Author: communications

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today, we talked to a very talented young writer whose powerful words are now getting national recognition and will be on display in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, Fort Herriman Middle School's Sophia Parsons won what is called the Do the Right Thing Challenge, which is part of a national campaign to stop youth violence. On this episode of the Supercast, we'll hear from the teacher who is inspiring young teens, like Sophia, to use their words and life lessons to advocate for change. But first, let's talk with Sophia Parsons.

We're very happy to be here with Sophia Parsons. Sophia is an eighth grade student at Fort Herriman Middle School, and she is receiving national recognition for her writing. And I wanted to find out more about what she wrote and what that recognition is that she's receiving. Sophia, thanks for joining me on the Supercast.

Sophia:
Thank you for having me. It's a very interesting experience.

Superintendent:
Well, it's exciting for me to be able to talk with you. I sure miss being in schools and having the chance to talk with students and teachers and this Zoom meeting is as close as I could possibly get. I'm really excited to talk with you. It was about in eighth grade that I started to get really excited about writing, mostly because of a particular teacher I had. Before we get into the specifics of the award, what is it that you like about writing and what drew you to this contest?

Sophia:
Well, I wouldn't have thought to enter this contest at all if it wasn't for school. My teacher, for our unit about The Outsiders, started having the conversation about youth violence and she suggested the contest to us and had us all write an essay. Whether or not we wanted to submit it was up to us. And so I just wrote it all down one night, because I wasn't that satisfied with what I was, where I was going with it. Got it down, submitted it the next week. And it kind of disappeared until now.

Superintendent:
That sounds very much like what accomplished writers do. They sit down. The idea is there, the fire is burning and at a fever pitch, they just write it and it just comes out. And there it is. That's kind of how it went for you.

Sophia:
Yeah. It's either a lot of hard work to try and formulate abstract thoughts or just one big fever, dream of inspiration.

Superintendent:
So what is the name of the contest and what recognition have you received for your work?

Sophia:
It's called the Do the Right Thing Contest where students send in their essays about youth violence, what they can do to prevent youth violence and how you feel it has affected them. As far as recognition, it's been insane. We've had a couple conference meetings over Zoom, and things like that where I know it's the finalists. And then they announced the national finalists and things like that. And I got a couple goody bags from the committee today. I got a food gift card and that was really, really nice.

Superintendent:
Now, your writing going to be including in a book, is that correct?

Sophia:
Yeah. I heard that it was going to be included in a book in Congress. So it's kind of mind blowing.

Superintendent:
Yeah, in the library of Congress, which is quite a nice honor. Tell us about what you wrote as your submission.

Sophia:
Oh boy. My teacher went over the criteria first and I was kind of confused as to what I would write because in my mind I'm not a target of youth violence. I feel like up to now, I'm not the right person to be talking about this. I don't feel very directly affected, but I figured, Hey, everyone has a story to share, so I might as well share mine. And so I started off with why youth violence happens and the feelings associated with that, because I feel like it tends to be boiled down to condition or circumstance. And I wanted to get into the emotions behind it. That's why I found the outsiders so compelling. It's the emotions of the characters from their situation. And so I tried relating that to myself and I found the biggest connection there with feeling undeserving of everything, not feeling like you belong or like you have a place in the world.

Sophia:
So that was the easiest part. By far the hardest part was the criteria of relating it back to myself because I'm just a privileged white girl from the middle of Utah. But in order to find that, I took  a look at my past. I've always related more with the idea that you can bully yourself and not really be aware of it. And I tried looking at my past and asked, where could I have gone down this dark path? And so I looked a lot at my younger life when I was just like a kid and my mom was an alcoholic and a smoker. I thought that was what was normal. And my dad never worked a nine to five job. And so he was only kinda around during the nighttime, since he left early in the morning. So it's not as big a thing, but it's still impacted me in ways that I didn't really understand at the time. But looking back, it's a lot easier.

Superintendent:
Is it fair to say that the writing made you reflect on who you are and what your experiences have been and how they've influenced you?

Sophia:
Oh, definitely. Like I always tend to play down my problems and like play down my issues like, Oh, well, I don't have it as bad as somebody else. But taking the time to look in at myself, even if it is for an essay purpose, it was very therapeutic. If nothing else, at the end of writing the essay, I felt a lot better about myself and like my problems matter.

Superintendent:
Well, that's a really good result from writing this. I was interested in what you said about bullying yourself. That when you started to reflect on this, you realize that's something that can happen. Tell me a little bit more about what you mean by that.

Sophia:
Well, when I was first introduced to the concept of killing yourself, I was in third, fourth grade around there. I was kind of known as the kid who was down about themselves. I didn't have a ton of friends and I didn't want a ton of friends in my head. I kept telling myself that I was a bad person or something like that. I wasn't deserving of all that I had. And then we had a guest speaker somewhere who introduced the concept to me. And that whole time, it was just staring at my hands, Oh God, that's me. I'm the one who says mean things to myself. And I've still struggled with it up to now, but I've gotten a lot better at stepping outside of myself and saying, Hey, that is not something you'd want to do to anybody else. So why would you do to it to you?

Superintendent:
Okay. You described that reading The Outsiders and relating to The Outsiders made you start to reflect on your own situation. And then you had to use some creativity and some imagination to turn that into a writing project. Can you tell us about the result of that process? What did your writing end up looking like? Was it an essay? Was it the poem? How did that end up?

Sophia:
Well at first I was going to write an essay. I had like a couple paragraphs outlined. And I just didn't like how they sounded. I felt like they were too stiff and really impersonal. And so I was going through it a couple days before the deadline and thought, I don't really like this. And so I worked until around one o'clock in the morning, somewhere around that. And I got inspiration and I ended up writing kind of a poem. I call it a PSA because it's like a couple poem-ish stanzas in an essay format.

Superintendent:
So you created your own genre. You really accomplished even more than I realized.

Sophia:
I don't know if I'd say a whole genre, but a weird amalgamation of Dr. Seuss language and person.

Superintendent:
Okay. After writing this, were you surprised to win this recognition?

Sophia:
Oh, definitely. When I sent it off, it still was just thinking, oh man, that was just a brain piece from when I was super tired at one o'clock in the morning. I sent it off to a couple of my friends to peer review via email. But they just said it was good. I said, Oh, thanks. I've known for awhile that I'm a pretty okay writer. It's how I cope. I'm not a very good communicator in real life. It's been an issue. So I kind of event that into writing. And so I thought, Oh yeah, I'd place around like maybe mid-level ones. I learned that I was a finalist, but I didn't think that I was gonna be a national finalist at all. It's still kind of surreal.

Superintendent:
So how does that feel to be a national finalist?

Sophia:
It is the greatest accomplishment I have ever made in my entire life up to this point. I feel very seen now. I don't know if you've heard of Dear Evan Hansen. I saw the play before it shut down due to coronavirus, but it kind of feels like that in both the good way and the bad way where it's amazing that I have this opportunity to share something so great with other people, but it also is a lot for little Sophia who doesn't talk very well.

Superintendent:
Well, we all have to find our path to connect to the world around us. And it sounds like you have found yours. I'm also impressed that I hear a lot of things you're doing that great writers do. They write when they feel like writing. If it's in the morning, if it's in the evening, they find that time when they can write. They use friends to bounce things off. They're inspired by literature that they read and they connect to real feelings and to who they are. And I think you're doing those things very well. And I'm very impressed at the way you're able to talk about yourself and your own writing.

Sophia:
Thank you very much. Writing is like an extension of the self, so I don't see any reason as to why I should hide anything when it comes to a topic like this.

Superintendent:
I think that's a great way to approach it. Tell me about your your teacher. What is your teacher's name and how did she get you involved in that?

Sophia:
My teacher's name is Megan. And she is the best. I love her so much. She has been a joy to have even for online school. She's been supportive throughout this entire thing. I couldn't have asked for a better English teacher. She isn't afraid to share how she feels and lifts up the people around her with what she does in the classroom. I think she's really cool.

Superintendent:
I was an eighth grade English teacher, so I'm a little bit envious that she gets to still do that. I taught The Outsiders and actually, my last year as an assistant principal at Jordan High School, they let me go up and give an impromptu speech because I was leaving. So I got to speak as well. And I yelled out a line from The Outsiders, "Stay gold pony boy". I've never forgotten that book. I've always loved it. Did you like The Outsiders? Is that partially what got you into writing the essay?

Sophia:
Yeah, I liked it a lot. There were a couple of people in my class who were said it's not as cool as other books they've read, but I don't read a ton outside of school. So it was a cool thing.

Superintendent:
We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, a surprise visit from Sophia's teacher who is making a difference in so many young lives, Megan Dumber joins us.

Break:
I'm Stephen Hall, Director of Jordan Education Foundation. In today's challenging and uncertain times, it is more important than ever before to support one another. Here at the Jordan Education Foundation, we invite you, join us in making sure children are not going hungry. Your $10 donation to the Foundation will help us feed one student for a weekend. When food and meals may be very scarce for some, with food and hygiene supplies in the principal's pantries at Jordan School District being depleted and in higher demand than ever before. Every financial contribution made will help us to keep the pantries filled for students who would otherwise go without. The Jordan Education Foundation exists due to the generosity of people who care about kids. If you would like to donate to help children from going hungry, please visit jordaneducationfoundation.org, or contact the Foundation at (801) 567-8125. Thank you. Together, we can make a difference.

Superintendent:
Sophia was also recognized recently by the Utah State Board of Education for her writing. Her mom was by her side and became emotional as her daughter was recognized. Let's listen in.

"Can I, just as a parent, chime in on the last comment about the teacher. Her teacher has been, sorry, I get a little emotional. It's nice to see teachers who really take time to care about students and see them on a level that not everyone gets to. So it's been a really emotional trip for us to have that great teachers."

Superintendent:
Thank you Megan Dumber, for joining us on the Supercast. Now Megan is Sophia's teacher who helped to get her involved in the contest. Megan, thanks for joining us. Tell us you're an eighth grade English teacher at Fort Herriman Middle School. Is that correct?

Megan:
Yeah, I actually am teaching eighth and ninth grades this year. So I've spent half my day with the eighth graders and half my day with the ninth graders.

Superintendent:
And you don't have to tell us your favorites. I was also an eighth grade English teacher and eighth grade was my absolutely favorite class to teach back in the 1900s. I made friends with some of those eighth grade students and I'm still in contact with them. Even this week I had conversations with a couple of my students back from eighth grade in 1993. So it's quite a ways back and it brings back nice memories to be talking to the two of you, have my chance to in an eighth grade English classroom. And as a student in eighth grade, my eighth grade English teacher was my favorite teacher and remains my favorite teacher of all time.

Megan:
My eighth grade Language Arts teacher is the reason why I'm a teacher. And I'm still in contact with her regularly also.

Superintendent:
That's fantastic.

Megan:
It just makes me so happy.

Superintendent:
Where were you in eighth grade?

Megan:
Where was I? Oh, I was in a suburb of Chicago at Brown Point Middle School.

Superintendent:
Oh yeah. And what's the name of the teacher you stayed in contact with?

Megan:
Oh, that's Miss Jennifer Rossi, Jen Rossi, my Facebook friend. And I will always talk about her anytime I get the opportunity because some middle school teachers have this idea that we're the forgotten ones. Everybody remembers their high school teachers after they've graduated and you know, they feel like they can stay in contact with them, but I just, I refuse to believe that. So I will continue to hang out and talk to my eighth grade Language Arts teacher, even if she's 1300 miles away. And I hope that my students someday will feel the same way. But even if they don't, I'm going to still believe that I'm not forgotten.

Superintendent:
Well, I don't believe you're forgotten at all. And you've obviously had a big positive influence on Sophia and helped move her to enter this contest. Tell us a little bit about Sophia and her writing.

Megan:
Oh gosh. Well, she's amazing. I noticed it right at the beginning of the year and her ability to connect with her emotions and be vulnerable is always something that stands out to me, especially in eighth graders because so many eighth graders are so concerned about fitting in and just not being noticed, just going with the flow, that kind of thing. So any time a student is brave enough to be vulnerable and real and honest with their emotions and connect with themselves on that level and then should be able to go that next step and convey that to other people that takes extreme vulnerability and bravery. I noticed that Sophia was able to do that right off the bat. I have all my students write me a letter at the beginning of the year and they can write about whatever they want. It's just a letter for me to help get to know them. They can be as superficial with them as they want or as deep as they want. And she was just really honest and straightforward, right from the very beginning. I've taught all the way through high school seniors and she writes better than many high schoolers I've taught. So she's very gifted.

