Author: communications

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Do you have a student or family member looking for language learning resources in the community? On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the Jordan School District Family Engagement Center, where students and families are finding language support services that are changing lives. The center is also connecting families with the social and emotional support they need. The services are available all summer long and they are free. Let's head inside Copper Mountain Middle School to learn more.

We're here at Copper Mountain Middle School at the Family Engagement Center with some of the staff who made that possible. I'm going to ask them to introduce themselves and then we're going to learn about all the ways that we engage with families in Jordan School District.

Staff:
I'm Michelle Love-Day, the consultant over Educational Language Services. I'm Toni Brown, I'm the Parent and Outreach Specialist on the Culture Diversity Outreach Team. I'm Silviane Perkins. I work directly with parents, teaching them English as a second language (ESL), and some of the resources that are available for them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Michelle, start by telling us a little bit about the Family Engagement Center and its purpose, how it came to be.

Michelle:
So we started this because with our Parent Outreach focus and our Culture and Diversity Team, we really wanted to reach our parents to support them on how to be engaged with the schools. We are finding that many of our parents live in Title I schools, but they live outside of Title I schools as well. In talking with schools such as Copper Mountain in Herriman, we're noticing a lot of our parents are moving out this way, but there's no support for them to learn English. There are no resources for them to be able to navigate our system. And so we created this Engagement Center so they can learn English through our department and have support.

Anthony Godfrey:
So how many Family Engagement Centers are there in Jordan District right now?

Michelle:
Under our department, this is the first one. We're very happy that Copper Mountain opened their doors and said we could have one of their portables. We're hoping to also work with West Jordan Middle School so that they have one. We are kind of a sister team to the Family Resource Centers that the Title I schools have. But this is the first one that our department has.

Anthony Godfrey:
Describe for me a little bit, the difference between those two.

Toni:
Well, at the Family Learning Centers in the Title I schools, they operate similarly, but their reach is a little bit smaller because it's a smaller school that is primarily based on things that parents of elementary school age students would need. And here at the Family Engagement Center, we are reaching out to all parents and trying to provide things that suit the needs of older children, as well as the parents themselves.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what kind of classes would you offer to parents?

Toni:
Right now we have an English class for people interested in learning English. We have also been requested to have a Spanish class for English speaking parents that want to communicate with their ever diversifying community.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, and really connect is what we're trying to do. We're trying to connect the school to our families and to our community and then connect them with each other so there's a great web of support. Silviane, you tell me a little bit about your role.

Silviane:
Usually when parents come here, it's almost impossible to separate their needs from how they feel. This group of parents, they need English for a purpose which is to be operational, to function. They have bills to pay, they have to get jobs. If you don't speak English, that has a huge impact on your family and also on your children because if your mother, your father cannot help you with your homework, who will? It's not that if you are an adult that you cannot learn.  You will learn English as your second language, but you have to have a certain mature approach because they have other things in their lives. So that's my role, to make them believe that they can learn how to speak English, and how to change and protect their children and their families.

Michelle:
With the help of the State as well, who were able to give us finances to have operations so that we can translate. That is what started the trajectory of the Family Engagement Center and seeing to that need, because we're getting the support and funding. We're also working on translating many documents that we send out from our department to the parents districtwide, so that we can help them navigate the home language surveys, the ACT opt out or opt in for testing scores and just all kinds of family demographic questionnaires that they receive.  The good thing is that the word has gotten out, and like Silviane said, there are 60 parents that are registered. It was wonderful because the word got out and we had a parent show up at our office two weeks ago because they needed help to understand what was being placed in Skyward for their son in order to graduate. What did he need? How do they pick up a packet? So items just as simple as that, where parents are afraid to call the school, they now know that the Family Engagement Center has somebody that speaks Spanish, or that we can find someone that speaks their language, like Swahili, or Kinyarwanda, and we'll help them navigate what they need to do.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is great to have those resources. So really, a primary purpose of the Family Engagement Center is to overcome language barriers. But what are some of the other barriers that need to be overcome as well?

Michelle:
I would say some of the barriers are just the access to resources. As Toni said earlier, combining all the resources that are out in our community for our parents and bringing it into a place where we can give them the opportunity to register their child to take ALPS testing, let them know there are science activities that are available after school, and as we come up on summer, what summer programs we have available so that they understand the opportunities. This year, free and reduced lunch has been done differently, but next year there'll be a change, and we want to make sure that parents are getting the reminder and understanding the email that was sent out. Understanding that they're going to have to re-register for free and reduced lunch, or they're going to have to opt out of certain things. There are barriers I think in just what they don't know because of communication from school to home.

Silviane:
And something that I always like to emphasize is this is not just for our Spanish speaking parents or parents who do not speak English as their primary language. This is for any parent who wants to improve. For example, we have a coalition in Salt Lake. It's an organization for women who support their families because they're alone. They have this organization that can help women prepare themselves to face interviews, to become more professional, to find a better salary. We also have a University of Utah Initiative for how to get a higher return on your taxes.

If you have teenagers, they sometimes, for different reasons become depressed, especially during COVID. We have many mental health, physical health, and professional help resources. There are many people, like Michelle said, who don't have the information that they need. The Family Engagement Center, that's the middle name, is to engage those families and give them power, the power of information. With that in mind, if families can share these resources with their neighbors and communities we can empowerment the whole community. It's a win-win situation.

Toni:
I'd also like to add that right now, the Family Engagement Center is in its infancy. We're still in a very malleable state. We are listening, we want to know what the community wants and what they need. So we're reaching out to people to hear, what can we do? We're here, we want to help you, and we will help you find an answer.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's really sounds like the main purpose is to connect people with resources. Sometimes those resources are within the school district. Sometimes it's external. I've been surprised over the years when I've learned some of the things that are available to help parents that may be in a difficult circumstance, even temporarily, that they didn't expect to find themselves in. So what you said earlier is important. Really, the Family Engagement Center is for all families, regardless of their circumstance. There's some things we have to offer.

Stay with us. When we come back, more about the free support services for families and students available all summer long.

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 http://connect.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the resources that might surprise people? Are there some resources that might not occur to people that are available through the Engagement Center?

