Supercast

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Recently, many first grade classrooms in Jordan School District looked more like lively senior centers because students and staff were celebrating the first 100 days of the school year by dressing up as if they were 100 years old.

On this episode of the Supercast, we talk with some very impressive silver-haired students at Silver Crest Elementary School about their 100th day costumes. Find out what they say about the aging process and when someone is considered old.

We're going to start, however, with some teachers who also look aged to perfection on the 100th day of school.

I'm here with the first grade teachers here at Silver Crest. I cannot stop smiling and laughing looking at them, but looking at you guys was pretty startling as well. Did you have to dig deep for these costumes or is this just a regular Friday?

Teacher #1:
I just went over to my mother's house who’s 96 next month. I just picked from her wardrobe.

Anthony Godfrey:
What is this referred to as? Is this a house coat? What is this exactly?

Teacher:
Yeah, like a house dress.

Anthony Godfrey:
A house dress?

Teacher:
She called them a house dress. She always wore a turtleneck with it because she didn't want her neck to be seen. She had wrinkles on her neck.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, because she didn't want her neck to be seen. I see, because that would be a sign of old age.

Teacher:
And to keep her warm.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, well you wear it well.

Teacher:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about for the rest of you? The Golden Girls.

Teacher:
The Golden Girls look.

Teacher:
This is just fun Friday for me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it a particular Golden Girl or?

Teacher:
I am the Golden Girls.

Anthony Godfrey:
You embody all of them. Yes, very nice. Well, I really have to come back because some of you I haven't met and I really need to meet you in your natural state rather than in your this advanced age. How about for you guys? Where did you find your outfits?

Teacher:
I just got a collection. First grade teachers always have to have a bin of fun things. So we collect things, we dress up, lots of fun things.

Teacher:
I stole my grandma's nightgown.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does she know that you stole her nightgown?

Teacher:
Maybe.

Teacher:
I hit the DI.

Teacher:
So did I. The DI is an awesome place.

Anthony Godfrey:
The makeup, I hesitate to say this, but the makeup is a key component. It really brings out the, well, and the stockings. I can't stop looking at the stockings. The ankle stockings with the low heels and the skirt. Really, it's quite an ensemble.

Teacher:
My makeup took me back to my 80s.

Anthony Godfrey:
I also love that not only are you wearing glasses, but you have glasses on a chain around your neck. Now, the key component to this would also say, where are my glasses? I can't find my glasses.

Teacher:
Exactly. I never can.

Anthony Godfrey:
When you have two of them on your person.

Teacher:
Exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Clearly, pearls are also...

Teacher:
Yes. I don't know if we all know you're right.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, the 100 days of school, I really love that you are highlighting this. Because I think we're always looking at the next day, we're always moving forward. We forget to look back at the progress that we've made. And I would guess, I've never taught first grade, but I would guess that teaching first grade, you really get to see a lot of progress from the kids over those 100 days. Can you tell me about day one in comparison with day 100?

Teacher:
They wouldn't be sitting like this on day one.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, it's clear you have some very effective routines down. No question about that.

Teacher:
When they come to us, they're just really little kindergartners. They're really still kindergartners. And now they've blossomed into students, right?

Teacher:
Yeah, I was looking at their journals from first day to now. And just the growth, it's so fun. I don't think you've any other grade you can see the growth that you do in first grade. And they're reading, they're writing. It's awesome.

Teacher:
Another thing you notice is the confidence. They come in crying, they don't want to leave their moms. And now they can't wait to come into school.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, and I love that. That's such a key element of what you accomplish as first grade teachers, is teaching them to be at school, giving them that confidence, that sense of efficacy like, "Hey, I belong at school. I didn't know how to do this, and now I do." Because my teacher helped me learn how to do that.

Teacher:
Yeah, it's awesome.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's wonderful. Well, I'm super impressed. I love this activity. And I really should have busted out my readers. So I'll put my readers on for the rest of the time. I'm going to go do something this weekend to feel young. I've got to, maybe I'll go clubbing this weekend. Well, you're all fabulous. Thank you so much for letting me take time with you.

Teacher:
Thank you for coming.

Teacher:
Remember, we tell parents that we will only believe half of what we hear if they promised to only believe half of what they hear.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's a fair bargain. I really think it is.

Teacher:
That's our motto.

Anthony Godfrey:
Believe half of what you hear. Well, you heard it here first at Silver Crest. Thank you very much for creating such a wonderful environment and for letting me take some time this morning.

Teachers:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back students answer the age-old question, "When is a person really old?"

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:
As first grade students are assembling here, we're looking at people in housecoats and curlers. There are a lot of canes and glasses are a key component. Oh, and there's some gray facial hair too. Lots of gray facial hair. So you guys are celebrating a hundred days of school?

Students:
Yes!

Anthony Godfrey:
By dressing up to be a hundred?

Students:
Yes!

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so tell me, how do you like my old man costume?

Students:
[Applaud and cheer]

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it pretty good?

Student:
That’s not a costume! That’s your actual uniform.

Anthony Godfrey:
Raise your hand if you want to tell Doug something about my old man costume. What makes it an old man costume?

Student:
It has a tie.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so wearing a tie kind of makes me look like an old man. Is that right? Okay.

Student:
White hair.

Anthony Godfrey:
My white hair. Oh, my white hair. Did the spray work? Can you see the real color of my hair?

Students:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, my hair didn't always used to be white. It used to be a different color. That's right. Raise your hand and somebody tell me about the oldest person that you know. Who is the oldest person you know?

Student:
Great grandpa.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how old is your great grandpa?

Student:
Ninety-four.

Anthony Godfrey:
Ninety-four. And are there some things he does that only old people do?

Student:
Watch TV.

Anthony Godfrey:
He watches TV. Does he watch a lot of TV?

Student:
He does.

Anthony Godfrey:
So what kinds of shows does he like, you know?

Student:
Old movies.

Anthony Godfrey:
Old movies. Does he ever watch Matlock? No, Matlock. Okay. All right. How about you? Who's the oldest person you know?

Student:
My dad.

Anthony Godfrey:
Your dad? And how old is your dad?

Student:
47.

Anthony Godfrey:
Does he do some things that make him seem old? What are some things that he does?

Student:
He does push-ups, I think.

Anthony Godfrey:
He does push-ups. I think that makes him seem young. Are push-ups for old people, kind of?

Student:
No.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. All right. That's all right. You tell me, how old is old? How old does a person have to be before you think, you know, that person's old. How old? Tell me, how old?

Student:
To be like 100 years old.

Anthony Godfrey:
If they're 100, they're old? If they're younger than that, they're not old yet? Okay, that's good. That makes me feel better. Okay. How about you? How old is-- does a person have to be before they're old?

Student:
60.

Anthony Godfrey:
60. Once you're 60, you're old.

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Well, I'm not there yet. That's good. How about you? How old?

Student:
200.

Anthony Godfrey:
200? Oh, I'll never be old. I will never be old. That sounds great. What is your name?

Hudson:
Hudson.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Hudson, how did you pick out your outfit?

Hudson:
I just looked at it and it seemed like it would be for an old man, so...

Anthony Godfrey:
What about it makes it seem like old man? Is it because it's gray?

Hudson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it matches the makeup that you have on. You have big, bushy, gray eyebrows and a big, bushy, gray goatee. Tell me about-- who did your makeup?

Hudson:
My grandma.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, your grandma did. And what did you think when you saw yourself in the mirror?

Hudson:
I thought I looked pretty old.

Anthony Godfrey:
You do look pretty cool.

Hudson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
You look pretty old. So tell me. You also sprayed your hair white?

Hudson:
Yeah, I used like a gray spray..

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. So are you going to take a picture and then make sure you have a copy of that picture you can look at many years from now to see if this is what you actually end up looking like when you're older? The wrinkles. I just noticed the wrinkles. You also have wrinkles painted on. Oh, now wait a minute. Is that gray hair in your ears?

Hudson:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That is a nice touch. That really brings the whole thing together. Very nicely done.

Student:
You look like old people.

Anthony Godfrey:
I look like old-- what makes me look like an old person?

Student:
You have white hair.

Anthony Godfrey:
I have white hair. Yeah, I do.

Student:
And freckles everywhere.

Anthony Godfrey:
And freckles everywhere. So my skin, my hair-- but other than that, I look pretty young, right?

Student:
Mm-hmm?

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Tell me, how old do you think I am?

Student:
You're 25.

Student:
200?

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, if I were 200, wouldn't I talk a little bit more like this? Really, you think I'm 200? How do you think I am?

