South Jordan Journal | April 2021

April 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 04

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EVEN WHEN A PANDEMIC MAKES THAT HARDER THAN EVER

By Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com

O

nce upon a time, Lisa Sledge was the mother of two young children, recently divorced and working fulltime as a high school English teacher.

“I couldn’t pay daycare expenses for two children without government assistance,” she said.

She didn’t want the rest of her life to be a struggle to make ends meet. She wanted her kids to have little luxuries: piano lessons, braces.

So she enrolled in law school at the University of Utah.

University personnel were supportive of her unique challenges as a single parent attending a demanding program.

Her professors welcomed her kids to class when she couldn’t find child care. Yet she calls those three years the hardest of her life.

“When I finally made it to the end, I’d passed the bar, I thought, ‘How many women are ever able to make it to this moment?’” Sledge said. “‘How many are able to look around and see that this thing they had wanted to do—how many were actually able to make it work?’”

She found that number was dismally low: of single women who begin either an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree, only 8% complete their degree within six years. The truth may be even more bleak than that: of that 8%, Sledge points out, we don’t know how many are actually able to pay off their debt or save for retirement. We don’t know how many enter careers plagued by a wage gap, where women Freedom for Resilient women is currently fundraising for #KeepMomInSchool, a campaign which so far has raised less than $10,000 of its just need a graduate degree to make as much as a man who holds $1 million goal. “I have watched so many ridiculous campaigns achieve ridiculous results,” says founder Lisa Sledge. “I don’t think that I’m a bachelor’s degree. asking too much.” (Courtesy of Lisa Sledge) Continued page 4

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Continued from front page “I don’t know that they’re actually OK,” she says.

Sledge wasn’t content to let other single parents struggle through their education the way that she had. Just after securing her first job as a full-time attorney, she began working to start a nonprofit she would call Freedom for Resilient Women.

FRW operates on Lisa’s understanding that single moms need “more than a onetime scholarship” to get through school.

There’s still the cost of rent, child care, not to mention the need for a network of emotional and moral support. Despite the many existing nonprofits that exist to assist single parents, Lisa says, “I felt like nobody really understands what single moms need.”

Sledge’s own experience showed her how little many people understand of the reality of parenting as a single woman.

Many people told her, “You chose to go to law school; that’s crazy, that’s extreme. You should have stuck with your bachelor’s.”

Many don’t realize that women in general tend to choose lower-paying jobs, like Sledge had. Others told her she shouldn’t go to school because she would lose the government aid that allowed her to pay for child care.

But remaining in her situation wasn’t an option.

“I don’t like living on someone else’s dime,” she said. “I want to live the way I want to live.” She wants other women to have those options as well.

In exchange for a monthly membership fee of less than $7 a month, FRW offers access to financial aid for mothers in school that can be used on rent, utilities, child care and more. The membership also offers access to the FRW Mentorship Series, where professionals volunteer their time for 20- to 30-minute sessions on topics such as academic planning, parenting and navigating the different types of financial aid available to students. Using these recorded presenta-

ournals

tions, single mothers can access the resources they need at times that fit their schedules FRW also offers a Resilience Award to single mothers in the program who have graduated and hold a job in their field of study. This award comes in the form of a payment to their student loan servicer.

In December, FRW was able to give its first financial aid, paying two months’ rent for a single mom of five kids attending Weber State. “It was so exciting to finally help someone,” Sledge said.

The path to offering its first aid package was a rocky one for FRW. Sledge graduated from law school in May of 2019 and passed the bar in October 2019. Right away she began to lay the groundwork for FRW. In March 2020, FRW was officially incorporated, but the timing was less than ideal, as COVID began to upend the lives of people across the country.

“Kids stayed home, and people were losing jobs, typically low-paying jobs,” Sledge said. “Single moms were dropping out of school in phenomenal numbers before. Now, we’ll be lucky if any of them graduate.”

Much has been said about the impact COVID-19 has had on mothers in the workforce. Since February 2020, 2.3 million women have left the workforce. Whether due to layoffs or ongoing closures of schools and daycares forcing mostly women to stay home with children, the drop brings women’s participation in the workforce to a 33-year low. Less discussed, however, are the COVID-specific challenges faced by mothers in school.

FRW’s current campaign, #KeepMomInSchool, aims to raise $1 million in aid for single parents pursuing education.

It’s a goal Sledge calls “insanely ambitious,” but she believes it is possible. The funds will go toward “immediate crisis relief” for moms who are struggling financially even more than before. “Right now, people can’t be evicted, but once that ends,

Lisa Sledge’s calls the playroom in a study area of S.J. Quinney Law School “a godsend.” She remembers, “I often brought my 4-year-old and 6-year-old to class with me. My professors welcomed my kids. I truly believe I would not have made it at any other school.” (Courtesy of Lisa Sledge)

everything they back owe will be due at once. If you’re worried about that, you can’t focus on school.”

Why is keeping moms in school so important, not just during a pandemic but always? Because, Sledge said, a single mother who attempts to earn a degree and drops out—whether because of financial or emotional hurdles—will be worse off than if she had never tried. Many end up with piled-up student loans, made even more difficult to pay back due to their time away from the workforce. “This will ruin them,” Sledge says. “They will be punished for trying.”

And she’s confident others will see the problem here.

“It’s just a matter of recognizing how

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deserving these hardworking moms are of our help,” she said. “I don’t think we really intend to take single mothers and put them back in their place and tell them, ‘I’m sorry, you can’t make it.’ I think every American wants to see those moms succeed.”

For that success to materialize, though, it will take more than just a donation. First, Sledge said existing nonprofits have to unite.

“We have made ourselves more visible so the women who need help can find the help when they need it,” she said. Sledge reports several experiences after graduating from law school where representatives from nonprofits told her, “We wish we’d known about you. We could have helped.” All she could say was, “I wish you’d known about

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me too.”

Currently, there are resources available for struggling single moms, but because nonprofits have to conserve their small budgets for aid rather than advertising, there is often a disconnect between the resources available and the women who need them.

That’s why one of FRW’s current projects is creating a database of existing nonprofits for single mothers to easily use and connect with help. The database will cost $30,000 to $40,000 to complete, Sledge estimates. But once it’s done, mothers will be able to more easily find the type of aid that they need, from scholarships to mental health services.

“To have them be able to log in and search for the exact help they need—to find that help in their area—would be a miracle to so many,” she said.

FRW is currently at work to find a donor to cover the cost of creating this database.

And for schools who want to create an environment where single parents can succeed, Sledge has one recommendation: a play area. She credits the playroom in a study area at the University of Utah with “saving her life.” It wasn’t fancy—just an “empty room where people brought used toys” and where her children could play while she met with her study group. But it made all the difference on the frequent occasions when Sledge couldn’t make childcare

arrangements.

“We’re moving on from this idea that only young, unmarried, childless people will seek education,” she said. “We’re leaving this behind us.”

Though the “brutal” years of law school are behind her, Lisa Sledge (and her family) are still hustling. “I am so tired,” she said. On top of being a parent, she is trying to learn how to be an attorney and run a nonprofit.

When her kids are away—either asleep in the evenings or at their dad’s house, where they go every other weekend, Sledge said, “I burn the candle at both ends.”

But someone has to do it. Sledge is motivated by understanding “the amount of courage it takes to attempt something as crazy as pursuing a higher education while you have little, tiny children and you are alone.

Even if you are lucky enough to have a coparent who shares responsibility—and I was lucky—it is brutal.”

But in the end, if single parents want to get off of government aid, the only option is to enhance their earning power through education.