Silviane:
One of the resources that people always get very surprised about is that there are dental clinics and health clinics that provide services. Sometimes they don't even have the family income scale. There are also psychological and mental health assistance resources. When some families are dealing with addiction and they need intervention, there is also a service provider called Cornerstone House and they offer assistance as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
People have been surprised when I've talked with them, friends and colleagues, that the Jordan Education Foundation has expanded Principal Pantries to every one of our schools. The Principal Pantries are where donors provide toiletries, food, even clothing, and other materials for students who need that. They think that need is concentrated in a particular area of the district, but it's throughout the district. We have students experiencing homelessness throughout the district, students who experience food insecurity. There's a lot of support. I'm really glad that this center is out in the Herriman area so that we can reach every corner of the district.

Toni:
It's not that the need isn't there. It just looks different in different communities. A lot of times, these things kind of go under the radar because people don't want you to find out, but having a Family Engagement Center is a convenient and comfortable space for people to reach out without having it become a big ordeal. It's at their kid's school that they go to every single day.

Michelle:
The one thing when we decided to do the Family Engagement Center and specifically selected Herriman, with the growth of homes and condos and apartments along Mountain View Corridor, many parents wanted to be able to go to Majestic Elementary and learn English, but the transportation is very inconvenient. We've learned that just because they live out here doesn't mean that they don't want the resources. So by having it closer to a home, yes, we're housed at Copper Mountain Middle school right now, but it's available to anyone that can get here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. We talked about the need. There are a lot of languages spoken by families in Jordan School District. You mentioned Swahili and another one. I'm not even sure where that language is spoken. Tell me some of the other languages that are spoken in Jordan District.

Toni:
There's a lot of Kurdish.  It's the first time I'd ever been asked to find a Kurdish translator before, or to find a Kurdish interpreter. We've also had Kinyarwandan.

Anthony Godfrey:
That was the one you mentioned, where is that spoken?

Michelle:
Kinyarwandan, and that is spoken in a part of West Africa.

Toni:
There are 53 languages within the Jordan School District from Samoan to Arabic. Spanish, of course, is our largest second language to English. But there's a variety of languages. 53 languages from Vietnamese to Cantonese to Hindi. And so we want to be able to provide resources to those families.

Silviane:
I have students from Croatia, Italy, Brazil, and Venezuela.

Anthony Godfrey:
That may be another misconception is that it's really mostly Spanish that we're helping with, but we can find resources to help with any language.

Michelle:
Yes, and the great thing of the State of Utah is just the services that are offered through Serve Refugees and the Utah Refugee Connection. We are partnering with Women of the World. And while those services are down in Salt Lake City, because of our connection we're able to bring the resources out here to families so they don't have to make their way downtown and take most of their day traveling to get the information.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's obvious that all of the support for families results in students being more successful in school. But can you articulate that for me a little bit, what does that mean when families feel that support and connection for students?

Toni:
Definitely. I believe that when you're teaching a child, you have to look at the whole child and whole child includes whole family. They come to us in the mornings and they're there with us all day, but when they go home they're with their family and having safety and security and comfort and peace in your home translates exponentially into the classroom. A child who is comfortable and feels safe and feels supported at home, then comes into school and gets that same environment, it's just a circle of love and support, just enveloping a kid, that helps them develop positively.

Anthony Godfrey:
If listeners think, "Hey, this is something that I could benefit from or a family I know could benefit from this", how do they get in contact with the Family Engagement Center?

Toni:
They can feel free to send me an email at toni.brown@jordandistrict.org. It's Toni Brown, it's an easy name to remember. Just shoot me an email, I will put them in contact with the right people or help them find the right resource.

Michelle:
So if they go to http://els.jordandistrict.org and just click on Outreach, they'll be able to click on the information. Toni's name will come up, and the information and the times of when we meet. Typically Tuesdays and Thursdays have been our class times for this year, and they can put themselves on a list to join in.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you all for taking the time to be on the Supercast, but more than anything, to be so thoughtful and intentional about how to help support our families and in turn, help support our students and make sure that they have every success possible.

Silviane:
Thank you Dr. Godfrey, and I just want to say something in Spanish and Portuguese.  So thank you, Dr. Godfrey for helping us to spread the word about the Family Engagement Center. Thank you.

Michelle:
Thank you so much for having us.

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:
It's a performance filled with deep emotion involving writing rhyme, alliteration, metaphors, and in many cases, audience participation. On this episode of the Supercast, find out why so many students are using slam poetry to express themselves and the way they look at life. Poetry slams are a big hit right now. And we head to South Jordan Middle School to find out why.

Student:
My name is Jackson Miller. And my poem is called Middle School.
Driving traffic. The obnoxious, babbling and blaring of car horns.
Angry, agitated, and aggravated, the light remains red,
Struggling to find those who feel similar.
The light will turn green anytime now
I'll be home. Okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us a little bit about your poem.

Student:
Um, well I thought a lot about it and I decided to do it on middle school because it's middle school. I have a lot of feelings about middle school so I figured it'd be easiest just to write it about that. And I got some help from Mr. Baney. I got some help from some teachers. But, it's about kind of the struggle of being in middle school and how it can be hard to function with everything happening in drama and emotions and our body's changing. And sometimes you just feel like you're kind of stuck in place and you can't really go anywhere. But at the end I kind of tried wrapping it up saying I'm almost out of middle school. I'll be in high school soon

Anthony Godfrey:
And how does it feel to look at the page and see that with some help, you've been able to put those feelings into words.

Student:
It feels amazing. It feels great. I'm so, so glad I got to do this and I'm going to continue doing poetry and improve.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's great to hear. Are you looking forward to high school?

Student:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you'll be at Bingham next year?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Well, best of luck and keep that poetry flowing with you. Great job.

Student:
This is Just Kids by myself, Emily Johnson.
The warm ocean breeze brushes against my arms and knees like getting stung by a thousand bees.
But bees seem like smiles and happy trees.
The trees quake and seemed to say, "Stay with me and dream".
As bright eyes kids, we fit under the stars that gleam,
Wondering why can't we just stay out here and blow off a little more steam?
But the alarm, she rings a little different this time when the original bee stings,
Signaling that the school bell still dings and dings and dings.
A constant goal of one day receiving a wage.
You're just kids stop thinking about that at this age.
But no, go pick out a career that determines every last page.
We get burnt out and caught up as you cry,
Trying to explain to these authority figures that we really do try.
But these feelings sit in our consciousness like a little white lie.
We come home and do our work as if put under a spell or potion,
Then lay in bed, longing for sounds of the ocean.
Not so ready to wake up in the morning and go through the exact same motion.

