Riverton City Journal | January 2021

January 2021 | Vol. 31 Iss. 01

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By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

J

ordan District officials implemented a new school schedule this year.

Students attend in-person school Monday through Thursday, with Friday designated as a virtual learning day.

Students have either online assignments or a take-home packet from each class to complete from home on Fridays.

Teachers can also invite small groups of students to come to school for a few hours on Fridays for learning activities or remediation.

Flexibility of Fridays The flexibility of the Friday schedule allows teachers to meet the needs of their students in creative ways.

“We have great confidence in the ability of our teachers to tailor instruction to the needs of students, but they don’t always have space to do that within the traditional structure,” Superintendent Anthony Godfrey said. “We’ve heard feedback about exciting things that are happening in our schools. Students have been able to learn in ways that hadn’t been possible before and to feel connected to each other and the school in ways that were not previously possible.”

Midas Creek teacher Julie Ribar doesn’t usually have time to teach STEM topics to her fifth graders.

However, the flexible Friday schedule enables her to hold enrichment learning experiences. Her husband, who is studying technology and engineering with a teaching emphasis at BYU, works with small groups of students on engineering activities for a few hours on Fridays while Ribar works individually with students on academics.

“This has been a great opportunity for my students,” Ribar said. “Many of them have expressed interest in becoming engineers when they grow up.”

At Mountain Point Elementary, student leaders participated in a virtual leadership conference on a Friday instead of missing school to travel to a conference as they normally do.

The kindergarten team has been able to introduce coding activities to small Continued page 10 A first grade teacher at Mountain Point Elementary works with small groups of students on Fridays. (Principal Carolyn Bona/Mountain Point Elementary)

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January 2021 | Page 3

Mountain Ridge Marching Band wins state championship

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

W

hat looked like a doomed season for the Mountain Ridge High School marching band instead turned into its first state championship trophy.

The year started with optimism, according to marching band director James Densley. The band would be returning nearly all its members from the previous year, the first of its existence.

For a marching band director, writing a show isn’t too different from how a coach would draw up a game plan. Both need to have a good idea of what they’re players are capable of.

“In athletics, you make your plans early based on who your players are,” Densley said. “You base your offensive and defensive scheme on the kids. Band is similar. I plan what kind of music we’ll play that fits the strengths my students have and hide the weaknesses they might have.”

But like many coaches at Mountain Ridge in its inaugural year, Densley didn’t know any of the kids he’d be working with when he started writing their first show.

“I wrote a very safe show that didn’t take many musical or visual risks,” he said.

“I knew our band was going to be a lot of ninth graders and sophomores, and that’s what it was.”

So heading into 2020, Densley worked on writing a new show that would play to the band’s strengths. He was also expecting the band to double in size, from about 40 kids in its first year to 85 this year. But just like everything else this year, COVID-19 threw a wrench into those plans.

The band ended up having about 20 kids opt out for the year, which made the show that Densley had been working on for months impossible. The show that the students had already spent months learning their parts for.

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On the first day of the summer marching band camp, Densley told the students they’d be starting over from scratch.

“Instead of having months to prepare, we wrote the music in 24 hours,” he said.

“It was a little bit shorter, but it was still at their level. By the second day, we had brand-new music.”

The show was focused on a theme of nature. It featured different movements that symbolized the various moods which nature can conjure.

“The opening of the show was majestic and beautiful,” Densley said. “We had some electric samples of nature noises. Then it transforms into a storm, with lightning and rain and wind. The music gets a little faster, a little angsty.”

The show ended up being a hit, as the band won first place at their first competition of the season, surprising many band directors from other schools.

“Band directors do this thing where we expect teams to perform the same as they had the year before,” Densley said.

“We showed up and performed and got first place; the very next week I had band directors coming up to me asking, ‘What happened?’”

In fact, the band members bought into this storyline of them going “from worst to first” that they sometimes talked about how they were like the stereotypical dorky girl from high school movies who gets a makeover and then shows up to the school dance and everyone realizes she was beautiful all along. Densley recalled hearing the student leaders break a pre-competition huddle with the cheer, “We’re the pretty girls now!”

The band continued to find success throughout the season, practicing each week for a weekend competition that could have ended up getting cancelled.

The Mountain Ridge High Marching Band performs during the state championship competition at American Fork High School. (Courtesy of Mountain Ridge High)

“I kept telling the kids, ‘Let’s just look at this week,’” he said. “If we make it to Saturday, that’s awesome. We’re not even going to think about next week, because next week the season could get cancelled.”

So by the time the state championship competition rolled around, the band was just happy to have made it through the season. With that attitude, the band went down to American Fork High School and played their hearts out.

Because of COVID-19 regulations, the bands could not all be at the stadium at the same time, so the winners were announced online later that afternoon. The Mountain Ridge band was all at a park having lunch together when they received the news.

“They lost their minds,” Densley said.

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“It was overwhelming.”

Densely credited students’ work ethic for the band’s success.

“These kids are amazing,” he said. “In my mind, the season was wildly successful because the kids made it what they wanted it to be. I learned so much as an educator and as a band educator, more this year than I ever have about the power students have, what they’re capable of doing is far beyond what teachers or adults give them credit for.”

One specific instance he recalled was the night before the state competition. He had gone out to the football field to do an equipment check and found a clarinet player out practicing through her part all on her own. A few hours later when he left, he

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found that much of the rest of the band had joined her for an unofficial rehearsal, organized all by themselves.

So what’s next for the marching band? First, they’ll probably be moving up a level of competition, or two. In marching band, each classification is divided into two divisions: Open and Scholastic. These are based on the number of members in the band. This year, the state championship was for the 5A Scholastic division, which is the smaller of the two. If the band has the 80-plus members it was expected to have this year, then it’ll move up to the Open Division. There’s also a good possibility that Mountain Ridge will be reclassified as a 6A school for the 2021–2022 school year. Going up a level to compete with bigger schools might be a daunting task for a school in its third year, but after overcoming what they’ve had to overcome in 2020, it may not be a problem.

Members of the Mountain Ridge High Marching Band pose with the state championship trophy they won for the 5A Scholastic Division. (Courtesy of Mountain Ridge High)

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January 2021 | Page 5

BEST PHOTOS 2020: RIVERTON

Skyler Lyon won the 200-yard breaststroke region title as a freshman before going on to take state in the same event her senior year at the 6A state championship. (Photo courtesy Skyler Lyon’s swim friends)

Yellow balloons were released to show raise suicide awareness at the HOPE walk in February. (Stephanie Yrungaray/City Journals)

The three-sport athlete signed a baseball scholarship to Utah State University Eastern. Parker Applegate played golf, basketball and baseball for Riverton during his four years at the school. (Photo by Dave Sanderson/dsandersonpics.com)

Page 6 | January 2021

Fun activities draw students to the school on Fridays to learn new skills and have a safe space to socialize.

