Riverton Journal | September 2023

HOPE ACROSS BORDERS ADDRESSES THE PLIGHT OF UKRAINIAN REFUGEES

By Peri Kinder |

AsRussian tanks rolled across Ukraine’s border in February 2022, Win and Mindie Packer watched the beginning of the war in disbelief. Win Packer had served a church mission in Russia in the ‘90s and had observed the brotherly relationship between the two countries.

“Ukrainians and Russians were kind of like Americans and Canadians,” Win Packer said. “There are tons of family members and people who talk to each other all the time. There was a very soft border between the two [countries]. And so when the war broke out, I was blown away that this could happen to these people who were pretty much like brother and sister countries, and people with similar cultures.”

When they saw the mass exodus of people, mostly women and children, leaving war zones in Ukraine, the Packers knew they had to step in. Mindie Packer said hey couldn’t save all of the millions of refugees, but they could help a few.

In July 2022, the Riverton residents took their first trip to Poland and connected with other humanitarian groups, including World Central Kitchen. An abandoned shopping mall had been converted into a refugee camp, but it

was meant to be short term and was in the process of being shut down. It was chaos as all the refugees scrambled to find new housing.

“My heart broke,” Mindie Packer said.

“There were people my age who had kids that were my kids’ age that literally had to leave with nothing, just to get to safety. I was seeing it on the news, but to witness it firsthand was

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surreal. It was unbelievable.”

The Packers spent the week transporting people to different refugee camps, helping them establish toy rooms for the kids, laundry rooms for families and helping all of them find clothing. That trip was the first of many as the Packers returned to Poland and Ukraine several times over the course of the year.

They started the process to create Hope Across Borders, a nonprofit organization that helps Ukrainian refugees, and continued bringing much needed clothing, school supplies and

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Hope Across Borders, founded by Riverton residents Win and Mindie Packer, is a nonprofit helping Ukrainian refugees in Poland and Ukraine. The organization provides clothes, laptops, school supplies and other necessities for Ukrainian families in crisis. (Photo courtesy of Hope Across Borders)

AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL

Riverton girls tennis battling to repeat as region champs

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Last season, the Riverton girls tennis team won the Region 3 championship, beating out opponents Bingham, Herriman, Mountain Ridge, West Jordan and Copper Hills. Things look a little different this year, as the Silverwolves have moved to Region 2 and have a new foe: Corner Canyon.

Riverton lost some key players from last season’s team that qualified all its varsity competitors for state. The Silverwolves were 11th at state a year ago. This season, Riverton has a good blend of returning players and newcomers.

“I am always excited to see the returning players mix with the new players to make friendships and become a team,” head coach Ronald Ence said. “The expectation is to once again compete for the region title.”

Riverton lost five seniors from the 2022 team. Replacing them are some players who haven’t seen the court much in varsity action. What the Silverwolves may be lacking in game experience, they make up for in their work ethic and mindset. Ence is pleased with how the girls have responded to challenges.

“Thus far into our season one of the strengths is the girls have shown great attitude and effort in practice on a daily basis,” he said.

Riverton does have a pair of players who have been integral team members for multiple seasons. Senior Addie Hansen, at first singles, and senior Hailey Johansen, at second singles, have both been varsity competitors for three years.

Though Ence believes his team can repeat as region champions, he isn’t necessarily going to determine the team’s success by how many wins and losses the squad accumulates. However, he is eager to see how each individual player fares throughout the year.

“Success can be measured in different ways, depending on the talent,” he said. “I hope all players can have a winning record and the varsity players can all qualify for the 6A tournament at Liberty Park.”

The season runs through the end of September, followed by the Class 6A state tournament Oct. 9 and 10.

Beyond the varsity team, Ence is dedicated to developing the program by improving the junior varsity squad. He is impressed that other region coaches take the same approach. At the end of the season, the coaches host a JV tournament and alternate player tournament.

“Our region has good coaches that care and give extra time to each player to help them elevate their tennis skill level,” he said. l

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MISSION STATEMENT

Senior Addie Hansen is holding down the first singles spot for the Riverton girls tennis team. (Photo courtesy of Ronald Ence)

Friday Fun Nights are a hit in Riverton

Riverton City sponsored Friday Fun Nights at Riverton City Park (1452 W. 12600 South), each Friday during August. The events featured a children’s entrepreneur market and music from local entertainers like Sam and Josh Duke, Goodnight Richard, Copper Kettle Band, The Truman Brothers, Voices Elevated featuring Alex Elggren, Yesterday’s Heroes, Bluegrass Thunder and Steven Bosco. Residents also enjoyed food truck fare, treats, outdoor movies and local vendors.

Photos by the City Journals

Kids played on the three playgrounds at Riverton City Park while families enjoyed local entertainment and an outdoor movie. (City Journals)

Continued from front page

laptops to the many children who were forced to leave their homes.

With the help of donations, the Packers set up a computer lab in a refugee camp so students could stay on top of schoolwork. They worked with Delta Airlines to get free checked bags filled with underwear, socks, shoes, warm clothes and coats.

Michael Thaler traveled with the Packers in July, on their latest trip, and spent three days in Ukraine. Thaler said refugee centers in the western part of Ukraine had terrible living conditions.

“What stood out was there’s such a big need and what we did was amazing, but there’s just a huge need,” he said. “That was kind of overwhelming to see that. We don’t see that on the news.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates nearly 6 million people were internally displaced across Ukraine by the end of 2022, with another 2.5-3 million people crossing into Poland as refugees.

Hope Across Borders completed the federal process to become a 501(c)(3) in July and 100% of donations go to help refugees. The organization also sponsors Ukrainians to come to the United States and recently helped a Ukrainian family relocate to Riverton. For more information, visit HopeXBorders.com.

“I mean, there are millions of refugees and we obviously can’t help all of them,” Mindie Packer said. “But we’re trying to do what we can.” l

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Riverton residents enjoyed the Friday Fun Nights celebration at Riverton Park every Friday night in August. (City Journals)

Miss Riverton second-runner up Sam Rich joined Tayler Steffensen and Riverton City Youth Council Advisor Broc Stowe at the Friday Fun Night event at Riverton Park. (City Journals)

Riverton City Park was the site for Friday Fun Nights in August with food trucks, summer market vendors and games are open from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and outdoor movies. (City Journals)

Riverton boys golf team young but not short on numbers

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Asa coach, when only one of your 20 players is a senior, you may worry. But for the Riverton boys golf team, having a large team is a strength, especially when those players are as dedicated to the game and each other as the Silverwolves are.

