Author: communications

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was a music video made from the heart and souls of some very talented West Jordan High School students under the direction of choir teacher Keith Evans.

On this special 200th edition of the Supercast, meet members of the West Jordan High pop group Encore and find out why popular music artist Jason Mraz reached out to them with a message the students will likely remember for a lifetime.

We're here at West Jordan High School in the choir room with choir director Keith Evans and with members of the Pop Vocal Ensemble Encore. Now I've seen your work over the years as people have enthusiastically emailed me the videos that you've put together out on the salt flats if I'm not mistaken. Those are amazing videos, high production quality. At first, you're taken by the scenery, but you're very quickly mesmerized by the vocal performance, it's really incredible. I always look forward to that. People generally know that I'm a music fan, so I always get it from various sources. They always send me your video each year, which is really cool for me. And I'm really excited to finally get to talk with some of you about it. So we're gonna talk with the director here first and tell me a little bit about Encore’s history and purpose.

Keith Evans:
Yeah, so when I took the job from my predecessor, Kelly DeHaan, he's a very well-known--

Anthony Godfrey:
You took the job from your predecessor. You wrestled him to the ground and said, “It's over, I'm taking over.”

Keith Evans:
As a matter of fact, he texted me and said, “Hey, I'm moving high schools, would you like to throw your hat in the ring to be the replacement?” And I thank him forever more for that text. But Kelly is well known in the community as very classically trained. I am not. My background is pop music. I sang with a pop group at BYU as a student, and I've mostly worked in that realm. And so when I took this job, I said, “I can't be another Kelly DeHaan, and I shouldn't try to be. I’m going to be me.” And so I took one of his one of the choir ensembles which was called Junior Madrigals and I said we're gonna do what I know instead and we turned it into Encore which is a pop a cappella ensemble. It's small. There are 11-12, there have been as many as 16 members of the group.

Anthony Godfrey:
You don’t combine it into Pop-a-Pella or something?

Keith Evans:
No other groups have done that before and it's a little cringe. But we came up with the name Encore and we said what we're gonna do is what I know, and it's covers and occasionally original music of contemporary music. I feel like there's a lot of contemporary music that purists kind of turn their nose up to and ignore.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you.

Keith Evans:
For whatever reason.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, it gets overlooked.

Keith Evans:
It does. People say, well, you know, it wasn't written 400 years ago by a person in a powdery wig so why should we care?

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Keith Evans:
And I think that there's a lot of great music that gets missed because of that. And so Encore focuses on this newer stuff, and frankly, that's one thing that gets the kids so excited is they're able to sing stuff that, "Oh, I listened to that guy already in the car. That person's on my playlist," or whatever. Our other choirs are very traditional, like you'd expect a choir in any high school to be, but Encore is a little bit different. For the last three years, we've been focusing on that. One of the elements of Encore's mission is to engage the students in all aspects of music production including music videos which is a huge element in any musical artists, you know, oeuvre they do these days.

Anthony Godfrey:
Ever since I was in middle school it has been an important component of pop music.
Keith Evans:
Thank you MTV.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, exactly. So I'm going to butcher the quote but I agree with you that there's so much great music overlooked. The quote from Duke Ellington that I've always liked is “If it sounds good, it is good.”

Keith Evans:
Oh, I love that. I've never heard that before but that's I'm putting that in my phone when we're done today.

Anthony Godfrey:
There's a lot that sounds good out there, and that is good out there, that gets overlooked like you said. I'm a huge pop music fan and so that's only part of why I'm excited to talk with you.

Keith Evans:
No, I'm so glad. I didn't know you were a pop music fan, Dr. Godfrey, that's cool. So am I. And hopefully, at the end of the year, I can look at my students and say that they are too even if they weren't as familiar with it at the beginning of the year.

Anthony Godfrey:
So let's talk with some of the members of Encore about what being in Encore has meant to you. Introduce yourself and tell me a little bit about your experience.

Nate:
My name is Nate. I joined Encore this year as a junior and kind of joined this class. I had a couple of the seniors that were in it just kind of tell me, "Oh, you’d do kind of well in it, I think, and so you should audition." And I did and I got in and I was terrified because I am more of a musical theater performer and much less of a pop music and I'm not super familiar with it. But I got into the class and just the minute that we stepped into that class, it was basically just a family. We were able to connect really well with each other because it was so small. And we just like the first day just kind of huddled around the piano and started like singing together. And it was just a really cool and magical experience just to like connect and create music with each other. And it was just really awesome and magical.

Ellie:
I'm Ellie. Encore was the first choir I did. I didn't want to do choir at all, but then I went to one of the pop concerts and I was like, “Oh wait, this is actually kind of cool. I kind of want to do that.” So I saw Encore and I was like, “OK, maybe I should try it.” And I did. And it was really fantastic.

Antonella:
I'm Antonella and honestly, Encore is my favorite music class. For somebody that loves music, I love all kinds of varieties, and it's just amazing. But Encore has just been such an amazing experience. When I heard that I was finally allowed to audition for Encore, some people actually told me that they didn't think I was fit for Encore because I'm more of a classical kind of girl. Yeah, I'm more of just like a musical theater, more of like opera kind of, you know. And honestly, I was like, you know, I think Encore is actually fitting more for me 'cause I love reading music and it gives such a big opportunity to read music. So I joined and I don't regret it at all and I just wish everybody could do it, you know, it's so fun. And I'm really grateful that we have this opportunity and it just, it brings us all together and gives us a lot of friendships, so yeah.

Xander:
I'm Xander. I got thrown in like two weeks after they got together. So they were already a family by then.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they adopted you, but how did you get in without an audition?

Xander:
Oh, there was an audition.

Anthony Godfrey:
Antonella said that they were even discouraging her from the audition. So there are some layers to getting in. How did you make it in after it started? I mean, I took classes because there was an empty seat, not because my talents brought me there. So tell me about how you got into the class after the family had formed.

Xander:
Well, they needed an extra guy and Keith during Madrigals was like, "We need an extra spot for Encore." And I didn't have a class during that period, so I'm like, "Might as well." So I auditioned and so did a couple of other people and I just got it apparently.

Anthony Godfrey:
Apparently, because you are here.

Xander:
I am here.

Anthony Godfrey:
A year has lapsed and you have been a participant throughout that year.

Xander:
Yes, and it was quite the experience. I didn't expect any of it. I'm not very good at making up music on my own. I usually go by the books and try to read the music and do my best on that.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm best at making it up on my own because then there are no rules at all. So I haven't broken any rules. I've just made the music that I want to make.

Keith Evans:
No one can tell you you're wrong.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's right, that's exactly it. Now, tell me about a song that you have loved this year that you did not expect to or that you didn't know before you were a part of Encore.

Nate:
There was a song that we just kinda did at the beginning of the year, and it was called Lose Somebody by One Republic. We did this song for the last like two years.

Keith Evans:
Every year that Encore has existed, I wanted to do Lose Somebody by One Republic, and finally this year, we were up to snuff to be able to do it.

Nate:
And so it was probably the second day that we were in this class and we're like, we're gonna start creating it. No sheet music, no tracks, it hasn't been done before, we're just gonna do it. And so we started talking about parts and who's gonna sing what, and we just started doing it. And I was really skeptical of how this was gonna go because we just had created it on our own. And then we performed it at the first concert and people just loved it and I ended up just falling in love with that song. It was so much fun to sing. And I think for a lot of us, it was just one of our favorite songs, because it showed us how we could create something on our own and together as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it helps that every performance is an encore performance, and people seem to clap more loudly for an encore performance.

Keith Evan:
It's a subconscious little prodding to the audience, too.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're getting an encore performance right from the start.

Keith Evans:
That's right.

Anthony Godfrey:
This feels amazing. Okay, tell me about a song that you discovered through Encore.

Ellie:
Well, it wasn't really discovered, but my favorite that we did was probably Cruella De Vil. We started working at it in like September of last year, but we're like, "This is too hard. We're not gonna do it." But we all just loved it so much and we pushed so hard to like perform it, but like he didn't trust us, I guess.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now I'm sensing a lot of trust, but I'm sensing a high bar, a high standard. We are not going to massacre this song. We are going to do it justice.