Student:
Um, 50?

Anthony Godfrey:
50? That's pretty close. Actually, I'm old enough that 50 sounds really good right now.

Student:
I know how old you are.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm not the president.

Student:
56?

Anthony Godfrey:
But God bless America.

Student:
Are you the President of the United States?

Anthony Godfrey:
No, I'm not the President of the United States. Tell me, who is the oldest person you know?

Student:
My, um, Grandma Ruth.

Anthony Godfrey:
Your Grandma Ruth? How old is your Grandma Ruth?

Student:
I can't remember, because on her next birthday, she's going to be 100 years old.

Anthony Godfrey:
She's going to be 100 years old on her next birthday. Wow. So what are some things about your Grandma Ruth? What can you tell me about her?

Student:
She loves her dogs.

Anthony Godfrey:
She loves her dogs?

Student:
Mm-hmm. And she has grandkids.

Anthony Godfrey:
She has grandkids? Does she have some great grandkids too?

Student:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's pretty awesome. Is there something that your Grandma does with you, or that she makes for you that you really like?

Student:
Yeah, cookies. She makes cookies.

Anthony Godfrey:
What kind of cookies does she make?

Student:
I kind of don't remember.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can you tell me your name?

Student:
It's squeaky.

Anthony Godfrey:
Can you tell me about your costume? It looks really great. What are you wearing, and what did you bring?

Student:
I have the same walking stick as my teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Your teacher does have that same walking stick. Tell me about the clothes you're wearing.

Student:
This.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that's a hat with some gray hair attached to it.

Student:
And I have these kind of glasses.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah. Look at those glasses. Where did you get those glasses?

Student:
Got it from, like, a costume that we found on our computer.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And tell me about your outfit.

Student:
I have a hundred year old vest and this is a coat that my mom put on. And here's the "How DoYou Do World" scarf.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think you look fantastic. Even your shoes kind of look like old-person shoes a little bit. Yeah, I like it. If your old person that you're dressed up as had a name, what would his name be?

Student:
Um, I don't know. Paul.

Anthony Godfrey:
Paul? Okay. Very cool. Tell me the favorite thing you've learned or been able to do in those 100 days. What have you loved about the first 100 days of first grade? Right back here in the orange shirt.

Student:
Play Guess Who.

Anthony Godfrey:
Play Guess Who? Are you pretty good at Guess Who?

Student:
Yeah. Kinda.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Good. How about you? The suspenders here. Yes, sir.

Student:
Um, lunch.

Anthony Godfrey:
Lunch. You like lunch? Yeah. Which lunch? What do you like for lunch?

Student:
Macaroni and cheese.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's my favorite. I went to a school on Monday just so I could have macaroni and cheese. Okay. What's your favorite thing about the first 100 days of school?

Student:
Math.

Anthony Godfrey:
Math? What do you like about math?

Student:
That I count on and pick the bigger number. Awesome. That's great. I love that you love math.

Student:
Um, to be with friends.

Anthony Godfrey:
To be with friends. That's a really important part of school. How about you?

Student:
Math.

Anthony Godfrey:
Math? What do you love about math?

Student:
Um, so we can, um, everything.

Student:
I like reading. I like reading because I like reading books.

Anthony Godfrey:
What do you like, what type of books do you like to read most?

Student:
It was horror.

Anthony Godfrey:
Horror books? Yeah. Wow. Cool.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Take one listen and you will quickly discover that this is not your ordinary elementary school orchestra…this one is extraordinary.

On this episode of the Supercast, we find out what makes the Welby Elementary School Orchestra so amazing with students playing and performing at very high levels. Listen in as we learn about the young orchestra members, their love for musical instruments, and making magical music.

Anna Edgell:
We're going to double-check our tuning with everyone. Chelsea, come on up. She's got our notes for us today. Play your A nice and loud. Everyone can hear.

Anna Edgell:
Okay, good. Let's hear your D.

Anna Edgell:
Okay, let's hear E.

Anna Edgell:
It's good. It sounds good. Energy.

Anna Edgell:
Very good. Sounds great. Can you max into a C for us?

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm here at Welby Elementary talking with four students in the orchestra program. Tell me your name and what instrument you play.

Barbara:
My name is Barbara and I play the viola.

Matteo:
My name is Matteo and I play the violin.

Chelsea:
My name is Chelsea and I play the violin.

Alexa:
My name is Alexa and I play the viola.

Anthony Godfrey:
What made you pick this particular instrument? What made you want to play the violin versus the viola versus the stand-up bass?

Barbara:
I just feel like the viola, like there are just a bunch of violins and I want to be like a little bit different, so I chose the viola.

Matteo:
I wanted to choose violin because I didn't have anything to do, and I just saw it and I wanted to play the smallest instrument.

Chelsea:
In my family, we have a tradition where we pass down old violins to our younger cousins or family. I love playing the violin and I love seeing people play the violin and I watch a ton of videos on it and I really wanted to be a violinist.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you've watched a lot of videos about it?

Chelsea:
Yeah, I've watched a ton of videos about it.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. Do you have a favorite violinist that you watch?

Chelsea:
Ray Chen.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. Great. How about for you?

Alexa:
I want to play the viola because I thought that the viola was interesting. My parents didn't let me play the violin.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, okay. What made you want to be part of the orchestra program in the first place? You come early to school to be a part of this. Tell me what made you want to play an instrument here at Welby?

Barbara:
Because my family, all my family members except for my dad all play an instrument.

Anthony Godfrey:
What other instruments do members of your family play?

Barbara:
My mom, so everyone in my family used to play the cello but my brother. He quit very early playing the viola so I just wanted to do the viola.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Matteo:
The reason I wanted to join the Welby Orchestra is I felt I was capable of doing a lot more than just going to lessons. So I started doing orchestra in second grade and I've been playing for about two years now.

Anthony Godfrey:
Have you been taking lessons as well on the side?

Matteo:
Yes, I've been taking lessons for seven months now.

Anthony Godfrey:
And do you feel like when you practice by yourself it's different from getting to play with other people?

Matteo:
Yes, I feel a lot better when I'm doing stuff with other people.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it's fun. You get to make friends and feel a part of something. What about you?

Chelsea:
So I actually started this because I watched the Harry Potter play where they would like do the background music and I thought it was really cool so I wanted to join. At my old school I did it too, because I'm new here.

Anthony Godfrey:
And is that the musical or the play that...

Chelsea:
The musical.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that came out. Remind me what that's called.

Chelsea:
It's called the Harry...it's for like the background music for Harry Potter.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, so did you go see the movie with the symphony playing in the background?

Chelsea:
Yes. So I thought it was really cool if I did.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh wow, that's awesome.

Alexa:
I was just mainly really curious and I kind of needed a hobby to do. And then at the beginning of fourth grade I saw that orchestra was around so I tried orchestra to see what it was all about.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that you guys have each found a different path that has brought you to this orchestra program. Tell me, what is it that you love about orchestra?

Barbara:
It’s that I get to play my favorite instrument.

Matteo:
Because I get to be around people and have some good times with some people and make new friends.

Chelsea:
So I can learn and play with my friends and show my family what I can do.

Anthony Godfrey:
And you said that you're new to the school so has this helped you make friends?

Chelsea:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
In fact, the friend that you're standing right next to.

Chelsea:
Yes.

Alexa:
I honestly, I just thought the music that they did was incredible so I wanted to try seeing what this music felt like. And I think it's really beautiful how the music turns out.

Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say to students who are thinking about maybe getting up early during the week and being part of an orchestra program? What would you suggest?

Barbara:
I'd probably sleep in early so you're not tired.

Anthony Godfrey:
Go to bed early so you can get up and be part of it.

Matteo:
I always wake up when it's super dark in the morning because I'm just like, "Oh, it's dark. It's the darkness that it usually is at 7am. Just go. Go downstairs. Have some breakfast."

Chelsea:
So usually I'm tired at the start so actually my friends cheer me up. So that's how I wake up.

Alexa:
I would probably tell them to start getting used to the schedule. Waking up early. You've got multiple concerts coming up and I would say it's a great choice for them to choose being an orchestra.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me, are the days when you have orchestra, does the rest of the day feel different than the days when you don't?

Alexa:
Just Tuesday and Thursday’s for advanced. Honestly, I think it's not really a big difference. You wake up a little earlier, you might feel a little bit different. Just basically waking up early and practicing.

Chelsea:
It's actually way different because if I'm at an orchestra, not a lot of friends cover me up. And then when I'm outside, they surround me so it's kind of different.