“I did three years of intense poverty,” she said. “I came out the other side, and now I can pay my bills each month.”

It feels good. “Maybe we could even take a vacation someday,” she said with a laugh. l

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April 2021 | Page 5

South Jordan fire department adapts to growing city

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s South Jordan grows, its fire department receives more and more calls for service. In 2020, the fire department received 200 more calls than it did the year before—and if it weren’t for the pandemic, it probably would have received even more.

“We think this is a pretty conservative trend, and we think we’ll actually exceed this as we move forward,” said South Jordan Fire Chief Chris Dawson. “When we put more people in smaller areas, that tends to increase our calls for service.

Also the addition of senior living facilities and 55 and older developments—those are always hotspots for us.”

Even as the number of calls for service goes up, call processing and alert times are going down, thanks to automation. Last October, the department implemented a computer-aided dispatch system that has sped up the dispatching process significantly. Sometime this quarter, the department will also be implementing new 911 interrogation software, which Dawson is optimistic will reduce dispatch processing times even further.

“Our overall turnout times continue toSALT trend down, that from the1 LAKE VALLEY meaning JOURNALS 7.73x5.49.eps

time we get alerted to the time our folks are out the door, that is trending down,” Dawson said. “So our people are taking it seriously and getting out the door quickly, which we love to see. However, our overall response and travel times continue to increase. Obviously, as we continue to grow and develop farther away from our existing fire stations, there are more road miles to be covered.”

This problem of distance should be somewhat mitigated by the construction of Fire Station 64, a combination fire station, police substation, and city hall annex with 30,000 square feet of floor space.

The new facility, located at 5443 West Lake Ave., is scheduled to open this May. “We’re excited for that facility to come on board,” Dawson said. “That’s really going to help us immensely as far as our ability to respond. I believe that station 64 will be one of the busiest stations in the valley at build out.”

This year, the fire department was approved for nine new employees, who should all be fully onboarded by the end of fiscal year 2021. To fully staff Station 64, officials will need to hire seven more employees and buyPM an additional fire en10/6/2014 2:38:03

gine. Until that happens, they’re engaging in some creative resource-arranging strategies. When Station 64 opens, the fire engine and accompanying staff from Station 61 will be transferred to Station 64, since Station 64 is located in a busier area.

This means that Station 61 won’t have a fire engine of its own until a new one can be procured. According to Dawson, a new fire engine will cost around $800,000, while ladder trucks are about $1.4 million.

The department has already added a new full-time ambulance. It will be the city’s third full-time ambulance, and it should be in service by this April.

“That’s going to help us a lot,” Dawson said. “Our two full-time ambulances right now are running all day, all night.

They’re really very busy.”

Dawson speculates that to keep on top of calls in the coming years, city leaders will need to add several new fire stations, as well as a training facility; currently, South Jordan’s firefighters receive training in nearby cities such as Sandy and West Valley. He also strongly recommends creating an education division to train residents to better take care of themselves while they wait for first responders

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Clarification:

When South Jordan’s much-anticipated Station 64 opens in May 2021, Station 61 (pictured here) will send its fire engine and associated staff to Station 64 until a new fire engine can be purchased. (Mariden Williams/City Journals)

to arrive.

“At best, when 64 is fully staffed, we’ll have four fire engines and three fulltime ambulances inside the city,” he said.

“That’s going to be tapped very quickly should we have widespread emergency. It’s important that we train our community to basically help themselves for that first time period in an emergency. So we believe that

having an education division is going to be key to us in the future. We constantly get requests from the community for educational services, and those requests continue to increase. What we’ve done in the past is, our full-time staff or firefighters have gone out to do many of these classes. But as they become busier, their availability to do that has decreased significantly.” l

In March, The City Journal published an article titled “South Jordan’s Population Booms; City Employees Jump Ship.” The article reported on a South Jordan City budget meeting held on Jan. 28. Throughout the four-hour meeting many of the departments indicated that they needed additional employees.

In the article was the following paragraph: “South Jordan’s employee turnover rate hadn’t dropped below 8% in years, but for the past three years has hovered around an average of 12%. And this year, according to Cook, a whopping 50% of South Jordan city employees are leaving for other work.”

The purpose of the paragraph was to share two facts. The first was that over the last three years, due to the booming economy, employee turnover had increased from 8% to 12%. The second fact was that nearly 50% of those employees that left last year, left for other job opportunities, showing the competitive nature of the current economy.

Soon after we published the Journal last month we received several phone calls from the City, informing us that the story was wrong. After speaking with the City we felt that we should clarify the above paragraph.

Fifty percent of the City employees did not leave the City. As Gary Whatcott, City Manager, said, “We would not be able to even operate the City if we lost half of our staff.” Rather what we were reporting was that of the employees who left, nearly half of them were leaving for other work. This number is important because it shows the competitiveness organizations face when recruiting employees.

The facts are that nearly 90% of the employees were retained by the city, which was recently named as one of the best places to work in Utah. Prior to the pandemic Salt Lake County had a 2% unemployment rate; during the pandemic it surged to 11% but has since dropped back to 3% and is expected to be back at 2% by the end of the year.

I am sure that it does not come as a surprise to many residents that most employers are having difficulty finding and retaining employees. It is one of the core struggles of nearly all employers in this booming economy.

We apologize for any confusion.

Bryan Scott Publisher

Summit Vista Opens Meadow Peak, Full-Service, Onsite Medical Services Facility Summit Vista is opening Meadow Peak, an onsite assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitative care in a new 150,000 sq. ft. facility at 6084 S. Summit Vista Blvd., in Taylorsville Thursday, April 7.

Meadow Peak is the crowning achievement at Summit Vista, Utah’s first life plan community, because it allows residents to receive additional supportive services like assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing that complete the full continuum of care.

Healthcare professionals ensure every need is compassionately met while promoting the dignity of each resident, as well as helping them stay as independent as possible.

“One key to quality care it so provide each resident with their own individualized care plan,” said Mark Erickson, Summit Vista CEO and Executive Director. “That includes nutritious eating, as well as socializing activities and transportation.”

Life enrichment activities play an integral part in our approach and ensure each resident has the opportunity to participate in an personalized life skill or activity every day, if they like. That includes: • Doing tailored activities based on background, retained skills, abilities, and interests to stimulate positive memories; • Creating an enhanced sense of meaning, accomplishment, purpose, belonging, and connection with others; • Observing and addressing moods and well-being; and • Stimulating the senses through familiar objects and activities to help maintain and improve functional skills.

At Summit Vista, good food is also an integral part of our health and well-being.

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“We offer a gourmet dining experience with bistro-style dining seven days a week, and our residents love it,” said Tim Needles, Executive Director of Meadow Peak. “Together with our in-house dietician, our culinary team prepares delicious and nutritious food to accommodate all diets, food restrictions, and discriminating palates.

“With our Meadow Peak opening, residents will have personal and health-related services available 24 hours a day, with each service designed to assist residents with the various activities of daily living, while helping them maintain their personal lifestyle.”

Meadow Peak provides studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, along with services for inpatient and outpatient therapy, pharmacy, mail, transportation, religious services, beautician, barber, laundry, housekeeping and more.

The beautifully architectured addition, built by Gardner Company, includes 54 assisted living apartments with 22 studios, which includes 20 one-bedrooms and 12 two-bedrooms; 20 memory care suites; 75 skilled nursing beds; 51 private skilled nursing suites; and 12 semi-private skilled nursing suites.

“Along with Gardner Company, we have partnered with Mission Health Services and CNS for premier healthcare services,” Needles said.

