Supercast

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. In some parts of the world, they are kept as pets due to their peculiar appearance and interesting behavior. We're talking about the Madagascar or hissing cockroach.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Jordan Hills Elementary School, where hissing cockroaches are in one classroom helping students study science and insect behavior. Hear what students have to say about the unique project and how the ancient bugs are contributing to the learning process in a pretty big way.

We're here at Jordan Hills with third-grade teacher Melissa Reynolds and I can't take the smile off my face because this is perhaps the most unique school visit I've ever made and that is to visit your classroom cockroaches. Tell me a little bit about that.

Melissa Reynolds:
So last year, the FOSS program was new to Jordan Hills, and in the FOSS program, there is an activity about crayfish. And in Utah, it's illegal to transport crayfish from their natural habitat to your home or anywhere else or to another habitat without first killing them, and so we can't bring crayfish in for the FOSS part of that. We're supposed to learn about behaviors and adaptations.

Anthony Godfrey:
So so far, I've already learned that I to be more careful with crayfish. Not that I've ever transported live crayfish like a common criminal, but I will know not to do that in the future.

Melissa Reynolds:
Or you'll be imprisoned.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right.

Melissa Reynolds:
No, but so there's an alternate activity in the book that says we can use hissing cockroaches instead. So I--

Anthony Godfrey:
No wait, hissing cockroaches.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, these are the Madagascar hissing cockroaches, not the yucky kind you find on your kitchen floor. Not my kitchen floor, but others.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, other unfortunate kitchen floors, yes.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, these are not the yucky, nasty cockroaches. So these are Madagascar hissing cockroaches. And the activity is somewhat the same. They still talk about the different adaptations that they use, the behaviors that they have. You identify different structures on the animals. And so it works well, and it's very guided through the FOSS system.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell everyone what FOSS is for those who may not know.

Melissa Reynolds:
FOSS is the science program that our district is providing for us. It's really an all-inclusive program. It comes with a couple of bins for each unit that you teach, and I'm doing the Life Structures Unit this year. I say that I'm doing it because, just like Boston was saying, we each decided, as three of the third-grade teachers, we'll each take one and teach it to all the classes in third grade, mostly because the other teachers did not want to do cockroaches.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you are the designated cockroach teacher.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, yes. So the kids get really excited to come to my science group because they get to see the cockroaches, they get to hold them. One of the activities we do is what happens when we touch their antenna? What happens when we leave them alone with a cardboard tube, what happens when we touch their abdomen, what happens when we hold them? And they get to see what animals do to react and then we talk about why they have those reactions as instincts to keep them alive.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are the two little kind of antennae right down below the main big ones? Their two little dangly ones.

Melissa Reynolds:
These ones that are right by his mouth.

Anthony Godfrey:
And have you named any of them?

Melissa Reynolds:
No. No, there was. So we had originally two cockroaches when I first started doing it last school year and none of the other teachers were that brave and we weren't rotating. So I was just teaching my class and I wanted to have more cockroaches because the program says you need about eight to do everything that you're supposed to do. Because then you introduce them to other cockroaches and see what they do when they're around other cockroaches. And so I said, “okay, I want them to have more cockroaches.” So I talked to Mr. Squire in our school. He teaches second grade and he has had cockroaches before too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how about that? On purpose?

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, on purpose.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Melissa Reynolds:
And my son when he was in second grade, he's now in sixth, when he was in second grade he said, "Mom, can we please take home a cockroach?" And I said, "Heavens no. We are never having a cockroach. Never will you get to take home a cockroach." And he begged and begged and I said, "No, and here I am now with 140 or more cockroaches."

Anthony Godfrey:
And that was my next question. So you're supposed to have eight. You now have 140. You are the Outstanding Educator of the Year for Jordan Hills and when I came to give you that award, we talked about cockroaches. I had heard about this in your classroom and when you invited me back, you emailed me that all of the over 100 babies were all ready to go and I could come anytime. Tell me, why did you go from 8 to 140 cockroaches?

Melissa Reynolds:
Well, I only had those two and I kept trying to get them to have babies so I gave them a heater, made it really moist inside so that they would be happy because that's what Mr. Squire told me to do. And then they just had like maybe four or five last summer and I was really kind of bummed. I thought, "Oh, I just need some more," and then none of them really lived except for that one that I was just holding, the male. He lived. And then I bought two new females in November and those two females and that male, now there are over 140. And they had their first batch of babies in February, on the 10th of February. And then it seems like I keep looking in there and there's more babies every day. I mean, that's not true, but it feels like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
There are more and more cockroaches in your classroom.

Melissa Reynolds;
They start out as little tiny, about the size of a potato bug. And then they molt seven or so times until they're an adult.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, when you told me that there were baby cockroaches for us to come see, I was really expecting teeny tiny cockroaches. I was a little bit shocked when I came in and I saw cockroaches the size of, oh, what would you say that is, like a band-aid?

Melissa Reynolds:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I just thought, wow, that is an enormous cockroach.

Melissa Reynolds:
These ones we found a couple of days ago and they are teeny tiny.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, look at the little ones underneath the dish. After you've looked at the big ones, the little ones can actually look kind of cute.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, they are very cute when they start out.

Anthony Godfrey:
Although they move very quickly, which is alarming. It feels like they could be anywhere you don't want them to be in an instant.

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes. The baby ones are a little more quick and unpredictable.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now these, the big ones, are shiny and formidable, and they actually look like you could be seeing them in a terrarium at a zoo or on display somewhere because they really do look quite exotic I must say.

Melissa Reynolds:
They actually have them at the aquarium in Draper.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, do they?

Melissa Reynolds:
They have a display with some of them in there.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you said that initially, you were a little bit hesitant about this.

Melissa Reynolds:
Oh yes. I tried to pick them up for the very first time from the little container that I got at the pet store and they hissed at me and I screamed and I just couldn't pick them up. So for the first little bit, I used a paper towel roll and got them to crawl in the paper towel roll and then I kind of shook them into their enclosure and I was terrified of them. But now I'm used to them and they don't hiss at me quite as often and I've learned how to handle them and how to pick them up.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how do your students react to them?

Melissa Reynolds:
They think they tickle when they hold them. One of them actually last year got scared and screamed and it fell on the floor and it was okay, they have that exoskeleton. But they do different reactions. Some of them want to hold them every day, and I wish we had time to do that every day but we don't, and some of them don't want to touch them but most of them at least want to try one time and then they tell me it tickles.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay and what do you hope that the students take away from the experience of having cockroaches in the class and from the lessons associated with those cockroaches?

Melissa Reynolds:
Well, it's really actually quite neat that they get to see a full life cycle of these cockroaches because not only do they talk about their behaviors and their adaptations, they've actually seen them grow. They always come to the front right here when they're molting and so we get to see them push the molt off and it's really a neat process for them to see an animal life cycle full scale. They get to see it start out as a baby and they get to see it grow a little bigger and a little bigger and a little bigger and we talk about when they molt and it's neat that they can apply what they're seeing in the classroom to other animals. That they have different stages that they're growing into and just be a little more connected with science in the real world.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's fabulous.

Stay with us when we come back we take a tour of the Cockroach terrarium.

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:
Hope, tell me what you think about having cockroaches in your classroom.

Hope:
I think it's pretty cool that there's cockroaches in here, and I'm really excited to like hold one when we can.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you held one before?

Hope:
Uh-huh like in fall when she brings them to the class. I hold held one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh cool, and do you look at them everyday kind of as you walk by?

Hope:
Yeah, usually. Sometimes I don't because there's like everybody in front of it, but I usually do.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's pretty popular to see the cockroaches?

Hope:
Yeah

Anthony Godfrey:
Hope, do you want to adopt one and take it home?

Hope:
Maybe if my dad and mom is fine with it I think my mom is fine with it, but I'm not sure with my dad.

Anthony Godfrey:
You think your dad might be a tougher sell?

Hope:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I understand Thank you Hope. What's your name?

Boston:
Boston

Anthony Godfrey:
Boston, tell me about this one right here.

Boston:
So the white ones have molted and sometimes, so we always catch them in the act of molting. So it's really common because they're 140 plus.

Anthony Godfrey:
So with 140 cockroaches you're generally going to see one molting pretty often.

Boston:
Pretty much every day we see one or two in the morning. Sometimes you can see their skin still on their butt.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow and what does it mean for them to molt?

Boston:
It means for them to lose their shell so they can get a bigger one.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you said I shouldn't touch the one that just molted. Why is that?

Boston:
You can touch it, but very lightly. If you press it too hard or squish it too hard, then it will get squished and die.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, because it's very soft right now and kind of vulnerable. Okay.

Boston:
They really like in the dark up there because, they also like a little tunnel, and it creeps me out so much when they crawl out of the tiki now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, here in the terrarium, right?