(Donna Hunter/OHMS)

The crowd sang along with live performances of Beatles hits at Riverton’s Live in Real Life event in January 2019. (Photo courtesy of Riverton City)

Riverton City Journal

Flag displays were placed at five locations throughout the city, including Riverton City Hall as part of the city’s day of remembrance in September. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

A Civil War scene features a brother fighting against his sister, as two siblings play roles in opposing armies during Southland Elementary’s production of “Quest for the Stars and Stripes” in February. (Jen Preece/ Southland Elementary)

Riverton had its highs and lows this season, beating Bingham for the first time since 2003. The Silverwolves would lose to Lone Peak in the second round of the playoffs.

Residents of the southwest part of the valley, including from Herriman, Riverton and South Jordan, overwhelmingly expressed their opposition to the project in January during a town hall at Copper Mountain Middle School.

They cited a lack of infrastructure needed for such a large development. (Justin Adams/City Journals)

Two Riverton players collide as the catcher, Cannon Coggins, catches a foul ball. Riverton finished as the No. 4 seed in Pool A but knocked off Lone Peak, Jordan and Copper Hills in the double-elimination tournament. Riverton went on to take second, losing to American Fork in the championship. (Travis Barton/City Journals)

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January 2021 | Page 7

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Riverton’s police respond to a single mother in recovery from opiates who slipped

By Kirk Bradford | K.Bradford@MyCityJournals.com

I

n the world of recovery from addiction, many find themselves attending 12-step meetings and groups.

Those who attend usually refer to themselves as in “recovery.” When a member has a break in sobriety but returns to recovery, the slang for it is to have a “slip.” If someone returns completely to active addiction, it’s considered a relapse. The initial slip is considered by many the most dangerous period for someone because it’s when they are the most vulnerable for overdose.

“The mayor and I have talked a lot about bringing in some of our officers at these meetings so you can meet them and kind of interact with them,” Riverton Chief Don Hutson said. “We had an event that happened recently which really highlights a program that we are really proud of in the Riverton Police Department.”

Hutson introduced officers Whitney Van Pelt and Jonathan Perry. They currently work the afternoon shift in Riverton. Hutson said it’s a very busy time of the day they typically work.

“Now, the program I referred to is called Naloxone,” Hutson said. “If you are not familiar with what it is, when I was at the Unified Fire Department several years ago. Dr. Jenifer Plum became an activist associated with Naloxone. Unfortunately, she had a brother who succumbed to an opioid overdose by accident. After this event, she became extremely passionate about what we can do, what kind of program we can do to try to prevent those unfortunate accidents.

And frankly, I have to say they are accidents, they are people who are trying to recover from a hopeless addiction, and they end up relapsing occasionally, and they are accustomed to a certain level of opiate use. They amount they were using when they were previously addicted is what they think they did to achieve the accustomed high.”

Among the many rapid effects that opioids have on the body, one is particularly lethal which is breathing.

“Opioids kill people by slowing the rate of breathing and the depth of breathing,” said medical toxicologist and emergency physician Andrew Stolbach of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Breathing delivers fresh oxygen to the body’s cells and eliminates carbon dioxide. Opioids can interfere with that life-sustaining process in multiple, dangerous ways.

When a person enters recovery and abstains for a period of time from opioids, even one small slipup can be deadly when the same number of opioids is used from before.

The body no longer possesses the tolerance it had built up to the drugs therefore causing an accidental overdose.

“It’s not intentional,” Hutson said.

“They aren’t people trying to commit suicide. It’s an accident. For years now, fire-

RivertonJournal.com

Riverton Police Chief Don Hutson praises Officers Whitney Van Pelt and Johnathan Perry for their role in saving the life of a young mother who had accidently overdosed. (Screenshot)

fighters and paramedics have carried the medication Naloxone. It is an opiate antagonist or sometimes referred to as an opiate blocker.”

Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist—meaning that it binds to opioid receptors while knocking any opiates off of them and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids. It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or prescription opioid pain medications.

Naloxone is an extremely safe medication that only has a noticeable effect in people with opioids in their systems. Naloxone can (but does not always) cause withdrawal symptoms, which may be uncomfortable but are not life-threatening where on the other hand, opioid overdose is extremely life-threatening.

“Now this isn’t a slam on paramedics or firefighters, but it’s very common for police officers to arrive to a scene that needs medical attention much sooner than them,” Hutson said. “They have carried Naloxone for years, where police officers would arrive and have to wait. So, our program gave our police officers the ability to administer Naloxone when needed. The really nice part about it, the medication is benign. Meaning, if you’re not sure if somebody is having an overdose, it has no negative side effects. If somebody is in cardiac arrest for your arrest, but you are not sure if it’s an overdose, you can administer this nasal spray. If they are

overdosing, it reverses it, but if they aren’t having an overdose, it doesn’t have any negative side effects.”

Hutson described an event that recently took place involving naloxone.

“We had an incident, and without getting into names, we want to protect the identity of the person involved in this. But here in Riverton, we had a young mother who had been recovering from opiates and addiction for a period of time, and unfortunately, she relapsed after quite a significant amount of time of not using opiates,” he said. “She was recovering at her parents’ home; it’s been almost a year. Dispatch received a 911 call, and it was a situation where the mother recently experienced the loss of her child’s father who overdosed on opioids.”

Van Pelt and Perry were the first to arrive on the scene.

“We get the 911 calls for the overdose that is occurring, and we respond,” Van Pelt said. “We were notified it was a younger female unconscious not breathing. And we entered the home where we found out she lives with her parents and her young son, who was 5 years old, and that she had been nine months sober and living at her parents’ house trying to get her life together, like the chief mentioned, and said she had a really rough week relapsed. Her son came down to a locked room to say good night; her door was locked, and her son listened, and her breathing sounded funny, so he waked his grandparents up, who kicked in the door and noticed she wasn’t breathing and her skin was blue. They were able to get her on her

back.

“We arrived and immediately identified the opioids, and Officer Perry ran to his vehicle quickly to get the Narcan or Naloxone. I administered the medication, and she immediately woke up literally within 10 seconds.

And she was alert fighting us off at first, and after some time, she calmed down and talked to me a little more. She told me about her sons’ father and recent death from an overdose, and she was really trying to get her life together for her and her child. I discussed incidents in my own family and issues with heroin. I just want to say I’m really thankful we were able to have that on hand, and we were trying to administer it because it could’ve been a far more situation where a 5-year-old child no longer has a mom or a father.”

An emotional and choked-up Hutson took the podium at the city council meeting and addressed the council and those in attendance saying, “This is the type of policing work we get to do. You know, for me it’s so hard not to get emotional knowing we have officers out there who are responding to save someone’s life. The response we got from this young woman’s parents and grandparents and the praise for the officer’s quick actions to save her life. It is such important work.

I mean, imagine a 5-year-old child growing up here in our town without a mother or a father.

