Supercast

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today we look inside the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, better known to most parents and students as DARE. It is a program that has evolved over the years, empowering students to respect themselves and others, to make healthy choices in life and to rely on something called "their helping it work". First let's head over to Terra Linda Elementary school, where West Jordan police just finished a DARE graduation ceremony, and we had the opportunity to speak with some graduates. So tell me your name.

Student:
My name's Nancy Ali.

Superintendent:
What grade are you in?

Student:
Fifth.

Superintendent:
And you just completed the DARE program here at Terra Linda Elementary. What did you think of it?

Student:
I thought it was really fun. And especially since I won the DARE essay.

Superintendent:
Yeah, we got to hear your essay. That was really awesome. Tell us some of what you read to the audience.

Student
I wrote to them about bullying and about how we shouldn't do drugs and what drugs can do to you. I told them we should all be just be friends and be kind to each other. And I told them about how happy I was with this DARE program and that Officer Kim was there to support us and let us have this big opportunity today.

Superintendent:
Tell us about Officer Kim. What she liked?

Student:
Officer Kim is a really happy lady. She's never quiet or scared to do anything or say anything. She's always positive and she helps us out a lot. She makes us happy and she gives us stickers, high fives and hugs.

Superintendent:
That's a really good combination. Is she someone that you look up to?

Student:
Officer Kim's one of my heroes.

Superintendent:
That's really cool. Tell me about the help network. I saw drawings at the back of the room and the big banner. What does that mean?

Student:
So the help network is someone that matters to you and who's always there for you. Someone who just cares about you and they can get help with. I picked my two best friends. Their names are  Millie and Bryn. Bryn is just a girl that's really positive is not scared. She's tough and she stands up for herself. Millie's just a funny dork and she likes to exercise a lot and get her energy out. And then I'm just the one that gets scared a lot.

Superintendent:
So it's nice to have friends and Officer Kim who help teach you to kind of stand up for yourself and be yourself.

Student:
Officer Kim is a good officer. And also, I also wanted to thank my teacher, Mr. Pascoe, and our other teachers, Ms. Snowball, Mr. Barber and Mr. Grinch and everyone that's in my class and almost everyone that's in my grade and everyone who was here today.

Superintendent:
I've seen some of your teachers in action. I know some of them over the years and they really are great teachers in this grade.

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
Okay. Thanks very much for talking with us. Have a great day.

Another DARE graduation was held at Mountain Shadows Elementary school. That's where we caught up with Sergeant Jay.

Officer:
Yeah. We are excited. We've revitalized the DARE program here within West Jordan. We have 17 elementary schools in West Jordan city, which is a huge number of elementary schools. The DARE programs focus on the fifth graders of each school and we talk to them. It's a program about prevention and boundaries and healthy lifestyles and choices. Anti-bullying, there's many benefits. Those are just the core areas that we have been teaching. DARE also has several other core areas that involve mentoring and being a good friend, even down to suicide prevention and things like that. So we're just excited to have this program back. We were able to secure some grant money, which enabled us to have three DARE positions this year as a pilot program to start.

I'm currently the supervisor over that program. And it's my interest to hopefully see this program grow and bring some public awareness to it, on how much of a benefit it is to our elementary school children. And hopefully, we can increase and allocate more resources to put into this for the District, for the kids.

Superintendent:
I have to say, we're here at Mountain Shadows Elementary for a DARE graduation. And I've attended a lot of these over the years and the enthusiasm of the kids is really fun to see, and it does empower them. It gives them some tools that you referenced, to give them a higher level of social and emotional wellness. We've been focused on that a lot lately as a District and as a society.

Officer:
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we talk a lot today in the back of this graduation. I know that this is an audio interview, but one of the things that you can see, these kids have drawn their circles of support network, their health network that they have. And it's fun to go through and read those that the kids have put. Some of those are their friends. Some of those are police and fire. Some of those are their pets at home. But just helping the kids recognize that they have a help network, they have a support network and that we as police officers and school officials are part of that help network, or that we should be, so that those kids can rely on us to answer questions they have. We spend a large amount of time with these kids every day at schools and they need to be able to know that they can utilize some of those professionals in their lives for part of that help network. And I just think that it's a really cool gesture. It's a small gesture, frankly, of what the program offers, just a glimpse into it. So great things happening.

Superintendent:
I love the concept of the circles and the help network and being deliberate about thinking about who can help you, in advance of when there are problems.

Officer:
Yeah, for sure. Oftentimes, we don't know. We deal with children sometimes that don't know that they can utilize certain aspects of that help network, such as police. And that is one thing that the DARE program is great for. It teaches kids that we're a resource for them, not something to be feared, not something to be afraid of, but something that should be familiar to them. Hopefully where they see us, they don't see us and equate that with "Oh, there's trouble" or something like that. We're here as a support system for them

Superintendent:
Right. Kids viewing police officers as a support and as a help and as a positive is a great benefit of the program. And I have to say, as I walked into the school, three different people said how excited they are to have the DARE program back and to have you guys here in schools,

Officer:
For sure. We've received very positive feedback. We're appreciative of that. I am appreciative of the officers that I supervise that are administering this program. They're very busy. certainly, I would say that our staffing is at a minimal level right now in this pilot portion of the program, but we hope to expand and grow and allocate more resources. Of course, that comes challenges as there are many different aspects of policing we're working on right now, to spread resources out.

Superintendent:
I think that we all can relate with that, but we're very excited to be back in the schools with this program.

Officer:
Well, we're grateful for this new focus, for the support you give us in so many ways. Just with a wide variety of issues that come your way and come our way. And it's a great relationship and thanks for everything you're doing. I appreciate it.

Superintendent:
Thank you. We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we'll hear more from students in the DARE program and from Officer Kim Welty who teaches there and is devoted to empowering kids to do the right thing.

McKinley Withers:
Do you want ideas for being happier and healthier? I'm McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Specialist for Jordan School District. Please join us every week for Wellness Wednesday. It's a feature on the Jordan school District website that offers free and simple tips for improving your health and wellness. We cover a variety of topics to help families like reducing stress, improving eating habits, finding more time to build relationships, and increasing overall happiness. Check out Wellness Wednesday every week on the Jordan School District website jordandistrict.org. For additional health and wellness resources, visit wellness.jordandistrict.org.

Superintendent:
Welcome back. We're talking about the DARE program and what students walk away with when they graduate. And we're about to meet the very popular Officer Kim who teaches DARE. Tell me your name.

Student:
Isaac.

Superintendent:
You've just graduated from DARE, right?

Superintendent:
Yes. You're a fifth grader here at Terra Linda Elementary. Tell us about what you learned in the DARE program.

Student:
We learned a few things about drug facts and health effects and a few things about bullying.

Superintendent:
What are some of the things you learned about responsibility?

Student:
How to respect others and also treat others how you want to be treated.

Superintendent:
What about drug facts and smoking and other things you learned about not particularly in that order?

Student:
One of the things is we try to stay off of that stuff is because it can also lead to death.

Superintendent:
It's very dangerous. How about bullying? What did you learn about bullying and treating other people?

Student:
The different types of bullying, like cyber bullying and physical bullying, and just how to stop that stuff.

Superintendent:
What are some of the other things that you liked about the DARE program?

Student:
Officer Kim was really nice.

Superintendent:
Tell me more about Officer Kim. I've heard a lot about her.

Student:
She is really kind and she listened to what we had questions about and stuff like that.

Superintendent:
Did going through the DARE program, give you a different perspective or thought about police officers?

Student:
Yeah. Uh, normally I thought police officers just helped out with traffic and stuff like that. But now I heard that they do like all sorts of different things.

Superintendent:
Are they friendly?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
What do you think of Officer Kim?

Student:
She's a good teacher.

Superintendent:
I can tell. What do you think of officer Kim?

Student:
She's the best.

Superintendent:
Well, that's good. That's good. What's that? You don't want the other officers to feel bad.

Student:
She's the nicest.

Superintendent:
So DARE is back in West Jordan and Officer Kim is here with me. She is the teacher at the two schools whose graduation I've just attended. I heard a lot of really nice things about you from kids today. What do you think of this program and what is it like working with these kids?

Officer:
I love this program. The kids have, I don't even know how to explain it. Like overwhelming. You start off thinking it's going to be one way and it just spirals out of control with goodness. It's beautiful. The kids are amazing. They're so warm and welcoming. They want so much to be part of our lives and for officers to get to know them and they want to share. They want to tell us how much they know and they're smart and they're beautiful. It's just amazing. It's wonderful.

Superintendent:
I've been really impressed with how articulate all of the kids are about the program, about the things that you've taught. It's really interesting because you don't always see that happen in the classroom, despite our best efforts. But boy, they are all conversant in the aspects of the DARE program. Why do you think that is?

Officer:
Well, I have to give a lot of it too, back to the kids cause they really are smarter, bigger and better than we can imagine. They really are. They are the best of all of us, and then some. And then I'll give myself a little bit of credit, by just repeating things. I repeat things and repeat things and repeat things to them that I find super important and that I know are important to them, by how quiet they get in class, how they'll get a look on their face when something means something to them. And that will tell me, this is a topic that's important to these guys. So we'll spend a little more time on those aspects of it. I like to just watch the kids and see what's important to them.

Superintendent:
I love that. The look on their faces. I miss that look on their faces. I'm not in the classroom anymore, but it's really fun when you see that connection. And obviously you are making that connection a lot. Participating in the DARE program is probably the most interaction they've had with an officer at this point. What is the value of being able to create that positive relationship?