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, we're looking in on several cockroach friends.

Boston:
Some of them can just sneak under that little hole in the cork rock.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.

Boston:
This is the one we named Big Mama. And the dad that's still alive which was original. We named him Big Daddy. I mean Tiny Daddy.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, Big Mama and Tiny Daddy. Well, how do you keep track of who the original mom is? Are there distinct markings on these kissing cockroaches?

Boston:
Yes, you can tell if they're male or females 'cause the bumps.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Melissa Reynolds:
Which one has bumps?

Anthony Godfrey:
Where are the bumps and who has them?

Boston:
The bumps are always on the males. The females have tiny ones, but you just really can't see them at all.

Melissa Reynolds:
And where are they?

Boston:
They're on like the back of its head. So we're doing rotations and currently the last rotation for our class, Mrs. Alvies, is my mom's.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay, cool. The Tiki face looks to be screaming.

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
But it has 15 cockroaches on top of it, so I understand why it may be screaming. That may be very uncomfortable.

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you wanna see my impression of a cockroach?

Boston:
Sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
You can tell me whether you think it's good or not. Are you ready? You guys ready to see my impression of a cockroach?

Boston:
Yeah.

(Students laughing)

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you think?

Students:
Yeah. Good!

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that good?

Students:
It's true, it's true.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, kind of the antenna moving independently. I worked on that for a long time, so I'm glad you like it.

Boston:
So that blue one is, that blue dish is supposed to be the food dish, but they would probably get stuck if they were the babies.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what's on the blue dish? Is that salt?

Boston:
No, that's a cotton ball.

Anthony Godfrey:
A cotton ball?

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do they like--

Boston:
That's how they get their water.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's how they clean their ears? No, that's how they get their water.

Boston:
Yeah, and the dishes glow in the dark.

Anthony Godfrey:
The dishes glow, I'm learning a lot very quickly here. So the dishes glow in the dark, the cotton is to give them something to drink, and they really like being on top of Tiki Tower. And they're soft once they molt, so you have to be gentle with them. No problems here.

Boston:
And usually, it's the one that molted eats their own shell that they had just molted. But sometimes, since there's a bunch of cockroaches...

Anthony Godfrey:
Do they eat each other's shells?

Boston:
Yeah.

Melissa Reynolds:
That one's eating it right now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, look at that. Let me get my glasses on so I can appreciate the fine detail of that. Yep. Can confirm. All right. Well, thank you very much for giving me a tour of the terrarium. Have any of you wanted to name the cockroaches? Have any of you named any of them?

Boston:
I named one Bob.

Anthony Godfrey:
You named one Bob? Is it Bob short for Robert or is it just Bob the Cockroach?

Boston:
Bob.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. How about you? Did you name one? Yeah. What did you name?

Student #1:
I named one of them like Luke.

Anthony Godfrey:
You named him Luke?

Student #1:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that after someone?

Student #1:
Not really. Just seems like the right name for that cockroach.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just seems like the right name for that cockroach.

Student #1:
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Now how do you know that Luke and Bob are not the same cockroach?

Student #1:
Because they're not, well cockroaches are not really not the same all the, both each other.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you can tell the difference between cockroaches now?

Student #1:
Sometimes, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Something you did not know you were going to learn in third grade. How about you? Did you name any of them?

Student #2:
No, but really some people have been calling them spider roach because they were climbing up the glass.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, spider roach because they climbed up the glass. Okay. Oh no, wait. Oh, they're out in the world here. Look at those things. They are big and fat and juicy aren't they? Wow.

Melissa Reynolds:
To a lizard or someone who might eat it? Yes. So on their backs right here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Melissa Reynolds:
This one that's crawling towards you. That one is the male.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, I can see the bumps very easily now.

Melissa Reynolds:
And a lot of people think that those are their eyes, but their eyes are underneath them. The heads are like an ant head underneath.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Melissa Reynolds:
It's like busy. Anyway, so they have their heads underneath there, and many people think that those are their eyes, but those are just, they call them male bumps.

Anthony Godfrey:
Male bumps.

Melissa Reynolds:
So that's how you know that that one is a male cockroach.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, now is that dog food that they're eating?

Melissa Reynolds:
Yes, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Melissa Reynolds:
They eat dog food. It's the easiest thing to keep in there that won't mold unless it gets really wet or anything. But then once or twice a week, I throw in like lettuce, they eat fruits and vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Anthony Godfrey:
So a balanced diet, a balanced diet. Okay, very good.

Melissa Reynolds:
They really like the lettuce.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Well, here's the important question. Do they fly?

Melissa Reynolds:
No, they do not fly, they do not bite. They don't do anything except for they have little like, I don't know how to describe them. They're kind of like little barbs almost on their legs, but they don't hurt you. It's mostly for them to be able to grip and also for defense so that when something's trying to grab them, they can push against with their leg and get away from that creature. That's the only thing that might feel like it's poking you or anything, but they won't bite and they can't harm you. So it's really nice.

Anthony Godfrey:
I’m building up to holding one. I'm not there yet, but hopefully, I can get there very quickly. So, what happens we're closing in on the end of the year. What happens when in a few days school is over and the cockroaches need continued care? What are you going to do with the cockroaches at that point?

Melissa Reynolds:
Well, I am planning to take them home. They've been home with me last summer, not all 140 yet, and over longer breaks because I want to make sure they get fed. But I have opened up to the third-grade students in our school too. I'm sending home an adoption form and they can have a parent permission slip signed saying that they can take a cockroach or two home with them over the summer as long as they'll treat them nicely. And then I also, maybe you could help with this, I don't know, if there are other third grade teachers that are doing the FOSS program and they would like to have cockroaches in their classrooms, I am more than willing to share my 140 because they can be pricey on Amazon. They're $20 to $30 for a pair of cockroaches. So I wouldn't sell them to you. They are yours for the taking and you can use them in your classrooms if that's something you're interested in.

Anthony Godfrey:
We can definitely email third-grade teachers with the email subject line, "Free cockroaches." Just see if we attract some attention that way. And if there's somebody listening who's dying to have a hissing cockroach in their life, by all means reach out and then let's see if we can help you out.

So Boston, your home becomes a cockroach hotel over the summer. How does that feel having them at home as well?

Boston:
It feels really good because sometimes the cockroaches hiss at Mom when she picks them us and sometimes they go like really really fast so it just turns into a funny thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
If I pick one up, do you think it's going to hiss at me? Because if it hisses at your mom, your mom is very good to these cockroaches. So if they're hissing at her, I really think they're gonna hiss at me, do you think?

Boston:
Yeah, because I think it's just like if they know you, like I think they can like feel you and smell you with their antenna or something, or they just might not be familiar to strangers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well you know what, I'm gonna pick one up, I'm going to. So I'll let you know whether it hisses at me or not, okay?

Boston:
I'll even tell you how to pick it up so it doesn't just...

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, how do you... yes, how do you pick it up?

Boston:
Um, so you have to pick it up on its sides with your middle finger and thumb like this. Lightly pick it up and put it onto your hand. And if it gets too far up here and might fall off, you just do the same thing with your other hand.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just make sure there's always a hand for him to step onto.

Boston:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Uh, I might have your mom pick it up for me. Thank you for inviting me into your cockroach corner, your cockroach classroom, and answering some of the cockroach conundrums that have been plaguing me. This is very, very interesting and thank you for stretching yourself and going all in. I see it not just in the cockroach cage, but I see other stuff growing and happening all over your classroom that makes it a very engaging environment. So thanks for all the hard work you're putting into making this a great experience for these third graders.

Melissa Reynolds:
Absolutely. 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.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It's not something students typically see every day, Queen Elizabeth making a grand and dignified entrance into one of their classrooms. But when the classroom belongs to Fort Herriman Middle School Science teacher, Gayle Dowdle, it is simply part of the learning process.

On this episode of the Supercast, find out how one teacher's love of cosplay resulted in something called the “Creators Club” for students. A club where creativity is sparked by making colorful costumes and transforming into beloved characters.

We're here with Gayle Dowdle, a science teacher at Fort Herriman Middle School to talk about cosplay. Thanks for talking with us today.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah, no problem.

Anthony Godfrey:
For those who may not know, if they were standing here with you right now, they would know what cosplay is because you are dressed to the nines. But describe what cosplay is just to start.