Matteo:
It only makes... Yeah, there's a big difference between Tuesday, Thursday, and Wednesday because on Tuesdays and Thursdays I cannot miss school. And I do not like missing school at all because I cannot leave my friends at all.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, you gotta be here. I love that.

Barbara:
I kind of have to be here all the time except for Fridays because my mom kind of works here. So it doesn't really feel that different but whenever we don't have orchestra, it feels very different. It kind of feels good.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, okay. What's next for you as a musician? Are you going to keep playing here? Do you want to keep playing in the middle school and high school? What's next?

Alexa:
I think I'll probably still, but I know the high school is at like 6am so I might start fading out. But maybe come back in college when it gets to high school because it's really early in high school. But I'll probably do the middle school.

Chelsea:
Yeah, I'm probably going to play for the rest of my years because I think violin really helps me with stuff.

Anthony Godfrey:
Awesome.

Matteo:
I'm going to try and play. I'm going to try. I really like to, like, I'm really going to try and play until I'm like, past college. I'm going to really try and play.

Barbara:
I would definitely keep on playing. I would, I don't know why, but I really love playing instruments. So I would play through like all the years.

Anthony Godfrey:
I love that. I love your enthusiasm and most people who have played an instrument and get to be my age wish they had kept playing that instrument. So I love that you guys are going to keep playing. I'm really proud of you guys and the work that you're putting into this. I'm excited for your enthusiasm. Keep playing and I can't wait to see your performances. See you guys. Thank you.

Anna Edgell:
Warm-up tempo. One, two, ready, go. Three, four, one, two, three, four.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us. When we come back more music with the extraordinary Welby Orchestra.

Break:
Does your student want to become a veterinarian, commercial pilot, programmer? Maybe they want to make a difference as a dental assistant, work in digital media, robotics, welding, or web design. 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 and/or 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. Our two Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers (JATC) campuses offer unique programs to fit your child’s dreams for the future. To explore all CTE has to offer in Jordan School District visit cte.jordandistrict.org today and let's get your child started on the pathway to a profession.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Anna Edgell, the orchestra teacher from Welby Elementary. Thank you for letting us visit today.

Anna Edgell:
Thank you so much for coming. It's great to have you here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about your musical journey and what brought you to Welby.

Anna Edgell:
Well, so it started, if we go clear back, it started in sixth grade. I went to band and played the flute. Then in junior high, I played flute and saxophone. And then high school I played saxophone, just only saxophone. Then my band teacher started up an orchestra at our high school. And so that's when my journey on the violin started, in my high school.

My mom noticed that that was an elective. And she said, "Oh, you should do that. It would be so awesome. You can play violin." I was like, "Yeah, let's try that out. I love learning instruments.” And so I took that up and then just fell in love with the violin and all the string instruments, I love and just have a great passion for it. And it just took off from there. Then I studied it in college and my minor is music.

I continued taking private lessons through there and conducting classes that I took and the theory classes. And that was all really, really fun, and just continued on. I've continued to take lessons. I've taken from America's violinist, Jenny Oaks-Baker. She's amazing. She does not disappoint. She's so good at playing, but she's also a fabulous teacher. She's so good. So I've learned so much from her and she's so fun to learn with.

My daughter goes here and last year when they, right before school started, they're like, "Oh, we have an opening we need to fill for orchestra teacher." And Kathy Worthen was before who did amazing, had been here 20 plus years. So I just applied for it. So it's my first year here.

It's been amazing. The kids are so amazing. What a great group of kids. They work so hard and they come early before school twice a week. I leave every day with my heart so full because just making music together and being able to share that together and just their service that they serve to one another is amazing to see. They helped me set up the classroom with, you know, just jump in and they were so willing to help. And then to clean up the classroom and during class and to make sure that I have my stand and everything that I need. What a great group of kids that we have here at Welby.

Anthony Godfrey:
As I watched them this morning, it was obvious how much they are connected with each other and how much fun they're having as part of the orchestra program.

Anna Edgell:
Yes, yeah, we've been having a lot of fun. I think that's something that Kathy did when she was here is just to build just a love of music and to have fun with it. So my goal is to continue with that and hopefully we can just instill that love of music and continue on having fun and creating music together.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about how it feels to just to watch their progress because I'm sure that when they come, when they start out, you have a beginning and an advanced band, by the way. So you're doing this four days a week. You're alternating. But with both groups, tell me how it feels to see where they start and where they end up based on the time they spend together with you.

Anna Edgell:
Oh, it's amazing. It is so incredible to see and it's so much fun because, you know, in our beginning one, we call it the Red and Black Orchestra, they come on Monday and Wednesday. And so they're here for 45 minutes, twice a week. And a lot of them have never touched an instrument before. And so, you know, it's just taking it from the very beginning and it's just all those little details of how to hold the bow, how to hold your instrument. And there's a lot that goes into it, the counting, the staff, learning the notes.

It's incredible to see because, you know, at the start of the year, we go for a few months. And then here we are at Christmas time doing a concert and they've only been playing just a couple of months and learning twice a week for a couple of months. They haven't had, you know, a long time yet, but it was so incredible to see it all come together. I'm so proud of them and they should be so proud of themselves and all their hard work that they put in because it's really rewarding at the concert to see it all come together. And it's just we get to enjoy what we've been working on for months. It's so fun to see.

Our advanced Wildcat, we call them the Wildcat Orchestra. And it's so fun to see them too because they've been there. We're all on our own different journeys. You know, some we're just all in our own different spot. But that is completely 100% OK. And I hope that everyone can feel welcome in the orchestra because it doesn't matter how long we've been playing for. You know, it's not a comparison. It's just we want to get together and make music. And they're so great at just coming together, playing music, helping one another out and seeing their progress. They did so good at the concert and they sounded so good. And I was just so proud of them and their progress as well. So it's so fun to see.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you for doing this.

Anna Edgell:
You're welcome.

Anthony Godfrey:
It means so much to the kids and it's such a great enrichment to their school experience and helps to find who they are. And more than anything, I'm just excited that they get this sense of efficacy. Like I try something I've never tried before. And look, I can get better at it and I can be good at it.

Anna Edgell:
Yeah. Yeah. No, I love that. And it is I just think it's so great that they offer it here at Welby in an orchestra. They have that option. I didn't have the option growing up, but you know, but that's that's OK. But I just think that it's a great opportunity. And just like you said, just the connections that they're making with each other, the friends that they're making. We definitely learn, you know, all the music stuff, but it's definitely more than that. It's the friendships that we're building.

The time that we get to spend together, the memories. And so it's just in the community. And then, you know, we get to bring bigger community. You know, their parents get to come in and see what they've been learning. So it's just a great way to bring people together.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much. Yeah, that's great. It's so nice to meet you.

Anna Edgell:
Nice to meet you.

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

(upbeat music)

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are elementary school students who simply love storytelling and getting in front of the microphone to share their stories with everyone who will listen.

On this episode of the Supercast, we head to Falcon Ridge Elementary School where a student-produced podcast called The Junior Falcons is giving everyone involved the opportunity to tell stories in a way that is fun and educational, fostering new skills that they can take into future careers.

Find out what happens when we show up to record a podcast during the Junior Falcons podcast.

We're at Falcon Ridge talking with Principal Theresa Christensen. I'm about to go on your student podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Yes, we're excited.

Antony Godfrey:
Tell me about the podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Well, so it started three years ago. We had some students that were outside doing interviews on the playground and they wanted to do a podcast and came and said, "Can we do a podcast?" And I had no idea how to do it. Went to a training in St. George and they said, "Just do it." So I bought an old mic and we just started a podcast. So we've actually grown from there and it's been something we've done every year with our fifth and sixth grade students.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it began as an underground unauthorized podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Yes, yes it was.

And it grew into a fully endorsed podcast.

Theresa Christensen:
Yes, one where we can control a little bit more of what's happening.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what were the interviews about?

Theresa Christensen:
They were interviewing other students, asking what they were doing. I said, "Let's take this on a grander scale." And they started interviewing faculty. They've gone out and interviewed people in the community, things that they're fascinated about. They've had a couple of podcasts where they've had discussions over movies they've wanted to see or they did a poll about what kind of a lunchtime should we have? Should we have recess first? So it's really something that's grown from what the students want to talk about.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm trying to remember whether we had a podcast at my elementary in the 70s. No, I don't think we did.

Theresa Christensen:
I didn't have one in mine either.

Anthony Godfrey:
No, it's really exciting and it's a great way for them to engage with other students, faculty members, and to have their voice be heard.