You just cross your fingers and hope this young mother takes a second chance at life. I want to just thank these officers for representing this police department and making a difference in the community.” l

January 2021 | Page 9

Continued from front page groups of students on Fridays.

At secondary schools, students can schedule time to work with teachers but also participate in activities normally held after school. Drama teacher Michael Draut invites the West Hills Middle stage crew to meet on Fridays instead of after school when students may have conflicts. On Fridays at Oquirrh Hills Middle, while students wait to meet with teachers or wait for the bus home, they participate in enrichment activities—history lectures, wood-burning demonstrations and open-sewing sessions. At Herriman High School, club members use Friday hours to organize service projects and hold activities.

Time to catch up The biggest benefit of the Friday schedule is that teachers are able to provide enrichment and remediation activities which target the individual needs of students.

“We knew that there would be gaps from spring learning that would need to be filled,” Godfrey said. “Having flexibility on Friday to form smaller groups of students, whether in person or virtually, so that teachers could follow up on gaps in learning that they had observed during the week, we thought would be a good way to help boost students after the difficult learning circumstances they had gone through the spring.”

Ashley Chappell, mother of three, said one of her children fell behind in math with remote learning and has been able to use Fridays to catch up.

“Having the opportunity for small-group learning and more individualized time with his teacher has been a huge blessing,” she said. “If he doesn’t grasp a concept 100%, his teacher has asked if he can come so she can make sure he is solid and good to go for the next week or a test they are taking. It’s been wonderful, and I hope it never ends.”

Kindergarten teacher Meline Hansen said the time to work individually with students on Fridays is a gift.

“I have a solid block of time with students who need extra help or extra challenge without having to worry about keeping other students engaged in independent tasks,” she said.

Midas Creek third grade teacher MaryAnn Birch said the benefits of working with smaller groups on Fridays are clear. “You can target students who need specific skillbased interventions,” she said. “Teachers and students can strengthen their relationship in small groups. Students tend to be more engaged when there is a small group. You can get students who normally don’t interact to talk and ask questions. Teachers can create lessons that are more interactive and exciting.”

A gift for teachers Student instruction is only scheduled for a few hours on Fridays. For the remainder of the day, teachers participate in professional development, staff meetings and lesson planning.

“We did not select this model because

Page 10 | January 2021

it is the best learning model,” Jordan District Board of Education member Darrell Robinson said. “We selected this because teachers are required to work both face-to-face and online. It is the only way we could think of to give teachers some prep time to do what we asked them to do.”

Hansen said having a productive solid block of time for collaboration and planning has been great for teachers who have had to adjust to fewer direct instruction hours.

Middle school teacher Jamie Buttars said there are numerous advantages for both teachers and students.

“Teachers are able to give more personalized help to the students so they are more successful,” she said. “Friday has also been a life saver for students that have been quarantined. It allows them a time to come in and get caught up without having a lot of added stress.

Teachers are also able to plan better lessons.

So even though students are technically losing 30 minutes of class time a week, they are learning just as much while in school.”

Surprise benefits There have also been some unexpected benefits to the alternative schedule. Some parents have seen a decrease in their child’s stress levels when they know they have a day to catch up or that they can get help from the teacher without the whole class listening in.

Additionally, school custodians have benefitted from having fewer people in the building on Fridays.

“Fridays allow them the ability to do projects that they put off during the week while they were cleaning and disinfecting throughout the school,” Godfrey said.

Being assigned virtual classwork on Fridays has been a benefit for Kim McDermaid’s daughters who often miss school on Fridays to participate in weekend softball tournaments.

“This year was so nice with the virtual Fridays so that they could get on and work on their assignments through the day as we had time,” she said.

Jordan School Board President Bryce Dunford said when classes are virtual on Fridays, there is less contact tracing and fewer days quarantined students are missing class.

Oquirrh Hills Middle Principal Donna Hunter has noticed students taking more responsibility for their education, requesting to come in on Fridays to work with a teacher instead of waiting to be invited.

“We’ve got special ed kids that asked to come in on Friday so that they can get extra help on their homework; they didn’t used to do that,” Hunter said. Many special ed students couldn’t stay for after school study hall because they have to catch a bus home. Buses run on the alternative schedule on Fridays.

Problems with the schedule The four day in-person and one day virtual learning was the most popular option of both parents and teachers who responded to a survey sent out by the Jordan board of education this summer. The alternative Friday schedule was planned to be temporary, but

Hands-on enrichment activities are possible on Fridays when there are fewer students in the classroom. (Principal Carolyn Bona/Mountain Point Elementary)

the board voted to extend it through the rest of the school year.

And yet, there are some who do not like the schedule.

The Friday schedule is a burden to some families who lack access to computers and internet. Instead of asking students to come in or to complete virtual assignments, Teri Gomez, a teacher at Columbia Elementary, assigns a packet for students to work on at home.

Other families are unable to get their kids to school and home in the middle of the day because of childcare or transportation conflicts. In response to such a situation, teachers at Mountain Point Elementary work together to coordinate inviting children from the same family to in-person sessions on the same Fridays to reduce the burden on some families who are struggling.

Marc Taylor, choir teacher at Copper Hills High, said the teachers who are loving the Friday schedule are those who can easily teach their content online. However, classes such as choir, require in-person class time.

And with only four classes a week, Taylor said his students are missing out on rehearsal time. Taylor has only asked his top group, performance Madrigals, to come in on Fri-

days. However, he has had some problems getting them all there. Some families treat it like a three-day weekend and make Friday plans. Other students are using Fridays to work more hours at their part-time jobs.

“You can ask your kids to come in, but you can’t grade the kid or penalize them for not being here,” Taylor said. “It’s completely optional and up to them whether or not they want to come into school on Friday. The teachers have no power on Fridays.”

Birch invites eight students in each Friday to work on filling learning gaps but said without parent support, the groups cannot be effective. Because attendance is optional, she has never had all eight students show up.

“Not having students attend on Fridays makes it more difficult to teach everything in four days compared to the five we had before,” Birch said.

One kindergarten teacher has found that Fridays are not what she hoped they would be.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with my students doing interventions,” she said. “What it’s turned into is a prep day. I won’t complain about the prep; it has been a huge help. However, my students

Riverton City Journal

aren’t as far along this year because I’ve lost academic time. I send home Friday work and some parents make sure their kids do it while others don’t. I’ve had parents complain I’m expecting too much on Friday and others that feel I’m not doing enough. It’s a lose-lose situation.”

What does Friday look like?

Many parents are baffled and frustrated with the inconsistency of expectations on Fridays among teachers, schools and grade levels.

Erin Weist said her middle school kids never have any instruction or assignments but use Fridays to complete homework, while her elementary kids have worksheets and virtual work assignments every Friday.

Stacey Ratliff said her kids keep fairly busy on Fridays.