Officer:
Well, as part of the DARE program, our final lesson was the health network and it is talking about those additional people in our lives that are there for us. And I really wanted to showcase police officers and their relationships to us or the ones they can have with us. I want them to know that we're here and we're not off limits. And I feel like that they take the time to see that, and the more that we take the time to reach out to one of them or talk to one of them, then they're going to realize that we're not off limits. We're not the bad guys. We really do care so much and we want to be there for him. I think it'll just help their relationships. I think there'll be less afraid when they see one. They don't know.

Superintendent:
I agree. I've loved looking at the pictures of the help networks on the back wall. It kind of makes me want to be sure that I'm someone that would be included in a lot of help networks because it's very touching to read the descriptions.

Officer:
It is. And I, when I presented to them, "Hey, let's find one person in your life that's part of that help network," it blew me away how beautiful and creative they were. Some of them even put their pets on there because we talked about how much or how important our pets are to us as part of our help network, right down to their best friend who is always there for them. Every single person has somebody different. That's important to them. And it's important for them to remember  and to think about, "Oh yeah, I do have somebody. I'm not alone."

Superintendent:
Exactly.

Officer:
I can really imagine people thinking the kids realizing, "Hey, wait, I really do have some people in my corner, so many people I can pick" and that's right. I have a lot to pick from, more than I thought. And it's really more of a help network, even because when we're connected with others, that's how we can be healthy. That's how we can feel safe and secure.

Superintendent:
Yeah, very much. Okay. Thank you very much. Officer Kim, it's a pleasure meeting you. Thanks to everyone who works so hard to support students in our schools. We appreciate the partnership with West Jordan, South Jordan, Riverton and Herriman Police Departments, all offering DARE in Jordan District Schools. It's a program that builds a healthy relationship with police and empowers kids to make healthy choices.

Thanks as always to all of you for listening. And remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see out there.

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today I'm taking you to the Jordan Academy for Technology and Careers, the JATC South Campus in Riverton, where students are finding out first-hand what it really takes to be a Firefighter EMT. Trust me, it's even harder than it looks. I know, compared with you guys, I looked very soft and undisciplined and not ready for this, but are you guys ready to put me through my paces?

Students:
Let's do this.

Superintendent:
So, your instructor can maybe help me with this. Tell me your name.

My name is Taylor Sandstrom.

Superintendent:
And your title?

Instructor:
I'm a Firefighter Paramedic with Unified Fire Authority and currently the JATC Fire Science and EMT instructor.

Superintendent:
That's a mouthful. That's a lot of responsibility,

Instructor:
A lot of stuff on your email closing. We emphasize in any EMT program, besides the skills, what do you need to be an EMT. One of the things you need to do is be active in your community, in educating people about what to do in case of emergencies and how to perform before we arrive. We've found across the country that if we can educate people about hands only CPR, when somebody has a cardiac event and collapses, then our survival rates go way, way up in that five minutes to seven minutes it takes the EMS providers to arrive. If somebody else has already begun doing chest compressions, survival can double. So, we teach in the community, hands only CPR so that people aren't intimidated to just start doing compressions and do them correctly. So they would like to teach you how to do hands only CPR.

Superintendent:
I have to admit that hands only CPR sounds a whole lot better than just regular old CPR.

Instructor:
It is. And we have found that people are hesitant. They take a CPR class every couple of years, maybe, but they don't practice in between. And it can be very complicated. We've simplified it down to push hard and fast and in the center of the chest at 120 beats per minute.

Superintendent:
Now, let me ask you this. I'm a music fan is the "Staying Alive" thing true, that you do it to the beat of standards?

Instructor:
That is pretty good.

Superintendent:
"You Should Be Dancing" or "How Deep Is Your Love"?

Instructor:
Both of those, I believe are a hundred beats per minute. Also, "staying alive" seems to be the right mindset.

Superintendent:
Because really every BG song sounds about the same. You know exactly. Okay. Alright. I'm going to do "Staying Alive". It makes sense. But you know, you could mix it up if you had to is what you're telling me. Okay. So we've got three torsos with heads that seem to be screaming out in internal pain. Is that right? Do I have that right? Okay. Is that the expression part? They're like, no, I'm in pain. Okay. All right, here we go. So should I try this one?

Instructor:
All right.  First, you'd arrive on the scene. The person that you're looking at is going to be unresponsive. But you want to check to see if there's a response in the first place. So you want to say, "Hey, are you okay?" Maybe he gives him a few claps to make sure that sound doesn't wake him up and he's not just sleeping on the ground.

Superintendent:
Right. Okay. Hey, are you okay?

Instructor:
If he doesn't respond, you need to give him a painful stimuli, something that'll wake him up. We call them painful stimulus. There's two though they teach us. You can do a trap pinch, which is just pinched the trap muscle on the end, what they call a sternum rub and you use the second knuckle on your fist and you just rub across the sternum.

Superintendent:
So I rub across the sternum to try to give them a little bit of pain, to wake them up. Okay.

Instructor:
If that doesn't wake them up, probably nothing will. So you probably should start CPR at that point. Something that you want to do before you even start compressions is you want to get people going on the scene. You want to delegate and say, "Will you call 911" and get another person to get an AED? Those are the two things that you need to do.

Superintendent:
Would you call 911 and you go get an AED?

Instructor:
Perfect. Okay.  And then as soon as you delegate to the people that have jobs, you want to start CPR. You want to take your dominant hand. That is what I like to use. You want to take your dominant hand, you want to place the butt of your palm in the center of the chest, right in the center. And then with the other hand, you want to stick on top of that and lock your fingers across them. When you push down, you want to push straight down from your back.

Superintendent:
Okay. Now, can I ask you this?

Instructor:
Yes, of course.

Superintendent:
How can I mess this up? Because that's what I'm always worried about is I did something wrong. I hurt the person. And I think a lot of people are worried about that. So how would I avoid doing something wrong and hurting someone?

Instructor:
So there is a depth. It's two inches or a third chest depth. Right? So that's about this deep, as long as you're pushing down, you're helping if I'm in trouble.

Superintendent:
Yeah. Okay. So I go like this,

Instructor:
So there's some resistance, right? So you want to push down hard and fast. You want to push from your hips and your back, not necessarily bending from your elbows or from your shoulders.

Superintendent:
From my hips and my back.

Instructor:
Yes. So you just want to push down nice and solid. Just push it down.

Superintendent:
Oh, wow. So I'm pushing down and it's giving way. Really. It kind of feels like a chest would give away. That's kind of strange. That's a strange feeling.

Instructor:
Okay, great. As you keep going, you want to make sure that when you push down and you let go, you want to allow the chest to fully recoil, allow it to fully, come back up

Superintendent:
Go back down again. So \that's another thing I don't want to do wrong. I want to let it come all the way up.

Instructor:
We're gonna keep it down here. You want to allow, alright

Superintendent:
Down and all the way up. Yep.

Instructor:
And then as you go, just make sure you're doing 120. Okay.

Superintendent:
Huh Huh Huh Huh, Staying Alive. Am I doing it? The right speed?

Instructor:
Yeah. That's about right.

Superintendent:
Too fast?

Instructor:
Oh, a little faster. Yeah. A little bit faster.

Superintendent:
You can tell by the way my singing, I probably don't know the lyrics after that, but that's a little faster. Okay. Yeah.

Instructor:
And so, if you need a person to switch out, you can get another person to help you and just coordinate and say, "Hey, come switch me out" and just instruct them on how they would do it the same way. And then have them just keep going along with CPR. If you get tired and you switch out.

Superintendent:
Okay. So how do I switch out?

Instructor:
Just count down just three, three, two, two, one. The reason you should stop is if there is an AED present or if EMS arrived on scene.

Superintendent:
I'm honestly feeling like this might be the safest room in the District right now with you guys here. This is awesome. That was so good. I feel like I can do it. I mean, I need to be a little faster. Any other, any other pointers?

Instructor:
Just the sooner you start compressions, as soon as you see a problem, the sooner you act, the better chances the person's going to have it survival.

Superintendent:
Your instructor keeps nodding his head behind you. So you guys have done a great job. Congratulations. That's great. We've saved a life. That feels good. Tell me your name.

Student:
My name is Dax.

Superintendent:
So Dax. What are some of the life skills that you're learning?

Student:
Um, by the end of the semester, we can test for our EMT license and we can become practicing EMTs at that point. And so it allows for really good job opportunities and we really have a straightforward career path.

Superintendent:
Is this something that you want to do as a career?

Student:
Very much so.

Superintendent:
And how about you? What's your name and why are you here?

Student:
Robbie. Um, I really like emergency services. I like trauma and all that stuff. And so this is just a pathway into what I want to.

Superintendent:
Do you like dealing with the tough stuff?

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
So, are you like cool and calm and collected in most circumstances?

Student:
Yeah. When it's like crazy is when I'm coolest. I take a deep breath and just do everything the best I can.

Superintendent:
I'm glad people like you want to do this. Okay. What was the biggest change for you? Obviously you didn't use to be this disciplined. What are some things that you're more disciplined about now that you're in this program? Focusing on homework and home studies?

Student:
Definitely.

Superintendent:
I get the impression that there is no excuse for not being caught up in your classes.

Student:
Just lazy work. If you're not getting your work done, it's because you're lazy.