“Our strengths of our team are that we have 20 hard-working kids who love the game of golf,” head coach Kelly Pehrson said. “They worked extremely hard in the offseason to improve. They played in lots of junior tournaments to get more experience, and they got out and played lots of golf together to build some team unity.”

Along with one senior on the team, Luke Wathen, who finished 11th at the Class 6A state tournament a year ago, the Silverwolves have seven juniors, seven sophomores and five freshmen. Along with Wathen, the other returning varsity starter from 2022 is sophomore Jaxon Erickson, who averaged a score of 69 after the first two tournaments of the season.

“[Erickson] is one of the top golfers in the state,” Pehrson said. “[He] works harder than any golfer I have ever watched.”

Junior Camden Niell, junior Hayden Stewart and sophomores Kash Kimball, Trey Pehrson and Warren Fisher have improved and should contribute this season.

As head coach, Pehrson is pleased not only with how the players have worked hard and gotten better at their craft, but he likes his players’ attitudes and mindsets. He has seen the players improve the way they treat one another, too.

“Our team has a great attitude,” he said.

“Every one of them want to improve, which makes it easy as a coach. I see them all stay after practice working on things that will help them for the next tournament. I see the team playing golf together outside of practice all the time, which makes me feel like I am doing my job to help build team unity.”

Pehrson acknowledges that golf can be a frustrating game for anyone, especially when there are off days and things don’t go well. Pehrson is trying to instill a belief in

the players’ minds that every effort counts for something and will have positive effects in the end.

“Our key to success, which is also our team’s motto, is to be ‘Addicted to the Process,’” he said. “We need to trust that the many hours on the range, the time spent chipping and putting and the many rounds of golf are all a part of a process that we need to be addicted to. You may not see leaps and bounds improvement, but if we are addicted

to this process, I can promise you our team will get better, and we will see success.”

Riverton competes in Region 2 against some difficult competition. Region foes are Bingham, Corner Canyon, Herriman, Mountain Ridge and Copper Hills. The Silverwolves have several tournaments against league opponents in September after having competed in the heat of August as well. The state championships are Oct. 9 and 10 at Old Mill Golf Course.

“Our players just need to learn to play their own game, meaning if they aren’t the longest hitters in the group, they just need to trust their own strengths and play their game,” Pehrson said. “Their birdie or par is just the same as another players birdie or par, no matter how far they hit it.”

Whether Riverton rises to the top of the region standings and competes strongly at state, or whether the team falls short, Pehrson said he is grateful to be involved with Riverton golf and associate with his players.

“I love teaching them to love a game that they will play the rest of their lives,” he said. “Golf is not the most popular sport in high school, but I tell them all the time, golf is a sport that everyone wishes they were good at and that they learned to play much younger. Not many people will put on football pads or play fast-pitch baseball after high school, but they will play golf. Also, I have great young men on our team. Golf is secondary. I hope they are all successful in school and become great people in life. Every one of them, I see a great future in, no matter what they do.” l

Senior-laden Mountain Ridge golf team eager for improvement

In boys golf, Region 2 is a deep, talented and difficult league. Finding team wins can be difficult, but the Mountain Ridge team is aiming to get better every day. With every small improvement, the Sentinels become more competitive.

“The strength of our team is our desire to improve,” head coach Ryan Avila said. “Every year, our team gets better and better, and it is because of the individual effort each player makes out of season. Our season ends in October, and by the time January comes three months later, the guys are asking to start spring workouts for the next season already. This year’s team is full of seniors that have put in the time to get better every day.”

Region 2 includes crosstown rival Herriman, along with Bingham, Corner Canyon, Riverton and Copper Hills. Avila said his players know they have their work cut out for them, as the region should be even better this season than it was last when four current league foes placed in the top eight at state. Still, the daunting task of playing against such talent isn’t deterring the Sentinels.

“We know that our region is incredibly competitive with plenty of good players, but this team is set to be the best we’ve had since opening our school, so our scoring goals are to be

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

competitive in the region and to play well at the state tournament.”

Avila pointed out juniors Bronx Campbell and Trayson Shaheen are entering their third year as varsity starters, so they bring experience to the squad.

“They each want to be our top scorer for the season,” he said of the duo. “They each have the potential to lead our team on any given day.”

Seniors Zach Rich and Colten Peterson have improved since last season and will be key contributors this year. Avila also praised seniors Jace Clark, Carter Hansen, Max Crawford, Landon Perry, Jace Peterson and Jackson Spenst for their leadership and dedication.

Avila also said his team can continue to make progress as the players help one another get better, thus pushing the entire squad forward.

“For our team to find success this season, our players need to build each other up and push each other to be better every day,” Avila said. “It’s the competition and camaraderie that will make our team the best it has ever been.”

The Sentinels are also a team where the players get along with each other and love playing together.

“The team is energetic and light-hearted, they joke with each other, they encourage each other and they challenge each other,” Avila said. “Our players know that even though golf is an individual sport, our team only succeeds if everyone succeeds.”

Mountain Ridge will compete throughout September before taking part in the Class 6A state championship. Avila is looking forward to seeing what this team can accomplish. He loves working with this group and being a part of the players’ growth and success. He is also pleased that the boys golf program has expanded since he took over four years ago.

“What I enjoy the most about coaching this team is seeing our individual and collective growth from year to year,” he said. “In 2019, our first season, we had 16 kids at tryouts. This year, we had 49 kids come out for the team, and every year we get more and more. I think that speaks to how much our players enjoy and get out of the experience. If I could manage a roster with that many players, I would. I really believe in growing the game of golf because these kids will be able to enjoy it for the rest of their lives, which isn’t true for every sport.” l

The 2023 Riverton boys golf team is looking to compete well in a new region. From left: Luke Wathen , Warren fisher , Jaxon Erickson , Boston Knight, Trey Pehrson. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Pehrson.)

School counselors select best of the best for Jordy Awards

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Schoolcounselors advise students about academics, course options, graduation requirements, career paths, college preparation, scholarships, mental health issues and identify and accommodate students with learning obstacles such as ADHD, autism and English as a second language. They also offer support to staff members and parents.

“There is a lot that we do— it’s a big job,” Jordan District Secondary Counselor Consultant Stacee Worthen said.

Jordan District counselors follow a comprehensive school counseling program based on state guidelines and defined by priorities parents, students and teachers identify in a survey which is sent out every three years.

“We’re looking at the data to make sure that we’re implementing a program that is based on the needs of our community, our students, our parents and our teachers,” Worthen said.

