head is gone. So you're well on your way,

Jonah:
And there’s seasoning on it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And there’s seasoning on it? Does it just gradually get closer? Like one day the insides are gone and the next day the seasonings on and it just kind of gradually moves forward. You've been paying close attention to this haven’t you? It's because you're looking forward to the turkey. Yes. So you have steak every Thanksgiving.

Pierce:
Yeah, usually.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you call it steaks-giving?

Pierce:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
No, you don't. Do you have Turkey and steak or just steak?

Pierce:
Steak.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Is it cooked on the grill or out on the barbecue or how does your dad cook it?

Pierce:
Barbecue.

Anthony Godfrey:
Out on the barbecue.

Pierce:
My dad makes the best steak.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, wow. Is it kind of pink in the center? Yeah. Well, that sounds fantastic. What time should I come by for steak?

Pierce:
I don’t know.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just whenever I come by, there'll be steak cooking. Huh? Okay. What are you looking forward to?

Jocie:
The turkey.

Anthony Godfrey:
The turkey. Okay. Do you put gravy on your Turkey and have you been watching the turkey like Jonah?

Jocie:
I haven't got a turkey yet.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Not yet.

Jonah:
In two days we have to eat Turkey and the Thanksgiving dinner. I'm counting Thanksgiving too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Two days until Thanksgiving, including Thanksgiving. Okay. Fair enough. So what do you think about the turkey? Have you named the turkey?

Jonah:
No, I want to, but I want to name him like gobbler.

Anthony Godfrey:
Gobbler. Okay. All right. All right. Tell me something you're thankful for that's not turkey and will not be on your table.

Jonah:
My dog.

Anthony Godfrey:
Your dog. Your dog is well behaved so he's not going to be on the table, right?

Jonah:
My dog's name is Archie. Archibald Nacio Gretsch.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, wow. That's a long name.

Jonah:
Nacio for nacho.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Very good. And so that's the middle name? Kind of? I definitely need to talk to you more. Okay. Tell me what you're thankful for?

Jocie:
My friends and family.

Anthony Godfrey:
Friends and family. Great. And what are you thankful for?

Pierce:
My class.

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome.

Pierce:
And all the teachers in the school.

Anthony Godfrey:
Very good. I'm thankful for your class and all the teachers in the school too. That's really cool. Okay. Well, I hope you guys have a fantastic Thanksgiving and I can't wait for the performance. See you in a minute.

Stay with us. When we come back more about the Turkey Trot.

Break:
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Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Carolyn Dailey, 2nd grade teacher at Golden Fields. She's going to talk to us about the Turkey Trot happening today. What is that?

Carolyn Dailey:
So our Turkey trot is a fun way to get the kids enthused about Thanksgiving and we create turkey hats. They become little turkeys themselves. And then we create a little gobbler made out of a cup to bell the sound of the gobbler gobbling. We just have a little trot parade around the school and out the door to Thanksgiving.

Anthony Godfrey:
And the kids look forward to this, I have no doubt.

Carolyn Dailey:
It's become quite the tradition.

Anthony Godfrey:
So this is your own mini Golden Fields Thanksgiving Day Parade, I suppose. How long has this been going on?

Carolyn Dailey:
So actually we brought the tradition to Golden Fields when we opened. So it's been here the entire time the school has been here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. So do kids in 1st grade look forward to their 2nd grade where they get to graduate to the parade from the Turkey Tunes?

Carolyn Dailey:
You bet.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so they create their own costume. Tell me again, what's involved in making the gobbler?

Carolyn Dailey:
So the gobbler’s the best part of the Turkey Trot. This is what the kids really look forward to. So you take a cup, it can be any cup that you want to do, that's disposable. You put a little hole in the bottom of the cup and invert it. So it has the bell effect of making the sound a little bit louder. And then you're going to insert a string and tie it up on the top with a paperclip. And then at the bottom of the string, you're going to tie a little piece of sponge. And then we make the little cup look like a Turkey as well. Then at the time of the parade, we dampen the sponge and then you pull. Take the sponge and wrap it around the string and jerk it down. It makes a clucking sound and the bell magnifies that sound. So they're just clucking away on their parade.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have they practiced on this?

Carolyn Dailey:
That's the best part ,the practice.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can I get a look at one?

Carolyn Dailey:
Absolutely!

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, let's go take a look.

Carolyn Dailey:
Here's our gobbler.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Let's see. This Turkey looks particularly happy. Okay. So we've got feathers on top of the cup and then a paperclip. Okay. I see the paper beak is sticking out. So that is just wet sponge being pulled down a string and amplified by the cup. Can I try it? I have never gobbled like this before. All right. Let's see if you guys think I can do it. Okay. All right. Let me give it a shot.

All right. That is really cool. I am making gobblers at home this year. I am telling you that right now. I have to do it again, I can't resist. How many of you guys hear the sound in your sleep? Yes, I see most of you do. Wow. That is really cool. Well, congratulations. I've been through 51 Thanksgivings, and I know it's pretty remarkable. Well, I'm 52. This is going to be 52 Thanksgivings. I just haven't been through that one yet. I know it's surprising because I look so young. Right. See, thanks for the thumbs up buddy. But yeah, this is, I can't get enough of it. You guys just like want to do it all the time? I totally understand. I like your shirt. It has a Turkey that says eat pizza and he's in a disguise. Well done.
Tell me how these gobblers came to be.

Carolyn Dailey:
Years ago, it was probably 20 years ago when my kids were little, we were having Thanksgiving and their cousins had made one at school. So of course, being a teacher myself, I was like, let's check this out. And we saw how they constructed these gobblers. So of course I had to continue the tradition.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you guys are awesome. Well, have a lot of fun with your Turkey Trot and your gobblers.

Carolyn Dailey:
Keep that one as a memento of your visit.

Anthony Godfrey:
Really? Are you serious? I get to keep the gobbler. Oh man, I'm going to be the most popular guy at Thanksgiving dinner.

Carolyn Dailey:
Should we give him a ceremonial turkey hat to take too?

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Thank you very much for letting me visit. I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving.

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