Superintendent:
Okay. I like that attitude is exactly what we want education to look like, hands-on and the type of thing that doesn't just teach you facts or skills, but the teaches you to be a better person. And that's obviously what you're getting here. So congratulations to your instructor and to each of you for the effort you're putting in.  So should we get into the equipment a little bit is going to be a Fire Science class?

Instructor:
In here, we're prepping, we're prepping students to go to a Fire Academy and become firefighters. Now, here is one of the things to show you.

We're going to do it with you, if you don't mind. People often ask why we set up our equipment the way we do and why we put our boots inside our pants and things like that when we're at the station or even out and around the town, in the in the rigs. When we get a fire call, we need to be able to respond as quickly as possible. And the first part of that is getting dressed appropriately to go to the fire. So we keep our boots inside our pants so that it's faster to get our boots and pants on. We have a fire hood that's made a Nomex that we wear over head and ears, and our coat. We typically call this our bunker set. So we have special pants, special coat, and then a helmet and gloves. Who's demo-ing?

He's gonna get ready, and we have some gear for you.

Superintendent:
Oh, great. Wow.

Instructor:
He's going to slowly go through with it and show you how to put it all on. And then, oh sorry, this is a Cade. We call him Nickel Cade. And then over here we have Sophie. Sophie is going to then show you what it looks like after you've practiced in your full speed.

Superintendent:
Okay. Okay. Now I have to admit ,without taking away from what you're doing here, this looks a lot like my ten-year-olds bedroom floor.

Instructor:
Yes it does. And in our rigs and in our stations, it's not laid out quite this extravagantly. We keep it nice and neat. As you can see, everybody's lockers looks the same when you're here, it's put away. A lot of what we do is team oriented. I'd say firefighting is the ultimate team sport. You don't do very well by yourself. You need your team and your team needs you. So in our class, we emphasize that teamwork and that working together, the ultimate team sport.

Superintendent:
I like that very much. So, is Sophie the fastest?

Instructor:
Sofia is one of the fastest. She is. It's kind of a race all the time. The state standard for firefighters is one minute to put on your turnout gear. Our standard in our class is 45 seconds and some of these guys are in the thirties.

Superintendent:
Holy mackerel. I can tie a tie pretty fast, but I don't think that'll help. Alright, here we go.

Instructor:
All right. Follow along with Cade.

Superintendent:
Alright, so he's going to demonstrate. I don't see myself doing this in 30 seconds anytime soon. You guys can laugh. It's okay.

Student:
Suspender's right here, hanging on the sides. The suspenders, you grab those and throw them up.

Superintendent:
Maybe I shouldn't take the sport coat off, but I'm in now, baby. I'm in now.

Student:
And then you got a button it.

Superintendent:
Wow. I can't wait to see Sophie do this. I really can't.

Student:
And velcro.

Superintendent:
Oh wow. That's very eighties.

Student:
And then click on top of that. Just leave it buckled.

Student:
And I set out my coat is in a way that I can stick my arm in.

Superintendent:
This feels heavy. It already feels heavy.

Student:
And then you to get your zipper and then velcro strap. And then the next up right here comes across, and then you bring your hood and wrap it around the collar and then we clap and then you're done. That's her heel.

Superintendent:
I'm not even very good with your gloves.

Student:
I've been doing that for awhile.

Superitendent:
We're going to take a quick break. When we come back more with Unified Firefighter, Taylor Sandstrom and his students from the JATC.

Sandra Reisgraf:
If you're always looking for opportunities to learn something new, why not join us for the next Jordan Parent University? Jordan Parent University is an opportunity for parents to better understand issues that impact their own students and education. It's an evening class designed to help parents with things like planning for the road beyond high school, better understanding students' social and emotional health and wellness. And knowing who to call when there are issues involving a school or a student. Jordan Parent University is free and open to the public. For a list of upcoming classes, times and locations go to jpu.jordan.district.org. See you there.

Superintendent:
Welcome back. Suiting up in heavy fire gear or bunkers as they call it is really hard. But one student, Sophie, does it better than almost anyone, beating the clock. Every time she even comes in much faster than what is required for actual firefighters. So let's listen in, as she tries to completely equip herself as a firefighter in record time 45 seconds, right? No pressure.

Mark set go. Sophie is killing me. I took longer on the buckle than she's taking on the entire thing right now. She's got her mask on seriously. She looks like she's ready to run into a burning building, like right now. This is not messing around. Wow. 38 seconds. That was awesome. That was awesome. Wow. That is incredible. I have to say, I'm glad I tried it before I watched you. I have tremendous respect for what you just did. It's around 60 pounds of gear. I'll run upstairs into a burning building, dragging a hose out. That is something else.

Instructor:
Our standard, just for all calls,  we want to be out of the station and on the road in about 90 seconds. So some of the stuff, like air pack buckles, we'll be doing that on our way to the call. But we want to arrive again, our standard is five to seven minutes from the time we get the call, we want to be at the incident.

Superintendent:
So, it sounds like they're meeting the standards and exceeding the standard as high school students.

Instructor:
That's my goal. My goal is when they leave here and go to a Fire Academy to get their State Certifications that they can walk in and the skills and knowledge is already in place.

Superintendent:
So tell me, if you're talking to parents or students who might be considering either program, uh, what would you tell them to expect first of all? And then we'll talk about the benefits.

Instructor:
Lots of hard work. These courses aren't about grades, in my opinion, they're not about anything other than showing me your best effort. Working hard, studying hard, having the discipline to be to class on time every day. Just like when you and I go to work, we need to be right on time, every day, ready to go. There really aren't excuses. There might be reasons, but there are no excuse, other than lack of preparation or lack of effort or lack of time in the program.

Superintendent:
I heard students say exactly what you were just saying. That it's lack of effort, lack of preparation. If you're not ready, you're lazy. There's a real work ethic that goes with this. I can't imagine a class that teaches a better work ethic.

Instructor:
I can't speak to other classes. All I can say is that I take my job seriously and people depend on us, right? We are teaching them that. And I tell them on the first day, when someone calls 9-1-1, they're not having their best day ever. They're having their worst. And they have an expectation that whoever shows up will know how to make it better. And that's a very serious responsibility. And I try to instill that in these students, if nothing else, when they leave my class, I hope they know whether this is what they want to do or not.

Superintendent:
What are of the other benefits of being in there?

Instructor:
This class is  a college credit, cheap, $5 per credit. If you take both of these classes, you can get nine for EMT and seven for Fire sScience. You're going to be well prepared to go out into the workplace. And frankly, myself and all of the instructors in this course are full time Firefighter, Paramedics, and EMTs. And this becomes a job interview. It's a semester of interviewing for a job because when you apply, they will call me, if you put me down as a reference, and I will tell them exactly what I think about you,

Superintendent:
Because lives are at stake and you can't risk having someone respond to a call, that's not  ready.

Instructor:
Yes.

Superintendent:
It sounds to me, like you said, sometimes students learn if this is what they want to do by being in the class. Sometimes they learned that this is not what they want to do by being in the class. I imagine everyone takes away lifelong lessons, that they're changed the way they view themselves and the world around them.

Instructor:
Absolutely. You are as some of your experiences.  And this is an experience I think, powerful enough that it will make a difference if you don't want to be an EMT and work on an Ambulance or work for a Fire Department. If you've taken this class, we have taught you some things that are going to be helpful someday in some situation.

Superintendent:
It strikes me that just with the discipline and the skills and the mindset they have, whether they take the job or not, it seems to me like they're going to be in a position to save a life.

Instructor:
I hope so. This summer, I was able to go back to the field and work with some of my students who have been in this class and now work for my department. And it's awesome. It's a super great feeling for me, to see them thrive and do what they train so hard here to do is an awesome experience.

Superintendent:
So tell us, why did you decide to be a paramedic?

Instructor:
That's a long story. My dad and brother were both firefighters. My dad was an EMT. My brother was a paramedic. That was a strong influence in my life anyway, but I also had the misfortune, or fortune, to be one of their patients at one time, they saved my life.

Superintendent:
So you thought, I need to pay that forward. I really admire what you're doing here. Thank you for choosing to be a teacher. In addition to everything else you're already doing, it was my mom's fault. Any last advice for parents of kids thinking about the program?

Instructor:
It takes a lot of time. This program, both of them are half of their day. It's four credits or four classes and appropriately, I send home four classes worth of homework and expectations. So this class will take a lot of their time. But have you guys ever been in a class you liked more?

Superintendent:
I'm going to ask them about that. So you work harder in this class I'll bet, than you do in any other, is that true? You agreed, 100% hardest class, toughest class you're in and it is the toughest class, but it is worth it? For all of you, it's your favorite as well. So how was your hardest class also your favorite?

Student:
I don't know. We have fun working hard and it's not just a class where we just sit down and bookwork all the time. We get to apply the stuff. I think why I think it's fun.

Superintendent:
How about for you?

Student:
I think when it's something you want to do, and it's something you want to learn about, it's still hard work, but it pays off and you like it at the end of the day.

Superintendent:
What would you have to say about liking a class that's so difficult?

Student:
I liked that he shows us real world experiences and we're making a difference by doing this class.

Superintendent:
I can agree with you there. How about you? You said it's very difficult, but it's worth it.

Student:
It just really helped me grow as a person and in my work ethic as well. I really increased my work ethic and, obviously, my discipline as well. And I think that this class has really shaped me as a person.