Anthony Godfrey:
Emily, tell me about the poem that you recited today.

Student:
I wrote a poem called Just Kids and it's about the pressures of being a young student and like having so much pressure to be older than you are and growing up so fast.

Anthony Godfrey:
I thought it had a really nice cadence and flow to it. Is there a favorite phrase or favorite imagery in that poem?

Student:
Well, I really liked the bees stinging part. Bees sting because when I was younger I got stung by a lot of bees. So it's kind of cadence to that. Just like I feel back to my childhood. And it can be a good thing too because bee stings, like smiles, can feel so many things. So I really liked using that phrase.

Anthony:
Yeah. And you were able to really evoke the sound of a bell ringing and the day going on and on and on. What was the phrase you used?

Student:
The school bell still dings and dings and dings.

Anthony Godfrey:
And the way you paused when you read, when you recited it and all of that, you did a very nice job on that. What does poetry mean to you, reading it and creating it?

Student:
I kind of created it. I was having a really hard time with school and I just not doing well mentally. And it was like 2:00 AM and I was like, there's a poetry thing coming up. I should write something. So it like really was just raw emotion that I just put on paper. It was a lot of feelings.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's obvious that it really came from a place of personal experience. Okay. Thank you.

Stay with us. When we come back, we'll talk with one of the judges. She'll tell us what makes a poetry slam performance rise above the rest.

Break:
It is one of the most prestigious academic achievement programs available for high school students. And we're proud to say, it's coming back to Jordan School District. We're talking about the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program, which will be located at West Jordan High School. The IB Program supports personal and academic achievement for students at the very highest level. IB diploma courses take place during a student's junior and senior year in high school. All sophomores are invited to consider the IB Program for next year. There are no prerequisites for IB and interested middle school students can start preparing. Students with the IB diploma have a better chance at getting into some of the most prestigious universities in the world. For more information, or to find out if your teen is a good candidate for IB, visit http://ib.jordandistrict.org, or call West Jordan High School.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here at South Jordan Middle School talking with Cindy Mitchell, the librarian here, and also personally in charge of the Poetry Out Loud competition. Tell us a little bit about that.

Cindy:
So Poetry Out Loud originally is a national competition for performance poetry, where you memorize an official poem from their collection and then compete, based on your interpretation and recitation of the poem. Here at South Jordan Middle, however, we are focused on original poetry performance. So most of the students that entered have written their own poems, and then we've given them a forum. So it's a little Poetry Slam without all the interaction from the audience and a little bit of Poetry Out Lous.

Anthony Godfrey:
How do students sign up to participate?

Cindy:
This was totally at their own discretion. They just came by and filled out a slip and if they could fit in. So what we did was we had three weeks of competition. Each week for the first three rounds, we had new poems each of those weeks and we choose the top three from each week to perform today. We had nine original poets perform, and we didn't have as many performance poets. So we only had five performance poems today.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how long has this been going on at South Jordan Middle?

Cindy:
This is our first year. And it's going to be more after this. I really enjoyed it. I have to tell you, I've been playing with this idea for about four years or so. And this year, since it was such a different year, I decided I'm just going to do it. We need something for kids who want to perform. And April is National Poetry Month. I couldn't put my magnetic poetry on my wall. I have a gigantic blank wall in the library, and I had magnetic quote, quote, quote, unquote, poetry, ready to go on that wall. And I couldn't do that. So I thought, I'm just going to dive in. We're going to do Poetry Out Loud.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I think it's exciting for students to have the chance to do this. And one of the great skills we try to teach students is self-expression and being thoughtful, introspective about how they're feeling and how to express that. And poetry does a great job of doing that.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think if you get a chance to listen to some of the poems, you'll see that they basically come from a very personal space and that the kids are talking about what is important to them right now. And that's what I loved about it. I don't think that these students are just good for middle school poets. I think they are really good at poetry.

Anthony Godfrey:
I would agree. Great stuff, from the heart and definitely reflective of their experience right now.

Cindy:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Lots of these kids were really passionate about the poems that they performed. How did that make you feel?

Cindy:
As the librarian, I don't interact with them necessarily on a daily basis, like in the classroom and especially not as their Language Arts teacher. So for me to know that they are willing to come and be so open and raw in this situation was really important for me, because I think that means they also trust me, and that's not necessarily something that I know most of the time. So I really appreciated them being willing to come and share. And it helps me remember that middle school kids, kids at any age, have deep feelings and we need to respect those feelings.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, congrats on putting together a great event that allows students to express themselves and keeps poetry moving forward into the next generation.

Cindy:
Well, thank you. And thank you for coming. We appreciate you coming and sharing a poem with us too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you. We're here with Brenda Johnson at South Jordan Middle School who has taught a number of the students. She and I were able to judge in the Poetry Out Loud competition.

Brenda:
Yes, indeed.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you taught them Creative Writing in seventh grade.

Brenda:
Some of them, yes. I took on the Creative Writing for a year and I got to teach a lot of the kids that performed today.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me what it feels like to have taught them a year or two ago, and now get to see them perform their poems.

Brenda:
A lot goes into my feelings watching this because when they were in seventh grade, they were just little kids. They were just tiny, and to see them develop and be passionate throughout the year that I had them and develop lot of skills that they get to perform two years later. It's validating in a lot of ways for them. More than anything, to see that their efforts a couple of years ago came through somewhere else and they were able to get some credit and some performance skills to reflect the things that they were writing them when they were younger.

Anthony Godfrey:
I was impressed that they were able to perform poems that they'd written themselves in front of peers with such confidence. That's not an easy thing to do.

Brenda:
It isn't, but I think that as they have developed through the writing process, and having opportunities to perform their emotions. And I think that a lot of the COVID consequences are playing out with them. They're soulful, they're thoughtful, and they are definitely expressing themselves in ways that I've never seen before. So to have an avenue to voice their thoughts and voice their feelings and get through kind of some of their anger, I think it's kind of a wonderful thing for them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I think it's a good self-care skill, just to be thoughtful about how you're feeling and trying to find a way to express that and articulate it.