Keith Evans:
Well, to clarify, so I was the faculty director of a performing ensemble at BYU for several years called Noteworthy, and this was one of their arrangements. So this was an arrangement that I had given to collegiate level, some who were literally music majors, right, and that had put together this really tricky jazz piece. And I said, "I wonder if we can do it in Encore, if we can take this collegiate piece and have the high schoolers do it." And it took a little bit of doing is all. You were able to get there and it sounded fantastic by the time we were able to get it. It just took a little bit longer. Jazz is more tonally complex and the chords and everything like that. So ultimately I was really proud of you guys for being able to take a piece that high schoolers shouldn't be able to do because it's meant for a much more advanced ensemble and you guys still did it.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's like the bumblebee flying. You can't explain how it works, but it works.

Keith Evans:
It does.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right.

Keith Evans:
It's a mystery.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about a song that you discovered or had a deeper appreciation for it because of Encore.

Antonella:
Honestly, I love all the songs, but when I first joined Encore, I actually thought it was gonna be more of a modern pop culture kind of songs. Just like, you know, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, you know. I was like, are we about to sing "Baby" by Justin Bieber?(laughs) But--

Keith Evans:
We would never sing "Baby" by Justin Bieber.

Antonella:
That's why I like this class. No, but one of the songs that I truly enjoyed was Autumn Leaves by– sung by Nat King Cole. And I am such a '50s girl. I am such an 'oldies. And I just-- I appreciated how all of us were able to just serenade with the melody. And all of us just– I could see all of the connection that we all had, the eye connection and everything. And I just felt so connected with that song.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a great one.

Antonella:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Even Bob Dylan's version works for me. It probably doesn't work for you, but it works for me.

Keith Evans:
I actually didn't know Bob Dylan had covered that song. Now I'm interested in that.

Anthony Godfrey:
The melancholy, it's dripping with melancholy and regret. It's such a great song. You and I need to talk about more 50s songs Antonella. (laughing) Okay, tell me about your song.

Xander:
Cruella De Vil was really fun to me 'cause I got more into it 'cause I am a huge Disney fan and I grew up watching 101 Dalmatians and I loved that show so much. So it's more of like a mentality and a personal connection with that.

Anthony Godfrey:
What does it mean to have Mr. Evans as your choir director? What impact has he had on you?

Keith Evans:
Be kind. (laughing)

Nate:
I mean, in so many ways he's given me just like the love and drive to succeed in music that I hadn't really had before. He showed me as, and just being an example of somebody who was able to make music work for him as a career, and also just who just had a genuine love for it, and a desire to share it with other people, and just to make us the best that we could be as people. Not even just musicians and as singers, but as humans as well. And just, it's meant so much to have him, and just be a mentor and a guide, and just an inspiration to be just the best that I can be.

Ellie:
Yeah, he's made music fun, I guess, for me. Usually, it's so serious and competitive. And if you're not this great, then you can't do music. But it's just like, no matter what level you're at, you can still sing. You can still do whatever. And it can be fun. You don't have to make it so serious.

Antonella:
I definitely agree. I think he's put a balance in what we love most. And also just for those that want to just do it for fun as a habit or for people that actually want to do it professionally. He gives us the opportunity but still gives us fun. And honestly, I think he's definitely gave us a huge love for this, and especially for acapella, because a lot of high schools don't do acapella. So I'm just really grateful that we have a teacher that has come from a more professional background, especially BYU. And he's just brought it to us. And I think I'm so grateful for having that opportunity.

Xander:
He's pretty cool. Since he is young, he's more in tune of how we're aware of what we're going through.

Anthony Godfrey:
I mean, kind of like me. The young guys, we get it.

Keith Evans:
Yeah, absolutely. Which, again, it just means that I'll become less and less capable as a teacher, the older I get it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, because you basically built in an expiration date for his effectiveness. But, you know for now, it seems like things are going great.

Keith Evans:
Yeah, it's fun here at West Jordan. I know that most of the kids that come into the choir program aren't planning to become professional musicians, right? They plan to do other things. They're here to have fun. And the two lessons that I hope to instill in my students is that you have more fun when you're good rather than just when you're goofing around, right? But that also you have more fun when you trust each other and trust yourselves. And that's, I think, one of the things that has made our program kind of make this shift in the last couple years toward more inclusivity, more broader range of genres. You heard we've got an opera singer and a musical theater and a more traditional, conventional guy. We can all still sing together because in the end it's just music.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back Encore performs and it is something you simply don't want to miss.
(upbeat music)

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about how you came to choose this year's song and what resulted from that recording and that video.

Keith Evans:
Yeah, the way we chose this year's song, it was all kind of serendipitous. We go on tour every year and as part of that, we fundraise. And so in the fall, we had a fellow come to organize one of our fundraisers and just kind of by happenstance, he started talking about how his dad had had this dream of co-writing a song with Jason Mraz his whole life. Ever since he'd seen Jason Mraz as an up-and-coming artist, his dad had said, "I'm gonna write a song for that guy to sing." And that he'd spent 12 years kind of in the industry on the fringes trying to make this happen. And then finally, he was able to connect with Jason Mraz and he co-wrote "I Won't Give Up" which has gone six times platinum with Jason Moraz, like he was able to fulfill his dream.

And I said, "Oh, I won't give up, I love that." And we all started kind of like singing it and making it up on the piano as we went and it blew this guy's mind. And he said, "Oh, you've gotta put that in your show somewhere this year." And we said, "We will, and we'll let you know." And he said, "I will send it to Jason Mraz when you do."

And we followed through, we decided to make our music video this year in Encore was a mashup of "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz and "Hey Jude" by Paul McCartney. And once we'd made the music video, we sent it to Lennon Natter, who sent it to his father who had written the song, who lives now two doors down from Jason Mraz.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.

Keith Evans:
The royalties allowed him to retire and build a house in the neighborhood that Jason Mraz lives in, they're neighbors now. So by that sort of like friend of a friend of a friend, we sent the link to, and it got into Jason Maraz's hands and he saw it. And according to the sign photo that he sent to us, he was impressed by it and he liked it. And it's just kind of cool to know that we put this thing together and the guy that originated it saw it, right? And to let him know, I mean he knows it's being covered by a million different artists, but to let my students know, you're now part of a bigger world. It's not just in the classroom, right? The education and what you're learning and what you're experiencing exist in a bigger sphere. And that was a cool thing, I hope, for you guys to experience.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's a lesson in the impact that music can have.

Keith Evans:
Yes, absolutely. You never know who's gonna watch that music video and be like, "Man, I needed that today." And that sounds silly, but that's the responsibility you have as an artist, as a musician, is to put your best foot forward always, because you never know who's listening.

Anthony Godfrey:
Speaking of the photo, You've got it here. It's a big nice framed photo of Jason Mraz performing. Read what he wrote on there for us.

Keith Evans:
Yeah, so he wrote on the photo to Keith Evans and West Jordan High Choir. Let's take a deep breath together. Inhale. (exhales) And exhale. Thank you for your breathtaking performance. Keep singing. And then he signed it. As Lennon, the fellow whose dad worked with Jason on this song said, he's sort of a kind of a Bohemian fellow and so this inscription is very on brand for him apparently. But it's cool again to know that he's supportive of this. I'm sure once upon a time he was a kid in a high school band or choir saying, "I hope I make it one day."

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I think it's fantastic and it's exciting. I'm envious of this interaction you've had with Jason Mraz or as I like to call him, Mr. A to Z.

Keith Evans:
Mr. A to Z, that's right. Is that his real last name?

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it is.

Keith Evans:
It is? That's cool, man. It's like that's such a marketable last name.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, it is. I'll bring a link to the video in the show notes.

Keith Evans:
Cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
Watch for that. Click on it. It's a great video. Like it is every year. Like I said, I always look forward to it. Thank you so much for providing this rich learning experience that I'm sure these students will never forget. And thank you for putting your own personal twist on this music program. And thank you for the annual videos that I'll continue to look forward to and those are just the great performances coming out of this program. So thank you.

Keith Evans:
Thank you, Dr. Godfrey.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now here's a little clip from their music video.

Encore singing:
When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
Just like them old stars
To see how you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?
And I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
Still looking up

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Are you looking for a great deal on a used piano or other musical instruments? A piece of furniture, industrial kitchenware, or even workout equipment?

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the Jordan School District Surplus Warehouse, where surplus items from our schools and buildings are stored and priced to sell fast. Find out how you can get your hands on some great deals and fabulous finds by participating in the monthly online surplus auction.