Superintendent:
That does not surprise me just talking with her. I can tell how articulate she is and how good she is expressing herself.

Megan:
Absolutely. I almost forgot about that.

Superintendent:
Sorry. It's unpleasant when people talk about you like this, isn't it?

Sophia:
No, no, it's that's right. It's just a little embarrassing, but mom's been doing it a lot this week.

Megan:
Just love to brag about you Sophia.

Superintendent:
Well, you obviously have a big fan in Ms. Dumber. Tell us about how you teach kids to connect to writing and to their emotions and to express themselves.

Megan:
Well, it's hard. It is definitely a challenge, but I think what helps with the Do the Right Thing competition is the way that we lay everything out for students from the beginning. It's a topic that in some communities is much easier to talk about because it's all around them in a very visual way. But in other communities it is more of a hidden issue or something that people don't bring to the forefront initially. And so what I like to start doing with my students every year when the competition rolls around is first, talk about what violence is and have people give examples. I like to do a little creative writing with them right off the bat where we talk about getting a little abstract with it? Like, what does violence taste like? What does it sound like? And having them connect to it on like that really visceral level, I feel like when they're able to do that, then we move into the next step where they start to begin sharing personal experiences, whether it's directly or indirectly or as a witness then they start to be able to put those pieces together and open up a lot more. Most kids, not all, but a lot more than you would expect.

Superintendent:
That makes a lot of sense in the way that you structure things. You can help students discover that they're able to do things that maybe they didn't think they were capable of.

Megan:
Yeah. I also like to just talk about it at the beginning of the year,  why we write, why writers do what they do and not just authors, but anybody who writes. And so one of the things I like to focus on is that it's one way of connecting with others. It's one way of developing empathy. It's one way of making sense of the world around us and processing what we're seeing and experiencing. So I feel that when they understand why we're doing it, they're not so stressed about it. I don't know what I'm going to write because they know the why. And when you know the why, the what becomes a lot easier.

Superintendent:
Sophia, tell us about that. Does that ring true for you?

Sophia:
So much? Sometimes when I'm just walking home from school, I'll go into weird narrator mode and I'll just be like, this guy was his cleaner in his blue his day. And then I think, man, I'm going to go home and write now, It's just everywhere, dude. It plagues my mind.

Superintendent:
Once your teacher gets in your mind with some great ideas, it's hard to get them out. Luckily well,  that's really exciting. And I love Ms. Dumber's description of your letter at the beginning of the year, Sophia, because she's right. I remember, as an eighth grade Language Arts teacher, that I had certain tricks. I used not tricks, but methods and activities to help connect people to their emotions and to help them realize that writing isn't about right or wrong or about grammar as much as it is about expression and connection. And it sounds like that just came naturally for you.

Sophia:
It's an acquired skill, like any other art, in my opinion. My mom has gone on record and we'll say for the end of time that she is a bad writer, and every time she says it, it bugs me to no end because that means that I'm automatically at a higher plane, but it just comes naturally to me. But it's just getting in touch with yourself and then just putting it out there. It doesn't matter if anybody actually reads it at the end of the day. It's you saying how you feel.

Superintendent:
Well said. Ms. Dumber, what do you like most about teaching?

Megan:
Oh my gosh. Well, you're going to make me cry. I love my students. I that's why I do it. I love everything that I miss right now about teaching is like why I love teaching. It's getting to see my students every day and have genuine interactions with them that are candid and unforced. I feel like I have to force so much of my personality when I'm filming to just a camera every day, instead of just being my awkward self in front of them. And I like helping them to know more about who they are.

Superintendent:
Well, it sounds like you're doing a fantastic job of that. And I think it's a very valuable tool, especially as an eighth or ninth grader, to be able to use writing, to be able to connect to your own emotions and to help you reflect on who you are and who you want to be. So Bravo, thank you. Sophia described really well. Even you have some natural talent, it takes work, and it's a skill that you cultivate when, when you want to write. So even if you have a head start and maybe have a natural ability or interest in writing, there are things to do to hone skills, but what can anyone do? Do you have suggestions for parents? If, if their child wants, wants to be a better writer, any ideas or thoughts about how they can do that?

Speaker 5:
One thing I would say is to write something every day. That's something that a lot of writers that I look up to, or that I've studied in my teaching of creative writing and things like that have recommended is just write, just put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard or glass, whatever, and create something every day. It doesn't have to be a novel a day obviously, but you need to be able to build stamina. And that's one of the best ways to do it is to be consistent with your practice, just like, you know, shooting hoops and basketball. If you want to get a better free for, Oh, you have to put in some repetition. So writers need to do the same thing and exercise in that way. And the other thing I would say is to not write with the expectation of someone else, seeing it, you know, I love what Sophia shared about just like being, walking down the sidewalk and having an idea that pops into your head and then wanting to go home and write about it.

Speaker 5:
That's amazing. And if more people did that, then they would be able to have that. Like, you know, when you're just writing in your diary or in a note on your phone, like I do, you have so much freedom, you can write whatever you want and, and no one's going to judge you for it. And so much of what I see when it comes to students who perceive themselves as bad writers or people who just can't write it's, they're paralyzed by the fear of criticism and like the, the negative feedback that they're going to receive. And so they become paralyzed and unable to take that step of actually getting their thoughts out onto the paper or screen. But when you write just for yourself, you don't have to worry about any of that. So I would encourage that type of writing as much as possible.

Superintendent:
I love that. Great advice. Sophia, what advice do you have for aspiring writers or even people who are reluctant and just need to get started?

Sophia:
Well, I'd say try out different like avenues, cause like I don't enjoy informative writing as much, like doing research, like kills my brain cells. I can't do it for more than like an hour, but like writing poems or I wrote a lot of haiku's over seventh grade, summer break and just getting the feelings out there instead of like writing like super precise, analytical essays. So write about what you're passionate about, try out different ways of writing. That would be my advice.

Superintendent:
Great thoughts being through the times we're living through is writing a good source of stress relief and therapy. And do you think there are some people who didn't think they were writers might emerge as writers if they just give it a try in these unusual circumstances?

Speaker 5:
I definitely think it's possible and I've, I've seen it myself over the past few weeks with the assignments that my students have been doing virtually. With April being national poetry month, my students were writing some original poetry as well as analyzing poetry by other poets. And in the process of doing that, I've seen so many writers like pop out of the woodwork and I'm writing them back and comments like, where have you been all year? Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Like it just came it's it's, it's blowing me away. And I think that a lot of that has to do with, they had to sit and think, and they had the time to sit and think because it's hard in a classroom with, you're trying to keep to a schedule and you're trying to keep on pace with your PLC and you don't wanna, you know, lag too far behind in, in planning.

Speaker 5:
And so you feel like you have to put a time limit on how much brainstorming they can do and things like that, which is it pains me, but sometimes it needs to be done. And when they have all this time just to ruminate on their ideas and really think about it, I think you get some amazing, amazing stuff. And I'm trying to figure out now how to put together like an anonymous collection of poetry that my students have turned in about COVID and quarantine, because people write about, like Sophia said, what is happening, what, you know, what they're passionate about, what, what they're feeling. And for so many of our kids right now, it is frustration and disappointment with what's happening and they just want an outlet to be able to talk about that. So I feel really good about what we've been doing at Fort Herriman and in allowing them to express those feelings.

Superintendent:
Sounds fantastic. And I love the discovery of new literary voices. That's wonderful. Sophia, any thoughts on that?

Sophia:
Yeah, it's definitely going to help people. Like, at least that's what I believe is like, it provides that social aspect to like, it feels like you're adding to a pen pal, you know, like even if there isn't like a direct connection, it's still get your feelings out there and you can send it to somebody online. That's what I've been doing a lot with my friend Quinn and we just text each other back and forth and we have like these big, long essays about video games or whatever that we share with each other and been,

Speaker 1:
It's been really fun.

Superintendent:
That's wonderful. Sounds great. I it's interesting. I've I follow a number of authors on Twitter and they've been talking with their fans about which books of theirs they think relate or books that they want to ride or wish they'd written that, that relate to this circumstance. And it really is unique when you're living through it. So Sophia, I'm glad that you're writing. I'm glad you're keeping a journal because I think it will be difficult to recreate after the fact, but being right in it. I think you have a, a prime opportunity and I look forward to reading your future works because I have no doubt I'm going to have the opportunity to do that. So it's been a pleasure talking with both of you and Ms. Domer, keep up the great work with your students. I love your passion and I love your story, that it was an eighth grade teacher that got you to teaching eighth grade. That's my story too. And I always will think fondly of Mr. Evans and Sophia my congratulations on already being so articulate and so connected to yourself. And I wish you only the best for the future. And I look forward to meeting both of you in person

Speaker 1:
One day down the road. Thank you so much. Thank you for joining us on the super couch. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today.

Superintendent:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. On this episode of the Supercast, we honor the graduating class of 2020. We're doing it by sharing powerful words of wisdom. As our graduates look back on a year like no other and looked forward with fierce optimism. We could not be more proud of these resilient, strong and successful young men and women. Listen and be inspired by students delivering their high school graduation speeches. We start with a few words from Bingham High Senior Class President, Carter. Congratulations.

Carter:
Our senior year hasn't turned out how we thought it would, but it definitely will go down in the books as memorable. We have had a one of a kind senior year. If we look on the bright side, we didn't have to wake up for school five days a week. And we were able to spend as much time with our families before heading off and starting our futures. I'm so glad that we got to spend a memorable senior year together and at the greatest school throughout our three years at being here. We have stuck together. As we have dealt with this pandemic. I've seen many ways that we have stood together and helped each other through these hard times. Even though it has been rough, there've been many good moments too. I have watched as our fellow seniors have stepped up and recognized each other on social media. Others have lifted each other spirits with posts about the good times and good memories. When I've considered what we have been through this year, this quote comes to mind. "Dear high school seniors of 2020. You were born when the world was grieving over 911 and you are graduating as the world grieves a pandemic. Although your two biggest launches into freedom, birth and graduation, have taken place in the midst of a tragedy, just know that the world is an amazing, loving, beautiful place. And it is waiting for you with open arms. We grieve with you that your senior year is ending in this way, but we can't wait to see how you overcome. You were made for this." This quote embodies the class of 2020. We were made to do hard things.

Superintendent:
Now we will hear from Copper Hills High. Introduce yourself, please.

Connor:
My name is Connor Haslem, and I'm currently the Senior Class President for the Class of 2020.

Superintendent:
What is the graduation theme for the Class of 2020 at Copper Hills High School?

Connor:
"Seize Your Moment" from Disney's Coco. I just wanted to explore that for a second. From here on out, life will be handing us opportunities and success. And other times we will be facing hardships and failure. Our lives are in our own hands and we will have the chance to become anybody be want to be. If we work hard enough to get there. One of my favorite quotes in the whole world is "Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it'd be easy. They just promised you it would be worth it." There is not a single person in this graduating class that is not destined for greatness. We are hardworking. We are motivated. We are dedicated. Most importantly, we are the future.

Superintendent:
And now Grace, Copper Hills High Valedictorian.

Grace:
Our transition out of high school happened faster for us than it has for any other class. Change is always easier when it's gradual, but this abrupt end made us realize how important this all was while we were in school. Many of us didn't appreciate the time we had. We didn't think about the amazing experiences that wouldn't last forever. We were on rafts, just trying to stay afloat. I would go to class and count down the days until the weekend. I'd constantly reassure my friends that we'd be graduating soon. Now that it's over, I find myself constantly thinking about all the people I met here, all the friends and teachers who undoubtedly changed my life. I'd like to say, thank you to my friends, family, and teachers for your support and all that you've taught me. I am the person I am today because of you.

Superintendent:
Alexander Burgess, Herriman High School.