Brenda:
Absolutely. And I think that poetry is almost a forgotten part of our language. And to see it still alive and these kids and have them be so passionate about it. And to perform it for the first time ever, because they've never done those kinds of things. It's kind of fun. It really is beautiful.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is. It's rewarding. And I got goosebumps more than once, I have to admit.
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. There are a source of strength, kindness, and compassion for students, always ready and willing to help in any way they can. We're talking about school counselors on this episode of the super cast. Find out what happens when I joined in on a big surprise for some of these dedicated employees, employees who had no idea, they were about to receive the honor of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
We are here at Fort Herriman Middle School with Allie Barson, Counselor of the Year for the State of Utah. Allie, how does that feel?

Allie:
Pretty amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's great to have your family here. You have a ton of support, and I saw a standing ovation here in the Media Center for you. Obviously, the school really appreciates what you do.

Allie:
We have an amazing school here.

Anthony Godfrey:
So I saw that your team was right there beside you. Also, tell me about working with the team here at Fort Herriman.

Allie:
So I have an amazing team of counselors. We work really well together and they just are always thinking of the best thing for students and how we support the students and the teachers and the entire school.

Anthony Godfrey:
I was talking with your principal on the way in, and he told me all about all the things you're doing with social, emotional learning.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit about that.

Allie:
So that's definitely our passion here. We love to support the kids in that way. So truthfully, a huge part of it is the teachers that are very supportive and are teaching lessons in their class. We have a whole curriculum that we do every TA and we have our leaderships groups that also create lessons for our students. So it's pretty amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like most about being a counselor?

Allie:
I love watching the kids grow, so that's why I love middle school specifically because they grow and change so much throughout those years. Watching them just come into their own and figure out who they are is just so incredible to watch.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a great way of putting it. I loved it as a middle school teacher and principal as well. You just, you get to see such growth from seventh to ninth grade and working with that group of students, you get to see them move forward.

Allie:
Yeah, it's pretty amazing. I actually ran into one of my used to be students and she's now graduating. So it was so great to be able to hear what she's doing and her plans for college and everything.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks again for all your great work. We need counselors more than ever. Thank you so much.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here at Copper Hills High school with the Utah School Counselor Association, Rookie of the Year, Derek Bennett. Derek, congratulations.

Derek:
Thank you. It really is an honor. I'm humbled and grateful. Really.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you are Rookie of the Year. How long have you been a counselor?

Derek:
This is my fourth full year as a counselor, all in Jordan District, all here at Copper Hills.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wonderful. What made you want to be a counselor?

Derek:
You know, ultimately I transitioned from actually working in drug treatment and college athletics to wanting to have a greater impact with teenagers. It's for those formative years and realistically, those are some of the best years of somebody's life. I wanted to have an impact during that crucial time, academically, emotionally, socially, and help students transition into adulthood.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the unique things that are happening here at Copper Hills High School?

Derek:
Yeah, at Copper Hills we work hard to ensure every student feels college and career ready. We did that in English. Myself and another counselor have gone to classes and worked in Spanish to help those students who may have English as a second language. We do CCRS in Tongan and we have all that posted on our website so that they have resources here. Mr. Groethe, one of our administrators and I created a program called Project Z. That's where we take all the students who are skipping school, not going to class, not using, you know really the opposite of what we call it to benefit their academics. And we take them and we talk about a TED talk where we talk about something that's going on in the world, because we want them, those students who might fall through the cracks, to feel like they're welcome here at Copper Hills as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say to someone who's considering becoming a counselor?

Derek:
I'd say go for it. Absolutely. Everything in life, you know, has a reason and a purpose. And if your purpose and reason is to succeed professionally, you are to be a counselor, absolutely go for it. There's so many people that you can benefit; faculty, administration, yourself, your family, and most importantly, the students.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're Rookie of the Year and you're Department Chair. And I got a sense there's a real feeling of of being a team here at Copper Hills.

Derek:
Absolutely. When I was asked to be Department Chair last year, I made it a point to have it be a team. You know, we're not just a department. We truly are a team. My emails start with the morning Team, Hello Team, Happy Friday Team. And really, that's something that's permeated through these two years. We do team activities once a month where it's a team building exercise, and it can go from everything from miniature golf in the hallways to talking about how to pronounce Mexican-American names or Polynesian names. Really, we try to be inclusive. The team here is fantastic. We have eight solid and quality counselors, along with the wonderful support staff. But realistically, you know, I wouldn't want to change my team for anybody else.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let me know. the next time miniature golf in the hall is happening.

Derek:
We have we have Corn Hole coming up, not this Friday, but next Friday. You're welcome to join.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we're sure glad to have you here at Copper Hills and Jordan School District. And I know that your team and the students appreciate it. So thanks for everything you're doing.

Derek:
Thank you very much. It's a great day to be a Grizzly!

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. We'll be back with more right after this break.

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 http://connect.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony:
We're here at Riverton high school with the Team of the Year from the Utah School Counselor Association. In fact, Jordan School District swept all the awards this year, which is really exciting. Normally we know it's award season in the entertainment industry, but it's also award season in the education industry. And we're really excited for this team. So I want to go around, they're all holding their hardware, by the way, kind of over their heart or close up against their chest, because they are really excited about this award and very deserving of this award. It's really exciting. We're going to start with Brian here. Tell us what do you love most about being a counselor?

Brian:
Just like working with students. A lot and just getting to know the community. I love the Riverton community and it's a great school and a great team to come in and serve the students with.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about you, Holly?

Holly:
I enjoy being a counselor because it's the one thing that when you go home at the end of the day, you know, you've done something good.

Anthony Godfrey:
Katelyn.

Katelyn:
I love advocating for my students. I think the counseling group are one of the only people that can really advocate for a student with counseling. So I love doing that.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about you, Kristen?

Kristen:
I always feel it's a privilege to work with our youth because they're our future. Listening to what their goals and aspirations are, and then trying to provide them with resources to attain them. I just think, what a better gift and a privilege to be a counselor to be able to do that. So, everyday I come to school, I'm just grateful to be part of  the Riverton community and team.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how about you, Amy?