“All higher levels of care offered at Meadow Peak are administered by Mission Healthcare, and additional services are available through CNS and other healthcare partners.”

With Meadow Peak, residents and their families can have peace of mind in knowing each resident’s health needs will be taken care of now, as well as in the future.

“We make it our mission to provide a continuum of coordinated, integrated, and comprehensive health and wellness services that adhere to the Eden Alternative® philosophy of focusing on the care of the human spirit, as well as the human body,” said Erickson.

Called a revolutionary way to retire, Summit Vista is a 105-acre gated campus that provides an active senior living community and offers residents worry-free living, exceptional amenities, and an onsite continuum of care that includes independent living, assisted living, home care, nursing care, memory care and rehabilitation services.

The innovative retirement living community also includes a seemingly endless supply of maintenance-free conveniences, time-saving services, luxurious apartment homes, exclusive health and wellness opportunities, and a vast selection of programs to enhance retirement at every turn.

For more information, visit SummitVista.com.

April 2021 | Page 7

College week gears students for future study

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

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The caring staff of Pheasant Run will learn about your loved one’s life story and will develop a unique care plan to meet physical and cognitive needs. This individualized care plan will also address social, emotional, mental and spiritual needs to ensure holistic care. We know from experience that past patterns create comfort, therefore, we rely on partnerships with families to help us learn how best to meet resident needs.

We invite you to contact us today to learn more about the high-quality, individualized care we can offer your loved one.

t’s a week of dressing up in college gear and decorating classroom doors of favorite universities, but it’s more than that, said a South Jordan Middle School counselor.

“College may be in a few years yet, but we want students to start thinking about it and what they may want to do in their future,” counselor Angie Burden said. “They may want to start researching what is required for that now.”

College preparation begins when students enter the school in seventh grade. They meet individually with counselors, and as they get to know one another, counselors write down students’ responses.

“We ask, ‘What college do you want to go to?’ and, ‘What do you see you want to do in your future?’” she said. “Then, we focus more on college and careers in eighth and ninth grades.”

Burden said that in those college and career ready meetings, they help students understand what colleges look for in student applications.

“They look at GPAs; how well students do in ACT and SAT exams; service they give; if they’ve taken AP (advanced placement), concurrent or honors courses; their work history; and their involvement in extracurricular activities,” Burden said. “Colleges want to see well-rounded students, those who are involved

and giving service—not just those who are staying home to study.”

During South Jordan Middle School’s college week from March 8 to March 11, students could compete in several lunchtime activities and games, including one about college trivia.

They also were able to sign paper banners indicating which colleges they are considering attending.

“The kids see it like a signing day, so it’s kind of fun but meaningful,” she said. “Some see it sort of as a commitment since its written down.”

Throughout the week, students could accumulate points for their fifth-period class; winners were then celebrated.

However, all 1,300 students, including those who are online, had the opportunity to watch a video created by student body officer adviser Julia Ence, who interviewed several different professionals about careers. Students in person also could dress up as to what their future self may look like reporting to work.

While Burden recognizes that schools may not be offering their usual extracurricular opportunities during the pandemic, she said there are still ways to get involved and serve.

“Several church groups are still doing service and in some high schools; PLT (peer leadership teams) are classes, so they’re avail-

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able for students to get involved and provide service,” she said.” Here we have ambassadors and SBO officers so students can get some leadership experience.” She added that South Jordan Middle School currently is planning to hold student body officer elections in April.

“We want to get students thinking about their future because what may seem far off is just around the corner,” she said. l

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Confused about when to turn your secondary water pump on or off? Wonder no more

By Mariden Williams | mariden.w@mycityjournals.com

Jordan canal. Each canal is maintained by a separate company.

21-SCCS-0239 - Jan21 - StAndrewDirectMail-a3-pas.pdf 1 Within the city, 26 weir dams divert the water from the canals into the city’s secondary water system, which consists of some 178 miles of pipe with, as of late March 2021, 3,734 residential connections.

City officials are responsible for taking

care of the pipes up until they hit residential sidewalks, but everything from the sidewalk 2/3/21 11:21 PM to the home is the responsibility of the homeowner. The South Jordan Water Department is willing to come to homes with faulty systems and help diagnose what’s going wrong, but resolving the issues is up to the homeowner. l

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This map illustrates the various secondary water weir zones present in South Jordan. (South Jordan City)

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found that it would be too expensive.

All homes with access to the secondary water system are charged a monthly secondary water fee, regardless of whether they actually choose to use the secondary water. This is because the fees aren’t actually used to pay for the water; they’re just used to pay for the maintenance of the system and for share assessments from the canal companies. In fact, until recently, city officials didn’t even keep track of how much secondary water was being used.

That’s changing, though. According to South Jordan Public Works Operations Support Supervisor Katherine Barlow, city crews are in the process of installing secondary water meters so that secondary water use can be tracked.

“The state has passed a bill that requires municipalities with 5,000 or more connections to meter secondary water usage,” Barlow said. “Residents will not be billed based off of water usage; this is just so the city can have a better idea of how much water is being used and so that we are following state law.”

South Jordan’s secondary water is sourced from Utah Lake. That lake water then flows through the Jordan River, and is diverted by four canals: the Welby-Jacob Canal, the Utah Lake Distributing Canal, the Utah and Salt Lake Canal, and the South

S

outh Jordan has introduced a new text alert program for residents with secondary water. Those who sign up for the program will receive automatic texts whenever it’s time to turn the pump on or off, as well as notifications about flow interruptions and any important updates from the canal companies that control the water flow.

Interruptions in secondary water delivery can have many causes. Most are related to the canals losing water for one reason or another, but pump system failures and third-party construction projects can also cause issues. Interruptions generally last for between a few hours to a few days, but in some extreme cases, water delivery has been interrupted for as long as four weeks.

Whatever unexpected bumps may arise, the new text alert program will keep residents updated about what’s happening and how to proceed. To sign up for the alert program, all residents need to do is text SJCSECONDARYWATER to the number 85775.

Only about a fourth of South Jordan residents have access to the city’s secondary water system, according to the city website’s water information page. There’s no signup procedure or anything; you either have it, or you don’t. Some years ago, city officials entertained the possibility of expanding the system to the rest of the city but ultimately

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New elementary school has name, principal, staff as construction underway

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

I

Construction crew workers hang an outside door on the southwest corner of the new Aspen Elementary in February. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

n January, she saw her new home. It wasn’t that she was eager to move, but as it has taken shape, she is enthusiastic.

By this fall, there will be colors added, a mascot to inspire students and an opportunity for them to learn.

Principal Suzie Williams is excited that the new elementary school being built in Daybreak west of Mountain View Corridor will become her new home-away-from-home.

Its name—Aspen Elementary—was unanimously approved by the Jordan Board of Education Feb. 23 after being selected from others including Inspire, Eagle Valley, Sego Lily and Upper Lake elementaries.

Williams, who served four years as Eastlake Elementary’s principal, already has hired several teachers and staff. On Feb. 18, she walked through the $18.5 million school that was in construction days before the name was announced. She was joined by school custodian Nick Christensen and district building project coordinator and inspector Dave Bulloch.

The floor plan is familiar, being the same one as several Jordan School District elementaries, including Golden Fields, Antelope Canyon, Bastian, Mountain Point and Ridge View.

Bulloch said the floor plan has been used about 30 times in the state, but each time Jordan District has built it, it has been modified or tweaked

for the needs of the school or the property. It was designed by VCBO Architecture and is being constructed by Hughes General Contractor.

The school at 11189 South Willow Walk Dr. can house 850 elementary students or, with portable classrooms, up to 1,050.