Alexander:
The last three months have forced us all to learn and teach in new ways. As third quarter midterms hit, we thought we had the end of senior year figured out. We knew how to pass all of our classes with the minimum amount of work necessary. And we were looking forward to a little bit of inaction after four long years of action. Then plans changed and we had to figure out how to graduate without actually being in school. It may have taken us 12 years of learning to get here, but we did it as we go forward. I want to join with my fellow Mustangs as we give a hundred percent to every action we undertake. I wish you all the best. I am excited to see where we will all end up because I know that it will be greater than where we are now.

Our futures have unlimited potential for greatness. We are all going to be able to be the helpers, the activists, the people who are passionate about something in their lives. We are all going to be able to achieve an incredible amount in our lives because we will know that it is only when we take action for what is right. That we are able to change the world for the people around us, live so that even as you face the risks of taking action, you know that the world and future that you are making is one that you are proud of. You are all destined to live a life worth remembering.

Superintendent:
And now part of McKay Nixon's speech from Mountain Ridge High School.

McKay:
So 2020, this is the day we've been waiting for for the past 13 years. And while it's not at all that we expected it to be, we still have a reason to celebrate. I mean, we have officially completed 13 years of schooling. Even more, we survived two and a half months of online schooling which at least for me has been the hardest part of the year. When I realized we would not be able to complete our high school experience in person, I started to think about the events that have led us to where we are today. We, the Class of 2020, were born at a time of national, if not international distress as a world tried to come to terms with what happened on 911. Then a year later in 2002, Salt Lake held the Olympic games and people from all over the world came together once again from this. we also got our beloved Olympic oval where several of us have gone and made memories during a dance day or a fun night with friends and family. In 2005, YouTube was founded and not only has this been a wonderful source of procrastination for us, it's led the world to realize that you can get paid for doing just about anything. In 2008, Barack Obama made history, as less than a century before it would have been fathomable to think a person of color would or even could become the President of the United States. This has taught us to dream big and not listen to anything society tells us. Fast forward to 2012 and the world didn't end, even though the Mayan calendar said it would. From this we learn to live every day as if it were a last. In 2013, the Boston Marathon was bombed. Again, another event that sent America into distress. Then when we were in ninth grade, the political world was a mess. It was 2016 in Clinton and Trump ran for President. Pretty certain all anyone talked about this year was the wall. 2017 brought us worry as this year was deemed a year of disaster, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires seem to be occurring all over the world at an exponential rate, creating a demand for humanitarian aid. Now we graduate over video as a world is again in distress. It's only June in 2020 has already left its mark from the Australia wildfires. Trump's impeachment trial, the death of NBA star, Kobe Bryant, the Olympics being postponed to next summer and American schools moving to online learning. It's safe to say that this year is not at all what we expected. It may even seem unfair. And some of you may even have feelings of anxiety and distress as you wonder what the future holds.

It's true that we don't always have control over the events that happen in our lives, or even the ability to change the past. But every day we have the chance to change what the overall picture of our future looks like. As we move on from high school, whether that be to college, trade school, serving a mission or wherever life takes you, you will have to make the choice every day to either work towards your goals or be stagnant and stay where you are. And it's not going to be easy. But if high school has taught me anything, it's that the best things in life only come after hard work and dedication. That in a few crying sessions, when you just don't understand life, never hurt. To Mountain Ridges first ever graduating class, I wish you the very, very, very best of luck and wherever life takes you, I hope you remember to leave a legacy wherever you go. Like we did this!

Superintendent:
Riverton High School

Jacob:
My name is Jacob Smith, and it has been my honor to serve as Riverton High School, Senior Class President this year. On behalf of the Class of 2020 and the senior class officers, I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the administration, faculty and staff of Riverton High School for all that they have done for us throughout the last three years. They have spent countless hours teaching us, pushing us to succeed and helping us to have a positive, fun, high school experience. Their hard work has truly helped us to grow, both as students and as people. I was hoping to spend the last few months of my senior year doing what I live for, making memories with my friends. Sadly in early March of this year, the efforts to contain a global pandemic required schools to close for the remainder of the school year. Like all of us, I was devastated by this news and I didn't want to believe it.

Many of the aspects of senior year that I was the most excited about, things like prom, watching spring sports and Senior Dinner Dance were gone in the blink of an eye. These were the very moments that I believed I would live for as my senior year drew to a close. Suddenly all the excitement I felt for the future was replaced by fear. All of us have felt afraid or frustration as many of the moments we've dreamed about have been cancelled or postponed. Many of us have experienced even deeper fears as we worry about our parents' jobs and the health of our loved ones. We didn't want to worry about all this. All we wanted to do was look forward to our future and celebrate everything our Riverton family had accomplished during high school. For most of us, the hardest aspect of these circumstances is the feeling that the world is cold and doesn't care about us.

It can feel like when we were just figuring out what we wanted to do with our lives, the world put our plans on ice. We fear a world that is cold and unfeeling because that is not the world we knew at Riverton High School. At Riverton High School, we knew a world where people offered a seat at their lunch table to strangers who looked lonely at Riverton High School. We knew a world where people helped each other with classes. They struggled in at Riverton High School. We knew a world where the entire Riverton family supported each other during games, performances, and concerts. Above all. at Riverton High School, we knew a world where people were devoted to service. As the world struggles with economic and public health crisis, it is up to our generation to solve them. It could be our generation that cures this virus. It could be our generation that injects new life into a struggling economy. It could be our generation that reminds the world about the importance of hope and optimism during uncertain times.

Superintendent:
Haley McCarthy, West Jordan High School.

Haley:
Our senior year feels incomplete and it's not fair. But life is not fair. And who knows that better than us being the first seniors ever to lose the Spirit Bowl? I would end this by saying it's a great day to be a Jaguar. But after this, many of us will become Thunderbirds, Cougars, Trailblazers, and many more. However, once a Jaguar, always a Jaguar Jag. I can't thank you enough for these past three years and for making many memories of me that I will cherish forever. I love you. I'm beyond grateful for you. And I wish you all the best of luck as we go create more firsts in the next stages of our lives.

Superintendent:
Lacy Works, West Jordan High School.

Lacy:
Yes, our year ended early, but as we are sad, we are the hope and the light and the leaders of the future. Not only do we provide hope for the future, but we provide hope for the whole world. Wayne Gretzky said,"You miss a hundred percent of the shots you don't take." I know for me that over these three years, I wish I'd taken more shots where we have our whole lives ahead of us. Chris Diehard wrote a letter to high school seniors, and in this letter he says, "Let's be abundantly clear. You were robbed and it's unfair. If you're upset, then you shouldn't embrace those feelings. Some folks will downplay the situation because they won't know what it's like to have their senior year stripped. At the last moment, I for one will not downplay. It has happened to me." He was robbed due to Hurricane Katrina and we were robbed because of a world pandemic. This won't stop the Class of 2020. We are strong, but stronger together. We are full of light shining brighter together. We will get through this and we'll show the world who we are.

Superintendent:
Next, Katrina Wick, West Jordan High.

Katrina:
Well, I know it's not exactly what we thought the state would look like. I don't think any of us in our craziest dreams have imagined that we would be isolated from one another. And one of the most important days of our young lives. I know it's not what we expected. It would be easy to take the path of disappointment, sadness and maybe even anger. I know I have felt these emotions. I have all thought of the heartache of missing special moments that we could have had, should have had. But we have made the choice to be the light in a time of darkness. We've been loved and supported by our family, friends, administration, and even strangers. We've been checking in on each other, lifting each other up and simply being there for one another. When we come together as a community, we are resilient, strong and brave. We will take disappointment and gain the strength to overcome obstacles in our path. We will take sadness and channel its energy into courage, and we will take anger and turn it into love for one another. We can and will do this and so much more. We will look back on this difficult time and know it helped make us the outstanding individuals that we are.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, Scarlet Hope McCullough, Valley High

Scarlet:
Congratulations Class of 2020. I would like to start off by thanking our administrators and teachers. Without any of you. None of us would be standing here. Now to my family, I would like to thank you for standing by my side when I didn't think I could make it and encouraging me when needed. To my peers, I thank you for being so loving and accepting towards one another, no matter our differences. This is the first step in the journey of our lives. One we've worked hard for, and the hard work did not come easy. But graduation is not the end of our journey. Instead, it's the beginning of our future. The things we have learned here will help pave the way for our future achievements. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. We've all taken the first step towards triumphant success.

Superintendent:
Emily Rhodes, Valley High School

Emily:
Our path in life isn't always a straight one. We might stumble from time to time or even veer off course a little bit. But the important thing is that we pick ourselves back up and get back on our journey. I feel as though this is what all of us students did. We chose to keep fighting by going to this amazing school. Valley High School's graduating Class of 2020 should be known for their resilience, because despite the school having to close down and us students having to continue our education at home, we still fought for ourselves and the privilege to be here today. We should definitely be proud of ourselves for making it this far. But we couldn't have done it without our amazing support systems. I would like to say thank you to all the family members, friends, and everyone else who served as a support system for us. We have the family that we were  fortunate enough to be born into and the family that we find later on in life. And like me, you might be lucky enough to have both. I know that I definitely wouldn't have been able to do this without the support of my immediate family throughout the years. I also couldn't have made it without the family that I chose. Sam, Stacy and Brooklyn. So thank you to both of my families, for all the love, support, wisdom, and advice you have given me. Without all of you, I feel like I'd be in a completely different situation. I would also like to thank all of the faculty and staff here at Valley, for everything you have done to guide us here. You have all made an impact in our lives, one way or another. And it is because of you that Valley feels more like a second home to us rather than just another high school.

Anthony Godfrey:
And here's Kimmy Hanson speaking at the graduation ceremony for South Valley, a school that focuses on early work and independent living skills for middle and high school students with special needs.

Kimmy:
Hi, I'm Kimmy. I like going to South Valley School. We learned a lot on our journey to graduation. We have benefited from the tremendous positive influence of faculty, family, and friends who are cheering you on today. Don't forget to thank them for the help they've given you along the way through your high school years. Particularly this last semester, you have overcome many obstacles, enjoyed wonderful triumphs, and been surprised by the abilities you have found within yourself. May you carry forward what you have learned and continue to achieve great things in your life.

Superintendent:
Thank you for joining us for a special edition of the Supercast, honoring the graduates  of 2020. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today.

And now we leave you with Mandy Pond from Valley high School playing her rendition of "You've Got a Friend in Me".

Superintendent:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today we take you into the world of Harry Potter with potions, wands, dragons, and wizardry. It's all a part of one of the most exciting weeks for third grade students at Black Ridge Elementary School. But this year, due to school dismissal, teachers had to work their magic to make what is called "Fantasy Week" happen in homes with virtual lessons that had students thoroughly engaged and excited about learning. Let's start with third grade teacher, Becky Mariani, who explains what "Fantasy Week" is all about and why Black Ridge wouldn't be the same without it

Superintendent:
Interviewing over zoom, of course, making sure that we are socially distanced and in the background, it really looks like you are a part of the House of Ravenclaw. Tell me how this all works.

Becky:
I actually am a Ravenclaw to the very core of my being, but this is a little bit different every year. In third grade, we studied the different genres of reading and writing. This particular year was a little bit challenging because when we got to fantasy, we have what's called Fantasy Week and we create a school of witchcraft wizardry, and the kids go to magic school for an entire week and they do all their reading and writing and even their math and all of their science is done in the realm of fantasy. So they're divided up into houses, just like they would be at Hogwarts. And then they go to the Black Ridge School for that week.

Superintendent:
So does the hat sort everyone into their house?

Becky:
It does. That's the very first thing that happens when the kids come to school. They go through a sorting ceremony. We put the hat on their head and they get sorted.

Superintendent:
Wow. And is it competitive throughout the week?

Becky:
Yes, we're all vying for house points and this is one of my favorite things about it, because as they're sorted into the four different houses, I will have all four houses in my class and all the other classes will have members of the four houses. So instead of classes competing for points against each other, that's houses competing for points. So if I have four to six Ravenclaw in my room, they may be doing really well, but Ravenclaw in another classroom might be struggling. So they'll balance each other out at the end when we add all the classes and all the points.

Superintendent:
Wow. So there's an element of unity and competition all at the same time.

Becky:
Absolutely.

Superintendent:
That's exciting. I know that competition can be very motivating for students. Do you see a higher level of engagement during Fantasy Week?