“They usually do their online programs (lexia, imagine math),” she said. “Teachers call in kids on rotation, so every kid has that more one-on-one instruction at some point.

It’s also the day my third grader takes online spelling and vocab tests. Yes, they are usually done faster than the in-person half day, but I don’t feel like it’s wasted. My middle schooler has assignments fairly regularly but not for every class. And the school has been open for enrichment activities and needed help, but she’s only done that twice.”

The lessened workload and enrichment activities are for in-person students only; remote learners enrolled in the district’s online curriculum have a regular full day of instruction on Fridays. Bre Silva said that means her son, a remote learner, doesn’t have the same opportunity for one-on-one interactions with his teacher.

Some parents believe it would be more beneficial for kids to be in school on Fridays.

“I think Fridays are a joke,” said one parent. “My kids are given a few worksheets they

RivertonJournal.com

can do in an hour and that constitutes for them being in school. Two out of my three kids have never been asked to come in and have never had a Zoom call or anything to interact with their teacher. My other kid has been invited to come to school once for an hour.”

Alison Johnson said for her daughter, a junior at Copper Hills, her only requirement on Fridays is a dance practice.

“She hasn’t needed extra time with teachers on Fridays so, other than dance in the morning, Friday’s are pretty much a day off,” she said.

One parent said her child is rarely invited to school on Fridays because he hasn’t needed remediation.

“So often the kids ahead are the ones left behind,” she said. “They aren’t given anything to challenge them because all the focus is on the kids behind.”

Godfrey said the wide range of what Fridays look like is because it is meant to be flexible.

“We set parameters at the district level that were broad enough to allow for creativity but also established a way to provide for a level of expectation with different parameters at the elementary, middle and high school level,” he said.

Also, the Friday schedule is still new, and parents and teachers are still adjusting.

“This is a new approach that we’re trying in the midst of a lot of other new things happening and so it will take time, as always, to see the full potential of the program and to work out any kinks,” Godfrey said.

Heading into the second half of the year, teachers are still learning how to utilize Fridays to best meet the needs of students and families. At Mountain Point Elementary, teachers meet regularly to discuss their students’ needs and to brainstorm how to make Friday activities more engaging to meet them.

Student leaders didn’t miss class for their leadership conference this year; instead, they participated virtually on a Friday. (Principal Carolyn Bona/Mountain Point Elementary)

“For each grade, the plans have evolved into using more data to create more specific and targeted interventions or enrichment activities,” sixth grade teacher Gina Vondwingelo said.

Some grades focus on providing more student-driven learning activities and utilizing small groups to reduce distractions. Many are able to focus on just one subject for the entire block of time on Fridays and to use data to determine which students should be invited in each week. Some are able to provide a variety of enrichment activities only possible with small groups. Other teams have found Fridays are more effective when they send work home for those who are not invited to attend that day as well.

Parent support is essential Godfrey encourages parents and stu-

dents to share any questions, concerns or success stories about Fridays with their school’s administrators. He emphasizes that parents should be checking with students each week to find out what is expected and supporting their students to meet them.

“Parents have always been an essential partner in effective education and that is true now more than ever,” Godfrey said.

The virtual Friday schedule was implemented last year at Real Salt Lake Academy High School. When the Jordan board voted to open schools this year with the virtual Friday schedule, other districts soon followed. The alternative schedule was made possible by an exception made by the State Board of Education to allow virtual learning hours to count toward the minimum hour and days of annual instruction requirement. l

January 2021 | Page 11

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Riverton City Journal

JANUARY 2021

RIVERTON REVIEW Official Newsletter of the Riverton, Utah City Government

MAYOR’S MESSAGE

Top 10 Biggest Impacts of 2020

of temporary signage restrictions, Riverton Police Department’s 1 1 Year Anniversary The an eat/shop local campaign, and the first ever drive-thru Riverton Police Department Business Blitz where hundreds completed their first full year of businesses and thousands of of service.

They have worked I want to residents participated. diligently to generate positive thank our citizen-officer interactions and a elected Sales Tax Records and Low high level of service in meeting officials, city 5 Fees We had a record-breaking the needs of our residents. This employees year of $8.3 million in sales move to our own department and you, tax revenues. This economic has brought in nine more officers our amazing development not only allows for the same amount we paid residents that have all contributed residents to shop closer to home, The Riverton Remembers 9/11 initiative previously while saving taxpayers to our success this year. Despite but the added sales tax revenue over $1.3 million annually. included 911 US flags displayed at five the incredibly challenging in our city allows us to keep our locations in the city. circumstances that 2020 presented taxes and utility fees amongst the Mountain View Village Phase us with, together we were remember the innocent lives that 2 2 Construction Begins lowest in the entire valley. able to make some significant were lost during the tragic events CenterCal Properties began accomplishments and advance our on September 11, 2001. Events Creation of the Riverton Fire construction on Phase 2 of position as a great community in included: flag remembrance 6 Service Area The process to Mountain View Village. Phase 2 which to live, work and play. Here displays, a car show parade and replace the Unified Fire Service will include a luxury 14-screen is a brief recap of some of the a multi-location patriotic firework Area (UFSA) with the Riverton movie theater, specialty retail highlights from 2020: show featuring a special audio Fire Service Area (RFSA) was stores and several dining options. soundtrack. initiated as the means for paying We anticipate Phase 2 opening in for fire and emergency services 2022.

Infrastructure Projects & provided by Unified Fire Authority 9 General Plan Update UDOT (UFA). This change is anticipated Costco Wholesale Announces started construction of a freeway3 New Riverton Location to save property taxpayers style interchange at Bangerter money in the future.

Costco Wholesale submitted a Highway and 12600 S. Riverton commercial site plan for their City also began construction of State of the City & Peak next store to be built at the Old Liberty Way at 4150 W and 7 Awards In partnership with the northeast corner of 13200 S 4050 W and updated the city’s South Valley Chamber, Riverton and Mountain View Corridor.

General Plan.

City sponsored the Riverton Construction at the site has Peak Awards alongside the begun, with their 160,000 square Two New Council Members annual State of the City address, 10 foot warehouse and gas station Sworn In Troy McDougal to recognize outstanding scheduled to be opened in 2022.

(District 2) and Claude Wells businesses and individuals for (District 5) were sworn-in as their success and contributions to Economic Recovery Initiative 4 newly elected Riverton City the community.

The Economic Recovery Initiative councilmembers in January was unveiled to help local 2020, along with Sheldon Stewart 9/11 Remembrance Events businesses face the challenges who was re-elected. They 8 The Riverton Remembers 9/11 stemming from COVID-19. The The new Riverton Police Department join Councilmembers Buroker initiative brought the community initiative included: the elimination celebrated its first complete year serving the and McCay in comprising the together for a day of unity to of business licensing fees, easing citizens of Riverton with great success. legislative body of the city.