“We’re expecting 550 students when we start, but with the way the neighborhood is growing, it may double that within five years,” Williams said.

The school will serve kindergartners through sixth graders in the neighborhood on a traditional nine-month schedule as well as house a preschool that will be in the front of the building.

“The boundaries have yet to be determined, but we’d likely help ease the numbers at Bastian and maybe some from Golden Fields,” she said.

There also is new housing being built in the area, with the view outside of her office window looking different every time when she has visited. It also has a view of Kennecott’s copper mine, a place where her dad would drop off coal in a truck and she’d ride along as a girl.

Her office is part of the main office, which also includes a conference room and is located near the front door, which has a security entrance, and faces the west. Buses will be able to pull up to the north side to drop off and pick

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up students.

Those students will study in 33 classrooms in three wings and two collaborative areas in its 75,255 square feet. Each wing will have a bright color highlighting its grades—orange, purple, teal—and each grade level will have three teachers. All the classrooms will be wired with state-of-the-art technology.

In the center of the school is the library, which features a pencil as its focal point. Nearby is the multi-purpose room that will serve as both the lunchroom and have a stage for assemblies and performances. Skylights, as well as windows, will allow natural lighting in the school.

The March 11, 2020, groundbreaking of the new elementary school was one of the last public acts of Jordan School District before it closed its doors on March 13 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic last spring.

“We have huge South Jordan growth, and by building this elementary school, we can stay ahead of the growing population and provide our students with a great learning environment,” Godfrey said.

Former Jordan Board of Education President Bryce Dunford said at the time that the 12 acres the elementary school sits on is just one of three parcels of land the district purchased in April 2019 in anticipation of building upcoming schools. All are within one-half mile of Aspen Elementary.

Dunford said one of the parcels, a100acre site, will likely be home to an anticipated

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Aspen Elementary Principal Suzie Williams snaps a photo while she looks at the multi-purpose room in February. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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Daybreak new principal advocates for students

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

W

hen Leslie Ewell was little, she liked playing school and dreamed of being a teacher.

She was on that path, but after earning her associate’s degree, she married and started a family, so her dream was put on hold.

When her oldest son—now an adult— was in second grade, he became a challenge for some teachers, as he was an advanced learner with a near photographic memory, Ewell said.

She recognized some teachers went to great lengths to help him, while others not so much. In that process, she became his champion and decided all students needs a positive influence to help them progress, to take a risk and try to help them, to love them and be the person who supports them in being successful.

Ewell returned to her path to become an educator.

After teaching second and fourth grades and being an instructional coach in Nebo School District, she became a dean of students at a dual immersion elementary where she was a mentor for teachers but still worked as a teacher on special assignment.

It was there, incidentally, that she called upon her niece, who attended the school then, to help her decorate her office.

“She insisted I decorate with this picture of a flamingo, so I did,” she said, not realizing that it would spur others—students, colleagues, her five sisters—to add to what now is a collection in her office.

“It’s kind of fun, kind of silly.”

Ewell started looking for more administrative opportunities, so she came to Jordan School District to work as an assistant principal at Foothills and Black Ridge elementaries.

This is her first time being principal.

“I love the people I work with; they’re very dedicated and creative,” Ewell said about her Daybreak Elementary staff. “I love learning from them.”

For example, the third grade teachers felt that Kids Marketplace—a role-play activity where students are introduced to careers and money management—was important to be held during COVID-19 pandemic. While usually parents volunteer to oversee stations from the bank to housing to animal services, aides were to fill the roles in March, and teachers were to instruct students in the process and stagger

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Daybreak Principal Leslie Ewell encourages students this year to be BRAVE. (Photo courtesy of Jeanne Nichols.

the times in the marketplace to keep social distancing in place.

Daybreak’s student council was working with the school PTA to hold a March reading challenge, with kindergarten through third grade students versus fourth through sixth grade students in completing the greatest number of minutes of lessons completed on their reading programs.

The PTA also was starting to plan year-end activities that follow the health and safety guidelines.

“I have a fantastic PTA president and board and SCC (school community council),” she said. “I can’t have volunteers in the school, but I’m feeling I’m getting to know the community. Everyone is very kind, and it’s just been a fantastic experience.”

This year, Ewell has appreciated recognizing students who “Find Your Brave.”

Early in the school year, she recorded herself reading “Be Brave Little One,” then went into classrooms to talk about her favorite passages. That has led to posters around the school indicating what it means to be BRAVE: Believe you are here for a reason; Recognize the voice of your heart;

Accept that fear is part of the process; Vow to do your best; and Expect the ups-anddowns.

Each week, she recognizes up to seven students of the 740 in-person and 120 online students who are nominated by their teachers for maybe asking questions in class to mastering a concept. Recently, a kindergartner who earned the honor said, “I’m so proud of myself.”

“I thought about with kids out of school for such a long time (after the soft closure of schools last spring because of COVID-19), that we need to find and recognize the ways we’re brave,” she said.

“We need to celebrate their resiliency. It’s great to recognize the kids and call home with positive messages.”

While being a student advocate, Ewell recognizes the fact that to be successful, everybody needs help along the way.

“You don’t do it alone; there’s people behind you,” she said. “I have my staff, my administrative assistants, my family. And we are here to help our students be successful.” l

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Bingham students unite to serve others, build school community in pandemic year

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

I

tems for 450 hygiene kits and 50 art kits, funds raising more than $40,000 and time amounting to 800 hours of service were given in late February and early March by Bingham High students.

They were all part of Bingham High’s True Blue, an annual service-fundraising campaign dating back 85 years to better the community.

Traditionally held in December, this school year’s efforts were moved to provide students more in-person opportunities since the COVID-19 health and safety guidelines were loosened and the number of students quarantined have decreased.

“We lowered our expectations some with COVID, but now we’re blown away by the response and generosity that we’re receiving to help people,” said senior McKell Singley, who is Bingham High’s student body service officer.

Their fundraising efforts benefit Hearts Knit Together, an organization that supports families and individuals fleeing from domestic violence, war, abuse or similar situations.

The organization was started as a grassroots effort by elderly widows in a low-income housing area of Salt Lake City who wanted to give to their community. As refugees or women who had escaped abuse themselves, these women knitted and crocheted hats and contacted Linda Simmons, who served as a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionary in the area to give them to other people in need, said Simmons’ daughter, April James, who is a Board of Directors member at Hearts Knit Together.

James’ mother became its executive director and would use coupons to acquire hygiene items to go along with the homemade hats and scarves.

“It started in our home, and we’d have piles all over our house—in the hallways, stacks in rooms and people would come over to assemble kits,” James recalled of the organization’s origins 15 years ago. “Every conversation I’ve had with my mom has included what’s going on with Hearts.”

Now, for the past five years, Hearts Knit Together has donated more than 5,000 kits per year to 16 domestic violence shelters in Utah and worked with the Utah Department of Workforce Services to get refugees kits as well. Each kit has a message of hope included that James’ mother wrote.

“Everyone is beyond thrilled and just so thankful when they receive them,” she said but added with COVID-19 as well as fewer donations from Eagle Scouts, it’s become a hard year to maintain their supplies. “We’re beyond grateful for Bingham’s donations.

It’s the first school since 2020 that has held a drive, and it is so needed and so appreciated.”

Bingham’s kits will be delivered to the organization’s office by student body officers, who then will sort them so they can be

Page 14 | April 2021

Bingham High student government leaders dropped off about 500 hygiene and art kits that students donated for Hearts Knit Together as part of the school’s annual True Blue service-fundraising campaign. (Photo courtesy of Marki Bangerter.)

delivered with care packages to area shelters who serve the population.