Gayle Dowdle:
So cosplay is a kind of mix of two words. It's a mixture of costuming and play. So the idea is that when you cosplay, you basically dress as the character and you pretend to be the character as well. So the cosplay character that I usually portray is Queen Elizabeth I, and I do the Utah Renaissance Fair and stuff, so I represent her at those. I've done a bunch of other characters too, but lots of it is involved with like FanX and comic conventions and things like that, but also people do it as like volunteer stuff too.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I can hear that I've already mispronounced it, cosplay instead of cosplay. Which is a common mistake I'm guessing.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah, my dad the first time he said he's like, "Have you heard of this cosplay stuff?” I'm like, "Yeah Dad, that's what I do.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Now I am a big pop culture fan and I have seen cosplay a lot at FanX, at San Diego Comic-Con, and at other venues for pop culture. You talked about the service aspect too, but let's talk about the fan experiences that you're a part of and where cosplay comes into play at those venues.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah, so FanX was kind of one of the first places that I really got into some of the more major stuff of doing costuming at a higher level and that was because I got pulled into one of the cosplay competitions there. Ro is the one that runs the cosplay competition and he was like, "You should do this." So I applied and got in and won my first cosplay competition as an Elizabethan vampire. And so that was really cool. And I was like, "This is amazing. This is exciting.”

What's really cool is when you go and interact, the community of cosplayers is really close and supportive a lot of times. And so made a lot of friends through that. So it's just kind of become this huge part of my life where I've got people. In fact, one of my friends is in the cosplay called Fame and she's actually gonna come next week as a guest to help the kids next week at our cosplay clubs. But basically, just everybody comes up with the character that they love and then they build it. Sometimes it's original characters, sometimes it's characters from pop culture like you were talking about.

And there is competitions. I've competed, well, except for during COVID when we didn't do it. I basically competed every year for the last five or six years, and I've won six or seven awards. Last year I won first place in Masters at FanX with my Spanish Armada, Queen Elizabeth gown. So yeah, it was pretty exciting. I was excited about that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, let's talk about the array of costumes that you have embraced.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
It really, like you said, is next-level costuming. And I've seen a wide range as I've gone to FanX and other events.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Transformer outfits that are made out of Igloo coolers and lots of different household items that are used as a part of a costume. But then there are those costumes that stand out that really are just very eye-catching, very compelling. Something that obviously took a ton of effort, not that the Igloo cooler costumes don't, but there are some that are really made to look completely realistic. So what are some of the Costumes over the years that you have created and won awards with?

Gayle Dowdle:
So a couple of them are different Queen Elizabeth gowns because I love that era and I love, even though I teach science, I love history. My husband's a history teacher so we love that era and kind of focus on a lot about Shakespeare. So I've done a Shakespeare costume for him that's based on the Cobbe portrait of Shakespeare. So it's a replica of that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that the one with or without an earring?

Gayle Dowdle:
It's a younger one that they're still arguing about whether they really think it's Shakespeare, so it does have an earring in it. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
So he dressed as the maybe Shakespeare.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah. Yeah, he's the maybe Shakespeare. But so I did that, and that was one that won. I also have done, I did a steampunk Batgirl. Which steampunk is like Victorian stuff.

Anthony Godfrey:
I understand the steampunk.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah, so I did that that was a lot of fun. It had wings that opened and closed. Then my most recent one that won just this last Halloween at a cosplay competition at the aquarium. The Loveland Planet aquarium was a six-foot-tall Chocobo, which is basically a giant chicken. It's a chicken costume for what most people don't know what a Chocobo is, but it's from a video game and they ride the Chocobo so it's like the size of a horse but it's a bird. But I made that for my son and you're inside the costume and a scientist actually told me when she was judging it how much it looked like the skeleton of a bird, which being a scientist I felt very like complimented by that so that was cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
How do you get from Queen Elizabeth to an enormous chicken from a video game?

Gayle Dowdle:
Because I am a lot of kinds of nerds. So yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so a wide range of nerd-dom appeals to you.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yes, yes. So we love video games in my family, but we also love history in my family. So the Chocobo came because my son wanted to be the Chocobo. So we worked on it together and built that. He actually tried to compete with it and we didn't win anything with it, but it was, I was actually just recovering from chemo at the time. So I wasn't able to put as much effort into it as I did. So we kind of revamped it this year and then it won this year. So that was really cool. But yeah, it's just a wide range. Anything that interests me, I'm like, I want to make that. We figure out a way to make it.

Anthony Godfrey:
As I've seen these costumes at FanX and other places, there are lots of people that get stopped to have their picture taken. And I've done that. I've stopped people. I was a Moon Knight fan before Moon Knight was cool. I started buying the comics in the 70s when I was a kid and whenever I saw a Moon Knight costume in the past, it was like somebody else remembers Moon Knight and I had to have my picture with them regardless of the quality of the costume. So let me ask you this, have you had a lot of photos over the years?

Gayle Dowdle:
Oh yeah. One year we actually, my husband kept track on his watch and just tapped every time somebody took a picture. And by the end of the first day, he stopped counting 'cause we had hit over 400 people that had come and taken pictures. So when we go to FanX, we don't get anywhere very fast ‘cause basically it's, we look at something, somebody takes a picture, we walk a few steps, somebody stops us, takes another picture, we walk a few steps. Yeah, we don't go anywhere fast. And at the Renaissance Fair, I have my own throne room with the other queens and the other kings. So people come to us there and get quests and stuff from us and take pictures, so it's a lot of fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back more with the “Creators Club” and cosplay in the classroom.

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:
Let's talk about the craft around it and bringing it into the club. So it takes a lot of work, it takes some skills. What made you want to start a club at the school?

Gayle Dowdle:
So when I started getting into this, I didn't have all the skills I needed. I didn't know how to do foam work and make armor and I didn't know how to do war blood and I didn't like, there were a lot of pieces. I knew how to sew because my mom had taught me to sew, but I didn't know how to sew what I needed to know. And so many of these kids, when I walk, 'cause I'll wear costumes to school occasionally for not really any reason other than I wanna wear a costume. So when I do and the kids see me, they're like, oh my gosh, I love it, I wanna do cosplay. And I started thinking about it, I was like, I have all this knowledge and stuff that I've learned over the last 10 years, that it only makes sense that I find a way to share it with them.

And this was something that we came up with, that we came up with this idea that we could do this club and each kid won't get their own costume, but they're gonna get skills from it and they're gonna get things that they can take. And what I'm hoping is that some of these guys will take this and continue with it because, for some people, this is their living. And for me, it's a side gig and I do commissions for people, but for some of them, they may actually be designers. And we didn't call it the cosplay club, we called it the “Creators Club”, because we didn't want to disparage those kids who were not necessarily into cosplay, but who want to sew dresses because it's the same skills and it's the same ideas.

So yeah, I just decided, I'm like, this is dumb that I have all of this vast knowledge and skills and stuff that I've learned over the last decade that I'm not imparting to these kids who want that knowledge and who are excited about that. So we have about 40 kids that are on the “Creators Club” and some come more regularly than others, but when they do come, they just get to work and they get working on stuff and they're very dedicated to what they're doing.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's dynamite. I love that you've provided this opportunity and this outlet for creativity, but also the sense of connection and sense of community.

Gayle Dowdle:
Yeah, it's been a lot of fun to get to know some of these guys. And they're an interesting group. They have such passions about specific things that they love, so it's great.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the great costumes that have come out of this club?

Gayle Dowdle:
So right now we're in the process, since it's only our first year, and each year we're basically focusing on creating one costume. And so we've got some that are Five Nights at Freddy's video game costume, we've got that one coming along. A lot of them were original characters. They didn't pick a specific character from something else, they designed their own stuff. And then they're coming up with how they're gonna do that on their own.

We've got armor that's gonna be made with scales and horns and lots of skirts, lots of petticoats, 'cause we've got lots of 'em that want the fluff. And, but yeah, we're gonna have them all put them on display at the school talent show in May. So that's our end goal, is to get those finished and then kind of have like a fashion show of all the ones. And whatever they have done, we'll put on display. If they've only got the skirt, we'll display it. If they've got the whole costume, great. That's good too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Fantastic, I love that. For those who are not lucky enough to be here, describe this costume to me, please.

Gayle Dowdle:
Okay, so this one is, I actually entered this in the geek-bound fashion show at FanX last year. It didn't win, but it was kind of a new thing for me, where basically you take a geekdom and you create like a modern something. And I entered the evening wear category. So there's like casual and then modern wear. So this one was my version of Belle. So a modern version of what I would think that Belle's gown would be. And I actually made it, specifically my goal to make it was that I couldn't spend any money. So I had to use anything that I had around my house 'cause I have a huge stash of fabric 'cause lots of people have donated stuff to me over the years. I should say we had a whole bunch of people who donated fabric and things to the club as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.

Gayle Dowdle:
And so but yeah, so this is my version of Beauty and the Beast Belle.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's fantastic. So you've got red roses, you've got gold roses.

Gayle Dowdle:
And the mirrors because of the enchanted mirror.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yes, mirrors along the bottom of the skirt is part of a pattern. A blend of gold and what would you call this red color?

Gayle Dowdle:
Kind of a burgundy almost, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's, yeah, it's a beautiful dress.