Amy:
I really enjoy the relationships that I build with the students. That's the best part of the job for sure. And then also, we have the great team and I love to work with our coworkers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Natalie.

Natalie:
I'm trying to think of things that not everybody has already said, but I just really love working with kids and our job is unique in that sometimes you're there for emotional support. Other times you're talking with schedules and graduation or guidance and post-secondary endeavors and you know, where they want to go to college. Just being able to be there and support students and in all those different ways. It's just really fulfilling and I love our community and I love our students.

Anthony Godfrey:
So how does it feel to work on the Team of the Year?

Natalie:
Every single person here is a true professional. So I love being on this team.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we love having this team here. Congratulations and honor well-deserved. And even though I had nothing to do with it, I'm really going to enjoy it for a long time.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with the Officers of the Utah School Counselors Association. I'll let them introduce themselves.

Officer:
I'm Hillary Emer, I am the president this year for USCAP. I'm Kate Staker, I am the elementary vice president elect and the award's chair. I'm Shauna Walker and I am the president elect this year.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about this awards season for counselors.

Officer:
Jordan School District swept the awards.

Anthony Godfrey:
If I'm not mistaken, we did, which I don't know that that's ever happened in all the years I've been involved. We were looking back at the historical records. So I guess this was a first for the association and pretty cool.

Officer:
I obviously am very excited being a Jordan District Counselor, but I do have to say I wasn't a part of the process. It was a very honest format and we, the counselors that were on the committee, were totally unbiased and were just during districts.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. And what would you say to anyone who's considering being a counselor out there?

Officer:
I think it's the greatest job. Honestly, this is the job I wanted to be when I grew up. So since high school I always kind of thought about being a teacher and then I discovered psychology and school counseling put these two things together. And so since high school, I kind of knew this was the route I wanted to take and really geared my career path toward that. So it's awesome for me because I am living what I wanted to be.

Officer:
Yeah, it's very, very rewarding. You put in a lot of hard work to really help these kids. And when you see their successes, it's just amazing. I love being a counselor. I love working with kids. I could actually retire, but I love my kids. And so when they come in or a parent tells me, "Hey, we appreciate all you've done." Just met with a parent this morning. And they were grateful for the solutions I offered. That totally makes my job worthwhile and being at Herriman High, when kids walk across the stage and get their diploma, I absolutely love it. So I just love working with kids. So being a counselor is great because you can work with them on a different level than you do as a teacher where we see a great benefit to students and honestly, everyone in the school and community from the amazing work that our counselors do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for supporting counselors in their work. And thanks for the work that you were individually doing in your schools. We couldn't do anything that we do without you, so thank you very much.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Elementary school principals issued a kindness challenge to her entire student body. Something started happening that likely changed lives forever. On this episode of the Supercast, here's the heartwarming story of how students rallied to meet the challenge and succeeded in a way that took kindness to a whole new level at the school. We are here at Eastlake Elementary School with Ms. Staley, to talk about the kindness challenge. Thanks for spending time with us here on the podcast.

Ms. Staley:
Thank you so much for letting me be here with some of my second graders. It's exciting.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is exciting. It's always a good day when I get to hang out with some second graders. Tell me a little bit about this project.

Ms. Staley:
Well, all year long our theme has been Color the World with Kindness. The library had came in one day and said we were having a kindness challenge where they would let the kids write down and nominate different children in the classroom for things that they saw happening where someone was being kind. And so that's where my class and all the other classes were able to do this every week. They could write someone new down. So just kind of like catching someone doing something kind.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what were the kind of responses that you received?

Ms. Staley:
Oh, well the library had told me, they said Ms. Staley's class had the most responses. They were amazed at how many people were nominating each other and writing nice things about each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you think that asking students to engage in this way made them realize how much kindness there is around them that they may have overlooked before?

Ms. Staley:
Absolutely! The thing that I was noticing were extra acts of kindness being done in my classroom after the kindness challenge started. It's almost like was more on their brain. After they said, "Oh, have I been kind? Oh, who is being kind of me? What am I noticing?" You could see that it was kind of slowly sinking in with the kids in my class. It was amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it really made everyone a little bit more intentional about being kind. It's about recognizing kindness in others.

Ms. Staley:
Absolutely. It really did. I know in my classroom, we've read a book. Do you guys want to tell Dr. Godfrey what the book was that we've read in our classroom?

Student:
It was called "Our Classroom is a Family".

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me your name and tell me about that book.

Student:
It's about how people are a family in a class and how they help each other and to help someone when they're down.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what's your name?

Student:
Isabella.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about reading the book, "Our Classroom is a Family".

Student:
Well, it kind of helps readers know that it's not nice to hit people or something like that and care for others because they won't help you when you need help. It's kinda like my sister. She doesn't really help me and I try to help her.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so now that you're thinking about kindness, do you keep trying to help her, even though she doesn't always help you?

Student:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's your name?

Student:
Reese, tell me a little bit about what you learned from that book.

Student:
That even though people aren't in your family, they're still kind of like a family.

Anthony Godfrey:
So even if they're not in your family at home, they're still someone that you should treat like their family.

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the ways that you take care of people in your classroom like they're family?

Student:
Being kind, helping them if they need help ,and respecting my class friends and my teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
I noticed that you all have Stay Kind shirts. Tell me about that.

Student:
Well today the library teachers said out of our classes, ours is the one who shows the most kindness. And we act like a family, the most family as a class, and we got these from there, and we got some treats from them.

Teacher:
They let me know that out of all of the classes in the whole school that they felt like my class was winning the Kindness Challenge by being kind to each other and accepting each other. And they said they love to come to my classroom. They said it's their favorite place to come. And they sent me a very, very kind note a week ago. It had been a hard day, you know how teachers have hard days.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sure.

Ms. Staley:
And I just cried when I read this note because they were talking about how they noticed my kids and how they have extended their kindness and love, especially to some kids in my classroom that had been struggling this year and they just said how wonderful it was to see them reaching out to this particular student that needed some extra love and some extra care. And they didn't ever make fun of him. They tried to do whatever they could to help him succeed. And to me, that has just made my heart so happy to see these kids rally around this one student that needed this help.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does your classroom as a whole feel different because of this challenge?