How they implement the programs to meet those needs is up to the creativity of individual counselors. Worthen has been impressed with the dedication and innovation of counselors in Jordan District and created an award to recognize them.

“We’re really just trying to come up with ways to really highlight them and show them that we see that they’re working hard, we see that they have the best interest of the kids in mind,” Worthen said. “They’re really advocating and contributing in a positive way for Jordan School District.”

The first ever Jordy Awards winners, nominated and selected by their colleagues are:

Natalie Bartholomew, Herriman Ele-

mentary School

Jody Jensen, Copper Mountain Middle School

Alyson Law, Fort Herriman Middle School

John Blodgett, Mountain Ridge High School

Counselors around the district were bursting with praise for their colleagues. Melissa Yardley, who was previously a counselor at Fort Herriman Middle and is now at Riverside Elementary, submitted several nominations.

“I nominated a bunch of my co-workers, actually, from all across the district,” she said. “I think it’s fantastic that there’s more recognition being placed out there for a lot of really hard work that goes into being a school counselor. And I was really grateful for the opportunity to be able to try and throw out some suggestions for people to be recognized for the work that they’re doing.”

One colleague Yardley is most impressed with is Alyson Law, who she described as an exceptional counselor with contagious enthusiasm and positivity.

“Alyson is a passionate and dedicated counselor who has made a significant impact on the students and staff at Fort Herriman Middle School,” Yardley said. “She’s always thinking about how to best serve the needs of her students. She’s proactive in finding solutions and sees a need before it becomes a problem.”

Worthen agrees.

“Alyson Law is cool,” she said. “She’s like the cool mom. She is always thinking outside the box and how she can do a better job for

these kids. She just cares. She connects deeply with these kids. She’s super smart and she just does a really amazing job.”

Yardley said counselors have an impact on the school community because they are responsible for supporting not only students but parents and staff members, as well.

The Copper Mountain Middle counseling team doesn’t know what they would have done without Jody Jensen, who increased her hours to cover the workload of her coworker Heather Kirby who went on maternity leave last year.

“She went above and beyond to step in while I was gone and take on so much,” Kirby said. “She works way more hours than her part-time because she cares so much about helping her students be successful.”

Worthen said “Jody Jensen is spectacular. She’s a really, really great, solid counselor. The kids love her. She’s positive and she’s done a great job.”

Those who nominated Natalie Bartholomew mentioned her infectious positive attitude and dedication to her students and coworkers.

“She is always willing to jump in, help and be available to students, parents and teachers when they need her,” said one nominator. “She is continually leading by example, turning negative situations into positive and doing everything in her power to advocate for and support her students. Natalie is such a wonderful asset to the school counseling profession.”

Worthen was not surprised that Bartholomew was among the Jordy Award winners.

“Natalie Bartholomew is probably the

most phenomenal school counselor that you will ever come across,” she said. “She’s smart. She’s caring. She’s very proactive when it comes to trying to do what’s best for kids.”

Jordan District counselors meet regularly to collaborate and share ideas as a professional learning community. The number of school counselors in Jordan District has grown from 88 counselors six years ago to 153 this year. That number will increase as open positions are filled.

To fill these available positions, most at the elementary school level, Jordan District partners with state universities to provide internship and shadowing opportunities, mentoring, training and a Grow Your Own grant to help with tuition reimbursement for students studying to become school counselors.

“We really are trying to be innovative and trying to do some things to help support school counselors,” Worthen said. “We really want them to be their very best so that what they can provide for students is the absolute best.”

Worthen said John Blodgett is an example of the effective mentoring Jordan District provides new counselors. Last year at Mountain Ridge High, Blodgett had an entire staff of newbies, which he mentored, officially and unofficially. Many of them nominated him for the Jordy Award.

“His newbies were really complimentary,” Worthen said.

One said, “John is the kind of leader who makes you feel empowered and capable. He guides, but he also lets your creativity shine. Even if the idea is different than how he would normally do things, he is always open to trying new things.” l

Jordy Award winner Alyson Law, a school counselor at Fort Herriman Middle School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

Jordy Award winner Jody Jensen, a school counselor at Copper Mountain Middle School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

Jordy Award winner John Blodgett, a school counselor at Mountain Ridge High School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

Jordy Award winner Natalie Bartholomew, a school counselor at Herriman Elementary School. (Photo courtesy of Amy Gibson/Jordan District)

SM KED MEATS

Mountain Ridge volleyball looking for encore after successful 2022 campaign

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Lastseason, Mountain Ridge Sentinels were oh, so close to bringing home a state title. So what does the team do this season on the heels of such a successful year?

Salmon, pork ribs, chicken leg

“Expectations for every year are extremely high,” head coach Bryan Nicholson said. “We don’t lower our expectations and goals because we are a different team than last year’s runner-up squad. We expect our team to work hard, get better every day by practicing hard and compete with whomever our opponents may be.”

Last year’s team went 15-3 overall and won Region 3 by going 7-1. At state, the Sentinels reached the Class 6A state title game, falling just short by losing to Lone Peak 3-1. The 2023 version is excited for the new year and new opportunities. However, Nicholson will have to do it with a largely different group of girls than he had a year ago.

But he remains optimistic that the Sentinels will once again perform well and have a chance to compete at a high level each day. Also, the fact that there are some new pieces this season isn’t worrying Nicholson. Rather, he is eager to see what the girls can do and how effectively they can work together.

“I’m most excited about seeing how this new team begins to work together and find their place,” he said. “There are a lot of new pieces at work from last year’s team, and it’s exciting to see them gain experience as the season gets going.”

Nicholson said the team excels at serving and setting. The Sentinels have some powerful hitters as well. It isn’t just the team’s starters whom he will count on to contribute. One of the best things about the team, he said, are the reserve players and how everyone on the squad has a positive attitude.

“We also have role players that understand how important their jobs are and that without their contributions, the team can’t be

as successful,” he said. “We also have some scrappy ‘big dogs’ playing great defense on the back row.”

Nicholson said every player on the team “is a main player.” But he did single out some returning players from last year, namely junior outside hitter Addyson Cook, junior setter Sadie White and junior Allie Grossenbach.

Following a season as successful as last season’s might not be easy, but Nicholson said the girls are up for the challenge. Some preseason matches and good practices have helped to solidify positions and get the girls familiar with one another.

“The challenges the team faces are obviously the high standard of play that last year’s team set and the inexperience that half our team has at the varsity level,” he said. “We have been able to work on getting that experience this preseason and our Vegas Tournament by getting younger girls lots of reps and playing with lineups.”