“This is a cool opportunity to get involved and gives us a way to connect with each other and to our community,” Singley said. “It’s a reason to serve; it’s a reason to help.”

Indirectly, it also is helping the students at the school carry on some normalcy during the pandemic, she added.

“I’ve had seniors tell me this is the best part of their senior year, or others say this is the most fun they’ve had with school this year,” Singley said.

Traditionally with True Blue, student government hosts a fundraiser dance, but that didn’t meet with the guidelines during the pandemic, SBO adviser Kiera Beddes said.

“It’s important that kids can continue with as many things as possible, even with the restrictions,” she said. “Kids can feel disconnected this year, so it’s a chance to come together to work toward something bigger than themselves and to look forward to something that unites our school community.”

Even with restrictions, Singley and other student leaders were able to put in place for the first time, a True Blue club versus club basketball tournament. SBOs selected eight clubs to compete—boys tennis, girls cheer, drill, dance company, boys hockey, boys volleyball, girls volleyball, boys lacrosse— for bragging rights as club basketball team champion.

True Blue raised money by having a $5 club entrance fee, then in the second round, allowing people to pay for “an impairment” such as paying $30 to have team members play ball with oven mitts or shoelaces tied to each other. In the finals, boys tennis versus

Bingham High students, seen here putting together kits for Hearts Knit Together, spent more than 800 hours of service in their True Blue service-fundraising campaign. (Photo courtesy of Marki Bangerter.)

girls cheer, money was contributed to have a member of the boys tennis team play with cheer; however, the boys tennis team prevailed.

“It was so much fun; I hope that it will be part of True Blue in years to come,” Singley said. “It’s a way to get more people involved and be a part of it.”

Another popular event was Mr. True Blue where senior boys demonstrated their talent and “dressed fancy,” she said.

Penny Wars is a Bingham True Blue tradition, where classes compete against each other. Coins are added up but any bills deduct from the total. A talent show, showcasing ballet to music talent; a date auction, lunch time activities and spirit nights rounded out the activities in addition to opening and closing assemblies, which were limited to in-person seating, but shared livestream with the entire student body. l

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American Heritage of South Jordan teams up with Operation Gratitude

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

E

very couple months, the American Heritage of South Jordan National Honor Society chapter adviser has taken sealed boxes to be mailed.

The boxes arrive at Operation Gratitude where they are channeled to deployed military troops, first responders and veterans.

Beginning last spring, Operation Gratitude extended a second wave of gratitude to those on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was looking for service organization that our students could reasonability come up with items to help,” said Bobbi Hansen, who also serves as the school’s curriculum director. “It’s been part of our schoolwide program, ‘Be the One,’ where students extend kindness and service to others.”

As part of the program, one day per week, the 250 pre-kindergarten through high school seniors proudly wear their “Be the One” T-shirts instead of dress uniforms and voluntarily donate requested items which the National Honor Society members have shared with the school community.

In the fall, it was “boxes and boxes of candy,” enough to fill up a car with the seats down, Hansen said.

This winter, it was beanie babies, small plush stuffed toys, that can “bring a smile” to those who receive it, Hansen said. Operation Gratitude’s website said that after deployed troops are entertained, they may give them to children in combat zones, serving as a double purpose.

“We decorated our Christmas tree with them,” she said about the approximate 135 donated beanie babies.

In February, students contributed about 200 pairs of black crew socks, which Hansen learned will go to the military.

Typically, American Heritage of South Jordan students place items in a collection box in the school’s lobby, then the 12 National Honors Society students count and package them for Operation Gratitude.

To be a National Honor Society member, American Heritage of South Jordan students need to be a high school sophomore, junior or senior, have attended the school for a semester, have a cumulative 3.7 or higher GPA for the previous three semesters and serve in a leadership role in a school or community activity. National Honor Society members also are expected to participate in three service projects.

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American Heritage of South Jordan’s National Honor Society packages up items to be shipped to Operation Gratitude where they will be shared with military troops, first responders and veterans. (Photo courtesy of American Heritage of South Jordan.)

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Excitement still felt after Minerettes repeat as 6A state champions

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

I

t has been one month to the day since the Minerettes huddled together, their masks sliding down their chins while they yelled and smiled when they were named back-toback 6A drill team champions.

That momentous day, Feb. 4, Bingham’s drill team swept all three categories—military, dance and show—to capture a near-perfect competition season.

Coach Erica Cox said it still is exhilarating.

“It’s so exciting,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be with a second title, but it’s even more so. It’s unique and so difficult to repeat now in the drill world. The talent in Utah is incredible.”

It is Cox’s second title in her three years as Bingham’s coach and the school’s ninth state title.

“It’s really been a successful year; I’m really so proud,” she said.

During the competitive season, they posted wins at all three invitationals, including all three categories at invitationals at Lehi and Bountiful high schools and snagging two of the three at an Alta High invitational, losing the new show routine to rival Copper Hills.

The show routine combines hip hop, character and prop dances. The Minerettes performed as music conductors, complete with batons, podiums and sheet music.

At region, they repeated their title, with wins again in military and dance, placing third to Copper Hills and Herriman in show.

“These girls worked super hard,” Cox said, then realized those words don’t do justice to the 29 team members.

Like many things, this year looked different during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their tryouts were delayed one month, then they had to audition in groups of three and disinfect between each group. They were able to hold masked practices indoors after completing health checks and having their temperatures taken.

However, as positive case counts and those out with quarantine rose in the school, Bingham closed for periods of time, twice as the competition season neared. Then, with former Gov. Gary Herbert’s mandate, winter sports were put on hold for two weeks as the season began.

“As great as it is to have technology, Zoom practices are hard,” Cox said. “We ended up using Marco Polo (app) where girls would video every trick and turn and send them to me every day. When we got back together, it was a breakthrough moment, a glimpse of what we could accomplish. I saw their work ethic and how they improved. We came out stronger.”

But they weren’t quite done with COVID-19.

“It was like a revolving door with hold-

Page 18 | April 2021

Bingham High Minerettes perform their dance routine, one of the three categories they won, at the 6A state drill championships. (Photo courtesy of Clyn Robinson)

ing practices and not,” she said. “We had some girls missing all the time, for weeks.

For a month or two, we didn’t have a full team at practice. It was super difficult. They did their best to follow on Zoom, but we’d have to get them back up to speed when they returned, just to have someone else out. It was practices with half the team here and half on Zoom.”

Luckily, during most of the competitions, everyone was accounted for and competed—until the last invitational at Alta.

“We had all the girls except two; they tested positive the day before the invitational,” Cox said. “It was an important one, with all the big competition there.”

Instead of competing with holes where those two team members would have danced, two injured alternates stepped in to compete in the military and show routines. Instead of attempting for them to learn the third, difficult dance routine hours before they’d compete, Cox spent the time respacing it with the team members.

“We totally could have danced with the holes, but we wanted to rework it, make it the best we could,” she said. “It was exhausting but worth it, as we won that the next day.”

Those same two team members also missed regionals, but they were well enough to return before state. Once again, Cox looked at her squad, made changes to include alternates and those who recovered just days before the state competition.

“We wanted to do what was best for the team and to be fair to our girls,” she said, adding that their perseverance and commitment speaks to the theme her 11 officers

Bingham High Minerettes are all smiles as they are back-to-back 6A state drill champions. (Photo courtesy of Bingham High School)

chose: “Dauntless.”

“It’s perfect for this year,” she said. “We faced so much adversity, but we had such determination.”