Ms. Staley:
Absolutely. Everyone has commented on my class this year and what a good group of kids they are and how good they are to each other. And to me, I don't always hear that every year, but this little group, when I had a substitute, they'll write me a note saying, "Wow, you have the best class". And I know that I do. And so that says a lot, you know, when I'm not there, that they're still remembering all the things that we've talked about and practiced in the classroom. From the very beginning of the year, I always teach them to think before they act and to make good choices. And they remember that. And part of this kindness challenge was part of thinking before you do something, how will this makes someone else feel. And they've just totally embraced this, and you can see it in how they treat each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
You can, I'm impressed that the second graders are able to articulate so well what they've done to be kind, and how they're really being intentional about trying to do that. What are some other things that you've learned? Has this changed how you are at home?

Student:
I've helped my mom by cleaning up my room.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome.

Student:
And I've helped my sister.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, when you say clean your room, does that mean shovel everything under the bed so no one can see it?

Student:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about you? What have you been doing at home to be kind?

Student:
I've been not annoying my brother on a weekends.

Anthony Godfrey:
So let's start with what annoying your brother does look like. What does it look like to annoy your brother?

Student:
It looks like turning off the X-Box.

Anthony Godfrey:
Turning off the X-Box in the middle of a game?

Student:
Yeah. Oh, wow.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I did that. You really have annoying your brother down to a science, don't you?

Student:
Yeah. He's like nine years old. Almost 10.

Anthony Godfrey:
What else do you do to this 10 year old victim?

Student:
Sometimes I just put bugs in his bed, like fake bugs in his bed.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now what you do instead to be kind to him?

Student:
I clean his room when he needs to go to soccer.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Wow. So it's more than just not being annoying. It's actually helping him as well.

Student:
Yeah, he has a messy room.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so that's a big job.

Student:
Yeah. It's a nightmare.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you know where everything goes?

Student:
Yeah, sometimes I put his stuff under his bed, sometimes.

Anthony Godfrey:
You know, you gotta do it sometimes.

Student:
But sometimes do you clean it all the way?

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, sometimes.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's good. And how about you? How have you been kind at home?

Student:
I'm usually with my brother and he has a hard time taking turns. So usually I will let him take the first turn and let him have the longest turn. And with my sister, she usually gets mad at me a lot. She loves cookies, so we have this big basket of cookies and I just give her something. And then that makes her happy.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I love hearing that it has transferred over to home and that you're kind at home and in the classroom and noticing kindness in others. All right. Do you guys have advice for me on how I can be more kind?

Student:
If someone's getting bullied, you can help them and care for them and help them up.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. We're working on Bullying Programs all the time across the District. So that's a great idea. How about for you? What advice do you have for me?

Student:
Do you have children at your house?

Anthony Godfrey:
I have two children. One of them is still at my house? Yes. He's 12.

Student:
Okay. Oh, well, if he pushes himself too hard on like math, you could like say, "Hey, it's okay. I could help you with some of it", or something like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's great advice. I do that sometimes, but I need to do it more often. That's a really good thought. What advice do you have for me?

Student:
That if something goes wrong, then you could help fix the problem.

Anthony Godfrey:
I really try to do that as much as I can. That's great advice. Thank you for the advice that makes me feel better. Those are the things I can work on. Oh yeah. Your teacher gets to tell me how I can be more kind also.

Ms. Staley:
I just want to say, just keep listening to the teachers. I think you have done a phenomenal job so far as our Superintendent and you're listening to us and you're taking into consideration our needs. So just keep listening. There are a lot of us compared to one of you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you. I will keep trying to do that as much as I possibly can. I always love to hear from teachers. You guys are wonderful. What a great time for me to stay with us. When we come back, more on the Kindness Challenge that led to unexpected acts of kindness throughout Eastlake Elementary School.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We are here at Eastlake Elementary School with Principal Kristy Howe, who has been here all of a couple of months and has already started a Kindness Challenge. Tell us a little bit about that.

Principal:
Well, we have a great school here that is implementing and nominating their students here to be kind. They fill out a form that they get from their teacher, that they are able to write down a nomination of their peers, whether it be in their class or just a friend that they see on the playground or ride the bus with of how they were kind to each other and how it made them feel. And the students get called down to the office to receive an award and a big congratulations for being such good examples and that is starting to really make a flow through the school of students recognizing everybody being kind and having a positive attitude.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what are some of the results you've seen in school for having this challenge in place?

Principal:
The amount of nominations that I get each day brought down to my office and even they have an envelope up in the library, so they have two places to put it. Our abundance of nominations, I've would say, that I get from all grades, kindergarten all the way up to sixth grade, at least 15 to 20 each day.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what are some of the prizes associated with that?

Principal:
They receive a t-shirt that goes off of being kind and they get to pick from some treats or some toys that are great prizes. Slime is always one of the favorites.

Anthony Godfrey:
I did see slime here in your office and a few other jars of trinkets and treats. So any good elementary principal is well-equipped with that sort of thing. Oh, I even see Uno Kitty from the Lego Movie. Wow. Nice collection. So were you surprised by the results that you saw?

Principal:
I was. I knew that my students would recognize each other for being kind, but I did not realize how much they would go out of their way to ensure that they wrote it down. So their friends get nominated, not so much for themselves, but that their friends are being kind to them. And they wanted to make sure that they were recognized for it. It's amazing.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the nomination process itself has kind of a kindness that you can do something for someone else, nominate them to win a prize when they've done something, a particularly kind has it, has it added to the positive behavior around the school. Are kids more focused on that as a result?

Principal:
I feel they are because they really are getting along with each other a lot more. I'm not getting so many students saying coming up to either the playground aides or their teachers or myself saying this student is, was saying mean things about me. It's more so that these papers are coming into my office, just flowing in. And when they get brought down to be recognized at the end of the day. When I call three or four of them down, they want to know who recognized them so they can go and say, thank you and watch them and nominate them for the next day.

Anthony Godfrey:
I can't stop smiling through this interview because it just so fun to listen to stories about kids, focusing on each other and focusing on being kind. It's a great way to end the school year and send kids into a positive summer. Where did the idea come from?

Principal:
My librarian saw some extra shirts and prizes and said, why don't we recognize being kind? And just by coincidence, I got a couple emails from parents saying my student came home just a little sad. So you're aware that this child was sad, or my child came home saying that a friend or a peer that was not being so nice to them saying things. And I wanted to make sure that I put a positive twist and help students see each other in a different light rather than having to find it as a negative thing of putting others down.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks a lot for spending time with us and putting in place such a great program to highlight kindness.