Theresa Christensen:
And do research. They've researched things out and they search for things to share in the community.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now how do students get the opportunity to be part of the podcast crew?

Theresa Christensen:
So in the beginning it was a group of boys that came to me. So that first year I said, "Hey, let's do it," and brought them in. And then the next year they wanted to really continue the podcast. They'd moved on to seventh grade and so we did interviews and we had applications come in. They did interviews with us and basically, they conducted a podcast of us and did interview questions. We kind of based it off of their ability to ask questions, to carry a conversation, and do research. So this year these four students are the ones that were chosen to be our podcast team.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it pretty competitive?

Theresa Christensen:
Yeah, actually it was. It was really, it's really hard to narrow it down when you've got so many good candidates. Ashlin is the only one that was on last year as a fifth grader and she's on this year as a sixth grader and then the other three are all new.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me how frequently does the podcast get posted?

Theresa Christensen:
We try to do it once a week, but you know obviously with breaks and things in there, but we at least have two or three podcasts a month.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's awesome. That's frequent. I know personally that that takes a lot of work.

Theresa Christensen:
It does. And it's a lot of work on the kids part as well because they're the ones that have to come up with a podcast every single week and who are they going to interview and questions and that type of thing. So they've been awesome about it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you think I'm in for some tough questions?

Theresa Christensen:
I think you are in for some tough questions.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, I'm as ready as I'll ever be I guess.

Theresa Christensen:
Okay.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, awesome.

Mariah Stout:
Soundcheck just to make sure that our mics are on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Am I in the right spot?

Mariah Stout:
Yep, go ahead and just start whatever you want to say.

Anthony Godfrey:
Care Bear, Care Bear, Care Bear.

Mariah Stout:
Perfect. So we're good to go. You guys already figured out who's doing your intro, who's doing your outro?

Kambri:
Yeah, so Ashlin's doing intro, he's doing outro.

Mariah Stout:
Okay, and Alex has got our outro. Fantastic. Okay, and we know the order where we're doing our quick intro, introducing ourselves and then going around the circle. Perfect. You guys ready? Three, two,

Ashlin:
Welcome, Junior Falcons. Today we are, we will be interviewing our superintendent, Mr. Godfrey. Let's get into it then. So Mr. Godfrey, how long have you been being a superintendent?

Anthony Godfrey:
This is my fifth year as superintendent. I started in 2019.

We're talking now with the Junior Falcon podcasters who just put me through an excellent interview. Introduce yourselves and just say what grade you're in.

Evodio:
My name is Evodio, I'm in fifth grade.

Alex:
Alex and I'm in fifth grade.

Kambri:
My name is Kambri and I'm in fifth grade.

Ashlin:
My name is Ashlin and I'm in sixth grade.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, we've got fifth and sixth graders here. I'm so impressed. You guys have a great setup here and you have great chemistry. You're able to play off of each other and kind of signal to each other and keep the flow of the podcast going. And I think we've been doing it. This is my fifth year podcasting but the school's been doing a podcast for about three years now and I think it's super cool that you guys do this. Tell me what made you want to be a part of this podcast. I know there's a whole tryout and everything. Tell me what made you want to be a part of the podcast.

Ashlin:
So what made me want to be a part of the podcast is I'm a huge talker. I love talking and I like to get to know people and that's pretty much it. I wanted to get to know like people in younger grades than me but not at the time. But now I get to know people in younger grades than me like these people, lovely people.

Alex:
I kind of came here for the same reason Ashlin did because I love talking and I just wanted to meet some new people. But another reason is because my parents thought it would be a good idea since when I get home I don't really do anything. So it's kind of like just an after-school thing for me to do but I love it and I'm kind of glad I did sign up and made it onto the team.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great.

Kambri:
I wanted to be on podcasts because I am a huge talker like they both said. But I also have like the kind of personality where you are curious about random things and you ask the randomest questions but not everyone has the answer to. But it's cool finding people that do have the answer too.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great.

Evodio:
The reason I joined podcast is because I was in a joint student council but they already empty other spots. That's why I joined podcast.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you thought 'well, student council is full I'm going with the podcast.' Okay great. What do you love most about being able to be on a podcast here at your elementary school?

Ashlin:
What I love about being on a podcast at my own elementary school- woah, I'm almost sang the ABCs- is like I don't know, I kind of want to have a podcast when I'm older and just like talk about stuff random topics that I'm curious about and this is where I can kind of start it and maybe carry it on.

Anthony Godfrey:
So this is maybe the start of something even bigger down the road.

Kambri:
So what I like most about podcast is probably when we get to have new people come in that I've never met before and I just have a lot of questions and you can kind of think of your own stuff rather than having someone really tell you what to do, and that's a really big part for me.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great because the conversation kind of flows naturally and you're able to just ask questions as they come.

Alex:
Yeah I really joined because I just I wanted to meet new people and make some new friends but it was also because I also kind of thought that maybe if I did this I could start my own podcast and maybe make it a little bit bigger.

Evodio:
I like podcast because I get to know new people like them and some kids in my class.

Anthony Godfrey:
So not just meeting the people that you get to make the podcast with but also the people that you get to interview.

Students:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is it easier to talk to people now that you've been talking to people all year for the podcast? Is it easier to walk up and talk to people that you don't know?

Ashlin:
Well, I think it's easier sitting down and having a podcast because then you're like face to face like talking and you can ask them questions that you normally wouldn't ask about them when you just randomly walk up to them. So yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it gives you an excuse to talk to new people.

Ashlin:
Yeah.

Alex:
It makes it so they can’t run away.

Ashlin:
That's true.

Anthony Godfrey:
What have you learned from being part of the podcast?

Alex:
I learned about conversation threads and how if you give just one idea for a conversation that conversation won't last that long. So you want to give more parts of the conversation, more like ideas for them to talk about with the conversation.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, you did that with me and you did a great job of it.

Evodio:
My friend here stole all my ideas I was going to say.

Anthony Godfrey:
I know that does happen.

Kambri:
It's like thinking of new questions or questions to ask on this box. I wasn't here last week to plan. So I think it gives me like I can be more creative and go like out of the box that I'm usually in and like find different things to ask and follow-up questions are huge on our podcast.

Anthony Godfrey:
I like that. A good follow-up question is as important as an initial question sometimes even more so. But what is one of your favorite interviews?

Ashlin:
This was kind of a long time ago. I'm not really sure but I don't know if we were interviewing anybody. I think we were just like starting the podcast and there was this kid named Cole and there's this one episode that he opened the door to leave and it made this huge creaking sound and the mics picked it up and it was so funny. We all just like laughed. That's like one of my favorites.

Anthony Godfrey:
Did that make it a scary episode?

Ashlin:
No, it wasn't scary.

Anthony Godfrey:
It wasn’t like this creepy creak.

Ashlin:
He was trying to open it slow so it wouldn't make a noise but we found out opening it faster would not let it not make a noise.

Anthony Godfrey:
Science- you learn things. It's those unexpected moments it sounds like that have been really fun. How about for you?

Alex:
My favorite episode wasn't that long ago but was when we interviewed one of the newer teachers to the school. Her name was Mrs. Sarah and she just had a lot of really funny things to say and we talked about her dog. And she was a huge Swiftie, so we talked about that and just some of the things she was doing in her class.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great so you got to know a new teacher and her dog.

Evodio:
Mine is this one. I get to talk to you.

Anthony Godfrey:
I was hoping that one of you would say this was your favorite. Thank you for backing me up. Now this has been a blast for me to get to talk with each of you and you're naturals. You are all so good at this so whatever ambition you have beyond this I'm sure you're going to be successful at it. I love the idea that you just want to get to know other people through the podcast. That's really it. If you're curious about other people that's that's where you're successful as a podcaster I think.

Kambri:
I also think it like makes you step out of your comfort zone if you're not one that like really likes to talk to other people but you like to talk. It gives like it makes you step out of your comfort zone trying something new.

Anthony Godfrey:
You guys are awesome. I'm so impressed and thank you very much for having me on your podcast. It's an honor. If people want to listen to your podcast which I'm sure they do after hearing this one, where do they go? How do they find your podcast?

Ashlin:
So you can go on Spotify and just type up the Junior Falcons podcast.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Ashlin:
Falcon Ridge Junior Falcons podcast. But you can just look up there and you can either search for each season. So you can either go to one of our older seasons or this season which is a newer season. Newest season.

Alex:
I'm just saying while you're there you should just like follow us on Spotify. You should.

Anthony Godfrey:
So don't just listen. Follow.

Alex:
You're so close. You're already playing it. You can just hit it one more time.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hit that follow button. Be part of the community.