We're here with Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing. Thanks for taking time, Kurt.

Kurt Prusse:
Thank you. Great to be here.

Anthony Godfrey:
And we're in the surplus warehouse. We talked with you once from the warehouse before for an earlier episode a couple of years ago. Now we're in the surplus warehouse, also at the Auxiliary Services Building at about 7800 South Redwood Road.

And this is where our surplus items go to be processed for the next stage in their journey. There are lots of chairs around, desks, tables, old equipment of various kinds. I would also add that we work hard as a district to make the very most of the resources that we have. And schools have a greater tendency to hold onto things than they do to let go of things through the surplus process. So I don't wanna give the impression that we buy things and then they're quickly consumed and put into surplus. Would you agree with that?

Kurt Prusse:
Absolutely correct. We get our well use out of those items. And if one school decides they no longer need something or want something, they are brought here. For instance, these Chromebook charging carts they'll buy them at one school and if they go to a one-to-one, they don't need computer labs anymore, then they are made available and another school can grab those at no cost at all. So we can take those schools that are not one-to-one and use them in computer labs. So that's just one example.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell everyone a little bit about the surplus process, how this works and where all this stuff is headed.

Kurt Prusse:
Great, I'd be happy to. It all starts off when you decide to purchase something, whether it's equipment and there are laws in place to identify equipment. We tagged those originally and they go into a system, into our Skyward system to keep track of. Because we know at the schools, it's for their inventory process to keep track of those things. They can tell them what room numbers are in or where they're located. And so it's easy for them to be accountable for the equipment that they've purchased.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that tags a little blue tag with a number on it. And there are administrative assistants at each school who are responsible for tracking those assets.

Kurt Prusse:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what is it that, what's the threshold? Describe that to everyone, the threshold for something being considered a consumable versus a fixed asset.

Kurt Prusse:
Right, and so originally it was a $500 to $1,000 when I first started, but they raised that, the federal government raised that limit to $5,000. Everything else is considered supply under that dollar amount.

Anthony Godfrey:
So under $5,000 it's consumable, it's a supply, it's not something that you track.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, but we do have an exceptions list that we go go by in that.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the federal rules $5000. What are some of the things that we require beyond that?

Kurt Prusse:
So things like printer, computer, a laptop, those those are typical items that are $1000 to $1500 but we tag them anyways. You know other things like some of the furniture in here, a refrigerator, maybe a planer saw, you know, those types of things that we track.

Anthony Godfrey:
But the school decides we don't need to use this anymore, we want someone else to get some use out of this. The surplus process is put in place so that we get the very most out of that asset that we can, even if the department or school that purchased it initially doesn't need it anymore. So talk us through the way that works.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, it's a process that we go through that it's identified first that they don't need it. The principal or administrator at the school will sign off on that. And sometimes they even know where it's going to go. They've talked to another principal and they'll just say, "Hey, we need to transfer this." Or they'll surplus it. And those are kind of two options. Our warehouse, surplus warehouse guys can go out and pick it up and then it's either brought here or if it's of no value then sometimes we'll just take it directly to a recycling place or or to the dump if it's that's all if it's a very little value. The mantra is in surplus one man's garbage is another man's treasure. It really is that way someone might think this is trash and someone else might think this is the greatest thing ever. They will do that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah right. It's remarkable the use that folks can find for some things. So at first, either a principal already knows, hey, there's someone else that can use this and we just need to transfer it to them. Or it can be brought to the warehouse and still then principals and other school district employees and school employees have the opportunity to take anything from the surplus warehouse that they want to use at work. They can take that free of charge or have that delivered free of charge. So we want to use it within the organization, if at all possible, to prevent the need for additional purchases.

Kurt Prusse:
That is correct. In that process, we use a surplus website to list all these things. And if someone even from the district that wants to use it for district purposes sees it on the site, we'll actually pull it off the public site for auction. It's kind of a mini eBay where you can find an item and bid on it. It's the highest bidder wins.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that's the next phase. The next phase is that it's then out for the public to bid on. And we get everything from charter schools and private schools that want to purchase furniture and equipment to individuals who want to buy equipment and any of our surplus items that are posted on the website. Like you said, eBay style. So how frequently are those auctions posted?

Kurt Prusse:
We do one minimum once a month, sometimes a little bit more often. But it is quite the process because you have to list it for seven to ten days and then after the bidding is over the winner has a week to pick it up. So we bring stuff in all month long and then we try to get rid of it and it usually takes two to three weeks to actually get rid of it and then we start the process again of going out to the schools and bringing it in organizing it and then getting it up for sales.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how much of this is as a result of state law versus policy versus federal requirements? Mostly just kind of district procedure. There's not anything that dictates other than the hundred dollar value under a $100 that you can throw away and then the $5000. So kind of anything in between is it's up to us how we want to dispose of it. And, you know, we have a surplus warehouse lead that makes a lot of those decisions. I meet with them regularly and we go over certain things. For instance, there might be an item that doesn't sell on the auction originally that's just too low a price. We'll do it again just to make sure that we're not getting rid of something that might have a higher value.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I'll bet you have your regular customers on these auctions.

Kurt Prusse:
Yes, we do. Yes, we do.

Anthony Godfrey:
If someone is listening and thinks, you know, I could maybe use some things off a surplus, we're going to talk about some of the items that end up on the auction block. But tell them where would they go, what website would they go to to get alerts about upcoming auctions and to participate in those.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, we have a website through www.publicsurplus.com and you'll have to kind of select the state. They work in multiple states, so you select a state and then Jordan School District and you're able to see whatever we have on auction.

Anthony Godfrey:
It is pretty amazing to see not only what's available in Jordan, but what's available across the country.

Kurt Prusse:
Oh yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
There's some pretty wild stuff that has been purchased with public funds that is now available for auction.

Stay with us when we come back, we spot some of the more unusual items waiting for sale in the Surplus Warehouse.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
I know that there are some odd items that come up over the years. Let's just wander and see what we've got right now. Let's just walk through. We've got a lot of desks and chairs.

Kurt Prusse:
That's desks and chairs. And when we talk about desks and chairs, these are typically 20 plus years old. Sometimes 30 years old that we are, you know, sometimes we'll go to a charter school and they can use them, but most of the time they're pretty old. This looks really old. This is like a step of some sort, a box and just very random.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, lots of people have stepped on that one. And these are these are babies. Well, not actual babies. Dolls.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah we deal in babies.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, they're actually surplus dolls. Let's pull them out of the cage here. This looks like the type of of a doll that's used in like a childcare class. Real Care Baby 2+.

Kurt Prusse:
Yes, that is, and you probably just found the most unique items.

Anthony Godfrey:
Apparently there's a Baby 3+ out now, and I'm sorry baby, but you are now outdated. Well, it even has a little wristband tag, like it was just tagged in the hospital.

Kurt Prusse:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Kurt Prusse:
I don't know what the plan is on this, whether we'll surplus that or what the deal is, but we've got about six or seven of them looks like that we need to surplus or dispose of you know in a proper way.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, we've got a fridge. Lots of chairs on a rack.

Kurt Prusse:
Here’s some old tripods.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah very old.

Kurt Prusse:
Very old tripods.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is like Ansel Adams taking pictures for National Geographic type tripods.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, and we have some some exercise mats that were used at different schools. A scale. One of those tall scales to to weigh yourself on.

Anthony Godfrey:
You move the weights over this direction or that and we have some. What is this red octane brand dance. It looks like a dance pad that goes with a video game.

Kurt Prusse:
It does look like that, doesn't it?

Anthony Godfrey:
Huh. All the outdated equipment that you imagine from your days in school, some e DVD players and VCRs.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, even VCR players. And even dual ones DVD and VCR. Get to the point now where no one really wants to buy these. We can put these on the site for five dollars and no one will want them. So we use a recycler that will take all our old recycling material. One of the good things about our recycler is if we take a laptop or a Chromebook or something that might have some student data on it or something more sensitive, they'll wipe it. And actually they do a triple wipe and they give us a certificate for every piece of equipment that they either surplus or they'll resell. They'll also take out some hard drives. We'll have copiers and those types of things. They'll actually take the hard drives out because most people might not know this, but a copier stores images. And they'll store images of medical records if necessary. Anything you make a copy of at school. And so we don't want that out in the open when we're getting rid of those. And so they'll actually surplus our electronic computers and things like that and they'll actually give us a percentage of that. And that's kind of the way we've done that here.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see. Now we've got stools. These are, these look like the type of stools that I sat on when making pots in middle school in my pottery class.