Principal
Thank you for coming out and highlighting it. So it's recognized across the District as a positive thing, and I hope it does carry over.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. School is out for the summer, and that means kids will be having fun with friends, staying up late, sleeping in, taking trips and often enjoying some fun foods and a different diet. On this episode of the Supercast, we sit down with members of the Jordan School District Health and Wellness Team to find out how we can keep kids on track by following a few health and wellness tips for a happier summer with family and friends.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're back in our little studio here in Jordan School District Offices. We haven't been here since the start of the pandemic and it feels really good to be here. What better way to kick things off than to talk with McKinley Withers and Rachel Dangerfield from our Wellness Team and it's summer. We made it to summer 2021, which is very exciting. I recently read an article about a bird called the swift. And a swift, they now have the technology where they can put a little camera and a little altimeter on the bird and they can tell kind of the flight patterns and the swift flies for ten months without landing. Ten straight months without landing, and I think we all feel a little bit like a swift right now. We haven't landed for a long time, so it's good to finally have a summer where we can land and take a little bit of a breather.

There is summer school going on, but hopefully everyone can get a little bit of a break. We're here to talk with McKinley and Rachel about how to get the best break possible over the summer. How to really be focused on social, emotional wellness. I think there's going to be a level of freedom that students are experiencing that maybe we haven't had before with the transmission lower in the county than it's been for a very long time, with the mask requirement lifted, and with some opportunity to socialize now returning. Let's talk about some of those tips for social, emotional wellness. You always give us great advice. It's great to have you both here.

McKinley:
Well, we are so grateful to be here, and as fellow swifts making our way through this. So we are just so thrilled to be here and grateful for the chance that we have to connect with you, and reconnect with the parents that are out there. And one of the things that we've been talking about in our work with students and fellow educators, in the wake of this pandemic, as swifts who have just been kind of surviving and hanging on, just making it through, we want to be very thoughtful about approaching changes with the mindset of working on gains and not recognizing gaps. So what I mean by this is that the little victories are actually really big. We want to just make small bits of progress, rather than acknowledge what big differences or gaps may exist because of this altered lifestyle.

Anthony Godfrey:
And they certainly do exist.

McKinley:
They do.

Anthony Godfrey:
But we tend to focus too much on the losses and not enough on the gains.

McKinley:
Yes. And so what that looks like when we're trying to identify, is some small opportunities for gains, rather than gaps. There are a lot of strategies we can kind of talk through and hit. But the biggest one is the continued practice of gratitude. So it's okay to acknowledge that times are hard and to get through the difficult times and see those difficult struggles, but it's also okay to recognize and acknowledge the things that are going well or have gone well and creating a practice around that.

Anthony Godfrey:
When you're talking about in gains, not gaps, give me an example of that.

McKinley:
Okay. So let's assume maybe your child is feeling like they haven't had a lot of time with friends over the last 10 months. Maybe some social situations, there may be some gaps in their experience or their practice with being with friends, talking with friends, reaching out to friends. And so there may be some social gaps. But what would be focusing on gains would be, well, what could we do today that's very small? So let's just text a friend. Let's focus on reaching out, that's a gain, right? It might not feel like it meets the whole gap, but that's a gain. It's something you can do. It's something that feels manageable. If it's something that feels possible and enough, small gains over time can meet those gaps. But we don't want to feel overwhelmed by what isn't there. Rather, what could we do? What's our next smallest step?

Anthony Godfrey:
It's always difficult though, because one of the last things a child wants to hear is ,why don't you call a friend. Call Tommy, he'll come. You know, encouraging the social aspect sometimes doesn't sound very fun from a parent. But you're right, a little bit is a little gain.

McKinley:
And acknowledging and appreciating the little gains rather than seeing the whole gap. So celebrate there's a text back. Maybe the friend didn't come over, but that's exciting. right? And the more we can appreciate, rather than say the next step. I like to use, what's the next smallest step, because it feels much more manageable.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some other strategies kids can use to make the most of summer?

McKinley:
So along the same lines, and it's still kind of under the mindset of gains rather than gaps, is trying a streak.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now trying a streak may not be exactly what leaps to mind when people hear that term. Tell us about what that means.

McKinley:
So what it means is you try and maintain a behavior. Your streak is however many days you do that one thing. So a good streak for healthy eating would be...

Anthony Godfrey:
Four hours, I went without eating Funyuns. And that is a streak.

McKinley:
I guess, if you're counting your streak as every hour, that would be a streak. But if you are just focused on what's your next "smallest" step, a streak for healthy eating would be, I'm going to see how many days in a row I can eat a vegetable. So just see how many days you can accumulate of eating a vegetable, which for many people that would be a positive change. And rather than shift to some big diet that you give up on, or don't actually enjoy, just try a streak. What's a small behavior that you're up for today. That you'll be up for again tomorrow. So a vegetable every day, see how long your street goes, or if it's exercise or movement, see how many days you can get your set of really minimal, you know, amount of movement, your 15 minutes of walking in the sunshine, how many days in a row can you maintain that? And maybe we could have, you know, many students who have maintained a couple of streaks throughout the summer. And I think you would, you start to see the benefits accumulate over time.

Anthony Godfrey:
I did read a long time ago about an older gentleman who had been physically fit his whole life. Very strong. Maybe you've heard this done pushups. And he said, somebody asked him, what's the secret to doing so many pushups and staying so fit. And he said doing one push-up every day, because once you've done the one you started, there's the momentum. And I may as well do a couple more and I may as well keep going. And so the cumulative effect of just sending the goal of doing one pushup every day, gave him the start. He needed to really be on a path toward physical fitness.

McKinley:
That's a perfect example. You know, when we think about students re-adjusting or adjusting to, or creating a lifestyle post pandemic, that one, push-up a day, that one vegetable a day, that five minute thing that you're doing, those are the things that add up over time. And that's how human behavior gets.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, more tips on health and wellness during the hectic summer.

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 http://connect.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
Rachel Dangerfield, some ideas for making the most of the day by structuring it somewhat.