By Mayor Trent Staggs

RIVERTON REVIEW | JANUARY 2021

PAGE 1

COUNCIL MESSAGE

New Sign Helps Preserve Our History MAYOR Trent Staggs tstaggs@rivertonutah.gov 801-208-3129

CITY COUNCIL Sheldon Stewart - District 1 sstewart@rivertonutah.gov 801-953-5672 Troy McDougal - District 2 tmcdougal@rivertonutah.gov 801-931-9933 Tawnee McCay - District 3 tmccay@rivertonutah.gov 801-634-7692 Tish Buroker - District 4 tburoker@rivertonutah.gov 801-673-6103 Claude Wells - District 5 cwells@rivertonutah.gov 801-875-0116

By Councilmember Tish Buroker What do you know of Riverton? When was it first settled and by whom?

Where did the original settlers live and why? When I travel, I love to read the historic signs and markers and learn about the places I am visiting. These signs enhance the sense of community, pride and belonging that is important to residents, and to a city.

However, in Riverton we have not had any historical signs that tell the Riverton story. Now we finally have our first historic sign. It is located at the pedestrian bridge in Roi Hardy Park, located at 12400 River Vista Drive, and it tells the story of the

original bridge that crossed the Jordan River from Draper to Riverton.

This sign was built and installed at no cost to Riverton residents.

Riverton City obtained a grant from the Jordan River Commission for the materials and installation of the sign. With the design help of Riverton City’s graphic designer, Brook Bowen, and the input and review of Scott Crump to ensure historical accuracy, we now have our first historical sign.

During the process, Draper City was contacted about the project and they were so enthused with the idea that they paid for a duplicate sign to be placed on the Draper side of the river. These signs tell the story of the original wooden bridge built in 1865 that crossed at this location and the steel bridge that replaced

CITY MANAGER David R. Brickey dbrickey@rivertonutah.gov 801-208-3125

CITY OFFICES

City Hall...............................

Cemetery............................

Animal Control....................

Building...............................

Code Enforcement..............

Fire Dispatch (UFA).............

Justice Court.......................

Parks & Recreation.............

Planning & Zoning..............

Police..................................

Public Works.......................

Recorder..............................

Utility Billing........................

Water...................................

801-254-0704 801-208-3128 801-208-3108 801-208-3127 801-208-3108 801-743-7200 801-208-3131 801-208-3101 801-208-3138 385-281-2455 801-208-3162 801-208-3128 801-208-3133 801-208-3164

FIND US ONLINE! @rivertonutahgov www.rivertonutah.gov PAGE 2

Councilmember Tish Buroker spearheaded efforts to install a sign at the bridge crossing the Jordan River detailing the historical significance of the bridge at that location.

it in 1909. This original steel bridge was deemed unsafe and closed to all traffic in 1981. There is a great picture on the sign from 1910 that features an early motorized car followed by two wagons crossing the bridge. In 2001, an exact replica of the steel bridge was installed and is currently a walking bridge on the Jordan River Trail, allowing the river to be crossed once again at its original location.

Riverton has many more stories to tell. Over time I hope that with the aid of the Riverton Historical Preservation Commission, Riverton residents, and the support of the Riverton City Council and Mayor, more signs may be placed which tell the story of this wonderful community we call home.

Christmas Tree Recycling Properly dispose of live Christmas trees at one of three drop-off locations through the end of January.

Monarch Meadows Park 13600 S 4800 W

Centennial Park 13000 S 2700 W

Riverton Rodeo Arena 12800 S 1300 W

RIVERTON REVIEW | JANUARY 2021

PUBLIC SAFETY MESSAGE

Leaving It Better Than He Found It

By Chief Wade Watkins The accompanying picture is of UFA Captain Charles Dejournett, he has served Riverton City since 2006 with a total of 29 years of service. He has been many things in his life from cowboy to fire captain and many things in-between. Captain Dejournett

UFA Captain Charles Dejournett served as a rescue officer with Utah Task Force 1 following the 9/11 terrorist attack.

has just retired as of December of 2020 and has left a legacy within the fire service and community. He has served in many capacities from rescue officer with Utah Task Force 1 (UT-TF 1) during 9/11 to training more firefighters than any other fire officer in Utah through his efforts at the Utah Fire Rescue Academy.

His balanced approach to leading firefighters and responding to the community’s needs is an example for us all. He is known for kindness and a commonsense approach when leading firefighters and interacting with the public. He naturally creates a positive environment for all that are around him. His specialty at the firehouse includes Charlie’s fried chicken and Charlie’s popcorn.

It is commonly known with the firefighters, that if dinner isn’t ready by 5:30 p.m., Captain Charlie Dejournett will be serving up a tune up.

Captain Dejournett is one of the hardest and smartest working firefighters around. He is also one of the hardest playing firefighters around. He is notorious for working day after day in an effort to spend quality time with his family and friends and to work on his mediocre

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UFA Captain Charles Dejournett retired in December. He was known for always leaving things better than he found them.

golf skills in Star Valley Wyoming during the summer months, often referred to as the “Summer of Charlie.”

Leaving it better than he found it, is exactly what he is doing. Captain Dejournett has touched so many people through being genuine and kind. The legacy of his service is reflected in the firefighter community and especially the firefighters serving Riverton City and surrounding areas.

Winter Parking Policy and Snow Removal Protocol The following snow removal protocol and winter parking policy is in effect in Riverton:

Text Message Alerts

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Get emergency alerts and notifications on important city updates on your cell phone 3-4 times per month.

Riverton Connect App

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Report a problem, see the city calendar, get directions to parks and city facilities, and find city information right from your mobile device.

• No vehicles may be parked on city streets during a snow storm or where snow has accumulated between November 1 and March 1.

• Major roadways, high-traffic areas and school zones are prioritized in snow removal efforts as a matter of public safety.

• Minor roads and cul-de-sacs are cleared if 4 inches of snow or more has accumulated once main roadways are clear.

For additional details, visit rivertonutah.gov/snow RIVERTON REVIEW | JANUARY 2021

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PAGE 3

UPCOMING EVENTS

Register: Riverton ½ Marathon & 4Life 5K

Yvonne Cardwell Quilt Exhibition

Register: Start Smart Basketball

Live in Real Life: We Can Work It Out

Riverton HOPE Walk

General registration for the Riverton ½ Marathon & 4Life 5K opens January 1. Come run for fun or run to best a personal record.

Register at runnercard.com.

Come view beautiful quilts made

by Yvonne Cardwell at the Yvonne Cardwell Memorial Quilt Exhibition at the Old Dome Meeting Hall.

Children ages 3-5 learn the basic skills needed to play basketball in a fun, positive environment. No equipment necessary. Register online.

Join us for a night full of music, Join Riverton City and Riverton positive messages and to listen to High School as we walk for those keynote speaker Nathan Osmond. impacted by suicide in our comAttendance free but limited. RSVP munity and for suicide prevention. online.