Gayle Dowdle:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
If you did this without making a purchase, then you really do have a significant stash at home.

Gayle Dowdle:
I do. These are curtains, actually. So's the stuff that the gold underneath this is curtains, and the red was curtains that were donated as well. So, yeah, my dress is basically made out of curtains, so.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's fantastic.

Gayle Dowdle:
It looks better than curtains, I promise.

Anthony Godfrey:
Curtains never had it so good with the design and all of that. That's wonderful.

Gayle Dowdle:
Thanks.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, tell me your name.

Abigail:
Abigail.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Abigail, what grade are you in?

Abigail:
Seventh.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you're part of the "Creator Club". Tell me about what that's like.

Abigail:
It's fun. We come every Thursday after school, and we work on our projects.

Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me about the project that you have here. This looks akin to a wedding dress.

Abigail:
It is. We got it from the DI in like December.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Yeah.

Abigail:
And so we are making a fairy dress and this is our base for it.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is the what?

Abigail:
The base.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, this is the base.

Abigail:
So we're gonna take that, and then we're gonna take this and this, and put it on top. So it looks yellow.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. This is the bottom half of a white wedding dress with decoration on it. Does it have a bit of a train? It has a little bit of a train and so you're going to take this fabric and lay it over according to this design that you've put together Did you draw this?

Abigail:
No, me and my friends drew it.

Anthony Godfrey:
What was the inspiration for the design? Is there any movie or Anime that made you think of this particular design?

Abigail:
We just decided that we wanted like a foresty nature-like fairy dress and so we settled on yellow and green because they work together. We made a bag that is green and a flower crown.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, I love the crown. White daisies and a couple of pink flowers. It looks really nice. And then this, tell me about this bag. Did you sew this bag?

Abigail:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. And is that, it's in the shape of a leaf. It's green. You can see the veins of the leaf that have been stitched on and then two handles to it. That looks really, oh, it's soft too.

Abigail:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow, that's really nice.

Abigail:
Yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so this will be the accessory that goes with that.

Abigail:
Yes, so it will be the accessory. The rules were we had to make something with shoes, a headpiece of some kind, and an accessory like a bag or a purse.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, this all looks so great. Holding this wedding dress, it makes me think, what's the story behind this dress?

Abigail:
We were at the DI. We went on a field trip to grab supplies so we went to the DI in someplace in Salt Lake City. And while we were at the DI, we were looking for a base and then everyone looked at the wedding dress and went, that's the one, that's the one we want. So we bought it for pretty cheap, I can't remember exactly how much, but it definitely wasn't full price for what it normally would have been if it were brand new.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Looks like you hit the jackpot.

Abigail:
Yeah, I'm sure the person there was confused why we were buying a wedding dress. Middle schoolers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah probably. Not a lot of seventh graders in the market for a wedding dress.

Abigail:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay well that's awesome I can't wait to see how that product turns out.

Abigail:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with Julie Beaird the sewing teacher here at Fort Herriman Middle School and tell me your role in this club and talk to me about the evolution of this club.

Julie Beaird:
Well I started doing a Stranger Things Club three years ago.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.

Julie Beaird:
With the request of a student. So we would get together and talk about episodes and it was kind of dying down so I thought we'd fit some sewing into it. So we made Christmas stockings for our fundraiser and stuff at Christmas time and but I still wasn't getting there with sewing so last summer Ms. Dowdle came and said what do you think of this idea. Yay, we could do more sewing! So I was really excited to do this. So it kind of morphed from the Stranger Things into the “Creator Club”.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's fantastic.

Julie Beaird:
I was already kind of used to doing a club-type thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, and because it's the “Creator Club”, cosplay is certainly a part of that, but it's not uniquely cosplay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. So tell me some of the projects that students have been working on through the year as part of the club.

Julie Beaird:
Yeah, I think a lot of students, at least my Stranger Things kids, didn't want it called cosplay because they don't identify with cosplay as being like a cool thing. So we kind of voted on names and when we came to “Creator Club” it fit perfect because it isn't just about cosplay, it's about being a fashion designer in a lot of ways and problem-solving when it comes to like trying to make an outfit or your design come to life that's on paper. So I like the idea of a creator because then you could do anything with that.

Anthony Godfrey:
What are some of the skills that students have gained as they've been a part of this club?

Julie Beaird:
So a lot of them don't really know sewing. I have every seventh grader in CCA learn sewing, but some of the kids that have come here haven't been in my class yet. So they've had to pick it up pretty quick. And so they're learning to thread the machines, use the machines, unpick things when they've made a mistake so using a seam ripper, cutting things straight, that's a really big skill. I just showed a student how to cut a line and she accidentally cut too much and that's that's hard in sewing because once you cut it away it's gone. But the thing I love about sewing and this is a skill I hope they will learn, of a seam ripper because everything in sewing can be fixed just like everything in life can be fixed.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that.

Julie Beaird:
So a seam ripper kind of represents there's no mistake that can't be fixed in life or in sewing.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's great.

Julie Beaird:
And I try and tell them you know there's not a lot of careers in sewing but it is a good life skill. Even if it's just someday you're gonna talk to someone and say I remember back in middle school when I sewed, and I still have my pillow or I still have golf shirts. Advanced though because sewing on knit it's hard.

Anthony Godfrey:
It may not be a skill that turns into a career, but there are going to be a lot of applications for it.

Julie Beaird:
Yeah, that's why I'm really glad the district still does it. There is a lot of life lessons to be taught at school, not just about careers, but about living your life.

Anthony Godfrey:
And a physical product that results from learning something you couldn't do before, that's tremendous value in that. Thanks to both of you for spending time with me today, and especially for putting all the time and effort into this. I think it's fabulous that you're making this available for students.

Gayle Dowdle:
Thank you. I appreciate you coming.

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. It is a high school medical forensics class which focuses on the proper way of documenting and processing a crime scene and on this day, it does not involve work in the classroom.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you on a unique field trip where forensics students are getting their hands dirty, with hands-on learning, digging deep into the science of medical forensics surrounded by police cars and crime scene tape. They are crime-solving students in action.

I’m here with Cynthia Cox out in Copperton, out in the field with her medical forensics class and with the law enforcement class as well. So introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about these classes and today's experience.

Cynthia Cox:
Well, my name is Cynthia Cox and I teach the medical forensics class at Bingham. All year long we've been talking about crime scene investigation, crime scene analysis, identification of evidence, analysis of evidence, packaging of evidence, and so this is kind of a culminating activity where the students come out and it's led by the police department. So the students are getting a real-world view of how to solve a crime from beginning to at least evidence packaged and sent back to the lab.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we have a gloomy snowy day that you might have ordered for dark work like this. It's the perfect setting. Tell me about the skills that students learn in class that lead up to this experience.

Cynthia Cox:
Well, we talk all about observation skills and turning off filters during observation, trying to make sure that students are coming in looking at evidence unbiased. We try to, we teach them about how to package all different types of evidence, not just a screwdriver, a piece of wire, but biologic evidence, drug evidence, blood evidence. And so there we teach bone analysis, we look at fingerprint analysis, we look at blood spatter analysis, and through all of those activities we're working on, you know, other workplace skills like problem-solving skills and teamwork skills.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the bone analysis and the blood splatter analysis.

Cynthia Cox:
Okay, so with blood spatter it can tell a story. We can, based on are we seeing large drops? Is this somebody that was maybe walking away from after they were injured? Or is this a really fine mist that may have come from a fast-moving weapon like a gun? So the angles that spatter hits a surface can tell us whether that person was standing up, whether they were sitting down, were they lying down. We can identify how many times a person might have been hit with blood spatter analysis. So there's lots of things we can learn from that.

With bone analysis and what they're looking at out here, a lot of animal bones that we've put out here, and we allow them to decompose before the students come out here. We can identify gender, we can identify ancestry, we can identify age from the bones, we can identify some of the injuries that might have occurred and left marks on the bones when we're trying to put all the pieces together and figure out what happened.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you indicated that you have animal remains out here that are used as evidence.

Cynthia Cox:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me about that. That's how you helped create the crime scene.

Cynthia Cox:
Yeah, so these are all legally acquired animal remains that taxidermists have given to me. And so we put them out here and allow them to decompose. And then the students collect the evidence that's already completely decomposed 'cause they don't like dealing with the flesh.

Anthony Godfrey:
You’ve really gone all in with getting things early enough to allow them to decompose. That's really, that's lesson planning at another level.

Cynthia Cox:
Well, we've been putting stuff out here every year for about nine years, so.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've got it down.

Cynthia Cox:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me about the involvement of the police. As I drove out here, I saw the truck and the flashing lights and I knew something was up.

Cynthia Cox:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
It definitely gives that real feel. They're working with the police right now, walking through with police officers in uniform, walking them through the crime scene. It's pretty exciting.