Superintendent:
Well, if you ever want to work for a children's school district, you all have a job. I'm going to shake your hand. You guys are amazing. Thank you so much for that experience and your good teachers too. You guys got me up to speed. Well, not up to speed in terms of how fast I could put on my fire outfit. What do you call it? Turn-out gear. Fire outfit is probably not the proper term. You guys are amazing. That's great. And I want to thank you guys.

Thanks so much to Unified Fire and their unique partnership with Jordan School District, which is helping high school students pursue a career in Fire Science. This is just one of many hands-on programs offered at the Jordan Academy. It's a program for students who have a passion to help others and save lives.

And thanks to all of you for joining us on the Supercast. And remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see you.

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today we're talking nutrition, starting with students at Hayden Peak Elementary School, where they spill the beans on their favorite snacks, and we find out if cottage cheese makes the cut. We're cooking up some fun with kids. Then Jordan School District Dietician, Katie Bastian joins us in studio to talk about getting back on track with better nutrition in the new year for students and families. First, let's check in with our friends at Hayden Peak. Tell me your name.

Student:
My name is Shannon.

Superintendent:
Shannon. What is your favorite food?

Student:
I would have to say it's kind of weird, but I love carrots. I love their baby carrots with ranch dressing.

Superintendent:
Baby carrots with ranch dressing is not weird. What's your name?

Student:
Sierra.

Superintendent:
Sierra. Tell me some of your favorite foods.

Student:
Mac and Cheese.

Superintendent:
Okay. What type of Mac and Cheese? Do you like it with the fluorescent orange powder whipped into a cream sauce?

Student:
Normally, my family just buys a Velveeta Brand Mac and Cheese.

Superintendent:
Velveeta Mac and Cheese is definitely next level. I love Velveeta Mac and Cheese. It's kind of like gold being poured over your pasta?

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
What do you not like? What foods do you definitely not like?

Student:
I hate green beans.

Superintendent:
You hate green beans. Did they do something bad to you?

Student:
No, I just don't like them.

Superintendent:
You just don't like them. Okay. You don't like them. Hate is kind of a strong word if they haven't ever hurt you. Is it because they're kind of fuzzy?

Student:
No, it tastes bad to me.

Superintendent:
What's your name?

Student:
My name's Kylie.

Superintendent:
What do you like for snacks? I like to eat talkies.

(02:10):
Hockey's those are hot. Not for me. Not for you. We bought this big multipack of chips and I was the one that was in charge of eating the talkies because no one else could stand them.

(02:22):
Yeah. I love them. I had snack.

(02:25):
Okay. I admire you. Tell me your name. Ellie. Ellie. What food do you like? Chicken legs. You like chicken legs on or off the chicken? Either way. Either way, whatever happens. Okay. Um, I like it. So you like chicken? What do you not like melted cheese? You don't like melted cheese. What is it about the melted cheese that you don't like?

(02:53):
It has a weird after taste and it's like greasy.

(02:57):
That's exactly why I like it. Tell me your name. Miles. Miles. What snacks do you eat? Yeah.

(03:04):
Hot Cheetos. Normal Cheetos, hot Funyuns, normal Funyuns,

(03:11):
Hot Funyuns. Now wait a second. I was unaware that there was such a thing as hot Funyuns. I've been known to devour an entire family sized bag of Funyuns in one sitting. And I don't even know that there are hot Funyuns. How hot are they?

(03:26):
Well, some people say they're hot, but I don't think they're all.

(03:30):
Okay. I can see that you and I are a snack friends here. Um, what, what foods do you not like?

(03:38):
I kinda don't really like fish. I just think it has weird taste, but I like catching fish, but I just don't like eating it. What's your name? My name is

(03:47):
What's next. Do you like?

(03:52):
Uh, I like cereal. I don't know.

(03:56):
Ooh. I love to have cereal as a snack. What are your favorite types of cereal?

(04:00):
Um, cocoa puffs, cinnamon toast crunch and cookie crunch. Cookie.

(04:06):
I was about your age when cinnamon toast crunch came out and it was a wondrous thing. It was absolutely beautiful. I like every single one of those. And I love how the cocoa puffs turned. The milk chocolate. It tastes good. What foods do you not like? I don't make any beans. Any beans? Garbanzo, Lima, Navy. You're against them all? Yes. I'm against the wall. Okay. Fair enough. At least you're an equal opportunity being hater. All right. Thank you. What's your name?

(04:37):
My name's Connor. And my favorite food is rainbow jello.

(04:44):
Is there whipped cream involved? Yes. That sounds absolutely delicious. What foods do you not like? I absolutely hate butter. Well, you're not just supposed to eat a stick of butter.

(04:56):
Even if anything has like butter on it, just plain butter on it. I will absolutely not eat.

(05:03):
So even if the rainbow jello had butter, you would not eat it? Nope. Do you eat things plain? Like toast?

(05:09):
I usually cook up some Friday eggs and then dip in the year.

(05:14):
Do you, do you cook the eggs yourself? Yes. And you know just how to cook it. So the yolk is just right? Yes. My mom taught me. I admire that. Good job. Tell me your name. Jenna. What? Uh, snacks do you like? I like apples and her. Ooh, that's very good. What foods do you not like cottage. Cheese. How does cheese? Thank you so many people like cottage cheese, and I've never understood it. It's like milk. That started to turn into cheese, but didn't quite get there. I'm with you, Jenna. I agree. 100%. Tell me your name, the last defender. The last defender. That's correct. I like that. You're going by this moniker. Well done, sir. What foods do you like? Hot wings. Hot wings. Do you like it? Bone in bone out both. So do I, I like the bone out because it's not as messy, but I like the bone in when I just want to get crazy with it.

(06:12):
Yeah. So where do you like to have hot wings? Buffalo. Wild wings. Me too. Tuesday nights, bone in Thursday nights, bone out, half price, right? Yeah. This guy knows what is up. He's not just the last defender. He knows what's going on. When it comes to food. What sauce do you get? Ranch or blue cheese? Ranch. Oh, this guy is hitting every note. He's hitting every note. If you and I were at the Buffalo wild wings on the same night at the same time, we'd be ordering the same stuff. Yeah. What's your name? Ashley. What food do you like? Um, I, uh, I, Oh,

(06:51):
It's Italian pasta. It's very shiny because it does have, it has lemon juice. It has, it's a little green cause there's a little bit of, um, I can't remember. There's a lot of garlic and crushed red pepper plate.

(07:08):
Where do you have this dish?

(07:10):
My dad makes it so at home a lot. Most of the time,

(07:13):
I think that's pretty awesome. Your dad can make that my signature dish is hotdogs on the grill. Yeah, I know. It's not very fancy. Well, it works. It does. It works on a Sunday afternoon. They taste pretty good. Now I'm really hungry. So I'm going to go eat lunch. All this talk of treats is making me hungry. So let's head to a break. And when we come back, we're in studio with district dietician, Katie bastion, who shares some tips to get kids excited about healthy eating. And she has me do a little taste, testing myself, stay with us.

(07:52):
How many times do you hear your child ask what's for breakfast or what's for lunch? Find out what's on the menu at your child's Jordan school district school every day by simply downloading the Nutri slice app to your smartphone or desktop. The neutral slice app gives you quick and easy access to daily menus, pictures of meal choices and nutrition information. Along with allergens present in the food. The app also allows students and parents to give feedback on food. Download the neutral slice app today and enjoy school breakfast and lunch in your school. Cafeteria we're back in studio with district registered dietician, Katie bastion. Katie, how are you? Welcome to the show. Thanks. Thank you for having me. So tell me what does a dietician do? I, I suspect people don't even realize we have a district dietician.

(08:59):
Yup, yup. We do. So, um, I do several things, uh, in the district. Um, I work with the, the other ladies in our office and we put together menus that have to meet the federal guidelines. So we, we have nutrition criteria that we have to meet. And we also, when we build a menu, we put together food components. So we have to have fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, and dairy. So we have to make sure every meal has all those components to serve to the kids.

(09:28):
So our food components, what we used to call food groups in the seventies, is there still a pyramid? There's not a pyramid anymore. There's a more pyramid. My plate, my plate. So tell me about the place.

(09:40):
So my plate is just a visual representation that USDA has put out.

(09:45):
My plate is usually a visual representation of menu item number two in the drive through, but don't tell me what my plate is supposed to be

(09:53):
Sure you've seen it, but it's just a plate broken up into, it shows like half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables. And then the other half of it, you know, in smaller portions, you've got your meat and your grains and then dairies are, you know, off to the side for our program. Um, our dairy has to be our fluid milk. So that covers the foods. And then of course, fats and oils don't really have a section anymore, but they're, they're in there sparingly. So,

(10:20):
Okay. So we know that fats and oils are part of the equation. They don't get their own section. That seems right. Yeah. So tell me, what are some of the requirements in terms of the menu you have to set up that parents might not be aware of where people may not have realized?

(10:38):
Yeah, so we, like I said, we have to make sure we have all the food components for each meal, so the kid can choose to have all of them. Um, and then when we're looking at the nutrition criteria, we have to make sure it meets a certain calorie range, average over the course of a week. And we're also watching sodium levels and saturated fat levels.

(10:58):
Those are three things I do not watch. So I'm glad that you're watching it for the children of Jordan school district. Are there foods that we used to offer that we can't offer any more that we wish we could offer? What are some of those rules, uh, changing what we used to order years ago,

(11:17):
The way things like some of the favorites we've just adapted them. So, you know, we've always made our bread from scratch here in Jordan school district. And so, you know, those lovely white rolls that you used to see, well, we make them from scratch. So now everything needs to be whole grain rich. So now we add the whole wheat flour and so they're a whole grain rich version and they're still lovely, lovely rolls, but they are now a whole grain weight.