• Race is Saturday, March 27, 9 a.m. (Half), 9:15 a.m. (5K), Riverton City Park

• January 11 - February 24, Open • Begins Tuesday, January 12, San- • Monday, January 25, 7 p.m., House: Monday, January 11, RHS Auditorium dra N. Lloyd Community Center 6:30-8 p.m.

• Saturday, January 30, 9 a.m., Riverton High School

For details or registration information, visit rivertonutah.gov/recreation

2021 City Park Pavilion & Facility Reservations In-person reservations begin January 4 at 8 a.m. at the Parks and Recreation Office. Online reservations begin, January 5 at rivertonutah.gov/reserve. Park Pavilions are available for use between Apr. 1 - Sept. 30, 2021.

Community Center, CR Hamilton Pavilion & Old Dome Meeting Hall are available for use between Jan. 1 - Dec. 30, 2021.

No phone reservations for any facility will be accepted. Reservations must be online or in-person.

2021 Calendar Has Arrived!

The new 2021 Riverton Calendar will keep you in the know on events and happenings this year. You should have received it in your mailbox already. If you haven’t received one you can pick one up for free at the Parks & Recreation window at Riverton City Hall.

Upcoming City Meetings CITY COUNCIL • Tuesday, January 5 & 19 at 7 p.m.

PLANNING COMMISSION • Thursday, January 14 & 28, 6:30 p.m.

Riverton City Events

With the changing environment due to COVID-19, we recommend you regularly visit rivertonutah.gov to find the most recent event and meeting information.

PAGE 4

RIVERTON REVIEW | JANUARY 2021

The COVID-19 Impacted Businesses Grant Program, known as Shop In Utah, is a grant program to help support businesses and provide discounts to consumers.

Participating Advertisers: Cooking with Sharon Great Harvest Kathmandu Flourish Bakery Legends Pub & Grill Penny Ann's Cafe O Crab Cajun Seafood & Bar Kao Thai Epic Fitness Robintino's Tokyo Teriyaki Panwok Tokai Sushi Lettuce & Ladles Elite Chiropractic Iceberg Hopkin Oral Surgery Alpha Coffee Grifols Casper's Ice Cream Please support these local businesses!

business.utah.gov/shop-in-utah-offers RivertonJournal.com

Leadership South Valley is here

SCHEDULE

Leadership South Valley is designed to provide business leaders with a deeper understanding of the critical and essential issues affecting communities in Salt Lake County. The program’s mission is to develop and enhance personal and civic leadership and communication, as well as support team cohesion, collaboration, and networking.

All times are 8:30-4:00 unless otherwise indicated.

This once-a-month, 9-week course will meet from 8:30 am to 4 pm at various locations across the South Valley region. Class size is limited, and class members are selected to represent a broad range of occupations, industries, and backgrounds.

Chamber Member Tuition | $1000 Non-Chamber Member Tuition | $1,500 As with all worthwhile endeavors, this program requires a strong commitment of time on the part of each participant. Attendance is mandatory for successful completion of the program, as is the following: 1. Community Service Project 2. One of your own cities council meetings 3. One of your own school districts meetings 4. Two South Valley Chamber events

Date

Topic

January 28, 2021

Orientation / Economic Development

February 25, 2021

Health Care

March 25, 2021

Environment

April 22, 2021

Transportation and Housing

May 31, 2021

Arts and Culture / Community Service

June 24, 2021

Education

July 29, 2021

National, State, and Local Politics

August 26, 2021

Diversity and Inclusion / Justice Day

September 23, 2021

Current Issues, Key Learnings, and Graduation

APPLICATION PROCESS An online application must be submitted by December 3, 2020. You will then be contacted for an interview. For more information, please contact Karla Rogers at karla@southvalleychamber.com.

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January 2021 | Page 17

Three memorable experiences for Riverton sports in 2020

By Travis Barton | travis.b@thecityjournals.com

W

hile 2020 was a year to forget for many reasons, sports experienced a very unusual journey. From Rudy Gobert’s positive COVID test in March starting a domino effect that saw no professional sports games for months. On the local level, the year may be most remembered for its spring season of sports being completely canceled, or for the opportunity to have a fall sports season.

Despite the cancellations, disruptions, and temperature checks, Riverton experienced several memorable moments from its sporting year. Here are three of them.

Skyler Lyon state championship Before COVID-19 and quarantine entered the international lexicon, Riverton High’s star swimmer put her name in the record books in February.

Skyler Lyon, swimming since age 4, won the 200-yard breaststroke at the 6A state championships on Feb. 15 in Provo beating her closest competitor by two seconds.

“It was just such a rewarding feeling since that’s what I’ve been working toward for a while,” Lyon said in April. “Everything had paid off, and it just felt really good to be at the top.”

It was something her mom, Brenda Lyon said she could see coming having watcher her

daughter finish 11th at state as a freshman, third as a sophomore and runner up as a junior.

“She went to state every year, got better and better each year, so senior year we just knew it was going to happen, and it did,” she said in April. “Everything fell into place, and it was just awesome to see.”

Winning state wasn’t her only accomplishment that day.

In addition to taking bronze in the 200 individual medley, she broke the 6A state record in the 50 freestyle. Doing so as part of the 200 freestyle relay team, Lyon swam the first leg at 24.90, beating the state record by .01 seconds.

“I hit the wall … I looked at the time and was so happy it wasn’t a 24.92 or something,” Lyon said. “I was so stoked.”

Lyon graduated in 2020, leaving her name covering half the record board at Riverton. She holds six of the 11 school records.

“I always made it a goal to knock off all the records; I wanted my name up there as much as possible,” she said.

Last chance tournaments With the cancellation of the spring sports season after playing only a few games saw many athletes go through the grieving pro-

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cess. There was anger and eventual acceptance.

But for two sports, baseball and soccer, athletes had another step to add to the process: gratitude.

Both Riverton’s boys soccer and baseball teams played in impromptu tournaments

in June put on by interested community members to give players, notably the seniors, one final opportunity to represent their schools.

The boys soccer team competed in the Graduation Cup, held in Farmington, a tournament split into two separate divisions. The Silverwolves won its group in the Circumstance

The South Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Jordan Education Foundation and Walmart South Jordan held their 7th annual Christmas for Kids event last week.

"We didn't want to disappoint the students, so we had to pivot and adjust the event to make it Covid-safe for everyone." This year Christmas for Kids was turned into a 5 day event. Teachers did an amazing job working with 451 deserving Middle and High School students creating Christmas lists from Walmart.com.

The Community registered to be volunteer shoppers from December 7th through the 10th. The volunteer shoppers selected items on the students list and paid for them with generous donations from area Businesses and Community members. On Saturday December 12th, students arrived at Walmart to pick up their gifts in a Covid-safe drive through" said Brian Synan the President and CEO of the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce.