Mountain Ridge has gotten off to a good start this season, winning its first two games. Mountain Ridge opened the year with a 3-0 sweep of Cedar Valley on Aug. 10 and then breezed past Woods Cross 3-0 on Aug. 15. The first region match is Sept. 12.

“Regardless of our record, this season is a success if we are gaining experience, getting better every day in order to be playing our best in November and having fun while competing,” Nicholson said. “We are the defending region champs, so you’re crazy if you don’t think my girls want to defend that title.”

Nicholson is also appreciative of the way the players’ parents, school and community have rallied around the team.

“Just want to thank our parents, community and student body fans for all their continued support of our program, and we look forward to continuing to make Mountain Ridge volleyball a top 6A program,” he said. l

The Mountain Ridge volleyball team is gearing up to defend its region title and make another run at a state crown.

Riverton girls soccer looking to be a factor in revamped Region 2

By Josh McFadden | j.mcfadden@mycityjournals.com

Withseven returning starters, optimism has been high with the Riverton girls soccer program. So far, the team is more than holding its own in a new region.

Previously playing in Region 3, Riverton is now in Region 2. The Silverwolves still face Copper Hills, Bingham, Mountain Ridge and Herriman. But now Corner Canyon and Real Salt Lake Academy are region opponents, as well. Both new foes are strong and pose big challenges to Riverton.

Last season, the Silverwolves were 10-8 overall and finished second behind Bingham in Region 3 with a 7-3 mark. Riverton lost 3-2 to Roy in the second round of the Class 6A state tournament. This season started off solidly, with the Silverwolves going 3-3 in their first six games. They were also 1-1 two games into the region portion of the schedule.

Head coach Paul Mozier is pleased with the girls’ play but knows they can get even better. Ultimately, he and the players are aiming for a league title.

“We want to compete for a region championship and have a good showing in the state tournament,” he said. “The girls are working hard and really working toward improving as a team and playing good soccer.”

Last year’s leading scorer Ellie Anderson was slated to return to the team, but she had a knee injury this past winter playing

basketball. She had surgery and is unavailable. That has left a void in the Silverwolves’ attack. Mozier has expressed concern with

the offense and knows the team needs to be more prolific scoring goals to be successful. Riverton was shut out in its first two contests and had another game in which it didn’t score, a 1-0 loss to Corner Canyon on Aug. 22.

Still, Riverton boasts some talented players and key team members. Mozier mentioned senior midfielder Emmalee Christensen, who “drives the team forward and is a tireless worker on the field.” Center backs Sienna Jenson, a sophomore, and Brindee Jones, a junior, are “really solid and will keep us in a lot of games,” Mozier said. Both players played at nationals this summer with their club teams, with Jones’ team winning the championship.

Through ups and downs, Mozier enjoys leading the Riverton team. He said the players do their best on the field and are easy to coach.

“They are hardworking and the nicest group of girls,” he said. “They are very coachable and respectful and a lot of fun.”

Riverton plays through the end of September when it hosts Copper Hills in the regular season finale Sept. 28. The Class 6A state tournament will take place starting Oct. 5 with the first three rounds being held on teams’ home fields. l

The Riverton girls soccer team is looking to compete for a Region 2 title. (Photo courtesy of Paul Mozier.)

RIVERTON REVIEW

Official Newsletter of the Riverton, Utah City Government

MESSAGE

Partnership Saves Money and Our Furry Friends

By Mayor Trent Staggs

Riverton City is proud of our partnerships that provide excellent services and save taxpayer funds. One wellappreciated service is our animal control public-private relationship with Stone Ridge Veterinary Clinic.

For the past four years, Stone Ridge has served as the center for Riverton City’s animal control services. This intra-neighborhood attention has helped us reunite lost pets with their owners and find new homes for others. The outstanding care from these professionals fits well within our “hometown” feel here in Riverton.

I am also pleased that our partnership with Stone Ridge has

saved the city a considerable amount of taxpayer money.

Determining the best way forward for each city expense is important to me as we safeguard your hard-earned money. While other municipalities may not go out of their way to find workable solutions, Riverton City is always willing to partner with specialists who can help save the city money.

We have saved nearly $1.4 million of taxpayer money since we started working together in 2019. These savings have accrued every year since the city has contracted as a client of Stone Ridge instead of having to use the county’s animal control services. Taxpayer needs are fulfilled, and the services are more than satisfactory.

I encourage residents to familiarize themselves with our animal control services. When a lost pet is impounded by a Riverton City Animal Control, they are transferred to Stone Ridge. Owners are given

five days to reclaim their pets before the animals are available for adoption by others. Please call the city animal control at 801-208-3168 if you believe your lost pet may have been impounded.

We have seen an increase in the average number of animals impounded each year. Please ensure your pets are appropriately licensed with the city to ensure a quick reunion. Additionally, more and more lost dogs have never been claimed in recent years by their owners, leaving a number of pets languishing in the pound waiting to be adopted. Sadly, some dogs wait for too long.

We also want to expedite the process for those who would like to adopt one of the many pets available. I encourage you visit rivertonutah.gov/animalcontrol to

Some of the pets available for adoption at Stone Ridge Veterinary Clinic

To adopt any one of these pets contact Riverton Animal Control at 801-208-3168. Available animals subject to change without notice.

see a full list of photos of pets available for adoption. Next, please schedule an appointment by calling Riverton Animal Control at 801-2083168 for an in-person meet-andgreet to decide which animal is best for you.

Our partnership with Stone Ridge is serving Riverton residents well and I look forward to continuing our relationship to provide excellent animal control services.

Tango Cookie Monster Toe Bean

Colt Joy Goob

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Trent Staggs - Mayor

Andy Pierucci - District 1

Troy McDougal - District 2

Tawnee McCay - District 3

Tish Buroker - District 4

Claude Wells - District 5

Celebrating Constitution Day

By Councilmember Andy Pierucci

In the month of September, we celebrate Constitution Day on the 17th. It is a day in which we commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. Two-hundred-and-thirty-six years after its signing, it continues to be the longest-surviving written charter of government. Our Constitution changed the trajectory of world history for the better and has helped shape the destiny of people around the globe. In 1787, no country in the world had ever allowed its citizens to select their own form of government. What was revolutionary when it was written, and what continues to inspire and empower people today, is that the Constitution put governance in the hands of the people.

At its core, the Constitution enshrines the doctrine of the separation of powers. It also created our

system of checks and balances so that one branch cannot gain too much power over the others. Like the Founders, I firmly believe government decisions should be made as close to the people as possible. The more remote government is from the people, the more out of touch it becomes. Cities and states are where the Founders vision is being realized, and Riverton is a great example of government of the people and for the people.