(11:44):
I can smell it now. Yes.

(11:46):
When you, if you go out to the schools, you can bring rich. Yes.

(11:50):
Okay. And are there other things that been, uh, adapted as you said recently?

(11:56):
Yeah, definitely. A lot of our, we make, um, like our ranch condiments from scratch. So we're using lighter options of Mayo and that type of thing for condiments, um, with the sodium sodium levels, being watched a lot of the things that we purchase and make ourselves the levels have decreased over the years from what they were. So we try and use other spices and stuff, you know, to flavor things. I mean, we still have have salt, but those levels are lower than what they were. Yeah. And then the fat is always something, but fat is always been something that I think those national school lunch program there's always been limits on that and the calories, but sure. Yeah. So of course we got to have food. The kids like to,

(12:45):
Right. What are some of the most popular items?

(12:48):
Oh, you know what the kids, as far as things we make, the kids love the Mac and cheese. Like, I don't know the kids like the school's Mac and cheese better than my Mac and cheese, but it's um, they also, of course, some of the kids' favorite things are going to be pizza and chicken nuggets, like elementary school kids. I'm sure you will. You'll hear that. So we just try and have healthier alternatives of, you know, we don't have any fryers nothing's the fries or the chicken nuggets or anything like that. Isn't fried it's, it's all baked and steamed and stuff. So it's healthier alternatives, whole grain breading, lower fat cheese. So yeah.

(13:27):
So the pizza's popular, the chicken nuggets are property.

(13:30):
Yeah. Yup, yup. But yeah, Mac and cheese. Let's see. What are some other ones? Oh yes. Mandarin orange. Yeah. The Asian foods right now are really big. Teriyaki chicken and rice. Mandarin, orange chicken Kung Pao chicken. Yeah. Those are really big right now, too.

(13:47):
If you're not getting hungry, listening to this podcast, I'm shocked. Think about that. Kids are missing out if they're not getting that multigrain rich. Is that what you said? Multigrain rich rolls made from scratch made from scratch ranch sounds fantastic. Yeah, it's delicious. So are there some things we've experimented with food wise that have not worked out or some, what are some of the failed experiments in school lunch?

(14:16):
Um, a lot of times. So we do have a menu committee that we meet with, um, some elementary managers who meet with us on a monthly basis and then a secondary menu committee of secondary managers, like five or six of them. And we meet with them and we go over, what's not working and try new recipes. So they'll be our pilot schools that will go out and sample new recipes. So a lot of times what we're going for with those many committees is things that people are seeing popular in the, um, you know, like when they're going out to restaurants. Um, and then we're always trying to keep our culture here in Jordan is we try and make as much as we can from scratch. So we're always trying scratch recipes or, or, you know, something that's a little bit more homemade than your typical, I don't know, processed items that kids love.

(15:05):
But, um, I guess I could tell you about the, um, Shepherd's pie. Oh, it was great. And you know, the teachers and we got a lot of great feedback that the teachers loved it and staff loved it. It was not a big hit with the kids, but so actual shepherds. I, yeah, I don't know. She and I, I don't know, but yeah, it didn't, it didn't go over big. So, you know, we'll try it on a menu cycle. We'll give it a few times. Cause once, twice, you know, that doesn't give you a good indication, but after several times through the menu cycle, if they're still not like, you know, they were like, Oh man, we gotta let this one go.

(15:42):
Menu cycle for me is how many times I've ordered in a day and I'm not going to give you a number. So, uh, that's very interesting. So the Shepherd's pie feedback, I guess, has a different connotation when you're talking about food in the cafeteria. But yeah. So the feedback that you've had on Shepherd's pie was positive from the adults, but the kids not so much.

(16:04):
Right? Yeah. I don't know if it's, you know, like kind of food that's touching each other and it makes together or just maybe adults are much more familiar with it. They just grew up with it. And everyone has their mom's own version of Shepherd's pie that they made. But I don't, maybe I don't think kids are seeing it as much now. Yeah.

(16:22):
Right. Foods touching each other is an issue for kids. And that is one of the charms of the cafeteria lunch tray that it has a separate compartment for everything so that you can keep it in. Yeah.

(16:32):
Yep. It doesn't run together.

(16:34):
You brought a couple along here and I have to tell you, it's bringing back memories.

(16:40):
That's old school,

(16:41):
Plastic trays. It is old school. Yes, indeed. Yup. Are you saying I am old school, correct? Yes. But these trays do bring back some memories. We're going to be back with Katie and just a few moments to talk about how your kids can maintain a healthy diet at home. Stay with us.

(17:02):
Do you want to know what's going on in Jordan school district? Maybe see your child or a friend featured in a school story. Check out our website@jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at Jordan district. Let's connect today.

(17:25):
And we're back with Katie bastion, the registered dietician for Jordan school district. Katie, before we go into some tips for parents, let's just talk about the scope of what you do. We've talked about menu items, school launch, how that's changed, trying new items in the menu. Remarkably. I didn't realize the extent to which we make things from scratch. Yeah. That's incredible. It is.

(17:50):
Yeah. We, we are. We're proud of what we do. It's it is like you say remarkable.

(17:54):
It's better for kids when it's made from scratch. Yeah.

(17:56):
Yeah. We have more control over the ingredients and,

(17:59):
And it tastes better. Yeah. I've tried making Doritos from scratch because they might be healthier for me that failed. And I just went back to the cool ranch bag and it's just, it's just easier that way. So I don't know. Maybe I'll try some other time, but in the meantime, just to give parents an idea of what you're up to every day. Yeah. Your choices, you and the committee, the menu choices. How many kids are served at the lunches every day in Jordan school district?

(18:29):
So in Jordan school district, we serve about 33,000 lunches every single day through all of our schools,

(18:35):
33,000 lunches a day.

(18:38):
Yep. And that's not even counting. Breakfast is a lot of the schools do breakfast meals too.

(18:44):
Wow. That's 10, 10,000 times the number of meals. Uh, the average family is preparing everything. Yeah.

(18:50):
Yeah. It's it's, it's a lot, it's a large scope.

(18:53):
Yeah. Yeah. That's a big deal. So parents of kids who are picky eaters, I'm sure there are one or two out there. Oh yeah. So I have a niece who I think she has lived on two foods, her entire life, chicken fingers and grapes. And I think that's it. And my son is not much better. He eats five or six things, but it's really hard to get him to try something new. Right. So do you have some advice for parents on how they can help their kids eat a wider variety of foods?

(19:27):
Yeah, definitely. So I think if they start, when the kids are younger, just keep introducing them to new foods, new foods. And if they don't want to eat it, don't force them to eat it. But you know, encourage them to take a bite. And if that's all they want that's okay. Cause maybe after trying carrots and curates are popular, kids like carrots, but you know, whatever the food is maybe after trying it, you know, five, six, seven, eight, nine times. Maybe after a couple of years, it'll be like, Oh, you know, I like this. I tell my kids, we have to keep trying things because our tastes chains, you know, I didn't like tomatoes when I'm little when I was little, but I like tomatoes now. So we have to keep trying things. So we, we know if we like them or not, our tastes do change. That's true. I think

(20:12):
When you said that, that kind of resonated because there are things you used to like that you don't like anymore. Yeah. The idea is that people get to keep is that you continue to give your kids a chance to try different foods.

(20:24):
Right? Right. Yeah. You, your, uh, job as a parent is to give your kids the opportunity to try all these different foods and you know, just keep introducing them, whatever you're having for dinner that night, make sure everyone has some of it on their plate. Even if they don't like it.

(20:41):
We've all been in the situation where we've been told to clean your plate. And I know you told us not to force kids to eat a certain food that they don't like continue to give them the opportunity, but don't force them. Right. How about just quantity where we're frustrated. We know they're going to be hungry in another 30 minutes. If they don't finish what's in front of them, how do you handle that?

(21:04):
Um, so just we encourage, you know, set up set meal times, you know, like if your family can eat together, that's great. There are so many benefits of eating meals together as a family. And so if your kids, kids are all about routine, if they know that when they eat, you know, they sit down and they're going to have their certain meals of the day. And if they sit down and they're going to have, you know, there are certain set snacks and they're just not snacking all day. They'll know, you know, I need to eat while I'm here. And then that encourages them. You know, like if they're hungry later, okay, we're going to eat. And just a little bit, you know, like kids need snacks too, you know, if they can't make it in between meals sets, you know, they're they're little. And so yeah, definitely just encourage them to, Hey, you know, we're, this is where we're eating and you know, you talk, you eat you. But yeah, we, I, um, it's hard because kids tell you they're hungry all the time, but if you let them snack all the time, are they ever going to get really full or they're just always going to be hungry and snacking. So

(22:04):
They're just going to be grazing all the time. So you set meal times partially, so you can be together, but partially, so it's predictable. And then you try to set snack times as well. Yeah,

(22:14):
Yeah. Yep. So they know, you know, when we're sitting down here together at the table where we're eating and, and they know to expect, I will be eating again, you know, like they're not scared that they're not going to be fed or, or whatnot, but yeah. And then like, as far as clearing their plates go, kids are incredible. Like kids have the best sense of, um, knowing when they are full, like as adults that gets, you know, a little skew because we have so many other things going on, we're so busy. You know, you have these, uh, behavioral choices that you make. You know, when we're getting, when we get together, we have cookies and milk or, you know, these, these set rhythms, but kids are really good at knowing when they're hungry and when to stop eating, you know, babies are the very best at it when they're done, they're done. Right. But, um, so kids have a really good sense of that. And you know what, really, if they don't eat everything on their plate, we always say our house, you know what? You can save it for later.