The annual event brings Business and Community together to spread Christmas cheer to deserving students. Christmas for Kids has helped over 2,000 students have a wonderful Christmas since its inception in 2014. "We had to find a way to move forward with the event this year and with the help from everyone, we were able to make it happen" Synan said.

Beginning in 1st Grade 2021-2022

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Skyler Lyon won the 200-yard breaststroke title and broke the 50-yard freestyle state record as part of the 200-yard freestyle relay team at the 6A state championships Feb. 15. (Photo courtesy friends of Skyler Lyon)

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Riverton City Journal

Riverton won its group at the Graduation Cup, beating both Orem and Woods Cross 3-0 before defeating Stansbury 4-1 in the quarterfinals. The Silverwolves outscored their opponents 113.

The Riverton High football team celebrates its victory over local rival Bingham on Oct. 2. It was the Silverwolves first victory over the Miners since 2003. (Photo by Pat McDonald)

Division, beating both Orem and Woods Cross 3-0 before defeating Stansbury 4-1 in the quarterfinals. The Silverwolves would go on to play Park City in the semifinals the day after the Stansbury game. With the game tied in the first half 1-1, Riverton surrendered a penalty, which was then saved initially before Park City scored the rebound that proved the game winner.

Riverton’s defense only allowed three goals the entire tournament as they outscored

their opponents 11-3.

For the boys baseball team, the Silverwolves played in the Last Chance Tournament, held at various locations in Utah County.

It was an opportunity for the nine seniors on the team to finish their purple and silver careers with the Last Chance Tournament. That included Parker Applegate, a three-sport star, to finish his Riverton career playing for his dad, Jay, the head baseball coach.

The Silverwolves would go 1-2 in pool

play defeating local rival Bingham 9-8, but falling to American Fork 9-4 and Jordan 8-7. Riverton finished as the No. 4 seed but knocked off Lone Peak, Jordan and Copper Hills in the double-elimination tournament, only falling to American Fork two more times to finish second.

Breaking a 17-year draught Though the Riverton football team finished the year 6-6, and all victories mean the same in the win column, one win in particular perhaps stood out from the rest.

The Silverwolves defeated local rival Bingham 20-17 on Oct. 2, the program’s first

victory over the Miners since 2003, before most of Riverton’s current crop of players were born.

Riverton jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and forced six fumbles by the Miners, including one in the final two minutes of the game with Bingham inside the 5-yard-line to preserve the win.

After finishing its regular season, the Silverwolves entered the playoffs as the RPIranked No. 15 seed, where they defeated No. 18 seed Layton 31-14 in the first round before falling to eventual runner up Lone Peak in the second round. l

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A health plan membership that doesn’t break the bank Medallus Medical is changing the world of healthcare by serving as an intermediary care option to save consumers money whose insurance plan requires meeting a high deductible and/or expensive copays to access everyday medical care. Alternatively, Medallus provides the public access to medical professionals at a price they can afford.

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Though not an insurance plan replacement, Medallus does save patient’s money for the majority of their medical needs. Medallus’

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Medallus isn’t just for personal use; businesses can set their employees up with their own affordable care. Not too far off from the individual plans, companies pay $45 per employee per month to give their team $10 visits, anytime over the phone medical

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January 2021 | Page 23

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Riverton City Journal

Salt Lake County concludes budget process with no tax increase

Aimee Winder Newton Salt Lake County Council | District 3

With the final approval of the 2021 Salt Lake County budget drawing near, I wanted to share some of the proactive steps we have taken as your County Council to tighten up spending.

In June, because of concerns surrounding revenue impacts from COVID-19, we scoured our budget to find as many cuts as possible – leading to a massive $77 million budget reduction. Because of all the cuts we made in June, and because sales tax revenue did not fall as much as we anticipated, we ultimately had a fairly uneventful budget season.

As we strive to be as fiscally prudent as possible, one of our top priorities is maintaining our AAA bond rating. We are one of only 27 counties in the entire nation with this highest-achievable bond rating. Keeping this bond rating results in much lower interest rates on bonds and loans.

Here are some key principles I have always prioritized during the budget process, this year included.

First and foremost, tax dollars don’t “belong” to the county. The funds are yours. Taxpayers entrust the county, or any government for that matter, with a portion of their hard-earned money because they expect that entity to pro-

vide essential services for society to function. There is no amount of tax dollars that is too small to be scrutinized.

That is why I push back aggressively anytime I hear someone flippantly say, “It’s only x dollars… so we shouldn’t worry about it.”

Any expenditure, whether it is $10 or $10 million, should be reviewed, and if it can’t be fully justified to the taxpayers, it should be cut.

Second, I believe that all government functions should be viewed in two different categories: “need to have” and “nice to have.”

The “need to have” list obviously includes things that are statutorily required of the county to perform, think constitutionally mandated services such as criminal justice and election administration. I also consider public safety to be in the “need to have” category, since keeping our residents safe is a core function of government. However, just because they are essential does not mean they are above scrutiny, because efficiencies can still be found.

The “nice to have” list includes quality of life services the county provides, as well as any other program or initiative that can easily be described as a benefit to county residents, but

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not necessarily considered essential.

Libraries and open space some of the things in this category.

The separation of these two categories demonstrates the same principle that every family in our county goes through in their annual budgets. They strive to live within their means and focus on essential family expenditures sometimes at the expense of luxuries.

Lastly, I review each aspect of our budget and ask, “Is this the proper role of county government?” I’ve said many times that government can’t and shouldn’t be all things to all people.

There are many programs or services that are better suited to other government entities, nonprofits, or the private sector. Particularly in a tight budget year, it’s important to review each program, service, or expenditure and ask that question again and again.

I’m confident that these principles are the essence of good budgeting and fiscal discipline, and I will always advocate for this approach any time government is entrusted with taxpayer dollars. You can rest assured that for 2021, Salt Lake County has a balanced budget with no tax increase.

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January 2021 | Page 25

Silverwolves off and running Photos by Travis Barton

Josh Bollinger drains a three sparking a fourth quarter surge at West Jordan. The senior followed up the three-pointer with a block at the other end.

Riverton jumped out to a 3-1 record at press time prior to its holiday tournament around the new year. After a big loss to start the season, the Silverwolves rebounded to defeat Mountain Ridge, Brighton and West Jordan. The latter two with 14-point victories.

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Riverton City Journal

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CONTACT: Susan Schilling 801-280-0595 susan@swvchamber.org

CHAMBER NEWS The Community Magazine We have worked closely with local cities and businesses to create the community magazine. It will come out the beginning of January. Watch for it and learn more about your community as well as how to support your local businesses. The chamber also has an ad in it with prizes available to win. The magazine Community United will be a great resource for you. We contacted many businesses and were surprised at how many were doing okay; this is a thank you to the community for supporting and shopping local.