Becky:
I would say it about quadruples. They will do just about anything to get those points. And this year was kind of fun. We've been able to do some things online that we couldn't do in the classroom. So they've had a little Claws class point tracker and it's tracked the points every day and they've been able to keep track of the totals and you should see the chats going on. As soon as that, you can tell when the house points have been updated, because the chats just start firing and you see them talking about, we're not here, we're here. So even from home, they're following this.

Superintendent:
So which house seems to be ahead right now?

Becky:
Well, today is the house cup today. Dumbledore is going to present the house cups. So I actually already know who won. Oh, but I can't tell you, not yet because the kids don't know, but when we left off yesterday, RavenClaw won a slight edge over the other houses.

Superintendent:
Wow. And I saw that Dumbledore is in fact quite tall. Who is your Dumbledore?

Becky:
Oh, I have got to tell you about this. There's a family in the neighborhood. Suzanne and Don Johnson. And they help people with decorations and she makes these costumes. So Don is our Dumbledore. He dresses up and he comes in. He actually would present the house this year. He recorded it for us, and then Suzanne is our professor. She teaches class.

Superintendent:
Wow. Well, in the photos, he's very convincing and it's obvious the faculty has leaned into this all the way. Your outfit, the backdrop, I believe you even have a cage in the background with owls in there. Yes. Look at that. The props are really something else. How long have you been doing Fantasy Week?

Becky:
I've been doing it probably going on about eight years now.

Superintendent:
So over the years, do you accumulate more and more accoutrements to recreate the House of Ravenclaw?

Becky:
Well, my oldest daughter moved out and so her entire bedroom is full of these things and she's not allowed to move back because I don't have a place to put them. So the answer to that would be, yes.

Superintendent:
Do people bring you things or give you things because they know that you're Ravenclaw and they find Ravenclaw things to give you.

Becky:
They do. They do. But typically I wouldn't have been just Ravenclaw. If we were here in the classroom, I would have represented all houses, but because it was different this year, we decided ahead on house. So I've got everything else.

Superintendent:
So you're the head of the house. But normally you would represent all the houses throughout the week.

Becky:
Because I wouldn't want one house feeling like they were favored.

Superintendent:
Sure, sure. When they're all blended into your classroom, what normally happens during Fantasy Week? If we were not on a dismissal, what are some of the things that you would be doing that you haven't been able to do?

Becky:
Well, there's quite a few. We would have a Charms Class where they learn to use their magic wand and due to the beautiful remote candle situation that you can buy, we can actually teach them spells that make the candles go on and off. We can teach them the spell that makes water shoot, because if you've ever gotten one of those little syringes and really pushed it, you can shoot water about 30 feet across the room. If you really want to, we can get the spell. I've got a little one that shoots fire. So there's a lot of things like that we can do live that you just can't recreate online.

Superintendent:
Wow. That sounds fantastic.

Becky:
We can't play Quidditch.

Superintendent:
Quidditch? Tell me how does Quidditch work?

Becky:
Okay. Quidditch. You get to classes in the gym and they have a broom. If you do anything and you're not on your broomstick, it doesn't count. So their broomstick is a pool noodle and they have to be on the broomstick all the time. The basketball has hula hoops hanging from it, and they're worth different points depending on how low they are. And then, of course, you've got kids with foam bats, whacking foam balls at other kids, as they're running around, trying to shoot baskets into the hoops, but the game doesn't end until that one seeker catches the bouncy rubber yellow ball. That's the snitch that's floating around. So Quidditch is huge.

Superintendent:
It sounds absolutely awesome and unforgettable.

Becky:
I think we're going to invite next year's class back to play with us and have a first and second year tournament since they weren't able to do it this year.

Superintendent:
That's a great idea. I'm sure it was a big disappointment to the kids that they weren't able to be part of the tournament I would imagine. What are some of the things that you've done to adapt to online learning and to move Fantasy Week online?

Becky:
Certainly, making the recordings has been a big one. We've done a lot of recording of the lessons. That's one thing we've done, but I was talking a little bit about her biology, where we get to do plants and we study plants. And so normally we would bring them into the classroom and we would study these magical plants and write about them. It's all about writing the fantasy. So this time we got to send them out into the world and they got to go out and look for plants that they found were interesting and write about them and create magical stories about the plants and the actual world. So that was a big thing.

Superintendent:
It's a great time to get them out into their world a little bit, get them outside and discovering some things.

Becky:
Yes. In fact, there was another one we were able to do differently. We do a dragon hatching. It's all about writing fantasy. So on one day they get this dragon egg and they have to learn to take care of it. Then we were able to have them sit for 24 hours. So depending on the color of the egg, they had to find a certain condition spot. Some had to be outside, some had to be in a completely green place. Some would only hatch if they kept them in a very dark place. And so we were able to utilize them, having to take their eggs outside into the world, to get them to hatch where we couldn't do that here in the classroom either.

Superintendent:
Sure. Wow. That's incredible. There's no detail you haven't thought of in making this a full interactive experience. How did all of this start? How did Fantasy Week begin?

Becky:
Well, there is a teacher and I need to credit her. Her name is Reagan Faye. She works down in the Washington District right now. She was trying to get her kids engaged in the different genre. They didn't seem to care about what genre they were reading. They were missing that question a lot on test. What genre is this? We don't know. So we started finding different ways to introduce the genres. And this is hers. She happened to be a Harry Potter fan. So it started with one day as Fantasy Day. And then, it grew into a couple of days and now it is Fantasy Week. And next year we're talking that we will probably have to expand a couple of days to catch the tracks. It started with her.

Superintendent:
Immersive and that's the best kind of learning. And I have no doubt that it's unforgettable for the kids that get to be part of it. And I absolutely will be there next year to witness Fantasy Week myself. I can't wait to see a good game of Quidditch in person. That's fantastic. What are some of the feedback that you get from students about this event?

Becky:
Less this year because they're not right here in front of me, but if it's a good tale at all, when we went online with school and it started to look like we wouldn't be coming back, the single biggest question I got from parents and kids, what's going to happen to Fantasy Week because they know when you hit third grade, it's part of your third grade experience. So they didn't really ask about grades or how we were going to manage that. They did want to know how are we going to do Fantasy Week.

Superintendent:
It's kind of a rite of passage. I'm a third grader so I did Fantasy Week.

Becky:
It absolutely is. The feedback is just across the board positive. I think because it's so writing intensive this year at home, the kids have struggled with the writing a little bit. We're not there to help them with the writing. One of the hardest things to do from home has been writing. But beyond that, boy they've been engaged and active and just doing their best.

Superintendent:
It sounds as if the Fantasy Week activities just combined very nicely with what they need to be working on. Anyway, math, science, writing, reading.

Becky:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
And it's very imaginative and creative and engaging. So bravo, congratulations. This is fantastic. Is that your phone?

Becky:
It is. And I probably should have turned that down a long time ago. I'm sorry.

Superintendent:
No, it's okay. I figured it was probably me again.

Becky:
No, that's Professor McGonagall. Oh, okay.That's my online school. Sounds like your phone and your computer is dinging constantly.

Superintendent:
It's obvious to me, how much you care about the kids that you teach. You've been working really hard to make things work for them still amidst all of this. Your Fantasy Week is really amazing. It's really something. And for you to continue to do that and to go to all this work on top of all the extra work you're doing is just remarkable. So congratulations to you and the whole team. I love it. I honestly cannot wait to be there next year and see it in person. Anything else you'd like to tell us about Fantasy Week?

Becky:
Well, I can't say too much about the house cup because that's going to be awarded in about 30 minutes. So I'm guessing most of third grade will be online waiting for that one for sure. I just wanted to take a minute to mention that. I don't know if you see the pictures, the kids are all wearing a school uniform performance were donated by one of our families here at the class, in the school through Utah Tax Specialists. So he actually donated the shirts for Fantasy Week this year. And I wanted to be sure and mention how much we appreciate that and just what a great thing. The community has really come together and helped us out and been there. And there hasn't been anybody that said, no, we can't do that. Or we won't do that. It's more been, let's find a way to do that. And my team as well has jumped on the crazy train with me and said, yes, let's do this.

Superintendent:
Well. Like I said, this is exactly the type of learning we like to see. Its teachers pulled together and unified. It's students competitive and unique and engaged in unified, but it pulls in parents and the community in ways that you just can't replicate. So that's fantastic. I'm so excited for you and good luck to each house and be the best.

Becky:
Thank you so much. Stay with us. We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we'll stop by Professor Jamie Watkins' virtual classroom, to talk with some of her Harry Potter in person and hear about the potions they've created to deal with COVID-19.

Break:
Do you want to know what's going on in Jordan School District? Get updates on the latest information that could impact you and your child, or just find an uplifting story about the good things happening in schools throughout the district. Check out our website at jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Let's connect at Jordan District.

Superintendent:
Professor Watkins. It's nice to be in the great hall with you.

Professor Watkins:
Yes, you too. Thank you.

Superintendent:
I see you have platform 9 3/4 behind you there.

Professor:
Yes.

Superintendent:
That's a really impressive on location. Nicely done. And these third graders, tell me about the project they've been doing.

Professor:
So it's a Green Gotch track and they were assigned this track on Wednesday. And basically we just told them to use cardboard materials, tape, and paper, and then they were to come up with a track. The goal was to be the longest working track. That is, and as you can see, they've used a lot of different household materials and their creativity. And so far, we've had all successes. I've noticed that those marbles roll exactly where they're supposed to. Yeah, they're doing great. Mason, can you tell me what house are you in? Mason.

Mason:
Slytherin.

Professor:
You have a bit of a Slytherin luck. Let me see. You've got a little Malfoy going on. I think I see. Do you have a slitter and flag behind you there? Mason?

Mason:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
That's great. Nice job. What do you like most about Fantasy Week Mason?

Mason:
You get to use your creativity.

Superintendent:
What are some of the things you've done creatively this week?

Mason:
The spells.

Superintendent:
What did you do with spells?

Mason:
Practice on my sister.

Superintendent:
Practice on your sister. Wow. What did you turn her into?

Mason:
Aa toad.

Superintendent:
Wow. Wow. Have you turned her back yet or have you decided you liked her better as a toad?

Mason:
Better as a toad.

Superintendent:
Okay. Well fair enough. As long as your parents allow that, I guess you can do that as long as they'll let you. Is she your older sister or younger sister? Okay. Well that seems about right.

Professor:
So all of those students were assigned potions classes and they made potions. But at one point that they were able to make their own potion, using their own creativity.

Superintendent:
Oh. So tell me about your own personal potion.

Professor:
Hey, your potions book. You need to open up the big dusty, old one that I'm sure you have in the kitchen where it's written in. It turns you into whatever creature you desire.

Superintendent:
Oh. So the person who takes the potion gets some choice in the matter. And what did you use to make your potion? Can you share that with us or is that more of a secret? What ingredients are in your potion?

Professor:
Mason, do you want to hold it up and show us seven dragon tea, the men to breath, three eyes of a toad, feather of a Phoenix.

Superintendent:
Can you get those on Amazon or where do you go to get those?

Professor:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Oh, of course. Of course my mistake.

Professor:
Hold up your potion again. It's delicious.

Superintendent:
Did you try it?

Mason:
No, I have like 10 more days until I can. First years are not allowed to drink potions.

Superintendent:
I see. So if you were to have some Mason, what animal would you want to turn yourself into?

Mason:
A cobra snake.

Superintendent:
A cobra. Wow. Watch out for those mongooses. Okay. All right. Well thank you Mason.  David, can I ask you a question? What house are you in, David?

Superintendent:
You're in Slytherin. What do you like about Fantasy Week?

David:
That it's Potter for any fan to see. We get to do magic and coaching..

Superintendent:
Sophia, what do you like most about Fantasy Week?

Sophia:
That I get to be with my teacher and my classmates.

Professor:
Sophia joined our class while we were off track. And so we have never got to actually meet face to face.

Superintendent:
Oh, wow. Well, Sophia I'll bet everyone's looking forward to meeting you too. Professor Watkins, what do you like most about Fantasy Week?

Professor:
I like actually the night before we released all of our lessons, it felt like Christmas Eve. It was so exciting. And I couldn't wait to see how excited they would be when they received their wizard kits and all the pictures they've been sending in. It's just been so magical and I just enjoy the magic part of it. I liked the owl pellet. It was fun.