Their season was expected to wrap up in March with a recognition night followed by a showcase of their routines, including some solos and a dance by the seven seniors.

Tryouts for next year’s squads also

were to be held in March, leaving the girls to contemplate the new region, similar to the current one with the exception of Mountain Ridge High moving into Jordan High’s slot— before practices begin in May. “It’s a difficult, pretty stacked region,” she said. “We will be strong with almost all our girls coming back.” l

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Aven’s mother, Jennifer Lee, said as a parent, she is pleased with Up With Kids and its format.

“I appreciate that this program is fun and not stressful,” she said. “We are casual people, and this has been great because it is light-hearted, and that’s what we need right now during this time.”

Prior to the pandemic, Up With Kids held weekly classes in person in various locations around Salt Lake Valley in singing, dancing and acting. For safety, all the physical locations were closed in March 2020, and the program was able to continue through working on Zoom. The directors and staff spent many hours learning to edit the footage so that each student could have a copy of the movie that they starred in to share with family and friends.

“Our virtual classes have been wonderful,” Bringhurst said. “Many parents are so grateful for the outlet for their children.”

Lee admits that watching her son be a part of something that brings him joy, especially during COVID, has really been meaningful for her as a parent.

“I’ve noticed when he’s done with class, he’s so happy, and he just seems so cheerful,” she said.

For more information about Up With Kids, visit its website, www.upwithkids.com. l

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Jordan Ridge Elementary fifth grader Aven Lee dresses in a homemade costume and rehearses lines for the production of “The Greatest Showman” with his new friends in the Upper class of the program Up With Kids. (Photo by Jennifer Lee.)

Up With Kids finding creative ways to connect with young thespians

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

D

uring the past year, with the pandemic and all the uncertainty surrounding it, one thing that was for certain was people couldn’t connect the way they once could—working from home, school lessons done virtually and the suspension of a lot of extracurricular activities.

One young South Jordan resident has found a way to connect while trying out his hand at acting. Aven Lee has been participating in a virtual acting class called Up With Kids that started in Utah 35 years ago by an educator named Shauna Livingston, with the help of local parent, Nancy Scott.

Aven, a fifth grader at Jordan Ridge Elementary School, started the program in January and is able to participate and learn speaking lines with young people his age.

The Up With Kids program is divided into three age groups: UpSwings-preschool-first grade, UpBeats-second-fourth grade and Upper Class- fifth grade and above.

With school held virtually on Fridays throughout the Jordan School District,

S outh JordanJ ournal.com

Aven has been able to log onto Zoom for 50 minutes each Friday afternoon and learn things such as characterization, improvisation, vocal intonation and memorization.

“I like the acting part, and I’ve made friends with the kids in my class,” Aven said.

Beginning in January, Aven and his new friends were assigned roles for the production of the box-office hit, “The Greatest Showman.” Each student was given a set of lines that he or she was responsible for memorizing. The young actors spent March and April filming themselves saying their lines within their scenes and doing their musical scenes as well. The production will wrap up in May. According to Aven’s teacher, Up With Kids Director Mallory Bringhurst, every child gets a chance to act and be a star without the stress or fear of auditioning.

“We believe in ‘all-star acting,’ where every child gets a speaking part and character to develop” Bringhurst said.

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April 2021 | Page 21

Warriors of Thor take to their Dragon Ship as part of Day in History

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

E

Singing a revised version of “Dragon Ships” to keep their strokes together, Early Light fifth graders learn about Vikings’ ships and their raids as part of the school’s Day in History. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

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arly Light Academy fifth graders listened as their Beverly Taylor Sorensen Arts Learning Program music specialist, Amy Hickenlooper, told them Vikings were known for their ships.

“The Vikings invented sails and when they went up, no-one was faster,” she said. “If there was no wind, they’d take their oars and row together, sometimes chanting or singing to keep their strokes together.”

It may not sound like a music class, but it wasn’t an ordinary class period. It was Day in History at the school, and the students, who had the option to dress as Vikings, had learned a song about Dragon Ships—and the history behind it.

“They carved dragons out of their hulls to scare away those who would come to a place they were at—or if they weren’t scared, the Vikings would fight them,” Hickenlooper told the students. “They’re a little like pirates—sometimes they took land because it was easier to farm than their own; sometimes, they just took treasure. Anyway, they had the coolest ships.”

So together, students sat on the ground, using bucket handles to hold pool noodles in place which imitated oars, and they’d stroke along to “Dragon Ships,” a song they sang together with changed lyrics by Hickenlooper that reflected the lesson in the Vikings.

“The Vikings didn’t write down their music,” she told the students. “But I think this gives us the idea.”

During the Day in History—which was spread out throughout the entire week in early March to allow students who were on hybrid or online schedules to experience some of the activities—the 900 kindergarten through ninth grade students learned about the Vikings’ history, culture and background in addition to dressing up in traditional garb.

Ninth grader Jenavee Greene, or Sif by her Viking name, said that traditionally Vikings didn’t wear horns in their hats.

“It was just for show in the opera,” she said. “I liked learning that they were the first to explore the Northern Hemisphere.”

Jenavee also learned that they believed in Norse mythology and many of the legends come from Northern Europe including Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. One such tale she learned while helping as an aide in a kindergarten class was about Thor’s wife, Sif, being tricked to cut her long, thick golden hair, which

was believed helped the Norse people’s crops grow. She was betrayed by Loki, who cut her head bare but was told to restore her beauty. He did so, with the help of gnomes who made a cap of gold silk.

“Their expeditions were religious, as they did not believe in Christianity but in Thor, Loki and Odin and others,” she said.

Jenavee said that in her classes, they designed a long boat by candlelight and had practiced learning to write in Runes, the Vikings’ own system of writing where the basic alphabet, 16 letters long, was made up of straight lines, no curved letters.

Many of the older grades created clan names and decorated their classroom doors, while younger students painted cardboard shields or drew faces to be placed in a paper Viking ship that adorned the hallway. Students also learned stories about the Norse people and tried out several Viking games.

“This year was a little different,” said Director of Curriculum Shannon Berry, who provided teachers NearPod videos that could be used to engage student learning and discussion.

“Instead of students trading classes and classroom teachers coming up with ideas, we had our teacher specialists create Day in History lesson plans and they rotated.”

That helped with the social distancing and contract tracing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dates were also extended and pushed back from January to March since after the holiday break, the school had its first number of positive and quarantine cases that required the school to be put online for a period of time.

This is the school’s eighth annual Day in History. Past events have focused on the ancient Greece, Medieval times, 1776, 1820s, 1847, 1920s and 1969. Next year, it will be in the 1400s.

The school’s cultural day, which was held this past fall, tied into the same time period so Berry said it was fun that students to correlate the two experiences.

Incorporated in Early Light Academy’s charter is to hold three historic events. In addition to these two, students hold their own history fair in May, where elementary students work together in classrooms to do projects and older students research and present their own findings. This year’s theme will be “United we stand, divided we fall.” l

Towne Center Dr. Kindergartners designed their faces as Vikings on a school display outside their classroom in honor of Day in History at Early Light Academy. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

Page 22 | April 2021

S outh Jordan City Journal

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S outh Jordan City Journal

South Jordan transplant specializes in cutting hair for special needs customers

By Rachel Aubrey | r.aubrey@mycityjournals.com

T

he love a parent has for a child knows no distance, at least it didn’t for hair stylist Kim Deverall and her husband, Cole, who left their life in St. George for the South Jordan area less than a year ago.

“I didn’t think it was a hard move; South Jordan has been so welcoming,” she said.