The Southwest Valley Chamber wishes you a great 2021. Let us take the lessons we learned and use them in moving forward. A quote that sums up 2020: “I am realized that the best step to take when trying to move forward in life, is to accept that sometimes we have to let go of the life we expected to have and to start living the life we are given.” –Unknown

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swvchamber.org January 2021 | Page 27

Local organization raising awareness of radon gas dangers

By Justin Adams | justin.a@thecityjournals.com

J

an Poulsen was 60 years old when she was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was confused because she had never smoked a day in her life. After a little research, she learned that her cancer was caused by a chemical in her very own home, one that is invisible, odorless, tasteless and otherwise impossible to detect without a test: Radon.

Poulsen was lucky in that she was able to beat her cancer diagnosis, but only after having undergone multiple rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries, including the removal of one of her lungs. But many are not so lucky.

Each year, radon is responsible for an estimated 21,000 deaths in the United States alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Exposure to radon usually happens in one’s own home. The gas forms naturally when uranium in soil or rock breaks down, according to the American Lung Association. It then “enters a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings.”

Luckily there are relatively inexpensive tests available to measure the level of radon gas in a home. The only problem is that they need to be done regularly.

Poulsen’s home was tested for radon over a decade before her diagnosis and the results showed a radon level of 2.2 pCi/L, much less

than the recommended action level of 4.0.

However, radon levels can rise over time and home renovations can also lead to increased exposure. Poulsen’s family, for example, added a walk-out basement. Following her diagnosis, they had their home tested again and the result was 24.9 pci/L, more than six times the recommended EPA action level.

“If we had known, we would have had our house tested and remediated immediately after we had it remodeled,” said Poulsen.

Poulsen’s journey led her to help form the Utah Radon Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of this rarely-talked-about issue. They hold regular radon awareness seminars, offer free testing kits to qualified individuals and lobby local lawmakers to adopt reasonable measures related to radon safety.

This month, for example, they’ll be encouraging a number of Utah cities including Cottonwood Heights, Draper, Herriman, Millcreek, Sandy and South Jordan to join the EPA and many others across the country in designating January as Radon Action Month.

National Radon Action Month “provides a fresh opportunity at the beginning of each new year for all Americans to protect their families by becoming more aware of radon, testing their home, and mitigating radon if the

Common radon entry points found in homes. (Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

test finds a high level of radon,” according to the URC website.

They will also be offering free radon testing for homeowners of those six cities during

the month of January. Residents can request their free test by visiting www.utahradoncoalition.org and clicking on Radon Action Month 2021. l

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Riverton City Journal

Making the grade When my kids were little, I did a bit of substitute teaching.

After I accidentally threw an encyclopedia and flipped a desk over, I realized teaching elementary school probably wasn’t for me.

Teachers are comprised of strong stuff. The molten lava that flows through their veins gives them courage and an unbreakable gaze. A skeleton made of graphene (200 times stronger than steel) keeps them steady and protects their hearts. And those hearts beat a consistent tempo that opens doors to new worlds and encourages students to find their own rhythm.

But teachers are exhausted.

I attended Viewmont Elementary during the 1900s, where teachers were the top of the food chain. I worshiped the good ones, feared the difficult ones, and loathed the mean ones.

I remember the “trip” our kindergarten class took to Hawaii where we ate coconut and learned the hula. And the teacher who caught us eating snowballs, so she melted snow to show us the dirt and grime. (I haven’t eaten a snowball in more than 45 years.)

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hosting a virtual call for a class of first graders who have the attention span of a meatball. My mom thought education was vital, but if she had to supervise online learning for me and my four siblings, she would have sold us to the circus.

Teachers are struggling. Kids are struggling. Parents are struggling.

If we’ve learned one thing this crappy year, it’s that superheroes walk among us. Healthcare workers and winemakers are tied for the top spot on my list, with teachers, students, and parents finishing a close second by demon-

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social skills. Okay, I learned them poorly, but I did learn some. I interacted with people my age where we talked about our favorite TV shows, what we had for dinner and whether my crush winked at me or had a tic.

Today, students feel lost.

My 8-year-old grandson started the school year online, changed to in-person learning, then went back online. He might enjoy hanging out with his mom, grandma, and little demon of a sister, but he misses his friends.

Imagine trying to learn long division on a Zoom call. I couldn’t even learn it in person. Or imagine

strating unprecedented resilience.

Many kids are failing this year, but are they really? Can you fail when a global pandemic changes the rules? When teachers adapt daily to shifting conditions?

Can you fail when parents work full-time jobs at home while staying on top of online assignments and hybrid schedules?

Teachers are a mighty mix of educator/guidance counselor/ cheerleader/cruise director, and this year their creativity and patience has been tested. It brings to mind my husband’s favorite quote, “Looks like I picked the wrong [year] to stop sniffing glue.”

This is a thank you to the teachers who work with my grandchildren. The teachers who are innovative and kind. The teachers who show up like a boss and get to work. This is also a thank you to the students who have proven to be flexible and strong. They’re all doing the best they can as they watch adults try to figure everything out.

Maybe we write this school year off; maybe it’s not the year to learn geometry or teach Latin. Perhaps it’s the year we value kindness, connection, and self-care for everyone involved. I promise, there’ll be much less encyclopedia throwing and desk flipping.

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Gary Cannon 801-573-8282

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By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

J

ordan District officials implemented a new school schedule this year.

Students attend in-person school Monday through Thursday, with Friday designated as a virtual learning day. Students have either online assignments or a takehome packet from each class to complete from home on Fridays. Teachers can also invite small groups of students to come to school for a few hours on Fridays for learning activities or remediation.

Flexibility of Fridays The flexibility of the Friday schedule allows teachers to meet the needs of their students in creative ways.

“We have great confidence in the ability of our teachers to tailor instruction to the needs of students, but they don’t always have space to do that within the traditional structure,” Superintendent Anthony Godfrey said. “We’ve heard feedback about exciting things that are happening in our schools. Students have been able to learn in ways that hadn’t been possible before and to feel connected to each other and the school in ways that were not previously possible.”

Midas Creek teacher Julie Ribar doesn’t usually have time to teach STEM

topics to her fifth graders. However, the flexible Friday schedule enables her to hold enrichment learning experiences.

Her husband, who is studying technology and engineering with a teaching emphasis at BYU, works with small groups of students on engineering activities for a few hours on Fridays while Ribar works individually with students on academics.

“This has been a great opportunity for my students,” Ribar said. “Many of them have expressed interest in becoming engineers when they grow up.”

At Mountain Point Elementary, student leaders participated in a virtual leadership conference on a Friday instead of missing school to travel to a conference as they normally do. The kindergarten team has been able to introduce coding activities to small groups of students on Fridays.

At secondary schools, students can schedule time to work with teachers but Continued page 10 A first grade teacher at Mountain Point Elementary works with small groups of students on Fridays. (Principal Carolyn Bona/Mountain Point Elementary)

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