This Constitution Day, I am grateful for the role cities play in our Republic. Unlike Congress and the unelected bureaucrats in Washington D.C., we pay for necessary city expenses and implement community and family focused policies without burdening our residents with higher taxes. Locally elected officials from

our community are in the best position to respond to the needs of its residents. Who better to guide our city’s road plans than people who sit in traffic on 134th and drive on our roads daily? Who better to make zoning and development decisions than those who desire to see their children and grandchildren grow in our community? The City Council is responsive to the needs and desires of the people of Riverton because we live, work, and raise our families in this community just like you.

As a city, we will continue to fight to ensure Riverton continues to be a safe and strong community; a place where our children and grandchildren can afford to raise their families. Together we can ensure our city’s future is as bright as its past.

Improvement in Motion

By Chief Wade Watkins

As the Unified Fire Authority serves Riverton City it is important to continually improve the service provided. Riverton’s front line firefighter Paramedics and EMT’s embrace this approach. They as a “Team” and as an “Individual” strive to improve and get better every time they respond on an emergency incident. The tool that is formally and informally in use is called an After-Action Review or (AAR).

An After-Action Review (AAR) is a technique for improving process and execution by analyzing the intended outcome and actual outcome of an action and identifying practices to sustain, and practices to improve or initiate, and then practicing those changes at the next iteration of the action AARs in the formal sense, were originally developed by the U.S. Army.

Applied to Emergency Services this process immediately addresses the challenges that were not considered best practice and focuses on sus-

taining the practices that delivered the outcomes desired. Embracing this process into our culture has been key in effectively serving the community.

Annually, Riverton’s crews respond to over two thousand emergency incidents within Riverton. With every incident being different and having nuanced challenges and problems to overcome, there is always room for improvement.

The below questions to the group/ team create an opportunity to recognize what gaps and shortfalls happened and what can be done on the next incident to improve.

• What was expected to happen?

• What occurred?

• What went well and why?

• What can be improved and how?

On large incidents and fires a more formal process will happen. If the incident is small, the process can be adapted to be a simple conversation of what went well? What can we improve on next time?

Knowing your audience and team is key in facilitating an effective process. Being objective, kind, and open to everyone’s perspective and

lived experience creates an environment to let your respective guard down and improve.

As we all look toward the future, we need to improve. This is a refined way to do it and learn from each other. The next time you see your firefighters circled up after a fire, you’ll now know what they are doing.

If you have any questions or concerns about your UFA services, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Battalion Chief Wade T. Watkins wwatkins@unifiedfire.org

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Utah VW Classic Car Show

Come enjoy Utah’s largest classic VW and early Porsche car show at Riverton City Park! Featuring classic Volkswagens from all years and models. This free event is Saturday, September 16 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Riverton City Park at 1452 W 12600 S in Riverton, Utah.

Sign Up: Community Christmas Choir

Fall Classic Pickleball Tournament Riverton Quilt Exhibition

Come see dozens of amazing quilts made by local quilters on display at this free, non-juried, exhibition. Opens Tuesday, September 11 and runs through October 25 at the Old Dome Meeting Hall at 1452 W 12600 S in Riverton. Visit rivertonutah.gov/exhibits for more information.

Wreaths Across America

QPR Suicide Prevention Training

Pickleball players love Riverton’s Fall Classic Pickleball Tournament! The tournament features a pool bracket with various divisions. Join us on September 16-17 at Riverton City Park. Register online at rivertonutah.gov/pickleball.

National Preparedness Month

Constitution Day Reading Event

Join the community choir to sing at this year’s Christmas Night of Music Concert on Monday, December 11, 2023. Practices held weekly in November.

• Sign up online today at: rivertonutah.gov/night-of-music

Sponsor a $15 wreath to be placed at a veteran’s grave at Riverton City Cemetery this December.

• Learn more by visiting: rivertonutah.gov/wreaths

Attend a free QPR suicide prevention class to learn how to respond to someone in crises. Classes occur monthly, excluding July and December.

• Thursday, September 21, 7 p.m. rivertonutah.gov/qpr

September is National Preparedness Month, an observance each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies.

• For tips and resources visit: beready.utah.gov

School children from our community will take turns in a dramatic reading of the U.S. Constitution at Riverton City Park to celebrate the signing of the Constitution.

• Tuesday, September 19, 5 p.m. Riverton City Park

Editor’s note: this is part of an ongoing series of stories about artificial intelligence in schools.

Jordan School District collaborated with SchoolAI.com to test and develop an AI tool specifically for use in the classroom.

“We did a summer pilot with 100 teachers, and 100% of the 100 teachers loved it and want to continue it,” Jordan District Communications Director Sandy Riesgraf said.

The original 100 pilot participants quickly became 300 users as teachers spread the word to colleagues about the tool, and once teachers got back to school, they shared the tool with others so that more new users are signing up every day.

Due to participants’ enthusiasm, the pilot was extended and Jordan District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Godfrey is looking into ways to provide AI tools for all teachers for the long term.

“I’m excited to embrace new opportunities that can help support the work of teachers and students,” he said. “I think that AI has some big possibilities and I want to be sure that we are providing a responsible option for teachers and students who want to explore this opportunity.”

Jill Firkins, a sixth grade teacher at Jordan Hills Elementary, was excited to participate in the pilot.

“I didn’t really know what AI was, I just knew that it was coming, and so I wanted to figure out how I could make it work for me instead of fighting against it,” she said.

She spent the summer exploring the tool’s features.

“Now I’m super duper excited about it, just thinking about all the possibilities,” she said. “I’m just excited that the district is embracing it and will allow it to be used as a tool, because I think it’s coming no matter what, and so we can choose how we want to deal with that.”

The SchoolAI platform features tools for teachers, students and administrators. Spencer Campbell, principal at Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle School, even came up with ideas for how front office workers can use the technology to streamline their jobs.

One advantage of SchoolAI is that it is aligned with state educational standards. When a teacher asks the AI to generate a lesson plan or group activity, the appropriate grade-level state standards are automatically incorporated into the response.

“Teachers can narrow down to a specific state standard for creative writing prompts, or create these little moments when kids are working with the AI live,” Campbell said.

Other tools pilot participants discovered were ways to quickly assess students and to provide meaningful feedback.

“The kids are getting instant feedback on their content, their writing, about whether or not they’re hitting the specified target by the

Jordan District teachers give AI a try

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

teacher,” Campbell said. “Ultimately, as educators, that’s our goal, to give students feedback as efficiently, accurately and quickly as possible.”