Alex:
And you get you can get notified when we post our new episodes.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're all fantastic. I'm so impressed. And if I ever need a co-host I have a deep bench right here. All right. Thanks. Thanks a lot for spending time with me. I appreciate you staying after school and talking with me. Good luck with the podcast going forward and you've got at least one new listener. That's me.

Stay with us when we come back. We talk with the advisor for the Junior Falcons podcast.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We're talking now with Mariah Stout, one of the fourth-grade teachers here at Falcon Ridge and the podcast advisor. Thanks for giving us this opportunity.

Mariah Stout:
Yeah. Oh, thank you we're super excited to have this to talk with you and the kids were super excited. We're so glad that we were able to be on your podcast.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I loved being on theirs. They're very impressive. Tell me about the progress they've made since they first auditioned and were chosen.

Mariah Stout:
So huge gains. So what's cool is that when they first come do their podcast tryout, you see them one on one. What's interesting is then from there they get put into groups and then they play off of each other. It's interesting because you'll get kids- they pair up and they're like, “Oh, I don't really know you very well”. So at first, when you listen at the very beginning, you can hear there's a little bit of awkwardness because it's just everybody's trying to feel each other out. But then from there, we kind of talk about what were some good things that happened and things that they hear that “Oh, yeah, we can work on that.”

But also we look at different examples of other podcasts. And even some videos of like how to have a conversation. It's great because, as you know, it's like Alex talked about conversational threads. So one of the videos that we watched about how to have a conversation and even encouraging them like, “Hey, go practice with your friends, go practice with family.” And they've made huge gains.

You probably noticed that some of them were pointing at each other like, ‘Oh, hey, I'm gonna ask the next question’. Because we’ve had a group that's like, ‘Oh, we don't want to talk over each other. So that's what we're going to do so that we don't.’ So it's it's been great, because I don't tell them explicitly what to do. They're the ones who come up with that. Or if there's something where I'm like, “Oh, yeah, that's something that we can work on.” We'll talk about it, we'll see videos, we'll practice with each other. Then the next time they're able to apply it, and it's awesome.

Anthony Godfrey:
They really do seem to have a great relationship and they're respectful of each other, like, “Oh, I want you to have a chance. Let's make sure they have a chance.” So I think they each have their voice, and they're able to balance things out. There are just so many skills that they're obviously developing as part of putting this podcast together. Skills that will serve them for a long time to come.

Mariah Stout:
Yeah, indeed. And the best part is, especially when you hear from the beginning to where they are now, getting them to listen to understand. Instead of just like, “Oh, I'm asking this question. And then I'm just going to move on to the next thing without actually listening.” And so getting it to where, especially where we've hit up on like, “Hey, make sure you're having follow-up questions to show that you're actually listening”. That's been fantastic, just getting their listening skills, not just their hearing skills, but their listening skills to be able to help with that communication.

Anthony Godfrey:
I could tell that they had been really intentional about focusing on asking good follow-up questions, because there was a great flow to that interview with them. I hated when you gave the signal that it needed to wrap up because I was having so much fun with it. They did such a great job.

Mariah Stout:
I know, I was sad too. I was like, “Oh, man, do we have to stop? This is fantastic.”

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, they're a lot of fun and they just light up when they're talking with each other. It's really cool to see and I can't thank you enough for providing such a rich learning experience for these kids after school.

Mariah Stout:
You're welcome. I love it. This is probably my favorite thing to do, is this podcast. I didn't think when I first started doing it, I was like, “I don't know how to do a podcast. Like I've listened to podcasts. That's the only thing I've got.” As we've been going like it's just been so much fun, especially just to see the growth that these kids have learning how to communicate with each other. And again, like all of their ideas are their ideas. I don't tell them who to interview or anything. They come up with who they want to interview. Or if they don't have someone they want to interview or like a topic they want to talk about. They come up with that on their own and I'll listen in and usually I'll just provide like, “hey, did you think about this? Or did you think about that?” Usually I just pose guiding questions, but they're the ones who come up with all of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sure. No, it's very meaningful for them to have that level of choice and what they do and their brains are firing like nothing else when they're coming up with these ideas and these questions I'm sure. What's the audience for this podcast? Do you have a lot of students that are listening?

Mariah Stout:
Yeah, I think so. Usually they'll have teachers that will play it. It's kind of sad because it's one computer showing so it just says one audience. But like, I mean, we've got classes of like– at least I know fifth grade and sixth grade show them or at least try to play it every week. So that's like 30 kids per class right there. So that's a lot of listens.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's really aimed at students and teachers are listening as well. And I'm sure parents are listening also.

Mariah Stout:
Yeah, we'll have like, so far 20. It's pretty small. But like every year I've noticed that it's gotten bigger and bigger the longer that we've been doing it. So I'm hoping it continues to grow. Hopefully, eventually the whole community will be listening because it's their students that are running this.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, no, I think it's awesome. Well, thank you for the great work you're doing with them. Tthis was a real real thrill.

Mariah Stout:
Oh, well, thank you for coming and talking about this. This has been really fun. Thank you.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It is a full day set aside for students, teachers, and staff in Jordan School District to prioritize their health and wellness at home and in school. While there will be no in-person learning for students on Health and Wellness Day, students are encouraged to participate in wellness activities with family and friends at home.

On this episode of the Supercast, we explore the wellness day activities designed for your child. Activities are appropriate to their age and grade level and support concepts like eating well, better sleep, exercise, and personal interaction. Join us as we explore the activities available for Health and Wellness Day and every day of the year.

We're talking today with McKinley Withers, our Health and Wellness Consultant in Jordan School District. Thanks for joining us once again on the podcast.

McKinley Withers:
So good to be back here on the Supercast.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've been in this role a number of years now. Is that six years?

McKinley Withers:
Six years, yep.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. And this is going to be the third year of our Health and Wellness Day for families and for employees.

McKinley Withers:
Yep. Yeah. Three years and time flies. I can't believe it.

Anthony Godfrey:
I remember the first time we were talking about trying to put this together. A lot of people have worked on this over the years and a lot of people have benefited, I think, from taking some time and really focusing on Health and Wellness.

The key to this is that it's a day for employees to kind of catch their breath, catch up, reconnect with each other, and connect with some activities that are made available through the community and some generous donations. The work of the Foundation, the work of many employees who are on a committee to put together a lot of great opportunities for employees.

There's also a huge focus on families, families reconnecting with each other, and being able to work through some activities and exercises that are created at the district level to help maybe focus on some skills and some activities that can really help everyone be at their best.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, exactly. At the heart of Wellness Day is kind of what's at the heart of wellness in general, which is we make intentional time and space in our life for our wellness practices. And that looks different for every family, every person, every employee.

So what we try and facilitate with a district-wide Wellness Day is options so that people can choose what most might benefit them and we give them the space and time to meet their unique wellness needs.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's an important point. There's a lot of choice and it does feel pretty amazing to have a day where you really get to make those choices. There aren't meetings. We don't allow any meetings on that day, and there isn’t additional homework assigned for those particular days, and teachers don't actually create the assignments that or the activities rather that are provided to families. Those are created at a district level and we're going to talk more about those. But that frees up employees and it frees up families. So it's not based on a grade. This isn't tracked so that students get a score, but it gives families an opportunity to choose activities, conversations that will help advance their own health and wellness.

McKinley Withers:
Exactly. Our theme with creating any of the content and opportunities with Wellness Day is everyday wellness because what really will be the best predictor of your long-term health and wellness is what you do today, tomorrow, and the next day. Not what you do just on Wellness Day or just what you do on January 1st.

Anthony Godfrey:
Sure. As I've heard you speak over the years, that message has come through loud and clear. First of all, you can't save up health and wellness. It's not like you get this deep store of health and wellness and now you don't have to take care of yourself for a long time. It's something you have to maintain. And so I'm very aware of when I'm doing that well and when I'm not doing that well based on the many conversations that we've had in the presentations that I've seen you give.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah. And that's so with the student and family content, all of it, it's designed for Wellness Day, but you could truly use any of it any day. So all of the activities are meant to be behaviors, plans, strategies, things that any student or family could implement on a regular basis. So even if you use a few resources for Wellness Day, you could continue to return to this resource bank for ideas if your child or you are just looking for some easy, fun ways to enhance your personal wellness.