Cynthia Cox:
Yeah, so I feel like that's one of the benefits to it. We get that work-based learning feel. It's one thing for a classroom teacher to stand up there and teach all these components. But when they come out here with the police officers who do this every single day, all day long, they get a little bit more of that real-world experience, trying to really bring work-based learning into the classroom as much as we can, or outside of the classroom as we may. So I set this up through our SRO, and then he reaches-- -

Anthony Godfrey:
School resource officer for those listening.

Cynthia Cox:
Yep. And then he reaches out to the forensics division at the South Jordan Police Department.

Anthony Godfrey:
So do you draw attention? Do people wonder what's going on when the police are out here and we're scouring the landscape with police tape and everything?

Cynthia Cox:
Well, just like it was interesting to you when you walked up, we've already had Rio Tinto security come up and check on us to make sure everything was okay and see what was going on 'cause they saw the police tape and the flashing red and blue lights and--

Anthony Godfrey:
You told them no problem, we're just solving crime.

Cynthia Cox:
Yep, that's right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's about the most engaged learning you can imagine. I'm just looking out at a couple of dozen students with police officers and do not cross police tape and evidence and it's really exciting. So thank you for providing such a great experience for them today. Tell me, does this change their view of the crime shows and movies that they watch? Does it shift their perspective?

Cynthia Cox:
I hope so. We talk about that quite a bit in class, the fact that a crime is not solved in 45 minutes, that a collection of evidence alone can take 8, 9, 10, 12 hours, and then there's all the analysis and then all the legal work and the paperwork and everything. So we talk about that in depth in class.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what is it that draws students to a class like this? Is it they want to be in law enforcement, they want to be an attorney, they want to know more about you know a medical approach to solving problems? What is it that draws them?

Cynthia Cox:
I think most of the time they've they've seen the shows and those are interesting to them and so then they want to learn more. We talk about it throughout the school, they see some of our mock crime scenes that we set up during the school day as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Mock crime scenes must be really good advertisement for that class.

Cynthia Godfrey:
Yeah, we set those up multiple times throughout the year in the building and the students are able to then go through and practice collecting evidence. They stage them so they create those crime scenes that we do in class and they moulage each other, and they practice but then this is taking it to a whole different level.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is impressive. We're now in the area of the decay and with the bones out there. Kids are measuring things on the ground, working in teams, scouring the landscape, packaging evidence all under the watchful eye of South Jordan Police. It's really exciting. It's really cool to see this level of engagement. So beyond the specific skills of forensics, what are some of the other general skills that you hope students take away from this class?

Cynthia Cox:
Number one, I want them to have an appreciation for law enforcement, right? I want them to understand what really has to go into crimes and evaluation. You think about a TV show and it lasts 45 minutes and they've solved the whole crime.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. Everything gets tied up pretty neatly.

Cynthia Cox:
Yeah. And in real life, it doesn't happen that way.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Cynthia Cox:
So, I want them to have that appreciation and kind of that real-world view. We teach a lot of analytical skills in this class, information processing, you know, how to put all the pieces of the puzzle together, teamwork skills. It's another big thing that we work on in this class.

Solving a crime isn't just a one-person deal, you know, you're working with a medical examiner, you're working with an investigator, you might be working with an attorney or law enforcement, everybody has to come together to try to solve that. So we work a lot with teamwork skills, some of those life skills that they can take with them into other professions as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Outstanding. Well, it's a great class experience obviously given by an award-winning teacher and they're very lucky to have you and to have the chance to have experiences like this. So thank you for making learning so meaningful and real for these students.

Cynthia Cox:
Thank you. Thanks for coming out here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back, more with our crime-solving students in Bingham High's medical forensics class.

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:
Hi Lexi, we're out here in the field by Copperton doing investigative work. Tell me what class you're in.

Lexi:
It's the Medical Forensics class at Bingham. It's one of the awesome classes we teach there. We're just learning about investigating crimes and looking for evidence and it's a blast out here.

Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me what you're looking for out here.

Lexi:
Oh, we're looking for anything that could have evidence. So in the class, we've learned about all sorts of evidence, biological transfer, stuff like that. So we're looking for things that could have DNA on them, things that could have skin or hair, saliva or things that could be used as a weapon, so any tools that wouldn't grow in the middle of a field.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's the specific crime that you're trying to solve?

Lexi:
Somebody went out here, we had a missing person, but one of the teams has found a head so they're no longer missing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. So it has changed to a different kind of investigation at this point.

Lexi:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
All of this is fictitious for those of you who may have dropped in partway through the podcast. Now it is cold, it is kind of the perfect setting for grim work of the type that you're doing right now. Tell me about looking forward to this experience as you've been learning things in class.

Lexi:
It's just been awesome, it's cool because in most classrooms it's hard to find any sort of like hands-on, especially a class like this where we're dealing with like criminal things. You can't often find that, but it's cool that we have this experience.

Anthony Godfrey:
And is this something that you think you might want to pursue long-term as a career?

Lexi:
Not especially, not because of the class I just already have other ambitions, but it's been really good to apply to it. I want to be a nurse and so there's things that have been like applicable throughout and even different types of nursing this can still apply well.

Anthony Godfrey:
And problem-solving and working with teams and just there's a lot of that can be applied from this to becoming a nurse.

Lexi:
Definitely. Along with that, we just learn lots about like the human body and different stuff because like when we are looking for evidence, we're looking for hair and drugs and stuff like that. And then in nursing, we're looking for like evidence of things that could be wrong with the body. So it's cool to learn about the different structures and then apply them differently.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you'll look at every crime show or movie in a different way for the rest of your life now.

Lexi:
Oh definitely.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'll let you get back to solving crimes and making this a safer place for everyone.

Lexi:
Okay, thank you.

Jody Skog:
My name is Jody Skog. I am the crime scene and evidence supervisor.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me about this experience with the students.

Jody Skog:
It is super fun to be able to come out here and have them see what we see and when they have all their markers I'm like oh this is an evidence person's worst nightmare because there's like 150 markers.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Jody Skog:
But just to see how excited they get is really fun because it's the first step of a career for them.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me what your day-to-day job is like when you're not helping students solve crime.

Jody Skog:
A lot of my job is running the evidence division and so it's booking any property that the evidence book in. It could be processing, looking for fingerprints, DNA, submitting stuff to the crime lab, processing actual crime scenes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you for what you do, and thank you for taking the time to help these students learn these skills.

Jody Skog:
We just did an internship with or a job shadow with a 14-year-old.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh really?

Jody Skog:
And then she wanted to come back, so we had her come back and she actually helped us process some evidence.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you think she might want to pursue this?

Jody Skog:
I think she will.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah?

Jody Skog:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about what sparked it for you, what made you want to pursue this as a career?

Jody Skog:
I was a police officer for seven years. And then this just kind of fell into my lap and now I run the whole division.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what made you interested in being involved in law enforcement?

Jody Skog:
My dad was a police officer for 30 something years. And so he always told me over his dead body. And so he got sick of me talking about it. And he says, "Do you wanna do it, do it.” And so I started when he retired.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.

Jody Skog:
So I'm on my 22nd year.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that's amazing.

Jody Skog:
Three and a half years left.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. So you're going for 25, a little over?

Jody Skog:
I'm gonna do probably just the 25 and I’m tired.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Jody Skog:
And so Audrey's just started. She's been with us for four months. So what they teach you in college isn't necessarily what happens on the job. So it's kind of an eye-opener, but we were telling the kids, check with departments, get involved in like the cadets. Sandy City has the Explorer program.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Jody Skog:
So if they want to be a police officer, if they want to do crime scenes, it's a great way to start.

Anthony Godfrey:
Good. Tell me what do you observe as you are working with students? You see some different approaches I assume.

Jody Skog:
I think they have the way they look at things is really interesting but they're on the right path. Fingerprints, DNA, the females are a little bit more methodical than the boys are. It's kind of fun to watch because the girls are really slow and really think it out and the guys are just like.

Anthony Godfrey:
Running through, huh?

Jody Skog:
Running through.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's crank it out. Do you ever get to enjoy any crime shows or any movies at all or are you just able to point out all the things that are wrong?

Jody Skog:
I laugh at them. Right. I'm like, we can't solve a crime in 24 hours.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is there anybody who does it right? Is there a show where you say this show is really pretty close to authentic?

Jody Skog:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
[LAUGHTER] So there's nothing out there.

Jody Skog:
No. But I get a kick out of them. I love them all.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I can keep watching them in my ignorant state and enjoy them because I don't know better.

Jody Skog:
It’s fun. Right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right.

Jody Skog:
So our labs are getting faster and faster, where a rape would take a couple of years to solve. And now we're getting the results back in a couple of months. So technology is increasing.

Anthony Godfrey:
What's an aspect of the new technology that might surprise people?