Kurt Prusse:
I think you're spot on with that.

Anthony Godfrey:
So anyone looking for a very short stool or 30 would have a heyday here.

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, just go on publicsurplus.com you can buy them in batches. Sometimes we'll sell it in a batch. They'll call that a Dutch auction. And so you can either take the whole batch or you can take whatever amount you want in there. But typically, they'll try to do the whole batch. And we have someone coming through and playing the piano.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah, just to see if they want to purchase that piano. So you do have some pianos on surplus on a regular basis.

Kurt Prusse:
We do every once in a while, we'll get some pianos. Exactly. Most of the time, those pianos will get transferred to another school. Yeah, however this one is an old piano. It's about almost as tall as I am,  so you know that's an old variety of piano.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you load the paper in the back? The paper roll with the little holes in it and then it will automatically play The entertainer by Scott Joplin or not quite that old.

Kurt Prusse:
Maybe not old.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, now let's see. There's some rideables here. Looks like some of the custodian Zambonis that they drive around to clean the floors are here. One of those.

Kurt Prusse:
Yep. And they may not be working or they are too much money to fix but they'll, someone will come that is a fixer professional or person that just fixes things up and they're able to use those things.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, we also have an ice cream freezer. So there are, yes, a few odd items. This actually seems fairly tame compared with some of the times I've been down here. Oh, are these scuba tanks? What exactly do we have here?

Kurt Prusse:
No, these are overhead lighting for stage systems.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yes, there we are. Look at that. Old, old stage lighting. I'll bet there are some items that come through here that you think nobody's going to be interested in this and then lo and behold somebody bids for it or you might even have a couple of people bidding for something that you didn't think was going to find a home.

Kurt Prusse:
Oh yeah. In fact vice versa, something I think is of great value and no one seems to want it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Kurt Prusse:
I'm not a good judge of what's going to sell and what's not going to sell.

Anthony Godfrey:
We put it all out there and we see what happens.

Kurt Prusse:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And what is this over here?

Kurt Prusse:
Well it looks like we've got a steamer here and right next to a kiln.

Anthony Godfrey:
That steams what?

Kurt Prusse:
They'll steam all sorts of things. Potatoes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. And what is this here? What is this stackable? It looks like a... Oh, this is a kiln.

Kurt Prusse:
For all the short stools that are for sale.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yes, that's right. Then the things made on short stools go into this large kiln. Okay, well hopefully all these things can find a nice home.

Kurt Prusse:
We hope so too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any tips and tricks for people who are bidding on an item on the surplus website? They find something they really want. Are the auctions still the type that extend if you get an additional bid? Or do you just bid right up until the end of the time?

Kurt Prusse:
It bids right up to the end of the time. So those that are familiar with eBay, putting in a maximum bid and then it will auto bid anytime someone outbids you. So sometimes you put in what you're willing to pay for and if it doesn't get that value, or doesn't get that amount, then you'll be the winner. If it exceeds that, then you'll be the loser. So it's really putting your maximum, what you're willing to pay is probably what the best bet I would say.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is there any, I believe the term is sniping at the last second, where people come in at the last second with a high bid to try to surprise people with a last minute bid?

Kurt Prusse:
Yeah, I'm sure there is. I don't get to see what transpires in each of those purchases, but I can imagine, yes, sniping is, if you're good at online auctioning, then there's ways to get what you want.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any advice about timing? What time of year might they be checking back for the best selection?

Kurt Prusse:
We do surplus all year long. However, typically, schools don't want to get rid of their old stuff until they have new stuff. So typically it's at the end of the year when they're cleaning rooms out, cleaning departments out that they'll do that. So we do a lot of our work during the summertime. And so any auction starting in July, August, September are good months to get some things. But sometimes you'll get gems in the middle of the year too. You never know.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. It's entertaining just to look, even if you don't have anything specific in mind. So thanks to you, Kurt, for taking the time and to your staff for everything that you do to help us make the most of the resources that we have.

Kurt Prusse:
My pleasure, appreciate your time.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She began reading chapter books in kindergarten, and her love of literacy just keeps growing, so much so that Audrey McDonald is making history at Foothills Elementary School.

On this episode of the Supercast, meet the first grader who is the youngest ever to participate in the school's “Battle of the Books” competition, helping her team to victory. A team made up of kids several grades older, but like Audrey, they share a love for literacy and a passion for reading.

We are here at Foothills Elementary School with first-grade teacher, Ms. Larson. How are you today?

Alisha. Larson:
I'm great, thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have heard about your student who's sitting right here with us, Audrey. Will you tell me a little bit about Audrey before we get started?

Alisha Larson:
Yes, Audrey is a very kind, bright, little first grader. She loves to learn. She comes to school excited to learn, she's great at making friends, she helps others along the way. She's just a delightful student to have and a great friend and a great person.

Anthony Godfrey:
You meet some great people as a first grade teacher, don't you?

Alisha Larson:
Very much so.

Anthony Godfrey:
The very early stages of the great people that they will ultimately become. Tell me a little bit about “Battle of the Books” and Audrey's involvement in “Battle of the Books” everyone may not know what that is. So tell us about “Battle of the Books” and how she got involved.

Alisha Larson:
Yeah, so “Battle of the Books” is for grades third through sixth grade. And it's for people just to have a little extra reading and to make sure that they are enjoying reading and have like a little competition with it. And Audrey, for how much she loves to read and how great of a reader she is, I thought it would be a great idea to challenge her a little bit being in first grade to go into this fun battle to be able to read all these wonderful books that she was already reading at home and to give it just a little bit more of an exciting challenge for her. So usually, yes, as I said, it's for third graders and up.

Anthony Godfrey:
An extraordinary, one extraordinary first grader as well.

Alisha Larson:
Yes, a very extraordinary first grader.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me about the battle part because it sounds like you just are throwing books at each other. Throwing the book at someone, literally and figuratively, is something that does happen, but I don't think that's involved.

Alisha Larson:
Right, and I will be honest I actually don't know a whole lot about “Battle of the Books.”

Anthony Godfrey:
You’re a first grade teacher. Most of the time this doesn’t happen.

Alisha Larson:
Because I’m a first grade teacher. All I know though, is you get put into teams and you have to read so many books, and together as a team you have to answer questions. You have to know the author and so that's kind of where the battle part comes out is how much do you know of the books and how much can you remember of those books and the authors.

Audrey:
I also can tell you a little bit more because if the most team, there are two teams who go against each other. So you have team names, mine is “The Book Masters" and so basically the team, at the half point, each team gets 24 questions. At the half point which is 12 questions, they tell you what's your score. How you get scores is if one team answers both the title and the author for one question correctly, they get two points. Each thing is one point. But whoever has the most points at the end of it wins. And the two teams that are left for “Battle of the Books”, then they face each other in a school assembly, except first graders don't get to see that assembly.

Anthony Godfrey:
So your friends didn't get to see you because you were propelled so far beyond?

Audrey:
Well, the principal thought that it would be fun if our class could come to see me do it to support me. And so then third and fourth graders face each other. They don't face fifth and sixth grade books. You have to read 20 books, but third and fourth graders read different books than fifth and sixth graders.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see. So you read the third and fourth grader books?

Audrey:
Yes. I read 18 or 17 and I read quite a couple of the 5th and 6th grade books too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, you delved into the 5th and 6th grade books. Just for a challenge.

Audrey:
I read some of them, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, well done. Audrey, you said that you have to be able to name the title and the author.

Audrey:
To get two points.

Anthony Godfrey:
To get two points.

Audrey:
But if you only, but if you, hold on a second, there's a little more time I have to explain.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, give me the nuances.

Audrey:
If you only get the title correct, then you only get one point. But the other teams, you have the chance to steal, to name the author correctly. But if you, same thing with the author, if you name the author correctly but you don't know the title, then the other team gets a chance to steal the title. Also, if you don't know any of the questions in your 30 seconds, then the other team has a chance to steal both the title and the author. By the way, you only get 30 seconds to talk over with your team and then say the answer so that way you don't take all day.