Anthony Godfrey:
So this is a day set aside that allows us to focus on health and wellness in a way that can stretch through the coming year and maybe set up some routines or some habits or even some just some activities that we go back to here and there that allow us to not just focus on our health and wellness, but improve it.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, exactly. So if we even in making that additional time and space available for families and employees on Wellness Day, if we continue to make just little bits of time for addressing our unique wellness needs and incorporate those into our everyday rituals, that's our best bet for long term health and wellness.

Anthony Godfrey:
You've had you've used an analogy in the past of a waterfall and maintaining your health and wellness over time. Talk about that.

McKinley Withers:
Wellness is a waterfall. It's more like a waterfall than it is a reservoir. It continues to flow. And my extension on this is that we're always upstream from our future self. So what we do today is creating our future self. So how much we sleep, if we're getting sunlight, if we're getting movement, all of those things are not just strategies. All of us struggle with different aspects of our personal wellness. And really, it's the simple things that matter most added up over time. So that flowing waterfall is our nutrition, our sleep, how we hydrate, whether or not we get movement regularly. All of those aspects are –kudos. The superintendent–

Anthony Godfrey:
I took a drink from my water bottle because when he said hydrate, I knew very well that I had not done that.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah. And yeah, so just trying our best to incorporate regular easy strategies. And that's the other thing, you know, all of our content is meant to be easy and fun, because, you know, wellness doesn't have to be hard and daunting in this big task. It's meant to be a part of our everyday life.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's improvement. It doesn't take a large improvement to see an impact.

McKinley Withers:
Exactly. Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, you've worked on this over the years, we provided this the first year that we had Health and Wellness Day.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
So those activities have changed and improved over time. And you've actually from the start calibrated this by grade level. So that is specific to the age of the student. Talk a little bit about that.

McKinley Withers:
Well, we know that, you know, wellness is unique for every individual. And especially when it comes to, you know, your age, the most effective strategies are strategies that people own for themselves. So rather than being told what to do, it's often more effective if people are choosing something that they are excited about that they can try and learn from and feel through what that strategy is. So rather than just being told to hydrate, you cannot understand the benefits of staying hydrated without proactively meeting that need. So creating a plan trying it out, seeing how it feels. That's where people get traction on change is where just actually experiencing the benefits of change.

Anthony Godfrey:
So don't just continue to do the same things you've done, try something new. But don't listen to somebody else telling you, well, this is what you have to do decide for yourself. “Hey, did I did I feel an impact as a result of this?”

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, approaching it with some curiosity and some intention is the key to understanding what works for us. You know, there's, there's a lot of wellness strategy preachers out there. And it's it's good to take in that input. So that you're open to what might work.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's interesting, I was talking with a friend who'd received advice about a health issue. In the past, this health issue required a change in diet. Okay, these are all the foods to avoid. It's interesting that the advice he received was actually, don't automatically restrict these foods, just be very aware of how certain foods impact you as an individual, and then choose your food accordingly. And I think you're saying the same thing about health and wellness. There's not something that automatically works for everyone, regardless of age, regardless of who they are.

But there is a core list of things that are generally going to improve health. And you find what's most appealing to you and what's most effective and you lean into that.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, yeah. And really, again, it comes back to the strategies that work are the strategies that are fun and easy. We need to get rid of this story that our wellness practices aren't working if we're not struggling.

Anthony Godfrey:
So I can back off of Tae Bo.

McKinley Withers:
You can back off of Tae Bo.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm still using that VHS tape, still hoping that it will start to be fun.

McKinley Withers:
The six-pack still hasn't shown up?

Anthony Godfrey:
It still hasn't shown up. I’ve been doing it since the 90s, and it still hasn't gotten fun.

McKinley Withers:
It’s still not working.

Anthony Godfrey:
So you're saying I can step away without guilt?

McKinley Withers:
Well, I thought Tae Bo would be fun. So I think that might just be–

Anthony Godfrey:
I've got tapes I can give you now that I've made this decision to move forward.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, just pass them along. It’s someone else's treasure. I can't wait for my Tae Bo tapes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. All right. Just–I have a VCR too I'll give you that.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, I’m going to need that for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay, so with the day set aside, the idea is that these activities are not just assigned to students. It's an activity that they engage in as a family.

McKinley Withers:
That's right, Dr. Godfrey. We've got assignments that have a variety of age ranges. They have a variety of topics of focus. It's all centered around the S.E.L.F.I.E. model from one of our school psychologists, Casey Pehrson, which stands for Sleep, Exercise, Light, Fun, Interaction, and Eating well. We chose the S.E.L.F.I.E. method because you don't need any specific technology or any specific setup in your home to access better sleep rituals, more sunlight, a little bit of movement, some more fun, and eating well. So all of the plans and activities are meant so that any of our district's families could make these activities work in their own family.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's accessible for everyone and it's intended for families.

McKinley Withers:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

McKinley Withers:
You can find out more about the S.E.L.F.I.E. method at selfiemethod.org.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it was on our podcast last year for Health and Wellness Day. 

McKinley Withers:
Yes. And that's on our website. So if you'd like to review some of the activities, you can visit wellness.JordanDistrict.org/resources. And we'll also have it posted on the Jordan District main page.

Anthony Godfrey:
And we'll be emailing it out to all families so watch for that. And in the meantime, let's give it a shot.

Stay with us. When we come back our Health and Wellness Specialist’s own children check out some of the fun Health and Wellness Day activities.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
We have two of McKinley's children here to help demonstrate those lessons. Go ahead and tell us your name, and how old you are, and what grade you're in.

Ridge:
My name is Ridge. I am eight years old and I'm in third grade.

Juniper:
My name is Juniper. I'm five years old and I'm in kindergarten.

Anthony Godfrey:
It's very nice of you both to come to your dad's workplace and help us experiment with these assignments. You know, your dad and I like to joke that if we put your names together, we could name the newest elementary Juniper Ridge and it would be named after both of you.

Juniper:
I heard that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Let's dive into the selfie method for kindergartners and third graders.

McKinley Withers:
Okay. So first, I'm going to ask each of you a question. Okay, Ridge, what does wellness mean to you?

Ridge:
So you're like healthy, you feel good and you just doing good in class.

McKinley Withers:
Awesome. Juniper, what does wellness mean to you? You told me something in the car on the way here. You said wellness is like when someone checks on you and make sure you're doing okay. Remember that?

We’ve gone to the website wellness.jordandistrict.org/resources and since Ridge is in third grade, I'm going to click on 3rd Grade - 6th Grade Wellness Day Activity Ideas. So when I click on that, you'll see a whole list of activities. There are, there is a whole page of Spanish activities and activities that are modified if your student has an accommodation or a special need. So those are adapted. So there are probably about 50 different activity ideas all centered around the selfie model.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, with a hyperlink there to some additional information on some of those.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, each of them has kind of a worksheet or a strategy or something that you could print out and walk through or just look at and talk through. So Ridge, if you look at all these words, sleep, exercise, light, fun, interaction and eating well, are there any of those that sound fun to you right now? That you that might help your wellness?

Ridge:
Um, fun and interaction.

McKinley Withers:
Let's, let's choose one of those.

Ridge:
Interaction.

McKinley Withers:
Interaction. Okay. So maybe let's look at this one. Conduct an interview with a family member or family friend. Okay. Complete a mad lib with a friend. Complete a random act of kindness for someone you care about. Make and play conversation cubes so that handouts right there. So are any of those sounding interesting to you? Mad Libs.

Ridge:
I'm pretty sure I know these.

McKinley Withers:
You know what this is?

Ridge:
Yeah.

McKinley Withers:
Okay. So you can do this with someone and that's kind of like a fun way to get to know someone a little bit better. So maybe we could do this mad lib together. So you read through it and then you fill in the blanks. Okay. And maybe we could just alternate. So I'll do, we'll do every other one. Okay.

Ridge:
Okay. My name is Ridge and I am...

McKinley Withers:
28.

Ridge:
Year's old. If I were president, I'd do a whole bunch of things. Like I would drive the biggest...

McKinley Withers:
You say one.

Ridge:
I would drive the biggest car.

McKinley Withers:
What color?

Ridge:
Red.

McKinley Withers:
The biggest red car in the country. And that car would go faster than any snail in the world.

Ridge:
Everyone would eat pepperoni pizza.

McKinley Withers:
Okay. For dinner. I would live in the statue of Dr. Godfrey.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, yeah.

McKinley Withers:
Don't we have one of those in Jordan?

Anthony Godfrey:
It's a big one. There'd be plenty of room. Yeah, right.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah. It's huge.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the idea is to allow for some creativity and some level of connection with other members of the family.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah. Just shake it up a little. I mean, all the activities are something you probably wouldn't

just wake up in the morning and be like, "I'm going to do a mad lib with my child." But once you go on there, you can kind of poke around and choose something that will strengthen your relationships, give you some ideas.