The move was largely influenced by her youngest son Kai, 11, who has severe non-verbal autism. Seeing the scarcity of services for her son and her family in coping with and managing her son’s autism, the family came north, where there were more educational, medical and emotional supports.

In her early years, Kim Deverall knew she wanted to pursue a career path that would allow her the flexibility she needed to become a mother and raise a family. Becoming a licensed hair stylist and working for several years before having kids, allowed her to discover her path as a professional.

“I wanted to do something creative, with a positive purpose and help people feel good about themselves,” she said.

She was able to interview and be approved to transfer from the St. George JC Penney Salon to the JC Penney Salon at The District. In the past year, as Kim Deverall has sought to reestablish herself in a new area and gain new clientele, she noticed that she missed working

with her fellow special needs families.

She understands how something as simple as a haircut can sometimes be too much for children and adults with special needs. Things such as flickering lights, hair dryers whirring or walking into the salon itself can lead to feelings of anxiety or lack of control for her clients who have a more difficult time processing their new surroundings.

Kim Deverall takes time to meet her special needs clients and consult with them before they receive a haircut. She does this with meetings at a nearby park to plan for the appointment, letting her clients come into the salon earlier than opening to take a tour and get acquainted with the new environment and establishing a reward technique for getting through each step of the appointment.

All these things make a big difference to her clients.

“I don’t see it as an inconvenient; it’s my life, it’s second nature,” she said.

Her experience working with special needs clients comes personally, as she understands that her special needs clients and their caretakers need to feel safe and accepted.

“I can make someone feel beautiful, and that’s a great feeling,” she said. “But it’s very different having a mom come in that has a child with special needs and connecting on a differ-

ent level.”

Kim admits the special needs community surrounding her business and her home in Daybreak feels connected, and her son and her family have been able to receive the support they need.

Fellow South Jordan resident and parent Wendy Braegger, who is mom to daughter Scout, 13 (who has severe non-verbal autism), feels that support. Kim Deverall has been able to work with Braegger and Scout to create a unique and positive experience when Scout comes to the Salon.

“Kim gets it; she understands,” Braegger said. “ She is flexible and adaptable. Kim is someone who wants to serve the community.”

Kim Deverall said it’s a hard life to understand for those who don’t live in it. She is encouraged that more education about autism is becoming available and encourages patience and kindness.

“Everybody has something they are dealing with behind closed doors,” she said.

April is Autism Acceptance Month.

You can find more information at www.autism-society.org/get-involved/national-au- South Jordan hairstylist Kim Deverall welcomes all clients to the Salon at JCPenney at the District. tism-awareness-month/.

The Salon at JC Penney at The District is (Rachel Aubrey/City Journals) open Daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. l

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April 2021 | Page 25

The grass is always greener on the other side of the budget

By Mariden Williams | m.williams@mycityjournals.com

A

fter four years of play, South Jordan’s Rushton Meadows Park will be getting resurfaced. The springy rubber play surface has been used hard over the years, particularly around a certain game built into the playground equipment.

“The game is so popular, and it’s been so used, the kids have just worn down through it,” said Spencer Kyle, South Jordan’s director of administrative services. “It’s a good problem in that it means it’s popular and it’s getting used.”

Resurfacing playgrounds is just one of the many tasks that goes into keeping South Jordan’s well-loved parks in shape. City parks require a lot of maintenance. Aside from all the obvious lawn care elements—mowing, trimming, edging, fertilizing, watering and aerating—park employees also pick up litter, make sure trees are healthy and disease free, control for pests, perform playground inspections, clean bathrooms and pavilions, empty the trash cans every day, maintain ball fields and courts, help coordinate city events and more.

According to Kyle, the city maintains around 438 acres of park space, with 23 fulltime employees. Theoretically, the department is also meant to have 20 seasonal employees that work from March through November, but Kyle says that they never have quite the full complement of 20.

“We’ve never actually been able to hire more than 15,” Kyle said. “Getting fully staffed with seasonals is difficult.”

Part of the difficulty is that city leaders mostly look to hire college students for seasonal positions, the idea being that students can help maintain the parks during the peak spring and summer seasons, then go back to school in the fall. Unfortunately, in practice, college students only tend to be available in June and July, which leaves the parks and rec department shorthanded in the spring months.

According to Kyle, there are three basic levels of park maintenance: level one, which is immaculately landscaped and groomed; level two, which is clean and green but not particularly fancy; and level three, which is rougher and weedier and more natural, and visited by parks employees only a few times a year.

“Of all the properties that we have the city, we believe the expectation is that 10 of those were maintained at a level 1, 22 of those are maintained at a level two, and eight of those are maintained at level three,” he said. “Right now, there are no parks that are maintained at a level one. We’re just not able to do it. Twenty-nine of the parks are currently maintained at a level two, and 15 parks are a level three. So definitely, we believe that at least 10 of these parks need more attention.”

Rushton Meadows Park has a new play surface in its future. (Mariden Williams/City Journals)

The parks and rec department crunched the numbers and found that in order to maintain the parks at the current expected levels (rather than their current actual levels), they would need to hire 29 more workers. If the city adds 60 additional acres of park space from Daybreak, the number of needed workers will shoot up to 50.

Kyle said the department mostly needs two things.

“One is additional staffing and then kind of a recalibration of expectations,” he said.

While 50 additional parks workers would be great, nobody actually expects that to happen—there are too many other areas of the city that need funding. So don’t take it too personally if your park has a brown spot or two.

“Clearly, we would love to have every park be a level one—something like, you know, a [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] temple grounds or something like that,” Kyle said. “But we recognize that’s neither feasible nor realistic.” l

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Page 26 | April 2021

S outh Jordan City Journal

South Jordan Youth City Council going strong

E

ven though COVID-19 shut down many programs this past year, the young men and women of the South Jordan Youth City Council refused to let their program die. According to Youth Mayor, Nephi Christensen, “This year was definitely different, but I enjoyed the challenge of planning activities and services including the Zoom Christmas meeting for the rest of my council. We usually have a party and a huge service project, but since we were unable to meet in person, we had to get really creative.”

Ultimately, the SJYCC decided to put together kits that each member could assemble at home. These gift bags included treats, hand-made decorations, and individually written cards that we were given to senior citizens during their lunch pickup. A holiday treat was given with the supplies to each council member in lieu of an in-person party. According to Christensen, “My grandpa lives with us, so we got to see first-hand his excitement and joy at receiving an unexpected gift from the SJYCC.” This year’s SJYCC has overcome other challenges as well. Their long-time mentor and leader retired, leaving them with a new advisor.

Rather than meeting twice a month in person, online meetings became the norm. Typically, the council is sworn in by the South Jordan Mayor; this year was the first ever induction ceremony via Zoom. Fortunately, biweekly meetings where members learn about their lo-

cal government from South Jordan City officials remained constant over Zoom.

Service opportunities were extremely limited. The new SJYCC director, Emily Stephens, instructed members, “ Some things that will be different this year revolve around the COVID restriction. We will need to think outside of the box on our service projects. It will still be exciting and fun. ” Christensen attended nearly every in-person service, overseeing the council members and keeping track of everyone’s service hours.

Some fall service activities were held outdoors, with masks and social distancing. This worked well for SOJO soccer and the city’s Pumpkin Promenade.

Cold weather forced change and the most recent service project started with everyone on Zoom, cutting out paper hearts. Each member chose a neighbor, loved one, or friend and then “heart-attacked” their door. According to Christensen, “We are currently working on planning our spring service projects, and we are planning to help with events like Summerfest and the Easter egg hunt, no matter what form they take. The SJYCC is sure to continue, and the creative ideas and endurance developed this year will definitely strengthen us all in years to come.”