Jody Skog:
They're getting manpower, before they used to have like one expert.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Jody Skog:
And so we're getting more and more people that are loving forensics and they're getting, getting educated. So the field is growing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, hopefully, the students here today can help create a pipeline for some other, some other great folks to come help out.

Jody Skog:
We need smart people.

Anthony Godfrey:
So Kelan you're here solving crime with your friends, right?

Kelan:
Yes, correct.

Anthony Godfrey:
And I see your shirt says Bingham Medical Forensics with a bloody B under a magnifying glass. I like the logo.

Kelan:
I do too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about this class and this experience.

Kelan:
Well, we go through a lot of things, such as bone analysis and blood work, and we study some of the body, the body features, and anatomy, we really cover a whole lot in this class. It's really fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
And have you been looking forward to this field experience?

Kelan:
I'm really interested in the medical field. I don't know what I wanna do, but yeah, this really intrigues my interest. I'm really intrigued.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's allowed you to learn some about the human body and sometimes it may be from a dark perspective, you know, the bad things that can happen and how you can detect how it happened and maybe who did it. So I like that you know that you wanna go in the medical field, but you're open to which direction that'll take you.

Kelan:
Yeah, exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's great to talk with you and I'm glad you're having such a good experience in the class and good luck with whatever medical career you pursue.

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. They didn't hesitate to come to the rescue when a Jordan School District teacher found herself in a serious situation while driving along Bangerter Highway on her way to work.

On this episode of the Supercast, meet Trevor Bradley and Sean Vick, ground crew employees in Jordan School District's Facility Services Department. Find out how the two men saved the stranded teacher with a small child in the car, fearing for her safety on the side of the road. And listen in to find out what happens when we bring the three together for a sweet reunion.

We're headed down the hallway at Foothills Elementary to Mariah Nilson's classroom to surprise her with Trevor and Sean. Here we go.

Hey there, how are you?

Mariah Nilson:
Good.

Anthony Godfrey:
We just wanted to come talk with you this morning, interrupt your class a little bit with a couple of people I think you know.

Mariah Nilson:
Oh, yes, hi.

Anthony Godfrey:
I know, you're backing away from me.

Mariah Nilson:
Sorry, I'm just like really caught off guard, but yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
We talked to your principal, she said you could take a surprise.

Mariah Nilson:
Oh, yes, so that is good. Is this why, okay, I like said hi to you in the hallway, and I was like, wait, that's really weird that you're here, but that was really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you did see them, okay. Can you tell me what happened, kind of talk me through that morning?

Mariah Nilson:
Sure, so it was last week and my daughter and I were on our way to Foothills. We were on Bangerter and something had happened and my tire completely blew. But like did not just die, like it really died, like multiple pieces are flying everywhere, it was really dead.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what was the sound like? How did it feel when that happened?

Mariah Nilson:
It was this huge boom and then my car started swerving and I like freaked out. And then my daughter, she's one and a half and she started screaming. And I didn't really know what was going on. I was like, something is happening. Am I losing control of my car? And so it was very scary. And I started-- like, I put my hazards on, started pulling over all these things. And in my head, I'm like, I don't know how to change this. I don't know how to do anything. I wasn't even sure if it was the tire. I just knew something was wrong. I'm not a very big car person. And so I pulled over. And little did I know that these two lovely gentlemen, they pulled over right behind me. They saw it blow, the pieces flying everywhere and came over and pulled right next into an empty parking lot with me and changed it. Which was super helpful because I was able to tend to my daughter who was very scared still from the sound and then they were able to help me. And again, I didn't know how to do anything and they just immediately took it. They're like, “Oh, we got it. You help your daughter. We'll help you and make sure that you are safe.” So that was really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's very fortunate that these two were behind you instead of me, because I would not have been much help. So did it surprise you that it was a couple of Jordan School District employees that happened to be behind you?

Mariah Nilson:
Yeah, that was really cool, a happy coincidence, because I didn't realize until they pulled off that they had a Jordan District vehicle, and then I had my badge on, and that was the first thing that Scott said, is he goes, "Oh, you work for the district too.” And I was like, "Yeah." So then we realized that they are the ones that mowed the lawn here at Foothills, just like a happy coincidence. Like we're like coworkers, but we didn't know it. So that was cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you're not just three of the 9,000 employees in Jordan School District who happen to run into each other, but you have this Foothills connection as well.

Mariah Nilson:
Yeah. So that was kind of cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they changed the tire. How did it feel driving away?

Mariah Nilson:
So there's another thing my spare tire was flat and I didn't know that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow.

Mariah Nilson:
And then when they changed it, they said it was flat. So they followed me to the nearest gas station and then they filled my spare tire with air like completely by themselves. They did all of it, which was really nice because again, I don't know how to do that either. And they made sure that my daughter and I were safe. And I think that was the biggest thing. Cause I was like a nervous wreck. I was really like freaking out and my daughter was still upset. She ended up crying for like almost an hour afterwards at the babysitter. She was really scared.

But like they made sure that my daughter and I were safe and that we could get back to Foothills safely. They even showed me like a side road so I didn't have to get back on Bangerter because I was scared of Bangerter at that point. That my car had gone crazy. But they just went out of their way to make sure that my daughter and I were safe, which was really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's amazing. Now, let's get to know you guys. Introduce yourselves.

Sean Vick:
I'm Sean Vick, work on the grounds.

Trevor Bradley:
Trevor Bradley, yep on the grounds.

Anthony Godfrey:
And so tell me about your experience that day. Who was driving?

Trevor Bradley:
I was driving. Yeah, we just kind of were heading off to go do some work at South Tech. And we saw, you know, the car in front of us, she's just, the tire was kind of shaking a little bit and we could smell it kind of burning at first. Yeah, and then we're like, “oh, I hope she pulls off.” And then it, you know, completely, we just tore right off the rim. And then the tire's rolling down the road. So she pulled off the exit and we just kind of followed her. We had no idea she was an employee. We're like, “well, let's see if they need some help.” We want to help them out if they need it, and then we just pulled over. She got out and I saw the badge and I was like, “Oh, you're a district employee.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's pretty cool. That's amazing. And that's a good reminder. It's that you pulled over for whoever was in trouble ahead of you. It wasn't because they're a Jordan District employee.

Trevor Bradley:
No, yeah, definitely not.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're driving around a lot as a part of your job. Have you seen this type of thing happen before? Have you helped other people in the past or have you not encountered something like this?

Trevor Bradley:
This is my first time.

Sean Vick:
Yeah, I haven't. This is my first time also.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. So tell me about the experience from your perspective.

Sean Vick:
Well, like Trevor said, we were just driving down the road and I could see the tire was smoking and thought, what's going on with her tire? I didn’t know it was her, but.

Anthony Godfrey:
Which is kind of a bad sign for those listening.

Sean Vick:
Right. That's not a good thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
If your tire is smoking, unless you're a drag racer. Then you’re ok.

Sean Vick:
Right, yeah. And that's when, like he said, pieces started flying off of the tire and then the outer shell rolled off the side of the road and thought, uh-oh, we just thought we'd follow her and make sure that everything was okay. And Trevor's like, “Should we help her?” And I'm like, “Yeah, we better help her.” So that's what we did. We just went in there and it was kind of like a NASCAR pit crew, you know. I just went in the back of her trunk and took out the jack and gave it to Trevor and he immediately knew what to do, over there and started jacking up the car and I got the spare tire, brought it out to him, he took the old tire off, I gave him the new one, he put it on while I put the spare tire back into the trunk and closed it up. I tried to soothe her daughter a little bit because she was a little frightened and was crying but it was just really fast, five minutes and we were done and got her on her way and that was it. We were just glad that we could be there to help her.

Trevor Bradley:
Yeah, definitely.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's pretty remarkable because I'm afraid we're moving as a society away from connecting to each other and away from helping each other and thinking, “oh, it's a stranger, I'm sure they can call AAA. I'm sure they have somebody they can call” rather than diving in to help in the moment. So I'm really impressed and proud that two Jordan District employees on the job are gonna pull over and help whoever needs them.

Trevor Bradley:
Yeah, definitely.

Sean Vick:
That's why we're here.

Anthony Godfrey:
As you thought back on this, how have you felt about these two?

Mariah Nilson:
I've just been really grateful for them. When I got to school, I was like, I'm sure you're curious on how I figured out who you were. So you told me your first names, but I didn't see your badges. I just saw your first names. And I talked to my secretary and you know secretaries are really good at getting information. So I told her I was like, “hey, like this crazy thing just happened. I would love to be able to reach out and like to thank them and to like tell their boss or somebody that they did a really good thing for me today.” Because it was again like as soon as I got out, I was like I don't know how I'm gonna get to work. I don't know how to change anything. I'm on my own. I don't know how to do this. So I figured out who they were, my secretary gave me their bosses emails, so I sent this like big email to their bosses and just said like these are amazing men and I'm very grateful for them. And I still am, even like a week later. And I will forever be grateful for them 'cause they helped me when I needed it and when my daughter needed it. And that was really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I'm really glad you tracked them down and took the time to write that email. That's how we found out about it. And I couldn't wait to meet you and to meet them and to talk about this.