(23:12):
Let's talk about allergies and how you handle that in schools, because it seems like more and more there are allergies or sensitivities to certain foods. What are some of those sensitivities that we deal with and how do we help students in that situation? Because I'm sure there are some listeners, uh, whose kids are dealing with that circumstance.

(23:34):
Definitely. Yeah. So that's another big part of my job is kids who have allergies or intolerances to the major allergens, you know, we and eggs and dairy fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, those major things. If they are allergic to them or have intolerances to them, um, you know, they can go through the paperwork and get a doctor's note. And from there, my job is helping. How can we make accommodations to our mills? So if they want to eat occasionally and have, you know, do something different, other than lunch from home, we can make that possible for them. So how can we make this, this smell dairy free or, you know, gluten-free, or that type of thing. We make a lot of accommodations for kids here in the district. So if they want to eat, you know, with the rest of the student population, we'll, we'll, we'll do what we can to, to make those accommodations for them to use.

(24:25):
That's cool. Which really is remarkable, especially considering, as you mentioned earlier, tens of thousands of meals served every day that you're able to specialize and individualized to that extent.

(24:36):
Yeah. And I talk with every, you know, every paperwork that comes in, I talk to every parent individually, and I have to give a lot of credit to the kitchens too, because they're the ones on the front lines when they're making, you know, 1400 meals, that's a lot of meals, you know, like at some of our middle schools and high schools. And then to make sure that when they're making these special diets, it takes time. You know, they're making sure that they don't cross contaminate and you know, they're being careful about it. So I have to give the credit, you know, to the frontline, cause they're the ones actually making those meals, you know, I help set them up, but they, they get it done. So the kitchen, the kitchens and the staff there should really be commended as well. Cause it's, that's pretty good.

(25:17):
I should mention too, that we've had, uh, we've talked with inspectors who inspect kitchens and restaurants throughout the state. Yes. The health inspectors. And what I've heard is they have said our cafeteria kitchens are the envy of the industry and any restaurant would love to have our scores and have the kitchens as clean and well maintained as ours. Yeah.

(25:43):
Yes. We do have really clean kitchens. Even if the school is older, we try and make sure that their equipment is up to date and the kitchens are clean. They're organized. Like you say, stuff is working. We do really have well-maintained kids.

(25:59):
It's a particular aspect of our operations as a district that just blows me away. It's just, um, I have difficulty following the instructions on instant oatmeal and to make 30,000 meals a day from scratch. And it's just, it's really astounding. And I love that. We're so deliberate through your work and the work of the committees in what those meals are made up of. And that it's a complete nutritional package for, for kids because it's so important, not just to their health and wellness, but to their learning that they have, that they are well fed.

(26:34):
If a kid, I mean you and I know that if you're at work and are doing anything, if you're hungry, your mind is wandering. What's the next I'm going to eat, or you're grazing, you're finding something to you. So if kids are fed, it's one less thing that they have to think about or worry about. And the behavioral problems, you know, is a whole different thing. But you know, if kids are fed, they're just going to do better all around.

(26:58):
I'm not sure if the Mike has been picking it up. Okay. I am definitely, uh, my stomach is growling with all of this food talk and you have brought some samples along. So let's talk about what you have here. It's very colorful.

(27:12):
So we, um, brought just some healthy snack ideas, you know, as a parent, if you can go to the grocery store and buy these these items and make it and have it in the fridge, show it, your kids can just grab it. Cause your kids are not going to get a cucumber out of the fridge, wash it and peel it and slice it. Not ever going to happen, but if you can buy, so here we have cups that have yogurt in them, peanut butter, and then ranch, right?

(27:40):
Not all on the same cup. These are different

(27:42):
Separate cut. Yes. Yes. So with the ranch, we have, um, different vegetables. We have carrot, celery, peppers, cucumbers, little tomatoes. Um, let's see, what else do we have with the ranch? I think that's all we have with the ranch, just a little ranch in the bottom. And then the yogurt has, you know, berries in it. Um, Apple slices, uh, let's see. And then the peanut butter is another good one. You can put carrots and celery sticks in that apples crackers. Um, another good ones, cottage cheese. So if you can have snacks in it, and these are cute cups because you know, they look cute. They're easy to make a bunch of them, cover them, put them in their fridge and your kid can grab it out. And it's their afterschool snack. That's great. But anything, if you even just, you know, get a bag of carrots, cut them all up so that it's ready. If you can just have something that's ready for your kid to take it, take it out and eat it. They're going to be much more likely to grab that. You know, that's, you know, when you, they get a bag of chips out of the pantry, it's because, you know, it's, it's there and it's easy.

(28:46):
So convenience is a big component of helping kids.

(28:49):
Yeah. So if you're a parent yeah. Make it a convenient choice for them.

(28:54):
Okay. Yeah. Well, it's very convenient now. So I'm going to grab, let's see. Okay. Let's go with the savory to start with. Yeah. And, uh, I'm going to have a carrot stick and maybe some celery.

(29:07):
Oh, that's great. Yeah.

(29:11):
That's the sound of nature's bounty. Hmm.

(29:15):
Yeah. Yep. Yep. They make the ranch from scratch.

(29:18):
Oh, this is the, from, from scratch ranch. Okay. I just had some very colorful vegetables in some homemade ranch or cafeteria made ranch. That was amazing now. And it was convenient. It's right in front of me. Right. Um,

(29:35):
That goes for adults too. If you can pre, you know, make your food. So it's easy to grab. Your carrots are much likely to go bad in your fridge if you just grab them out and wash them and cut them up.

(29:46):
Unfortunately, the vending machine is also very convenient. So there's competition. Now, these colorful foods, remind me of the adage. I've heard that you're supposed to eat the rainbow every day. Do the colors of your foods matter? Are you supposed to eat a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables? Yeah.

(30:05):
Yeah. The, the colors do matter. Um, I think it's just also the adage, you know, just eat a variety of foods.

(30:13):
I like pres the presentation on this. So convenience and probably presentation helps with

(30:19):
Definitely. Oh yeah. Kids are, you know, they are not different from adults in a lot of ways. If it, you know, we eat with our eyes. So if it looks good. Yeah. And kids are no different than we are when it comes to that. That's for sure.

(30:34):
Okay. I'm going to try a pair paired with yogurt. Let's see. Okay.

(30:43):
Yeah,

(30:44):
No, that's a tasty treat. Yep. That's good. Nicely done. What liquids should kids be having? Okay. So would there be an emphasis on water milk? Is juice a bad thing?

(30:56):
Yeah, definitely not. So, um, kids as well as adults, you know, uh, fluids are very important for us and water should be a big part of, you know, what we all drink every day. Um, milk is great because it's got the dairy calcium nine essential nutrients that can't be found in any other Bedford. So milk is great. Water's great juices, you know, great in, I'd say smaller amounts maybe, but juice isn't necessarily a bad thing, but just smaller amounts. Cause you'd want to be getting, you know, the nutrients that you get from like a hundred percent orange juice, you might just want to eat the orange instead, but in small amounts, that's okay too. Cause kids like is sweet and they like it. Um, as far as, you know, sodas and uh, all that, the other flavored beverages, you know, sparingly is, is probably best. Um, they've got a lot of added sugar in a lot of them. Um, so you know, if you try and focus mainly on, you know, water, milk,

(31:57):
Katie, we end every super cast with two truths and a lie. Okay. And you've told us a lot of truth about foods. What's good for us, what we need to be focused on. Now let's talk about you. Give me two truths in the line. Let's see if I can pick out the lie.

(32:12):
Okay. Um, one I've lived in Alaska. Uh, two, I was originally a blond and three I've climbed the tallest mountain in Utah. There you go. Wow.

(32:31):
I'm going to say you have not climbed the tallest mountain in Utah. Oh Nope. You have. Yeah. Were you blonde when you did it? Oh no, but maybe I would have had more fun if I was blonde. Now this is my worst two truths and a lie yet. So you have not lived in Alaska? No, I have. Yep. You have? Yep. Yeah. Alaska just for a summer, which is the lie. Um, I, yeah, I wasn't a blonde. Oh, you were not, you were never a blonde was never a blonde. Okay. Yep. Alright. Well, neither was I until my hair faded to blonde. Thank you very much for joining us today. It's been great having you. And I'm going to finish my meal here even though no one's going to force me because that would be bad. That would be done. Thanks for listening to the super cast. We hope you'll join us next time. Remember, education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there.

(00:25):
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. As we send warm holiday, greetings your way. Some very talented students will share the gift of music with sounds of the season. We'll also hear from students who believe that giving back is the best gift of all as our high schools or middle schools celebrate successful charitable holiday giving. Let's start with some holiday music from the West Jordan high school madrigals [inaudible] we're meeting today with student body presidents. The board of education meets with student body presidents from all of our high schools. And so I thought I'd pull each of them aside and ask them a little bit about their charitable fundraiser. Tell me your name, Sydney Leaster. And you were the student body president at Mountain Ridge High School. Do you feel the weight of responsibility starting new traditions?

(02:43):
Of course. Yeah, for sure.

(02:45):
Well, it sounds like you started a great one with your charitable fundraiser. Tell us a little bit more about it.