Superintendent:
Tell me about the owl pellet, Sophia

Sophia:
Seven jars. And I just liked it because my snip ones.

Superintendent:
For skulls. Who's that?

Sophia:
An eight. Josh, Mason.

Superintendent:
Oh, Mason. Tell me that again. Mason,

Mason:
Mine had four heads and eight jaws, six heads and jaws. David, yours had six heads and five jaws. Nine had like mine had like two mice. So like two bodies of medicine. Really? You have to get yours.

Superintendent:
Two heads.

Superintendent:
Sophia. What do you like most about Fantasy Week?

Sophia:
I liked making potions. I like making pygmy puff again, sweetie. It picked me.

Superintendent:
Puff.

Sophia:
It's a little creature that can't survive on its own. So we adopt.

Superintendent:
And what's its name?

Sophia:
Cutaway Cuddly.

Superintendent:
That's a good name. It looks like it lives up to its name. Joe, what do you like most about Fantasy Week?

Joe:
I liked the potions.

Superintendent:
What potion did you make?

Joe:
I made a cure potion for all sicknesses or diseases.

Superintendent:
Wow. That's good timing. This is exactly the time we need to cure all potion. Great job. Ricky, Joe, David, you have your hand up. Tell me about your potion.

David:
As four or five rocks mermaids here. It can make a clone of you.

Superintendent:
Like you just drink it and you sit down next to you. Is the clone the one that you would make clear the table and load the dishwasher?

David:
Yes. Not just those that also clean the dishes for me because I always have to clean in my sister. My son would do my sister's dishes.

Superintendent:
Oh wow. So your clone would do all of the dirty work. Is that what you're saying?

David:
Also do my home only when it's bad homework, not good homework.

Superintendent:
Like making potions. You guys have some great ideas and some great potions. I love it. Sophia, tell me about your potion.

Sophia:
It's called Bye-COVID.

Superintendent:
It's called Bye-COVID.

Sophia:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
So we'll get rid of COVID. Right? That's very practical and creative. Thank you for sharing this with me. I have not talked with any students that had such great potions before, so thanks you guys. Great job. Thank you.

Thank you, Professor Watkins for all the extra work you're doing to make this happen. When you already had lots of extra work, trying to teach online. So thank you. This is fabulous. I can understand why it felt like Christmas Eve when you were waiting to give the kids this experience the next morning. This is fantastic. And like I told Professor Marianne, I cannot wait to see this next year.

Professor Watkins:
Yes. Yes it is. It is phenomenal. She is definitely the brain behind all of this.

Superintendent:
Well, thanks again for spending time with me. Thank you so much. We're going to take one more quick break before we wrap things up with Black Ridge Elementary school principal, David Butler.

I'm Steven Hall, Director of Jordan Education Foundation. In today's challenging and uncertain times, it is more important than ever before to support one another. Here at the Jordan Education fFoundation, we invite you to join us in making sure children are not going hungry. Your $10 donation to the Foundation will help us feed one student for a weekend. When food and meals may be very scarce for some, with food and hygiene supplies and the Principal's Pantries at Jordan School District being depleted and in higher demand than ever before. Every financial contribution made will help us to keep the pantries filled for students who would otherwise go without. The Jordan Education Foundation exists due to the generosity of people who care about kids. If you would like to donate to help children from going hungry, please visit Jordan Education Foundation.org, or contact the Foundation at (801) 567-8125. Thank you together. We can make a difference.

Superintendent:
We're here with David Butler, Principal at Black Ridge Elementary school to talk about Fantasy Week. How are you this morning?

David:
I'm doing great. How are you?

Superintendent:
I'm doing great. So this is Mr. Butler's first year at Black Ridge and so he has experienced Fantasy Week for the first time as principal. Unfortunately he has experienced it only online, but exciting things have happened this year. What was your first impression of Fantasy Week?

David:
You know, I have heard about Fantasy Week from the day that I got here at Black Ridge and all of the kids really look forward to it. And when we went out of school due to COVID-19, the teachers were especially concerned that their kids got to participate in Fantasy Week. Seeing what they've done online has just been an inspiring experience. It's just blown me away.

Superintendent:
Tell me about some of the things that have particularly impressed you that have been happening online to continue the Fantasy Week tradition.

David:
From what I understand in the past, they've decorated their classrooms and it really brought a full experience to the kids. And so this year they really felt like with school being out, they needed to bring that experience online. And so we had a couple of parents decorate their whole basement and they filmed videos and dressed up like Dumbledore and all the vendor and Professor McGonagall, even sorted the kids using a sorting hat and made these videos that the kids participated in, learning at home but felt very immersed in what was happening.

Superintendent:
That's amazing. It's a great example of families and the community diving in and being connected to the school and what's going on there.

David:
Yeah, they even had another parent donate their student uniforms and the kids all got a t-shirt that they had to color the color of their ties. Anyway,  it was great to see everybody pitch in and help. I know that man's name was Bill Koehler. We appreciate him from Legacy Accounting, he donated the uniforms.

Superintendent:
That's fantastic. What is your role as principal in all of Fantasy Week?

Speaker 5:
You know, as the principal this year, I kind of watched. I know they had told me that I would be dressing up like Dumbledore and going into each of the classrooms, but where they did everything online, the parents really stepped up and did all of the videos and everything that way. And so I have kind of just overseeing and watched in awe as the teachers and the parents have been involved and made this happen.

Superintendent:
Do you have your Hagrid costume ordered for next year?

David:
You know, I actually have been thinking about which one I'm going to order, so we will be ready. I'm leaning towards Old geez. What's his name?

Superintendent:
Hagrid with the kind of a cool costume. I can see you pulling off a Hagrid and I think that would be good. What what do you have next to you there? You've got the house cup you have there? This large goal?

David:
Yes, this is the house cup. And every year we put the winners and this year Hufflepuff won a cup. It started in 2016 at Black Ridge and you can see here that Hufflepuff is the winner. The teachers love this because it helps the kids be part of something that's bigger than just themselves and even their classroom. And they felt like they needed that more this year than any other year due to being out of school.

Superintendent:
It really is admirable, the effort that's gone into this. Teachers are already working so hard, doing so much extra. Parents are under stress and for everyone to chip in and go above and beyond to make sure this happens no matter what and happens with style is really inspiring.

David:
Yeah. I agree.

Superintendent:
Anyone who isn't familiar with Fantasy Week might just think that it's all fun and games and the learning stops during this week, but that's not true, is it?

David:
No. They integrate all of the curriculum into these activities. I know that the students do science and math and a lot of writing. In fact, they do a research project. One of the writing assignments, for example, is on a dragon egg that had hatched and they had to come up with their story, a narrative story on that. They have watched and done these potions. And I think one of the students' favorite activities was  "do-it-yourself-potion", where they came up with what they wanted to put in a potion. One of them actually delivered one to the school and it was really quite gross. It was a caterpillar in honey and he would give it to our secretaries.

Superintendent:
And what did he tell you that caterpillar in honey would do? What was that potion's power?

David:
I actually didn't get the backstory on that. The secretary just brought it in and said, "Oh my gosh, what do I do with this?"

Superintendent:
Well, as I spoke with students earlier. Some of them claim to have cured Coronavirus with their potion, which I thought was pretty awesome. It was really impressive to talk with the students and teachers earlier. What have you seen from teachers that has surprised you through Fantasy Week?

David:
You know, just their sheer dedication. You know, they've decorated little parts of their classrooms to make their own videos. They've worked with parents to make sure the videos are just stellar. They've obviously gone above and beyond because they love their students and care about them so much. That's what's been inspiring to me. We just have some amazing third grade teachers that are willing to stop at nothing to make sure that these kids have this experience

Superintendent:
Being new to the school, were you surprised at how the community came together to make sure that Fantasy Week happened no matter what?

David:
Yes, I was. I was blown away to be honest. There were two parents I really feel like we need to mention. It's Don and Suzanne Johnson. Don and Suzanne Johnson just stopped at nothing. You know, Don dressed up like Dumbledore and was out front at the school when all of the kids came to pick up their items. He also dressed up like all Vander and taught them how to use their wands. At one school, Susan Johnson dressed up like professor McGonigal and did the sorting hat. She was also here when the kids picked up their wands and their potions and their uniforms and everything else that got sent home with them. And so we really appreciate Don and Suzanne as well. Great, great parents.

Superintendent:
What are some of the reactions you've heard from the kids to Fantasy Week and how it's gone?

David:
You know, the kids have been just totally excited.  I've been surprised at how many emails I've received from parents stating that their kids are telling them to send me pictures. And it's really fun to see the pictures that have been sent. It shows the kids sitting in front of their computers with their teacher on the screen, dressed up and they're doing potions and learning how to use their wands. It's just inspiring to see.

Superintendent:
It sounds like the learning and the experience is completely immersive.

David:
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

Superintendent:
All right. Well, thanks a lot for the time, Dave. We really appreciate it.

David:
Not a problem.

Superintendent:
I can't wait to come next year. I'll be there for sure. Okay. Awesome. Thanks Dave.

David:
Thanks.

Superintendent:
We'll see you on the Hogwarts Express this fall, but in the meantime, remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see out there.

Superintendent:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today we hear the inspiring story of one Jordan School District educator, who says her passion for teaching has actually grown during these unprecedented times. Rae Boren is an American Sign lLanguage teacher at Copper Hills High School. And she was recently recognized as an Outstanding Educator of the Year for Jordan School District. We'll visit her ASL virtual classroom. But first let's hear from Rae Boren, someone whose enthusiasm for the job during distance learning is keeping students engaged and finding success. Right. Thanks for coming on the Supercast.

Rae:
Oh my goodness, Superintendent Godfrey. I'm honored to be here with you today. Thank you for having me on the podcast.

Superintendent:
Well, it's my pleasure to have you today. Rae is one of the teachers who was honored by the Jordan Education Foundation. We did that by Zoom meetings and she's one of our very few teachers of the year. And it's really exciting to get to talk with you. Our Zoom meeting was so fun. You had all kinds of fans on that zoom meeting, faculty members, students. They love you atCopper Hills. That's for sure.

Rae:
Well, I feel very blessed. I have surrounded myself with really good people. And I feel very blessed to be there. I've been there my entire duration that I've been teaching and it really is a home for me there. I have my own little corner, my own little home. And like I said, I'm surrounded by amazing Grizzlies there.

Superintendent:
Being surrounded by good people is the only way I survive. And it's the only way to fly. So tell us about your role at Copper Hills. How long have you taught here? You've taught here your whole career?

Rae:
Yes I have. This is my 20th year at Copper Hills High School. And I have done a few different positions over the years, but I have consistently been one of the American Sign Language teachers there. And I'm a part of the World Language Department there, and this year I actually took on a new role. I also have had the opportunity to mentor our new first-year teachers this year. And that has helped me grow immensely, as well to having the opportunity to work with our teachers coming right fresh out of college and into the teaching field. So that's been a new position for me this year.

Superintendent:
Wha have you learned working with our newest teachers?

Rae:
First off, they come in with such passion and with such desire. They're ready to just delve in. They're ready to make their impact, make a mark. And I love seeing their enthusiasm to be open to feedback. I think sometimes as we progress, we get a little bit more like I've got this down. And I love that our new teachers are just so open to feedback and open to collaborating. That helps me as an educator just to see their openness and that mindset, and being able to collaborate with people with different content areas. I think you could always come away with new strategies and it's been phenomenal working with them.

Superintendent:
That's exciting. You put off a lot of energy and passion yourself, and so I'm sure that you're a great match with all those new teachers. Tell me, what is it that makes you so passionate about teaching?

Rae:
I think I finally have narrowed it down that I love to see growth. It fulfills me in a way that a lot of other things don't, and so seeing growth in my students, seeing growth in my new teachers, seeing growth in myself because as an educator, you have the opportunity to continually grow and this pandemic has most assuredly provided that opportunity. And so I think it's that growth that just fuels me.

Superintendent:
You've really hit it on the head. It is so exciting when you see the growth in the people that you're working with and the students that you're teaching. And when you feel it in yourself, as you interact with the people around you, and I think that's a very good description of what makes teaching so great. Now you talked about how much more we're learning as a result of the pandemic and having the soft closure. I don't think there's much that is soft about it. It's been pretty hard and a lot of work I know the teachers have had to do. What have you learned through that and how are you adapting?