You know, my motto for the district has been, ‘Be curious, be intentional, be united’. And this just epitomizes being united, being someone who's gonna reach out and help. And then on your end, you're gonna make sure that you find out who they are so you can thank them. That's the amazing part, it's like, you know their first names and that's it, and they just kind of disappear into the day and everyone goes about their work. But that's a lasting impact. I'm sure it's something you won't forget.

Mariah Nelson:
No, definitely not.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hopefully it's something your daughter will forget.

Mariah Nelson:
Yes, hopefully so. I would like her to not remember this.

Anthony Godfrey
(laughing) Well, that's remarkable. Thank you for everything you guys have done to support her, like I said, it just, this gives me fuel for a long time. It doesn't surprise me. That's the type of people we have in Jordan District, but it's really exciting to hear about and to meet all of you.

Stay with us. When we come back more with our kind employees taking care of one another.

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:
So tell me a little bit about your time in the district and the job that you do.

Trevor Bradley:
I've been with the district for about two and a half years now so kind of a newer employee, been on the grounds crew the whole time. You know, we kind of just take care of you know, in the summer times we take care of the lawns and all the landscaping and wintertime we’re out there keeping the parking lots cleared and salted.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's been a pretty smooth year this year?

Trevor Bradley:
Yeah, oh yeah. Not much to do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Nobody watches the weather like you guys do.

Sean Vick:
Oh yeah, just tons of snow.

Trevor Bradley:
Yeah, nobody does.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you work some long and some early hours.

Trevor Bradley:
Oh yeah, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
In fact, tell me about that.

Trevor Bradley:
Lots of 2:00 a.m.’s this year, 3:00 a.m. and long hours. 14, 15 hour days.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, no, I know. We've relied on you guys more this year than ever before. And people think grounds crew, and they don't realize the wide range of jobs that you have and the things we rely on you to do. Really, safety is at the center of what you're doing too. Now tell me about your time in the district.

Sean Vick:
Well, I've been with the district for 27 years. I left for a few years, went to Arizona, and then came back recently. And I was fortunate to get back on at the district. I was in custodial prior to this, but I thoroughly enjoy the place and I was able to get on the grounds with what a great crew, you know, with Easton as our supervisor. It's good teammates and everything. I love the job. And I love being able to go out and help and, like you said, make the schools safe for all the students and teachers and parents.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I really appreciate it. Your jobs are essential. We just, we honestly can't function without you. And I'll bet you were missing Arizona this winter.

Sean Vick:
I surely am. I am.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're glad to have you back and, and we're glad to have you joined Jordan a couple of years ago. Anything about being on grounds crew that people might misunderstand about the job or not realize is part of the job?

Sean Vick:
Your school's not the only school.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh yeah, that’s true.

Sean Vick:
Because a lot of people would like to have their lawn mowed first, you know, or their parking lot plowed first and somebody's got to be last, unfortunately. So people get a little upset and, you know apprehensive, when are they gonna be here?

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Sean Vick:
So, we try our best to get there as quick as we can.

Anthony Godfrey:
Honestly, I think we've got the best crews in the state and I talked to a lot of superintendents. We really do. Dedicated people like you who take the job very seriously, love the job.

Sean Vick:
Love it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's and it's obvious that you love doing what you do. So, thank you for that. And tell me about your career in Jordan.

Mariah Nilson:
This is my seventh year teaching and my fourth year in Jordan. And I've been at Foothills the whole time under Cherie so she's been great.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what grade do you teach?

Mariah Nilson:
I am currently teaching second. I've kind of bounced around a little bit. I've taught fifth and sixth and now I'm in second.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how are you feeling about the younger kids compared with the older?

Mariah Nilson:
I love them. I love all kids. I've realized like finding there's like fun things in each grade but second grade is really fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, that's great. Well, I admire the work that each of you is responsible for in the district and the hard work that you put into it, the early mornings, the late nights, and just thank you for being a part of Jordan and for being such great people.

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. It is a fun before-school program fostering curiosity and creativity in students at Eastlake Elementary School. On this episode of the Supercast, we hear from members of the “Young Poets Society” and have them read some of their original works. It is a society sparking a strong passion and appreciation for reading and writing poetry.

We're here with the “Young Poets Society” at Eastlake Elementary School. Tell me your name and what grade you're in.

Ellie:
My name's Ellie and I'm in fifth grade.

Shayla:
My name's Shayla and I'm in sixth.

Jennah:
My name is Jennah and I'm in sixth.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, what is it that you love about poetry? Why did you want to be part of this group?

Ellie:
I think writing poetry is just really fun. It's kind of calming. Yeah.

Shayla:
Yeah, I agree with Ellie and it's like a nice way to get your emotions out without getting angry or sad at something.

Jennah:
I also like how you can, when you read it, it kind of just flows out of your mouth, kind of soothingly.

Anthony Godfrey:
The best poems do. Now do you guys read and write poetry as a part of this group? Tell me a little bit about what activities you're involved in with this group.

Shayla:
Mainly we write poems but occasionally we read the poems to understand how we write them so we can do it better and more effective.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you're learning from other authors. How about for you? What are the activities that stand out for you from this group?

Jennah:
I like how sometimes even when we will write poetry but there's also a ton of different kinds of poetry. Like we'll do blackout poetry where we just color in some of the other words and you can read the words that aren't colored in and it forms a poem.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so you start with a poem and then black out some of the words to make make your own creation. Is that how that works?

Jennah:
Yeah pretty much.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay how about for you? What are some of your favorite activities with this group?

Ellie:
We used a colored pencil on black paper and we wrote down personification.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about personification.

Ellie:
We used onomatopoeias. We also make things that aren't like people or animals have like people like things I guess.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can any of you remember some examples of when you wrote something that involved personification or read something?

Ellie:
Like the flowers danced in the breeze.

Anthony Godfrey:
Very nice. Flowers don't actually dance but that's a great image. I love the sound of that. We also have Piper Wise here, the media assistant, who started all of this. Tell me why did you want to start the “Young Poets Society”?

Piper Wise:
When I was in fifth grade, a long long time ago, kids, I had a teacher that started a poetry group. And I was very shy, which no one believes these days but it was a great way for me to express myself, and I loved words ever since. And talking with Mrs. Blockburger and Mrs. Burr about how fun that was, we just decided wouldn't it be fun if we started one here? We thought maybe we'd have a couple of kids, but we have 25 kids and they're all very different from each other. So it's cool to see all different interest types and all different groups of kids coming together and learning about the power of words and taking that power for themselves because these kids have a lot to say.

Anthony Godfrey:
I was super impressed coming in early, early to school to read poetry and to write poetry. As a former language arts teacher my heart skips a beat when I see this. It's really exciting. So you were pretty surprised at the turnout it sounds like.

Piper Wise:
Yes, yes it's way bigger than we thought it would be and we love it. It's the best part of the day when we have poetry first. When we have our “Young Poets Society” at the beginning of the day because these kids are just so good and kind and smart and funny. And I don't think you guys realize how much we love it and I'm glad that you guys do too.

Anthony Godfrey:
I was impressed at how quickly students were connecting with the poetry. And I love that the discussions are structured in a way that pulls out their personal reaction to it. Have you been surprised by some of the reactions over time as you've met as young poets?

Piper Wise:
Yeah, and some of the stuff they write as well. I mean, working in the library, you get to know students because of what they read, but you can get even more knowledge about them and their souls and their hearts and their desires and their fears and their hopes and by what they write. So it's really interesting how we can give one cue, one assignment, and then everybody's poems are so different. And we're learning all different types of poems so they can see, if I don't like this type, I can try this type and there's no wrong poem. Nothing they write down is wrong. So that's really encouraging too. I think they're just free to write whatever they need to.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's true. It is nice to start the day knowing you're going to be right no matter what.

Piper Wise:
Right, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And with poetry, as you've described, you learn more about the world around you, you learn more about other people, but you also learn more about yourself, and you test your own emotions and your own needs and interests. So, and that was evident. That was on display. It's really, really impressive to see this group.

Piper Wise:
They're a really good group.

Anthony Godfrey:
How does it make you feel to know that you've inspired these students to love poetry the way they do?

Piper Wise:
It makes my heart three times bigger. I just, I feel so proud of these kids and I think they're wonderful and it gives me hope for the future as someone looking backwards. As an adult looking backwards, I just think the world's gonna be okay with these guys in charge because they have a lot figured out.