(02:50):
So at mountain Ridge this year, we're supporting the Tyler Robinson foundation. Um, so they were started by the Robinson family and they give grants to families with children, with cancer to help for like their medical bills, their electric bills get groceries. Um, so we've been doing odd jobs is our biggest fundraiser. Every night we go out, um, we knock on doors in the community and we ask if there's any odd jobs we can do for a donation. Um, we've also been selling crushes so people can settle or can like send a can of crushed to their crush and

(03:19):
Can of crushed to their crush. Is that effective in bringing people closer together?

(03:24):
Yeah, for sure. There's a lot of love going around.

(03:27):
All right. And why is it important to involve students in this type of service do you think?

(03:33):
I think, um, when you involve the students, they're more excited because they can see the impact, especially when it's a local charity and they're more willing to donate and bringing the community to donate

(03:43):
Anything you've observed happened with students that was particularly moving for you this year.

(03:49):
Um, yeah, so at our opening assembly, we had one of the kids from the Tyler Robinson foundation. His name is Tate. He came, um, and it was just really cool to see our students like rally around him and really show him a lot of respect and just get excited to donate.

(04:03):
Fantastic. Hi, tell us your name, Isaac Nazi, VI and Isaac. Tell us a little bit about what you've been doing as student body president at Bingham in terms of overseeing the charitable fundraiser effort. Yeah. So for our charities, we've been doing a lot of newer activities this year. Um, we started doing crush like you, like mountain Ridge has done, and other schools in the district have done. It's actually been really successful. We do Christmas grams during one. Should we sell a lot of apparel? Um, tonight actually we have a male beauty pageant that we're doing that I'm actually participating in. And that should be a lot of fun that should raise a lot of money. Is this your first beauty pageant? This is my first beauty pageant. Yes. Best of luck, Isaac. Thank you. What other activities you guys up to? Um, we had a talent show.

(04:50):
Um, we had a lot of awesome, talented kids show up to that. Um, we have a Zoombathon later this week, our dance go and ballroom team have put together and that that's a lot of fun. And our improv team always does a really successful December improv show called the pay-to-play where the more you pay the longer the show goes. And that's a lot of fun as well. It sounds like you guys have been really creative and trying to involve students. What is the impact that you hope to have on the students at Bingham? Um, as far as like student environment, I just hope that we have this season of giving and then keep the mentality going for the rest of the year. Um, I think it's been successful so far and I think that the students at Bingham have, um, a really, really giving mentality and mindset and always stick with each other.

(05:32):
And if we could just keep that going, that would be awesome. So there's a lot of benefit beyond raising money for charity, which is very important in and of itself. Yeah, most definitely. I would say just the change in the students themselves as easily, as important as the amount of money that we raise. So what charity did you choose to, uh, benefit this year? So we actually have three, we have the Make-A-Wish foundation. We have a wish kid. Her name is Julia she's wishing to go to Disney. Um, and then we're helping the Jordan education foundation and the principal's pantry in order to provide food for students who might not have the same opportunities and, uh, food on the weekends and, um, during lunch and at school. And then we also are helping the Starlight foundation, which helps foster kids did looking for the right charity, help students realize just how much need there is out there.

(06:22):
Do you think? I think so. I think that looking for the charity and informing people about the charities that we serve definitely changes, um, the environment during charity season. And I also think it changes the environment, um, that the students have for the rest of their lives and the awareness that are brought up about these issues. Okay. Thanks, Isaac. Tell me your name, Cooper, Lando. And you're the student body president of the copper Hills high school. Yup. So what are you guys up to in terms of, uh, your fundraiser for this month? Um, so we started our fundraiser about a week ago and it's been going really well. We've mainly been getting donations from our local community and the students. And, um, we were really surprised when two days into it, we restart $10,000 Mark, which is sooner than any previous year before. So we're really excited about that.

(07:12):
The, uh, there are a few things that you're doing differently this year. Tell us about that. Um, so in the past we've done this thing, odd jobs where we go around to different communities and collect donations and we've done it like a few times in the entire time, but this time we're trying to do it every single day and involve our students more to, um, have them have more of a part in getting and raising money, even if it's not through them donating, but through them coming with us to odd jobs. And it's just been really cool so far for us. So that sounds like more of an emphasis on taking the time to give service rather than necessarily how much money you raised. Yeah, exactly. That's what, we're a lot of times more focusing on like a lot of people for odd jobs have, um, like said, can you come back?

(07:58):
And then we schedule like an hour, like two hour long, a period of time with them where we will just like do household chores for them, or like rake leaves. And they really appreciate it. Even if they can't donate a lot of money, it's still just a really good feeling afterwards. Does that connect students and bring them together in a different way when you're working together like that? I really think it does because especially when you're doing it and you know that none of the proceeds are going to you, but they're all going to a really good cause, which is in our community and knowing that it could be going to anyone around you and you just never know, it's just a really cool thing for us. And I think that's how, um, our student body is so United during this time. Tell us about what charities you chose to, uh, benefit this year. So, um, unlike other schools, we don't donate to just a specific charity or multiple charities, but instead we, um, focus all of our time and attention towards people in our communities and the sub for Santa kind of way, where we help them provide for their Christmas

(08:56):
And it's, they can't refer themselves. They have to get referred by someone else. It's really cool because we get to do all the shopping for the kids. We get to deliver them their Christmas. And it's just a really cool thing for us. Sounds fantastic. Thanks for all you're doing. Tell me your name.

(09:13):
My name is Emily Labonte

(09:15):
And you're the student body president at West Jordan high school. Yes, I am. Tell us about the fundraising you've been doing this month.

(09:22):
So our fundraiser for the month of December, it's called mad Jags and that's an acronym and it stands for making a difference. The charity that we chose this year is the haze tuff foundation. They raised money for, um, childhood cancer and some of the unseen costs that come along with that. So we just finished our first week. We had a couple of really successful events. Um, we had a movie night in our commons. We've been doing odd jobs every day. We had a super smash bros tournament that was really fun. And we did a character day for the community, um, that we invited lots of little kids to, to come and meet their favorite characters in color and do things like that. So, yeah, it was a really, really good first week.

(10:00):
Sounds like a lot of creative activity. What is the impact that you hope this will have on students at West Jordan? I,

(10:08):
I just really hope through the whole month that people will be able to step outside themselves and really, um, yeah, just really feel good about the fact that they're making a change in other people's lives. Um, but I also really hope that it will help bring the student body together. I think when you're having a lot of different events that have really wide variety of people can be interested in then, uh, that just really increases school spirit a lot. So I'm hoping for that too.

(10:33):
Sounds great. Lots of good things going on. Thanks very much. We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back more music this time from the Keller sisters who were featured on an earlier episode of the super cast, stay with us. [inaudible] Hey, you okay? Uh, yeah. I just have a lot of stuff going on in my head. You need to talk, dude, stop hiding behind the happy face. Talk with no filter, get the safe UT app, download it now available on the Apple app store, Google play or safe ut.org. My name is shy and I'm 17 years old. The Keller sisters. We actually get to skip out of school. So that's your gift to us. We're going to start out with a song by Justin [inaudible]. Alright, so this song's actually a Christmas [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible]

(14:57):
Thank you for tuning in and from all of us at the super cast, happy holidays. And remember education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see,

(15:46):
[inaudible] say [inaudible] [inaudible]

(16:36):
[inaudible].

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She is affectionately known as Mama Grizzly and has a passion for looking out for students facing unique challenges in life. Challenges like worrying about where their next meal might come from today. We head out to Copper Hills High School to visit Milonie Taylor, the school's homeless liaison. Milonie gives us a look inside the Principal's Pantry, where students are finding the support. They need to stay in school to find success. But first, we talked to two students who say they are not only surviving, but thriving because of the support from Mama Grizzly and Copper Hills. So I'm here with two students at Copper Hills High School talking about the Principal Pantry. I'm surrounded by shelves of clothing and backpacks and school supplies and food and other household items lining the shelves in this little room. It's kind of odd shaped, the room I didn't really even know existed, although I've walked by this door many times. Tell us a little bit about how the store has benefited you, how the Principal's Pantry or store has benefited you.

Student:
Um, the Principal's Pantry is super amazing. When I first came in here, I was completely overwhelmed because I didn't know what to do. And then I got food and I got la winter coat and some winter clothes, which was super awesome. And she gave me a blanket, which is not really something that you think you need, but now it's amazing. There's lots of things in here that you don't really realize that you need, until you come in here and you think, "Oh yeah, I need some toiletries that I didn't even think that I needed or even hats and gloves. It's super awesome just to be able to have all of this available to you.

Superintendent:
So you're almost in a frame of mind of trying just to think about how little you can get by with, and you come in here and you realize some other things that could help.

Student:
Yeah, absolutely.

Superintendent:
How about you? What has your experience been?

Student:
At first when she pulled me aside and told me that I could be getting these benefits, I was really hesitant to accept them because I felt, even though my situation wasn't good, there was always somebody out there who had it worse who could benefit more. But after her coming and telling us that it really is for us and we are really the people who are meant to be receiving these items, it made me feel more comfortable accepting help. It helped, it helps a lot with food and clothing that I don't have and just getting food for the house.

Superintendent:
It's really great that you're able to come down here and get that help. Who are you referencing that's been helping you here?

Student:
Milonie Taylor. She's the one who comes down and helps all the time, but really just the community, as a whole. Especially during Christmas time, we get a bunch of donations and they really help out the whole community just by saying, "Oh you're one of those who needs help. So we're going to help you", which is super awesome.