Rae:
It has been an incredible time for adaptation and creativity. I think my class was very interactive and they interact with the language and I'd observed them while they're interacting or I'm up there using the language and they're watching me. It was so, so, so interactive. And so to have to go to this online format and to creatively problem solve, how are we still going to be interactive until they develop language skills you have to interact. Right? And so I think creatively finding ways to have discussions in Canvas and to do the live tutoring. So it's just being creative with using Canvas, new technologies, using Screen-castify, figuring out how can I still connect with these kids. How can I help them feel like I am there? I know I'm not in the room with them, but I'm here.

And I think it's something that I really have tried to do, because I know that it has been a time of crisis for everybody in so many ways. It impacts everybody differently. And my high school kids, I know, I have some that are watching their siblings as their parents are both trying to work from home, trying to manage that. I can't imagine. I think that they are managing some heavy, heavy loads. And so I think my principal has said, please teachers, just keep assuming positive intent. Please show them the flexibility and accommodations that you would like shown to you. And so I think that's always a good measure for us, right?  How would I want to be treated in this situation?  We know our own story. We know our own, this is hard or this is my roadblock. But we don't always know everybody else's backstory and where they are. And so I think just that has been a big part of my going to online too. Just remembering, I don't know what their household looks like right now. I don't know what they're encountering, the roadblocks and the setbacks. Just trying to help them still feel that there is somebody who cares for them. I think it's been something that I've tried to do.

Superintendent:
Well, I have no doubt that your students know how much you care about them.  That much is obvious, right? And you state very well that what we need more than anything is just empathy and connection. We need to understand that everyone is having a different experience through this. And there's no way of really knowing that. And we're all going through the same thing, but we're all experiencing something different based on our circumstances. And I'm just really glad that our students have you to connect with.

Rae:
Oh, thank you Superintendent. And I can assure you, like I said, I know who I work with. And there are so many amazing educators out there that I know are doing their very best to find ways to connect and just still help these kids feel like there is more learning going on. I think that's important as well because we know when someone learns their confidence increases and it helps them with that resiliency piece too. They feel like I'm resilient, I'm getting through this, I'm learning. I just submitted a really great short story for ASL that's just going to help them feel like now I can move on to my math or now I can move on to my science and  we grow line upon line.

Superintendent:
I think you stated that very well. There's a momentum that comes from learning. You learn, you gain confidence. The next thing becomes easier to learn because you believe that you can learn it because you learn the last thing and it just keeps growing. That relationship you have with students builds because their confidence is connected to their experiences with you.

Rae:
Yes. I think you're right. I think we all do that as humans. We look back, we'll have, certain mile markers in our life where we look back and think, oh, I did this. I ran that marathon. I got through, whatever it is. And you can always go back to that and think that was so hard for me. But I know because of that, I can do those hard things. And so I think you're right. It builds for us and it helps us see, I can keep thriving. I can overcome.

Superintendent:
And you forget to look back and give ourselves credit for how far we've come. I'll bet your first year teachers, when they get to the spring, you will remember when you had trouble even doing this and look how far you've come. So true. One of the compliments that I heard about you is the low turnover rate now at Copper Hills, because you work with so many teachers so closely, they all want to stay. It doesn't surprise me.

Rae:
I cannot take credit for that. I mean,  there's so many good people that are very good.

Superintendent:
I know you're at the heart of that. And that's a wonderful thing. I love the way you describe a teacher learning right alongside with the students under these circumstances. And I don't think we can underestimate how powerful that is because it puts all of us in the mode of being a learner. And I think when we remember how to be a learner that makes us an even better teacher and even better educator and even better person, because we have more empathy for what people are trying to accomplish.

Rae:
Absolutely, 100%, right. When we're in that learning mode, I think we are more compassionate. And I think that through this pandemic, because we were all just put in this crisis moment together, I think I've noticed that people are just so appreciative of effort as well. Even my students, even though I might have put something in canvas not quite correctly, I'll have a student maybe shoot me a message and then we're able to work through it. And I just see such an appreciation for effort. And I think that has been maybe the bottom line through all of this is. Kids can see that. Hopefully we can see that.

Superintendent:
Even as we're required to stay apart, having to do that has brought us together and has brought greater focus to the work we do and strengthened relationships.

Rae:
Yes. And then when we get to see each other again, isn't there just so much more appreciation. We always go a summer without seeing some of our colleagues, but I don't know it has really renewed appreciation just for seeing people and to having that real interpersonal interaction. I think it's given us a renewed appreciation.

Superintendent:
Well said,. I think it'll be a long time before the appreciation wears off because we've just missed people so much. And by the time we get back in a classroom with kids, whenever that is, it'll be the longest time they have been out of the classroom since anyone started. So it's a long, dry spell to get through, but we're making it, like you said.

We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we'll hear from Rae Boren's American Sign Language students. How are they doing with distance learning, stay with us.

Break:
Do you want to know what's going on in Jordan School District, get updates on the latest information that could impact you and your child, or just find an uplifting story about the good things happening in schools throughout the district? Check out our website at jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Let's connect at Jordan District.

Superintendent:
Now let's head inside Rae Boren's ASL classroom, and talk to some students.

Rae:
It's a privilege and honor to have you join our class today. It's mostly ASL one students. And then this morning I had a level three class and there were a couple that said they would join as well because they knew they could be part of a podcast, and it could be super fun. So there's a couple of level three kids here.

Superintendent:
So ASL one, do you have students from all three grades in that class? Sophomores, juniors and seniors?

Rae:
Yes. Predominantly though sophomores and juniors.

Superintendent:
As Ms. Boren has told you, I'm the Superintendent. I started in July and this is quite a first year for me. I have had a snow day and earthquake day and a school closure for a third of the year. So I'm really figuring things out. So you sophomores for whom this is your first year of high school, we're in the same boat. So I guess I would ask seniors first from ASL one or three. Are there any seniors? I'd love to hear from seniors about how you're feeling, the fact that one Friday was your last day of school and Monday you realized you weren't going back. How are you feeling? How are things going? How are you coping with that?

Student:
I was just kind of thinking about that earlier today. And it just honestly kind of makes me really sad about not ever being able to go back to high school and seniors are forced to grow up faster than we'd like to, because we thought we had a couple months left of school and of childhood, but who has this much attention? The Class of 2020 has all the attention on them. And I think that's kind of interesting because everyone feels so bad for us. I just think it's just really interesting.

Superintendent:
Thank you, Karen, who else has some thoughts about being a senior in this school closure?

Student:
For me, it didn't feel real until Governor Herbert said we weren't going back for the rest of the year. We'd been out for a week or two. It was weird that I had kind of had the hope that we were going back. But then when it happened, when Governor Herbert confirmed that we weren't going back, it hit like a ton of bricks. Like it's hard. I'm weird. I do really enjoy school. I like going and see my friends and teachers.

Superintendent:
What you described is how I felt too when the Governor announced that. It's not as if I didn't believe that was a distinct possibility and we hadn't been thinking about it. We had, but when he announced it, well, here we go. Things have changed. And what you said about it, going right out of childhood to adulthood, you miss that milestone that you got to look forward to.

Rae:
This class was live and we had about 50 plus kids on when the Governor made his announcement. Kara, I believe you were in here? You were only one here. Okay. You heard the announcement before I did, because I was facilitating the class. And she got on and shared that with our class. Like I said, it was a Wednesday, it was live here. And the chat thread that this Google Meet has that on the side bar. Oh my goodness. Just reading those comments was tugging at our heartstrings, seeing these kids, we were going through the emotions of it together because we were finding it out in the moment. Kara is actually here now who shared that with us. Tell us about that.

Student:
It was my dad who was listening to the Governor and his meeting. And he comes out and all my sisters were here at the table and I'm here in class. We're all enjoying ourselves. My dad comes out and he says, "You guys, aren't going back to school." And it was kind of weird to hear, I guess. And so I thought, well, I have the opportunity to tell these people, so let's just get this around now. Let's see how they feel about it. It was kinda weird to just hear it in that moment

Superintendent:
To be on a virtual class when that happened would have been particularly hard. Any other thoughts about what do you miss about school?

Student:
I think for me just to put it simply, it's the structure that it brought. I mean, I'd plan my days, my weeks, my life based around this, like the school schedule and what was going on. And so I think as soon as that was taken away, I kind of didn't know where to go from there. I mean, I feel like I'm all over the place. You never know what time it is, what day it is, but I think it all kind of just worked together. But really, as soon as it was taken away, I thought, okay, well I need to set a schedule because that whole structure was just gone. It was really quick to go away. But I think as time goes on, I've gotten more used to it.

Superintendent:
Yeah. You make a really good point about the time and the structure you get used to that routine and that rhythm. That's exactly right.

Student:
A place to be. I knew where I was going everyday. I know at the beginning of every day I'd go to miss Boren's room and just hang out and chill. I just really miss being with people and being used to talking to other people and seeing what's going to happen in their day, as well as mine.

Rae:
I miss that too. I really miss that.  Just seeing you guys and even having our casual, startup every day. Even though we've tried to do these online classes and we make videos for each other, it's some of those casual moments that we haven't had as frequently. I agree.

Superintendent:
That's a really good way of putting it. It's the moments. And I find that with meetings too. You know, normally there's the meeting after the meeting where you kind of linger after. Same thing with class, you know, you kind of have those chances to interact and make those connections and you don't don't get that chance.

I shared this analogy of my boys . We went hiking a couple of weeks ago and we saw a snake and as we see the snake, we could tell it was a harmless snake, right in front of our path. We're like, okay, it's harmless. We're just going to keep going. Well, then we go a little further on and there's a lady stopped on the trail because guess what she saw and heard sounded like a sprinkler, almost a rattlesnake. And we thought, Oh, we just saw a snake. Is it really a rattlesnake? And then sure enough, we looked and it's definitely a rattlesnake. And that tail is just like back off everybody, back off. And so we were just like, Whoa, okay, what are we gonna do? What are we gonna, okay, we're just going to wait it out a minute.

And there were other hikers that came up and they decided to turn around understandably, right. Everybody handled their journey individually and some opted to turn around. And I'm with two boys that are not going to hear of turning around. They were just like, no. And so we waited for a little while and the snake moved a little bit, and then we were able to get up. And some of our views that we saw were just stunning and amazing the view of these wild flowers, incredible that I wouldn't have had had if I hadn't pushed through that obstacle.

And so I've thought how it is kind of parallel to this COVID experience, how we have had some major roadblocks, major. You guys have pushed through some really hard stuff. You've pushed through trying to figure out your own structuring. You've pushed through trying to figure out, where's this online chat thing and how do I submit my Canvas videos and all of these things that you guys pushed through. You pushed through some major roadblocks. And so I hope now, like for me as a teacher, as I'm getting some of these final projects turned in, those are my views. Because you have persevered and you have found ways to continue to learn and continue to show growth. I think that's phenomenal. I can't say enough about how proud I am of you guys for persevering.

And I always have to keep one eye on the rattlesnake, but it's really important to remember the vistas. That's a great way of putting it. How do teachers like Ms. Boren help you stay connected to learning and feel connected with each other?

Student
She does discussion posts where we have to post a video of our assignment and then another classmate comments and everything. So we're still able to like see them and watch the video and like comment on their assignments and kind of have a little bit of interaction with them. And Ms. Boren is very good at spacing the assignments out so we're not too overwhelmed with everything, where some other teachers do that.

Superintendent:
I love that. So things are structured, but there's enough opportunity for you to express yourself and there's flexibility.

Student:
She is 24/7 willing to help you. And you just go at your own pace. And so that's been really nice.

Superintendent:
In a way, has there been some extra individual interaction that you haven't been able to have otherwise?

Student:
Certainly with like teachers and even with yourself, you've learned a lot of things about yourself and you've been able to talk to the teacher personally, without all the students around. And especially just with this class, I feel like it's a lot easier to have interaction because we're calling more and we're doing videos and it's easier to interact with just the teacher.

Superintendent:
I really miss being able to meet with students as well. So thank you everyone for all your tremendous efforts, you guys are doing such a great job. And Ms. Boren speaks very highly of you. I mean, accomplished, and boy it's been wonderful for me to be with you guys. Stay with us after the break. Rae Boren has some advice for parents whose patients may be wearing thin with all this added homework.