Anthony Godfrey:
So I've never seen the “Battle of the Books.” So do they read part of the book out loud to you? And what are you trying to identify?

Audrey:
So see, you read the “Battle of the Books” books on your own.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. And then in the competition-

Audrey:
And then in the competition, they don't read the books to you because they want to see how much you remember from those books.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they ask you a question? What do they ask you?

Audrey:
So they ask you questions about it. Like one of them might be in which book did a boy mail himself to freedom, then you would answer that book. Like let's say I only knew the title, Henry's Freedom Box, then the other team would have a chance to steal and what if they get the author wrong? Like, what if they say Betsy Byers and then it doesn't.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, Betsy Byers, come on. Everyone knows that.

Audrey:
It's Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, of course.

Audrey:
So then they don't have the other team steal again because then again they didn't get the author, they didn't know the author so then they wouldn't know the author from that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Alright, so let me back up because I haven't seen this before and clearly I need to.

Audrey:
Yes, you can see it next year.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, I look forward to it.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you're lined up, you're in teams and they say in what book did a bird sing happy birthday? And then you look to each other as a team, you talk it through, you have 30 seconds and you say, "It was Bye-Bye, Birdie, by Jennifer Beale." And then they say, "Wrong. It was Bye-Bye, Birdie, by someone else." Now the other team has a chance to steal and get that point that you didn't get?

Audrey:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's how it works.

Audrey:
Yeah, but if the other team steals, see, they don't have the full 30 seconds. They only have 15.

Anthony Godfrey:
I see. That seems fair because they've already been thinking about it during your 30 seconds.

Audrey:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
So did you win the entire competition, your team?

Audrey:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that's pretty impressive. Did you lose to any of the teams?

Audrey:
We lost to the “Reading Robots”, which then we again faced them in the finals, but we won them twice, so. I would have brought in my winner medal, but it was too loud.

Anthony Godfrey:
You had a winner medal that you got as a result? Tell me about the winner medal.

Audrey:
It's just a red, white, and blue like ribbon thingy and then at the end there's just a medal that says winner.

Anthony Godfrey:
That seems pretty cool.
Stay with us when we come back, more with Audrey and her teacher.

Break:
In Jordan School District, we like to support students in and outside the classroom along with their families. That's where the Jordan Family Education Center comes in, offering support services and a wide variety of classes for students and their families, free of charge. You can take a class called Blues Busters for children feeling sad or worried. Just Breathe is a class that helps students reduce stress. Or how about a class that supports parents in helping their children make and keep good friends. There are also support groups and free counseling, all provided by Jordan School District school psychologists and counselors. To find out how you can benefit from free family support services offered by the Jordan Family Education Center, call 801-565-7442 or visit guidance.jordandistrict.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
What did your team think of having a first grader on their team with third and fourth graders? Were they nice to you?

Audrey:
Yeah, none of them were mean. I think they were actually surprised.

Anthony Godfrey:
And were they surprised at how well you knew all of the books that you'd read?

Audrey:
Yeah, our Captain Amelia, well, there's two Amelia's, but our Captain Amelia, she told me that she was really happy that she had me on our team.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your teacher. What's she like?

Audrey:
She's amazing. She's really nice and she's never been mean. She just sometimes uses her teacher voice when people are being bad.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me something else about your teacher. What do you think makes her so amazing?

Audrey:
Well, she's been teaching for 12 or 13 years and she's probably have a lot of practice with kids. She's probably not. She's probably been teaching younger grades so she's learning to be nice to them.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is one of your favorite books? I won't make you pick one favorite, but what's one of your favorites?

Audrey:
Well, I usually like informational stories.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Audrey:
And there's like a section about that, like a bin about that. And I don't know my favorite because I just love learning about animals. And usually I finish writing before she starts the music, pretty close. She starts like music when we play writing, pretty close to the beginning, pretty close to the beginning. And I sometimes finish before she even starts the music.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like most about reading books?

Audrey:
Well, I love learning their meaning and I love understanding what that book wants to teach you and I also like hearing the stories because I think that some of them are pretty fun and silly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you remember when you could first start reading on your own?

Audrey:
No, not really. I think I just remember that once I learned, I think of why I'm so good at reading is because once my mom taught me to read, which was pretty early, then I would just start reading books the entire day.

Anthony Godfrey:
When do you read? I know that you read when you're a fast finisher and you have time in class.

Audrey:
I also read at home, and I read before school, and I read before I go to bed.

Anthony Godfrey:
Before school, at home. Do you read in the car sometimes?

Audrey:
Yeah, I always bring books in the car whenever it's far away.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's a great idea. What do you want to do when you grow up?

Audrey:
Well, I either- I maybe want to be a teacher like Ms. Larson, or since I love informational stories so much and I love to learn information about different things, or be a scientist. Because I love informational stuff and I think that I would find out a whole bunch more if I became a scientist.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think you can do whatever you decide you want to do. And if you want to be a teacher like Ms. Larson, I probably won't be the Superintendent anymore when it's time for you to do that, but shoot me an email and I'll call the person who is in that position and I'll make sure they hire you.

Audrey:
Well, or I can make you, or maybe the superintendent then could make you a principal of that school.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's true. I'll get hired to be a principal so that I can hire you as a teacher because I'd hire you in a second. Audrey, thank you for taking time after school to talk with me. Ms. Larson, thank you so much for providing this unique opportunity for Audrey, for recognizing that ability in her and providing that chance and for taking time to talk with me today.

Alisha Larson:
Yes, thank you.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She is beloved in her classroom, on the basketball court, and in the community.

On this episode of the Supercast, we meet the West Jordan High School teacher and head girls' basketball coach, known as Coach Lei. Find out how this former West Jordan High student is changing lives and inspiring winning ways on and off the court.

We're here at West Jordan High School talking to legendary basketball coach Lei. I wanted to make you uncomfortable right from the start by calling you a legend.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah, you did a great job of that.

Anthony Godfrey:
I know you're very humble about your accomplishments, but I also know that I've heard a lot of positive about you just as people found out I was going to be talking with you today. You've made a really big impact in this community and that's something to be proud of.

Lei Lolohea:
Thank you, I appreciate that.

Anthony Godfrey:
I understand that you were a student at West Jordan High School as well.

Lei Lolohea:
I was, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your time as a student at West Jordan High.

Lei Lolohea:
Oh it was, I mean it wasn't as diverse as it is now but it was still probably the best three years of my life. I mean that's when Jim Birch,  Michael Kochevar they were VPs here. Anthony Godfrey:
Oh really?

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah, Argyle was our principal so I mean it is still a small world around here. I loved it, I loved it here at West Jordan.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've already mentioned some of the administrators that were here and Mr. Birch of course was back as principal and is retiring this year. Tell me about some of the other people that had an impact on you while you were a student here at West Jordan.

Lei Lolohea:
I mean George Hughes, he was my coach for a couple of years, and then Carlson Boudreaux became one of my head coaches when I was a senior. But I mean there were so many people. Dan Cowan, he was our athletic director back then as well and so I mean there's a lot. There's a lot. We also had like hall monitors, Gary Erickson, he's still here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, he is.

Lei Lolohea:
We had JoAnn, she was one of our main hall monitors back in those days too. And she had a big influence on the school as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
When did you know that you wanted to come back to West Jordan High School as a teacher and coach?

Lei Lolohea:
I think after my playing days were done, I knew that there was just more to what I can  give back with the sport, whether it was playing or coaching. I knew that I wanted to come back to my high school and help make an impact wherever I could.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how long have you been back at West Jordan now as a teacher?

Lei Lolohea:
This is seven years of teaching. This is my sixth year as a head coach. But I was also the assistant under Carlson Boudreaux for quite a few years.

Anthony Godfrey:
So even when you were preparing to be a teacher, you were an assistant coach.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah. And I think that was three, four years. That was like four years under Carlson Boudreaux. So I mean, I've put in some work here at the school.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, no wonder people view you as the heart of West Jordan High School. It's exciting to talk to you about that. So tell me, when did you start playing basketball? And when did you realize that you maybe had some talent in the area?

Lei Lolohea:
Well, I was raised in California and so I've never really played organized basketball until I moved here to West Jordan. I moved here when we started high school. So I was just kind of just playing and I didn't really fully understand how basketball could change my life until I started in high school. So I started playing in high school. I knew that it was my way to go to college for a free bachelor's degree. But I also knew that it was– I was very passionate about it in high school. When I knew that, hey, I was a freshman playing against the big girls on the varsity team. And so I figured, you know, maybe this could be my ticket.

Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about your college experience as a player.

Lei Lolohea:
It was fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
On a scholarship.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah, yeah. So I got a scholarship to play at BYU Hawaii. And so I went over there, played for a couple of years, and then I transferred over to a small school out in Oregon

where I finished off with my bachelor's degree. And so then I was able to dabble with a little bit of playing in Germany. But all good things come to an end. And they say those who can't do anymore, coach. So that's what I hopped in.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'm so grateful that you're here and that you've chosen that path. There are very obvious ways that basketball has changed your life. But tell me about, as opposed to just the teams you've been on and the jobs that you've had, how has basketball impacted your life and what has it taught you about yourself?

Lei Lolohea:
Honestly, I think the game of basketball saved my life. It kind of saved the direction of it. And it was the best thing to ever happen for me to fall in love with the game and know that there is more to life than just basketball and how we can use that to help myself. It taught me hard work, dedication, accountability, time management. It taught me all this. But it also was something that I told myself, hey, I needed to be– I want to be a coach for girls that I needed when I was younger. And so I think that's where I wanted to change that whole, I'm not a basketball player anymore, I want to be a coach. And I think basketball is one way that I am able to connect with a lot of my players is because it's– besides the classroom, it's in the gym, and it's a whole different ballgame.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the rewards that you get as a coach for working with these girls?

Lei Lolohea:
The relationship, that's the biggest thing. Speaking with Lauryn Melton, she's one of the biggest role models of my life. And that's not just her, but there's so many girls that I know that I will have a long-lasting relationship with them. Not just with them, but with their family.

Anthony Godfrey:
There are a lot of things that you expect of the girls that are not directly related to basketball. That build that team and that family feel, and I think teach them a lot of life lessons that they'll carry with them. Tell me more about some of the projects that you've involved in.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah, we do a lot of community service. We do a lot of that. The biggest ones that we've done is our Monster Mash, our Halloween Monster Mash. It started off as like a trunk or treat kind of thing for the kids in the community, we give out free candy. We have them walk around and stuff. It just kept building year after year. Then we did our Easter egg hunt just recently. That was a big hit. It was great.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now the Easter egg hunt was out on the football field.

Lei Lolohea:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And eggs spread throughout the football field.

Lei Lolohea:
Oh yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I understand it was quite a big event.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah, it was awesome.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, tell me about the turnout from the community.

Lei Lolohea:
It was, you know, at first we're like, “oh, you know, are we gonna get people?” Just because it was, I think it was during like a break time. And so we were kind of nervous about that. But then, you know, also within our community, if you think about it, we have a lot of parents who have to work, you know, just with our social demographics. And so we also thought, okay, so we're going to throw this Easter egg on, but it's also going to be free eggs. You know, so everyone's going to get eggs. Everyone's going to have a good time. We also had community vendors come out and they were able to sell their stuff to the community, which was also a really great thing too. But the turnout was, to say the least, it was amazing. It blew me away.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Lei Lolohea:
And so...

Anthony Godfrey:
It's really exciting. And obviously, there's a need for it.

Lei Lolohea:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
When you do something like that and you see the turnout, that's very rewarding.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now I also understand that you've done some things that are a little less glamorous, like having the girls wait until lunch is over and they clean the cafeteria.

Lei Lolohea:
We do, yes. But that's fine.

Anthony Godfrey:
You say we do.

Lei Lolohea:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're joining in on that.

Lei Lolohea:
Every once in a while. Yeah. But sometimes I like to hide in the corner and see who shows up and who doesn't. And there are consequences if you don't.

Anthony Godfrey:
I’ll bet there are. I believe they're called ladders.

Lei Lolohea:
Yes, it is. Or it's called a nice lecture from Coach Lei.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK, which I'm sure they want to avoid. They don’t want to let you down.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah. But I mean, just like little things like that, we help clean the commons and stuff. I preach a lot to our girls, like our gym area, before we even start practice and before we leave practice, that gym area is as clean as it can be. We always leave a place better than how we find it. And that's just the same here. It takes 10 minutes out of our day, out of our practice time, our class time, to help clean up the commons. But it's such a big deal to help with Nate, with our custodian. It's such a big deal because that takes 30 to 45 minutes away from them having to do that. And it's also a great lesson for our girls to learn that there's no one too high and there's no one too low to help. We help anyone and everyone, whether they're in the school, in the community, or in our own families. We help everyone.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. It's obvious that you're very intentional about creating a deep and broad and meaningful experience for these girls that's connected to community and connected to each other.

Lei Lolohea:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what are some of the lessons beyond basketball that you hope they take from the experience of being on your team?

Lei Lolohea:
I think the biggest one is that I hope that they just, the take away of just being a good human being. You know, just to be kind to anyone and everyone you come in contact with. But being a good human being is my biggest. Yeah, we're competitive. I mean, don't get us wrong. On that court, we are competitive.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, no. That goes without saying.

Lei Lolohea:
But it's also like, if we knock someone down, we're gonna be the first one to help them up on the court. Whether or not they take our hand, we're still gonna be the first one to help them up off the court. And I would hope and pray that that's probably the biggest lesson that I hope my kids take away from being part of this program is that, one, they become, or they are good human beings and I hope they realize that. And they move in every way, I hope they move with pure and genuine intentions. And just, I mean, just to love. And I, you know, and my girls know, my coaching staff knows, like everything. I am a tough love coach, but it is like we love them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, expecting a lot of them is the best way to show love.

Lei Lolohea:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And given everything I've learned about the type of coach you are, it's no surprise that you've won the Gold Star Coach award from UHSAA. You were selected from all the 6A nominees. It's a statewide award and it's given to someone for inspiring students and for being a positive role model. It's chosen by the UHSAA Sportsmanship Committee and the way that you teach lifelong lessons to the girls on and off the court. I'm just thrilled for you that you're getting this honor. I understand that when you found out that you received this award, you got a hold of this trophy, trying to keep people from finding out that you had it and you took it up to your room. Is that true?

Lei Lolohea:
It is.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you stole the trophy.

Lei Lolohea:
Wait, wait, wait. It was in my box.

Anthony Godfrey:
That was yours. You took it and quietly took it to your room and the athletic director had to go up there when you were out of the room and steal it back so that it could actually be given to you in a proper ceremony. Is that all accurate?

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I admire your humility, but I'm glad that they were able to honor you. You're very deserving of this award and I'm very proud of what you're doing here at West Jordan.

Lei Lolohea:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey;
Stay with us. When we come back, we'll be on the basketball court where Coach Lei gives me a lesson in making a free throw.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We're at West Jordan High School with one of Coach Lei's former players who recently graduated. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your experience on Coach Lei's team.

Layrn Melton:
I'm Lauryn Melton. I've been playing with Coach Lei for seven years. I started when I was really young and just played throughout the summer with her. I really enjoyed my time here. I was a captain for three of my years and just loved being on that team.

Anthony Godfrey:
After three years as a captain, can you still remember back when you first met Coach Lei?

Lauryn Melton:
Yeah, she was just an assistant coach at a summer camp I came to, and I remember she was just always there for us and just knew how to help us. And I was scared of her, but--

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, there's a good healthy little dose of fear when you first start out in a new program, right?

Lauryn Melton:
Yeah, for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what was it that you liked about Coach Lei right from the start?

Lauryn Melton:
Her energy and I just knew that she loved the game and could help me grow my love for the game.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the things that you've learned from Coach Lei related to basketball specifically over the years? What are some of the skills, attitudes, and approaches that you've learned working with her?

Lauryn Melton:
I'd say just how much I can do. I doubt myself a lot and she was able to kind of just give me that confidence that I needed. Like I said, I didn't mention this before, but I have been a state champion for taking charges three years in a row and she helped me get there. I didn't have the confidence to do that until she motivated me.

Anthony Godfrey:
A state champion for taking charges?

Lauryn Melton:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me a little bit more about that.

Lauryn Melton:
Yeah, I mean, it's the dirty work. I don't think many people do it or know about it. I've had to tell people even what a charge is throughout my experiences. But it's the one thing I knew I could help my team with. I struggled on offense and stuff, and defense is definitely my game. So once I found that I could take a charge and hustled down that court for that few seconds to help my team get a stop or get us back in the game.