Anthony Godfrey:
And there's no pressure. Something isn't really taking hold and another activity sounds like more fun. Skip over and try something else.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah, exactly. So now we're in the kindergarten lessons and we're going to do an activity focused on sleep. And I know, Junie, do you like to color? Do you like to do art?

Juniper:
Yeah.

McKinley Withers:
Yeah. So maybe we could do this coloring sheet that's about getting good sleep. Does that sound fun? Do you want to do that? Should we color together? Awesome.

On the Sweet Dreams coloring sheet, which is one of, I mean, like we said, with every grade level, there's probably about 50 different activities to choose from. There's a coloring page that looks pretty fun to color that we could print out. But even if we don't have a printer, we can talk about this because the coloring page says sweet dreams, but it says “To help me have sweet dreams I will read or listen to a story” and you can color that. “I will go to bed at…” and then a certain time. “I will move my body in the day by…” “I will take a warm bath.” “I will cuddle something cozy.” Juniper has more stuffed animals surrounding her. You can't even find her. It looks like ET, you know, every time she's in her bed, it's just like, where is the actual child in there? And “I will eat a healthy snack.” So it just gives you some ideas for how to enhance sleep that a kid can color.

Anthony Godfrey:
I don't mind a good coloring page myself. So I may have to tap into some of these student activities.

McKinley Withers:
If you'd like to review the activities or use them anytime, they are found at wellness.jordandistrict.org/resources. And you can find all the different grade levels. For the secondary students, we actually have put the activities into a clickable page so you can navigate it more like a website just of activities. And there's multiple ways that you can access it. You'll see on the page and it should be easy and fun and personal to you and your family.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, thank you McKinley for all the work you've done and that your team and others on the committee have done to make this possible. And thanks Juniper and Ridge for coming and trying this out with us.

Ridge:
Thanks for having us.

Anthony Godfrey:
All right, take care guys.

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. And don't forget to subscribe to the Supercast.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She says working with him is like winning the lottery every single day at Fort Herriman Middle School.

On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside teacher Kimberly Mendenhall's classroom, where a volunteer by the name of John Titus has become a priceless part of instruction. Mr. Titus spends every minute he can helping to change the lives of students with his love for learning. Despite being retired, John shows up for students and Mrs. Mendenhall almost every single day.

We're here in Kimberly Mendenhall's classroom at Fort Herriman Middle School to learn a little bit about what you're doing here. But let's start off with an introduction of your long time dedicated volunteer here in the class.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
You bet. So this is Mr. Titus. His name is Jonathan Titus and I will actually let him introduce himself.

John Titus:
Hi. I've been volunteering here now for probably five years. I came down and just made contact with Kim Mendenhall and have enjoyed the experience immensely. It's a great school, great staff, excellent teacher. My background is actually in science and chemistry after college degrees. While I worked on my doctorate, I used mini computers at the time, small microwave-sized computers or refrigerator-sized. And I found that I was much more interested than that than chemistry.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

John Titus:
So my brother and I started an electronics consulting firm and designed and built electronic equipment for people. We also did a lot of writing about electronics and computers, wrote a number of books. And then I went to work for a publishing company. I became the chief editor of two electrical engineering magazines.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

John Titus:
And then retired and we moved out here.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now tell me what year you started working with small computers.

John Titus:
Probably '71 or '72. So that's back a ways.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Way back in the 1900s.

John Titus:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
And that's-- so you've been in on the ground floor of this for a long time.

John Titus:
That's true. Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's such an incredible opportunity for Kim to have you as a resource in the classroom and for the students to have access and the chance to learn from someone who's been a part of computers from the start, really.

John Titus:
Well, thank you. I just enjoy it immensely working with the students and working with Mrs. Mendenhall. I just enjoy being here and enjoy seeing the progress that the kids make.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about Kim Mendenhall as a teacher.

John Titus:
Outstanding. She loves the kids. She really does. Even when they're acting up, she loves them through and through.

Anthony Godfrey:
Through and through.

John Titus:
I can't say enough good things about her. I really enjoy working with her. And I think we make a good team, volunteer and teacher.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's obvious that great things are happening because of the work you do together.

John Titus:
It’s fun. I enjoy it.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
And he's being very modest. When John says that he has dabbled in the computer electronics world, he actually has one of the first personal computers sitting in the Smithsonian. So something that I have in my classroom that he has lovingly gifted to our school is a plaque. So this is one of the magazines that distributed early information about computers. It's called Radio Electronics. It's from July 1974. It's the cover of it. It also has one of the very first personal microprocessors.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. And you had that in the Smithsonian. I was so distracted by Fonzie's leather jacket and the ruby slippers that I missed that computer.

John Titus:
Well, you wouldn't see it because it's in the archives. If you're a researcher, you can go look at all the material. You can probably take it out and take it apart and look at it in the Smithsonian.

Anthony Godfrey:
So it's stored in the archives of the Smithsonian.

John Titus:
Yes, it is.

Anthony Godfrey:
And it was on display at a certain point.

John Titus:
They had an information age display back in the '80s, maybe early '90s.

Anthony Godfrey:
I was there in the '80s. Maybe I saw it.

John Titus:
Maybe you did.

Anthony Godfrey:
But now, to see it, I would have to go back. It's like in the Raiders of the Lost Ark–

John Titus:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
–at the end, where you go through all the wooden crates.

John Titus:
All those dusty boxes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, OK. It's somewhere in one of those. OK. Wow, so impressive and such an incredible opportunity for students to have access to someone who's worked with computers for such a long time.

John Titus:
Well, I'm happy to share what I know with them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, we're standing in front of two tables put together with about a dozen trays that each have an experiment here. So talk me through some of the basic experiments that students may go through.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yeah. So I teach computer science classes, Python, computer science investigations, computer science principles. And one of the elements of that class is trying to get them into something that's more hands-on. There's very few items that allow us to do that in the computer science world without making it yourself. So these experiments were mine and John's idea to try to bring to life real things.

For example, one of our experiments is a traffic light simulation. So this traffic light simulation has two boards. And the boards themselves are little electronic circuit boards that John has customized. They are also open source. You can get them and use them as you would like. But you send out for the board, you have to solder on the LEDs and the resistors and then connect it to what's called an I/O board. And that I/O board then connects to what's called a microbit.

Microbits are very common and they're tiny, maybe a 2 by 1 and ½ square that has buttons on the front, an LED 5 by 5 screen. And then you can program these microbits to do many different tasks.

The microbit is the brain. It's like the computer that you're programming. So by connecting this to the breakout boards that we've done with the traffic light, students then are able to simulate a north, south, east, west style traffic light that they can then literally see when they create a function that goes through a green light, yellow light, red light sequence versus a stay on red sequence. And then it swaps that they can see that happen in real-time and in real life.

Anthony Godfrey:
So the programming they do on this small board, which looks like what you'd find if you tore an old calculator apart, means that they program this and they connect it to these lights that Mr. Titus ordered and put together. Now they've programmed essentially traffic lights going in each direction and they program it to be sure that no theoretical traffic accidents happen.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Correct. All of these experiments that we have, have very detailed step-by-step instructions with their goals, what we're trying to get them to do, how to help them see what each step of the process is doing. And then in the end, it gives them different challenges. OK, now that you've done this traffic light sequence, think of a different one you could try to program that you might see if it's in the middle of nowhere at night and you just have a flashing yellow. How does that look and could you create that instead? So that's the traffic light one.

One of the kids' favorites is this joystick. So it's like what you would see in an arcade mounted on some plywood. It has another I/O board connected to the joystick, which you then--

Anthony Godfrey:
The wire's running from the joystick to the I/O board.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
And then you take the micro bit and you plug it into that board. Now the beauty of this project and the reason kids love it is because there's little LED dots on the top of the microbit. And those dots can be controlled with the joystick, but they have to do the programming to connect to the dots.

So they are seeing all the stuff that they normally see either in their video games or on different consoles that they use, whether it's they went to the red box and they're using the touchscreen

and trying to make things work. They are seeing what's happening behind the scenes of that. Now where this project gets really fun is there is a radio element to it.