Anthony Godfrey:
Did it take a little while for you to feel comfortable in the group sharing your emotional reaction to poetry?

Students:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
So over time as you get used to the group a little bit, is that a little bit easier?

Shayla:
Yeah, because you know these people aren't gonna judge you over it.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about expressing your emotions through poetry? Was that difficult at first or is that something that came naturally?

Ellie:
I think it really just depends on the person.

Shayla:
Yeah, because for me it came a little bit more naturally because sometimes it's harder for me to display emotions other ways so going through poetry is a fun and easy way. And when you come to like these you gain new friends.

Anthony Godfrey:
So there's a deeper connection with others and that allows you to express yourself in ways that you might not have otherwise.

Piper Wise:
We work to make the library a safe place this should be the most peaceful safest place in the school in my opinion. I'm biased but that's okay and so it makes me happy to know that kids can come in here and feel safe writing things also. So I like that too.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. Thank you for everything that you're doing to make that possible.

Piper Wise:
You're welcome.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here now with Aliya and Bennett. Aliya, tell me what you love about this poetry group.

Aliya:
I love that everybody can just access their feelings without being shy and the teachers are wonderful. And I just love doing poetry every other Wednesday. It's just a great group and I love the things we do together.

Anthony Godfrey:
Did it take a little bit of time to warm up to feeling comfortable sharing those feelings?

Aliya:
I mean it didn’t take long because I know most of these people here. I mean they're all great and the teachers, Miss Burr was my fifth-grade teacher and Miss Wise and Miss Blockburger were and are our library teachers, so it didn't really take long for me.

Anthony Godfrey:
And have you gotten to know the other students in the group well over time as you've met as young poets?

Aliya:
I mean yeah, we've sat together sometimes and we've talked together we've got to know each other a little bit.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for you Bennett? What do you love about being here?

Bennett:
Because I like doing poetry and it's fun. Ms. Burr is my fifth-grade teacher and so it's pretty fun and I just like it a ton.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's pretty fun and I like it a ton. See you just rhyme naturally. The poetry just flows from you Bennett. Tell me what is it that you like most? Is it reading or writing poetry?

Bennett:
I like writing poetry.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. What were some of the poems you've written? Tell me about them.

Bennett:
I wrote a shamrock. I wrote a letter tree.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sorry.

Bennett:
A letter tree.

Anthony Godfrey:
A letter tree? Tell me about a letter tree.

Bennett:
It's where, I'm pretty sure it's where like, so there's the first two lines rhyme, the first two words.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Bennett:
And then the next two lines, they rhyme, and then the last rhyme rhymes with the first two lines.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Do you kind of like the structure where there are rules that you have to follow and make the imagery and make your words fit the rules?

Bennett:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I kind of like that too. There are forms of poetry that I've really liked over the years where you have to use the same words kind of in different order and kind of move things around. How about you Daphne, what have you loved about being in this group?

Daphne:
I love this group because I'm not much of a reader, but the words just naturally flow in me. So I've always just, I mean I joined late in the year so I just really enjoy this.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you like Shel Silverstein's “Invitation” this morning?

Daphne:
It really gave inviting you to a warm fire and talk about books and fantasy.

Anthony Godfrey:
Any poems that are favorites of yours, Aliya?

Aliya:
I really love the whole book Where The Sidewalk Ends. I feel like that book just has a bunch of good ones.

Anthony Godfrey:
And sometimes there's a little surprise in the poem that I really like. What other poetry do you like.

Aliya:
I love, I love poetry that's funny, but I also love poetry that makes, that's quite literal and like not sad but like it has like a true meaning that's what I like.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm so impressed that you guys have delved into this. What do your parents think of the fact that you want to come early for a poetry group?

Aliya:
My mom, she likes it. She thinks it's pretty cool and my dad thinks it too. They think it's like cool and I think they think that it's good for my mind and soul.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think it's a great way to start the day. How about you Bennett?

Bennett:
I think they like it because I used to like not be involved in anything and now I'm involved in a ton of things and I really like it. And I think my parents like it too.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think it's fantastic. I'm really impressed with you and the whole group. And who knows? I may have to just stop by and start my day this way again because it's pretty awesome.
Stay with us. When we come back our young budding poets share some of their original works.

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:
Do you have some poetry that you've written that you can read for me? Any of you.

Shayla:
That’s why we brought our folders. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Sounds good, Shayla. How about let's start with you? Tell me before you read it, can you tell me a little bit about this poem and what you were hoping to accomplish with it?

Shayla:
I just wanted to write a funny poem about leprechauns.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, and who doesn't?

Shayla:
I know.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, so let's hear it.

Shayla:
They travel from town to town,
they are green and wear a black crown.
To be small is to be
able to see
all the people frown.

Anthony Godfrey:
Very nice, I like it. They seem impish in this poem. Okay, let's hear yours.

Ellie:
Okay, this is an onomatopoeia poem.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Ellie:
In a big winter city, I hear children play,
yell, squill, giggle, laugh, cry.
In a big winter city, I hear people walking in the snow,
crunch, crush, slush, splish, splash.
In a big winter city, I hear a band play music,
ooh, mmm, blah, whistle, tap, ring.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me, for those who are listening, what does onomatopoeia mean?

Ellie:
Just sounds that sound like, that sound like what they mean.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, exactly. So can you read, let's go back through that and tell me some of the examples of words that sound like they're meaning.

Ellie:
There was crunch.

Anthony Godfrey:
Crunch. You can just hear the snow. Crunch.

Ellie:
Yeah. Splish splash. There was ooh and mmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
All packaged neatly in a poem that flows really well and makes the most of those sounds. I think that's really cool. Do you have one that you can read for us as well?

Jennah:
This is one of my first onomatopoeia poems.
The bird in the forest, a little bird jumps, thud.
In a forest, a little bird squawks, squawk.
In a forest a little bird flies, swoosh swoosh
In a forest a little bird lands on a tree, creak creak.
In a forest a little branch goes crack, crack, crack.

Anthony Godrey:
Very cool. What are some of your favorite words in there?

Jennah:
I liked it when you can use swoosh and crack because it really shows how the way it's moving.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's great in the poem even when you say swoosh and crack you can just you can really hear the meaning of the word. That's awesome. Do you guys notice words in a different way now that you've been reading poetry and writing it? Are there some words that kind of leap out at you as having a particularly interesting sound or interesting meaning?

Jennah:
Hope.

Anthony Godfrey:
No?

Jennah:
I like hope.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hope. Tell me about the word hope.

Jennah:
Because it really shows like if something's sad you can really you can go read a poem with hope or something, like with the bird poem, that one. With the bird is hope, that one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you been reading and writing poetry for a while now? Was it before this year or did you just start this year?

Shayla:
Before. I started writing them when around I was nine, because I was encouraged by one of my teachers at my old school to write a poem about basically anything. So one of my first poems was about fire, because that was when we were getting a lot of fires and smoke from the California and Oregon fires.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Shayla:
So yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you remember feeling like that lit a spark for your poetry love?

Shayla:
Metaphorically and literally.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, very well done, thank you, yes. And how about for you, when did you first start loving poetry?

Ellie:
It was last year. I just thought it sounded fun, so I decided to join Poets Society.

Anthony Godfrey:
What does it mean to you that the adults in the building here are so willing to spend their time and create this experience for you?

Jennah:
Honestly, I think it's really nice of them though because a lot of us are actually really annoying sometimes, so to be fair.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does the poetry make you less annoying?

Jennah:
Yeah, probably.

Anthony Godfrey:
One more benefit of poetry.

Shayla:
I also think it helps to give them a break from the rest of our classes. That can sometimes be a bit of a handful.

Anthony Godfrey:
So this is a good reward for them to get to spend some time talking about poetry.

Shayla:
It's also a good reward for me so I can get a break from them.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's good for everybody. It's good for me. I actually feel energized getting to hear those discussions. We were going to hold this interview and I just couldn't resist. I keep looking through the window like, "Hey, there's some other poems that I'm missing out there. How about for you? What do you think?

Ellie:
I just really like it.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's great. That's the best endorsement you can you can give. What would you say to students who might hear this and think about starting one of their own or other adults who might want to start this up at their elementary school?

Piper Wise:
I would say do it. It's worth your time. It's worth every second you spend extra working on things and working on lessons because as you feel the reward is giant and it's a feeling is the reward and it's it's really good. What would you say if someone's thinking about being part of something like this.

Shayla:
Yeah I mean if you don't like it you don't have to come but if you do it's another thing that you get to love.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well thanks for spending time talking with me about your poetry and most of all thanks for spending time on poetry. Sitting together, writing, reading, and just having this great experience that I'm sure you'll never forget.

Students:
Thank you.

Shayla:
Thank you for coming.

Piper Wise:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks.
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.