Anthony Godfrey:
So how many times have you hit the floor for your team?

Lauryn Melton:
Oh, a lot.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I think that's one of the less glamorous aspects, as you call it, the dirty work. It's one of the less glamorous aspects of playing basketball, is that you take that charge, you set yourself, and you prevent the score.

Lauryn Melton:
Yeah, I definitely walked home with a few scrapes and bruises after every game. They call me the wall, so I kind of just stand there and know that no one else wants to do it, so someone has to.

Anthony Godfrey:
And has the skill of being the wall translated into other aspects of your life, like, hey, I know a difficult thing is coming my way, but I'm here to face it, and I'm ready to take it on.

Lauryn Melton:
Yeah, I'd say so. It's helped me know that I have support, because my teammates were always supporting me once I fell, whether they called the charge or not. They were always there to pick me up. It's the same in life. They are there to pick me up. If I go for something, it doesn't work out.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's great. I love that lesson. You talked about how Coach Lei helped you believe in yourself. Tell me more about that.

Lauryn Melton:
I'd say just even on and off the court. She's always been interested in our life away from it. Especially at school, she always makes sure we set time aside to do our schoolwork and excel in it and not just do average work. We always are good. We have a lot of 4.0 students on our team. And yeah, I feel like she's always just pushed us outside of basketball as well as in the gym.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it would be fair to say that well beyond basketball, you've achieved a lot of things you might not have otherwise because of Coach Lei's influence?

Lauryn Melton:
Yes, for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
She shaped who you are.

Lauryn Melton:
Yes, our whole team. She's made us the women we are today.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's wonderful. Thanks very much for taking the time. Congratulations on a great career in basketball, especially here at West Jordan High School, and especially as the wall.

Lauryn Melton:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm going to think of you every time somebody takes one for the team.

Lauryn Melton:
Oh good. Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're now in the West Jordan gym. I have a basketball in hand and Coach Lei and Lauryn are going to teach me a little bit about the game of basketball. So first of all, show me what a stance looks like when you're ready to take that charge. How do you stand? All right, shoulder width.

Lauryn Melton:
Just with my arms up.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hands up. Give me, show me.

Lauryn Melton:
I just stare them down when they come all the way down.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, stare me down. I'm coming down. That is intimidating. I definitely want to stop. I want to, you stopped me in my tracks. Okay, very good. All right, what do you want to teach me? Passing, shooting, dribbling, dunking. I mean, I'm ready for anything.

Lei Lolohea:
If you want to dunk, we can dunk.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm ready for anything.

Lei Lolohea:

Let’s do shooting.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, some shooting.

Lei Lolohea:
Are you right-handed, left-handed?

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm left-handed.

Lei Lolohea:
You're left-handed? Okay, so you're just, you got the ball right on your fingertips.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Lei Lolohea:
And then when you shoot, you're gonna flick your wrist, but you're also gonna act like you're picking a cookie out of the cookie jar. That's how you're gonna end it.

Anthony Godfrey:
I do have some practice at picking cookies out of a cookie jar. So let's try that. Let's try that. Where do I want it? Do I want it kind of in front of my, right here? Okay.

Lei Lolohea:
Elbow tucked in.

Anthony Godfrey:
Elbow tucked in?

Lei Lolohea:
Yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
This feels very, okay, let's try it, let's try it. I did not do what you told me to do with my wrist.

Lei Lolohea:
That's okay, are you aiming in the front of the room or the back of the rim?

Anthony Godfrey:
It's tough to tell, isn't it?

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let me try the back of the rim. Should I aim for the back of the rim.

Lei Lolohea:
Up to you, just a little softer touch.

Anthony Godfrey:
A little softer touch.

Lei Lolohea:
Yeah, elbow tucked in.

Anthony Godfrey:
Elbow tuck, okay.

Lei Lolohea:
You look like John Stockton right now. (laughing)

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that's the best backhanded compliment I've ever received. Okay, here we go, here we go.

Lei Lolohea:
That's a nice shot.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, that's a little better, but I didn't aim where I needed to aim. So let's try it again, let's try it again.

Lei Lolohea:
Don't forget, pick your cookie.

Anthony Godfrey:
But I put my elbow in this time without being told. Okay, pick the cookie. And I made it. I picked the cookie and I made it. That's awesome! I have improved my basketball game in 90 seconds under your Coach Lei. Thank you for that.

Lei Lolohea:
And stealing the cookies are out of the cookie jar.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Okay. Let me try it again. Let's see if I can bring that elbow in. Pick the cookie.

Lei Lolohea:
Oh, there you go.

Lei Lolohea:
Wow, that's two in a row. You're a natural. I think you lied about not being able to shoot.

Anthony Godfrey:
I did not lie. I was not sandbagging it. Okay. All right. Let's try. Let's try three in a row. Now I'm feeling pressure. Okay, man. Get right there. Lauryn, get right there and give me that menacing look. So that it's more,

Lei Lolohea:
I feel like we should do a wager.

Anthony Godfrey:
Seriously, she just turns it on. She's nice and sweet and kind and then bam, don't mess with me all of a sudden. All right, let's try it.

Lei Lolohea:
I say if you miss, I get your salary.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh no, wait a minute. Wait a minute. You stopped the recording before she said that, right? Okay. All right, thanks very much. It's great spending time with both of you. I appreciate it.

Lei Lolohea:
Thank you. Go Jags!

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Heartfelt messages of appreciation were written by Bingham High School students and delivered to every single teacher at the school.

On this episode of the Supercast, find out why so many students jumped at the opportunity to tell teachers how much they care in a project that resulted in 3,300 personalized cards being delivered to classrooms and bringing some teachers to tears.

We're talking with some students here at Bingham High School, some of our student officers, about the project of writing cards for teachers. Tell me about how this happened and how it felt to express gratitude to your teachers.

Student #1:
Well, we had some time during the day to do the climate survey, the climate change survey, and a couple other things, and then they said, if you wanna do a form for your teachers and just thank them for all they do, You can do that, it's optional, but I mean, if you wanna take some time to thank your teacher, go ahead. 

And so I think a lot of us took advantage of the opportunity to fill out that form and just thank some of our favorite teachers that we know truly care about us and just want the best for us. So I took some time to write some to some of my favorite teachers and ones that have helped me a lot throughout my years in high school. I'm a senior, I'm graduating soon, so I just wanted to thank them. I thought that was an awesome way. I'm glad the administration put that together. And yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
As a senior graduating, coming to the end of 13 years of public education, do you look back on teachers throughout your years and the impact that they've had?

Student #1:
Oh yes, for sure. Yeah, there are so many teachers, I mean, throughout elementary school and middle school, and now in high school that have really just been there for me and been there to help me. And when I've struggled, I just know that I could rely on them and they're always there to help.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the things you remember writing your cards to teachers?

Student #2:
Just telling them that they made me excited to go to school and school hasn't always been the best atmosphere for me personally with learning and just friends, but teachers really make it a safe place to be and they want you to learn. And that is super important to me. And I've had a lot of teachers, I could say every teacher's had a really good atmosphere to help me learn and help me grow. And you can just tell that everyone at Bingham really, really cares about their students and want us to succeed and go on, and it's really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember those classrooms too. Where you knew, I'm going to walk in this classroom and it's going to feel good. And there's going to be something engaging and interesting for me to do that's going to push me and move me to places I hadn't been. 

Student #2:
100%.Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you?

Student #3:
For me, I was just thanking my teachers for all they'd done. I wrote one to my choir teacher. I started singing choir at Bingham, so it was my first year I was scared.  And he helped me just fit in with the class and it was really welcoming and now I love choir and it's definitely one of my favorite classes. So my teachers, they're just so nice and I was just thanking them for all they do to make me feel safe at the school and help me develop my education further.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about you? Do you remember some of the things that you said?

Student #4:
Yeah, so I wrote a lot about personal interactions that I've had with the teachers and I think for me, personal interactions with them, like make it or break it. And treating my teachers like they're my friends, you know. I like treating them with respect, and they also treat me with respect. And I think I'm really grateful for that. So showing that and being able to reciprocate that in a letter and them being able to read it on my behalf is so cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
Looking back on the year, are you able to see kind of the progression? Like you start out kind of wondering what's this class going to be about. And now you get to this totally different place. And really, to me, that's what's amazing is how the relationships form over the year. It's kind of imperceptible and then you look back and you realize just how far you've come.