Andrew Holmes, a science teacher at West Jordan Middle School, said the feedback SchoolAI can provide him about student’s comprehension will help him use his time more efficiently.

“I have six classes, all of them with about 34 students in each class, so if I ask all of them to give me a one-paragraph description of what they saw on a science experiment, that means I have 200 paragraphs to read and give meaningful feedback in a timely manner so the kids can learn before we move on,” he said. “And so I don’t think this is going to replace me, this is helping the overworked teacher do what they want to do.”

During the summer pilot, Holmes discovered ways to use SchoolAI to enhance his teaching, develop lesson plans and create interactive activities.

One feature he is excited to use with his students is an interactive forum in which they can have a conversation with the chatbot about a topic within parameters Holmes has specified. The bot can ask questions, adapt the conversation to the students’ responses and assess students’ comprehension.

“It can get deeper with 36 kids in the same amount of time it would take me to get to the same depth with one,” Holmes said. “They’re having personalized conversations with artifi-

cial intelligence, basically using a clone of me because I told it what to say.”

Kevin Morrill of SchoolAI.com said they are developing a tool that will help teachers become overall better teachers.

“Teachers know if you can find ways to keep the students engaged, participating and excited, then learning is increasing, the outcomes and objectives of the day are increasing,” Morrill said.

One teacher used the chatbot to review the elements of mitosis in the voice of SpongeBob Square Pants for young students.

Firkins said using SchoolAI helps increase her creativity, giving her a jumping off point to develop her ideas.

“It’s like having an extra teammate that has fresh new ideas and then you can tweak them,” she said.

Another of SchoolAI’s features analyzes students’ responses to prompts to give the teacher a snapshot of their students’ emotional state and readiness to learn.

“Until this generative AI came out, doing something like that was an extremely manual grading process of reviewing handwritten or open text,” Morrill said. “Most of the time, teachers don’t even do that because it takes too long to read all of that information.”

Pilot participants said the biggest benefit of using AI was the time it saved.

Firkins, who has been teaching for 20 years, said it simplified some of the paperwork and preparation work she does as a teacher.

“The less time I’m at my desk, the more time I’m with kids,” she said. “So it really helps me to focus in more on the learning side and focus on the reasons why I got into the profession and why I love the profession.”

Holmes said there are limitations to using AI. It can’t access live information or recent events.

“There are limitations at the moment, but give it a couple of months,” Holmes said. “I can’t imagine what it’s going to be in another six months or a year and I feel like I’m with it. The applications are growing faster than we can realize to use them.”

So far, he has been impressed with SchoolAI’s efficiency and accuracy. He asked the AI to organize a semester of lesson plans to teach about 30 different ocean species, which would have taken him about four hours. In just 30 seconds, the AI provided all the information for the lessons and even organized them into weekly themes.

Holmes was pleasantly surprised when he checked the content for accuracy.

“I’m not just trusting that it’s perfect, but as I was going through it, at least on that example, it was 100% correct,” he said.

Jordan District Digital Teaching and Learning Administrator Jared Covili said the pilot was a good opportunity to ease people’s fears about artificial intelligence.

“Most of the stories people hear about AI talk about how negative it is or how it will impact students and teachers negatively,” he said.

Jill Firkins uses AI in her sixth grade classroom. (Photo courtesy of Jill Firkins)

“Our experience has been very different from that. AI is going to influence every part of our world and education is no different, and so for us to assume we shouldn’t have this in classrooms, that’s backwards thinking.”

Covili said people worried that Google search and Wikipedia would cause students to cheat until educators taught them how to use them responsibly as tools and not replacements for learning.

Some worry that AI will replace teachers.

“The teacher is not getting replaced by AI, they’re just leveraging AI to be a better teacher, to be more prepared when they go in front of the class,” Morrill said. “They use our platform to do a lot of the heavy lifting. They get about 80% down the road using the platform on any given thing and then they can put on their creative hats, their experience, and then bake that into it. So we’re seeing more prepared lessons, more prepared courses and units. We actually think that AI has the potential to increase humanity in the classroom by giving teachers more time to connect more deeply with students.”

Another appeal of SchoolAI is that it provides an AI experience that can be controlled by teachers.

“We want to make sure that AI is used responsibly, safely and in a way that supports the learning process, and supports students and teachers so that it doesn’t take anything away, but adds to that experience,” Riesgraf said.

Morrill said there are protections against cheating written into the programming. Students can use SchoolAI’s writing companion as a coach, but can’t trick it into writing their essay for them.

“The writing companion will help them with sentence structure, writer’s block, and be a companion through the writing process in a way that complements the learning process, not circumvents it,” Morrill said.

This summer’s collaboration with Jordan District is the first time SchoolAI.com, an American Fork company which launched last year, has worked with an entire district. Pilot participants, which included teachers and administrators at every level, gave honest and frank feedback to the SchoolAI program engineers. Their comments helped influence and shape the tool into what they needed and wanted, which resulted in a better product, Morrill said.

“Week after week, we were just shaping the way AI in the classroom is going to look,” Morrill said. l

West Jordan Middle School science teacher Andrew Holmes is excited to use AI tools in his classroom. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Homes.)

Please join us for a FREE Community Grief Support Presentation

Understanding Grief: Caring for Yourself, Caring for Others

Thursday, September 14, 2023

6:45–8pm

Larkin Sunset Gardens Mortuary

1950 East Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, Utah

William

Author

SPEAKER

G. (Bill) Hoy, PH.D., FT

Educator

Grief Counselor

Chaplain

Bereavement is not about “recovery,” but rather, about finding renewed life. The basic task for a bereaved person is to learn to live in a radically–changed world that no longer includes the physical relationship with our loved one. In this practical, community workshop, Dr. Bill Hoy will help bereaved people and those who care for them understand the practical steps to take charge of their grief and live again, even in the aftermath of incredible sorrow. For those in attendance who are curious about how to help, there will be ample ideas for the practical things to say and do (as well as to not say and do!).

During the workshop, we’ll find answers together to questions like:

• What simple actions can I take now to get my life back on track?

• Is what I’m feeling and seeing normal?

• How do I deal with well–meaning friends and their unwanted advice?

• The holidays are coming; what in the world are we going to do without them?

This event is complimentary of Larkin Mortuary and registration is not required.

For more information, call (801) 571-2771

Why AI should be in the classroom

By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com

Editor’s note: this is part of an ongoing series of stories about artificial intelligence in schools.