Break:
I'm Steven Hall, Director of Jordan Education Foundation. In today's challenging and uncertain times, it is more important than ever before to support one another. Here at the Jordan Education Foundation, we invite you to join us in making sure children are not going hungry. Your $10 donation to the Foundation will help us feed one student for a weekend. When food and meals may be very scarce for some, with food and hygiene supplies in the Principal's Pantries at Jordan School District being depleted and in higher demand than ever before. Every financial contribution made will help us to keep the pantries filled for students who would otherwise go without. The Jordan Education Foundation exists due to the generosity of people who care about kids. If you would like to donate to help children from going hungry, please visit JordanEducationFoundation.org, or contact the Foundation at (801) 567-8125. Thank you. Together, we can make a difference.

Superintendent:
Tell us Rae, tell us what advice you would give to parents for getting their students through what you described. Well, as just crisis learning, we're doing our best right. Things are happening, but it's a crisis. So what advice do you have for parents to help their kids get through it?

Rae:
Oh, I would say it's really important that \if their student is really struggling, that there's communication with the teacher as well, so that the teacher, anytime that we have more knowledge, it gives us more ability to understand. Okay, what do I need to do as an educator? How can I better accommodate this student?

Superintendent:
I want to go back to ASL. You talked about growth and the importance of growth and how rewarding that is. It must be a little bit different for ASL because it's not as if they've had that throughout their entire time in school, they probably start with you. For many of them, that's their first experience with it. So you get to see students start at zero and just take off from there.

Rae:
You just hit it on the head, Superintendent Godfrey. I have some kids there, three-year duration while at Copper Hills. And so can you imagine, like you said, they come in not knowing the alphabet. Not maybe knowing please, or thank you, or maybe, you know, maybe something prompted them to take the class, but really they come in with very little ability to communicate. And then when they leave, they can communicate, they can have full on thriving conversations. And how rewarding is that to be able to see that kind of growth in your kids from year to year and, you know, in two to three years time. That is something I have found that is just priceless. It's priceless.

Superintendent:
How exciting that kids get three years of your classes back to back? I'm sure that it's something they'll never forget and it's a skill they can take with them, their whole lives. And really you're about connection, the whole class is about connection. It's about being able to communicate with others and communicating with others that you may not be able to communicate with as easily otherwise, and learning the value of that connection. So that's exciting. I can't wait to come actually visit your class.

Rae:
Oh, I would love that. I would love that. But you're spot on. A world language class is all about connection. That is one of our standards. Culture connection, building that. You've got to have that interactive component in a class that you're learning a language. So it has been interactive and hopefully connections are more strong in that class as a result.

Superintendent:
I have no doubt. So tell me, as someone who works with new teachers, you're a passionate teacher yourself. What would you say to someone who's thinking about becoming a teacher?

Rae:
If they're thinking about it, I would say, get in a classroom. See if you can have an experience to guest, speak, to have that teaching moment, somehow experience it. I think once you get to help a student understand a concept, there's little like it. Like just to see some understanding click for a student. There is something that is so intrinsically rewarding that I would encourage them. I would say, I know it's the cheesy bumper sticker that says, "I teach, I touched lives". I know it's cheesy, but you know it's true. It's true. So I would say, what other fields are you going to make a more significant impact? I can't think of another one. It is a field where you can truly help kids have a better day. You have such a role that you can impact a student who comes into class, putting their head down on their desk. You can tell they've checked out before they've even started your lesson. And you can say, you know what, I'm going to get this kid engaged. And I am going to get them to smile today. And we're going to have some fun. And to be able to have that kind of role in a child's life. Yes, do I want them to come away with ASL and yes, do I want them to hopefully meet a deaf person and have a positive interaction and use it, like you said, throughout their life and be more patient when communicating with people? Yes. Wholeheartedly. Yes. But more importantly, I want all of my students to feel like they have a place, that they have a corner, that they have an adult who cares about them, that they have a home at Copper Hills, that this is a place where they can thrive and learn. And so, as an educator, you have that ability to help a person feel that they're at the right place at the right time. And it's powerful. It's influential. I would say you got to do it, do it, delve in.

Superintendent:
Great, great advice. Great advice. Ray Boren, it has been so nice talking with you. You are an incredible teacher, a wonderful person, and I'm so grateful we have you at Copper Hills and Jordan District.

Rae:
Thank you. II am so grateful to be in Jordan District. So grateful to be at Copper Hills, grateful to have you as our fearless leader, Superintendent.

Superintendent:
Thanks to everyone for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Stay healthy out there. And remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see out there.

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It's that time of year when seniors are graduating from high school and hitting the road to find future success. It's often an anxious time for parents who wonder if their teens are prepared for the road ahead, especially during a pandemic. Today, we're joined by two school counselors. Secondary Counseling Specialist, Stacee Worthen and Herriman High School Counselor, Jeffrey Cox are here to tell us what parents and students should be doing now as their post high school journey begins. This is an extraordinary circumstance we find ourselves in with the school closure, and we're just looking for some advice and ideas for parents on how to prepare students for that next step. And it's an extraordinary circumstance, like I said, because kids went to school one day and that night found out they weren't coming back and their next school experience is going to be college. So it's a big leap and I'm excited to have you both here. Thanks for joining us.

Counselors:
Thank you.

Superintendent:
So Stacee, start off and tell us a little bit, what should parents and seniors be thinking about now, if college is the next step for them? And of course there are lots of great next steps, but if college is the next step, what should they be thinking about and planning for right now?

Stacee:
So right now parents and students should be planning and working with their college advisor. They should already be working to build their schedule for fall. They also are probably on hold because they have to complete an orientation process. Now with this new situation, our new reality, that orientation is going to look different. So they need to make sure that they're in contact with their college advisor so that they understand that new admission process so that their classes are taken off hold because they've completed their orientation and they should also be finalizing their FAFSA, making sure that they have completed the FAFSA, that the FAFSA has sent information to their school that they're attending. Double-check financial aid with their financial aid advisor to make sure that everything is ready to go, that they understand whether or not they want to accept their student loans or their Pell Grants. Making sure that that whole process has been completed properly. And then housing, they need to consider housing. Where are they going to live? Have they already figured that out? Have they put their deposits down, just making sure that everything is finalized and that they're making sure they're checking those boxes to make their transition to university or college smoother.

Superintendent:
If someone is behind, everyone has had a big impact on their lives from school dismissal. Lots of family circumstances have changed. Let's say that someone was hoping to go to college in the fall, but didn't get things taken care of yet. They haven't applied. Is there still a chance for them to make that happen?

Stacee:
Of course. I mean, the biggest thing is if you haven't done anything yet, make sure you start today. Maybe your hope was to go to a big university. That was one of your dreams that maybe that maybe not is the reality. Now, you know, you can always go to an amazing school like SLCC or Snow College, or the schools kind of have more of the open enrollments to grade there. And then when the time comes, potentially transfer to bigger university, if that was your dream to go to the BYU and Utah and Utah States. So definitely, if there hasn't been anything done yet, once again, reach out to your high school counselor and say, Hey, here's my hope. Here's what I'm wanting to do. How can we make that happen? We're still actively involved with every one of our seniors, so if there's something that a high school counselor can do for you, definitely reach out to them so we can get you pointed in the right direction.

Jeffrey:
I echo those sentiments. Because you know, a lot of times that application process can be a little overwhelming, especially if you're a first-generation college student or your parents, like you know, they don't speak English. There's a lot of different situations, but you know, an application to SLCC takes 10 minutes. And if you're on a Zoom call with your school counselor, you can share your screen and they can walk you through that application process. The FAFSA application process can be a little bit overwhelming as well. But you know, that's what we're here for. We want them to be successful. It's never too late. It's never too late to go to college or university. It's never too late to actually reach out to your school counselor and say, Hey, I didn't think about this. And now that I'm here, I'm thinking about it. What can we do? What are some things that we can actually do to get me to college? And absolutely we can do it. We've been there, done that. We're happy to help. We love kids. We want them to move forward and transition to university or college and have the best experience possible.

Superintendent:
Well, that's really important too, for me to emphasize 10 minute application to SLCC. And like Jeff said, start today. If you had plans and you haven't followed through, don't give up, dive in, get the help of a school counselor. That's why they're here. And you can get a lot done a lot faster than you might think. Can the two of you tell us a little bit more about FAFSA for those who may not be familiar with what that involves. As you said, it can be complicated. Can you just give us a basic rundown of, of what that means and what it means for families?

Counselor:
So the first is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. And essentially, it's a way for families to put in their information. There's some financial information that goes into it as well. They get a score and that goes off to the university or college that they're interested in and they see how much money they could potentially be eligible for. Every college will be a little bit different on what they offer. But almost every college wants you to fill out the FAFSA so they know kind of what you're eligible for, what they need to step in at that point, to help provide as well. So that FAFSA document, it's kind of the initial document help you know how much money could you earn in Pell Grants, or if you have to take out loans, what that looks like for you, and that kind of helps get that process started as far as what your financial situation is going to look like when I'm entering college and what is going to be provided for me, and what do I have to make up myself and kind of get that process going

Superintendent:
Who should fill out a FAFSA application?

Counselor:
Every student should fill out a FAFSA because there are a lot of factors that go into it. You know, it's kind of a misconception that if you know parents may make a lot of money that there's no reason to file the FAFSA form, but like I said, almost every college expects you to and wants you to, just so they kind of know  what you're eligible for. Here's kind of where we need to step in to give you X amount of dollars to make it work here in our university as well.

Counselor:
Yeah. A lot of times they look at the FAFSA completion and they they're aware of scholarships that they don't generally put out there. And so as they're looking at your FAFSA scores, they might see, okay, the family does make quite a bit, but this is a really good solid student. And so they might be able to offer a different scholarship or be aware of a scholarship that they can help contribute so that the student does not have to pay as much or to help that family with the student's financial situation. So it's really important to fill out the FAFSA. It does take 20 - 30 minutes and it could be somewhat overwhelming. Once again, reach out to your school counselor. We've done those multiple times. We're happy to help, or we can also help you reach out to Utah Higher Ed. And they have people that can help support you as well.

Superintendent:
What are the deadlines for submitting a FAFSA application?

Counselor:
So FAFSA opened up October 1st of 2019, but you can continue to fill that out up until, even if you decide to go spring semester to university or college, you can still fill that out and complete the FAFSA.

Superintendent:
In other words, you should fill it out if you haven't, regardless of whether you're going to college in the fall or later.

Counselor:
Absolutely.

Superintendent:
So what is the timeline for the year to come?  You know, this is in plenty of time for everything to be planned during the senior year. What should parents be thinking of that way?

Counselor:
October is definitely the time to get started. You know, a lot of times we go into the classrooms with our juniors who are like seniors next year. And we talk about upcoming dates they have, so we'll give them papers where they get information on the FAFSA form. They get information about deadlines for each university and just give them the information that you're going to need if you're looking to go to college for this current school year. And a lot of those will start in October. I know this year, BYU and Utah or Utah university of Utah, November 1st was their deadline, which is extremely early from what it has been in the past. So students need to get on and fill out the common app, which can be a timely process and get all that in by November 1st to meet priority deadlines. So October is definitely time to get it started. Kind of like Stacee said, it's not the deadline. October 1st is when it releases. If you fill it out later, that's fine. But the sooner you can get all that information in and get stuff going on, the better it's going to work out for you.

Counselor:
So if folks don't have things filled out yet, there's still time you can apply to SLCC. You can still fill out the FAFSA form. You still want to be in contact with your high school counselor about possible scholarships. And some deadlines have been pushed to June 1st. But if you're looking ahead to being a senior in high school next year, you want to think about September and October as the ideal dates that you're looking to apply so that you can meet those early deadlines and have everything lined up in plenty of time.

Counselor:
Absolutely. And I think a common misconception with parents is that they think they have a lot of time during that senior year to talk to their senior and talk to them about where it is that they want to go. Now is the time to talk to your juniors and start that conversation. Where do you think that you would like to attend college? Would you like to go on a tour? Let's go look at the campus. Let's schedule a tour at University of Utah, Utah State, BYU, because once you step on that campus, your student really starts to get a feel for, is this a really good fit for me? And then also start talking about what are some ideas for what you want to be like. What degree do you want to start pursuing?