Superintendent:
Is it hard when you know that you're in need and that you need help? Is it hard to ask or to feel comfortable getting that help?

Student:
It can be a little bit, because you have a lot of pride in yourself. I can make it on my own. I can, I do it. But then there just comes a point where you realize that you need help. And the community here is super awesome. So I wasn't scared. I knew everything would be confidential. And even my friends here that know what I'm going through, they're super helpful to me. I even have teachers that will give me food. Sometimes they're always checking up on me. I've had teachers that will contact me and say, "Hey, you weren't at school. Are you doing okay?" So yeah, it's really been amazing. At first you feel kind of alone. I don't have anyone with me. But then you realize that you're surrounded by people who are always there.

Superintendent:
It makes all the difference to be part of a community like this, where other students and teachers and Milonie, in particular, are looking out for you. No, of course. Tell me, not only has Milonie helped with providing you what you need, but she's also made you feel comfortable taking advantage of what's available.

Student:
Um, yeah, she is seriously like the second mom to all of us, the amount of effort and care that she puts forward. And how far she reaches, her heart goes beyond a lot of things.

Superintendent:
Where would you be without the help?

Student:
Honestly, I probably wouldn't come to school nearly as much. School gives me a gas card. I live 30 minutes away and so the gas card helps me so much to be able to come to school. Without this, I probably wouldn't really have a good community around me. I'd probably just try to stay away and try to figure things out on my own. I wouldn't be able to be as successful as I am now.

Superintendent:
Thank you. How do you, where do you feel you'd be without it the help?

Student:
I feel like I would be going down a road that is not very ideal for most teenagers. The Grizzly Mama would kind of take us out and take us under her wing in a way. It really helps a lot to know that somebody is looking out for you. And I could see myself very easily going in an opposite direction without it.

Superintendent:
And these are such important years, having the help right now in high school so that you can get a great foundation for other choices in your life going forward. I think the positive impact of this whole community is going to be long lasting and not just this community, but your efforts making the most of the opportunities given to you, which you're obviously doing. And I really applaud you for being willing to accept the help and making the most of the opportunities that you're given. Thank you. You both get to participate in Christmas for Kids. Are you looking forward to that? And what are your plans?

Student:
I'm super stoked when she told me about it. I don't know what to say. I'm so excited I don't even know what. I'm so happy. 'm going to go and I'm probably gonna go Christmas shopping, not only for me, but for my siblings as well. It'll be a lot of fun.

Superintendent:
How about you? Probably very similar to what she is doing, like trying to use the extra resources to help my siblings.

Superintendent:
And that's what I heard you say earlier is that you're not just taking care of yourself, but you're helping take care of your family as well, which makes it possible for you to be able to focus on your studies.

Student:
She does a really good job at making people feel comfortable with getting yourself what you need.

Superintendent:
Sounds like a lot of people could use a Milonie in their lives. You're fortunate to know her.

Student:
Absolutely over care. We call her our Grizzly Mama, because she really is. She calls us down every week. She makes sure we're all taken care of. And she really just connects with us all the time and it's super amazing.

Superintendent:
Nobody takes better care of people than the Grizzly Mama. I can tell you that. So, okay. Thanks, both of you for talking with me. Stay with us. When we come back, we hear from Milonie Taylor, better known as Mama Grizzly at Copper Hills.

Advertisement:
Hello. My name is Steven Hall. I'm Director of the Jordan Education Foundation. Have you ever experienced what it's like to surprise a teacher in the classroom with school supplies, books or a classroom grant? Have you seen students all smiles because you cared enough to give them a backpack, a winter coat, weekend food packs or a free holiday shopping spree. It's something we see all the time because it is exactly what Jordan Education Foundation does. The Foundation exists due to the generosity of people who care about kids. If you would like to be a part of supporting students and teachers in the classroom, contact Jordan Education Foundation and start making a difference today. You can find us at jordaneducationfoundation.org.

Superintendent:
Welcome back. Now it's time to talk to Mama Grizzly herself, Milonie Taylor. What does it mean to you to get to work with these students?

Milonie:
I love that I can help. I have two boys of my own and I can't imagine if they were in this situation and didn't have help. This school is so amazing. Our community's amazing. Our administration, our counselors, the teachers, it's just a huge grizzly family and we take care of our Cubs. Whatever we have to do, that's what we're going to do within our limits. And the programs that we have available are fantastic. The gas card so they have transportation, the food, the clothing, we have shoes, we have backpacks, we have school supplies. What we have is pretty much unlimited, and they can get whatever they need without question. And I want them to feel comfortable. I don't want anyone ever to fill feel bad or feel like they're taking from someone else or they're not deserving because we're all deserving at something or another in our life. I've had times in my life where I've had to live on Top Ramen. You know,  young starving college students, so I know. And even if they have to eat ramen, they're getting something. And so I love that.

Superintendent:
This is a true investment in the future.

Milonie:
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. These kids can even just pay it forward. We've helped you, take this and then go pay it for it. And I have had students that I've helped in the past years that have brought stuff in. They brought their dresses, they brought their clothing. They've brought their slightly used clothes and shoes and coats to help another student that might be in need. Our custodians got all of these school supplies, so no one has to be without school supplies.

Superintendent:
There's a multiplier effect. Once you start helping, then everyone pitches in and it strengthens the community and the momentum is really something that just doesn't stop.

Milonie:
No, it doesn't stop. This is why we have piles of clothing here that I need to get put away because the community knows. Now the teachers all know, the community knows. My neighbors across the street will bring me clothing. I had a lady come in yesterday that brought me three beautiful prom dresses that she wanted to donate. They're sitting in my closet. Someone can use these. We have a huge community here, of caring people and everybody's involved. And like I said, these are my Cubs and I gotta take care of them. And I have great backup. It's not just me. I mean, it takes a village and we have an amazing village at Copper Hills.

Superintendent:
Taking care of other people is a really important part of education and the Copper Hills community.

Milonie:
Very, very, very important. I mean, I think that's, you know, it's a joy for me to be able to come to work every day because I know there's somebody that I get to help and there's somebody's life that I get to impact. Even if it's a notebook or pencils, I mean, I've had kids in here that are crying because we have a bottle of shampoo for them. They can't wash their hair, or have a comb or a brush. It's amazing. The impact just something that we take for granted every day, that we don't think anything of, that if you don't have it and you don't realize it, it's amazing how much it helps.

Superintendent:
Understanding the need the way you do helps. You do such a great job of making kids feel comfortable, accepting the help.

Milonie:
Yes. And I think it stems back to my best friend, our senior year got kicked out of her house and was living in her car for a while. This was quite a few years ago and I just remember what she went through. I worked at Godfather's pizza and she worked at Smith's Food King, and I would get toilet paper from Godfather's so she would have toilet paper. And I don't think people realize that. And so, I was directly impacted at that age where these kids are, and I know the struggles that she went through, and the help that she needed. And there wasn't any programs like this. So the fact that we can help them and we can help them stay positive, we can help them stay on track, help them stay in school. That's my most important thing because your school will start to suffer because that's the first thing that starts to go. You got to work extra hours, you go buy extra things. You have to work till midnight. You can't get up and be to school at 7:00 AM.

Superintendent:
Right? Well, the world needs a lot more Milonies.

Milonie:
Thank you.

Superintendent:
When do we need a lot more villages like Copper Hills? Describe the inventory here for us.

Milonie:
We have an amazing inventory. We have two separate rooms. We have clothing and school supplies, coats, shoes, backpacks, sleeping bags, which we unfortunately have had to have kids use, little two man tents and, gloves, hats in this basic area here, everything stacked and labeled by size so they can get to it. All of these supplies you see right here is everything that's been donated within the last month or so. We are now getting a stack washer and dryer in here. The electricians have been in here working so it's been hard for me to get in here and get it put away. So it's a good mess because it means that we have lots of staff.

So in this room, in here in this area, we have lotion, shampoo, deodorants. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, we have feminine products. Our canned food area. We don't have perishable items, for obvious reasons. Cereals, mouthwash, dental floss, canned food items. We also have cleaning supplies. Also have just clothing. I've had a young lady that came in that just started to go to church and she needed some church clothes. So she came in and got some church clothes.

My cute mom is retired. So she helps me come organize. She needs something to do. She went to Kohl's and got hangers donated so that everything's on a hanger, everything size. So I want the kids to feel like they're truly shopping.

Superintendent:
It's pretty clear in talking with Milonie Taylor that supporting students in their everyday needs and getting them to graduation is her passion. If you're not convinced, all you have to do is see her in action with students.

My most important thing is to make sure we get you graduated and that you're happy and that you're a contributing members of society and that we can help you get through. And we've had a hundred percent graduation rate with our McKinney Vento students for the last four years and you get to contribute to that this year. And so I'm really proud of both of you. Where we would be without it. I definitely don't think I would be graduating or on the path that I am now to make plans for my future. As I've mentioned with you before.

Milonie:
Girlfriend. Yeah. I can't have you ruin my numbers.

Superintendent:
Thanks for your time. And thanks for everything you're doing. We deeply appreciate the work. Milonie Taylor and others like her do, putting their hearts and souls into helping students facing unique challenges in life.

Thank you for tuning into the Supercast. We invite you to subscribe using Apple, Google, or your favorite podcasting app. There's a new episode of the Supercast available every Thursday. Remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. We'll see out there. [inaudible].