Student #4:
I'd agree. I think that like, I don't know, I feel like at the beginning of the year you're a little nervous like going into the first day of school. It's like, oh I don't know what to expect. What's going to change and what's going to be different from last year? But I think you grow and develop as a human throughout, I don't know, this is my junior year so very big year for me, just a lot of decisions. And I think there's a lot of personal growth and I think teachers helped with that. They're coaching me along the way and like helping me become the person that I want to be. So, yeah.

Student #2:
I agree. I think that throughout the year the teachers can, their excitement for that subject and what they're teaching is contagious and it's really helped me know what I want to do. Like specifically my physics teacher, Mr. Fish. He is amazing and he just really cares about us learning and it's made me think about how I want to apply that to maybe my future career.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic. Any other parting thoughts about your teachers?

Student #1:
I just, I personally think that the choice is up to them if they want to make the class super fun and engaging, or just do the bare minimum, and there are so many teachers that just, they want it to be engaging. They go out of their way, they take time outside of school to make school a place of learning, but also a place of fun. And with that, I think that me as a student, I like to give more respect to that, and I think a lot of other students do too.

Just because that's hard to put in that much effort and that much time to try and just make the class something fun and not something that will bore students. And with that, you know, it just makes me a lot more grateful to see all the hard work they're putting in. As a result, I just, I have a lot of respect for them. So yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much.

Students:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's nice to meet all of you.

Stay with us when we come back. Jordan School District's Teacher of the Year received a stack of handwritten cards of appreciation from students. Find out what they said and Andrea Call’s reaction. 

Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian? Commercial pilot? Programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant. These are just some of the programs offered as part of Career and Technical Education. CTE in Jordan School District. CTE provides the technical skills needed to prepare students for future employment or for a successful transition to post-secondary education. Career and Technical Education provides work-based learning opportunities. We partner with industry experts to offer apprenticeships and internships with students working in the real world at real jobs while going to school. The CTE experience starts in our elementary schools with the Kids' Marketplace and grows through middle and high school. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here at Bingham High School celebrating Andrea Call, the Teacher of the Year for Jordan School District. How do you feel Andrea?

Andrea Call:
I'm shocked, I'm honored. Yeah, I feel like I represent so many amazing teachers so I hope I can do well.

Anthony Godfrey:
There are a lot of amazing teachers out there and you are certainly one of them. There's a great teacher in every classroom in Jordan School District but I've been so excited to be able to be in yours and to see you teach. To see really the connection that you have with students it's really something. And the connection that you made with the adults who have been in the classroom as well. 

We were there for “Miner Tank” we did another Supercast episode about that. We just talked with some students about the project of writing thank you cards for teachers. So Andrea, as hard as it is to read things about yourself, would you mind pulling out a couple of the cards that you received? A couple of the thirty, I think it's thirty-three hundred cards that were written here at Bingham, and just read a couple of those for us if you would.

Andrea Call:
Okay.

“Hi Mrs. Call, I just wanted to thank you for believing in me. You were the first teacher since elementary school who had faith in me. So I thank you for that.”

“She is always there to talk to.”

“ She is kind. I love her style of teaching and the activities we do to tie in the lessons. She is my favorite teacher.”

“She is absolutely the best teacher at the school. She is a gem and a prize in our school community. She goes above and beyond for her students.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, that feels pretty good. They're not even about me and it felt great to hear those cards.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, but I am sure that if we had another teacher here reading it would be the same because I do feel like most of the teachers at Jordan District really care about their students. We have such a unique group of teachers and staff that support and care about the students and so I feel like we could read hundreds of cards about everybody.

Anthony Godfrey:
Every student has a teacher of the year in their mind.

Andrea Call:
Absolutely.

Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say to the students who took the time to write these cards, voluntarily,  as part of their school day?

Andrea Call:
I feel like these thank-you notes are probably the greatest gift and greatest payment that you could possibly give a teacher. Because I just feel like hearing that you have made a difference, that you have actually impacted a student is the best thing for a teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what it was that made you want to become a teacher.

Andrea Call:
Oh gosh. I feel like I have always felt sort of a responsibility to, I don't know, help and serve those around me. Oh gosh. And I feel like being in education is probably the most impactful way to do that. And we, you know, being a teacher is one of those things like you don't know if you're doing it well, and it's not really until students kind of come back and sort of say to you a couple years later, like, you helped me, what you taught me has impacted me. And to me, that's what it's about. Is helping students just be good humans and recognize that they have another adult cheering for them.

I mean, I don't have to do that because you know your parents you kind of discount because you're like my mom and dad, they have to love me. But you know your teachers we really don't, we choose to. And so I think for me that is really impactful for my life, is choosing to love and serve.

Anthony Godfrey:
You have described very well that unique relationship between teacher and student. It doesn't have to happen. Just because you're in the same room at the same time doesn't mean there's automatically a connection. It's when teachers like you reach out and give of yourself and have that focus on service, and caring, connecting. 

And you're right. There is no number. There's no test. There's no analysis that provides you that type of feedback about the impact that you've had. Sometimes it's years later and it can sometimes be a student that in the moment didn't seem all that engaged with the class, necessarily.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, those are the best actually. 

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, exactly when you don't expect it. Tell me about some of the things that you've heard from students over the years.

Andrea Call:
I feel like most of it is you know, “you help me see the world in a different way.” “You help me, you know learn how to learn.” “You help me value myself and believe in myself.” That those are probably the most impactful, you know. And then I do enjoy the students that go to college and are like “you taught me everything I needed to know in marketing and so my class is easy” so that helps me.

Anthony Godfrey:
For those who haven't had the chance to be in your classroom talk about the classes that you teach.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, I teach a lot of business classes so I teach Business Communications. I teach Business Leadership. I teach Marketing and then concurrent enrollment Marketing, and then the Entrepreneurship Academy and the school store so a lot of practical business classes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And the entrepreneur class is the one that I was able to visit where we brought in business leaders who really helped mentor throughout the year students who have their own ideas and their own business projects. Tell me a little bit about that.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, that actually has been so fun because students have looked for like a problem that they see and then they've come up with a solution on how to fix it. Which is what an entrepreneur is. And then they've been able to develop that idea into businesses and have some guidance from people who have started businesses and been wildly successful. And even if they've decided that they don't want to continue the business, they've learned so many things just about being an entrepreneur or just being a person in business or having a job.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you've already referenced it, but there are lots of things that your students take away from your class that have nothing to do with business or marketing.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's problem solving, and I think from what I saw, I feel like it's a sense of efficacy that they know ‘Hey, if I apply myself and really try this I can do something I didn't think I could do.’

Andrea Call:
Yeah, absolutely. Honestly for me those soft skills, those real-world skills are probably more important than the content, you know, because you can Google the content.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right, and those skills are going to apply to a wide range of circumstances throughout their lives.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, yeah for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about teachers in your life that have had an impact.

Andrea Call:
(laughs) - I mean, so many teachers in my life, and especially the ones who were able to believe in me when I couldn't believe in myself. I mean, there have been so many in so many different areas. I feel like, honestly, I have the attitude that most people that I come in contact with, I have something to learn from, and so honestly, there are so many.

Anthony Godfrey:
When you're interacting with as many high school students as you do, that's the perfect attitude to have. There's something to learn from everyone. I remember learning things from my students all the time.

Andrea Call:
Yeah, I learned so much from them. I actually learn more from them sometimes than I'm sure they learn from me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's a great concentration of humans that get to interact and learn from each other and make connections that just don't go away. So, any thoughts for those who may be considering being a teacher? Either adults who are thinking of coming to teaching or students who are thinking about pursuing it early on as a career?

Andrea Call:
Yeah, I mean, I feel like we desperately need more people who want to be teachers. And I think a lot of times we worry like, well, maybe we don't know the content area, but I think if you care about people, it's one of the best professions for you to be in. I'm not gonna lie, there's not a lot of money in it, But I do feel like there's a huge reward. So, and that matters. And at the end of your life, I feel like that may matter more.

Anthony Godfrey:
Absolutely, absolutely. Thank you for being our Teacher of the Year, Andrea, and for being an incredible educator.

Andrea Call:
Thanks.

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