If you want to be a surgeon and you want to go to BYU, that's really not going to work out for you because they don't offer that program. And so it's really good for you to start having those discussions, scheduling college tours, and really seeing, as of October, we're going to start working with deadlines and filling out those admissions. And Jeff is right. The common application is a little bit time consuming and you really want to represent yourself as well as you can to those colleges and universities. And also start thinking about who you've asked for letters of recommendation, because that takes a little time as well. And so you want to make sure you're giving those people a little bit of a heads up so that they can start thinking about what they would write and who you would ask. There are specific teachers and counselors that are inundated in the month of November for letters of recommendation. It would be nice to be asked in September.

Superintendent:
They can ask right now, if you're listening to the Supercast, that you'd like a letter of recommendation. Shoot your counselor an email right now.

Counselor:
Absolutely. Because we do get a lot of last minute and you never know what those people are doing, what's going on in their lives. And so you want to give them enough time to really do you justice and write really good letters

Superintendent:
Stay with us. When we come back, find out if there are changes to the college application process due to the pandemic.

Break:
Do you want to know what's going on in Jordan School District? Get updates on the latest information that could impact you and your child, or just find an uplifting story about the good things at the school throughout the district, check out our website at http://www.jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Let's connect at Jordan District.

Superintendent:
Welcome back. We're here again with Secondary Counseling Specialist, Stacee Worthen, and Herriman High School Counselor, Jeffrey Cox, with some advice for students and parents as graduates try to navigate the road after high school, especially for those headed to college. During the pandemic, I've heard that some universities across the country are delaying their start dates or their planning on online courses for fall semester. They've changed their orientation. Are you aware of changes that are occurring at in-state schools?

Counselor:
I'm not aware of any at this current time. I'm sure they will be releasing soon if there are going to be changes. But as I've heard, everything's kind of on a wait-and-see. All the deadlines and normal dates where you'd go back and make a change, with the orientations, they may alter how they do that. But I think for each college, they want to keep things as normal as possible if they can. And as things change on a daily basis, I think they've kind of held off a little bit to make any big announcements. But I'm sure they will be coming up here in the short-term so keep an eye on University of Utah. They're generally at the forefront of making changes. And I do know that my daughter is seeing that more and more on the classes that she was registering for in fall semester.

Counselor:
We're looking to be online. And so if I were you, I would absolutely reach out to your admissions counselor. One mistake that I made with my daughter when she went to UVU was that we didn't understand that they put a hold on. You are not able to register for your classes until you've attended orientation. And she waited until middle of summer to sign up for an orientation. So she had a hard time finding classes. So make sure that you sign up early for those orientation opportunities. The earlier you can do those the better so that they don't put holds on your classes. You can actually register for classes and get the classes that you really want, and the schedule that you want. I would assume that they're going to be more online options at colleges and universities as we're trying to transition back. But once again, I would contact your college admissions advisor immediately.

Superintendent:
You mentioned taking a tour. And I found personally that my oldest son really benefited from touring, Utah State. He had imagined he wanted to go there. His grandpa went there and when he went up there and visited. it just kind of fit. He could tell that's where he wanted to be. Do you find that's what happens? And how would parents arrange for a visit to a camp?

Counselor:
I think college tours are huge for the students to see themselves there. Can they see themselves there for the next four years? They're going to go up, see the campus and kind of see what it all entails. And it's either going to feel like home or it's not, you know. If you want to take a tour on your own, you just have to reach out to the college and they have tours all the time. Like I said, things might change with what we're in right now, but some of the high schools will set up tours as well. So it just kinda depends on where you want to go. And you can either set up yourself through the college or the high schools, maybe taking a tour to them as well.

Counselor:
Yeah, a lot of our high school counselors they actually set up high school tours. I know at Copper Hills, they go usually once or twice a month. I think that they usually hit almost every single university and college in the State of Utah. So you just make sure that you're listening to announcements, that you're talking to your counselors so that you're hearing about those opportunities to tour. Or absolutely call the university or college because they have ambassadors that will meet with you and then they will take you on tours and you can ask them any questions. They'll be honest and open with you about. Even the smallest question or concern that you might have, and they're really fun. The tours are really fun. I'm a firm believer of once you set foot on the right campus, you're going to know this is the place. This is the place that I want to go.

Superintendent:
I think that's true. I think once you visit, you really get a sense for whether that's the place for you and I was an ambassador for Weber State University, back in the 19 hundreds. It was a fun experience for me. And it was rewarding to help students who were considering Weber State, who were new.

We'll take a quick break. When we come back, hear about the support systems in place to make your students feel safe in a college setting.

Break:
I'm Steven Hall, Director of Jordan Education Foundation. In today's challenging and uncertain times, it is more important than ever before to support one another. Here at the Jordan Education Foundation, we invite you to join us in making sure children are not going hungry. Your $10 donation to the Foundation will help us feed one student for a weekend. When food and meals may be very scarce for some, with food and hygiene supplies in the Principal's Pantries at Jordan School District being depleted and in higher demand than ever before. Every financial contribution made will help us to keep the pantries filled for students who would otherwise go without. The Jordan Education Foundation exists due to the generosity of people who care about kids. If you would like to donate to help children from going hungry, please visit https://www.jordaneducationfoundation.org , or contact the Foundation at (801) 567-8125. Thank you together, we can make a difference.

Superintendent:
We are here again with Stacee Worthen and Jeffrey Cox to talk about support systems in place at colleges where your kids may be headed. Students are used to a high level of support at the high school level. I know our counselors do a great job of connecting to students and helping them through college applications, what their next step is after high school, or just getting through high school and graduating. I get the sense that there are more resources than ever, including mental health and wellness resources on campus for students. And you mentioned this a few different times. I think the underlying advice is to ask for help, get help. There's going to be help on the college campus as well.

Counselor:
Yes, colleges and universities absolutely are doing everything that they can to put support systems in place. They understand that you're going to need physical support when you have accidents or when you get hurt there's clinics on campus that you can go to. But mental health supports are also put into place now. So they do have access for you to get mental health support as a university student.

Superintendent:
One of you mentioned earlier, common mistakes that students make going into college. Can you tell me about some of the common misconceptions or mistakes and let's dispel those notions?

Counselor:
So one big misconception we talked about earlier is that they're on their own now, right? They're moving away from home, usually from mom and dad, they're moving into their own dorm room and there are supports in place to help them. And, you know, from an academic standpoint, they have academic advisors. They have people that can help you with the money standpoint and the scholarship office. They've got writing centers, they have tutors. And just to know there's a lot of support there helps. And, especially at the colleges, they've got a lot of fun stuff as well. Right? Well, students might think, I'm going to college. I go to class, I go home and study and I go to sleep. I get up and do the next thing the next day. But there's so much to do on the college campus.

So much fun stuff to do. I've been impressed on college tours at the amount of money and time that the colleges had put in to entertain the students, right? There are rock walls. There are student centers with state-of-the-art gyms, and there are prayer rooms, there are video game rooms. There are places where you can go, if you just need to take a break. So just know that when you go to college, this is going to be an amazing time of your life. You're going to get to study something that you love and are passionate about and set you in that next step. Know that it's hard work, but there are people there to support you along the way and help make sure you don't give up. And when it gets hard, reach out for those supports the colleges have in place for you to get you through those tough times, to reset goals, find a degree that gets you into a job that you want, or a profession that you want and the life that you want to live.

Counselor:
Another common misconception is that it's okay not to at least have some kind of an idea of what degree you're looking for. You need to at least have a couple of ideas and look at what that degree entails, because there are a lot of times that you need to take a specific math for a specific degree. And so if you've done your first two years working on generals and you've missed that specific math or those specific classes that are required for you to get into that program, you might end up having to take some additional classes that summer so they can allow you to get into that degree program. You don't have to have a firm decision at this point, but you do want to have kind of an overall general idea of what degree are you looking at and what are some of those classes that might be required for you to get accepted into that degree program.

Superintendent:
Yeah, it's a balance between being open to new ideas, but also having a starting point and a direction that you're at least headed in to begin with. Like you said, there are prerequisites that will sneak up on you otherwise. And a lot of times you can take one class that meets two requirements if you plan things out accordingly. So that makes a lot of sense to me. What advice would you give to parents who want to help their child begin to form ideas about what they'd like to study and what they might ultimately want to get their degree in?

Counselor:
You know, for our current seniors going into college, if you're not quite sure what you're doing or want to do, I think take those general classes that you know you're going to have to have, and then maybe take some other classes that you may be interested in and see what's out there for you. What classes could be ones that you enjoy. One thing I did that I thought was huge was I did some internships in the summertime when I had time to go around. I would be interested in a topic. I would see if I can go put in a few hours with people that did that. I learned really quickly some that I didn't want to do. But it was just a great experience to see, here's what I'm thinking about. Here's what I might want to do. And then doing a few things to see if that was the direction I wanted to go. You might pursue it a little bit, realize it's not for you or decide that it is and keep going. So I think just take those general classes. You know you're going to have to take English 101, English, 202, all those types of classes. But then you'll kind of mix in classes that you may or may not be interested in to see if that's the direction you want to go.

Counselor:
And I would add too, if parents pay attention to this Supercast, what they need to do is encourage their children from ninth grade up to take those classes in the CTE areas because if they're interested in automotive, we have auto classes. That's a free opportunity for you to figure out, yes, I really love working on cars. And so that might be a great career. And if that's the case, then Jordan District has a JATC Diesel Program that you can earn certifications in. And it's a really exciting opportunity. If another student is interested in the medical field, we have those opportunities. You could take those classes, you can earn those certificates in the JATC. And really, now's the time because those are free opportunities for you to figure out, yes, I love this. Or, you know this really isn't what I thought it was going to be.

And if you don't, you're not out any money. You've earned your high school credit. It goes towards graduation. But in college, if this degree isn't something that I want, it costs both time and money. Look at the JATC programs. There are so many new opportunities available for kids in the middle school and high school. Jordan does such a great job of offering so many different classes for students to allow them to get into those career and technical areas, to see if this is going to be a good fit. And if it's a great experience, great, then you can continue to move forward because they do have those opportunities. Or if not, then here's another opportunity for you to try and it's exciting and it's fun. And you might learn some things about yourself that you didn't even know. Maybe you really do want to be a chef and we do have that program available for our students.

Superintendent:
You're right. We have a lot of great CTE classes that can give kids experience in an area. I've interviewed a number of CTE teachers, especially at our academies for the Supercast. And each time they have said, this is a great class for kids who know they want to do this. And it's a great class because sometimes kids realize they don't want anything to do with this as a profession. And it's a valuable lesson to go into the class and say, Hey, I was interested in this. I liked the class, but I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. The earlier you can get experiences in areas where you think you might be interested the better, because then you can adjust your path accordingly. Well, this is great advice, any parting thoughts for parents and students?

Counselor:
I think for our seniors that are going out, we've really enjoyed working with them and we wish them nothing but the best. And in this current time, until they get to college, reach out to your school counselor. Let us know how we can help and support you to that next level. And then to that, our current high schoolers and middle schoolers, use your time to figure out what you enjoy, right? Find your passion, find that topic that you want to be involved with. And then as time goes on and you get to college, you kind of already know what your passion is, whether it's I want to work with people. That's all I knew after I got out of high school, what does that look like? Or I have a very specific skill set I want and learned. Here's what I want to do. So just use this time in high school wisely. Take classes that you may not enjoy because you never know if that's going to lead to something that you enjoy doing. And yes, just enjoy this time at high school and our seniors. We love you. Let us know how we can help you down the road.

Counselor:
One thing that I would say to our parents is just to understand that it's going to be hard for you to let go of your senior as they move and transition into being young adults. And it can be sad and it can be lonely, but just know that they're going to be amazing humans because you did such a good job. You impacted them and you are loving them and supporting them and just enjoy this experience with them and helping them transition. Just love them.

Superintendent:
It's been great talking with you, Stacee Worthen, our Secondary Counselor Specialist and Jeff Cox, Counselor at Herriman High School. Thank you both. Stay healthy and safe out there.

Counselors:
And we sure appreciate the support. Thanks for having us.

Superintendent:
Appreciate it. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.