Nephi Christensen SJYCC Youth Mayor l

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For more information about these events visit our website at www.southjordanchamber.org April 2021 | Page 27

AAI students enhance academic studies

By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com

L

ast fall, American Academy of Innovation teacher Melissa Chipman offered her students an “On the Wall Art Mural” immersion.

In late March, she was slated to take students on an online humanitarian trip to Mexico.

The weeklong immersion courses are offered to the 410 seventh through 12th grade students between terms.

“It’s somewhat unique in that we offer a dedicated single week that allows teachers to teach one of their passions and have our students explore their interests,” AAI Academic Director Ryan Hagge said. “We give a lot of choice; they’re greatly diverse and student-engaging.”

The courses, which have varied from siege warfare to dance video immersion in the past, are proposed by teachers, who submit three ideas to the counseling department. After a preliminary survey of students and to ensure there are no duplications, courses are selected.

“As part of the balance, they try to offer ideas that include a range from outdoors and field trips to indoor expansion of studies. We make sure there is enough offered to all age groups and make adjustments to ideas if we need to,” he said about some of the classes being earmarked for senior high students, junior high students or all students.

This past March, some of the courses in-

cluded home renovations and flipping, skateboarding, Bob Ross painting, racquet sports, Thai language and culture, and text and textiles.

Last year, Hagge offered fly fishing to students. They learned about the terrain, casting and what kind of insect to use.

“While most immersions have a cap of 20 students, our outdoor immersions are limited to 10 students to one teacher,” he said. “When we took students to Moab, we had 30 kids and four chaperones. We are intentionally project- or experience-based school. We want kids to learn something valuable when they do a project or are in an immersion class.”

Hagge used the online humanitarian trip to Mexico as an example.

“It’s not just a tourist experience, although they could list sights and the significance of those,” he said. “They will help plan meals, learn how to get a passport and go through that process. They will learn how what is being done will impact others and their society and culture. It’s a little more vibrant than math for a week.”

While not mandated, Hagge said that if the course is aligned with specific stan-

dards and the teacher is certified, students can receive one-quarter credit in that field.

Typically, students fulfill a general elective one-quarter credit unless they propose an independent immersion, which may earn them one-half credit.

Hagge said that last year, a student designed an independent immersion. He used his knowledge and abilities as an experienced climber to scale area peaks and wrote and published a climbing guide working alongside the state’s Department of Land Management.

However, he said most students select a course taught by teachers or staff. During the two years the immersion week has been offered, students have learned how to fix bicycles, studied war and peace in the Middle East, immersed themselves in cultural baking and cooking, created a drumline with trash cans, mastered digital photography, produced a one-act play, built a 3D printer and more.

“The kids love it,” Hagge said. “This immersion week may ignite a spark, something that may interest them and start a whole new passion.” l

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Page 28 | April 2021

“On the Wall Art Mural” immersion was offered to American Academy of Innovation students last fall as a way to expand their curriculum offerings. (Photo courtesy of American Academy of Innovation.)

S outh Jordan City Journal

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Page 30 | April 2021

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Teaching yoga at Kearns Oquirrh Park Fitness Center means I need to stay certified in CPR and first aid. After completing my recent CPR class, the only thing I know for sure is, “Hi, I’m Peri Kinder and I’m certified in CPR” is not the same as “Hi, I’m Peri Kinder and I can save your life.”

My previous medical training was years of watching M*A*S*H episodes, specifically the one where Father Mulcahy performs a tracheotomy on a wounded soldier by slicing open the man’s throat and sticking a pen down his windpipe. We didn’t learn how to do that.

Theoretically, we learned how to identify serious injuries, how to administer aid and how to use an AED (not to be confused with an IED or an IUD).

We were taught the signs of shock, which include being irritable and restless, and I realized I’ve been in shock for a half-century. If someone is in shock, you should cover them with a blanket. I do that after work. I wrap up in a blanket and tell my family, “Stay away. I’m in shock.”

Another technique we covered was how to make small talk with people who are injured. We’re supposed to put them at ease until emergency personnel show up. But I’m terrible at small talk. Someone could have a bone sticking out of their thigh and I’d say, “So, do you like to eat

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food? Have you always had legs?” Then I’d throw up. And pass out.

Concussions are all the rage, so we studied how to recognize signs of a brain injury. (After banging my head against the wall for the last year, I’m permanently concussed.) The concussion lecture reminded me of a time when I was 12 and running with a friend. I jogged backwards so I could talk to her, then turned and ran smack into a telephone pole. I saw stars and birds circling my head, just like in the cartoons. My friend didn’t warn me I was

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going to hit the pole. She wasn’t a particularly good friend.

Anyway.

We learned about the signs of a stroke.

The instructor said if you think someone is having a stroke, ask them to smile. But here’s the rub--you should never ask a woman to smile, even if it could save her life. Because if she isn’t having a stroke, she’ll murder you.

Did you know a wound from nuclear radiation is considered a critical burn?

Here’s my idea of a critical burn: “Your hair is so ratty it squeaks when you walk.”

Anaphylaxis (a.k.a. severe allergic reaction) is pretty nasty, too. If you have an epi-pen, I hope you’re conscious enough to use it because needles make me faint.

And don’t you think anaphylaxis sounds like the name of a Jane Austen character?

“Anna Phalaxis was prone to consumption and frailty.”

During the class, I expressed concern that I wouldn’t be able to remember all this info if there was an actual emergency, but the instructors were truly kind. They said, “Don’t overthink it. Let your training kick in.”

So, if you’re in my yoga class and have a medical emergency, I’m trained to get someone else to help. You can thank me later.

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April 2021 | Page 31

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April 2021 | Vol. 8 Iss. 04

FREE

#KEEPMOMINSCHOOL

EVEN WHEN A PANDEMIC MAKES THAT HARDER THAN EVER

By Alison Brimley | a.brimley@mycityjournals.com

O

nce upon a time, Lisa Sledge was the mother of two young children, recently divorced and working fulltime as a high school English teacher.

“I couldn’t pay daycare expenses for two children without government assistance,” she said.

She didn’t want the rest of her life to be a struggle to make ends meet. She wanted her kids to have little luxuries: piano lessons, braces.

So she enrolled in law school at the University of Utah.

University personnel were supportive of her unique challenges as a single parent attending a demanding program.

Her professors welcomed her kids to class when she couldn’t find child care. Yet she calls those three years the hardest of her life.

“When I finally made it to the end, I’d passed the bar, I thought, ‘How many women are ever able to make it to this moment?’” Sledge said. “‘How many are able to look around and see that this thing they had wanted to do—how many were actually able to make it work?’”

She found that number was dismally low: of single women who begin either an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree, only 8% complete their degree within six years. The truth may be even more bleak than that: of that 8%, Sledge points out, we don’t know how many are actually able to pay off their debt or save for retirement. We don’t know how many enter careers plagued by a wage gap, where women Freedom for Resilient women is currently fundraising for #KeepMomInSchool, a campaign which so far has raised less than $10,000 of its just need a graduate degree to make as much as a man who holds $1 million goal. “I have watched so many ridiculous campaigns achieve ridiculous results,” says founder Lisa Sledge. “I don’t think that I’m a bachelor’s degree. asking too much.” (Courtesy of Lisa Sledge) Continued page 4

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801-890-0415

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125 N SR 24 Bicknell, UT

1086 W South Jordan Pkwy South Jordan

435-425-2500

801-302-0777

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