Are kids using AI to complete their school assignments? West Jordan Middle School Principal Eric Price hopes they are.

“A lot of educators are trying to figure out the best way to use AI because we really have to teach like it exists,” Price said. “It’s definitely going to change what we do, and we have to be able to look at it and teach the kids how it works, so they understand the strengths and the limitations.”

Price has been an avid proponent of the benefits of technology in education.

“When ChatGPT came out, it was like my mind was just blown,” he said. “I thought ‘If this doesn’t change how we do things and education, nothing is going to change what we’re doing in education.’”

Price believes that because of the direction new technologies are heading, educators need to ask themselves what the end goal of education is.

“Are we trying to get students to memorize every fact or every item on the periodic table? No, we’re trying to teach them skills so that they can acquire that information when they need it,” he said. “We’re trying to teach them skills. We want them to be problem solvers. We want them to be collaborative.”

He said these are the skillsets students need for future jobs, which unlike in the

school environment where sharing information is called cheating, coworkers are encouraged to collaborate.

“When you have a question or you don’t know how to do something, you use your tools, because you have to solve those problems,” Price said. “And so we want kids to think critically, to problem solve, to analyze, to be able to take what they have, their tools, and be able to use them to the best of their abilities. That’s the direction education is going.”

Price said this will require a mind shift of what makes a student “smart.”

“I think the definition of intelligence is really going to change,” he said. “For so long, it’s been you’re intelligent because you can memorize all these facts. Well, guess what? I can acquire any information in literal seconds. It’s ‘What can you do with these facts that you’ve acquired?’ not ‘What facts have you acquired?’”

Fort Herriman Middle School Counselor Alyson Law said part of the problem with incorporating technology into the classroom is that the country’s education system was developed in the 1950s during the industrial age.

“We’re now way out of the industrial age and we’re almost out of the information age and we’re into another stage that requires creativity,” she said. “The intelligence that these students have far surpasses some of the intelligence that I have, the way that they’re able to think about the

Principal Eric Price experiments with AI tools. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

world, and do things and process information so quickly is amazing.”

Price said the old learning model, in which students attended school to learn from the expert, to be told exactly the process to follow to learn the material, is outdated.

“In all honesty, we got into this business to work for kids, and to teach kids and to help kids and to give them a leg up in life,” Price said. “We didn’t get into it because we wanted everybody to know the Pythagorean Theorem.”

A new model is emerging in which educators show students the process of learning and how to apply what they’ve learned to real world situations. Technology is a key part of this education model, however, there is a lot of public mistrust of AI technology, Price said.

Fear of new technology is nothing new. Socrates was worried that if people had access to too many books, they wouldn’t learn how to memorize anymore. Harvard University professors worried that when blackboards were introduced, students wouldn’t read the textbook anymore. And math teachers used to worry that if students used a calculator, they wouldn’t learn math concepts anymore.

In all these cases, Price said educators had to find the best way to leverage the new tools.

Tasks teachers used to do on paper, such as attendance, grading and researching, have been digitized and automated to save teachers time, said Spencer Campbell, principal of Kelsey Peak Virtual Middle School.

“There are parts of AI that will take that to the next level and essentially teachers will have a full-time coach,” Campbell said. “The idea that an AI bot can go out and search all of the information up to a certain point that’s written on Utah history is computationally better than what a teacher could do in an entire lifetime.”

Campbell believes AI can help teachers, administrators and students think beyond their own limitations.

“It helps me find information that I would not have been able to find on my own and organizes it in a way that I put in the prompt,” he said. “It will spit out a calendar of 36 weeks of mini professional development lessons that I can share with my teachers about any concept that we want. That will happen in minutes, and it will think of things that I have not thought about.”

The time saved goes back to the students.

“Really what that means is more time for teachers to spend with kids creating that relationship, which really matters,” Campbell said.

Price and Campbell are avid fans of technology tools. They both post pro-AI videos on social media and encourage their colleagues to incorporate tools such

as Ghat GPT, photo editing and creation tools. Price said even using simpler technology such as Siri and Alexa bots in the classroom can prepare students to be future workers and leaders.

“I’ve actually been fighting to try to get those into the schools because that’s where businesses are going,” Price said. “What can we do to leverage that so that we can not only expose kids to it, but we can help them to be able to use it so that they can be the ones that create the future?”

Chromebooks in every classroom has been a step in the right direction, allowing teachers to individualize instruction and use tech tools in their lessons, said Price.

Fort Herriman Middle School’s ninth graders will be using iPads this year, thanks to Price, who said they are more compatible with the AI tools already available to students and teachers through Adobe Suite.

Jordan School District Superintendent Dr. Anthony Godfrey is onboard for using AI in the classroom.

“I’ve seen over the years how technological advancements can help enhance the experience that we provide the students,” he said. “I want to be sure we’re providing the very best learning environment for students that we possibly can, and I think artificial intelligence, used responsibly, can be an important component of a great education.”

Jared Covili, Jordan Districts’s administrator of Digital Teaching and Learning, said incorporating AI in the classroom has been a top priority for the last several months. His eight-person department tracks as many AI tools as they can but they don’t have time to vet every tool teachers want

to use.

“A new AI tool pops up every day and so the real story for any school district is that you can spend all of your time trying to filter every tool or you can help people learn how to use them appropriately, and that’s more of the vein that we’re trying

to take,” Covili said. “So many things are changing with AI, but one thing we know won’t change is that teachers are going to want to use it to help improve what they do in their classrooms. AI is going to be a part of our classrooms and so that’s something we definitely have to address.” l

Spencer Campbell and Eric Price share AI tools they use as middle school principals on Campbell’s YouTube channel. (Photo from YouTube)

Spencer Campbell and Eric Price share AI tools they use as middle school principals on Campbell’s YouTube channel. (Photo from YouTube)

USA Rugby to host International Friendly in Utah

By Daniel Olsen | d.olsen@mycityjournals.com

Rugby is a popular sport in Utah and teams and players here have helped build up the sport in the United States. One player who has thrived in this environment is Paul Mullen.

“I’m from Ireland,” Mullen said. “It’s on a small island off the coast. When I went to high school on the mainland, the only sport they played was rugby. It was sink or swim. Fortunately, I was able to excel.”

Utah’s Major League Rugby team, the Utah Warriors, is hosting an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest rugby scrum, and proceeds from the event will benefit 5 for the Fight and Make-A-Wish Utah. With fan and player participation, the challenge will take place immediately following the upcoming international rugby spectacle featuring the USA Eagles and France’s Stade Toulousain on Sept. 16.