So the radio element is you have two microbits that have a radio capability incorporated onto the computer. And they can send a signal from one microbit across my room. Now my room is long, very long. So they could be 20 feet away plus. We've actually experimented with this.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm sure you have.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
They have gone out into the halls around the school.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just to see how far back--

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Just to see how far this signal will go. Anyway, you could have a kid in this classroom using the joystick, and wherever the other student is that has the radio control option, it will send and it will put all of those little lights. It will control those lights with the joystick that's 20-plus feet away.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Wow. So even just with these initial experiments, they start to learn some rudimentary programming. They start to see the impact that programming has and the uses it might have in the real world.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Correct. Yeah. So this one is super fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK. Tell me about this one down here.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
So Mr. Titus has cats. We also, at one point in time, did teach engineering. And we would launch rockets and 3D printing. So we took all of those concepts, kind of threw it all together into a single experiment. So we've got a 3D printed gear, which has been attached to a servo with 3D printed track rails that are attached to an old rocket.

When you turn the servo, the servo will ultimately push the item, meaning the gear that's attached to the track, and it will push out a cat treat from the micro bit that you can then control with the A button and B button. So this becomes event-driven programming.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK. So now what they see is I'm manipulating the physical world with the programming that I have done.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yes.

John Titus:
Exactly. And they also measure things in the real world, too. They can measure light intensity and then their program can do something based on the light intensity. And also, they can measure temperature. They can do remote control with an infrared push button control, like on a TV. So they really get a sense that computers connect to the real world. And this is how they do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
So they start to get a sense that, hey, these things I'm learning could actually help people. And now I understand kind of the basics of how my TV works and how I can make my cat happier.

John Titus:
That's right.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK.

Stay with us. When we come back, more with Kimberly Mendenhall and this valuable volunteer who takes time in his retirement to make a difference in the lives of teachers and students.

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

Anthony Godfrey:
The pet feeder, the traffic lights, all of that leads to– kind of creates the basics for now some other programming of their own that they can go beyond. And you talked about block programming.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
So they have block programming, but in Python, that's considered line programming. So I had a student send me an example of one of the programs we did in Python, where he's using conditionals. He's using loops. He's using variables. And he has basically created a choose your own adventure game that is decently involved.

So he called this the peeler. And the peeler is a goblin who is coming to battle with a bunch of different enemies. These enemies that he has created vary in their strength. And so he's used a randomizer in there as well. And you have a set--

Anthony Godfrey:
To randomize the strength of the creatures that you fight?

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Mm-hmm.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
And he has made it so that when you are up against a specific creature, he has five different options to choose from to attack this other odd creature. We're doing a Merlopian at the moment and it says you can pick fireball, dusk blast, aquarium storm, thunder blitz, or stab.

Anthony Godfrey:
OK, a dusk blast?

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Oh, dusk blast.

Anthony Godfrey:
Is that like some kind of crepuscular weapon of some sort?

Kimberly Mendenhall:
I wish I knew.

Anthony Godfrey:
Just like, OK, ‘Nighttime!’

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yeah, why not?

Anthony Godfrey:
OK.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
A dusk blast might be me falling asleep on the couch. I don't know.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
The creativity of students, it's amazing. I wish I knew.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. Thunder blitz. I need to talk with this student and understand these weapons a little bit better.

Kimberly Menenhall:
He's fabulous.

Anthony Godfrey:
This is really cool. It's amazing. So they learn the mechanics. They learn the programming. And now that opens up a whole world of creativity where they get to make some things of their own.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yes. And so this particular game has no graphics at all. It is completely coded with just words. And the output is just text at this point. So we're trying now to go– we have these real-world step-by-step experiments. We've now taught you some of the very basic fundamentals of line programming with Python.

Anthony Godfrey:
Kind of like a choose your own adventure as the result.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yeah. And then now they're trying to now take it to that next step where we do incorporate the graphics side of things. And a fast way, one of the fastest ways to do that, is with these little– they're called kitten bots or meow bits. It's similar to--

Anthony Godfrey:
Kitten bots or meow bits.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Help me, John.

Anthony Godfrey:
And Python named after Monty Python. Engineers have a really good time naming things.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
They do. They love it. After things that they enjoy.

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm in. It's great.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Kittens. I mean, that's right up Mr. Titus' alley.

Anthony Godfrey:
There you go. That's right. It's all coming together.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yes. OK, so this game-- and I'll try not to reset it. But this particular game on a kitten bot. Now, a kitten bot is about the size of my palm. And it has a look similar to an old school Game Boy. Has an up down left right AB button on it. It has a little LCD screen. It's basically a more advanced version of a microbit. But it only deals with what's called the MakeCode Arcade. It's a Microsoft product that you can code on.

They have block-based programs, my students created this game in my seventh period today, where they have targets that are going across the screen. Your goal is to try to move the ball that's in the center to try to hit the target. There is a bar at the bottom that decides how much energy the ball has to then be able to launch at that target. So now they're taking the skills of the conditionals, the loops, the randomization and they're seeing them applied to something that they can physically now see and interact with like a Game Boy.

Anthony Godfrey:
So this goes beyond the choose your own adventure to a graphic game that is based on their programming.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Over here in this part of the room, you have the two consoles, the arcade consoles. And this brings back a ton of memories for me, even though right now it's just raw wood because I spent a lot of time playing video games in arcades. In junior high, I will say, I would take my lunch money - and this is in the 1900s-  I would run back downtown because I was at a school downtown on a university campus. I would run to the arcade, spend my lunch money, and run back and make it just in time, not having eaten anything but playing Tempest until I beat the final screen. So this is bringing back great memories. And to me, it's very worth the time, very much worth the time that you spent over the summer creating these consoles. Because you're not saying, well, this is kind of like you could even play your game in an arcade. This makes it real for the kids.

John Titus:
Right. Because they are the ones who are contributing the games.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. So you've created the shell. And they get to fill that with their own creativity.

John Titus:
Yes.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Oh, yeah. So first of all, these arcades are like six feet tall. They look like what you would go into if you were going to an old-school arcade like Anthony described. This is just plain wood. But we were talking about making it into something that may be a collaboration with our art teachers or potentially vinyl sleeves for them even to get them to pop a little bit more.

Right now, they're still just, again, nothing fancy raw wood. But they look like a traditional arcade system with joysticks and buttons and a screen. And the students can come in with their Python games. Or we've talked to code.org, we talked to Scratch. We are trying to get in touch with the MakeCode Arcade to bring all of the different options for students to be able to create and bring their creativity, game-making skills, programming skills onto a real-life arcade. There's two of them. And they're run by a Raspberry Pi.

You didn't get to see this. So the brain thing of this, you know old computers are just a board. Well, our board is maybe the size of my open hand. I might- 4 inches by 2 inches. It's just this little Raspberry Pi, which is fitting for Thanksgiving.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. Wow

Kimberly Mendenhall:
But yeah. So over the summer, we took the time and plans from– I want to say it's MakeCode.org– where they had an arcade layout. We took the dimensions that were there and John came up with a plan for the design. Then I, with the help of my principal, was able to order all of the plywood to be able to create real– it's not a desktop. This is on caster wheels that lock. It is taller than I am. I'm 5'5". These are 6'5", maybe. And you can stand up next to it, hit it if you need to when you're frustrated. And it's not going to go anywhere. They're really sturdy, strong machines.

Anthony Godfrey:
So are you woodworkers on top of everything else?

Kimberly Mendenhall:
One of the classes we did was engineering. And we were trying to show an engineering design process, fail or not. And this is what came of that. John's more of the engineer than I am. But I do know how to work in a shop.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's impressive. And I would say you didn't cut corners. But you cut a lot of corners. Which, getting these shapes requires a lot of cutting. And like I said, you went all in. You did everything you could to make this as realistic as possible.

John Titus:
That was the goal. Yeah. That was the goal. So the kids would really take to it, rather than, as Kim said earlier, just a monitor and a keyboard and a mouse. This is it. This is a real arcade.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, this elevates it in a very meaningful way. Thank you so much for spending time with me today. But more than that, for creating this unmatched experience for students. What an incredible environment for them to learn in. And what an incredible opportunity.

John Titus:
Well, everything that I have done is open source. Any teachers within the district and outside the district are welcome to take advantage of what we've put together. And credit Mrs. Mendenhall for the opportunity to do it, and also the encouragement to do it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, the two of you are such a great combination.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Thank you.

Anthony Godfrey:
I wish I could go back in time and take this class myself. Because it's just lighting all kinds of circuits in my brain. So people who get to take your class. So thank you very much for everything you do.

Kimberly Mendenhall:
Yes, thank you.

John Titus:
You're welcome. Nice meeting you.

Anthony Godfrey;
Very nice meeting you as well.

Thanks for listening to another episode of the Supercast. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you out there.

And if you like what you heard, subscribe and give us a five-star rating.