Rachel:
Yeah. So it's funny because I've heard parents say, "well, my kid thrives better without a routine." And what's funny about that to me is we know that's actually not true. Kids do well in school because they have routines and they know what to expect, right. Especially our anxious kids when they start worrying about what's going to happen today. That's when we see them start to fall apart. So obviously, your whole summer doesn't have to be structured for some of you. It may be, but just routines like what time you're going to bed, what time you're waking up. Routines with brushing your teeth, taking showers, things like that, that we need to do every day.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's one to be doing that every day.

Rachel:
I hope so.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. That I have down. I'm on a really good streak for showering and brushing my teeth that are working. It is true that with my son, showering every day is not a given. If there's a reminder there, especially in the summer, it feels like vacation when you're not showering.

Rachel:
Yes. And to that, one strategy parents can use that works really well, especially with elementary aged kids is a visual schedule, right. Especially for our friends that like do lists, so do our students and our kids. So when they can check it off and go on a streak was showering. It all just ends up really well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I do agree that a visual representation or chart can really make sure that kids follow through on those routines. And like you said, it doesn't have to be completely structured. The summer probably ought to be a good blend of the two. You get those structured things done. And then you have some free time and you're able to do the things that you want to do, connect with friends and do the other things that you would choose for yourself.

McKinley:
And I would add to that. It's probably a good idea to add to your routines, some very small strategies for social or emotional wellness. Here's an example. So we were just saying, texting or reaching out to a friend every day, just not even being too concerned about what the response is, but helping our child practice the skill of reaching out, practicing, building friendships. There's one routine that you could do every day. And then the emotional wellness component of that you could add to your routine would be something as simple as as a gratitude practice. So that could be at dinner time. Everyone says one positive thing that happened that day or a journal where they write three things that they're grateful for from that day, or talking, just sharing or writing down.

Anthony Godfrey:
The social aspect, I really liked the idea of reaching out to a friend and not being so hung up on what the response is. So many kids, and my kids are no exception, over the years have just thought, well, nobody's asked me. They're playing basketball and nobody asked me to play or join in. How about you're the one who starts getting everyone together to play basketball or whatever it may be. And so initiating that social interaction is something that sometimes kids expect others to do for them, but they don't take the thought to initiate that themselves.

How do we prepare for the beginning of the school year? There may be some anxiety about returning to school. School is going to be very different from what it has been for the last year and a half. And many students may be returning from virtual learning into school and they haven't been in school for a year and a half. What are some of the things that you have found have been successful in the past when someone is anticipating something like that, that's creating anxiety for them?

Rachel:
I've had students tour the school and visit the school, across all ages. Elementary, they can meet the teacher beforehand. They can practice walking to their classroom. They can go play on the playground and start to sort of get used to that environment. In secondary, we've also set up tours, special tours because a lot of times, you know, the ninth graders will go to the 10th grade to the high school, but they can go again. And the schools are really, really awesome at working with these kids. They can go meet all of their teachers. They can go practice opening their locker when there's not the pressure of all the kids around and the bell's about to ring. So that's one strategy that I've seen work really well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Which fits in with the idea of taking on that anxiety a little bit at a time, getting a little bit of exposure stopping by the school. I love the idea of walking through your schedule or walking through the school, playing on the playground depending on your age. And then it starts to become a little more familiar and something that maybe you can picture a little bit more being at that school. And also, you know, there's of course every year there are those students who are going from ninth grade to 10th grade moving into the high school, sixth to seventh. Those are always times of anxiety for all of us where we're nervous about this big shift. There's a, there's a change in, in friend groups. So I like the idea of kind of dipping your toe in the water. Also counselors are there for a good portion of the summer off and on administrators are there and then teachers are there a week before school starts essentially. So there are some opportunities to become familiar. And the locker, I remember the locker is, is such a, I don't know why they have to be so difficult, you know, right left. Right. And you pass it the first two times, but you don't the third time, I don't know who came up with that many years ago, but it's been vexing twelve-year-olds ever since. But th those are some really good ideas to try to just get accustomed to the idea of being back in school after having a what's is hopefully a really restful.

Speaker 3:
And along with that still continuing to normalize the experience. You know, it a lot of kids may be nervous too. There's a lot of kids are also learning how to use their locker. But if, if I was asking you, Superintendent, twice a day, every day, all summer, are you sure you're going to be okay? Are  you nervous? Are you feeling a little bit nervous about this school year? I mean, it is so different, right? How would that make you feel over the course of the summer? What do you think?

Anthony Godfrey:
Like I was maybe supposed to be nervous to be here.

McKinley:
Like you were supposed to be nervous. So along with that, I think it's important that we acknowledge the feelings, we accommodate and we allow for children to experience anxiety, but we don't have to cue them for it constantly. Yeah, it may be a little different, but they've done school for a lot of years and they've adapted and they will adapt. They'll get used to it. So allowing for those small victories, those gains, but also, you know, not cuing them to have a bad experience.

Anthony Godfrey:
That a great thing to keep in mind. It's always a balance, acknowledging feelings but not emphasizing those in queuing. That's really the word for it. It's queuing. Well, schools are going to be very accommodating if there's any way that we can help over the summer and answer questions. It may be difficult to reach people on certain days, but I would just encourage anyone listening to keep trying, and you can make that connection.

McKinley:
One thing that we kind of just always remind people is that it's also okay if you're at this point where you know, that getting some additional help would be good. Getting help is the only way to get better in a lot of situations. And so the 24 hour crisis lines are available all summer long. There's the Huntsman Mental Health Institute crisis line (801) 587-3000. You can use the safeUT app all summer to do a chat or a call with crisis workers. And there's also a new resource for families called the stabilization and mobile response team. They will go to homes to support with behavioral or substance use issues in the home, or there's a whole variety of issues that they are ready and equipped to support families with, and they will do it at your home. So that number is 1-833-SAFEFAM which is also a good resource just to be aware of.

Anthony Godfrey:
Some great resources for the summer. Rachel, any parting words?

Rachel:
I hope everyone has a great summer and I hope they land comfortably.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, after our long swift flight.

Rachel:
Thanks.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks to both of you for joining us and for everything you do to help keep us, keep us well.

McKinley:
Yeah. Thank you. Thanks for having us. It's been fun.

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