“We have a partnership with Stade Toulousain,” Utah Warriors CEO Kimball Kjar said. “They are arguably the Real Madrid of rugby. They won the most recent French championship. They are the most successful rugby club in the world. One goal of the partnership is to grow the sport of rugby but specifically within North America to help their brand grow. We also want the Utah Warriors brand to grow internationally and throughout Europe. We want to create events that showcase the sport of rugby.”

The thrilling matchup will be held at America First Field in Sandy with gates opening at 3 p.m. and game kickoff at 4 p.m. The pursuit for the world record begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to participate in the scrum, along with a commemorative T-shirt, cost $10 and can be purchased as an add-on at checkout when purchasing match tickets here.

“American football fans like big hits,” Mullen said. “Rugby is the same but doesn’t go on for four hours. It’s only 80 minutes.”

While Mullen didn’t grow up in the United States, he still is happy to be a part of the national rugby team.

“My grandfather grew up in the U.S.,” he said. “For me to represent America is a great honor.”

This momentous endeavor in rugby history serves to engage the community and rugby fans from around the world and raise funds for the Utah Warriors’ local nonprofit partners. Fans who have upgraded their match ticket at the cost of $10

are invited to come down onto America First Field after the game, where over 3,000 people will lock arms to break the record of 2,586 participants set in 2018 in Aichi, Japan.

“This will be the biggest scrum in the world,” Mullen said. “It should be a friendly scrum. It is like a huge huddle. That would be cool if it was broken.”

“The long-term goal is to make Utah the epicenter of rugby for North America,” Kjar said. “We also want to be growing on a global scale. Utah has a love affair with the sport of rugby. Rugby playing countries led to the University of Utah playing rugby on their campus and eventually American football. Rugby was being played in the mid-20th century. BYU has won five national championships. Utah won a national championship too, in about 2010. Highland High School was successful and won over 20 national championships. We have one of the largest Polynesian communities outside of Polynesia. The guys that are in the NFL out of Utah all played rugby. Rugby is a part of Utah’s DNA. We are trying with the Warriors to help people understand the energy that is played in this sport. We can help re-awaken the energy of the sport.”

This event should be an educational opportunity for those involved.

“Anyone who hasn’t come to a

game of rugby should come. It’s a perfect opportunity to watch the best players in our backyard. We make it very easy for people to come out and enjoy the sport and game. Educational things. Gives people a view of what the sport looks like. People love it carries the day,” Kjar said.

“The Rugby World Cup is the biggest event,” Mullen said. “But we are playing against incredible world class athletes. They are one of the best clubs in the world.”

While this event will take place during the middle of the Rugby World Cup, there will still be plenty of talented athletes who will line up against each other. The Rugby World Cup will take place from Sept. 8-Oct. 28.

The tickets are much cheaper than basketball, football, and soccer,” Mullen said. “It will be hard hitting with lots of scores and tackles. It should be an exciting time.”

While not every player from these teams will be in attendance, it will still be a world class matchup.

“We will have six to seven Utah Warriors playing as well as many of the best players from Toulouse,” Kjar said. “These are some of the best players in the world.” l

Eagles USA Rugby player Christian Dyer. (Kayla McFarland of Utah Warriors)

Last month, I watched the neighborhood kids trudge back to school. Hunched under the weight of heavy backpacks, the little Quasimodos marched into the school year carrying a 300-page summer homework packet, an associate’s degree they earned at math camp, 750 colored pencils, scissors, an emotional support stuffed animal, cleaning products, a mass spectrometer, a non-BPA bento box and some allergen-free crackers.

When I attended elementary school in the 1900s, we didn’t use backpacks. They hadn’t been invented. It was too cumbersome to drag our handcart to school, so we carried our math, history, language, science, reading and social studies books home in our arms every night.

Most kids didn’t fail because they didn’t understand the homework, they failed because they were too weak to carry 50 pounds of textbooks.

Parents and educators set the bar for us at “extremely low” and we were lucky to hit that. One of my biggest challenges came in fourth grade when I started the school year wearing homemade avocado-green culottes. And it got worse. My Bionic Woman lunchbox had an unreliable latch, so I spent lunchtime worrying my PB&J would fall onto the floor and

Getting Schooled

Peri Kinder

Life and Laughter

everyone would laugh.

Not sure if I learned anything that year.

The motto at the elementary school near my home is “Academically smart, character strong.” I don’t think my school had a motto, unless it was “Sit down and shut up.” It wasn’t that our teachers didn’t care, they just thought “quiet reading time” or “rest your heads on your desks” was the best way to spend the majority of our day.

But that first day of school was always exciting. New school supplies had to be arranged carefully in my desk, including a brand new cardboard pencil box with a built-in pencil sharpener that was never sharp enough to create a point. It just mangled the top of my pencils, leaving a broken lead I kept pushing back into place.

And, of course, there had to be space

for my colorful hoppy taw, for hopscotch, and a bag of cat’s-eyes so I could shoot marbles at recess. Not real cat’s eyes. I’m not that old.

My grandson is in sixth grade, taking classes like flight science, robotics and computer engineering. When I was in sixth grade, we wrapped eggs in styrofoam and threw them off the school roof.

#Science

Luckily for today’s hard-working students, they get vacation days all the time. They’re off for Burning Man and Mardi Gras and Oktoberfest and (ironically) International Literacy Day. In the 1970s, we had Christmas Day off and a half-day for Thanksgiving. We didn’t even miss school for being sick. We just took our pneumonia-filled lungs to class and hoped we didn’t die during recess.

I’m not saying elementary school was better in the 20th century. It wasn’t. Not at all. If we could eat with a spoon in kindergarten, we would be at the top of the class. Kids who knew the difference between a letter and a number were named class president. Our role models were Bugs Bunny and the Muppets, so we were trained early in sarcasm.

Kids are so much smarter now than we ever were. I’m amazed at what my grandkids learn. I have a 7-year-old granddaughter learning Spanish and a 6-year-old granddaughter building LEGO robots. When I was their age, my biggest challenge was learning cat’s cradle. I guess the content in those heavy backpacks is paying off.

“Dozens of doctors told me that there was nothing more that they could do to expect to be in a wheel chair. I went from the top 1% in the army Special Forces to being in so much pain that I could not tie my shoe or hold my new daughter. I did physical therapy and pain killers for years, but nothing worked. Finally, I went to Dr. Smith and I improved exactly as he told me I would. I couldn’t believe it! My wife cried, “I have my husband back.”

—Steve M., Army Special Forces

CSCS Chiropractic Physician